Source Fillmaker

It would appear that the game is slowly changing when it comes to making animated films. First there was the Tube Open Movie, and now, video game maker Valve has announced the beta release of its Source Filmmaker software. What is that? Well it’s Valve’s own program for creating animated shorts.

What is the best aspect to the annoucement? The fact that users will be able to use assests from the game Team Fortress 2. While this might not be the most ideal set of tools for moviemaking, it is a significant shift from the usual studio mindset of hiding all your tools away.

Think you could get access to all the sets and rigs used for Toy Story 3? Guess again. So it’s a bit of a fresh breeze to see a company stump up its own assets for regular folks to use, free of charge.

And if you thought this was a simple tool for the bedroom director, you’re mistaken. Powerhouse Irish outfit Brown Bag Films has signed on to create nothing less than a full feature film using the software, and the budget is a not so measly €15 million ($18.7 million).

The most exciting aspect to the whole thing? The fact that video game rendering engines are seeing a second purpose in rendering animation in real time. The future is bright I tell you.