Sims 2 Pinoy

Q: What term do they call your movies?
A: It's called Machinima. Machinima are scenes or movies produced using computer games to represent your story. It is popularly used by an odd mix of people, film fans, hobbyists, and hard core gamers. Search around Youtube, use the term machinima and you'll see the countless movies produced with it.

Q: What software or program are you using?
A: I'm using The Sims 2 PC game and the subsequent expansion packs (University, Nightlife, Bon Voyage, Pets, etc.) for the "actors and actresses" and the interaction I need. Then I edit my footage with Sony Vegas Pro 8 and Adobe After Effects 7 (where I add special effects, audio, etc.). Sometimes I edit some photos I add in the footage with Photoshop. If you want to create your own, Windows Movie Maker which comes with every Windows installer is fine too.

Q:What hardware do you use?
A: Pretty much a standard PC, mine is quite old. To be more specific here are the specs:
AMD Athlon 64 Processor
2800+
1.80 GHz, 1.00 GB of RAM

Q: How long does it take for you to make your movie?
A: It really depends. Since I'm still quite new to this, it took me to finish "Dyesebel" a five minute clip around three weeks. I had to download different custom content (creations by other The Sims 2 creators such as hair, skintone, props, eyecolors...), then prepared my 'set', created my cast, shot and recorded the scenes, edited the footages, and uploaded to Youtube. But the advantage of this is when I decide to make another "Dyesebel movie", it will take me less time to invest in it since I already have my set and cast. :)

Q: I have The Sims 2 game, how do I start?
A: First you have to be really comfortable with this game. What I mean is you already are familiar with the interaction, movement, and restrictions of the game. You don't just install the game and then decide to shoot your planned movie right away. The Sims 2, as any player knows has a pretty frustrating learning curve for those used to playing other games. But believe me, it won't be the number one PC game of all time if it isn't so worth it.

I don't mean to discourage you but what I want to actually convey to you is that once you know the game, you'll have a better grip on how to control your sims (your actors) and their environment.

Watch a few The Sims 2 movies on Youtube. You'll see how they take certain scenes at certain angles, and how they zoom in or out on their actors.

Second, start with a simple story like your sim who is singing or having a house party. Take different footages with different angles. Then try to edit those footages or clips with the Windows Movie Maker (WMM). Try adding music and special effects using the WMM. To make things easier for you, read this guide for beginners by Michelle & Kerri.

Use cheats while filming, this will make things easier for you such as they won't get hungry, sleepy, and cranky. Here's a comprehensive list of cheats.

Or you can watch these video tutorials by Christeney on Youtube:

Part 1.

Part 2.

Third, to start with Windows Movie Maker these tutorials can help you.

Q: Where do you get your stuff I don't have in my game like that fish tail of Dyesebel?
I get them from the many awesome The Sims 2 free sites like:
ModtheSims2
XMSims
AllAboutStyle
Rosesims2
Insimenator
etc, etc, etc.

I usually put along my video where I got certain things, so better make sure you read my credits here on my blog or on my video to get an idea.

Q: I have an idea I want to produce in my Sims movie, its a certain theme. Where can I find my costumes and props?
It's always the best idea to search on the search engine of Modthesims2 (MTS2) your certain props. They have the biggest free database of Sims 2 custom content in the web. They also have the best quality of creations since they follow a strict rule with their creator members for their submission to be allowed in there. It's free, and it's almost always the best quality of free content in The Sims 2 community. Register an account, and start your downloading spree.

Alas, not everything is on MTS2, so you can search on these themes list:
A-SimsLife
Sims2Wiki

Q: There's something wrong with my The Sims 2. How can I fix this?
A: ModtheSims2 have a lot of expert gamers and techies that are willing to help you for free. Just remember to search first your problem if it's been asked and solved already or else you'll be spanked by those nice techies who are constantly flooded by whiny kids screaming for attention. Act like a responsible adult, do your job of being nice enough in searching first on their database if your problem is already tackled by the MTS2 community. If you're ABSOLUTELY sure it hasn't been asked and solved yet, then that's the time for you to make your own thread in the right section. Start here.

Finally, here's a video that will give you a general idea on The Sims 2 Machinima culture and some valuable tips by Machinima veterans :)

Ask me your questions that aren't discussed here through e-mail.

This is it for now.

Loi