• How do I upload an avatar to my account?
• Your movies rock! Can you teach me how to make machinima?
• Can I be in your next movie? Can I be a voice actor?
• I really like your songs! Can I have the MP3s?
• Can I buy your music on CD?
• Why do you drink and smoke during your weekly show? I’m a parent with kids and think this sets a bad example.
• I would like to advertise my product or website in your movies. Are you interested?
• Do you do freelance video editing?
• I see your tag about Jesus at the end of your movies and am wondering, what are your religious beliefs?
• Where does the art in your movies come from?
• What server do you play on?
• Why did you leave WeGame?
• Do you still play World of Warcraft?
• Will you continue to make the Dynamic Action Team series?
• Where do you buy your hats?
• Can I play with you? Will you chat with me? Can I send you cookies? Will you sing at my wedding? Will you make my movie for me? Will you visit my grandmother at Shady Gardens Retirement Home?

Q. How do I upload an avatar to my account?

A. My site is integrated with Gravatar, which is a “globally recognized” avatar. All you have to go is upload an avatar to the Gravatar site, and presto! You now have an avatar that works on my site and my forum. Just be sure you use the same email address on my site and on the Gravatar site.

Q. “You’re movies rock! Can you teach me how to make machinima?”

A. Thank you! I have written two machinima guides which you can read here and here. I’ve also produced machinima tutorials which you can watch here. Machinima is a fun and rewarding hobby, and I encourage you to take it up. It is still a lot of work, and so don’t get frustrated if you make a few bad movies. Just keep making movies—that is the important thing!

Here is a list of my machinima tutorials so far, listed in order:

• Overview
• Screen Capture
• WoW Model Viewer, Part 1
• WoW Model Viewer, Part 2
• WoW Map Viewer, Part 1
• WoW Map Viewer, Part 2
• Shooting with World of Warcraft
• Motion, Part 1
• Motion, Part 2
• Keying, Part 1
• Keying, Part 2
• Shadows, Part 1
• Shadows, Part 2
• Color Correction
• Rendering, Part 1
• Rendering, Part 2

Q. “Can I be in your next movie? Can I be a voice actor?”

A. Thank you for the offer! I do most of the voice acting myself and have a few friends who help me out when I need it. I also don’t record any characters in the actual game, but instead composite in my own characters. Thanks for offering though.

Q. “I really like your songs! Can I have the MP3s?”

A. You bet! I’ve released two albums to date, and you can download them here:

• Oxhorn Brand Music
• Oxhorn’s Christmas for Geeks

Q. “Can I buy your music on CD?”

A. You bet! You can buy a physical, pressed copy of both my albums, complete with jewel case, cover art and insert, on Amazon.com:

• Oxhorn Brand Music Hard Copy
• Oxhorn’s Christmas for Geeks Hard Copy

Q. “Why do you drink and smoke during your weekly show? I’m a parent with kids and think this sets a bad example.”

A. I totally appreciate your concern and the last thing I want to be is a bad example for your kids. My philosophy, however, is that it is not the substance that is evil, but the behavior of the person who uses it that is evil. If I smoke a tobacco pipe once a week, as part of my show and just for fun, I am not feeding an addiction and therefore am not being a bad example. If I have one small glass of scotch every night and do not get drunk, then this is a healthy, mature use of alcohol. I rather like to think that I am showing your kids the proper way to use substances that are abused far too often in popular entertainment. As the parent, it is up to you to take your child aside when he asks about my glass and my pipe and explain to him how to responsibly and legally use such substances when they become adults.

Einstein, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Mark Twain all smoked pipes, and all of them were respectable and respected individuals that children learn about in their history and English books. Additionally, Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. If you get it in your head that booze and tobacco are just bad for kids to know about, then you must at least hold some sort of disparaging view towards all of these historical figures. This mentality is unfair to a growing mind.

Rather, it is better to teach a child who has questions about such controlled substances that these items are harmless when used wisely and maturely–that is, in moderation, socially, and without the goal of getting drunk or addicted. If children were raised under this philosophy, then certain social stigmas against harmless activities would be removed, and I would argue that the “allure” of drinking and smoking unwisely would dissipate.

Q. “I would like to advertise my product or website in your movies. Are you interested?”

A. Not for free, but maybe if you’re willing to “wet my beak”. Blizzard allows me ten seconds of space for sponsorship or advertisements in my movies. I place all sponsorship at the end of my movies during the credits. Fill out the following contact form with your proposal:

Q. “Do you do freelance video editing?”

A. Yes I do! While my specialty is machinima, I also produce videos for clients, and charge an hourly rate. I offer video recording, editing and production, voice-over services, and audio recording, editing and production. I have worked with many clients to produce tutorials, award shows and demonstrations. Fill out the form below if you have an offer for me.

Q. “I see your tag about Jesus at the end of your movies and am wondering, what are your religious beliefs?”

A. I am a Christian who loves Jesus and believes the Bible. I’m non-denominational but lean strongly Reformed (Calvinist). I place that text at the end of my movies because I need to remind myself that all I have came from God as his free gift of mercy to me, which I did not earn and which I do not deserve. I simply want to remind my fans that if they like anything I make, what they like ultimately came from God, not me.

Q. “Where does the art in your movies come from?”

A. I use video game art from Blizzard’s massive multiplayer online role playing game, World of Warcraft. I have found WoW to be the perfect medium with which to make my movies. All original art is done by myself, unless otherwise stated in the credits.

Q. “What server do you play on?”

A. Silver Hand.

Q. “Why did you leave WeGame?”

Alas, such was the state of the economy that WeGame was forced to conduct layoffs, and I got the axe. WeGame is still running strong and is producing great things, so head on over and watch some of their movies!

Q. “Do you still play World of Warcraft?”

A. Making machinima takes a lot of time. I had to make a choice–do I make machinima, or do I play the game? I chose to make machinima. I log into the game often, but only ever to shoot footage for a new movie.

Q. “Will you continue to make the Dynamic Action Team series?”

A. No, I will solely make World of Warcraft machinima from here on out.

Q. “Where do you buy your hats?”

A. www.mikethehatter.com

Q. “Can I play with you? Will you chat with me? Can I send you cookies? Will you sing at my wedding? Will you make my movie for me? Will you visit my grandmother at Shady Gardens Retirement Home?”

A. Nooooooooo.