Stars and Storm 2013 winners announced

The Movies FR in association with Moviestorm are proud to present the results of the Stars and Storm 2013 competition.

 Alutt, admin of The Movies FR, said: "All in all, every entry was very atmospheric and very interesting to watch. 

"We wish a big congratulations to all the participants and thank them for taking part - we hope they had fun creating the videos and everyone really enjoyed taking part.


"For a better understanding of how we determined the final results and also our podium, we present two charts, one for the technical aspects and one for the script aspects, and also a compilation of the jurors comments for each movie."

Jury for videos: Poulet Noir + Vincent C. + Walvince + Alutt

TECHNICAL MARK (/20)
(=Direction + Editing + Soundtrack + Scenery + Costumes)
1) Contribution n°4: Melopee - The French Kiss >>> 15
2) Contribution n°1: Kibishipaul - Endurance >>> 14,25
3) Contribution n°5: DoublePrimePictures - Yearning >>> 13,25
4) Contribution n°3: Mysterysgames - Rescue from the Past >>> 12,875
5) Contribution n°2: 65radius - Un Amour Difficile >>> 12

STORY MARK (/20)
(=Script + Dialogues + Characters + Originality +Theme)
1) Contribution n°1: Kibishipaul - Endurance >>> 14
2) Contribution n°3: Mysterysgames - Rescue from the Past >>> 13,875
3) Contribution n°2: 65radius - Un Amour Difficile >>> 12,5
4) Contribution n°5: DoublePrimePictures - Yearning >>> 11,875
5) Contribution n°4: Melopee - The French Kiss >>> 10,875


FINAL RESULTS (/20) (=average marks based on the 2 previous ones)

1) Contribution n°1: kibishipaul - Endurance >>> 14,125

FEEDBACK COMMENTS: An interesting and well described "historical event", even if there are a lot of subtitles (partly a little hard to follow/read). Scenery are outstanding (except for unrealistic water) with a real sense of place. A lot of atmosphere but there's a lack of ambient music and sounds; however the ones used are appropriate. Some chosen or created animations are a little clumsy (for instance men dragging the sledge), but on a whole there are really original aspects too (soccer ball game, sledge, etc.). Direction, even if not "perfect" sometimes, is at a very good level. An interesting machinima on several accounts!

2) Contribution n°3: mysterysgames - Rescue from the Past >>> 13,375

FEEDBACK COMMENTS: The story and the message about following your dreams is nice, with a sympathetic character, although the end sounds a bit like a demo. Scenery are various and well done (at the exception of a few textures choices and some sets which looks a bit Spartan). Some costumes are a little bland, although the contrast between the old and young hero was very well done. Nice direction and camerawork, despite maybe a lack of tempo and a few clumsy camera shots. The work on expressiveness (faces, gestures) is vey well done. Very nice music too.

3) Contribution n°4: Melopee - The French Kiss >>> 12,9375

FEEDBACK COMMENTS: Technically, the movie is superb. Lighting, sets, camerawork are all delightful, and the black and white works wonderfully. But the movie lacks tempo a little. There is a lot of atmosphere, the romantic and mysterious music matches well. Characters' gestures are sometimes a bit caricatured and it may be confusing at times as to who was saying what. Nice scenery and costumes. Unfortunately there is very little story, dialogues are minimalists and the end is quite banal.

4) Contribution n°5: DoublePrimePictures- Yearning >>> 12,5625

FEEDBACK COMMENTS: A melancholic and poetic movie, with well written dialogues. The opening sequence is superb and raised expectations for the rest of the movie, which is unfortunately not at the same level. Direction and editing (including special effects) are well done, but lacks of coherence. The music is well chosen and used. Scenery and costumes are quite OK, but sets are sometimes minimalists and lightning is not always effective. Maybe some kind of old movie filter over black and white could have increased the ambiance. The work on expressiveness (especially faces) is handsome. Ambiance and tempo are also quite good. The story is simple but well written, presenting a central character with true inner beauty. Unfortunately the 'Old times' theme of the contest is not obvious.

5) Contribution n°2: 65radius - Un Amour Difficile >>> 12,25

FEEDBACK COMMENTS: A simple and special but cute and offbeat story! Thanks for the French subtitles (but be aware with automatic translators: results are very random!). The (chosen) cheap music is quite funny. There are very good soundtrack ideas, but the sound editing is a little clumsy, although sound match perfectly with action, just like in an old silent movie. Direction is quite OK; tempo+ movie editing are good. Scenery is nicely constructed; sets and costumes give a bizarre and interesting atmosphere.

*1^st prize: kibishipaul
1) 3000 MS points on content packs from Moviestorm: http://www.moviestorm.co.uk/hub/content_packs?cat=0
2) The all 6 exclusifs French mods on TMFR made by Cinecitta: http://www.themovies.fr/viewtopic.php?t=6601
3) a £25 gift voucher on Moddingstorm by Chris Ollis: http://www.moddingstorm.co.uk/getmods.shtml

*2^nd prize: Mysterysgames
1) 3000 MS points on content packs from Moviestorm: http://www.moviestorm.co.uk/hub/content_packs?cat=0
2) The all 6 exclusifs French mods on TMFR made by Cinecitta: http://www.themovies.fr/viewtopic.php?t=6601
3) a $30 gift voucher on Mods and More by Squirrelygirl: http://www.modsnmore.net/moviestorm/

*3^rd prize: Melopee
1) 3000 MS points on content packs from Moviestorm: http://www.moviestorm.co.uk/hub/content_packs?cat=0
2) The all 6 exclusifs French mods on TMFR made by Cinecitta: http://www.themovies.fr/viewtopic.php?t=6601
3) a $15 gift voucher on Mods and More by Squirrelygirl: http://www.modsnmore.net/moviestorm/

PLUS *4^th and 5^th prizes: DoublePrimePictures and 65radius
1) 500MS points on content packs from Moviestorm: http://www.moviestorm.co.uk/hub/content_packs?cat=0
2) The all 6 exclusifs French mods on TMFR made by Cinecitta: http://www.themovies.fr/viewtopic.php?t=6601

Exclusive Moviestorm Halloween education offer: engage your students

As Halloween approaches, and kids all over the word gear up for the world of ghosts, ghouls and assorted horror, why not use the theme to engage them in classic literature and films?

 

 As this great article from Barnes & Noble suggests, horror should be embraced as a genre that inspires students to learn:

5 Reasons Horror in Children’s Literature Is a Good Thing

Combining Moviestorm and horror is a great way to enthuse your students with writing. They can write the script to a short story, and quickly bring it to life as a film, without the usual logistical restraints associated with live filming, such as equipment, cast, crew, location and of course, budget.

Moviestorm supports all levels of horror, from pumpkins and graveyards, through to modern vampire stories and all sorts of ghastly monsters. People of all ages and abilities use Moviestorm - you do not need any technical, creative or filmmaking skills to get going with it's intuitive game-style interface.

To help you get started, we have assembled a fantastic seasonal offer for your school and students, allowing you all to get productive and start creatively enjoying film and literature horror for Halloween.

Buy 5 Moviestorm Education licences, get 5 free + Annual Home Use licences are under $5* per student Contact me now - timjudges@moviestorm.net Promotions open until 31 October 2013, so get going now to avoid missing out! * Or £ / Euro equivalent

	Featured Movie Haunted House ...ghost caught on video! How to Introduce Moviestorm Advanced Skills Teacher and education advisor, James Durran, uses Moviestorm to enthuse students, ages 11-18, in English and visual literacy.  Download this engaging introductory lesson plan 6th Form Media Teacher, Steve Thorne, uses Moviestorm to allow his students to introduce and practice the art of filmmaking. Download this engaging introductory lesson plan   Student Activity As a first filmmaking exercise, why not get your students to make a simple 'shocking' Halloween film like the one above?  Use the ''hide'/'unhide' function to make your monster appear on set when the viewer last expects it!
	Watch other movies by teachers and students Featured Packs   Halloween Enter the graveyard, if you dare. Bones, the skeleton is sure to be there... Dark Romance Evoke the passion and thrill of your favourite vampire movies with this darkly romantic pack. Explore all our packs

Halloween special: Moviestorm is great for horror

As Halloween approaches, we are reminded about the fantastic horror machinima created by our users, so we thought we would draw your attention to their craft, and offer you an incentive to get youself or your friends involved in telling your own blood-curdling, ghoulish or just plain deeply-disturbing stories in Moviestorm.

Check out some of the movies and content that could be yours below, and start scaring people.  Its a lot of fun!

	Shocking stuff!
	Featured Horror Movies The 15th Floor By KV, Moviestorm Filmmaker "When Andrew is hired to disprove hauntings on the 15th floor of a hotel, he gets much more than he bargained for." Sacrifice By Steve3416, Moviestorm Filmmaker "A young man plays a dangerous game with the supernatural and demonic world." Frankenstein      by Paul Carr, English Teacher "A new series I am creating for students of ESL and or literature, introducing classic stories in a short machinima movie ..." Watch other movies by Moviestorm filmmakers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Featured Content Male and Female Monsters Creepy, kooky, spooky and quite horrible heads for male and female Moviestorm characters. The packs includes werewolves, zombies, vampires, and other monsters. Halloween Enter the graveyard, if you dare. Bones, the skeleton is sure to be there... Dark Romance Evoke the passion and thrill of your favourite vampire movies with this darkly romantic pack.

Libertaria: The story behind the virtual opera, by composer Sabrina Pena Young

Award-winning composer and published author Sabrina Pena Young composes works heard in Asia, North America, Australia, and Europe.

In this exclusive guest blog post, Sabrina tells the tale of the story behind the virtual opera and why she chose Moviestorm.

"I've been wanting to create a film for a long time, and Moviestorm had the perfect tools that I need to make my dream of a sci-fi animated opera a reality.

Sabrina's work has been performed at venues like the Beijing Conservatory, the International Computer Music Conference, Miramax's Project Greenlight, the Athena Festival, the New York International Independent Film Festival, Art Basil Miami, Turkey's Cinema for Peace, and Pulsefield International Exhibition of Sound Art.
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The story behind Libertaria

In 2011 I started writing a story about a young geneticist that worked in a cutting edge facility that absorbed the energy from the ill and dying to make a new serum that rejuvenated the younger, healthy populace. In the short story, the scientist, orphaned at a young age, discovered that one of her test subjects was actually her mother.

The short story evolved over time and instead o ffocusing on the scientists, the young girl was placed in the genetics factory herself, escaping it to discover her addict father runs the resistance against the factory. With a hundred twists and turns, Libertaria tells the story with true operatic drama and sci-fi energy.

Libertaria is an opera for the Digital Age. Created with virtual characters in a computer-generated environment, Libertaria is easily disseminated through the internet and simple DVDs. An animated opera offers a lower cost than a full live production, although there has been acoustic versions of songs like Lonely Mother’s Cry.

In the end Libertaria is a groundbreaking opera experiment. Creating an opera for a fraction of a budget, an opera that requires no rehearsals to enjoy, appeals to the masses, and has a diverse cast of characters reflecting the global nature of our culture.

Libertaria questions our current sociopolitical reality and the actions of the government, it questions war and even family.

Libertaria challenges musically and ideologically and will change our time.

Production for Libertaria was entirely online. The cast auditioned virtually through Music Xray and other sites, the animators worked together using Moviestorm, communication continued through e-mail and facebook." 

Why Moviestorm?

"I enjoy using Moviestorm because it is very intuitive, affordable, and easy-to-use. As someone with a film and music background, it was easy to jump into animation head-first using Moviestorm's excellent tools and simple platform. 

For my film Libertaria: The Virtual Opera I needed to use a program that could quickly lip sync over an hour of original vocal music, and Moviestorm was up to the task with the help of talented Moviestorm animators like Kera Hildebrandt. 

The easy integration of Moviestorm footage with third-party software like Final Cut and the use of settings like Cel Shading helped Libertaria: The Virtual Opera have a distinct graphic novel with epic visual effects for a micro-fraction of the cost. 

The Moviestorm community is invaluable and incredibly supportive, even volunteering time and talents towards production. Moviestorm made my dream a reality. I look forward to using Moviestorm for many years to come."

More information

What:  World Premiere Screening of LIBERTARIA: THE VIRTUAL OPERA, by Sabrina Peña Young

Where: Calvary United Methodist Church, 301 1

When: 3:00 P.M., Saturday, October 5th

Cost: $10 Donation. FREE admission for students (w/ID).

Contact: Call the church office at 561-585-1786 or email shoreclare@aol.com

Further links

Artist Website: http://sabrinapenayoung.blogspot.com/

Official Film Website: http://virtualopera.wordpress.com/

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQqnHt3a-Oo
Soundtrack : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sabrinapenayoung4

Baby Machine from Libertaria (Rough Cut) Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8x4ZUw-_oo

Opening Credits (Rough Cut) Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWdNH5rxpsQ

Becoming a successful filmmaker with Moviestorm

Here at Moviestorm we are inspired by stories of success, and how our software helps users to become successful filmmakers.

We are pleased to share the news that popular filmmaker D.L Watson has won an award for his film 'The Unspoken' at the Oregon Independent Film Festival.

The popular 2011 movie starring Nick Pemble and Erika Antonsen scooped two awards for the 'best short film' category and also 'best actor in a short film'.

D.L Watson said:

"Moviestorm was very useful when shooting The Unspoken. I needed to figure out how to shoot a conversation inside of a car - maintaining the 180 degree rules, and to test out some visual literacy I had learned.

"I think any indie filmmaker out there needs to give Moviestorm a try. It's fast, easy, and will ave you money and time."

'The Unspoken' is hidden from public viewing but will screen at Clinton Street Theater in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday September 22nd.

The Red Carpet and Awards Ceremony will be Saturday, September 21st at the Clinton Street Theater and tickets for the entire festival, including the screening of the short film can be purchased here.

D.L Watson created the screenshots of film 'The Unspoken' and storyboarded using Moviestorm.

  "Instead of paying actors to come on set and block it out in real-life, I quickly was able to duplicate the scene in Moviestorm in the comfort of my home.  The great aspect about Moviestorm is I can quickly set up a scene, apply some quick animation and set-up a camera. Even better, I can even get a preview of what focal length I need lens-wise to get the look I'm going for. Having this information helps me save time and money on set."     

The trailer for 'The Unspoken' can be seen below.

 

Additionally, D.L Watson's 2010 short film 'The Letter' has been recently remastered in HD. The Letter was shot live action and storyboarded using Moviestorm. The video can be seen in HD quality below.

Further links

D.L Watson in a previous case study with Moviestorm: http://www.moviestorm.co.uk/hub/professional/professional_case_study_dl_watson
D.L Watson's Moviestorm page: http://www.moviestorm.co.uk/community/?u=D.L.%20Watson
More about D.L Watson: http://www.dlwatson.net/