BloodSpell
Encyclopedia
BloodSpell is a 2006 fantasy
film produced by Strange Company
. BloodSpell employs filming techniques known as machinima
, and is the first feature-length production to use BioWare
's Aurora Engine, developed for the computer role-playing game Neverwinter Nights
, to generate the video portion of the film. The film was serially released in short episodes under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License, which allows for redistribution, modification, and creation of fan fiction
. Strange Company have asserted somewhat controversially that, as of 2006, BloodSpell, was the largest machinima production.
The series features numerous cameo appearance
s, including several voice appearances from science fiction author Charles Stross
.
In August 2006, controversy involving BloodSpell occurred when the Leipzig Games Conference pronounced it too violent to be shown as part of their machinima showcase. After a protest, the Games Conference changed their position (taking a considerable risk in light of the German press's attitudes to game violence) and allowed the film to be shown.
10,000.
The film was made using the Neverwinter Nights
Aurora game engine
, which provides a Dungeon Master
(DM) client that allows actor models to be created or removed at will. Multiple DMs can join a single local Neverwinter Nights server. Under this configuration, any character can be controlled by any of the DMs to accomplish actions that are needed for the scene being filmed.
Additionally, a number of modifications to Neverwinter Nights are used, from additional animations, to a custom set of camera tools, allowing scripted camera movements, to a texture switching OpenGL
tool that allows for the appearance of lip sync
ing, referred to by the BloodSpell team as "TOGLFaceS" (Take Over GL Face Skins).
for BloodSpell was released on 19 October 2005 and was followed by two teaser trailer
s in late April 2006. The first episode premiered on 26 April 2006, and the series concluded in late 2006 after fourteen episodes.
In 2007, the fourteen episodes were remastered into a feature film. In early 2008, a DVD image of the feature-length edit of BloodSpell was released under Creative Commons at the official site. The DVD includes three "Making Of BloodSpell" documentaries.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
film produced by Strange Company
Strange Company
Strange Company is a group of machinima creators and distributors based in Edinburgh, Scotland. They are known in the medium as the longest-standing machinima production company, having produced machinima films since 1997, and for creating the Machinima.com website, which distributes such films on...
. BloodSpell employs filming techniques known as machinima
Machinima
Machinima is the use of real-time 3D computer graphics rendering engines to create a cinematic production. Most often, video games are used to generate the computer animation...
, and is the first feature-length production to use BioWare
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer founded in February 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. BioWare is currently owned by American company Electronic Arts...
's Aurora Engine, developed for the computer role-playing game Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
, to generate the video portion of the film. The film was serially released in short episodes under the Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License, which allows for redistribution, modification, and creation of fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
. Strange Company have asserted somewhat controversially that, as of 2006, BloodSpell, was the largest machinima production.
The series features numerous cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s, including several voice appearances from science fiction author Charles Stross
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
.
In August 2006, controversy involving BloodSpell occurred when the Leipzig Games Conference pronounced it too violent to be shown as part of their machinima showcase. After a protest, the Games Conference changed their position (taking a considerable risk in light of the German press's attitudes to game violence) and allowed the film to be shown.
Plot
BloodSpell tells the fictional story of Jered, a young Monk of the Church of the Angels, an organisation that exists to purify the Blooded, a term for those who release magical power when their blood is spilt. The story follows Jered as he joins forces with the Blooded in an attempt to gain his freedom.Development
BloodSpell was in development for more than two years. In late 2003, executive producer Hugh Hancock first began to work on the project in response to a claim that his work had lost its "punk edge". Production costs were under £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10,000.
The film was made using the Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights , produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames , is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that is based on third edition Dungeons & Dragons and Forgotten Realms rules. It was originally to be published by Interplay Entertainment, but the publisher's financial...
Aurora game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, which provides a Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...
(DM) client that allows actor models to be created or removed at will. Multiple DMs can join a single local Neverwinter Nights server. Under this configuration, any character can be controlled by any of the DMs to accomplish actions that are needed for the scene being filmed.
Additionally, a number of modifications to Neverwinter Nights are used, from additional animations, to a custom set of camera tools, allowing scripted camera movements, to a texture switching OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
tool that allows for the appearance of lip sync
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
ing, referred to by the BloodSpell team as "TOGLFaceS" (Take Over GL Face Skins).
Releases
The first trailerTrailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
for BloodSpell was released on 19 October 2005 and was followed by two teaser trailer
Teaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
s in late April 2006. The first episode premiered on 26 April 2006, and the series concluded in late 2006 after fourteen episodes.
In 2007, the fourteen episodes were remastered into a feature film. In early 2008, a DVD image of the feature-length edit of BloodSpell was released under Creative Commons at the official site. The DVD includes three "Making Of BloodSpell" documentaries.