New live action Halo 3 video amazes [update]

by Dustin Burg { Sep 24th 2007 at 12:30PM }

Update 1: Found the video on YouTube, check it out after the break.

Just when you thought you couldn't handle anymore Halo 3 media we found a brand new live action Neill Blomkamp Halo 3 short available exclusively over at Discovery.com.

This new short is a follow up to the Arms Race video released during E3 and is either the second or third in the video short series seeing that some of the footage looks to be from the second leaked video. Anyway, the new nameless short clocks in at a few minutes in length and features an intense battle between a squad of UNSC marines and Covenant forces (including a few Brutes with some nasty Spikers) while they desperately await Master Chief's help. Seriously, seeing a Brute beat a marine to a bloody pulp with a gravity hammer is crazy cool in a twisted kind of way. And also be sure to watch until the end, because you'll see a Brute get exploded by a rocket launcher which, in our book, is worth the price of admission. Kaboom, kaboom and happy viewing.

[Thanks, muffin man]

Tags: bungie, bungie-studios, halo3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

RoboChocobo @ Sep 24th 2007 12:38PM

It's an excellent video, it explains how Halo 3 starts, and it's very graphic.

And you guys gave the first 2 a hard time. D:

icekhold @ Sep 24th 2007 12:36PM

Blarg, off by only an hour or two.

See how big those spikes are? It's flippen crazy.

erivera3 @ Sep 24th 2007 12:38PM

Wow, this movie will be so frickin glorious.

DjDATZ @ Sep 24th 2007 12:44PM

WOW. THIS. IS. AMAZING.

Props to Bungie for being the greatest developer out there.

kabes @ Sep 24th 2007 12:54PM

Please tell me this will be available on Live in 720p...it would be a crime against humanity if it wasn't.

Dfunny @ Sep 25th 2007 5:34AM

Loved it we need a halo movie directed by that bloke

Alex W @ Sep 24th 2007 3:43PM

It seems to be that Discovery Channel Has picked up the Halo production rights... If the Movie was Truly Canned by Hollywood, then we may get to see some stuff from Discovery as specials.

Video gets mad props though. I love the live action AD campaign

TORO @ Sep 24th 2007 12:59PM

Bungie kicks ass!

Hey X3F, do you have an average of how long campaign takes to complete on Heroic? My goal is to finish the fight before I leave on vacation (as many of you know).

Anticrawl @ Sep 24th 2007 1:02PM

That was amazing, I can't wait for the movie.

mike @ Sep 24th 2007 1:13PM

deffenitly better then the first 2, but this doesnt quite cut it for a film if they were to make one.

If they did a film, They would need to change a few things. They really should shoot this in Film, instead of high frames per second handycam like they are. It would look way more epic like halo is then like a student film.

The also would need a bigger budget to create a better set. Thier location still looks like a paintball feild. They need actual roads and buildings in ruins scatered about, not a wall in some dirt with grabage everywhere.

They need to get some halo music in there. They only had sound effect and talking then at the end some music thats not really halo.

I still think it looks good, but no way would I want a movies unless it was shot in film and had better scenery. Fright now, watching the halo 3 announc trailer (the cgi one with the buble shield) looke infinetly more enjoyable to see as a film in theaters.

haukke @ Sep 24th 2007 1:18PM

thats was very cool.....a live action movie needs to be done

Ben @ Sep 24th 2007 1:41PM

Man, they really need to make a Halo movie just like this. Does anyone know who did the CG?

@ TORO: I heard that a good Halo player could finish the campaign on Heroic in about 10-13 hours.

TORO @ Sep 24th 2007 1:21PM

I agree with you Mike, although these are very cool it I wouldn't want something like this as a Halo "movie". Just look at the monument, even that looks more epic and on a way bigger scale, instead of just 3-4 marines and a couple of brutes popping out.

XFactoR8 @ Sep 24th 2007 1:24PM

Holy crap, that was awesome.

Token White Guy @ Sep 24th 2007 1:27PM

It's not for the movie. There are 5 Live shorts just repping Halo 3.

Chris @ Sep 24th 2007 1:27PM

Why was that Marine shooting the BR like an AR?

Eric @ Sep 24th 2007 1:28PM

nit picking bastards..... this is an amazing video. Always have something negative to say.... you DOLTS!

RoboChocobo @ Sep 24th 2007 1:30PM

Uh...they had Halo music in there. You had music from the Halo 2 soundtrack at the start, and a remix of Under Cover from the Halo 1 soundtrack. And don't forget the freaky violin in the middle from the Cairo Station cutscene.

Besides, the focus was on Realism, and portraying a battle near a UNSC Bunker, within the confines of a limited Budget. To use buildings in this setting, you'd have to construct buildings by hand, or find ones to be demolished. In this case they'd have to find ones far away from anything to promote the remoteness, and film the Warthog drive. They also have to do all this in New Zealand, where the WETA workshop is. Now factor in the safety permits, union work, and whatnot if they go with a building, and you see the problem.

You clearly don't know how much money and effort goes into film making, or the logistics

lunarlasso @ Sep 24th 2007 1:29PM

i haven't been jaw dropping, awe-inspiringly mistified in a long time. (sitting in the movie theater watching the matrix world unfold,was the only other time). i don't even know anything about the halo universe..my son, wife, and i use to play halo ce multi all the time, and i was going to definately buy 3...but i have to give microsoft it's props for this marketing campaign...from the believe commercials, the mountain dew campaign (don't care for the drink), to this awesome, awesome, awesome discovery clip (im tivo-ing it and probable going to take the day off to make sure nothing happens from letting me see this thing). they have hyped this thing up so much i have to play the campaign of 1 and 2...and maybe pick up the novel...this is truly, "inconceivable!"

WTangoFoxtrot @ Sep 24th 2007 1:32PM

amazing !!

SuiXide @ Sep 24th 2007 1:33PM

@Chris

Because I'm sure in the Halo UNIVERSE it's switchable to full-auto. For ideal GAMEPLAY however, it makes more sense to keep it at 3-shot with the AR, SMG, Spiker, and Plasma Rifles all taking up the full-auto positions.

Wii360DSpc @ Sep 24th 2007 1:36PM

These shorts serve two purposes.

1) Fuel the Halo 3 release hype machine.
2) Demonstrate to the studios that a Halo movie could be a viable concept.

Starship troopers was sold on a technical proof-of-concept short. As with other sci-fi films, we're seeing the same kind of thing here.

absolute_nonsense @ Sep 24th 2007 1:36PM

@mike,

While your point is understood, it makes you sound like a bitch.

For one this isn't for the movie, it's meant as promotion for the game. I'm fairly confident that they know they can't release a motion picutre without all the bells and whistles. Thankyou captain obvious.

Secondly I don't see anything wrong with the set, seeing as how it's an intergalactic war that has been waged for 30+ years, i'm pretty sure there are places whithin the Halo universe to find that match such a scene. Especially considering how the Covenant usually glass a planet from orbit once they know humans inhabit it.

Stop making stupid complaints, that was an awesome video and better well done than most big budget Hollywood game adaptations.

sheesh

mattclarkie @ Sep 24th 2007 1:40PM

They so better make the film, and whoever is in charge of these should be attached to it in some way, the last 2 have been fantastic considering the budget can't be that high for 2 minute promotional videos.

Fontez @ Sep 24th 2007 1:42PM

Mike... you're right and you're wrong...

This short film is just a test screening and a small fraction of what the movie will be...

Fox and Universal said they didn't see a future for a Halo film franchise...

These short films are basically Neil Blomkamp, Peter Jackson, Weta special effects, and Bungie saying... Watch this and go fuck yourself... And when you're done give us our damn money so we can get on with this and make the movie...

The short films are amazing... Why would you want Halo to look like EVERY other epic sci-fi film? That's retarted... This kind of filming is grittier, darker, and a lot more human than all the other action and sci-fi films I've seen...

You said it looks like a paint ball field? They've been at war for YEARS !!

EVERY SINGLE WAR TORN AREA HAS BEEN REDUCED TO LOOKING LIKE A PAINTBALL FIELD !!

and besides... This is on Harvest... not earth... so a big set with buildings and lots of other structures wouldn't make sense...

And the quality of the images? I love them... it adds to the grit and how primitive it is... this Director is a genius when it comes to incorporating his audience and their emotions into the film... he makes you a part of every situation...

Lastly... I'm not attacking you but I completely disagree... This quality would pass for a film... not every epic sci-fi film has to have gigantic back drops and 5 million color spectrums with the most expensive cameras...

The movie is obviously going to be higher quality then this but everything about these short films is DEAD ON and accurate in terms of the overall feeling of the books, the games and the believe promos...

I don't see one flaw in these short films, Neil Blomkamp is going to film a movie with a style that no one has ever seen before and he's going to shock the world when he does...

That film will be Halo... And if it's not he'll still manage to shock and amaze no matter what film it is... Trust me...

That's my rant for the day...

Halo Fan 9252007 @ Sep 24th 2007 1:55PM

Watch the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DospwAYbcS8

Homer 918 @ Sep 24th 2007 2:00PM

Thank you Halo Fan 9252007 I don't know about you guys but I let the video buffer the whole way and it was still bugging out every two seconds.

Anthony @ Sep 24th 2007 3:23PM

Holy Crap! Did you see those spikes? I hope this will find it's way onto Marketplace. I'm still waiting for Combat Part 1. I'm guessing this is part 2. I need a feature length film now!!!

DemonG @ Sep 24th 2007 2:22PM

Holeee Shit.

That Brute gets owned.

sp00ks102 @ Sep 24th 2007 2:24PM

I think the grittiness is dead on, I think that if they would do a live action movie, this is how it should be shot. The action looks like it would if coming from a helmet cam, or surveillance satellites or something. Makes it feel authentic. I think all of these shorts have been incredible and they deserve a lot more credit for them.

Arm @ Sep 24th 2007 2:33PM

I can't stop smiling at the potential for a movie.

ericdrum @ Sep 24th 2007 2:53PM

I've been showing this video around the office and after seeing this, I have sold 2 of my PC gamer comrades on 360s. Now I need to take care of my horrible cough that's coming on. I'm going to tough it out today, but I hope I can make it to work tomorrow. *cough* *cough*

erivera3 @ Sep 24th 2007 3:02PM

This video makes my tummy feel all warm and tingly for a Halo movie; I think that's called love.

Eddy @ Sep 24th 2007 3:30PM

Fontez i noticed you said this was in Harvest. This can't be true becasue the Chief and the rest of the UNSC marines first made contact with Brutes in "First Strike" on the Covenant space station Unyielding Hierophant. So Im positive this is Earth.

If that doesnt settle you, remember when a covenant force glasses a planet IT DOESNT LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND.

ThorzHamer @ Sep 24th 2007 3:52PM

OK now that was just nerd-tastic!

Amazingly juicy!

bigmac375 @ Sep 24th 2007 3:52PM

i just shit and came at the same time... i need to go clean up

Fontez @ Sep 24th 2007 4:18PM

Eddy you're right I apologize...

But this isn't earth... The date on one of the marines HUD's in the first combat video reads the date 09-12-2534

So it can't be earth either... Unless Neil Blomkamp is going by his own story and not the books...

Either way it's still wicked... I would prefer him to go by the books however... They're just tooo good...