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

by Xav de Matos on Mar 20th 2009 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]

Source

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

Reader Comments (58)

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

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

Yeah, it almost seems like Gordon Freeman.

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?

Just watched it, very cool.

That was AWESOME!!!

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

That was awesome, I want a Computer Brain Interface!

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!

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?

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

We'll just agree to disagree then. ;)

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

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

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!

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

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?

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.

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

Tim Smit is a palindrome.

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

That was intense

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Amazing! I wish my videos were this cool.

We already know what's in the box.

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

100% expected that to be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwbxEfy7fg

I expected it to be this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFWkPVHKwCY

I expected this to be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRJcxMe1zWY

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."

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

Why do you hate the world?

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.

Back in my day...

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

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).

As far as the explosion is concerned, isn't it the same structure as seen at the beginning (around 0:23)? Because that's definitely not a building.

very bad ass

Well sir that was quite amazing. Felt more realistic than the other fan HL video.

I'd love to see a HL film like this. Cloverfield but done right, and not set completely at night...

Cloverfield wasn't bad. But it wasn't omg amazing either. It's way better if you saw it in the movie theaters though.

Fo sho. I tried the DVD on my little 32" HDTV but it wasn't the same. Wonder if the bluray on my 56" would replicate the initial experience enough.

Oh also: Lol. Soulcube.

Interesting thread dissecting the viral elements here: http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27633

I'm pretty sure this is a viral for something.
We still don't know what for, still I'm sticking with my original guess.
I'm sure it has been confirmed in other sites like gamespot that this is a viral.
Not just for hl2 though.

There is some type of riddle or hint in the comment of the source code for the main page. What could it mean?

"
"

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

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