Comments on: Oh I miss the simple times! http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34 A blog By Dr. Nemesis following the progress of Binary Picture Show's work, as well as other Machinima. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:20:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Ricky Grove http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34/comment-page-1#comment-21 Ricky Grove Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:57:00 +0000 http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34#comment-21 Ain't that the truth, micnit. My thoughts precisely. Although, it all depends upon how best to present your story/ideas. Allen thinks that way, but you and I might not if we were producing a film/machinima. The old form/content notion comes into play as serious filmmakers (like Sam who recently released his "Monad" machinima) try to find the right visual aesthetic. Imagination, creativity sometimes looks to the past. Michael R. Joyce at the recent Premiere of his and Katy Fosk's film "Voices" mentioned that "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" was one of the films that influenced the story and visual look of "Voices". It all depends upon what you are trying to do with your film. Ain’t that the truth, micnit. My thoughts precisely. Although, it all depends upon how best to present your story/ideas. Allen thinks that way, but you and I might not if we were producing a film/machinima. The old form/content notion comes into play as serious filmmakers (like Sam who recently released his “Monad” machinima) try to find the right visual aesthetic. Imagination, creativity sometimes looks to the past. Michael R. Joyce at the recent Premiere of his and Katy Fosk’s film “Voices” mentioned that “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” was one of the films that influenced the story and visual look of “Voices”. It all depends upon what you are trying to do with your film.

]]> By: micnit http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34/comment-page-1#comment-20 micnit Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:45:00 +0000 http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34#comment-20 As someone who studies and talks about machinima much more then he actually produces it, I got to say that some of the shortcomings from "back then" still make a lot of sense today. Stolen Life had some moments where the empty station eerily looked like a Quake level, for example. And I like that. These are the moments when I notice what I am looking at and when machinima plays to its origins. Remember the subtitle scene in Annie Hall when Allen plays to an outdated cinematic tradition? No wonder it got the Academy Award. <br/>The much harder thing to let go seems to be the idea to be like Pixar. As someone who studies and talks about machinima much more then he actually produces it, I got to say that some of the shortcomings from “back then” still make a lot of sense today. Stolen Life had some moments where the empty station eerily looked like a Quake level, for example. And I like that. These are the moments when I notice what I am looking at and when machinima plays to its origins. Remember the subtitle scene in Annie Hall when Allen plays to an outdated cinematic tradition? No wonder it got the Academy Award.
The much harder thing to let go seems to be the idea to be like Pixar.

]]> By: Ricky Grove http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34/comment-page-1#comment-19 Ricky Grove Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:52:00 +0000 http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34#comment-19 A very thought-provoking post, Leo. There is much to think about here. I think it's always a good idea to look back and try to figure out how you got from there to here. I'm very much of the same mind as you are. The only thing I'd add is that I think with the fragmentation of the machinima community into smaller groups (often clustered around certain game engines like Warcraft and Sturmovik) the "let's give it a pass" way of thinking about machinima is still very much alive. Just watch some of the films there and read the comments and you'll see what I mean. A very thought-provoking post, Leo. There is much to think about here. I think it’s always a good idea to look back and try to figure out how you got from there to here. I’m very much of the same mind as you are. The only thing I’d add is that I think with the fragmentation of the machinima community into smaller groups (often clustered around certain game engines like Warcraft and Sturmovik) the “let’s give it a pass” way of thinking about machinima is still very much alive. Just watch some of the films there and read the comments and you’ll see what I mean.

]]> By: Brian http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34/comment-page-1#comment-18 Brian Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:29:00 +0000 http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34#comment-18 Yeah, I think I had a feeling of overwhelming dread quite similar to this when I first laid eyes on the HL2 test footage from an E3 oh so many years ago. I mean, here we were masters of 256*256 and 300-tri counts, and they come out with 4 layers of hig-res texture for one model (normal, spec, color, glow, etc.) who was packing 3000-tri counts, and we simply didn't have the tools to keep up. Sheesh, where's the fun in that?!<br/><br/>Then I started to think about it. (In no small part thanks to SummerTech) You know, when Q2 and HL were coming out it was the same thing, only I was just getting into it. I couldn't know my limitations, because I knew nothing about the tech. The tools came along after a while, and I started to learn them. It took years, only I didn't notice because I was having fun just messing around. Then when it came time, we were ready, we had the skills, and somehow, we just did it. Today we just need a bit more skills, a bit more time, but when the hammer falls... Yeah, I think I had a feeling of overwhelming dread quite similar to this when I first laid eyes on the HL2 test footage from an E3 oh so many years ago. I mean, here we were masters of 256*256 and 300-tri counts, and they come out with 4 layers of hig-res texture for one model (normal, spec, color, glow, etc.) who was packing 3000-tri counts, and we simply didn’t have the tools to keep up. Sheesh, where’s the fun in that?!

Then I started to think about it. (In no small part thanks to SummerTech) You know, when Q2 and HL were coming out it was the same thing, only I was just getting into it. I couldn’t know my limitations, because I knew nothing about the tech. The tools came along after a while, and I started to learn them. It took years, only I didn’t notice because I was having fun just messing around. Then when it came time, we were ready, we had the skills, and somehow, we just did it. Today we just need a bit more skills, a bit more time, but when the hammer falls…

]]> By: Pineapple Pictures http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34/comment-page-1#comment-17 Pineapple Pictures Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:57:00 +0000 http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34#comment-17 Thought provoking post.<br/>Kate Thought provoking post.
Kate

]]> By: Matt Kelland http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34/comment-page-1#comment-16 Matt Kelland Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:49:00 +0000 http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34#comment-16 Yeah, I'm noticing the way that we're getting less and less tolerant of "gamey" animations and conventions in machinima. We're expecting machinima to look more and more like "real" animation, both in terms of visual style and in terms of cinematic style and quality. As you say, back then "the audience generally understood that a lot of imagination was required from them", but that doesn't seem to be true any more. <br/><br/>Games have evolved immensely in the last few years, and as game visuals have improved, we expect machinima visuals should be able to keep up. But of course game visuals only do what the underlying game needs. If your film needs something different, you'll have to build it yourself. Modding now is a whole lot harder and more time-consuming than it used to be, and matching the quality (and style) of the art in top-end games is bloody difficult.<br/><br/>So yeah, it's a bitch. Machinima <i>can</i> do so much more now, but it takes a hell of a lot more work to do it. Do you continue producing really quick and easy stuff like you used to, and having a load of fun in the process, or do you bust your nuts, aim higher, and risk ending up with bugger all to show for it? <br/><br/>Whatever you decide, good luck. Yeah, I’m noticing the way that we’re getting less and less tolerant of “gamey” animations and conventions in machinima. We’re expecting machinima to look more and more like “real” animation, both in terms of visual style and in terms of cinematic style and quality. As you say, back then “the audience generally understood that a lot of imagination was required from them”, but that doesn’t seem to be true any more.

Games have evolved immensely in the last few years, and as game visuals have improved, we expect machinima visuals should be able to keep up. But of course game visuals only do what the underlying game needs. If your film needs something different, you’ll have to build it yourself. Modding now is a whole lot harder and more time-consuming than it used to be, and matching the quality (and style) of the art in top-end games is bloody difficult.

So yeah, it’s a bitch. Machinima can do so much more now, but it takes a hell of a lot more work to do it. Do you continue producing really quick and easy stuff like you used to, and having a load of fun in the process, or do you bust your nuts, aim higher, and risk ending up with bugger all to show for it?

Whatever you decide, good luck.

]]> By: Demasoc http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34/comment-page-1#comment-15 Demasoc Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:27:00 +0000 http://binarypictureshow.com/blog/archives/34#comment-15 I've been there - good luck. I’ve been there – good luck.

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