Technician

I could spend pages and pages expressing how beautifully dark and innovative the cinematography and visual effects in this video are, how it complimented the soundtrack emotionally, and how the video's creativity felt unified because of the continuity of the post apocalyptic theme from start to finish. I could write about Frenetic Array's phenomenal gameplay that lived up to their high expectations after placing 17th at the last MLG event. I could even rant about how too many Halo videos stick to generic rock, and that this video was a breath of fresh air in that regard.

But truth be told, I think what's even more worthy of discussion isn't the video's content itself, but how this video serves as a historic moment for Halo video making. This is a flavor that I thought would never be tasted internally within the console video making community, and in that sense this video defines itself as a landmark for an entirely new genre of Halo videos, complete with an artistic standard second to none.

Not that this video is perfect or anything. No video is. At times, some of the cuts detracted from the footage, and the intro's text animations resembled Michael Bay's latest fail a little bit too much. And despite the soundtrack being a breath of fresh air, I almost think it was too much oxygen to take in at once. The epic orchestra scores were stunning, but too much of a good thing makes the climax have less of a punch.
But these gripes are overshadowed immensely by the overall captivating experience that this video delivers on a unique level. Mattisson didn't give us a Halo 3 montage, he gave us HIS montage. The world he created belongs more to his imagination than it does to the creators of the game. If there's one should take away from this release as a video maker, it's motivation to explore new territory in Halo 3, and to never let lack of convenience get in the way of your passionate dreams, because your efforts will be justified at the end of the day.

This is my favorite Halo 3 video to date, and I am glad the bar was raised right as Halo Reach nears release.