I'll confess that I never had a crush on Felicia Day, the Internet sensation behind The Guild. I mean, I always thought it was cool that she wore her geek cred with pride, but it was just that -- awesome, attractive geek chick. Alright, so maybe it helps a little (ok, fine, it helps a whole freaking lot) that she Tweets about her D&D campaign or delights over gaming dice. But if you're an idiot geek like me who never got into the whole Felicia Day thing, resistance, as they say, is futile. The multi-talented entertainer, who showed her vocal chops in Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, also seems geared to become a pop star with the release of (Would you like to date my) Avatar, a catchy song about MMOs. And man, if you don't crush on her after this, you need to turn over your geek badge (even you ladies).

The song debuted at the recent San Diego Comic-con, with the cast of the Guild sending fans into a frenzy when they took to the stage in full costume. Felicia Day goes wild with MMO innuendo, crooning, "don't care what's in your character bank, how 'bout a little tank and spank?" and "I'm better than a real world quest -- you'll touch my +5 to Dexterity vest." The song, available on Amazon for $0.99, is pure geek pop win. But if you want the full experience, the video features the entire cast of The Guild and their antics -- Vork and Zaboo with a short rap segment, Clara doing some back-up vocals, Tink stepping up with her dance, and Bladezz, well, he looks seductively at the camera.

Check out the embed below to see what the video holds for you. If you're a fan of The Guild and headed to BlizzCon, you'd be happy to know Felicia Day and her crew will be making an appearance. Get the song or the video, memorize the lyrics, and who knows, she just might grant you an autograph. If you'll be at home during BlizzCon, just "grab your mouse and stroke the keys" because at least, as Codex sings, "in Cyberspace there's no disease."

The video after the break!

Fan of The Guild? Me too! And you didn't go to Comic-Con last weekend? Me either. Fortunately for us, Microsoft kept the promotion cameras rolling almost the whole week long, and so there's more footage of The Guild at Comic-Con than you probably have time to watch today (although as long as your boss stays away from looking over your shoulder, you can probably give it a try). They went behind the scenes of the show, Felicia Day chatted with Xbox Live's Major Nelson, and the cast talked about what it was like to be around all of the energy at Comic-Con. There's not a lot of new stuff that fans of the show don't already know, but there are some clips of the panel in there, as well as some shots of the characters as they showed up to the Con: dressed in their in-game costumes.

Some of the videos are also available right on Xbox Live (and there's quite a bit of Xbox and Microsoft pimping in the videos, but what do you expect -- not only did MS fund the show's season, but they apparently hooked them up with a party bus and a party to go with it at the Con), and YouTube is also brimming with clips from the panel. Apparently the Whedon-directed music video is also now available on Xbox Live as well, so that should be something to see. Season 3 is just around the corner, and we're still expecting to see these guys at BlizzCon in a few weeks, so stay tuned for more Guild news as we hear it.

Today's Moviewatch is another music video. Surfing with the Alien is a song performed by guitarist Joe Satriani, who's about as well-qualified a musician as you could hope to hear. Kakashisan built this video as a backdrop to the instrumental, giving action to Satriani's song.

This video is going to be one of my long-term favorites. In my opinion, it's damned near perfect. Satriani's music is astoundingly good, and Kakashisan didn't try and overwhelm that music by over-producing his video. The imagery is basic, streamlined, and not complex. The action doesn't distract the audience from what we're hearing.

While Kakashisan does use the same L70ETC models that every other music video uses, he made a very key change in the lead guitarist. The blood elf is bald, like Joe Satriani himself. It's a subtle touch that lends a lot of credibility to the video, backing up Kakashisan's homage to the original artist. The carpet chase mirrors Surfing's sense of motion, without trying to add false narrative.

Sometimes, "simple" works best. I would not say Kakashisan's work is "simple," of course, but I will say that he kept his context appropriate to the work. I look forward to seeing more like this.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch .

Warning: This song has a few very mild sexual references but definitely some scantily clad character models.

We've not covered Sharm much before, who goes by the user name taintedlore over on YouTube. She's a UK artist, and has been racking up an impressive body of work. She does mostly parody videos, and seems to be expanding on the machinima quality in her songs. Her early work was mostly about the music, but the video aspects have been getting much stronger as she goes along.

The Womanizer Song isn't about what you might think at first. The song is focused on those chaps who choose to play female characters. The video is light fare, and Sharm's singing is catchy and convincing. I don't have any opinions on the subject, but I don't think Sharm is necessarily looking to haul out the pitchforks and torches on the "womanizers" as much as she's just looking to make a joke about it.

The video itself is great for the genre, though. The fast scenes, quick cutting, and overall lighthearted tableau make for easy smiles. I don't think stylizing the models any further would have been helpful. I do like the occasional still photo behind a moving actor, though, since it sets up a nice surreality to the video.


If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

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This has been a week with lots of collaborative videos released. A new collaboration just hit the streets, and it's one that I was excited about the second I got the email from Cranius. Yeah, that Cranius. You know, Cranius of the Big Blue Dress? He's gotten together with Summergale and Legs to issue a new music video, called Ulduar. You should already know Summergale from her work in Hard Like Heroic, and Legs is the machinimator who created Route 440. I couldn't expect anything less than greatness from this crew, and greatness is exactly what they delivered.

According to Cranius, the video is about a pair of genre-crossed lovers crossing playstyle boundaries in WoW. Summergale sings the part of a PvE raider who is well-geared, and highly skilled in her arena. Cranius sings as a PvP fighter, who not only enjoys the dark avenues of player combat, but is a little bit of a punk and rebel. They're each trying to draw one another across the fence to try "the other side."

The music is excellent. Summergale's voice is gorgeous and compelling, while Cranius nails each lyric with convincing fervor. Legs built an energetic, riveting video for the song, creating a frenzied, hypnotic stage on which the singers perform. This is an incredibly professional piece, and one which I think sets a high standard for WoW music video.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

If you've been following the emergence of the "Belf Rap" genre, then you're already somewhat familiar with Abandonation. He's done collaborations already with Nyhm, Gigi, and other similarly-inclined artists. While working on other upcoming projects, Abandonation hooked up with a new machinimist who goes by Red Eye Lobine. Red Eye, of course, is the chap who put out the awesome preview for his own work, Frontline. (That song is actually performed by the rock band Pillar, but the gorgeous animation is all done by Red Eye.)

This is another preview video, so be warned that it cuts off a little abruptly. That being said, I think the preview provides a very strong feel for what the final video will be like. Abandonation is responsible for the music, and Red Eye for the video itself.

The music basically works for me. The soundtrack itself seems to get louder and softer without warning, and can be distracting from the lyrics. I chalk that up to being a preview, and not a finished production. I like the fast paced lyrics and clear skill Abandonation shows in mastering them.

I think Red Eye is creating a very clear, distinctive style for his videos. The attention to each character's models, flattering shots, and sort of gritty, inner city backgrounds give the otherwise "fabulous" Blood Elves a more down-to-earth feel.

The video's exciting, and I can't wait to see the finished project. As I've said before, I think this collaborative group is doing a lot to bring a new genre to machinima. I'd really like to see them succeed.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

When we first featured Downside Up by Lex a few weeks ago, both myself and commenters were clear. For all that Lex said he didn't really have a point to his music video, the rest of us really liked it. You're allowed to eschew narrative focus in favor of laying down some cool images and great tunes. That's, like, totally art, man.

So, when I woke up this morning and hit my trusty Moviewatch ticker tape, I was pretty happy to come across Bending Reality By Lex. It's a fairly short piece, and follows a similar style to Downside Up. The images are pretty cool, but I wouldn't spend too much time trying to find a message or story.

I enjoyed the momentary shots of the game's UI interspersed with the more traditional, escapist scenes. True to the video's title, I felt it promoted a surreality to the imagery. You definitely got a sense of "character's point of view" versus the "player's point of view." Then, using some footage of model editing, you even got a third tier -- a "designer's point of view." Not to get too deep, but I definitely got the feeling like we were playing around with a character's reality.

It's a pretty neat piece, and I congratulate Lex on another fun video.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

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There's some mildly not safe for work video shots in this video.

I am, in general, a pretty big fan of Legs's body of work. This WoW music video take on Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" is one of my favorites, even though it was first released a while back. The video is titled I'm no good, as it's very much a direct carry-over of Winehouse's song.

As the video's story goes, it's about a couple who are having some "faithfulness" issues. The scenery and action does a good job of mirroring the song's lyrics. Legs's costume work is, of course, very strong. And while I've long admitted I'm a little burned out on the Blood Elf thing, the singing belf chosen by Legs is actually a pretty good fit for Winehouse's persona.

I think this is some of the best "band" footage I've seen in videos. L70ETC lends itself to "Hard rock montage!" Legs, however, has managed to create a soulful and almost "fun" vista in which the boys can operate. I think some of that might be the music soundtrack, but I could almost expect to see these guys in my local coffeehouse.

If you haven't seen this one before, here's hoping you enjoy it.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

Lex only says about fifty times that his video, Downside Up, does not make sense. I have to disagree. Wookies on Endor? That doesn't make sense. This video makes sense. It's a music video, with various and meaningless scenes of an orc running. It's a showcase for music, with imagery meant to provide some kind of context to the sounds. It doesn't really have a story or a theme, but that doesn't mean it's sense-less.

Lex created this entire piece within four hours, so it's a quick one-off. But there are still some things to say about it. Lex did a good job of choosing scenery for his orc to run through. I like quick vistas like this. It shows off some of the beautiful landscapes and images that are present in the game. It's kind of nice.

Really, I can picture this video playing on a monitor above a club's dance floor. The action taking place in the video isn't the point, it's just setting up ambiance. I think Lex should explore this kind of thing, setting up a kind of YouTube play list of music videos. For all that he said "This makes no sense," I was able to appreciate the video as a showcase for the music.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

The language in this video isn't entirely safe for work. They curse a bit.

You probably remember last month when Nyhm teamed up with a trio of creative types as a final farewell to WoW videos. Their video, Pwnage Like Us, showcased three talents who I wouldn't exactly call new to the scene, but who are probably still relatively fresh to casual machinima viewers. Well, Gigi, Decision, Quixotica, and Abandonation are already back with a new music parody piece -- Guildy Conscience.

This music video is a take-off from Eminem and Dr. Dre's "Guilty Conscience." I admit, I'm not incredibly familiar with the original song, and I prefer it that way. It lets me enjoy the work on its own, though I will say that vocal styles are definitely spawned from Eminem's distinctive sound.

The song is a quick series of three parables about decisions everyone faces in World of Warcraft. Well, maybe not everyone, but they're common themes on Mr. Schramm's Guildwatch. First, an undead rogue encounters a gnome and has to decide whether to gank him. Second, a troll's got to resist the temptation to ninja gear from Malygos. And, lastly, a tauren wrestles with complexities of buying gold.

It's meant as comedy, but I actually greatly enjoy their commentary about these ethical issues in WoW. That being said, I'm really wearing out on the "I'm a bad ass Belf!" gig, and hope that Abandonation and Gigi explore other personality facets. Quixotica's work on the video is remarkable, and I really do believe these three could create some astounding work in the coming months.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

Nyhm says to call it an encore. One last card up his sleeve as his way of saying "Goodbye" to the fans of his videos and World of Warcraft. A final masterpiece bearing his name, as he shuffles off this Azerothian coil and goes on to other pastures. Pwnage Like Us is not only Nyhm's final appearance in WoW machinima, but also a strong sendup for a trio of three friends to whom Nyhm would like us to pay attention.
The video itself is a great farewell piece. It's an ensemble, and definitely feels like an homage to the work Nyhm's done over the years. I certainly feel like it's among the best featuring Nyhm -- it's got good lyrics, a solid beat, and the vocal performance is among the best. The animation is awesome, and I like the "book" transitions.

I definitely love seeing the addition of a Tauren performing. It might just me, but I've worn thin on the Blood Elf as Star thing. I know they're probably the "hottest" models in game, but it's just kind of fatigued in my mind.

Nyhm will obviously be missed. I'll be watching for more from Gigi, Demineonz, Abandonation, and Quixotica in the future, as I really did love this video.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

Tipster Dread Raven dropped us a note about Zimtower's music video Cloud 9. The tip labled the video as amazing. I admit, I was nervous about that word at first. The last time I got a tip labled that way was for BLIND, and that can be a hard one to measure up to. Also, just as importantly, we did a gnome-based video yesterday, and sometimes our readers have a low gnome-to-nongnome tolerance.

But when I fired up the video and started watching, I was enthralled. Zimtower's work to animate the singer was astounding. Face and body movements are well-tuned and expressive. You can see her eyes behind her gnomish goggles. The soft glow of scenery and motion-capture are all beautifully done, giving the video an overall ephemeral quality.

The song itself fits perfectly. While it's not my genre of music by preference, the strong bond between visual and audio has cemented "Cloud 9" as something to live in my iPod. Zimtower said the video was about joy. I was skeptical, but the sense of serenity and peace during the movie really did bring that across. I admit, I thought the music video was, in fact, amazing.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

"What have you done?" is originally a song by the Dutch gothic-rock band Within Temptation. For whatever reason, every time I look at the title I can't help but think "What did you do, Ray?" Keyra created a music video for the song, also titled What have you done?

Keyra is totally up-front about the fact that, having used an older machine, the video's framerates suffer in a few places. So, that being said, let's pretend that's not the case for the sake of the review. At first glance, Hot-Blood-Elf and Rocker-Night-Elf sing to each other and walk around a lot. Also, there's angst. Okay, so not ground breaking choices there. But when the models for L70ETC kick in on the chorus, I start feeling like the video really comes together.

I really liked the elements for this video. They're all appropriate to the genre of the song, well-paced, and creative, even while operating in the confines of the genre's memes. (It's a rock video. Guitars, for example, are mandatory. Without them, it's not a rock video. Just ask Slash.) I liked the way Keyra framed the orc singer, and even the Blood Elf guitar player. (Usually, I just want to slap that guy, and this might be the first time I felt someone's made him look cool.)

Overall, I think it worked great. I hope Keyra keeps creating, and gets the chance to rock out on a computer without framerate issues.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

One of the things I think is most awesome about Northrend is the fact that it adds a whole continent of "real-world" scenes to the game. Outland was so out there that it was hard to use any of the in-game terrain for any stories other than those that took place on another planet, but Northrend is a very grounded place -- while zones like Zul'Drak and Crystalsong Forest can seem very otherworldly, there are zones like Howling Fjord and Grizzly Hills that seem much more normal, if no less beautiful.

Today's Moviewatch definitely isn't a crafted masterpiece -- even the creator says it only took him about two hours to make, but it does show how haunting some of this Northrend landscape is. Just the cliffs of the Howling Fjord are enough to complement this stark little song and give it an extra dimension. I can't wait to see some more of the machinima that comes out of the new Northrend locations.

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

Previously on Moviewatch ..

I don't usually do a lot of WoW music videos, because I tend to be more of a story-buff. But Polystyrene Dream by Yume caught my attention. I'm not sure if it was the ethereal quality of the video, which lined up very well with "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead, or maybe the hints of narrative that persisted through the piece.

I could probably drive myself crazy projecting motivations on the two central characters, and trying define relationships, reasoning, and results of their actions. In summary, two blood elves repetitively walk up to an increasing variety of critters, stab them, and take their stuff. It could just be meant to be pretty, and it definitively is pretty.

I don't have much to say about the audio track, since it is essentially a nice song by a widely known band. It's possible that if I knew the song or band better, I might see more relevance in the imagery. Still, if you're talking about "Fake Plastic Trees," I guess it's fair to use a pair of Blood Elves as protagonists.

[Via WarcraftMovies]

If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.

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