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Ed Yeates reportingTomorrow, University of Utah students will be screening their "machinimas." These are short, animated films that were made using video games. The technique is a fast-track way of exposing students to this rapidly growing multidisciplinary art form.
Students are learning, by trial and error, how to make digital films over a single semester instead of several years. "They certainly understand the entire pipeline, [as] it's called, where you go from beginning to end," said Robert Kessler, professor at the University of Utah School of Computing.
Machinima is a word combining machine and cinema. Students create animated films using traditional computer game engines.
Parodies on politicians are high on the list. Kris Doing-Harris came up with what she calls a "PresMart," where you buy presidents off the shelf. But don't they all look alike?
"Pick whoever you would like. You can have anything you want. As long as it's the same thing, you can have anything you want," Doing-Harris said.
In another machinima, Zach Gildersleeve creates an imaginary affair between John McCain and Hillary Clinton using dialogue pulled from their campaigns. "With this technique, you can get there, sort of interact with your animation as it happens; a little bit more real-time feedback to it," Gildersleeve said.
Machinima for these students right now is a very quick learning tool. But where it's leading down the road could be a very long-term, lucrative profession.
In fact, Walt Disney's folks are giving the University of Utah $20,000 to foster more in this marriage between engineers and artists. "They're hiring brand new BS-level students or BA students at $75,000 to $80,000 annual salaries, and that's just to start with," Kessler said.
Experienced people in the field are making $150,000 to $200,000 annually.
The Machinima Festival is open to the public tomorrow between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the University of Utah's Orson Spencer Hall Auditorium. For more information on the festival, click the related link.
E-mail: eyeates@ksl.com
