Wrapping it up

Step 4 - Assembling the Movie

While methods may vary, pasting together the movie into a continuous film before recording dialogue is (in my mind) the easiest way to get things going.

There are numerous programs to help act as a virtual "cutting room". Free examples of these are Windows Movie Maker and Avid Free DV. Essentially, this is the part where you're going to string together your film by chopping the "bad" parts of video out, and putting the remainder together in continuous sections.

Usage of the tools may vary, but there are numerous tutorials for using these tools to make Machinima. Googling "machinima and windows movie maker", for example, brought up several very strong tutorials.

Step 5: Laying dialogue and audio

Giving your actors a voice is arguably the most important part of the equation. Have a funny voice saved up that you used to use to make people laugh? Bring it out here, if it makes sense. You can even use your own normal speaking voice - after all, most people on the 'Net have no idea what you sound like.

Tip: Speak slowly and clearly. Enunciate! Remember: You live in a particular part of the world, and people around you will likely be used to your accent (and yes, you do have one). As an example, people in the Northern US sound *very* different than people in the South. Imagine that you're speaking to a child who is trying to learn your language.

Tip: If you're going to do any music at all, do this separately from the speech. Musicians have recorded vocals separately from instrumentals for years, and there really are good reasons for that.

Step 6: The Finishing Touches.

You've now got a movie together which has your actors doing what you want them to do, and saying what you want them to say. The story has, essentially, been told - and you now need to watch the movie as if you were seeing it for the first time. Have a look. Did the dialogue flow properly? Is the scene set up to convey the message you wanted?

This is the time to go back and fix up any little mistakes that might have gotten through the process, as well as use any of the editing tools out there to put in things like titles, credits, and any effects that you had in mind.

Conclusion

While this may seem like an incredibly complex and cumbersome process, it really doesn't have to be. Someone with a camcorder can make a funnier, more watchable film than someone with a multimillion dollar budget. There's no way the camcorder can match the huge production technically, but with a bit of common sense and attention to detail, the camcorder movie can have the effect intended.

Don't be overly ambitious for your first project. If your start in the world of Machinima is the FiringSquad machinima contest, remember: You're not necessarily trying to out-do the semi-professional videos which are circulating on the Net. Set a goal (be funny, tell a story, whatever), and go for it!

Have fun, everyone! As always, if you have any questions about the contest, please let me know.