Soul Calibur IV - Battlecry la femme fatale

This is a trailer I made using various footage from Soul Calibur IV on both PS3 and Xbox 360. Since I couldn't remove the background music on some of the realtime cut-scenes, I had to painstakingly re-do the entire audio track by re-sampling sounds/foley from the game throughout most of this trailer with only a small handful left in there untouched. I also used the same sound sampling to create new dialogue and some minor tweaks on the original.

What's great about SC4 is the fact that all the cut-scenes are real time renders. So characters that you customize will also appear in real time during cutscene playback using the clothing variation you applied. This offers a lot of opportunity for variety which gave me the idea for this trailer.

The video starts out as if you are watching a real trailer for the game. But as it gets to the end, the situation becomes a lot different as the context just gets comepletely thrown out. Enjoy.

Also available in Higher Definition High Quality at:
http://blip.tv/file/1159116

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Soul Calibur IV - Ivy Valentine machinima skytoast

ソウルキャリバー IV - アイヴィー イザベラ・バレンタイン - アルゴルの悪い日 - ソウルキャリバー４

Soul Calibur IV - Algol's Bad Day or How I Tried to Seduce Ivy but Failed HD (Extended Director's Cut - HD Remake)
Cast: Ivy Valentine, Algol
Bonus Scene: Cervantes, Shura

Algol attempts to seduce Ivy to his will but he's in for a very rude awakening when she whips out her snake sword.

The original film was made using standard definition equipment captured in DV. Since then, I have been editing in high definition with all new gear. I thought it be fitting (and a nice challenge) to redo some of my older films since Youtube now offers high definition format standards for their users. However, it would be a waste of an opportunity if I simply re-shot the entire same film just to bring it to HD standards. So I added extra and extended scenes and a made a few changes as well in this remake.

When I made my original film shortly after the game's release last summer ('08), it was my first attempt at making machinima using the SCIV engine. All of this was possible using the in-game camera system during replays in training mode and between matches. There was limitation, unfortunately, of only being able to capture 7-9 secs of footage so would require extensive editing. Despite this, it offered creative possibiles for scene composition if used properly.

With the original film, I was still exploring and experimenting with the in-game camera. I would gradually learn to master all the tricks in subsequent films. Going back now, it would be interesting to see what I could do with the original film. I've felt some of the scenes were over extended and there wasn't enough action sequences. So this time around I added more, showcasing more of the character's abilities and skillsets from the game yet still keeping in mind the overall feel and tone of the storyline.

I also added a bonus scene at the end as a treat for fans of some of the other related characters from the game, hinting to a possible future story yet to be explored.

Anyways, this project was fun to work on since the hardest part was already done - scripting the storyline, laying out the storyboard production flow, etc. It gave me the rare opportunity to go back to a past project and see it from a different perspective, fix some mistakes, and make the film better. I hope those of you who watch it, appreciate the work involved and enjoy it.

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Soul Calibur 4 Cassandra Sophitia skytoast Parody fighting sisters training Ivy Valentine Algol's Bad Day Astaroth's Hunger sequal machinima girl on girl action

ソウルキャリバー IV - カサンドラの訓練
カサンドラ・アレクサンドル
ソフィーティア・アレクサンドル

Soul Calibur IV - Cassandra's Training
Cast: Cassandra Alexandra, Sophitia Alexandra

Cassandra is in training, aspiring to be an Athenian fighter like her older sister, Sophitia. She thinks she's ready for some action and wants to follow her sister on her journeys. Sophitia however doubts she is ready and tests her abilities in a dueling match with swords and shields. Being the overprotective older sibling, Sophitia wants her sister to advance slowly so she decides to teach her a lesson in humility by unleashing the power of Hephaestus, god of forge and fire and Athena, goddess of wisdom. Little does she know, Cassandra also has a trick up her sleeves, having the same power of divinity running in her veins.

This is my second short film using the in game camera (during replays) from Soul Calibur IV (PS3 version). It was a little easier doing this the second time around in terms of composing the shots and working around the camera. Post production was another story..

To make a long story short, it was literally a nightmare mastering the audio in the final cut and have it work on Youtube. There were too many things adding to the background noise such as sounds from constant streaming water, birds, wind, etc. not to mention all the other essentials such as weapons clanking, voices, grunts, and finally the musical score to channel into a single mono audio channel. I had to fiddle with each audio track sequence using an EQ and some filters and eachtime I wasn't really happy with the results - (either having too much distortion or too little sound fidelty). If only Youtube offered high fidelity stereo.... Anyways this is final result, it's not the best but its acceptable.

The original high quality version is available at my main site:
http://blip.tv/file/1377010

Also check out my related videos on Youtube:

Soul Calibur IV - Algol's Bad Day or How I Tried to Seduce Ivy but Failed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =NF3Bv2DfwyY

Soul Calibur IV - Astaroth's Hunger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =OMjLvs0VhG8

Soul Calibur IV - Christmas Special - The First Edge Master
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =6ZHjhUU9tp4

Soul Calibur IV - Star Wars - A Disturbance in the Force
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =OtLeNTzaP-0

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Soul Calibur IV - Astaroth skytoast machinima

Soul Calibur IV - Astaroth's Hunger (1280x720 digital remastered version)

This is not a new video but same one digitally remastered and scaled to 1280 x 720 resolution. Unfortunately, it's not HD but just scaled to the dimensions to fit HD screen viewing on Youtube. The original was shot and captured as SD widescreen DV (1.2 pixel). It was the first video I made using the Blackmagic Intensity card but at the time I wasn't ready to make the full switch to HD.

Anyways, since Youtube has made the transition first to widescreen and now HD, I'm reuploading this to accomodate the format so all of you can have a better viewing experience. (well at least until they get all the bugs fixed).

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Soul Calibur IV Santa Claus Christmas skytoast Taki Ivy Valentine

ソウルキャリバーIV サンタクロース 1st EDGE マスター

Soul Calibur IV - The First Edge Master
Cast: Santa Klaus (Custom), Cervantes, Zasalamel, Voldo, Sophitia, Seong Mina, Taki, Mitsurugi, Siegfried, Ivy, Reigndeer Boy (Custom)

Somewhere in a secluded arctic region of the north pole, a forgotten elderly wise man looks out to an old ship wreckage and starts to reminisce to happier times long ago. He remembers the days when he was master and teacher to several students in the art of weapons fighting who have long moved on to find their own path towards destiny. There is a feeling of accomplishment and satisifaction in passing on what he knows. Yet to one there is only regret, remorse and painful sorrow to the fate of one of his beloved students who fell to evil and thirst for power. But their is hope, for the child (daughter) of this fallen one will carry on his legacy, perhaps succeeding where the father failed.

Since its nearing the winter holidays, I figure it be fitting to make a seasonal "Christmas" video. So who else to include but Santa himself? Well maybe not Santa really but something close to his iconic image since Namco-Bandai released a Christmas related DLC pack. So the story is a parody and does not follow the Soul series' canon in any way. Maybe very loosely in reference to father-daughter relationship between Cervantes and Ivy.

Since I was pressed for time, the challenge was to make a short video with little or no dialogue and yet still be able to convey emotion and carry at least something close to a storyline. I didn't want to do a straight out music video. Again, using camera technique, slowing down frame rate and picking the right soundtrack to go along with it did the trick. The music is "Healing Winds" by Junichi Nakartasu from the Soul Calibur II soundtrack. I felt it had a nice wintery Christmas-like melody too it.

This is also my first feature done completely in widescreen HD (High Definition) 1280x720p using the Cineform codec. I couldn't ask for a better timing to release this since now Youtube officially supports "High Definition" 1280 x 720p. Compared to the original master, it's still not true vivid HD here on Youtube (when you still have to compression involved) but at it's best Youtube has to offer so far. So click on "Watch in HD" beneath the video!

Merry X-mas '08 (any other holiday around this season) and look forward to making more awesome videos for all of you next year (2009)!

Also check out my other related videos:

Soul Calibur IV - Algol's Bad Day or How I Tried to Seduce Ivy but Failed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =NF3Bv2DfwyY

Soul Calibur IV - Cassandra's Training
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =nHE3l44BZwc

Soul Calibur IV - Astaroth's Hunger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =OMjLvs0VhG8

Soul Calibur IV - Star Wars - A Disturbance in the Force
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =OtLeNTzaP-0

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Star Wars Soul Calibur IV machinima skytoast
High Definition version.

Star Wars - Soul Calibur IV - A Disturbance in the Force
Cast: The Apprentice (Starkiller), Darth Vader, Yoda, {Jedi Mind Trick: Astaroth - Voldo}, {Vision: Siegfried, Nightmare, Algol}

Some time has passed since the the fall of the Republic and the demise of the Jedi High Council. The new Imperial Order has consolidated its power across the vast regions of the galaxy.

Since most of the Jedi have all been but eradicated, those who still have the power (the Force) have felt a new disturbance in the Force. It is unlike anything they have ever felt before.

Among those who have felt this disturbance is the Sith Lord Darth Vader and his new secret apprentice. Their plan is to seek this unfound source of power and overthrow the Emperor (Imperial Emperor Palpatine). Little do they know, an old forgotten Jedi master hiding in exile has also felt this disturbance...

When it was first announced that Yoda and Darth Vader would be included in Soul Calibur IV, I was taken a bit back thinking "WTF?" Not that I didn't like Star Wars (far from it, I love Star Wars, it was the very first film I ever saw in the movie theaters) but the thought of it was quite odd and strange to include characters wielding lightsabers in the Soul Calibur universe. How were they going to fit that into the story and timeline? But when I saw the screenshots and then the final trailer shortly prior to the game's release, I got use to the idea and then welcomed it. After all, Soul Calibur II had guest characters Spawn (comic book hero), Link (from Zelda) and Heihachi (Tekken). I'm sure as much as they try to "fit" these foreign out of place characters into the general story timeline, it's more for fun for the fans by giving us variety. So let it be.

After beating the story mode for the new characters in Soul Calibur IV, I was left wanting a bit more. Other than some text at the prelude of the story mode for each of the new characters, they never showed or thoroughly explained how these characters got into the Soul Calibur universe. Just a few words about some disturbance in the Force and some ripple in the fabric of spacetime somewhere opening a path or portal between the two dimensions.

Since I've already made a few machinima films using Soul Calibur IV's engine, I couldn't pass the opportunity to tell the story but it had to be done correctly. SO.. how else better to do it than do it as a tribute to the classic film series, with all the things we know and love about Star Wars - opening title scrawl - camera pan - lush sweeping cinematic music, and closing iris shot with rolling credits.
(Keep in mind of course, this is a fan made film so it isn't the official canon but I tried to stay close to official storyline as much as possible while making it entertaining).

Before starting this new project, I knew it was going to be a big undertaking to work on requiring more time and effort than any past projects I've done before. There was lot of camera work (use of in-game camera), lots of shots from different angles and kinetics (the more complex, the better), post production work in FX and sound, and finally mastering the final cut all in HD. Yeah, it was the usual fare with moments of joy and frustration but finally got it all done in the course of two months in my spare time.

I plan on continuing with my other projects I put on hold but in the meantime, I think I'm just going to take a break for a while. Until then, enjoy.

Also available in standard definition at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =4M_X606J7rA

Also check out my other related videos:

Soul Calibur IV - Algol's Bad Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =NF3Bv2DfwyY

Soul Calibur IV - Cassandra's Training
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =nHE3l44BZwc

Soul Calibur IV - Astaroth's Hunger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =OMjLvs0VhG8

Soul Calibur IV - The First Edge Master
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =6ZHjhUU9tp4

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Soul Calibur IV - Heishiro skytoast

ソウルキャリバーIV - ヘイシロウ

御剣平四郎 （ミツルギ ヘイシロウ） - 多喜（タキ）

Cast: Mitsurugi, Taki, and other custom characters (see ending credits).

After vanquishing the threat that was Soul Edge & Soul Calibur, Mitsurugi is taking his long journey back home to Japan. Along the way, he helps a mercenary army defeat an Asura establishment in China. Always searching for the ultimate challenge, he declares his victory after the long battle on a terrrace outside a fortress standing on the foothills of the Hall of the Warrior Gods.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Taki is on the hunt for a new threat after vanquishing the demons that possessed her former master and leader of her former Fu-Ma Clan. As a nukenin or a "runaway ninja", she calls upon her former clan members who also left, to help her find this new demonic threat. Her first clues lead her to an old harbor of shipwrecks where she finds a band of samurai warriors searching about. She discovers them to be part of the Demon Clan, a clandestine group aiming to resurrect the Nightmare sword. Little does she know, her long old adversary is about to arrive back home. But she's ready once again to meddle in his path cutting short his obsessive aim of perfection.

Director's Notes
What can I say... after a short hiatus, this is pretty much the "BEST" work to date I've done so far. (But I'll probably say that again after I work on the next film too.) In a nutshell, this went from concept to finished product in nearly a year. I pretty much scribbled the story last summer (2008) and wanted to work on this project months ago but the thought of doing a Star Wars film (my last major project) was simply irresistable. So this project went on hold for some time. After completing the Star Wars film (and reworking the Algol/Ivy video), I ran into some workflow issues mostly related to waiting for software updates (editing software). There was of course time constraints as well since I was busy with other things that were going on in my personal life and work. So finally after getting everything squared away, I finally had some dedicated time and resources to finish this project.

The actual work took about 2 months. Once the scene acquisition and choreography for composition was completed, the real gritty work in post production effects took a few more weeks to complete. There were a few scenes that required multiple characters in the same shot. This was accomplished using keyframing, rotoscoping, matting and compositing various video layers to achieve this feat. Sound editing and dialogue was the last part of work in the project. It was decided that dialogue would be in Japanese as the English dubbing would not suffice given the setting and story that was to be told. So this would also be my first work to do some kind of subtitling for spoken dialogue.

As a sidenote, my Japanese language skills are basic, so I do apologize in advance for any errors I may have made translating to the English equivalent. I do welcome any corrections and would be happy to work with someone who is proficient in both Japanese-English. Also if another language translation is desired, I'll be happy to work with other native bilingual speakers as well.

Anyhow, enjoy the film. There will hopefully be more.


NOTE: PLEASE TURN CAPTIONING "ON" by TOGGLING the "CC" button "ON". It's located on the bottom right corner of the video by the arrow menu. Also as a note, if the the subtitles appears off center or in the middle of the video screen when switching from SD to HD, toggle the "CC" off and on again and it should correct itself back to the bottom of the screen again.

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