920 replies to this topic

[Uncle Ben]

i got one: Even though the odds are stacked against them, they will prevail

[Lito290]

Just don't put millions of archetypes into the show. The story already has that, we don't need to go back to High School English BS. "So what do the buildings in the background represent?" Civilization "But look at the color pallette." They're... dark? "YESANDBECAUSETHEYAREDARKTHEYREPRESENTSONICSDEPRESSIONANDSNIVELYSPLANSCOMINGTOFRUITIONAND..."

etc.

[An7imatt3r]

We will not go to that level, don't worry. If done correctly, you won't know it's there unless you choose to acknowledge it. At the same time if you notice it, it will be obvious and related to the story that is being told in the dialogue. Simply put, there will be another layer there for people to enjoy if you're into that type of thing. If not, we still have an action packed show that everyone can respect.

[Hammer]

The more I think about what you said about adding a few modern effects to the animation, the more convinced I am that it wouldn't be a very good idea.

If it's going to be made as if it were a real continuation of the show, it should have the feel of a real continuation of the show. However, if modern effects start popping up whenever Sonic starts running (for example), it would look too modern, and the aspect of doing traditional animation could be scrapped in favour of computer or Flash.

It's something like comparing the beam effects in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai. The Kai effects are good because we know that it is a remastered version, but if we were told that "it is made to look EXACTLY like the old series would have looked like" nobody would have believed it.

[furrykef]

i got one: Even though the odds are stacked against them, they will prevail

Saying things like this seems pointless to me. It's already a central element of the show.

If it's going to be made as if it were a real continuation of the show, it should have the feel of a real continuation of the show. However, if modern effects start popping up whenever Sonic starts running (for example), it would look too modern, and the aspect of doing traditional animation could be scrapped in favour of computer or Flash.

IMO what matters is whether it looks good and consistent with itself. Wasting the potential of modern animation just for the sake of looking like an early-to-mid 90's show seems pointless to me, especially considering that some modern ways of doing things can be easier and cheaper and look better than doing it the old-fashioned way.

What you do want to avoid is a look that's inconsistent with itself. One classic example is using 3D models in an anime where the use of 3D models is painfully obvious and doesn't even resemble either the cel-shaded foreground elements or the painted background elements. I saw this in Lupin III: Return of Pycal and it was just horrible. On the other hand, 3D models look good in Futurama (aside from some early episodes where they stuck out too much) because you don't even notice they're using 3D models until you realize, "How are they rotating the camera like that?"

[Hammer]

IMO what matters is whether it looks good and consistent with itself. Wasting the potential of modern animation just for the sake of looking like an early-to-mid 90's show seems pointless to me, especially considering that some modern ways of doing things can be easier and cheaper and look better than doing it the old-fashioned way.

That's why I said that I would prefer it being done the modern way, which is easier, cheaper and quicker. Having modern effects mixed with 90s style animation doesn't seem right IMO. I wouldn't want 3D models though, unless they're done like in the Adventures of Tintin TV series: a 3D model of the XFLR-6 rocket was animated, and then each frame was redrawn. It had smooth, 3D-like movement, but it was traditional animation so it didn't feel out of place.

I saw this in Lupin III: Return of Pycal and it was just horrible.

Hold on. Return of PYCAL? They made a movie based on the return of a villain who appeared in just one episode of the original series? Wow.

[furrykef]

Pycal was in the manga too, though I don't think he was a major character there either.

But yeah, I watched it, looking for a Lupin movie with a darker tone. (James Bond gets his Roger Moore and his Timothy Dalton/Daniel Craig; why can't Lupin do the same?) Well, I got a darker tone, all right, but, well... it was bad. Really bad. The crappy subtitles certainly didn't help (I'm pretty sure they more than anything rendered the plot incomprehensible), but I think I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it even with good ones.

[RedAuthar]

I should watch those Lupin episodes I have sitting there gathering dust.....

Honestly I've never been a big fan of the 3D Models in shows that are mostly 2D (Hoshi no Kaabii being one of the worst offenders). I think it would be best we keep those at a minimum.

I also think while it should resemble the original SatAM, it should good first and like the show second. Special Effects should look good before trying to make them match SatAM's special effects. If animation is only "okay" but looks like SatAM, we're doing things for the wrong reason.

[Hammer]

That's why I personally prefer a modern-day looking animation and effects, but fluid, well-done and quicker to make, than one which looks exactly like in the 90s but takes a lot longer to make and doesn't look that well.

That said, I'll wait until the first teaser to give an opinion on the final product, but for me, the important thing is that the drawing style is kept close to SatAM, not that it is animated like in the 90s.

[An7imatt3r]

That's why I personally prefer a modern-day looking animation and effects, but fluid, well-done and quicker to make, than one which looks exactly like in the 90s but takes a lot longer to make and doesn't look that well.

That said, I'll wait until the first teaser to give an opinion on the final product, but for me, the important thing is that the drawing style is kept close to SatAM, not that it is animated like in the 90s.

The character style is going nowhere. Techniques used to achieve this effect will be new because, well, they almost have to be at this point, but the results will do the show justice. There is a team of us dedicated to making sure that happens.

As for the new techniques I mentioned, they are really only to enhance the backgrounds, and possibly the shading of the characters. The original backgrounds were almost all still frames that didn't lend much to the world they lived in. Imagine if every once in a while a leaf fell of the tree or wind rustled the branches. It's the little things that breath life into worlds.

Also, what I just listed are merely examples, not necessarily things we are actually doing. I want to give insight into our perspective.

[Captain Sorzo]

The backgrounds are probably the strongest part of SatAM's art direction. They had to be still in order to have the insane level of texture and detail that they did. While the parts of the environment that had to be animated didn't look anywhere near as good, the static backgrounds are better looking than anything else I've seen in a cartoon. They rival The Secret of NIMH in quality.

Admittedly, their static nature was more noticeable in organic areas like Knothole, but they did wonders for Robotropolis.

[Uncle Ben]

how much will Knothole be expanded upon if it is expanded... i mean we only got small glimpses of Knothole during the first 2 seasons

[chief]

Do you read the comics?



....I have no evil smile...WTF?! Who runs this BS? I need a evil smile face!

Uhm...The comic expands it a tad... we may go a tad further with the animation...And of course further chapters of the comic may go even deeper into it.. So really...We wait. Well...You wait. I know all. HAW! HAW!

[Lito290]

There you go chief.

[Alextendo]

You want a evil face? Have you ever heard of Evil Otto from the Arcade game Bezerk?
PS: Yes, this is really what this character look like in-game and yes, belive it or not, he's responsible for the death of two person in the US.

Attached Files

•  otto.jpg   4.7KB   3 downloads

[furrykef]

Actually I think only one of the two deaths associated with Berzerk has been substantiated.

One of the deaths was supposedly after getting a score of 16,660, but that's not an obscenely high score for that game. I've gotten over 10k and could probably match the score if I cared enough to. It's not an exceedingly fast-paced game, either... it certainly wouldn't qualify as a twitch game. It's a surprisingly tame game for its reputation.

BTW, Evil Otto's name and face came from the designer's former boss Dave Otto, who he said would smile while he chewed you out.

[Alextendo]

The two death was caused by heart attack

[Lito290]

And this is where we turn back to Sea3on... Animation: keep it simple. We want good episodes with a great storyline, so whatever floats your boat. I'd prefer the old style, but if it isn't working, oh well.

[Uncle Ben]

Do you read the comics?



....I have no evil smile...WTF?! Who runs this BS? I need a evil smile face!

Uhm...The comic expands it a tad... we may go a tad further with the animation...And of course further chapters of the comic may go even deeper into it.. So really...We wait. Well...You wait. I know all. HAW! HAW!

I do but as i said its only small glimpses of it

[RedAuthar]

Do you read the comics?



....I have no evil smile...WTF?! Who runs this BS? I need a evil smile face!

Evil Smile? Don't know what you're talking about.