Minecraft:Villager News

Template:Italic title Template:Scope Template:Infobox video Villager News is a comedy web series created, produced, and published by Minecraft:Element Animation, an independent animation company best known for their numerous Minecraft:Minecraft parodies including Villager News. The series started on April 26, 2013, when the first installment was uploaded to Element's official Template:W channel. The first video alone has amassed over 33 million views since its initial upload,<ref name=":First">Villager News (Minecraft Animation). YouTube. Retrieved October 2, 2024.</ref> and the full series has over 200 million views in total. Every Villager News episode can be watched on their official website.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

The series has been included in officially-licensed Minecraft media multiple times, mainly for live streams and promotional purposes.

Synopsis

The series typically follows a cast of Minecraft:villagers who operate a live news station known as "Villager News". Every episode begins with Villager No. 4 (Minecraft:Villager No. 5 following his death in the episode Template:Ytl) announcing breaking news before Minecraft:Villager No. 9 presents the live-recorded footage<ref group="note">The footage is not actually recorded live, only being so in-universe.</ref> that sets up the main plot of the episode.

The villager characters were originally introduced in the Element Animation series "An Egg's Guide to Minecraft". Voiced by Dan Lloyd, the villagers are portrayed as air-headed and naïve, often falling for enemy attacks and resorting to barbaric resolutions such as the "Pit of Death", a running gag in which a villager is tossed into a 2-block-tall hole and is unable to escape, or making vehicles out of themselves.

Some episodes revolve around other kinds of plots, such as Template:Ytl, in which several Minecraft:mobs massively increase in size because of a lake contaminated with a growth Minecraft:potion made by a Minecraft:witch.

Collaborations with Mojang

During 2014, an extensive April Fools joke was done in collaboration with Villager News<ref>Template:Citation</ref> for Minecraft:Java Edition. All Minecraft:player Minecraft:skins were replaced with unique ones of random villagers, including the then-unused green villager, while the villager mob's sound effects were replaced with Element Animation's "T.E.A.V.S.R.P" (The Element Animation Villager Sounds Resource Pack). Mojang Studios also added in-game villager music, including a parody of the Game of Thrones theme, a reference to it being previously spoofed in the trailer for the resource pack.<ref>Template:YouTube link</ref> The next day, on April 2, the changes were reverted, bookended with a Villager News episode "apologizing" for the incident.

Due to the series' widespread popularity, Minecraft:Mojang Studios has commissioned Villager News animations for promotional purposes on several occasions. The first is the video Minecraft:VILLAGER (and Pillager?) NEWS, which was produced to promote the release of the Minecraft:Village & Pillage update and was played as part of Minecraft:MINECON Live 2019. The video revolved around an outcry over a villager not wanting to download the new update, despite him clearly saying that he does want to. This is followed by an advertisement-style montage of the update's new additions, including a small tease for Minecraft:raids.

Element and Mojang's next collaboration would be Template:Ytl, an episode involving a group of villagers lead by Villager No. 5 going into a Minecraft:pale garden to search for a sighted "monster". The video is played in two separate segments as part of Minecraft:Minecraft Live 2024 to promote the addition of the Minecraft:creaking.<ref>Minecraft Live 2024. YouTube. Retrieved October 2, 2024.</ref> Following the release of the video, several more short videos would be released to promote the introduction of the pale garden.

Trivia

• Although not officially related to the series, Element Animation would also create a video opening for Minecraft:MINECON 2015, using the same art style and tone as a Villager News episode.<ref>Template:YouTube link</ref>
• The episodes produced in collaboration with Mojang use a slightly different art style from the regular series. Most noticeably, in regular Villager News videos the characters express with curved, elastic features, such as bending monobrows, whereas the crossovers are perfectly square to be in line with typical animations.
• In a promotion for Minecraft Dungeons 4xLP, Minecraft writer Minecraft:Per Landin made an offhand remark praising an episode of Villager News, unrelated to the release or Mojang Studios.<ref>Template:Mcnet</ref><ref>Template:YouTube link</ref>

Gallery

• Villager No. 5 in VILLAGER NEWS: BREAKING NEWS! 🎵🎵🎵Minecraft Animated Music Video🎵🎵🎵
  Villager No. 5 in VILLAGER NEWS: BREAKING NEWS! 🎵🎵🎵Minecraft Animated Music Video🎵🎵🎵
• Render of Villager No. 5 used to tease his appearance in Minecraft Live 2024
  Render of Villager No. 5 used to tease his appearance in Minecraft Live 2024
• Banner used for an interview with Dan Lloyd<ref name=":Interview">Template:Mcnet</ref>
  Banner used for an interview with Dan Lloyd<ref name=":Interview">Template:Mcnet</ref>
• A villager helicopter, from the original Villager News video<ref name=":First" />
  A villager helicopter, from the original Villager News video<ref name=":First" />
• A villager in a parody of the "This Is Fine" meme<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=":Giant">Template:YouTube link</ref>
  A villager in a parody of the "This Is Fine" meme<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=":Giant">Template:YouTube link</ref>
• Testificate Man, a frequent character in the series
  Testificate Man, a frequent character in the series
• A scene from The Giant Problem, and Dan Lloyd's personal favorite scene in the series<ref name=":Giant" /><ref name=":Interview" />
  A scene from The Giant Problem, and Dan Lloyd's personal favorite scene in the series<ref name=":Giant" /><ref name=":Interview" />
• "Oh no, this story is about to end! Quick, panic!"
  "Oh no, this story is about to end! Quick, panic!"
• A clip from The Giant Problem, used to promote an interview (note the ESRB rating)<ref name=":Giant" /><ref name=":Interview" /><ref>Template:Tweet</ref>
  A clip from The Giant Problem, used to promote an interview (note the ESRB rating)<ref name=":Giant" /><ref name=":Interview" /><ref>Template:Tweet</ref>
• Promotional artwork for Template:AMCM
  Promotional artwork for Template:AMCM

WE'RE SORRY!

• A villager apologizing
  A villager apologizing
• Another villager unapologetic
  Another villager unapologetic
• The two villagers disagree
  The two villagers disagree
• A third villager walking on grass blocks
  A third villager walking on grass blocks

VILLAGER (and Pillager?) NEWS

• Villager No. 5 at the start of VILLAGER (and Pillager?) NEWS
  Villager No. 5 at the start of VILLAGER (and Pillager?) NEWS
• Villager No. 9
  Villager No. 9
• Several interviewers confront the citizen
  Several interviewers confront the citizen
• A librarian in front of Villager No. 9
  A librarian in front of Villager No. 9
• No. 5 with another villager
  No. 5 with another villager

Monster in the Woods

• Villager No. 5 at the start of Minecraft Live 2024
  Villager No. 5 at the start of Minecraft Live 2024
• Villager No. 5 elaborating
  Villager No. 5 elaborating
• A villager holding up an image of Minecraft:Steve as a suggestion for what the monster may be
  A villager holding up an image of Minecraft:Steve as a suggestion for what the monster may be
• A Template:W made by Element Animation, using the previous screenshot
  A Template:W made by Element Animation, using the previous screenshot
• Villager No. 5 reacting to the death of the cameraman
  Villager No. 5 reacting to the death of the cameraman
• Villager No. 5 scornfully looking at the signal being cut
  Villager No. 5 scornfully looking at the signal being cut
• Villager No. 5 in denial
  Villager No. 5 in denial
• Eight Minecraft:villagers lost in a dark Pale Garden at night
  Eight Minecraft:villagers lost in a dark Pale Garden at night
• The last villagers remaining
  The last villagers remaining
• No. 15, angry
  No. 15, angry
• A creaking heart is placed
  A creaking heart is placed
• The creaking appearing behind Villager No. 9
  The creaking appearing behind Villager No. 9

Storyboards

• Storyboard of a creeper growing, from THE GIANT PROBLEM<ref name=":Giant" />
  Storyboard of a creeper growing, from THE GIANT PROBLEM<ref name=":Giant" />
• Storyboard of Villager No. 5 in WAR!<ref>Template:YouTube link</ref>
  Storyboard of Villager No. 5 in WAR!<ref>Template:YouTube link</ref>
• Storyboard of several villagers confronting a giant creeper
  Storyboard of several villagers confronting a giant creeper

Notes

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