The word "machinimaker" begs to be used more
Posted on: November 21, 2006Really nice to see "Meet The Machinimakers" by Raina Lee on Gamasutra. Not just because it's a good read including Second Life, but because of the word "machinamaker" — I'm a sucker for portmanteaus compounded even further, and this three-way melange, like the spice in Dune, proves addictive. I've used this term a few times myself: infact, yesterday I made reference in a company email, stating I was going to "machinimake" a future Second Opinion tip.
As I search right now, I can only find 5 unique Google matches for "machinamaker" and 2 for "machinamakers". Could this be a term, like "machinima" itself, which rockets up into the stratosphere?
We shall observe.
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November 21st, 2006 at 11:37 AM PST
What's wrong with "Machinimator"? Paul Marino, president of the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences tells me that is the term of preference for artists who make machinima.
November 22nd, 2006 at 7:23 AM PST
I've been using "Machinimist", though if we equate machinima with cinema, then I'd think cinematographer implies "machinimatographer". I can see "machinimaker", like "filmmaker", too.
Personally, I'm still debating the word "machinima". It really should be "machinEma" to mirror cinEma.
November 22nd, 2006 at 11:26 PM PST
It is historically problematic when a word starts off as technically inaccurate or in some way noticeably inapplicable, then propagated vastly. "Podcast" is another good example, for they aren't (for the most part) originally broadcasted from iPods, nor do iPods have built-in recording capability. A lot of them are played back in other ways, too.
Rik, I don't mind any machin* terms, but I suppose part of my original point was the confusion arising over the multiplicity. People can call themselves what they like; "machinimator" only gets 80 Google hits for me, and Hiro makes a good point about consistency.
Too many heads…
MACHIMERA?