Subsequent chapters continue the straightforward tutorials but also contain some very worthy sidebars. Of note are sidebars breaking down the basics of video compression formats, storyboarding and the legal issues surrounding distributing machinima films that use copyrighted materials such as game characters, weapons and levels. This brings up another minor critique; the lack of focus on creating the content for the films. There are chapters devoted to content creation but they are brief. Marino should follow up with more in depth instruction on how to make great sets and characters specifically for machinima productions.

Machinimation is still mostly of interest to the geek crowd but Marino has the foresight to understand that the medium will only advance if the films are seen by a wider audience. Including a chapter on exporting your machinimation film to an external video format might seem gratuitous at first but Marino is smarter than that. Only if machinimation films are distributed on DVD, played on television and eventually in movie theaters, will they be considered another tool for making “real” films. This is a book that focuses on making your first machinimation film; readers looking for in depth filmmaking guidance would be better served by supplementary books that are less specific to machinima and it’s sibling, game development.

I definitely recommend The Art of Machinima by Paul Marino to anyone interested in learning more about the art form. The book is well-written and fairly complete, not to mention it’s the only machinima book currently available. The lessons are well thought out, I only wish there were more of them. The Art of Machinima is well worth the $39.99 cover price (sure to be discounted online), I hope Marino has plans for a sequel.

3D Game-Based Filmmaking: The Art of Machinima by Paul Marino; Scottsdale, AZ: Paraglyph Press, 2004; ISBN: 1-932111-85-9, softcover, 470 pages, $39.99; CD-ROM included.

Fred Galpern is currently art manager for Blue Fang Games in Waltham, MA. Since entering the video game field six years ago, Fred has held management positions in several other game and entertainment companies, including Hasbro and Looking Glass Studios. Fred began his art career as a comic book creator and also has experience in various graphic design fields He has created characters and developed stories for numerous children’s television series. Fred has satisfied his long-standing interest in education by teaching at several New England colleges. He is an adjunct instructor at Bristol Community College, where he created the curriculum, and also teaches and advises for the electronic games certificate and associates degree programs. Fred is writing his first game development book due for publication next year.