BEASTLY Theater
User Generated Online Video Content Creation
Utilizing gameplay footage from the in-game Theater Mode of Activision's record-breaking "Call Of Duty Black Ops 2," and "Modern Warfare 3," BEASTLY Theater created content for a worldwide audience that garnered global praise and subscriptions from top-ranked professional gamers. It even won over the community managers at Infinity Ward and Bungie, the studios behind Call of Duty and Halo. Unlike other "Machinima," it pioneered the trend for incorporating conceptual thinking and visual storytelling into the Theater Mode platform, which was originally developed for users simply to share gameplay clips on social media.
Channel title card: the BEASTLY Theater stencil logo on bullet-cracked black glass, with Activision, Treyarch and Infinity Ward marks.
Channel homes: the BEASTLY Theater YouTube channel and Twitter profile, both wearing the bullet-cracked brand.
Employing multiplayer gameplay footage that was directed, edited and synced to score using the Call Of Duty Black Ops 2's in-game Theater Mode, "FR33DOM FIGHT3RS" engages the audience while exploring the geopolitical dichotomy surrounding the term "freedom" and the cyclical nature of its cost.
At the time of the original upload, viewers were encouraged to join BEASTLY Theater in donating to the "Wounded Warrior Project" & "Operation Second Chance."
While "frag clips" are a dime a dozen, "Tools" plays off every facet of its definition by bringing a greater level of cleverness to what is often an uninspired, first-person medium utilized to promote skills and embarrass opponents. In addition to employing specific environments, signage, and multiplayer gameplay footage that was directed, edited and synced to score, "Tools" showcases an inventive use of the Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Theater Mode and its respective camera dolly system.
Employing inventive dollying techniques in addition to multiplayer gameplay footage that was directed, edited and synced to score, "MERKED" flipped the script on the typical, unimaginative "frag movie" to create a visually engaging story of revenge; pushing the original intent of Theater Mode from simply sharing "trophy moments" to something more grandiose.
BEASTLY Theater was an early creator channel by Husani Barnwell that treated a game’s share tool like a film set. Directing, editing and scoring Call of Duty Theater Mode footage into conceptual shorts, the channel earned praise and subscriptions from top-ranked professional gamers, and even won over the community managers at Infinity Ward and Bungie (the studios behind Call of Duty and Halo), while pioneering visual storytelling on a platform built for sharing clips. Creator-economy instincts, exercised years early.