Burnie Burns

Who is Burnie Burns?

Michael "Burnie" Burns is an American independent filmmaker living in Austin, Texas. He is best known for his contributions in Machinima, a form of film-making that uses video game technology in its production, although he has also worked with animation and live action. In April 2003, Burns, along with several friends and co-workers, created the Internet machinima series Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles. Filmed using the video games Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4, Red vs. Blue was acclaimed for its humor and originality, making Burns an Internet celebrity. His success allowed him to co-found the production company Rooster Teeth. After the immediate popularity of Red vs Blue, Burns attracted the attention of video game company Electronic Arts, who asked him to create a promotional series using their upcoming game, The Sims 2. The result was The Strangerhood. Burns also premiered P.A.N.I.C.S., a mini-series that utilizes the F.E.A.R. game engine. As one of the innovators in the field of machinima, he has made guest appearances at the Penny Arcade Expo, San Diego Comic-Con International, Sundance and The Sydney Film Festival. For his work on Immersion, a live action series that tests video game tropes in the real world, he has been nominated for an IAWTV award in the "Best Hosted Taped Web Series" category.