Saved Films

"Every game you play, you're gonna be having a Saved Film, that you can stop time, shift camera angles, rewatch it."

- Luke Timmins

Saved Films is a new feature that will be implemented in Halo 3 that will allow players to save and watch their Matchmaking, Custom Games, and their Campaign runs as video which can then be viewed frame-by-frame from any camera angle and shared over Xbox Live.

Background
In the Post-game Carnage Report of each session, there will be an option to save the film for the match, after which the film cannot be saved. Players will be able to save up to 100 of these films in combination with Custom Games variants and screenshots, and there will be an option to upload up to 25 MB worth of Saved Films on a single Live account that anyone can view. Bungie has announced that this can be expanded by paying a yearly fee to 250 MB worth of Films per account.

Bungie.net is scheduled to undergo a change in September that will launch around Halo 3's release. Saved Films can be uploaded to a player's Bungie.net account that can exceed the 100 Film Maximum. Users will also be able to view other players' Films from the site and can flag a video to download the next time they start Halo 3 on their console.

Features
"It's really gonna help people improve their play if they can see it from the enemy's perspective. You'll be able to watch where they go, what weapons they pick up, in what order."

- Jaime Griesemer

Saved Films can be watched from a specific menu in the game and, as of the Multiplayer Beta, can only be viewed with one person in the Lobby. The camera is not limited to a first person perspective, and can be moved to any angle, anywhere on the map. This has been stated by Bungie to allow a player to better learn enemy movement and tactics, and also to improve the player's skills by allowing them to address their faults by watching themselves play.

FAQ
How do I take a Screenshot?

Screenshots are a great feature in Saved Films. To take a screenshot, press “X” to pull up the on-screen control menu. Use the D-pad to tab to the Screenshot button (a small camera icon) and press “A” to take a shot when you have your camera angle just the way you like it. The shot is anti-aliased, the resolution increases and it is saved automatically to your HDD. Screenshots you take can be viewed at www.bungie.net if you have linked your Gamertag and are a paid Live Gold member. You can see the screenshots of other players in their File Share, by searching for their linked Gamertag on www.bungie.net or by selecting them from your Friends list while playing Halo 3.

How do I keep a Film I like?

If you think you’d like to keep a Saved Film, access it from your recent Saved Films stack in the Theater Lobby. Select the film you’d like to keep and press X. It is instantly Saved and will not simply vanish when you cycle through your film limit (which is either 25 films, or about 400MB worth, whichever comes first). To rename a film, go to the Theater Lobby, choose the type of film it is (Campaign, Multiplayer etc) and select it from the list. You should now be able to press X to edit the name and description.

How do I get my Saved Films onto YouTube and the like?

The simplest method would be to use a video capture card and appropriate software to turn the Saved Film into video data. At this time there is no software capable of doing this without video capture hardware. Machinima makers and amateur videographers already know lots of tricks and methods for doing this.

How do I share my Films with friends?

You can recommend your Saved Films to anyone on your Friends list. Simply select them from the Guide while Halo 3 is running on your 360. You will now have the option to recommend a file to them, or see their publicly facing files in their File Share. If they decide to watch your Saved Film, a “bookmark” will take them to the film, where they can choose to download to their 360 immediately. If you receive a Saved Film, you can control it just like you made it yourself – however, a Clip will pay back with the camera moves used during the recording of the clip. It is still possible to detach the camera with the “Y” button, however and watch from your chosen angle.

Films may also be watched over Live in a party, with up to 4 friends watching simultaneously – however, because of the enormous amount of data and bandwidth required, this feature is best enjoyed with very fast connections – otherwise it is possible that the Films could simply run out of bandwidth, gently depositing you back in the Theater lobby. The Host of a Saved Film watched in network viewing mode is the only one who can control “time” (pausing, FFWD etc) but other viewers may control their own camera movements throughout

Why can’t I go backwards in a Campaign Saved Film?

Because Campaign mode loads in a linear fashion – to skip back, you’d have to reload a previously played area. Which would take ages, suck and ruin the experience of watching the film in the first place. It also has to do with multiple checkpoints and the pseudo-determinism used in Combat Dialog, but we won’t frighten or bore you with that. In Multiplayer, the entire map is in memory, hence the ability to go back as well as forward.

Why can’t I make a clip in Campaign Saved Films?

The honest truth is that the feature did not function perfectly, and we didn’t want to ship something clunky. The fact that clips are infinitely more useful in Multiplayer anyway, made that decision much, much easier.

Where can I find cool Saved Films?

The Bungie community is going to create some epic films and clips. Browse the File Shares of your friends (and strangers) at www.bungie.net – read the comments and rankings of these films, and select ones you’re interested in. If you flag such a film, it will be downloaded to your 360 next time you log into Xbox Live in Halo 3.

What kind of films can I make?

The sky’s the limit. Machinima, art, drama, comedy, tutorials, guides. Go nuts!

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