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| Nobinobita 770th Post
  
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|  "Re(3):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Sat 31 Jul 05:44:  
quote:
I like your website. I am also impressed by your breakdown of Christopher Nolan's work.
How do you feel about David Lynch's works?
And how do you feel about art plagiarism?
I guess you can include these in a future update on your website...hint hint wink wink nudge.
I haven't seen enough of David Lynch's work to comment. I really liked Twin Peaks as a kid, but it also scared the crap out of me so I don't really remember much of it. I've been meaning to marathon the entire show whenever I have a free weekend.
I also really liked Dune, but I probably haven't seen it in over a decade. The costumes and overall art direction and mood were really beautiful. I recall lots of cool touches the space docking stations having ornate Baroque-ish frames.
I did recently watch the pilot of "On The Air," which I thought was a blast. It really built up to an awesome slap stick climax.
I've enjoyed everything I've seen from David Lynch, but I don't know any of his work well enough to delve very deeply into it. Can you recommend a good starting point, or viewing order?
As for art plagiarism, that's a tough one. Like Picasso said, good artists borrow, great artists steal. People swipe ideas from each other all the time. I think all that matters is if they do anything interesting with it. For instance, when God of War took the concept of QTEs from Shenmue (and more specifically from the DC and PS2 Berserk games) it was called an evolution. But years later when a game like Dante's Inferno is recycling the same ideas it's considered a rip off.
That's a really simple example though... man... so much food for thought!
[this message was edited by Nobinobita on Sat 31 Jul 05:47] |
| Toxico 5087th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
     
     
 
|  "Re(5):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Sat 31 Jul 12:52
quote:
... I'll be looking forward to some arguments about motion capture, or the art of inking in the early 90s and 00s.
I'm not completely against mocap. It can save alot of time, but it always needs to be edited to look it's best. Are you thinking of any particular artists when you mention inking?
To me one of the biggest weak points of motion capture is mainly the difference of result on what the actors are supposed to do in the capture, and what the actors could possible do if they tried on their own accord. Whenever I analyze most mocap I get the feeling that who ever worked on the move was saving energy because he had to do two thousand other moves after within 2 days, or because there it was a director or an executive board telling him that he shouldn't stretch so far or it won't be good for the move.
About the inking, I think that one of our biggest difference that we have as 'reviewers' (aside kilometers of knowledge, as I barely go by) is that you focus more on authors, while I tend to track down the tendencies of studios or trend setters. I still remember how carefully I tried to grasp the true magnitude of marvel studios works back in the day, watching them frame by frame.
Of course, I'll be checking the blog regularly har har.
目に焼きつけて、死ぬがいい・・・
Update 22 as of 27/08/10 (Temporary mega upload link).
Now sponsoring : video game analogies (ES)
Last update : Chapter 18 as of 02/07/10
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| HAYATO 988th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(4):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Sun 1 Aug 08:38:
quote:
I haven't seen enough of David Lynch's work to comment. I really liked Twin Peaks as a kid, but it also scared the crap out of me so I don't really remember much of it. I've been meaning to marathon the entire show whenever I have a free weekend.
I also really liked Dune, but I probably haven't seen it in over a decade. The costumes and overall art direction and mood were really beautiful. I recall lots of cool touches the space docking stations having ornate Baroque-ish frames.
I did recently watch the pilot of "On The Air," which I thought was a blast. It really built up to an awesome slap stick climax.
I've enjoyed everything I've seen from David Lynch, but I don't know any of his work well enough to delve very deeply into it. Can you recommend a good starting point, or viewing order?
Well, as Lynch happens to be my favourite director and I've watched almost all of his films I could keep track of, I'd suggest you to begin with his most conventional films, such as Straight Story or The Elephant Man. If I were to provide a viewing order for his filmography, it would be pretty similar to this:
------------ Standard Level (safe for everyone over 18 and open-minded)--------------
-The Elephant Man (great drama about the historical figure of the deformed man Joseph Merrick)
-The Straight Story (IMHO, the finest and most moving of all Lynch's films, even greater than the previous one)
-Wild at Heart (prety average in every aspect)
------------ Weirdness Threshold (down this line, films will get more and more bizarre)----------------
-Blue Velvet (interesting thriller which shows almost all the recurring themes and imagery Lynch uses to portray his obsessive inner world)
-Lost Highway (dark, oppresive and ambiguous, a film many will find disturbing, but a must see for Lynch fans)
-Mulholland Drive (great film, albeit a bit difficult to grasp in its entirety, it's a harsh and ellegant critic to the life of aspiring actors who get their dreams shattered in their quest for Hollywood glory)
------------ Insanity Threshold (don't watch this films before reaching, at least, Lost Highway on the list above)----------------
-The Short Films of David Lynch (a collection of short films, some more bizarre than others, it's a good warmup for what lies ahead...)
-Eraserhead (this film can't be explained, it must be watched, but proceed at your own risk. Prepare yourself for one of the weirdest movies ever filmed)
I can't write about Inland Empire, as I haven't seen it yet but, if anyone is interested, I'll try to place it in the ranking as soon as I can...
I leave DUNE out of the ranking because it isn't a novel adaptation, not a personal work like the others. Those unfamiliar with the original novel may find Lynch's rendition of the epic tale of Paul Atreides so confusing that they may have to watch the film more than once to understand the plot. Unfortunately, the big restrictions and pressure David Lynch was put under by producer Dino DeLaurentiis took their toll on the final cut. In order to solve this, there have been numerous attepmts made by fans to mount a version more faithful to the original script. The result can be found HERE, and I must say that it's the best version one can find out there, and the one anybody should watch...
And about Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me... watch it after the series' end. Albeit being a prequel, one must watch the full series (and what a wonderful one, must I say) to fully enjoy it. Anyone interested on a TP marathon, be aware that the full pack's weirdness level places it between Blue Velvet and Lost Highway.
Congrats for the web Nobi, and enjoy your Lynch, everyone!!
BONUS: Lynch loves PS2 (the Eraserhead way)
Update: LOL Ortography, plus some minor layout tweaks.
[this message was edited by HAYATO on Sun 1 Aug 18:08] |
| HAYATO 988th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(6):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Sun 1 Aug 18:24
quote:
I rented and watched Lost Highway on VHS (what's that?) in 1997 and bought Mullholland Drive on DVD. Mulholland Drive DVD DOES NOT have chapters, so you cannot skip chapters! Either David Lynch intended this or the movie itself did.
Mulholland Drive came with a guide/tip sheet on what to look for in the movie.
Hayato - did any of his other movies comes with a guide as well?
-Lost Highway (dark, oppresive and ambiguous, a film many will find disturbing, but a must see for Lynch fans)
-Mulholland Drive (great film, albeit a bit difficult to grasp in its entirety, it's a harsh and ellegant critic to the life of aspiring actors who get their dreams shattered in their quest for Hollywood glory)
I don't know, because I watched them when the DVDs weren't available in my country (Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Wild at Heart...), and just downloaded them back in the day.
I don't think guides are a must to understand the Lynchverse, but I'd strongly suggest to consult, at least, the Wikipedia entries of the following films, in case of any understanding issue:
- Lost Highway
- Mulholland Drive
- Eraserhead
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| Nobinobita 771th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(6):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Tue 3 Aug 07:18
quote:
To me one of the biggest weak points of motion capture is mainly the difference of result on what the actors are supposed to do in the capture, and what the actors could possible do if they tried on their own accord. Whenever I analyze most mocap I get the feeling that who ever worked on the move was saving energy because he had to do two thousand other moves after within 2 days, or because there it was a director or an executive board telling him that he shouldn't stretch so far or it won't be good for the move.
Straight motion capture data always looks weightless. You need animators to tweak it and give it some life. Capcom usually does a very good job of this (Resident Evil V, Devil May Cry 4 and Lost Planet 2 have some of the best mocap assisted animation in games).
These days alot of movie studios are actually having the animators themselves perform the motion capture in order to save on time and costs. As you can imagine, animating something is very different from actually DOING it in real life.
Some studios go crazy with the mocap. If you watch the special features for the original iron man movie, you'll see shots where they're motion capturing people floating on top of giant industrial fans in order to simulate free falling! Really roundabout!
The reason SFX studios rely on mocap so heavily is that shots might need to be approved at any moment. A live action director generally won't understand a hand keyed animation if it's only 75% done, but mocap data at least always looks finished, if not refined.
quote:
About the inking, I think that one of our biggest difference that we have as 'reviewers' (aside kilometers of knowledge, as I barely go by) is that you focus more on authors, while I tend to track down the tendencies of studios or trend setters. I still remember how carefully I tried to grasp the true magnitude of marvel studios works back in the day, watching them frame by frame.
Who are some of your favorite marvel artists? I used to LOVE Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio back in the day. Art Adams was also a favorite (I collected his comics for fun, not just cos they might raise in value : P). As far as current artists go I really enjoy Ed McGuinness. His original work on Deadpool really stopped me in my tracks. When I first laid eyes on it i thought "my god, is Bengus drawing a marvel comic??"
quote:
Of course, I'll be checking the blog regularly har har.
Thanks!!!
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| HAYATO 989th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(6):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Tue 3 Aug 17:55
In case you accept suggestions for upcoming articles, I'd like you to consider the following themes:
- Monographic about Mad House Studio's evolution through Yoshiaki Kawajiri's film works: from Lensman to Highlander.
- General article about anime anthologies in the 80's and early 90's or, better, monographics about each of the best known ones, such as Robot Carnival, Neo Tokyo, and Memories.
- Technical game analysis on some other Capcom arccade classics: Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Strider, Midnight Wanderers, Marvel Superheroes, Super Gem Fighter Minimix...
- Technical game analysis on some Enix classics: Wonder Project J series, Nanatsu Kaze no Shima Monogatari, Valkyrie Profile Lenneth...
- Technical game analysis on some Treasure classics: Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier, Guardian Heroes, Silhouette Mirage, Radiant Silvergun...
- Other technical reviews on 16-bit era games: Sonic 2, Yoshi's Island, Hagane, Puggsy...
- Other technical reviews on 32-bit era games: Astal, Nights, Panzer Bandit, Panzer Dragoon, Skullmonkeys...
I hope you find some of these ideas interesting, as I'd love to know your doctored opinion about all of them, but I know I'm asking too much...
BTW, I've warned you about Eraserhead. If you watched the PS2 commercial I posted before, you already know what awaits you, so don't complain later if you end with your mental sanity compromised...
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| Loona 334th Post
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| "Re(3):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Tue 3 Aug 18:30:
I tend to really like your in-depth posts, so it's nice to see your writing expanding into a place of their own - I wish your project well!
quote:
If you have any suggestions for future articles let me know.
I recall you oce making a brief mention on how the models in Dissidia Final Fantasy were expertly made - I'm not sure how much that can be expanded on, but I'm curious on the topic. Having spent over a year with that game and still going strong with it kinda helps, I guess.
quote:
Here are some topics I hope to tackle in the future:
-Sprite art and color theory in KOFXII/XIII
(...)
-Metal Gear Portable Ops: How Information Travels
These two seem the most interesting to me, one because I'm an SNK fanboy and it was interesting to see how much there is to the concept of "color" in a post you recently made about it, and the other since the idea of flow of information can be interesting and have many applications - also, I work in technical documentation, so I may come across an interesting concept or two.
This in turn reminds me of a book I recently found and bought on a whim, it was called something like "The 101 things I learned in architecture school", which briefly covers thing that can go way beyond just architecture - might be worth looking into (especially as the price surprised me at the time, the price tag said it was about 42€, but at the cashier I found that was wrong and the book actually cost about 13€, so I felt rewarded for giving in to my curiosity).
Edit: Found it: "101 Things I Learned in Architecture School"
"Beat the machine that works in your head!" - Guano Apes "Open Your Eyes"
[this message was edited by Loona on Tue 3 Aug 22:10] |
| HAYATO 990th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(4):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Wed 4 Aug 06:55
quote:
Thanks very much! If you have any suggestions for future articles let me know. Here are some topics I hope to tackle in the future:
-Sprite art and color theory in KOFXII/XIII
-Influence of early Chinese art on Shadow of the Colossus
-Samurai X/Rorouni Kenshin OAV - how consistent imagery can bolster a narrative.
-SFIII, the best animated game 3V3R!!!
-Madworld: a bold statement on the current state of the videogame industry
-Metal Gear Portable Ops: How Information Travels
-Ghost In The Shell Innocence and Cybernetic Theory
All of those sound like fascinating topics. I have no idea what sort of Chinese influences can be found in SotC but I would love to learn about it.
Certainly, this is an article many of us are already looking forward to. I always thought the designs of Wander and his world were heavily based on the Ainu people, so I think it's natural that such a bold statement as nobi's draws my attention so swiftly...
As the cyberpunk bitch I am, I'm also eager to read the Gits article; it's premise looks both interesting and thrilling, judging by its title's ambiguity...
And speaking of Shirow-inspired anime works... Could anyone of our resident animation experts (or anyone who attended SIGGRAPH 2010) shed some light about THIS?
quote:
-Eraserhead (this film can't be explained, it must be watched, but proceed at your own risk. Prepare yourself for one of the weirdest movies ever filmed)
For me, Eraserhead is the film that captures the unconscious narrative can be found in dreams. In films such as Inland Empire Lynch created some images of surreal beauty, but Eraserhead is the film where I felt like I was watching the projection of someone's id.
Your feelings couldn't be more accurate. That's what Eraserhead really is, nothing more, nothing less: all the angst and fears that Lynch felt when he knew he was soon to be a first-time father. Or so says the legend...
If you like this kind of films, you should check (in case you haven't done it yet) Tsukamoto Shinya's TETSUO. You won't be dissapointed in the least...
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| HAYATO 993th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(6):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Wed 4 Aug 08:41
quote:
And speaking of Shirow-inspired anime works... Could anyone of our resident animation experts (or anyone who attended SIGGRAPH 2010) shed some light about THIS?
Holy moly. I literally just got the shivers!!!
The director, Yasuhiro Aoki is a very good animator, and he did the Kungfu Love promo/pilot/shortfilm for studio 4C's "Amazing Nuts!"
I'm ABSURDLY excited for this!
*EDIT*
NOOOOOOOOO it's only 2 minutes long?? I guess it's a tech demo. Still sounds amazing though. I'm really interested to see how they traditional animation looks in stereoscopic 3d.
I'm not an expert on the subject, but I can't recall any previous asian animation designed for Stereoscopic 3D. The most immersive experience I can remember (and the closest thing to Stero3D I know) is Oshii Mamoru's Mezame No Hakobune.
One thing is for sure: perhaps due to the nature of his works, Shirow has always been the author of choice to test innovative animation techniques, to push the boundaries of the medium, so, who knows? Perhaps, it's a kind of pilot/promo before the announcement of an OVA, full series or even a movie. Hey, a fan can dream, can't he?
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| Nobinobita 783th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(5):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Sun 8 Aug 02:38:
quote:
Well, as Lynch happens to be my favourite director and I've watched almost all of his films I could keep track of, I'd suggest you to begin with his most conventional films, such as Straight Story or The Elephant Man.
Thanks for the suggestions. I went ahead and dove into Eraserhead and followed it up with Wild at Heart. I loved both films.
Here are my impressions of Eraserhead (with spoilers--though it's really hard to *spoil* a Lynch film since knowing the plot is completely different from watching it unfold). Excuse me if I ramble on too long.
I LOVED IT. Like you and Ishmael mentioned, this movie is like peering into the unconscious mind. It was actually much more coherent than I expected. Also alot more ... gentle? I don't know if that's quite the right word, but for all it's weirdness and intense imagery, it never felt overly provocative. Everything seemed very earnest. Surreal films tend to be very political and very obvious about how you're supposed to feel. Eraserhead has a pervasive sense of anxiety to it, but it's not so forced. It's not a judgmental narrative. There's alot of breathing room to let the viewer collect their own thoughts and feelings on what's happening. It's a slow film, but I never felt like the shots lingered too long. They felt like natural pauses in conversation.
I can't pretend to understand everything that happened, but I did get the feeling that none of it was arbitrary, that all of it had a specific purpose. All the imagery had symbolic meaning or at least contributed greatly to the tone of the movie (often both). I feel like Eraserhead gives the viewer a fair chance at figuring out the imagery without outside help. Kind of like digesting a dream you've just had.
Even without you incepting the idea into my head, I think I would have immediately picked up on the strong theme of parenthood. The movie begins with a very long slow zoom into an egg. Inside a giant sperm worm pops out of the main characters head. He observes a decrepit (but not elderly) man toiling away in the dark pulling levers. The sperm disappears into a wet puddle.
This opening clearly establishes that this is going to be a movie about parenthood/reproduction. This is pretty much confirmed when Henry goes to his girlfriend's house and finds out she's pregnant. There are some INTENSELY DISTRESSING shots of her dog suckling it's young (the sound effects are amazing) and there's also alot of great interplay between all the members of the family. I'm going to now switch to bullet points, otherwise this post will go on forever:
-It was interesting to see 3 generations of women in the house. It was like peering into the future that was in store for Mary and possibly their child (if it turned out to be a girl). This is supported by the image of the mother placing the salad into the lap of the grandmother and moving her hands mechanically to toss the salad. Very cyclical.
-I think the film was very sympathetic towards its characters. I don't think Henry was just worried that the baby would make life more difficult. I think he had some sense that the baby would be born into a life of constant fear and dread, as those are the primary experiences in his own life. I think there's alot of cyclical imagery to support this, particularly towards the end where the baby pops out of Henry's own neck, knocking his head off and replacing it.
-There's a strong theme of legacy too. The movie is called Eraserhead. Henry's hair makes his head shaped like an eraser. This could suggest that his feet make the point of the pencil. The movie follows the trail that he leaves in the world.
-During the dream sequence where he's decapitated, his head is recovered and taken to a factory. They remove a cross section of his head/brains and feed it into a machine that produces loads of pencils. This is the sum of his life. The man at the factory takes one pencil, sharpens it, draws a line then erases it. He confirms that it works. The sum of Henry's life experiences lay in a pile of eraser shavings. They are sharply brushed aside.
-At the end of the film where it's implied that Henry is dying, there is a great shot of his face brightly lit as the eraser shavings blow by behind him.
-One of the last shots of the movie is an empty egg/planet, basically saying that life is ultimately desolate and lonely (or at least, that's how it felt to these characters).
-This movie had amazing sound design. It really captures the feeling of being so withdrawn and anxious that you notice the sound of air flowing in a room.
-The sounds ambiently reflected the feelings of the characters. They also sometimes gave the sense of greater machinations going on outside of the character's limited experiences.
-Eraserhead must have been a massive influence on the Silent Hill series. At least as much as Jacob's Ladder, maybe even more so.
-I really really enjoyed this movie. Thanks for encouraging me to watch it!
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by Nobinobita on Sun 8 Aug 02:45] |
| Iggy 9165th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Oichi in Basara3" , posted Fri 20 Aug 21:01
There's no much to say on Basara 3. If you like the series, you'll probably like the game but regret its more serious stance. If you don't like/don't know the game, then keep on this way.
The reason I'm talking about it, though, and why I'm posting it in this particular thread, is because the newest version of Oichi is just fantastic. It gave me flashes of Vampire, and not only because of the Jedah hands creeping from the ground.
Basically, like the best Vampire characters, her personality and her personal story are best described in her actions and animations. She's gone totally insane, and it's, most of the time, the hands of shadows that move her around, sometimes very gently (to climb on a horse, the hands lift her on the saddle, where she stays motionless like a broken marionette), and at other times, more roughly (when she falls down, the hand actually grabs her and slams her on the ground).
A detail I hadn't noticed first: when she attacks, she moves at random, and the hands mimic her moves at a certain distance (and they are the ones dealing damage). But if you look at Oichi's animations instead of the hands, you'll notice she's actually moving like in the old game, i.e. as if she hadn't noticed her spear is not here anymore.
There's a lot of shortcoming in Basara in general, but Oichi alone in that game is a marvellous success in the best, good old-fashioned Capcom spirit.
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"Re(2):Darkstalkers and the 12 Principles of A" , posted Fri 30 Jul 08:15
