Dutch filmmakers whet our Half-Life 2 appetite with superb short

by Xav de Matos { Mar 20th 2009 at 12:30AM }

A group of Dutch filmmakers is setting the internet ablaze with a nine-minute video titled What's In the Box? When it was first discovered online, many believed the video was a viral marketing ad for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 because of the use of Half-Life 2 sound clips and imagery -- like the Combine soldier chatter and the large, Citadel looking structure in the video. However, the video also includes other popular references, such as the music from Lost and the initial isolation found in 28 Days Later.

Two of the people involved, Tim Smit and Steven Roeters, recently won a film competition landing them a meet-and-greet with Discovery Channel's Mythbusters. In an article from their college campus paper following the competition, the pair mentioned they were hard at work on a film titled What's In the Box? So, unless they forgot to mention Valve contracted them for a viral marketing ad, this one remains labeled as an homage of sorts.

The official site for the short film seems to indicate the story isn't finished yet, and we honestly cannot wait to see what happens next. Watch the incredible short after the break.

[Thanks, enfo]

Tags: arg, homage, short-film, steven-roeters, tim-smit, whats-in-the-box

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Comtar @ Mar 20th 2009 12:37AM

It's an awesome video, even with the missing audio from the main character. I almost want it to stay as is.

~Snipes~ (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Mar 20th 2009 12:56AM

it almost seems like the main character was meant to be silent.

StarFoxA @ Mar 20th 2009 1:13AM

Yeah, it almost seems like Gordon Freeman.

MOT @ Mar 20th 2009 2:47AM

But I don't think it's Gordon Freeman. The Citadel exploding happened at the end of Half Life 2: Episode 1 and Gordon was on a train on the way out. That has to be from the perspective of another person. But who? And now that he is (presumably) dead, who is the next one going to be about?

Crusty Magic @ Mar 20th 2009 12:37AM

Just watched it, very cool.

gamepete64 @ Mar 20th 2009 12:42AM

That was AWESOME!!!

dangcucu @ Mar 20th 2009 1:06AM

wow; think i am gonna have a nightmare tonight. good stuff

K4Lic0 @ Mar 20th 2009 1:09AM

That was awesome, I want a Computer Brain Interface!

Obie @ Mar 20th 2009 1:09AM

That was one superb piece of work. In even better than that Escape from City 17 film a few weeks back. Gotta love the Valve community!

Ihavepants @ Mar 20th 2009 1:37AM

No it wasn't.

I personally think it would have been better if it was just trying to be a good short film, basing it around Half Life weakened it because they didn't really pull that side of it off well apart from using some of the games sound effects... did you see their attempt at the Combine?

Ihavepants @ Mar 20th 2009 1:38AM

Read above knowing that I thought it was well made film making wise, but didn't pull off the Half Life universe well.

Obie @ Mar 20th 2009 9:26AM

We'll just agree to disagree then. ;)

Dubpal @ Mar 20th 2009 1:19AM

It's not official, nor viral marketing for Ep 3:

http://au.gamespy.com/articles/964/964493p1.html

yavarbombos @ Mar 20th 2009 1:25AM

excellent pacing, and a sublime piece of 'demo' cinematography.

dugg the half life feel, especially the ever silent gordon freeman,

really hope there's a part 2 too!

Dustin Foster @ Mar 20th 2009 1:48AM

http://www.whatsinthebox.nl/anti.jpg

schema @ Mar 20th 2009 10:42AM

Text in the background of this image is from a paper entitled "A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films" by O'Regan & Grätzel and published on nature.com, although the numbers in red are different from the paper..

Viral marketing for a solar cell?

aaronwilkinson @ Mar 20th 2009 7:21PM

Marketing for a cell phone with solar cells embedded? Combine the text from the pic and the countless dead phones he finds and it makes sense. I'm intrigued.

nips @ Mar 20th 2009 2:02AM

There's a Black Mesa reference in the news ticker at the bottom.

Brian @ Mar 20th 2009 2:34AM

Tim Smit is a palindrome.

jcd @ Mar 20th 2009 2:51AM

this is viral marketing for something tho. I wonder what? maybe the box is some sort of DVR or speaker system or someting :P

syrik zero @ Mar 20th 2009 3:43AM

That was intense

jay @ Mar 20th 2009 4:09AM

That was GREAT! If they ever made a Half Life move this is the ONLY way it would work.

madatoman @ Mar 20th 2009 10:03AM

A movie entirely in first person would be really dumb. Then it would just be a game that you can't play.

Ridgecity @ Mar 20th 2009 4:09AM

As a filmmaker, I'm glad they don't get sued for using so much copyrighted stuff on their movies.

syrik zero @ Mar 20th 2009 4:35AM

Why did you have to add "As a filmmaker"? Can't you just be glad as a person?

dynnnbag @ Mar 20th 2009 4:48AM

That was good stuff.

I'd love to have a go at this stuff but can't find a decent camera tracking software. I wonder what these guys used.

Ebichu @ Mar 20th 2009 5:22AM

I think I like the Half Life short by the Purchase Brothers better. Still A+ for effort though

madatoman @ Mar 20th 2009 10:00AM

Yeah that one was definitely better. This one is kinda incredibly boring and pointlessly long.

JoeTheBlow @ Mar 20th 2009 5:30AM

That was far better than i expected, fuck awesome special effects.
Wish i could pull off shit like that.

thev01 @ Mar 20th 2009 8:16AM

I'm betting this is just a viral for new cellphones models.
The first few minutes where he's looking for a phone kind of clued me in on this one.
The director is just using half-life 2 as an inspiration of sort.
Why else would the soldier be using different uniforms and helicopters in this short.
Still pretty cool if a bit misleading for HL2 fans.

acefondu @ Mar 20th 2009 8:38AM

Well done! Bravo! I'd pay to see that in theaters.

WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Mar 20th 2009 9:06AM

Amazing! I wish my videos were this cool.

madatoman @ Mar 20th 2009 9:58AM

Good effects. But the short film is not "incredible." It's actually quite boring. And if you can watch the whole thing, you're quite boring. OMG Grafix! Effects! No doubt it's quite a feat graphically but it is not an "incredible short" and I couldn't care less what "happens next."

Peter Szijarto @ Mar 20th 2009 10:23AM

wow that was fucking amazing. to madatoman, you obviously have no clue what makes a good film. and remember the character audio track is missing. it takes a lot of work to create something like that.

the sets, lighting, shots, etc etc were all well above par

Xav de Matos @ Mar 20th 2009 1:09PM

Why do you hate the world?

Archon @ Mar 20th 2009 10:25AM

After reading some of your comments...
STFU. The 'YouTube' generation is spoiled and ungrateful. I HATE IT how annoying and offensive some people are nowadays just because "they've seen it all" and can't move their fat arses just to appreciate something new.

Those guys do some amazing work with (probably) little to no budget. Even if it's viral it is still quite awesome.

It's ok to not like it but moaning just because it is not your style or something? Grow up and get a life, people.

Ihavepants @ Mar 20th 2009 10:38AM

Back in my day...

Calm down my good fellow, the only person truly offensive so far in these comments is you.

schema @ Mar 20th 2009 10:45AM

Have to agree with pants. While this is very impressive as a tech demo and a film-making exercise, it's fairly lackluster as a short film.

If it was genuinely made by a few guys on a shoestring budget and isn't a viral for something then the effects are spectacular. I have a hunch it's viral though, has an air of forced mystery about it (see website).