An image from Operation Bayshield. An ambassador with an east asian accent briefs the team about anti-baywatch terrorists. He has a turban on!
Operation Bayshield is a machinima about an anti-terrorist unit who are sent out to stop a group of terrorists from detonating a bomb. But these terrorists aren't just any America-hating terrorists, they specifically hate Baywatch. Thus the name: "Operation Bayshield."
As machinimae go, this one was dull, though I imagine it was quite the spectacle when it came out years ago. The plot is trite (Americans kick terrorist ass, snore..) and the parody factor was not enough to save it. And maybe I'm just too thick skulled, but a lot of the supposed "jokes" (like the man with the austrian accent) flew over my head. Another factor that contributed to my lack of interest was the fact that the "actors" are very stiff. I'm used to seeing all the expressive acting in more modern machinima; this old stuff is just lacking the energy and life I'm used to seeing.
Clan Undead used the Quake (1) engine to produce this machinima. Along with using assets from the game, they created custom textures, as well as levels/settings for use in this machinima. They took advantage of dynamic camera angles, as well as cinematic techniques such as slow motion.
Despite its flaws, Operation Bayshield is quite a step up from some previous machinimae, like diary of a camper. Clan Undead was able to use prerecorded voice sounds; modded into the game and played by "activating them through QuakeC's sound command."
Final rating: C------------- would not watch again,
Comments (1)
It's fascinating how stuff like this is referenced as a seminal moment in interactive media over and over again in academic writing, but you watch and it's like, what? Have the academics actually watched it?
I look at the first photograph ever taken or the first movie, or the first abstract painting and I feel something more than "jeez, what were those guys smoking when they put that together." Too cynical?
I think part of it is that we really want games to mean something to be artistic, to encourage new ways of thinking, of saving the world, whatever. Some games have moved us in that direction, but that's another class.....
And why are the figures so small in relation to the map?
A big thumbs down.
Posted by Andy Cox | April 23, 2008 12:05 AM
Posted on April 23, 2008 00:05