For the uninitiated, machinima is:

Machinima (/məˈʃiːnɪmə/ or /məˈʃɪnɪmə/) is the use of real-time 3D computer graphics rendering engines to create a cinematic production. Most often, games are used to generate the computer animation. Machinima-based artists, sometimes called machinimists or machinimators, are often fan laborers, by virtue of their re-use of copyrighted materials.

It is an extremely low-budget mode of animation where someone "puppeteers" the characters in a game and captures the video to be re-edited and dubbed over to make a movie.

The genre has caught on to the point where there is an International film festival in Amsterdam, Machinima Expos and a local one in my hometown of Broomfield, CO by Ones and Zeros Pixelshow.

The exciting thing about machinima is that anyone can do it with the right video card or video capture device and a game system. Because it removes the need to model and program, it's also a great way to start to learn the process of filmmaking by focusing on skills like editing, scripting and ADR work.

Those who stick with it can add these other elements as they reach greater levels of sophistication.