jakerupert Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 So The Hash people did it twice. That was a great achievement! http://gooseberry.blender.org/campaign-wrap-up-the-pilot/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted May 8, 2014 Admin Share Posted May 8, 2014 Not quite cancelled... more like transformed. They are still planning to produce the pilot and then if that keeps everyone interested (enough to generate more revenue) the feature will be back on. There is a lot to learn here and the dollar factor is only one small piece of that puzzle. For instance, there is the call from the top guy that $892,835 is not enough to make the Gooseberry film even with 'free' software. That's a telling if not sobering statement about where things are today in CG animation. If we were to accept that it takes $1 million to create a feature film (with free software) then surely the dream of animating a film on our kitchen tables must be just as real and relevant as it was back at the dawn of CG's day. We may never know but now I can't help but wonder how much of the $892K was real. At the end of the day one thing seems clear, Blender isn't truly free. It and its associated projects depend on being subsidized heavily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginsdj Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Bit different to our Hash efforts. They intended hiring professional studios using Blender to do the work rather than using amateurs - BIG difference. The $ amount is real. You sponsor by buying the sponsorship - not just pledging like kickstarter. They are offering refunds for those who do not wish to go in the new direction being proposed but I don't knwo how many will actually ask for their money back. The Blender user/support base measures in the millions. Blender is free - users do not have to pay anything for the software and there is a huge range or training and after market product out there. Development work is done for free by a huge group of developers. These 'events' are promotional and triggers advances in capability but the $ spent do not go to the programmers - just keeps the blender organisation and dream alive and no money is recouped from users - anything we do sponsor we get back in for form of material (ie all the projects resources, training resources etc) Cheers David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted May 8, 2014 Admin Share Posted May 8, 2014 The Blender user/support base measures in the millions. And what does that tell us then when we see the Gooseberry Project had 3,537 Supporters*. I'm not good at math but that means that the average supporter contributed a fairly large sum of money. I'm going to take a wild guess that many of those supporters were not individuals (unless you count the heads of studios as individuals). They intended hiring professional studios using Blender to do the work rather than using amateurs - BIG difference. Understood. But this suggests the goal is to improve the software... not create movies (The projects are there to improve the software... no secret there). But also BIG difference. The goal (at least one of them) with TWO was to make a movie. A side effect was that A:M (the program) would benefit. Blender is free I doubt I'll be able to convince you otherwise. *As with most free things though, those that use Bender do so at the expense of others who contribute/pay. It's that old Pareto Principle/vital few thing. For the film to succeed at the level they envisioned, they needed more of those trivial millions to invest in their common future and contribute. I'm sorry to see the full feature isn't going forward. From the trailer it looked very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted May 8, 2014 Hash Fellow Share Posted May 8, 2014 Planning to make an animated feature for $1 million is about the same as planning to make it for free. It's not enough to pay competent professionals for the time involved in doing all those shots which means they will be asking people to do a lot for free which i don't think a lot of people will do. TWO and SO stand as the only animated features completed as internet collaborations, paid or unpaid. And I'm the voice of the Scarecrow in both of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted May 8, 2014 Admin Share Posted May 8, 2014 And I'm the voice of the Scarecrow in both of them! And a fine Scarecrow voice you are/were. (I have a hard time imagining Scarecrow's voice as anything different) Planning to make an animated feature for $1 million is about the same as planning to make it for free. Despite the prevalence of cheap tools and technology there are apparently still some hurdles to overcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginsdj Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 The Blender user/support base measures in the millions. And what does that tell us then when we see the Gooseberry Project had 3,537 Supporters*. I'm not good at math but that means that the average supporter contributed a fairly large sum of money. I'm going to take a wild guess that many of those supporters were not individuals (unless you count the heads of studios as individuals). They intended hiring professional studios using Blender to do the work rather than using amateurs - BIG difference. Understood. But this suggests the goal is to improve the software... not create movies (The projects are there to improve the software... no secret there). But also BIG difference. The goal (at least one of them) with TWO was to make a movie. A side effect was that A:M (the program) would benefit. Blender is free I doubt I'll be able to convince you otherwise. *As with most free things though, those that use Bender do so at the expense of others who contribute/pay. It's that old Pareto Principle/vital few thing. For the film to succeed at the level they envisioned, they needed more of those trivial millions to invest in their common future and contribute. I'm sorry to see the full feature isn't going forward. From the trailer it looked very interesting. True - most of the users are only using it because it is free - not a loyalty thing. Yes - some supporters contributed very large sums of money (5 and 6 digit sums) - yes - some are companies. This includes the supply and provision of rendering services etc True - They only create these movies to enhance and expand on the software - although the movie is important - it's not as important as moving the software ahead - they don't keep this a secret. Holistically - yes - it's not free. But for the bulk of the software users - they pay nothing and get to use the software for nothing - hence it's 'free' Personally I do not think they are ready for a 'feature' film. Effectively this project was going to be a lot of short films following the same story tacked together. Does that make it a feature film - certainly not in th etraditional sense! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Rodney Posted May 9, 2014 Admin Share Posted May 9, 2014 Effectively this project was going to be a lot of short films following the same story tacked together. Does that make it a feature film - certainly not in th etraditional sense! Very good point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted May 9, 2014 Hash Fellow Share Posted May 9, 2014 The idea of making a movie is more attractive than making the movie turns out to be. One you actually start to make the movie you have to make a bunch of decisions that narrow down what the movie will be and then you lose the enthusiasm of all the people who were hoping it would be something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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