5 – Empyrean Age TrailerWhile players take the top four spots in this list, it cannot be denied that CCP's video team have produced some incredible work over the years. Preceded by two teaser videos, this trailer tells the story of how the tense stalemate in EVE was broken and the factions of EVE began to take up arms. This was the first trailer to make heavy use of pre-rendered footage that isn't taken from the game itself. It suffers from the same lack of believability as the quantum rise videos but manages to remain exciting and epic. It makes me hope for this level of quality in the future rather than disappointed that the scene isn't currently possible. This is definitely CCP's best trailer to date and is easily number five on my list.
4 – Clarion call, Triage SpecialInstructional videos produced by players explain various aspects of the game and tend to be informative but not all that impressive. Fairlight Corp from Foundation alliance blew that preconception out of the water with this incredibly impressive video. The video follows Alazais in his Thanatos class Carrier during engagements in October 2008. With an epic choice of music and voice-over by Princess Aricia, Fairlight Corp detail highly effective tactics for the rarely used carrier "Triage" mode. Not a day goes by that I don't find myself whistling the music from this video and wishing that were me on the front-lines with a triage carrier.
3 – War has comeVeto have always been avid movie-makers and with their help Kyoko Sakoda's most recent videos have shattered all expectations. "War Has Come" is Kyoko's latest video and feels like his very own EVE trailer. The video tells the story of the ongoing wars between the factions of EVE in a way that I believe surpasses even the official Empyrean Age trailer. The visual quality and composition are unmatched in any other video I've seen. The video is set to Bear McCreary's cover of Bob Dylan's "All along the watchtower", an odd music choice for an EVE video but one that Kyoko makes work spectacularly. CCP could do well to offer this guy a job.
2 – Lacrimosa, TortugaEarly last year, Body Count Inc released this absolutely stunning video reflecting on their recent history and the events that led them to where they were. The first half of the video features excellent vocal snippets detailing the main points in MC's history and while it may have dragged on a little, it managed to keep my attention with stunning visuals. The second half was filled with some of the most amazingly put together PvP footage I've ever seen set to an equally epic soundtrack. The production quality of this video makes it a no-brainer for the number two EVE video of all time. While the video is available on youtube, I strongly urge you to download the high definition 117mb version if you can. You won't be disappointed.
1 – Clear skiesCreated by EVE player Ian Chisholm (AKA John Rourke), this machinima was produced partly in the Half-Life 2 SDK and partly in EVE Online. It follows the life of John Rourke and his crew on board the Minmatar battleship "Clear Skies". The 40-minute pilot episode quickly became one of the most celebrated EVE videos of all time. To top it all off, Ian released a hilarious blooper reel video and confirmed that a second episode is in the works. After winning an award at the Machinima film festival, Ian caught up with massively to discuss the film's success and talk about the second episode.
Summary:
Videography is an integral part of EVE Online. Whether you're making a propaganda video to bolster your alliance's morale or just filming yourself speed-running a mission, EVE lends itself spectacularly to making videos. What's your favourite EVE video? Are there any you think deserve a space in my top ten?
Brendan "Nyphur" Drain is an early veteran of EVE Online and writer of the weekly EVE Evolved column here at massively.com. The column covers anything and everything relating to EVE Online, from in-depth guides to speculative opinion pieces. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at brendan.drain AT weblogsinc DOT com.
