Valve has released the Source Filmmaker tool to a select few people as part of a closed beta and is inviting interested people to sign up for an invite. The tool is used by Valve to put together a range of animated films, including the Meet The Team series. If you have never seen the fruits of the labour, Valve has also released the Meet the Pyro short film, which shows that he is insane.



Source Filmmaker allows users to capture motion, insert clip motion or animate characters from scratch. There's also a facial animation system that allows for "feature-film quality lip-sync". Valve has released a video to introduce the tool and showcase its potential. Valve designer Bay Raitt talks about the tool and its origins. Source Filmmaker has been used as part of marketing campaigns and as a technology test in a variety of games. The video also shows how some of the tools operate and how they can be used.

The release will include the workings of the Meet The Heavies trailer, which will allow users to take a look at Valve’s work and reverse engineer the various processes. Find out more on the Source Filmmaker site and sign up for a beta invite.