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Name: MaGGoTkil
Notable Work(s): MaGGoTkil Frags 5, MaGGoTkil Frags 4
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, interests, etc.?
Are you self-taught or have you taken formal classes on editing?
What software do you use?
When starting a project, what is your approach like? Do you have a specific workflow?
What has inspired you in your work? Are there specific movies or moviemakers that changed the way you approach your own work?
Your movies always stuck out to me because of the really sick and unique frags. Do you think going for those big plays has become part of the way you play because of frag movies? In other words, would you prefer to win games in a boring way or lose a game in an exciting way with big frags? (I ask this because I think it is true of myself a bit... Playing more risky to make nice frags happen.)
Which of your own projects are you most proud of? Which do you think were most instrumental in your development as a moviemaker?
There is a range of game movies in terms of editing styles and structure. Some you could call some "old school" (minimal editing) and then there are very elaborate projects with significant amounts of editing. Where do you think your movies fall? In your opinion, is there an ideal balance between editing and content?
What do you think the future holds for game movies? Are there new styles/techniques possible?
What advice do you have for new moviemakers?
Any last comments/shoutouts?
Notable Work(s): MaGGoTkil Frags 5, MaGGoTkil Frags 4
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, interests, etc.?
I’m MaGGoTkil, a random 2k elo Brit QL dueller. Originally from CS, but lost my teammates to real life so moved to Quake in 2009. I never had any prior experience with arena style games and was a complete noob, so in the beginning I used to watch Q3 frag movies to understand how to play QL.
Are you self-taught or have you taken formal classes on editing?
Self-taught, I only really drag and drop clips into Sony Vegas and move them around. No advanced editing or effects. In my first movies this is very obvious but I think I’ve gradually improved.
What software do you use?
Only Wolfcam & Sony Vegas.
When starting a project, what is your approach like? Do you have a specific workflow?
In the beginning I put very little effort into my videos, where I would record and arranged my clips before adding any soundtrack. So it was more of a frag reel with added music, very little creativity. But as times gone on, I started to think more about the structure, soundtrack, syncing, config, etc.. So now I usually find a soundtrack that sounds fun to edit over, tweak Wolfcam config a bit, record the frags, import into Vegas and start playing around.
What has inspired you in your work? Are there specific movies or moviemakers that changed the way you approach your own work?
I was only really inspired by the style of all the old “fragged by” Quake 3 movies. I watch a lot of frag movies but I don’t intentionally try to imitate anyone’s style. I probably should.
Your movies always stuck out to me because of the really sick and unique frags. Do you think going for those big plays has become part of the way you play because of frag movies? In other words, would you prefer to win games in a boring way or lose a game in an exciting way with big frags? (I ask this because I think it is true of myself a bit... Playing more risky to make nice frags happen.)
Back when I played Counter-Strike, I used to be quite competitive, going to some LANs, playing in online cups and ladders, etc.. This was also the case when I transitioned to QL. I focused more on getting good game results and qualifying for cups and leagues. When I started making frag movies I noticed that my play style changed. I started to subconsciously try to get the “movie frags”, which became a really bad habit and likely lost me a lot of matches. But as QL died down, I became less competitive and started to enjoy getting the frags rather than worrying about the final score.
Which of your own projects are you most proud of? Which do you think were most instrumental in your development as a moviemaker?
I’m most proud of my fifth movie. I’d already become inactive for a few years until the QC beta was released. So I decided to put a bit more effort into this project, as I thought it would likely be my last one. I’m really happy how to it turned out. My only regret was the config I used but I feel the content made up for that. But as with all my movies, I watch them back and realise where I made mistakes, and try not to make them again.
There is a range of game movies in terms of editing styles and structure. Some you could call some "old school" (minimal editing) and then there are very elaborate projects with significant amounts of editing. Where do you think your movies fall? In your opinion, is there an ideal balance between editing and content?
My videos would fall under old school. I intentionally tried to make them look basic, no flashy intro or third-person transition, just POV frags. I guess they are structured as “highlights”. I personally only care about the frags. If the editing is good and well thought out it’s just a bonus. If the frags are good and you can see them, you have found the right balance.
What do you think the future holds for game movies? Are there new styles/techniques possible?
With how big “esports” is becoming, I’m wondering if eventually we’ll end up seeing frag movies on the big screen. In the year 2070, we’ll all be watching bogOtac XLVIII premier in 4D. Seriously though, I think there is still a lot of potential with game movies. New styles and techniques will continue to develop as trends change.
What advice do you have for new moviemakers?
I’m still novice level so I don’t really have any worthwhile advice to be a successful moviemaker. Just have fun and enjoy being creative, don’t compare you work with other people's.
Any last comments/shoutouts?
Thank you for the interview and for putting this article together. For any QL fans I have a movie playlist for you to enjoy . Shoutout to Supremee.