Parody / Satire / Comedy. One of the most ubiquitous forms of machnima, with comedic value often derived from recognisable characters and scenarios from the games themselves and therefore targeted towards a gamer audience. Not all films require in-depth knowledge of the games (e.g. Male Restroom Etiquette) and the use of voice over, often impersonating celebrity voices is common in this genre (e.g. Obama plays GTA5). YouTube is the primary means of distribution, with collections of series and regular shows featured on machinima.com .
Game specific / fanfilms. Machinima made and watched by enthusiasts of specific titles. Films are made using assets from given title, either documenting game-play or journeys within the virtual world (e.g. Leeroy Jenkins, Red vs Blue). Distribution may be in-game (e.g. Playstation network / Xbox Gold upload/download of ‘save games’), through YouTube or dedicated web-sites showing regular series. (e.g. Minecraft TV channel, WoW movies)
Documentary. The documentary format relies on the selection and editing of footage captured from games and/or virtual worlds (e.g. Douglas Gayton's - Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator). Parallels can be directly drawn with TV/film documentary and editing, with a strong emphasis on the editing, narrative and direction of the film.
History of Virtual Worlds / Reportage. Machinima which can be regarded as an equivalent to un-edited live broadcasts, capturing exact events which took place in game or virtual worlds. Such films are are as historical documents and playback will give an exact reconstruction of the original game play (e.g. NoSkill memorial) . For films made using the perfect capture method, identical hardware / software must be used for both capture and playback.
Education. The use of machinima by educators, as a tool for learning. Machinima of this type may be seen used in formal / in-formal educational scenarios (e.g. making tutorials / video lessons ). As virtual worlds are also used as learning spaces (e.g. virtual classrooms or lecture theatres), footage of such meetings can be presented as machinima.
Re-construction. The use of machinima to reconstruct actual events, within the confines of the game / virtual worlds (e.g. 1986 Mets vs RedSox) .
Music Video. Machinima used to make alternative music videos for given tracks, often by enthusiasts of the band or artist in question. Sophisticated examples (e.g. 30 Seconds to Mars - From Yesterday) of machinima music video (as opposed to game sequences put to music), demonstrate comparable levels of detail in the direction, interpretation of lyrics, synchronisation to music, etc. Machinima presents an opportunity for independent or unsigned artists working, to produce music video, where lack of budget and/or resource has previously prevented them to do so.
Previsualisation. Machinima’s use in mainstream filmaking - the use of game engines (e.g. Unreal Engine 4) to prototype and pre visualise scenes, prior to casting, set-building, etc. A means to experiment with camera angles, lighting, staging and placement of actors - prior to working on set. (Nitsche, 2009)
Experimental/Abstract. Diverse, fine-art based machinima, unrestricted by theme or genre. Machinima made using any (or a mix of any) of the methods of production. Pieces are curated on-line and also in galleries and cinemas. Various examples can be viewed at Vimeo group here.