The latest project by Jordy Veenstra, one of the most talented filmmakers working today with the medium of machinima, is titled Experience, a visual study of a virtual fairground from a multitude of perspectives. Veenstra used Virtual Rides III, a funfair simulation game developed by German studio pixelsplit in which the player is given complete freedom regarding the customization and control of an ever expanding number of funfair rides to develop a machinima. The result is a fascinating experimental, non-narrative short film released on New Year's Eve. The incredible camerawork was achieved with the "freecam adjustment mod", developed by pixelsplit.
As Veenstra explains on his website:
The project was almost two years in the making. Our fruitful collaboration started in late february 2020 with a simple proposition, and evolved into a fully fledged script and amazing looking endproduct. The recording process was finally started in early spring of 2021 on five different computers; out of which 2 windows computers and 3 macs. Can you tell the difference between the footage? Experience was originally coined as an idea a few years ago in 2016 when I decided I wanted to make a visual study of a real life fairground, and place additional focus on the lights, atmosphere, people, people flow, and the rides themselves. Inspiration was also found in a documentary idea I had carried with me with as long since 2010, during which I was researching the possibilities to make a full-length documentary of the local fair in the village I once lived in. Also, ever since I played VR3 since its release in 2017, I wanted to do something with a film inside of this magical environment.
Jordy Veenstra is a video editor, motion graphics designer, 2D animator, and experimental filmmaker based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In his practice, Veenstra connects art and narrative with technology and software through the medium of experimental film. His work examines often overlooked social and artistic concerns. His groundbreaking Depthmap was featured in the The Weird, The Eerie, and The Unreal program of the 2020 MILAN MACHINIMA FESTIVAL.
LINK: Jordy Veenstra
