A
Contributors Editor
Minraed Arzhel
Staff Contributors Jorgha Haq Peacemaker IC Gus Rockman Lunxi Weis Special Contributions by FanGirl - TenderWolf Voice Reels - Bree Page
A special thank you to each and every one of our participants, contributors, fans and friends from the SIFF staff creative team Peacemaker, Jorgha, Gus and Lunxi
official host of SIFF simatography.webs.com
It all starts back up again Before you know it !! Season 12 - FALL 2015 Films premiere September 15 - 20th Watch for updates so that you don’t miss your chance to join in on the one and only Sims Film Festival The buzz starts back up in Early July
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Letter from the Editor It is always exciting to present this BIG Buzz in celebration of another successful season of SIFF, but also it is always sad to let it all go as we roll up the red carpet once again. It really was another incredible season, and like each season before it this one brought new talent, exciting new creativity and more new friends to our community. Thank you to everyone who participated, supported, voted and otherwise contributed. I hope everyone enjoyed their time with us this round, and we do hope that you will join us again. Each season brings a little something new and we are already working on next season’s plans. I know that you are anxious to get inside of this issue to have a peek at the winners, so I won’t keep you long. Just let me say that while not everyone will be awarded a winner’s badge, we cannot say it enough - each of you deserves to feel proud of your work and your creative process. We love you all.
Minraed
Congratulations to the completed their films fo Ansett4Sims
Mark Ston
Fadhil Yudhawanto
Kissable
OMG That Girl is Psycho Productions
Manig
Apocalyptic Dog Films
Robyn
JuliLux3
Zoey
Vincent van
DNL Films
Khcraz
WhiteBlueCherry
Raindro
Painted Wings Productions
Gemsim
Machinima Will
Doll Parts P
HushieBunzXOX
Rikee
MaddiSims
Darknes
Vanillapunk Pictures
Angelic
Tayzar26
Jorgha
Final Destiny Productions PikunMei AmeAngelofSin
SushiCa
Pixiedust M
Starsto
machinima makers who or this season’s Festival
ne Media
MoonlightxStars
Cookies
Alittlemid
gma95
The Only Exception
yZuko
Merfreak Simmer Productions
nASims
Irenedancinglover
n de Ketterij
The Navy CIS Fan
zygirls
Adrian Foltynowicz - Sim Diaries
opSims
Bellimell
ms Sims
Ubiquitous Ghost
Productions
Titus Linde
eChen
ss Angel
c Simz
a Haq
atSeries
Machinima
oshinex
And the amazing contributors to the MEPs Eduardo Castelinne, SylentWhysper, PilaLukasei, Ballantyne Films, Tali Sims Morgan, Nelfea, SSMusicProductions, HermeraSims, XxGhettoZombiexX, SoulShard and Raindrop Sims
Congratulations and Thank you gus! Each season kicks off with the SIFF official poster contest, because every proper film festival needs a poster! It is a great way for graphic artists in the community to strut their stuff, and for nonmachinima makers to get in on the SIFF fun. We hope that many of you will consider contributing your graphic design skills to our next season’s poster.
Thank you also to everyone else who contributed‌ Jorgha Haq, Fadhil, WhiteBlueCherry, TenderWolf, Misty4m and SMag
A Special thanks to our character lineup I would like to take some time to re-introduce and send out a special thank you to our contributing team, both real and imagined. Both Bree Page for Voice Reels and Kenzie Howell (aka TenderWolf) as Fangirl - contrbuted regularly to our SIFF Buzz roundup. Thank you to both of you for helping highlight and support some of this season’s awesome talent. On the “figment of our imaginations” side we have our imaginary reporters. Myself, Tabby Lloyd backed by Minraed, New t Davies and Mercedes Vaughan backed by Jorgha Haq and Grace DeLuca backed by Peacemaker - each contributing a little something to our reporting team. Thank you everyone for your help along the way.
Tabby xo
SIFF Gallery Showcase Scenes from When the Darkness Comes by GembobMarley
A touching and tragic story of childhood friendship, love and loss. This one is a real tearjerker so break out the tissues.
Your NUMBER ONE go to publication for all things SIFF. If you missed any of our issues this season then be sure to go back and have a peek. Click on the Issue logo on the right.
Issue 3 was a special insert inside of our February magazine.
A final Red Carpet wave goodbye with dir Forever
rector White Blue Cherry and the cast of r Yours
Read it now on ISSUU
Thank you to Bree Page It was our first season officially opening up SIFF to voice actors. It is something we have wanted to do for some time. It wasn’t the most organized process, but we have ideas on how to improve next season so we hope to see even more talented voice actors submitting their roles to SIFF for fan voting. Also new this season was Bree Page, a talented voice actress who came forward offering to help us with this project. Bree took time to contact the voice actors to conduct mini interviews so that we could get to know them better. Without voice actors, many SIFF films would never happen so from here on in we will always include this group of talent into the SIFF program. If you are a voice actor, or if you are a film maker who uses voice actors, be sure to let them know that they too can get involved. Details will be in the updated version of the SIFF rules. And last, but certainly not least, thank you so much to Bree for lending her time and inspiration to the introduction of voice actors to SIFF. Minraed
Thank you to all of the Voice Actors who participated this season MALE VOICES Arshia Gimbitmen Chris DeLuca SSMusic Productions Tysonater FEMALE VOICES MoonlightxStars
StormehBunchies
Starstoshinex
Brittany Means
HappyNisa
Aussie Me
AmeAngelofSin
IceAngelTV
Pamamena16
SushiCat
Bree Page
Misha
Sims Berrry
LoicyVoicy
Isabella/Izzy
NikouruChan18
Pamamena16 We don’t have any contact information or sample voice reel to share for Pamamena, but she mysteriously showed up at SIFF this season in the much anticipated Something Happens. Watch for more of her in the role of Jane when part 2 is released.
I enjoyed watching people talking behind the screen whether it's anime or simply a Sims series. I don’t feel that I am very good yet, but I enjoy it and that's all that matters.
I play Jane in Something Happens. Jane is quiet and assertive, that's me haha.
Don't give up. At the beginning, which is where I'm still at myself, is going to be frustrating. Your voice might get "tense" or your mic might want play games. You're the only one who decides how far you should go. Just don't give up you guys!
StormehBunchies Find StormehBunchies on YouTube to hear some of her roles and auditions.
I got started in voice acting around late 2010, equipped only with a crappy camera. So, You could say I had a rather shaky, newbie start into the voice acting world. I was pulled into voice over by a very old internet friend I used to write with, and discovered animation projects and voice overs for series using plushie toys. I instantly loved the idea of creating your own story and presenting it through the internet with voice actors, so I jumped into the community as quickly as I could. My very first role was Ravenpaw (from the Warriors series by Erin Hunter) in a mediocre plushie series where I recorded my voice with a camera, edited the recording in Windows Movie Maker, and removed the video before sending it in to the director with only one take per line and poor acting on my part. Basic, doesn't even begin to describe my start into this community. Eventually I stumbled upon the Sims community in 2011 and started off as a little nobody working my way up from recording with a camera, video game microphones, and all that jazz to recording with my blue snowball microphone, editing in audacity, having much more experience with voice acting, and collaborating as a writer with a director (HeavenofSims/Nikki) for our collab channel StormehSims. Once I realized all the cartoons, animes, and video games I loved had amazing voice actors behind the equally amazing characters and I realized had the opportunity to do that myself, I was hooked. Voice acting introduced me into so many various interests, people, and fandoms which broadened my own horizons.
The characters I voice in this season's SIFF are Silia from Amor Agone by the lovely MoonlightxStars, Opal from Sparks! by the super sweet Pixiedust Machinima, and Bridget Norwood from Unbreakable Fate by the incredible DNL Films(I also voice extras in AmeAngelofSin's Curse of Royal Blood and Starstoshinex's Seeking Faith which both are really awesome series too!) . All of these roles are an absolute joy to voice, and working with all the directors is a real treat. The characters these directors have created are phenomenal and it is awesome to be able to supply a voice for them and help bring them to life. Silia is probably one of my favorite characters of all time, she is a super sassy demon which allows me to put on my best sarcastic and seductive voice, but her story is also proving to be very interesting and complex, and I can't wait to dig further into her character and express more of her story. (con’t‌)
Opal from Sparks! is super cute, and she is also a lot of fun to voice. She is a perky character going through a lot, and watching her development is really interesting. it is also great to have a character where I can be joking around one minute, and then be having a serious moment the next. Finally, we have Bridget Norwood, and she is the villain of Unbreakable Fate. I don't know about everyone else, but playing a smart, sophisticated, evil British woman is a role to die for. Being able to use an accent and be the intelligent bad guy(or gal, I suppose) is so much fun, and I can't wait to do more devious monologues and see how far this villain can go against the protagonist.
I can obviously tell all voice actors and actresses to have a good microphone, and EMOTE! Always, emote haha, but I think the best advice I could give would be about staying determined, being positive, and having fun. Be ready to talk to directors, writers, & voice actors, ask for help and guidance (most people will be willing to help you out), get to know people, and audition, audition, and audition for as many projects as possible(obviously ones you are interested in). Get yourself out there, get involved, and be ready for rejection (It will happen, it won't be fun, but you will get through it). The key is to keep trying, and keep your head up high while still being positive about the project. No one wants to work with someone who comes off as whiny or discouraged. Would you? Feel confident about what you are doing, and have fun with it. You should never be taking yourself too seriously. Think about it, most of us are screaming into a microphone in our bedrooms. Just remember everyone is here to express themselves and have a good time. So, if you have something in mind, go for it and stay enthusiastic. :3 On a totally less motivational speaker path, Audacity is a great program for editing audio/lines and you can find it easily online for free. Having a nicely edited audition is a great start to becoming a part of the community.
Note to Voice ACtors
Ÿ You can submit up to THREE voiced character roles Ÿ We will need your contact information, preferably your YouTube channel or blog so people can find you Ÿ It is highly recommended that you have a voice demo reel prepared as this will help you get more roles when film makers are looking at the playbill for potential voice actors for their projects Ÿ We will be asking that you submit at least one photo of your character from the film you are in. This will mean asking the film maker for a screen capture of your character in action, or a Red Carpet photo. Examples …
We hope to see more of you joining us next season.
Best Voice ACtors Viewer’s Choice We asked the fans to vote for their favourite voice actors and actresses from the list of submissions. Congratulations to the winning selections, but also to every voice actor who participated because we think you are all stars in the making.
Tysonater Simon Brant and Nigel Lawrence in Unbreakable Fate Sebastien in Foreboding Illusion Mikey in Tangle Wires Tysonater is one of the most prolific voice actors used in SIFF films and as such he has quite a following of fans and staff alike. We hope that Tysonater will be an inspiration to other male voice actors out there since our SIFF machinima makers always seem to have a bit harder of a time finding male voices.
MoonlightxStars Hayleen in Radioactive Brianna in Overlooked
MoonlightxStars is another name we have seen often in SIFF films and she has stolen the hearts of our fans this season, being voted best female VA from a long list of contenders for her role in two Sims Series. I am sure we will be seeing more of her in the future.
Honourable Mentions It was a very close run for voice actors with Gimbitmen as runner up for the males and StarstoShinex for the females. We hope to see even more voice actors entering SIFF next season and getting the recognition they deserve for helping us bring our characters to life.
Min’s Picks We really saw such a HUGE pool of voice acting talent this season. I only wish more had submitted their roles for official voting. There were a few that really stood out for me this season. Outstanding Overall Voice Acting - Min’s Picks Forever Yours by White Blue Cherry Truce by Apocalyptic Dog Honourable mentions go to Unbreakable Fate, The Theory of Us, Revival and Isolation.
SIFF Gallery Showcase Scenes from Forseaken Souls by HushieBunzXOX
I love the opening of this film, it really catches your attention with the scene from the eyes of the patient, introducing us to this feature length, supernatural creepy drama.
Machinima Masters Judge’s and Viewer’s Choice - With Minraed Arzhel Masters of Machinima are inducted each season based on a long list of criteria including excellence in all aspects of machinima making such as editing, sound track, cinematography, set and costume design and more. What we can’t put a score to is the WOW factor, that feeling you get when you see a really talented machinima maker in action. Machinima Masters, as a separate category, is meant to help even the level of fairness so that our less experienced and less established participants don’t feel overshadowed or that they are not good enough to compete. The other thing about the Masters is that they are our mentors and our inspiration. The following pages will announce the winners of the Masters of Machinima categories include both Judge’s and Viewer’s choice poll results. I would like to thank the judges - all experienced machinima makers in their own right, for assisting in judging various polls. This season’s judges included Cloudwalker, The Elonian Cass, Sylent Whysper, Twist TV, Zoey Zuko, MJSimKat, Ballantyne, Tali Morga, Dice Smith, JuliLux3 and others.
RomerJon charms us yet again with another adorable and heart warming story of enduring childhood friendships. Since moving from The Sims 3 to The Sims 4 he has not skipped a beat. His filming and cinematography is as eye catching as ever as he skillfully manipulates the sims as well as uses game generated animations to artfully tell his story. You would never know that we thought The Sims 4 might not be ready for machinima right away because he has clearly proven that theory wrong.
Fadhil surprised us with this, a second entry to this season’s lineup. This brilliant little mangainspired, action adventure definitely had that WOW factor that we look for in the Masters, but in this case he went a bit above and beyond with some incredible post production editing, effects and sound. Pair that with a whimsical combination of camera angles and film techniques and we have a winning combination. Fun! Awesome job.
I don’t think I have ever seen a Sims music video with such impact and such a professional production feel to it. This just blew me away. An incredible combination of story and band footage that really could be an actual music video for a real band. This is the kind of talent that I can imagine being used to do just that produce film or videos professionally. The editing is outstanding, the imagery is stunning and there are some brilliant creative touches such as where the “invivisble” lighting is left visible. Bravo! This is one of my all time faves for sure.
DNL has proven himself a Master of Machinima on several occasions so his latest production was one that we were all anticipating. I don’t think we were expecting this though - WOW. Every detail of the set is placed perfectly, every song of the soundtrack enhanced the story, sound and visual effects blew our minds. This was a truly outstanding production, even from someone we already knew to have such talents. Additional kudos to the excellent voice actors on this one.
From Shura by Fadhil
This was first official submission from Fadhil for this season and the one I was excitedly anticipating because I wanted to see what he was going to be able to do with The Sims 4. Wow! There is that WOW factor again right? I loved this and it is not at all a genre that I usually would say I go for. This is such a wonderfully funny, brilliant story told using Simlish and subtitles - too fun. Fadhil, you are a true creative genius. Don’t lose your sense of humour, and keep bringing it to SIFF!
Once I catch my breath then I can comment. There are too many words for this than I can fit into this small section - this topic is deep, intense, and painfully real. The soundtrack, visual effects and editing create the perfect eerie nightmare state of Mikey’s mind. I loved the use of first person camera for perspective - it draws you in as if you are in his mind. Gripping and terrorizing and absolutely brilliant. I have never cried from watching a machinima as I did this, and I say that in a good way. Outstanding, painfully, but awesomely so.
I admit that I am pleasantly surprised. This is totally NOT the genre that usually captures my attention, so as it has, I give more credit to this production. The story’s message is a beautiful one that I hope would resonate with everyone who watches, and judging from the polls it did. I am almost inclined to declare this flawless - set design details, costume, character development, incredible dialogue and voice acting, and truly loveable characters. WBC you have outdone yourself. This is a wonderful production.
Just when I thought I had cried as much as I could (after Tangled Wires) I watched this and cried some more. Now I say this in a positive way, because any machinima that can move me to tears counts high on my list of greatness. Seriously though, this is an absoulutely heart wrenching and beautiful story. I can’t find the words to be honest. The most outstanding part for me was the breathtaking cinematography and the poetic and lyrical dialogue. Dice has a serious talent for dialogue, which I believe to be possibly the #1 most difficult aspect of story telling.
Min’s Tips on how to become a Machinima Master
If your goal is to be added to the Machinima Masters list one day, then be sure to work on these skills. 1. Set Design - take your time and put effort into the details 2. Costume Design - don’t just dress your sims up, consider how their costume fits into the theme of the film and their role or character.
4. Editing and Post Production - that polished look that you get from your opening and closing sequences, as well as special effects, sound, and all the other tricks used to put the video clips together to create a professional looking production. 5. Originality - we are always looking for that WOW factor in storylines and approach to the genre.
If you would like honest detailed feedback to help you improve you can email me at simatography@gmail.com
From Unbreakable Fate by DNL Films
3. Cinematography and Camera Work - aim for interesting camera angles and eye catching transition scenes.
Best of the Masters Viewer’s Choice
We have changed the format this year to separate out the Masters submissions into SHORT and LONG format for more fairness when comparing the production styles. The fans have spoken…
Both positions were held with an overwhelming lead followed by second place positions… Shura by Fadhil Truce by Apocalyptic Dog Films
sound Editing in Masters Judges Choice
In sound editing in the masters we asked our judges to consider all aspects of sound, so not just sound track, but editing and transitions, and sound effects as well as voice over quality and sound level. The nominees did not include music videos as they do not require advanced sound editing technique or skill.
Visual post Production Judges Choice Visual Post Production is the advanced version of general editing skills that we apply to the Masters category. Our expectations are higher for Masters so for this we asked our judges to consider all aspects of advanced editing including special effects, add ons, filters, editing, opening sequence and anything else that gives that polished edge.
Cinematography in a Master Judges Choice As with all of our Masters category polls, we asked our judges to be a bit more critical in considering their votes. For Cinematography we are looking for WOW factor - beautiful filming, scenes, and eye catching visual beauty. I think the result speaks for itself in this poll.
Masters Best SToryline Judges Choice This one is pretty much self explanatory. One of the criteria for all Masters is that they are skilled story-tellers, however, even amoung the masters there will be a story that stands out. This was definitely a tough call given the incredible, powerful, thoughtful and heartwrenching stories that were told this season. One came out on top.
this was possibly the most incredible season for powerful storylines
New Masters Judges Choice
The method for selecting New Masters is a two step process. First we look for potential candidates who showcase talent in all regards of machinima skill including - originality, editing, sound, set and costume, story telling, camera work and that WOW factor that cannot really be measured. Nex t we put the list out for the judges to decide. If you did not get on the short list, don’t give up! Many who are on the Masters list today started out right where you are so keep at it!
CONGRATULATIONS to our two newly added masters for this season. Your exceptional talents did not go unnoticed. We welcome you to the Masters category, from this season on.
Ubiquitous Ghost, Raindrop Sims, Final Destiny Productions, Bellimell, ireneDancingLover
Special Recognition Awards Judges Choice - Presented by Tabby Lloyd SIFF has a proud history of celebrating talent, skills in machinima making, dedication and hard work. Over the years we found that many skills and talents were going unrecognized. We realized that some machinima makers didn’t have the following necessary to win in the viewer’s choice polls. Sometimes we saw real talent in one or more aspects of machinima making, even though the complete production may not have been quite ready for an overall award. We wanted to be sure that at each SIFF we are bringing these machinima makers into the spotlight. This is what the Special Recognition Awards are all about. These awards are very near and dear to our hearts as they are based on technical merit, creativity, uniqueness and more. All of the things that we feel are at the heart and soul of SIFF.
About the nominees Nominees for each category were determined by a panel of admin staff. We collectively reviewed all submissions to determine which ones fit into the particular categories. Also, we asked several machinima makers, community partners and patrons of SIFF to send us their nominations, so we took those into account also.
About the Judging process Once the nominees were determined, the polls were created and posted in a hidden location. The polls were separated into all except those for the Masters of Machinima and then a second page with a complete list of polls. Masters judges who were participating this season were not voting on categories that their own submissions fell into. We may not have gotten the process perfect yet but we do feel confident that the voting and polls were fairly presented and voted upon. Judges were asked to take time to really consider the detailed and specialized nature of the polls in question and we believe that, with their collective experience and trained eye, that we have a wonderful new system for recognizing and celebrating the various skills and talents that are so deserving of our praise.
Cloudwalker, The Elonian Cass, Sylent Whysper, Twist TV, Zoey Zuko, MJSimKat, Ballantyne, Tali Morga, Dice Smith, JuliLux3 and others. (apologies if I missed anyone. I only listed those who told me that
Outstanding Set Design nominees selected from all submissions Set design is often overlooked by machinima makers, but the best machinima makers will pay very close attention to getting every little detail just right. Everything from the far off background, to the up close details, from the colours to the lighting, from the furnishing style to the dĂŠcor props - all of this really does make a difference in setting the tone and theme for your film. We recommend that you take a look at these videos again and see what tricks you can learn about setting a great stage.
Tomb Raider is an epic production a full length film at 1 hour 42 minutes with extensive sets being used. Without the time and effort in the details, a machinima this long would never keep the audiences captivated. Bravo on this outstanding achievement.
DNL Films for Unbreakable Fate
Fabulous Costume Design nominees selected from all submissions Costume design is more than just dressing up your sims in current fashion, it is about thinking carefully about colour, style, and character development. Good costume design can make the difference between being swept away into the story, or being distracted by pieces that don’t seem to fit the theme.
Character costume design in this machinima sets the stage for Mikey’s horrific visions, but we also noted how subtle aspects of clothing and costume lend much to the character personalities.
of both set design and costume design that we have been inspired to work on a new feature in our magazines. Watch for the first one in our May Mag where we will showcase some great examples of these important machinima aspects that we discovered within this season’s SIFF Submissions.
Exceptional Dialogue WRiting nominees selected from all submissions Writing dialogue is an advanced skill that we recognize is not an easy one by any means. One aims to w rite spoken words that highlight emotion and drama, pain and joy and all other emotions in between. Another goal should be to have the dialogue sound realistic and natural, as well as interesting.
There really were so many outstanding examples of dialogue writing this season, and it showed in the polls where both of these worthy contenders came up in a tie. We also had some noteworthy honourable mentions‌
Truce, revival, Isolation, Sparks and From Dark to Light
Min’s Picks This is one category where I have to jump in and add my personal pick. Dialogue writing has long been something I have strived for in my own creative journey. In my opinion it is possibly THE most important part of what keeps me captivated when watching a voiced machinima. In this case, I was absolutely charmed, enthralled and otherwise mesmorized by the lyrical and poetic words written by Dice Smith of Apocalyptic Dog Films in the film Truce.
Best Storyline in a Series nominees selected from non-masters
Letting Go came out on top with the others close behind. Let’s just say that this was an outstanding year for great storylines. If yours is not mentioned here, don’t be discouraged. It was a tough competition.
The Theory of Us by TheOnlyException Radioactive by IreneDancingLover
Best Storyline in a Film nominees selected from non-masters
Mark Stone for Run
Best Soundtrack nominees selected from all non-master submissions When selecting the nominees for Best Sound track we did not consider Music Videos, because the point of a music video is the song, it is not the same as a sound track. A sound track considers the use of music to drive a story, set the tone, provide mood and ambiance and tension etc. A good sound track flows with the film, and does not distract from it. We nominated all films that used good basic use of sound track and let the judges decide.
Two very different styles and uses of soundtrack tied here. In Actor, the music drives the story - so important as there is no dialogue. In Tomb Raider - the soundtrack sets the mood and ambiance for this epic, full length film.
Run by Mark Stone
Original Soundtrack by AmeAngelofSin In both Remembering Innocence and Curse of Royal Blood, Ame included her own original soundtracks. Bravo on this creative initiative!
Best Cinematography nominees selected from all non-master submissions Cinematography in our case can be described as beautiful filming techniques. We considered scenery, camera angles, and other beautiful things that we see visually in the filming. It is a combination of Cinema and Photography so think of it as beautiful moving photography. Good cinematography takes into consideration the basic rules of photography theory and because of that we see something on film that is beautiful to behold.
Actor by Machinima Will Angels Forever by Raindrop Sims
Most promising New machinima maker nominees included all qualified participants The criteria for eligibility for Best NEW Machinima maker are as follows
We want to celebrate these new machinima makers because joining into a challenge with many established machinima makers takes quite a bit of bravery. Also, SIFF is about learning and growing and improving and we are dedicated to encouraging new machinima makers of all skill levels.
MaddiSims Vanillapunk KissableCookies Doll Parts
Angelic Simz Pixiedust Machinima MoonlightxStars
Darkness Angel
FinalDestiny
We hope that each of you will continue your creative journey and join us again at SIFF. Mark took a bold leap for a first machinima using voice acting and advanced techniques in editing and sound. He has taken his skills from other creative aspects and applied them here with a result that looks like he may be aiming for a Masters of Machinima badge one day.
Viewer’s Choice Polls with Grace DeLuca The FANS and VIEWERS love to vote and to show their support for their favourite machinima makers. MACHINIMA MAKERS love to know that their fans and followers are supporting them and watching them. WE want people to watch more machinimas so voting is one way to motivate viewers to watch more SIFF films and cast their votes. So… the viewer’s choice polls are a win-win-win for everybody! Viewer’s choice polls often relate to the fan base of the machinima maker, but not always. Sometimes we have surprises where those with less YouTube followers come out on top. The voters are a combination of your fans, and SIFF fans so it is anyone’s game here. So let’s not waste anymore time. Flip the pages to see who where the fan faves this time around…
Winning Film Trailers Viewer’s Choice
Winning film trailers are awarded by Viewer’s Choice vote. We encourage our film makers to create trailers to help promote their films and to build excitement and anticipation.
HOME is in it’s 6th episode and has quite a following of dedicated fans through SimDiaries. This goes to show you that dedication to your channel along consistent programming and updates will keep your fans happy.
From the very start, when the Tomb Raider trailer came out, the SIFF film lovers started to get excited for this clearly outstanding production. A full length film remastered with new footage, voicing and editing and the anticipation began with this trailer.
Due to various circumstances, Stolen was not able to be presented at SIFF, but the trailer was a bit hit with the fans who are anticipating it to be released at some point. We can only hope. In the meantime, it is a great example of a captivating promotional trailer.
Winning Film Posters Viewer’s Choice Winning Film Posters are an important part of SIFF. We encourage all of the submissions to have one. A great film poster can build anticipation and draw attention and viewer’s to your film.
Our second and third place posters go to DNL Films for Unbreakable Fate and Vincent van de Ketterij for Tomb Raider
Min’s Picks With so many films to watch, a good poster can make the difference between what a viewer decides is worth watching. Make yours count. There were so many I loved, these are just a few.
Music Videos Viewer’s Choice
Winning Music Videos are selected based on Viewer’s Choice polls. Music videos are always popular and often get more votes than any other category. They are also often watched over and over, and it doesn’t hurt when you have a popular song.
Angels Forever By RaindropSims This one had all of the elements of a great music video. A wonderful storyline, beautiful cinematography, great characters and more.
Illuminated By PikunMei Beautiful imagery and filming that feels much like any machinima film production complete with excellent examples of editing and special effects.
Lost Stars By Darkness Angel A beautiful fantasy story that will make you smile with it’s magical touch.
Winning Films Viewer’s Choice
Each season brings such an incredible variety of styles and genres and this season was no different. Each one of our submissions is deserving of praise in their own right. Here we present the top three fan, viewer and follower faves with a three-way tie for third.
Tomb Raider by Vincent van de Ketterij Tomb Raider blew away the polls both in the viewer’s choice and the judges with this spectacular machinima of epic proportions. It is unlikely that we will ever see such a HUGE production again, but we were impressed with every detail of this feature length film production that could rival many professional animated films in our thoughts. “Wonderful Tomb Raider video, love it! Like your camera work and the effects are amazing. Great characters also. I really enjoyed it.” Anches100 “I have actually watched this twice now hehehe, I am so in love with it!" ApocalypticDogFilms “Wow ! amazing work ! i loved part of NY, effects, really perfect, voices actors are so great :) “ Machinima Will “Wow, this is so professional, I love it. It was just like watching a real movie. I can not imagine how much work it was." TheNavyCISFan
Splittered Soul by Manigma95 We at SIFF and the fans were awaiting this for some time as it was intended for a previous SIFF season, but due to circumstances it was unable to be submitted. So, here we are, our anticipation has been rewarded. A three-way tie with so many falling very, very close behind is a testament to how amazingly well done the films were overall this season. If you didn’t make the viewer’s choice, do not be discouraged, there is always next time. The more seasons you enter, the more your name will be recognized and the more you will improve your skills.
Run by Mark Stone Forboding Illusion by RobynASims From Dark to Light by Khcrazygirls
Sims Series Faves Viewer’s Choice
Sim Series’ production is a popular passtime in our machinima community. Some come and some go, some stick around. Here we have separated out brand new 1st episodes, to showcase what is up and coming, and then separately we look at those who have made it to the second episode and beyond. Here is what the fans voted as their faves…
NEW series ALittleMid
StarstoshineX
TheOnlyException
IreneDancingLover
Adrian Folynowicz
Ubiquitous Ghost
Min’s Picks Sims Series
Isolation
Sparks
Letting Go
I have been paying close attention to Sims Series’ lately for a column I have been writing in our magazines. This season I was looking out for series’ that capture my attention with their storylines, camera work, sound tracks, dialogue and voice acting, set design, themes, and most of all two features 1. Did I feel like I wanted to watch the whole episode and 2. Do I want to keep following it or go back to watch previous episodes to catch up. These are some of my top choices. Honestly, we had quite a collection of amazing series’ so I will be keeping my eye on all of you.
Radioactive
Revival
The Theory of Us
Fave MEP and Miscellany Viewer’s Choice These are two categories that we hope to see more of in the future seasons of SIFF. MEPs are incredibly popular and are a great way to showcase the talents of many machinima makers who sometimes just don’t have the time to create an entire machinima on their own. For Miscellany - we have tried a few approaches to this, to encourage advertiesments and other fun machinimas, but it just doesn’t seem to be a category that is catching on so we will reevaluate it for next season.
Oblivion Vs.
Sky’s Still Blue
Let’s Play with Kat and Valen
Vs. Dance, dance and dance
Fave title splash and Intro Viewer’s Choice Ok, I am going to be the first to admit that this didn’t make much sense - for two reasons. One, it was not actually meant to be a viewer’s choice so ya, my bad there. Also, it was not really well explained, so we will go with what the fans selected, but then I will give my pics as examples. After this season wraps up I will hold a fun creative challenge for creating intros for machinma so stay tuned.
Unbreakable Fate Unbreakable Fate starts with an opening scene that entices us first, then leads into the title logo - much like we see in real films. The title series itself is a collection of beautiful and intriguing images as we watch the credits and title. Creatively well done. It reminded me of the intro to The Walking Dead a bit.
Seeking Faith Seeking faith starts off with StarstoShinex’s logo animation which is a nice touch. Again using the technique of an opening scene before the series opening sequence that introduces the voice actors by name. It is short and sweet, using a few scenes from the series to set the tone.
Overlooked Overlooked also uses the technique of introducing the episode with a teaser scene first before the intro series. This one is colourful, fun and whimsical like the series itself using images of the characters with a few scenes to represent each. It is a good way to set the tone for the theme of the show, but also to identify the characters.
Min’s Picks
So basically my idea of what this is meant to be all about is the introduction sequence that gives a machinima a polished and professional look - just like we expect to see in real movies and TV series’. So.. Here are my favourite examples. In each of these I want to point out the outstanding editing and professional style. Not to say that others were not also awesome, but these two jumped out at me as great examples.
Unbreakable Fate
Truce
A Note to Machinima Make We encourage all SIFF machinima makers to remind and recommend that their voice actors submit their roles to SIFF for recognition and judging. You are going to be their guide in this, so here are a few tips.
Ÿ Remind your voice actors that they are eligible for entering SIFF. Ÿ Provide them with a link to the SIFF rulebook for voice actors that we will publish before next season. Ÿ Provide them with a good photo of the character that they are voicing for - maybe like the examples below. Ÿ Let them know if they are playing a main character role or a supporting character role. Ÿ Last but not least, we very strongly recommend that you identify your voice actors with a character picture in the introduction, this gives them a better chance to be recognized by fans and judges who are voting.
ers who use Voice Actors Examples of voice actor identification
Serenity by FinalDestiny Productions
Revival by TheOnlyException
These two are not the only ones who did this well, but only two examples. Be sure to go back and check out this season’s SIFF entries for another look at some great introduction sequences because we are going to be having a contest soon at Simatography.
Special Recognition Award Each season we have many hours of discussions about new ways to award creativity and celebrate SIFF’s contributors. This season we came up with the idea of Most Original Machinima. This season’s winning pick was a staff pick, but in the future we will put this out to our judging team to help us decide. One of the most prized features that we love more than anything is UNIQUE and CREATIVE and ORIGINAL so this is our way of awarding this special talent. We choose this based on an interesting genre, a storyline told without dialogue, incredible set design and camera work, and overall we felt that it was like nothing we had seen at SIFF before. Bravo to Machinma Will for Actor
- Most Original Machinima
STAFF PICK
SIFF Gallery Showcase Scenes from Budge s Yellow Brick Road by ZoeyZuko Budge, the cutest kitty SIFF ever did see, returns for a new adventure in time travel.
LIFE AFTER
with Tabby Lloyd Once the Red Carpet is rolled up we don’t just shut everything down. We are already planning for our next season of SIFF, but we have some other things in store between seasons so be sure to keep connected. Here are some of the things underway
Our monthly magazine has an interactive theme each month. Next month has not been properly named yet, but it will be post-apocalyptic, futuristic neo-military something or other so we hope you will join us. More details will be released by April 20th so watch for that and join in.
TITLE SEQUENCE CHALLENGE
You know that part of the TV Show where the opening credits play? There are some really great creative possibilities when it comes to this part of a tv show or film, and we want to see more of it so we will soon have a challenge for our machinima makers. Stay tuned for details.
My name is Crystal as some of you already know. I am 47 years old (ouch) and I am a Dietitian / Diabetes Educator. I work full time in my career, and have an otherwise pretty full life. So that is to say that SIFF and The Sims is a hobby for me - though it is almost another full time job at times. SIFF is a HUGE project, and each season I think, “This is it, this is the season I have to wrap it all up.” I had those thoughts this time too, but when I put this publication together I am reminded of how much I LOVE hosting this great showcase to help all of you show off and practice your talents and skills. So… SIFF will be back for season 12 in the Fall. I just can’t seem to walk away. Rules Rules Rules - ya, SIFF has lots of rules, but as it grows bigger each year, the only way to keep it fair and organized is to have rules. I will revamp the rules document this season to make it easier for everyone I hope. Inside you see notes from Minraed and Tabby, which obviously is me talking but through them. Here, while I am not hiding behind my avitars, I want to send out a BIG HUG personally to everyone who is involved. I really do hope that each of you, even and especially those who don’t win awards, feel very proud of yourself. It takes a big courage to create and share, to learn and to grow in a skill that you love so much. Don’t stop! Keep learning and keep loving what you do. This is what SIFF is all about. Finally, I need everyone to know this - I get credit for almost everything, but I AM NOT the only one here. Jorgha Haq is my right hand, and beside her is Peacemaker, Lunxi and Gus taking care of many things behind the scenes to make it all possible. This team updates the website, reviews my ideas, keeps me on point, calms me down and talks sense into me and they do so much of the actual work that I often am credited for so don’t forget to thank them too. :) There is no possible way any of this would happen without this team behind me.
http://www.cafepress.com/simatographystuff