Review of ILL Clan

Straight out of Brooklyn, the Ill Clan has been creating comedic machinima shorts since way back in 1998, and has been at the center of this computer-image movie making art form ever since.

In 2002, Clan cofounder Paul Marino helped create the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences to give the artistic community an established presence and common meeting ground (though since then Paul’s left the clan to work on independent projects). In 2003, director Matt Dominianni and the rest of the crew combined their improvisational comedy background with sound computing skills to perform live at the Florida Film Festival. With the launch of Trash Talk with Ill Will in early 2006, they continue to be pioneers in the field.

Larry and Lenny lumberjack search for new diggs in Ill Clan’s 1999 release,Apartment Huntin’. The short was the group’s first major release and has been regarded as one of Machinima’s seminal works.  The clan continues with their improv comedy inspired antics as Larry and Lenny appear in live cooking shows and political satires.

In February 2006, Trash Talk with Ill Will debuted, setting up a ragdoll host discussing video gaming news and delving into wacky storylines with his rocket sidekick. The talk show marks another milestone in the Ill Clan’s innovative mashimia tradition and is an excellent fit with their well-trained comedy.

For those not very familiar with Machinima or still trying to figure out exactly what it is, check out this Discovery Channel coverage of the Ill Clan’s performance at the 2003 Florida Film Festival. Paul Marino gives a great beginner’s explanation of what the process is all about, and there are great shots of the Ill Clan in action.   Also catch the Clan’s spots for Spike TV and the Audi3.

Episode 7: Codemonkey of Trash Talk is a must see. Ill Will and Mal Content feature the Codemonkey music video – a poppy rock song by Jonathan Coulton about an overworked gorilla programmer that daydreams of a better life.