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Hash, Inc. - Animation:Master

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Posted

Ha ha! Geil, Sebastian!!

Great punch in that one! Maybe something for Monsanto and Nestle to consider for their next GMO campaign?

And very smooth graphics, I must say! How do you achieve that great semi-cartoonish look? Is that all in post, or do you set it up in A:M as well?

Posted
  ToreB said:
Ha ha! Geil, Sebastian!!

Great punch in that one! Maybe something for Monsanto and Nestle to consider for their next GMO campaign?

And very smooth graphics, I must say! How do you achieve that great semi-cartoonish look? Is that all in post, or do you set it up in A:M as well?

 

 

thanks :)

 

this is completely set up in animation master, i explained it in this thread. the only thing added in post is fog with the use of depth maps, grain, a little color correction and flickering...

Posted

Excellently done. Outstanding look. Terrifically, perfectly animated. Bravo, bravo!

 

My only crit is that the impact of the message might be lost? And not PUNCHY enough?

 

Too much to read at the end, goes by too fast, too small type, hard to read FONT, too many different talking points?

 

If someone really wants to know the message, then they might do like I did: SLOW it down to read. But not all will bother, perhaps. Or maybe they will? Not sure.

 

You might consider changing or adding HEADLINE text to the talking points to summarize it more obviously? And maybe the detailed sarcasm can still be there in the clip (as fine print), or else linked to a website, or included in the descriptions at vimeo, youtube?

 

Summary Headlines might be something like:

 

  Quote
To use this product properly & not void the warranty:

 

IGNORE scientists!

 

Buy MORE than you need!

 

BUY big brands

 

BUY cheap

 

USE child labor!

 

DRIVE BIG cars!

 

EAT ONLY meat & dairy!

 

BUY leather BUY Furs!

 

FEAR different cultures - KILL them in masses!

 

STAY ignorant & HAVE FUN!

 

You won't need this planet when you're dead.

 

To summarize my feelings however: This is among the best animations I've seen come out of A:M!

Posted

thanks everyone... :)

 

@ nancy: i thought a long time about the credits screen with the points and decided to make it very subtle... i did not want to make the credits longer than the actual clip. the story has already been told when the viewer gets to the credit screen, anything after that is just a bonus, like a hidden track on a music album. i figured if someone really wants to read it, the person would simply hit the pause button.

Posted
  thefreshestever said:
@ nancy: i thought a long time about the credits screen with the points and decided to make it very subtle... i did not want to make the credits longer than the actual clip. the story has already been told when the viewer gets to the credit screen, anything after that is just a bonus, like a hidden track on a music album. i figured if someone really wants to read it, the person would simply hit the pause button.

 

Yeah, I figured you probably had thought about it, and that you had deliberately done it that way...I probably shouldn't have said anything.

 

I have found (and I believe have read other opinions the same) that if you have text, it will distract the viewer, unless they can read it. It seemed like thetext was very much part of the animation, as the main part ends at around 39 secs and the entire piece takes about 1:17. So the credits/text is taking up almost half the screen time.

 

I don't want to give the impression that I think it is imperative to change...It is an absolutely wonderful piece...no question about it. And again I say: Bravo!

Posted
  NancyGormezano said:
  thefreshestever said:
@ nancy: i thought a long time about the credits screen with the points and decided to make it very subtle... i did not want to make the credits longer than the actual clip. the story has already been told when the viewer gets to the credit screen, anything after that is just a bonus, like a hidden track on a music album. i figured if someone really wants to read it, the person would simply hit the pause button.

 

Yeah, I figured you probably had thought about it, and that you had deliberately done it that way...I probably shouldn't have said anything.

 

I have found (and I believe have read other opinions the same) that if you have text, it will distract the viewer, unless they can read it. It seemed like thetext was very much part of the animation, as the main part ends at around 39 secs and the entire piece takes about 1:17. So the credits/text is taking up almost half the screen time.

 

I don't want to give the impression that I think it is imperative to change...It is an absolutely wonderful piece...no question about it. And again I say: Bravo!

 

please NEVER shut up, nancy ;) i appreciate ALL your thoughts about this!

  • Admin
Posted

Off the charts!

You've captured a great hand drawn feel.

 

You've got an awesome cartoon style in this short that isn't easily pegged as being created in any 3D software... which is a very good thing!

While we as creators should care... who else in the audience cares.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obligatory Feedback:

Regarding the credits... I follow what Nancy is saying here.

There is something of a problem with focus at the credits in that the words don't get read at all primarily because folks will be wanting to see what is happening with the character while driving. As I believe the actual focus should be on the character what then to do with the credits? Answer: Pop the text up on the screen in static chunks where the scrolling doesn't compete? I'm guessing three or four chunks of text would be sufficient.

 

So how to tell the viewer to move their attention back and forth between text and character?

I would add some small things (rocks, trash... a can or piece of paper, road scratches, paint, pot hole, sewer cover, etc.) running not-so-psuedo-randomly under the car in the credits to cue the viewers attention so they are fully focused on the car when it encounters a new activity (running over Kid1, taking a sip of his drink, running over Kid2) and then pop in the next static screen of text immediately after. I do think making the font/text more readable would shorten the time needed to read the text but the primary obstacles to reading that text are 1) scrolling text 2) activity occurring elsewhere on the screen (moving targets for the human eye to track in both cases). Combined with the small text and non-block font, the words on the right aren't likely to be read except by treasure hunters who love to freeze frames.

 

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that there is a beat to the activity on the left and a beat to reading the text on the right and the challenge is to get them into sync (as you already have in the main short). Regardless... as it is... you have extended your all too short short via the credits and I find that to be a wonderful thing! Folks want to see more of this character and figure out what the deal is with him.

 

The credits really do work 'as is'.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

In other words: Bravo! Encore! :)

Posted

thanks everyone... :)

 

nancy, the lines are also created in a:m, it´s just a simple model consisting of 3 patches. i decaled it with a transparency map of those swooshes and animated that model...

Posted
  NancyGormezano said:
  thefreshestever said:
@ nancy: i thought a long time about the credits screen with the points and decided to make it very subtle... i did not want to make the credits longer than the actual clip. the story has already been told when the viewer gets to the credit screen, anything after that is just a bonus, like a hidden track on a music album. i figured if someone really wants to read it, the person would simply hit the pause button.

 

Yeah, I figured you probably had thought about it, and that you had deliberately done it that way...I probably shouldn't have said anything.

 

I have found (and I believe have read other opinions the same) that if you have text, it will distract the viewer, unless they can read it. It seemed like thetext was very much part of the animation, as the main part ends at around 39 secs and the entire piece takes about 1:17. So the credits/text is taking up almost half the screen time.

 

I don't want to give the impression that I think it is imperative to change...It is an absolutely wonderful piece...no question about it. And again I say: Bravo!

 

It's funny that this comes up now...I was just watching the opening scene from "Joe Versus the Volcano" with Tom Hanks. Great movie. The opening scene sets the mood for the character in a totally horrible job. As he walks in to the factory he passes signs like "... home of the anal probe" then another sign "..25 years of making lube". Subtle messages, but they worked. The camera holds on each sign for just a second or two, but long enough to read.

Posted

Really cool style and animation.

 

ps. I didn't understand a couple of the quips in the credits because the language contradicted itelf.

Posted
  KJ said:
Really cool style and animation.

 

ps. I didn't understand a couple of the quips in the credits because the language contradicted itelf.

thanks... can you give me an example? english isn´t my native language, i´d like to know where i went wrong...

Posted
  thefreshestever said:
  KJ said:
Really cool style and animation.

 

ps. I didn't understand a couple of the quips in the credits because the language contradicted itelf.

thanks... can you give me an example? english isn´t my native language, i´d like to know where i went wrong...

 

 

I think it is just these two:

 

2. "Drive an unnecessarily big car even if you actually don't need a smaller one in the first place."

 

You could write: "Drive an unnecessarily big car even if you actually need a smaller one in the first place." or "Drive an unnecessarily big car even if you actually don't need one in the first place."

 

 

 

The next one I'm not sure if I understand the premise of this one.

 

 

6. Always buy the cheapest groceries available even if your salary enables you to do otherwise.

 

Are you saying "Don't be a penny (pfenning) pincher." Or is this a social comment on people buying unhealthy processed food? Like at the Schnell Imbiss.

Posted
  KJ said:
I think it is just these two:

 

2. "Drive an unnecessarily big car even if you actually don't need a smaller one in the first place."

 

You could write: "Drive an unnecessarily big car even if you actually need a smaller one in the first place." or "Drive an unnecessarily big car even if you actually don't need one in the first place."

 

i´m talking about people driving big cars who actually don´t need ANY car at all. so i´m saying: it would be unnecessary for you to drive a small one in the first place, but you´re driving a big one. yes, i could say "Drive an unnecessarily big car even if you actually don't need one in the first place" as well to make my point, but i thought saying "don´t need a smaller one in the first place" is a bit more sarcastic...

 

  KJ said:
The next one I'm not sure if I understand the premise of this one.

 

6. Always buy the cheapest groceries available even if your salary enables you to do otherwise.

 

Are you saying "Don't be a penny (pfenning) pincher." Or is this a social comment on people buying unhealthy processed food? Like at the Schnell Imbiss.

 

here in other words: i see 100.000 $ cars parking in front of the cheapest supermarkets we have here, they can afford such a car and still feel the need to save money on food? cheap food always has it´s price, even if it´s not money. but they don´t seem to put much thought in that. they could go and buy good organic food, fairtrade products, but they rather save money for the next expensive car or something else they don´t need.

Posted

I realize there are some things (okay many things) in English that don't make much sense, but in the case of the first example, the better way to say it would be:

 

"Drive an unnecessarily big car when you don't even need a small one."

Posted

haha, you do... we all do! it´s the system that makes us, practically not avoidable. unless your living deep in the forest feeding on berries and roots... but i think it´s important to be aware of that, that´s what i wanted to say with this short...

Posted

Wow that was great! makes me want to go out and punch a baby in the face right now! lol.

excellent job!

 

Mike Fitz

www.3dartz.com

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Hash Fellow
Posted

Hey, Sebastian, I'm just catching up with this. That looks great. I really like the way your non-CG looking CG looks.

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Beautiful short Sebastian. Made me laugh out loud.

One question...how did you rig your characters? Especially curious about the pipestem arms and legs.

Posted

in davids "itsjustme" signature there´s always a link to the latest version.

 

i clicked on it for you ;)latest

 

i don´t think the rig itself cares if 32 or 64bit... maybe the installrig plugin, which you´ll need to run does, but as far as i know it´s preinstalled and working in both versions.

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Admin
Posted

You may be too much like me Elm.

I try to make sense of things that aren't meant to make sense.

 

If I read Sebastian correctly his goal was/is to present a commentary about our tendency toward excess.

In such a world as ours a product like "Punch Babies in the Face" surely must exist.

And something of an irony... now, courtesy of Sebastian... it does exist. :P

Posted
  Elm said:
Very nice! I didn't get it though.. (hab's nicht verstanden)

 

Maybe I'm too dumb...

 

Sorry about the following, but this is quite complex and I would need too much time to translate this to english properly...

I may do it later...

 

[offenglish]

Ich interpretier es so: Sozialkritik am Massiv-Konsum der westlichen Gesellschaften (besonders Nordamerika und Europa).

 

Damit "schlägt" man den Kindern auf 2 Arten ins Gesicht:

1.) Zukünftige Generationen müssen sich mit z. B. Müll, Verschmutzung, etc. herumschlagen. (deshalb die übertrieben schwarzen Rauchwolken beim Auto und die hiesigen Kinder denen man ins Gesicht schlägt)

2.) Kinder in Afrika und anderen Ländern ohne Konsumgesellschaft / hohen Lebensstandard zahlen im Endeffekt mehr Geld für Grundnahrungsmittel weil die Produktion davon z. B. vom Ölpreis, der Konkurrenzsituation und natürlich sowas wie der Bio-Treibstoff-Produktion abhängt > Bio-Treibstoff kann z.B. aus Getreide hergestellt werden oder (viel schlimmer) Bauern fangen an weniger Lebensmittel anzubauen weil mit Bio-Masse für Treibstoff mehr Gewinn zu machen ist. Das verknappt dann

das Angebot an z. B. Weizen, wodurch der Preis steigt (denn wir kaufen dann aus anderen Ländern zu, in denen sonst z.B. afrikanische Anbieter eingekauft hätten was die Preise massiv erhöht, etc.

> Im Endeffekt läuft alles darauf hinaus: Die Erde hat nicht genug Resourcen um alle Leute auf der Welt so leben zu lassen wie wir in Europa und Nord-Amerika das tun... und um so mehr wir im Überfluß leben, um so weniger haben andere noch übrig... (deshalb die Weltkarte mit den ganzen Kiddys und das "Mehr Konsum"-Zeugs, etc.)

 

Und ums noch zu erwähnen: Nein, ich wähle nicht die auf Teufel komm raus die Grünen ;).[/offenglish]

 

See you

*Fuchur*

Posted
  Fuchur said:
  Elm said:
Very nice! I didn't get it though.. (hab's nicht verstanden)

 

Maybe I'm too dumb...

 

Sorry about the following, but this is quite complex and I would need too much time to translate this to english properly...

I may do it later...

 

[offenglish]

Ich interpretier es so: Sozialkritik am Massiv-Konsum der westlichen Gesellschaften (besonders Nordamerika und Europa).

 

Damit "schlägt" man den Kindern auf 2 Arten ins Gesicht:

1.) Zukünftige Generationen müssen sich mit z. B. Müll, Verschmutzung, etc. herumschlagen. (deshalb die übertrieben schwarzen Rauchwolken beim Auto und die hiesigen Kinder denen man ins Gesicht schlägt)

2.) Kinder in Afrika und anderen Ländern ohne Konsumgesellschaft / hohen Lebensstandard zahlen im Endeffekt mehr Geld für Grundnahrungsmittel weil die Produktion davon z. B. vom Ölpreis, der Konkurrenzsituation und natürlich sowas wie der Bio-Treibstoff-Produktion abhängt > Bio-Treibstoff kann z.B. aus Getreide hergestellt werden oder (viel schlimmer) Bauern fangen an weniger Lebensmittel anzubauen weil mit Bio-Masse für Treibstoff mehr Gewinn zu machen ist. Das verknappt dann

das Angebot an z. B. Weizen, wodurch der Preis steigt (denn wir kaufen dann aus anderen Ländern zu, in denen sonst z.B. afrikanische Anbieter eingekauft hätten was die Preise massiv erhöht, etc.

> Im Endeffekt läuft alles darauf hinaus: Die Erde hat nicht genug Resourcen um alle Leute auf der Welt so leben zu lassen wie wir in Europa und Nord-Amerika das tun... und um so mehr wir im Überfluß leben, um so weniger haben andere noch übrig... (deshalb die Weltkarte mit den ganzen Kiddys und das "Mehr Konsum"-Zeugs, etc.)

 

Und ums noch zu erwähnen: Nein, ich wähle nicht die auf Teufel komm raus die Grünen ;).[/offenglish]

 

See you

*Fuchur*

 

Thanks very much Fuchur!

Yes, this makes sense.

Posted

Just to translate it as promised:

 

German:

  Quote
Ich interpretier es so: Sozialkritik am Massiv-Konsum der westlichen Gesellschaften (besonders Nordamerika und Europa).

 

Damit "schlägt" man den Kindern auf 2 Arten ins Gesicht:

1.) Zukünftige Generationen müssen sich mit z. B. Müll, Verschmutzung, etc. herumschlagen. (deshalb die übertrieben schwarzen Rauchwolken beim Auto und die hiesigen Kinder denen man ins Gesicht schlägt)

2.) Kinder in Afrika und anderen Ländern ohne Konsumgesellschaft / hohen Lebensstandard zahlen im Endeffekt mehr Geld für Grundnahrungsmittel weil die Produktion davon z. B. vom Ölpreis, der Konkurrenzsituation und natürlich sowas wie der Bio-Treibstoff-Produktion abhängt > Bio-Treibstoff kann z.B. aus Getreide hergestellt werden oder (viel schlimmer) Bauern fangen an weniger Lebensmittel anzubauen weil mit Bio-Masse für Treibstoff mehr Gewinn zu machen ist. Das verknappt dann

das Angebot an z. B. Weizen, wodurch der Preis steigt (denn wir kaufen dann aus anderen Ländern zu, in denen sonst z.B. afrikanische Anbieter eingekauft hätten was die Preise massiv erhöht, etc.

> Im Endeffekt läuft alles darauf hinaus: Die Erde hat nicht genug Resourcen um alle Leute auf der Welt so leben zu lassen wie wir in Europa und Nord-Amerika das tun... und um so mehr wir im Überfluß leben, um so weniger haben andere noch übrig... (deshalb die Weltkarte mit den ganzen Kiddys und das "Mehr Konsum"-Zeugs, etc.)

 

Und ums noch zu erwähnen: Nein, ich wähle nicht die auf Teufel komm raus die Grünen.

 

English (roughly):

  Quote
I interpret it like this: Social criticism about heavy consumption in western societies (especially in Northern America and Europe).

 

Like that we are punching children in the face in two ways:

1.) Future generations have to cope with garbage, pollution, etc. (because of that the exaggerated black smoke produced by the car and the local children which are punched in the face)

2.) Children in Africa or other countries without a high living standard pay more money for staple food because the production of food is depending on oild, the competitive situation and for instance bio fuel. (there is more of cause, but these are just recent things) > bio fuel can be produced for instance from corn or (much worse) farmers start to produce more biomass (which is necessary to produce bio fuel) because the profit of that is higher than the one you can get from producing food. That shortens down the offering of for instance wheat which results in higher prices (for instance we will buy from other countries the wheat we now have less. But in these other countries there were food providers who bought the wheat for Africa there... they have to pay more for it because the higher demand generates higher prices and the African children can no longer buy the wheat, because it is just too expensive today, etc.

> The bottom line is: The earth (at least at its current state does not have enough ressources to be able to give everybody on it the living standard like we in Europe or Northern America have... the more we consume (especially the more we consume unnecessary) the less other people on the earth have... (because of that the earth-map in the short and the children all over the world and the "more consume"-stuff.)

 

It is a rough translation, but it should be quite close to what I said in German.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

  • 1 month later...

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