#the cgi was very smooth !!!

[choccorin]

watched episode 2 of blue lock with rinnie !! >_<

[koumeowkami]

people who say paralive anime's cgi is bad probably have never seen actual bad cgi (the argonavis anime)

[femmepeterparker]

ive been putting a lot of thought into why this:

triggers uncanniness more than this:

and i think it mostly comes down to the silouettes of the characters and the overreliance of cgi for the bodies.

in the stage productions of cats, there's a lot of work put into each cat's costume. unless the characters are intentionally meant to have similarities (e.g: mungojerrie and rumpleteazer, munkustrap and tugger, coricopat and tantomile, etc), they all look pretty distinct. even when characters have similar color pallets, they have distinct enough silouettes that it's easy to keep them separate in your head.

here is demeter, bombalurina, and jellylorum in the 98 movie. they have similar colors, but each detail in their hair, ears, shoulders, and even tails stands out and helps them look distinct from one another.

now let's take a look at the same trio in the 2019 movie.

despite each cat now having a different color pallet, they all have the same silouette and blend into the ensemble. each of the character is incredibly important to the cast, and instead of being easily picked out from the crowd, i had to look up demeter and jellylorum on the fan wiki just so i could remember what they looked like. honestly, if you didn't know what taylor swift looked like, would you be able to pick bombalurina from the crowd?

in my opinion, the cg fur definitely does not help. it smoothes out purposeful imperfections in the stage designs. also, oddly enough, almost none of the cats have any fluff around their heads, leading to a very weird silouette. they literally just look like humans with ears and tails.

just look at tugger in both films.

would you be able to believe that the 2019 version is supposed to be a big, fluffy maine coon cat? why is his silouette so different from 2019's munkustrap when they're supposed to be brothers?

in the 1998 movie (and all stage productions if we're being honest) it is incredibly easy to see these two are related. even without matching colors, they have similar silouettes.

in the 2019 version, munkustrap just looks like any other cat. i genuinely don't think anyone who has only seen the 2019 movie would know that tugger and munk are brothers, let alone that they are old deut's sons.

cats 2019 was a failure in many, many ways, including adapting the story and butchering the songs and characters. but it's so visually offputting because of the decision to smooth out any physical quirks the cats originally had in their designs. they're too sleek and just blend in with everyone around them. it's genuinely so disappointing to see such a colorful, vibrant, and uniquely costumed show turned into a muddy cg nightmare.

[theannoyingquestionsblog]

I think creepers are squishy.

like. moss over a puddle type thing . they are NOT grass!

this is creeper texture right here^

not whatever abomination they made for the Minecraft movie. I imagine they’re a lot more densely packed than the moss in the gif , similar to this :

even going for a “realistic” cgi look I really don’t think creepers should look very fuzzy at all. in my head they’re somehow smooth while still being made of moss.

[american-toast-250]

Since the first episode of DanDaDan is somehow stirring up old discourse about the Chainsaw Man anime adaption, I'm getting more and more convinced that the people who complain about CSM adaptation don't really understand the series. Don't get me wrong that surface level enjoyment is important and a major reason why I enjoy the series. Seeing a dude with chainsaw arms turn devils into piles of nothing but intestines is sick as fuck. But there are far more layers to Chainsaw Man that just that. It has Action, but it is not an Action series. It has comedic moment but is not a Comedy series. I would say it's primarily a drama horror series. The cinematography, editing, and muted colors of the anime let the characters and scenarios breathe and provide fantastic atmosphere. It's one of the best directed shonen jump adaptations of the modern era. Only the first episode of DanDaDan is out now but it's also fantastic. The vibrant colors and fluid animation and camera movements really showcase the frantic, zany energy of the manga. This works for DanDaDan because it's primarily an action comedy (and I'm told that the central romance becomes a core pillar later but I'm anime only) Applying this type to Chainsaw Man would ruin it. Don't take the volume pages at face value. Don't be one of those weirdos that hates any use of CGI because you're super wrong about that and don't know what you're talking about. Two series with different tones using different art styles to express that is a good thing. Both are excellent adaptations. PS: while I haven't seen the Look Back movie, people saying that Chainsaw Man anime should have more closely emulated Fujimoto's style like LB is a valid opinion to have but I disagree with. I think the anime captures the characters very well, and smoothing them out makes it easier to produce on a TV schedule.

[okkotsuus]

mi hermosa (sae i.) !

features: sae i.

contents: suggestive. sae is kinda ooc. reader is a model. hickies/neck kissing. sae feels you up kinda. gender-neautral reader. filming. sae is himself. vivid descriptions. insinuation at the end. 4.2k words.

notes: self-indulgent. my very very bad spanish. partial google translate bc i forgot most of my lessons. i just think not being able to understand what someone's saying but knowing what it means by how they say it is really hot. telenovelas are making me delulu. i luv sae.

heavily inspired by this edit from my queen koca ( @daiseukiis )

as you study your reflection in the glimmering surface of the bathroom mirror, you can't help but feel your own chest puff in pride. like a bird after hours of preening, even you were forced to acknowledge that you looked stunning at this moment.

maybe it was what felt like the endless hours you were forced to sit still while the makeup artists touched up every single pore and freckle on your face, or maybe it was just how they were able to bring out the untouchable features that were already there. either way, you felt as if you were on top of the world at this moment. you felt untouchable, unattainable.

the ringing of the bell signaling the end of the crew's lunch break drew you back into reality as you messed with the flyaway that had begun to escape what felt like a helmet of hairspray.

your shoes clicked against the tiled floor as you hurried on set. when you made it there, you saw the crew scrambling around as they finished the last props and lighting adjustments. they called every cue in a practice run and tested cgi with extras before taking the first shot.

you smoothed the clothes that hugged just right over your body. the material under your fingers felt expensive, smooth and soft. they were luxury for the brand that you were shooting and commercials for. along with other high dollar items, all to impose the idea of regality.

it was a perfume and cologne commercial. so it was guaranteed to be eccentric.

truth be told, you didn't even know what the shoot had in mind. you weren't part of the original cast, as you were still an up-and-coming model. but you were the only model who would agree to shoot on such a short notice.

your co-star, whom you had yet to even see, apparently had some sort of falling out with the person who was supposed to be in your spot. the crew had quietly pulled you to the side and told you that the moment he laid eyes on them, he immediately demanded for someone else, or he would quit. it made you so very anxious for him to see you, much less to co-star with him.

the thrumming of your heart pounded in your ears as your eyes flit to every corner of the room, trying to guess who you were going to be on screen with. if it went well, you would be able to get some connections out of this, right?

maybe a bit too optimistic for a guy who just looked at a model much more famous than you and threw a hissy-fit...

you saw the director approaching and quickly you attempt to compose yourself, not wanting your nervous sweat to make the mua's hard work run. you put on a wobbly smile as he greets you.

"y/n, great to see you, sorry again for the short notice! so, as you were told, today we are shooting a luxury l'eau de parfum commercial." you nod along, watching as he tells a personal assistant to go get a 'mr. itoshi.' you have no clue who that is, but he seems important given the way the pa broke into a cold perspiration at his name. maybe it was your tyrant of a co-star?

the director continues his rundown of the shoot, going over the details that normally would have been told before you would have signed the contract. "so, today you will be in very close proximity with your co-star. intimate touching, scantily clothed, innuendos, is that okay?"

you hesitate for a moment, since you were new: you had never done anything like this before. truth be told, you were feeling a little shy. until you saw him.

those half-lidded uncaring eyes of turquoise that had your heart racing from more than just the anxiety of it all. his hands are shoved deep into the pockets of his tight-fitting, black, suit pants. his white button-up is tucked in and only half buttoned, leaving a tempting portion of his toned chest teasingly exposed. a silver chain drums against his collarbones with every step he takes, darkened-blush hair ruffling with movement. god, he is stunning. just the sight of him had you nodding absent-mindedly to everything the director was saying. you didn't care about your doubts, as long as you were doing the intimate touching and scantily clothed-ness with him (for the commercial of course, nothing else...). you don't care how embarrassing it is.

he came to a stop an arms-length away from you, staring down at you under his nose. you can’t help but anxiously fidget; the confidence from earlier disappearing as you suddenly felt like the side character who’s screen time just ended, your presence completely being devoured by the main character that just entered the room under his scrutinizing gaze.

he huffs, clearing his throat before turning away from you. you wince, ready to be dismissed and humiliated, yet it never came.

"acceptable."

with that, he was gone. you were left gawking. all that pride you had lost was restored in an instant. he didn't instantly hate you? it was somehow the biggest ego boost you had been given in a long time.

the crew member who you had somehow become friends with starts squealing and bouncing up and down while you raise a shaky hand to feel the heat burning at your cheeks. is this real?

the final run of all the technical components finished and you went to join mr. itoshi on the set. unlike him, you weren’t aware of what was going on each scene, hence why the producer had to stage things more carefully. they weren't annoyed at all, instead thankful that she could find someone so last minute, even if it meant the shoot taking longer. it just wasn't worth the pay cut it would have taken to recast.

as the lights dim slightly, you turn your attention to the producer: sitting in her chair with the script.

"first of all, big thanks to y/n for making it on such short notice—” scattered claps from around the room all in your favor, “without them, we could never shoot this commercial! okay so, the first scene is going to be sae and y/n just sort of holding each other. it's intimate and coy, going to help us lead up to the bigger things going on later in the shoot. break a leg everyone!"

you felt your cheeks lightly warm at the description of the scene, clearing your throat before turning to sae, who was adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves and his open collar. you copy his professionalism and smooth out the wrinkles on your own luxury clothing items.

he takes a step closer to you and plants one hand on your hip, his fingers slightly digging into the plush of your skin as his other arm winds around your back loosely. sae’s breath fans over your face as he gently huffs through his nose. lashes fluttering as those aquamarine hues zero in on you, with his plush, pink lips parting slightly.

all of it is head-spinning, mind-boggling, he is so captivating. but you force yourself to remember this is a job. so you rest one of your hands over his muscular bicep, the other fisting the collar of his half undone shirt. your head tilts to the side to allow yourself to inch closer to him. the world goes silent and the two of you just stare at each other.

it was a moment frozen in time, both of your lashes flutter as you maintain that heavy stare. breath fanning in the small yet far too large gap between the two of you. your back is subtly arching as you press yourself further into him.

"cut!"

yes, all for the shoot, of course...nothing else, no other reason.

sae steps back from you, your arms stay up for a moment before falling limply to your side. you clear your throat and turn to the producer, desperately hoping that it didn't need another take, you weren't sure if your heart could take it.

"amazing job, that was a flawless take! y/n, you should really consider becoming an actor, the chemistry you created with sae was palpable. great work, take five while we get ready for the next scene, you two!"

you breathlessly thank her and scramble offstage, returning to hair and makeup to see if anything needed to be retouched. while the artist was touching up your lips and powdering your nose, you couldn't get sae's touch out of your mind. it lingered on your skin like a brand, hot and heavy.

your next costume was to change into a button-up just like the one sae was wearing, it was left even more unbuttoned. you were given a pair of white safety shorts to wear under it, a very obvious illusionary tactic of being pantless. you couldn't help but feel shy.

it was call time so you returned to the set, eyes locking on sae who abandoned the white shirt he was in and instead just wearing those fitted, black pants. he still had the necklace on; on that tempting delicacy of a body he has. you force yourself to focus on that. lest your vision slip to his sculpted torso, again.

when your eyes meet his after he catches you desperately trying not to stare, he had this cocky light to him. this time he isn’t looking down at you, more like looking through his lashes. it’s entrancing. he makes you want to curl up in a ball and disappear. he makes your stomach twist and heart race.

the producer came in and sat down, delivering the brief of the scene. "okay, so this scene is pretty tame as well, just the costume change makes it more risque. so basically sae is standing in the bathroom and y/n comes up behind him as rests their chin on his shoulder. with how things are going, it should likely be done in one take. break a leg!"

sae stood at the counter, hands on the counter and he leaned down and leered into the mirror at his own reflection. his eyes lidded as he licked his lips and tugged on his bottom one with his teeth.

you took a deep breath and approached him when the clapperboard slammed shut. your steps are soft as you pad against the faux tile, rising to your tippy-toes to hook your chin at the junction of his neck and shoulder. your arms wrap around him and rested atop his hands on the counter. smelling something almost intoxicating you sniffed at his neck, it was a cologne: hints of musk and teak-wood. it was the kind of scent that had your eyes rolling back into your head, which you were able to refrain from, luckily.

your touch lingered as they announced the end of the scene, dragging your fingers lightly against his skin. his eyes caught you as he raised a questioning brow, leaning back against the bathroom counter. your eyes traced every rise and fall of his abs before you turned and left in a flustered huff, not noticing the quirk of his lips in the slightest smirk.

as you snuck away, regretting it immediately, he caught you. slightly off to the side and away from peering eyes, sae itoshi looms over you with that intense stare you figured was just for the cameras. his lips rested against the shell of your ear as he breathed out a whisper. "ten cuidado, cosita hermosa...*"

you can’t help the shiver that runs up your spine as a whine is pulled out from your chest. you desperately hope he hasn’t heard it, but he very clearly did when that smug look came in view. his hands gripped your hips as he said one last thing before departing. "no empieces cosas que no puedas terminar.**" again, he was gone.

you felt your back meet the wall behind you as you covered your mouth, trying to stabilize your racing heart. you have not a single clue what he said, but you just couldn't help but feel the effects of its trance regardless.

it took a long time for you to drag yourself back to hair and makeup, they had to powder your entire face pretty much. your now ruffled hair took a little fixing due to that…moment. luckily, you didn't need a costume change. all costumes did was spray something, likely the perfume you're advertising, onto the insides of your wrists and neck.

you spaced out during the producers instructions, leaning against the counter-top. your attention being forced back onto the shoot when all of the sudden sae is caging you against the counter. one hand pinned yours atop the porcelain where it had rested, the other gripping your wrist and brought it to his face, where he pressed a searing kiss to it.

he sniffed at it and a cheshire grin split his face, "y'know this one's my favorite baby. makes me want you..." he groans the ending, leaning closer and pressing his lips to your neck. you couldn't remember if this was a scripted line or not, but you couldn't bring yourself to care; you'd savor it the same either way.

you lean your head back and rest your unrestrained hand on the back of his head, fingers threading in light mahogany tresses. he kisses up the column of your neck, nose digging against the exact places where the stylists had sprayed the perfume. you can’t help the whimper that slips from your lips at the subtle nips he makes at your skin. they're light enough not to turn red and leave marks that makeup would have to cover, but you can feel them. you can feel every drag of his tongue and every mold of his lips against your searing skin.

his head lifted from his torturous kisses as his eyes bore into yours, you feel so small under his gaze, like you were pressed under his thumb. he leans in and your eyes squeeze shut as his lips ghost over yours. your grip on his hair tightens as your back arched to press your chest against his.

everything just felt so real.

maybe that's why the producer yelled another enthusiastic "cut!" it you jumping and startled. your eyes met sae's taunting gaze as he pulls away, leaving you limp and boneless against the counter as you reeled from all that.

"wonderful work guys, we're making up for all the time we had lost with sae's... fit—” to which he rolled his eyes, remembering that event and sae’s glaring hues, “keep it up! gosh this is wonderful acting, i really need this kind of stuff from my cast on the film we're shooting tomorrow... next one is the last scene we'll need you two together on set for."

your heart aches a little at that, but at the same time it has you puffing a sigh of relief. you couldn't handle this any longer, he was just so... so? intense, alluring, intoxicating? nothing seemed right, these words were all too mild to encompass what sae itoshi was.

your hands reached up to cup your cheeks, feeling their burning intensity on your palms. you shook your head and mentally give yourself a pep talk before going over to get your final touch-ups and clothing adjustments.

your shirt was pulled down to expose your shoulders, the open buttons drawled down to just above your stomach. hair and make-up left you alone, saying that it would be better for them to be slightly messed up anyways. that made you slightly realize what this scene was going to be showing.

you can’t help but feel hot under the collar, or well; lack of a collar, now. you couldn't look sae in the eyes when you saw the set: a bed with slightly ruffled white sheets. what you were able to notice was that he had lost the belt on his pants, which were now unbuttoned and unzipped. they sag down lower on his hips, revealing the line of muscles that ended when the branded band of his boxers peeked out just below a slight trail of hair on his lower stomach.

you gulp, eyes finding every single thing you could fixate on except sae. the changing lights, the rush yet control of the crew as they all got ready for the camera to roll, the producer talking. oh wait the producer is talking.

"—or this scene, we're going to have both of you on the bed. sae will be on top of y/n, face in their neck. y/n will have their legs slightly around him, and i trust you to know where your hands need to go. oh, and you're going to be looking into a camera above you. you both have been doing so well, i've never had a shoot with two actors who have never met, much less ones who have gone this well. let's finish it up people!"

you sort of just stood there, stunned. you’re pulled over to the bed by sae, who has that slight wolfish grin playing on his lips. he puts his hands on your shoulders, leaning into be closer to your face. to the outside eye, it looked like he was giving a co-star a pep talk, how sweet.

but you knew different, you saw the grin and narrowing of his turquoise eyes, the way his fingers dig into your skin. you knew this was anything but a friendly chat. "wouldn't it be such a shame if they all found out that you weren't acting, that you were really just this desperate for me, hermosa?***" his breath was hot and his voice rasped, it was so addicting, you couldn't help the shudder that wracked up your spine as you dumbly nodded.

sae looks you over, head to toe, one last time before pulling away as his expression returns to neutral. you let out a shaky sigh and sat back on the bed, scooting to be further in the center. you sit there for a moment before laying down.

you can’t help the nervous feeling in your stomach that swirls as sae slowly stalks towards you; he was the predator locking on to his prey. there was a hunger in his eyes that was just too intense.

languidly, he crawls along the bed to you. he stops, hovering over you and looking at you with that same unruly need. he leans ever so closer, close enough to feel his breath fanning over your lips.

his eyes study you, taking in every single reaction you make. you feel his analytical gaze run over every curve and dip of your body, soaking you in and engraving it into his mind. his hands plant themselves on your hips, effectively pinning them to the mattress as he puts some of his weight on them. he slots one of his knees between your own, which you had so pathetically clamped shut.

you lift the leg that wasn't between his up to loosely rest over his lower back, hooking and keeping him there. you brought one of your hands to splay over the wide span of his back, between his shoulder blades. the other was placed at the nape of his neck, fisting and grabbing at the strands of hair that fell a little longer than the rest. his head was pulled down to bury his face in the crook of your neck, breath puffing over spots that had you shuddering in place.

"ayyy... mi hermosa es una gran 'actriz', ¿no?****" his words were hot against the side of your neck, feathering over your skin. you couldn't help the twisting and curling of your stomach at his words, which you didn't understand a lick of. it was just the way he rasped and twined every syllable that had you quivering under his voice, under his touch, under him.

you heard the snap of the clapperboard, but it was all muted. everything sounded faint. your senses were too focused on the calculated squeezes that sae gave on the width of your hips, roiling and kneading flesh under deft, lithe fingers. you too were focusing on the open-mouthed kisses he was trailing along the junction of your neck and shoulder, the column of your throat, your jawline. every drag of his lips, every swipe of his tongue, it had you shaking like a leaf in the wind.

the expression you sent to the camera hanging above you was nowhere near acting. it was the kind of raw desire that actors wished they could emanate. you tug at his hair, trying to pull him a little further back; to spare yourself from this torment. he only lets a rumble escape his chest, nipping along your heated skin, which had become slightly sheened from an ever-so-thin layer of sweat.

the way your back arches off the plush mattress, leg that wasn't wound around him kicking pitifully at the sheets, it was downright sinful. it made you feel pathetic, falling so pliably into the hands of a man you haven't even known for three hours. so desperately begging him for more with unspoken mannerisms and looks. it was like public humiliation; the way he had you under his control to the very point of your toes curling against the pure white sheets that crumpled around you.

you stare at yourself in the reflective lens of the camera that stares down at you, forever capturing this moment; before it is broadcasted to millions, if not billions of people. it caught every facet, every single little tick until you had exploded. it caught your widened eyes, which screw themselves shut. it caught your hands gripping and pulling at locks of blush hair. it caught your agape mouth, lips glossy with your own spit; and it caught you sinking your teeth into the pillowy flesh of your bottom lip to silence yourself. it caught every ministration sae subjected you to, and every little receptive reaction you gave him in return.

that red blinking light in it died, but you couldn't bring yourself to tap out. drunk on the feeling you pulled him closer, stretching to hook your chin over his shoulder: burying yourself in his scent, in him.

"...ut! guys, that's cut!" gods, it was so hard to snap yourself back to reality. your eyes flicker over to the producer, who was staring so closely at the two of you. in a hushed whisper you shook sae, telling him to get off of you. to which he answered, "don't care, let 'em watch."

you pushed him up with your palms butting against the front of his shoulders, ignoring the pointed glare he gives you. "well i do, so off." with that, you slipped away from him. you sat against the front of the stage, waiting for feedback. the air of the fans made the spit on your neck from sae's searing kisses feel cold, sending a shiver racking up your spine.

the man stands behind you, shadow looming over and consuming your own. your shoulders rounded as you huddled in on yourself from his all-consuming presence, trying to hide the fluttery feeling in your stomach.

"great work, that'll be all we need you two together for, and all we'll need y/n for. thank you for the great work!" the crew clapped and you felt a smile stretch your cheeks. even if it wasn't all acting, you couldn't help the pride that swelled in your chest at their praise.

you gather up your things, not seeing sae again. bidding farewell to everyone: the producer, the director, and every crew member who worked specifically with you, not hearing a word from sae. as you walk out of the door, you saw a familiar figure leaning against the metal-sheeted wall, sae.

turquoise eyes glanced over at you, not nearly as cold as they were the first time they had. if anything, the hues that cast an ever so dark spell on you and your beating heart. he raises himself from the wall, walking towards your figure. hands in the pockets of a pair of grey sweatpants, a black compression shirt stretching over his broad chest. fuck, what was he doing to you?

his hand tucks a strand of hair away from your face, fingers sliding from where he had left it behind your ear along your jaw. he holds your chin between his fingertips, gentle but steadily raising your head to look up to his eyes. his other hand starts to creep under the hem of your shirt, drawing circles so faint they give you goosebumps along the soft flesh of your tummy.

"what'd ya say we pick up where we left off back at my place, mi hermosa?*****"

* = "be careful, pretty thing..."

** = "don't start things you can't finish."

*** = "...beautiful?"

**** = "ayyy... my beautiful is a great 'actor', no?"

***** = "... my love"

okkotsuus 23

[mimicmockingbirds]

OK, but hear me out

Say Ride the Cyclone were to be adapted into a film; imagine how much fun it would be to see it animated.

Because for the main plot, like the intro song and the mostly dialogue scenes in limbo, you could easily do a stylistic, but still grounded in realism style that a lot of modern animated projects are doing right now (think Arcane or Into the Spider Verse). But once each of the kids go into their respective songs/fantasies for what their life could have been? What if those were done in completely different styles?? Imagine the additional, visual storytelling that would tell about who they are as characters?

Like say, for Ocean's number, WTWN, everything became more simplified, and the characters (especially Ocean herself) turned into a more rounded, chibi-like style to enhance just how cutesy and likeable she's trying to portray herself throughout that number.

Or for Noel's Lament, everything goes black and white, and the characters become even more 2D stylized, and the film scales down to a smaller millimeter frame, more reminiscent of cartoons from the early 20's, when animation was just starting out, to enhance his idealization of "the olden days" (as Ocean puts it).

Mischa's song, This Song is Awesome could be animated with a more choppy frame rate, and the character designs turn a little more jagged around the edges, kind of like animated music videos (I'm thinking a Gorillaz band vibe). But as he transitions into singing about Talia, the colors start to bleed out over their lineart, and become more paint-like and Talia herself moves like a rotoscoped character (think Loving, Vincent that came out a few years ago) to enhance the sense that she's somewhere between a real person and a fantasy Mischa's built in his mind.

Ricky's song would, of course, be stylized after those sci-fi cartoons from the 90's, like X-Men or Captain Planet.

For the Ballad of Jane Doe, I would love to see something like what Wolfwalkers did back in 2020, where most of the characters (in this case, the other kids) are for the most part, animated like traditional, 2D characters with very clean lines and neat movements, whereas Jane herself stands out for having messier, sketchy line art, and looks more and more unfinished in her animation as the song goes on, because she can feel more and more of her own identity being lost.

Constance's Sugar Cloud I could see done in the classic 2D Disney style (i.e., the Renaissance era of Disney, like the Lion King or Little Mermaid days) because not only is it really smooth and colorful and just all around nice to look at, but it reminds the average moviegoer of their childhood growing up with those movies (among others, obviously), which ties in nicely with Constance's preceding monologue about remembering her own life, and the good that came with the bad.

I'm even tempted to envision the first half of the finale song in a different style, when the stage production would show a quick projection of Jane/Penny's life after she returned to the world of the living. Imagine watching this animated film, and for that segment alone, it becomes that really hyper-realistic, almost uncanny valley CGI animation style, to show that she really has joined the world of the living, i.e. our world, among us, the living breathing movie goers watching this, and watching the other kids still in limbo fade back to that main art style for the final number.

I don't know; it just feels like something that would be so engaging to see from an already compelling storyline and characters. Especially with more experimental animation projects on the rise right now

[thephantomcasebook]

Martin's post really solidified the fandom divide and even channels that are trying to smooth things over are getting blacklash. And while I knew Ryan becomes very full of pride, and so he probably will not change his plans, I also think about how much hbo needs this show to not fail. So I wonder if this will affect S3 somehow, and they will try to curse correct at least the Maelor and Alicent stuff.

Nope, not a chance.

Condal is backed by HBO, under the false assumption that his plans are popular. Condal - if he takes anything from the backlash - will believe that the reason everyone hates Season 2 is because we didn't have any battles and the season got cut off.

Because of his false assumption that he and Sara Hess's scripts and ideas are genius, he'll stuff Season 3 with action and battles to try and make up for what he perceives as what the audience wants.

In reality he'll take HOTD right into a meat grinder that is reminiscent of Season 7-8 of "Game of Thrones". In which he believes now that he has all the characters established and down therefore he can put character development on the backburner to put his foot on the gas and rush into The Dance.

Condal and Hess are a mixture of pettiness, stupidity, and arrogance. They'll never course correct and GRRM turning against them and their vision will be soothed by the studio that has historically learned all the wrong lessons in the past - which is why they're 50 Billion Dollars in debt.

Condal, in his heart, truly believes that he's right and the fans, the hardcore fans, and GRRM are wrong. Not only that, he thinks that CGI Dragons going "Pew! Pew!" at each other will sate the normie audience enough to carry his show that is sinking under bad premises and atrocious character writing.

Alicent and Rhaenyra will be the focus of Season 3 in King's Landing - which literally no one wants. Daeron will be a footnote as a way of punishing the hardcore book fans and GRRM for pushing so hard for a character that he nor Hess wanted in the show. They'll axe Maelor from existing to protect Rhaenyra. And it'll be over all mindless garbage with CGI Dragons fighting so that retards in a bar can make monkey chatters at every cheap pop.

[athanza]

My take on The Ghoul "smooth skin" complaints:

1. They may have wanted to save money because they probably blew most of their budget on CGI.

2. They probably wanted to spare the actor having to sit in a chair for 5 years every time he was needed.

3. Wearing contacts for extended periods of time SUCKS, especially the big ones that cover most of your eye, and a lot of actors wouldn't want to be wearing them for very long so maybe they just said "fuck it" and didn't bother (which doesn't mean they couldn't use CGI but it would suck trying to edit this dude's eyes in every frame of footage and he looks like he's in a lot of episodes).

4. It really isn't that bad?? Like fr??????

5. Are you really gonna let this tiny detail ruin the show for you before you've even watched it??? Shut up.

[indieyuugure]

Hey Indie, so I have a question. What are your thoughts on mutant mayhem or the bayverse movies?

I think Mutant Mayhem is incredibly good, while the Bayverse movies are contently mediocre.

Like, don’t get me wrong, the bayverse movies were pretty good (the second more so than the first), but I think in comparison to Mutant Mayhem which is—in my opinion—a masterpiece, the bayverse movies are just pretty good. Like “Not Bad but Not Mind-Blowing” if that makes any sense.

Mutant Mayhem has a well written plot, it’s captivating and makes sense. The characters in it are also well written, hilarious and consistently in character. I love the artistic style of the movie, it looks sketchy and messy, and the animation is smooth yet choppy in all the right ways. The way the dialogue is done too really adds so much life to the movie, it feels very real and in many cases is recorded banter of the voice actors. I think because of the 2D animation medium they chose, the sky was the limit and they took full advantage of it.

The first Bayverse movie isn’t really as good as the second which I felt was better, but I’ll try to judge their vibes as a whole. I think the plots often think they’re more clever than they are, but are not bad per se, like I’d say as far as action movies go it’s probably average. I actually think they did a really good job on the CGI and designs of the turtles. I know many people say the designs are creepy and a bit disturbing, but I think the thing is that the turtles are supposed to look that way. In the cartoons fans always are like “How could you scream at this??” Not realizing the kids animation stylization filter on the world. So yeah, I think that was extremely well done. April and Casey are kinda cringe, but Shredder and Krang are pretty cool. I’d say for being a live action movie of TMNT, it didn’t do too bad.

Hope that’s what you wanted, lol 😂

Good question! :]

[antirepurp]

there's a certain magic to sonic 06 that you can't really find in other games, at least not very easily. it feels like a game that's somehow forbidden, that you shouldn't be playing it, when the physics get a little weird and the menus aren't all that smooth and upgrades are implemented and spaced out so oddly. you play the game and feel like you should be reporting your experience to someone, give them feedback on the things that are jank and weird so they can change things around and make the game better. but there's no one to report to, it's just you and your tv and your console running the game

it's not a game that is finished and you know it, but you bought it and it came in a case with an instruction manual that talks about a shield powerup you can't find anywhere in the game. the little things pile up into bigger things, some that frustrate you, others that amuse you, and even so there's a core of a compelling game in your hands. you watch the cgi cutscene with beautifully rendered fire and detailed models, before you're spat back into a hub world that feels barren and looks desaturated. the soundtrack makes its way into one of your playlists and reminds you of how long it took you to figure out the boarding physics in white acropolis. time muds the memories and makes you forget how awful radical train is two thirds of the time; you can only remember the relief when you finally made it through

games like sonic 06 don't get released anymore when greater care is put into the development process and post-release patches and dlc exist to address the leftover bugs and glitches and unwanted jank. it's a time capsule just as much as it's a proof of concept, a beta version you weren't supposed to ever hold in your hands. it is broken and it is unfinished and it is so, so beautiful

[marzipanandminutiae]

My (admittedly imperfect) rule of thumb if something is AI. is to see how shiny it is. AI pictures have a weird almost...shininess to them. You can especially see it in those 'CGI wannabe Disney' type pics. real CGI and real things dont look as shiny as they do in AI pictures. Even in the petrified wood, it's a little subtle but if you look hard enough, it's shiny. Too shiny.

Oh yes, I usually recognize it- or at least get suspicious -by the unnatural smoothness. However, I've also seen images I could have sworn were AI but they actually weren't, so in this case I was willing to believe it because Nature Is Stranger Than Fiction and the caption was assuring me it was not AI!!!! (I suppose that should have been suspicious, but I've seen weirder real images than Very Shiny Colorful Log, so...yeah.

Thanks for the recommendation!

[bryce-bucher]

Basidia Post #4

Vintage CGI:

Modus Interactive and I have been spending the last week or so learning how to use Alias Power Animator 9 which is essentially an old version of maya. It was used on sgi workstations back in the day on games like ff7 and mario64 for all the pre-rendered stuff. For a long time Modus and I have been pretty invested in learning how to replicate the look of old pre-rendered stuff, and, as it turns out, the best way was just to do it how they did it. For so long I tried to wrap my head around how old cgi stuff was modeled because the sorts of shapes that were often created seemed like they'd be unnecessarily hard to create with polygons. The thing that specifically stumped me for a while was how they handled wrinkles in clothing and organic shapes. As it turns out, the answer was hidden right under my nose the whole time. They weren't using polygons at all! Instead they were modeling with NURBS! It seems very obvious in hindsight, but I feel like I deleted the memory of NURBS once I exited highschool, and nobody ever seems to talk about or use them these days. If you don't know what they are, it's basically a style of modeling that involves making a bunch of bezier curves and using them to define surfaces. It's a totally different style of modeling from polygons with a lot of pros and cons, but it achieves that smooth look we're after extremely well.

Scout Rifle Render:

As shown in the pics above, I decided to make a model of the scout rifle in Basidia so that we could use it for an item icon. The process was definitely a learning experience, and one of the things I learned is that modeling like this is super fun. It's like creating each shape is a puzzle where you need to theorize what is the best approach to take, and following through is always a multi-step process of defining a surface and slicing it up. I find it super satisfying to pull off, and making slapping materials on it is always fun as well. Moving forward we are probably gonna use this program and/or older versions of maya to create any pre-rendered item icons or backgrounds that we'll be needing. Modus actually made new versions of the vials in it as well which I will put right here \/

Wow there it is would u look at that. Power Animator just has an amazing way of outputting some unique, rich colors that are hard to get in modern software. I mean, just look at that cork. How do you make a cork have such interesting colors? Amazing. Fuck it, I'm gonna show off a little guy I made in power animator that has nothing to do with Basidia. I've been hyperfixating on this program since I downloaded it so I owe this to myself.

Here he is! Power animator has this amazing glow effect you can put on any shader that adds this bloom as a post processing layer. I used it on the head in this one, and I think it achieves a particular dreamlike effect really well. The sorts of shapes I can get for cloth out of NURBS is also super fun and rewarding, as shown with the cape here. Character modeling is something I'm always really excited about, and I'll definitely be modeling some Basidia characters in this thing.

Conclusion:

I am loving this program and I cannot stop thinking about it. Anyway, I have some commissions to take care of before switching back to midwest lost development, so I may or may not be posting about that game next week. I'm trying to buy an old sgi workstation with the commission money, and, if I can pull that off, then I will have access to all the old software they used back then (including the IRIX version of poweranimator). If you want to check out power animator yourself then here is a link to the program, and here is a helpful tutorial. Oke bye take care!

[thekaijudude]

New Godzilla Minus One Teaser

The CGI is very smooth with this one

[faelapis]

tentative/fluctuating ranking of the wicked movie songs:

no one mourns the wicked

dancing through life

popular

defying gravity

what is this feeling

the wizard and i

a sentimental man

i’m not that girl

one short day

something bad

dear old shiz

various thoughts/justifications below:

i know i’m probably the only person who’s ranking “a sentimental man” this high, but... i really like that song 😭 and i thought how they staged it was lovely. simple, but effective and charming.

people will also be aghast at how low i put “one short day," but 1) i was already spoiled of the surprise cameos, 2) the visuals were fun & energetic, but the actual Song/vocals didn’t fully click for me, 3) i don’t value cameos that highly, however fun they may be. good performance (the standard is high!), but not my favorite. 🤷‍♂️

i guess i should justify “defying gravity” not being top 3. honestly, it's more because of the strength of three songs above it, which are AMAZING. it's still very good, though! i already knew the vocals were going to be perfect. i think the only thing that’s really dragging it down a tiiiiiny bit is the visuals. they’re mostly good, but there’s just a coooouple moments when there’s a bit too much CGI for my liking.

especially cuz i saw behind-the-scenes footage of cynthia actually doing live flying stunts. i was hoping the use of practical effects meant the flying parts were going to look more “real”, i guess? it was mostly fine, though. some moments REALLY shine - the “fall” sequence is really good (you'll know what i mean when you see it), as is the new “unlimited” part they added near the end.

so for the most part, it’s a great number! i just had sky-high expectations from the start!

cynthia erivo is perfect in every song, so that’s not really a commentary on one specific number... but imo her best scene is actually the ozdust ballroom. every emotion is on her Face rather than in song. she doesn't have to say a word. every "weird kid at high school" trauma already burns in your soul.

but the ending of defying gravity also deserves a shoutout here for acting reasons. and i Don’t just mean the scream. i also mean the way she emotes, as she goes from the airy “unlimited” to the growly “aaand NOBODY. in ALL of oz!” its so raw and visceral and free.

i should also say, i like ALL the songs. yes, the standard is that high. yes, even "dear old shiz." i actually listen to the studio cut of that one quite a bit. what can i say, i like the choir! i think it was just somewhat unmemorable. plus, something had to be at the bottom, but there’s things i like about all of these. “something bad” had good visuals that elevated it, too.

"popular" was amazing??? especially because my expectations were not high. like when they released that fuckass lyric video that did NOT showcase it well AT ALL. 😭 it’s WAY better in the actual movie! i promise!

so yes, these are somewhat impacted by what my “expectations going in” were like. i am biased. like anyone. but that's also a reflection of how good the songs are in their "neutral" state, so there's a graded curve where i expect more from the songs i love more. (in a more "objective" sense - although i hate that word when it comes to judging art - "defying gravity" is probably 2nd or 1st).

but ariana genuinely does kill it! her "popular" is funny, charming. and even sincerely well-intentioned. visuals are fabulous, and the new “finale” part is wonderfully overdramatic. it’s so great.

“dancing through life"... i mean... damn. what is there to say about jonathan bailey that hasn’t already been said by every critic on earth? he’s perfect. it’s fun, it’s sexy, the choreo and timing is smooth and slick. it makes you really WANT to be a part of the crowd, dancing (through life).

apologies for going on, but i need to talk about my number one: "no one mourns the wicked." because wow. wow. wow wow wow. this song works much better in the movie than on stage. full stop. no contest.

i think one reason is that you actually buy it as a celebration, at first? in the musical, the instrumentation and the way the munchkins are singing is so aggro right from the start. there’s no way to read it other than satire of a witch-burning. it's too over-the-top.

in the movie, the music feels more genuinely triumphant. it doesn't beat you over the head with it being "wrong" for them to celebrate - at least not at first. you are surrounded by light and happiness. you actually believe the munchkins relief as they’re tearing doing the witch posters. they are safe. the witch is dead. good news!

until “no one cries they won’t return / no one lays a lily on their grave”, the only hint of something feeling Wrong is glinda herself. ariana is genuinely incredible in the scene. the most miserable person in the world, surrounded by the loudest cheers.

the way her eyes seem completely black, empty, and So tired as she pops the bubble with a little fake smile is actually slightly terrifying. she seems just a bit inhuman, by her own design. it’s 10/10.

the whole number looks visually stunning. them all throwing flowers in delight as glinda forces herself to join in (and trying not to have an emotional breakdown) is haunting. a celebration for them, but with glinda trying to rid herself of her feelings with each movement.

it really turns what IN RETROSPECT is a very difficult moment for glinda in the show, into an emotional reckoning in the present. ariana does that better than the best of glindas.

it’s hard to pick a favorite moment (it’s all brilliant), but i think the part where the munchkins hand glinda the fire and make HER throw it on the witch effigy is the most intense one. it feels like every emotion she’s ever had about elphaba is a part of that throw.

the final chorus is absolutely incredible. it really feels like glinda pouring her heart out in the most socially acceptable form she can manage. at any point, i expected her to break and start screaming - i'm not the first to say this, but the final chorus CAN be read as a barely-disguised scream.

and ariana's soprano is INSANE. it's like it was designed to immediately shut down any discussion about whether she deserved the role. she does. she IS glinda, start to finish.

what else… uhh i really enjoyed "what is this feeling", good use of choreo. big theater kid energy. not a lot to say about it, but it was fun. glinda breaking the illusion of the “wall” between them is funny, as is all the students pouring out their “condolences” for her lol.

"the wizard and i" is also great. cynthia gives it a lot of warmth and joy. the segment where she fantasizes about her greenness being “fixed” while surrounded by stained glass pieces is really pretty. honestly, i might bump it up a spot or two!

i don't think anything is going to change my current number one, though. it's just outstanding.

[icedcoolatta]

A History of My Favorite McDonald’s Mascot, Mac Tonight

so. this is something i feel very strongly about.

this is mac tonight.

a lot of people know him as moon man.

i do not like this.

moon man, while originally being a nickname he was called in commercials, is now the name of his “fanmade” racist alter ego popularized by the alt right. i shouldn’t have to explain why this is a problem.

thankfully, this character has died down in popularity recently, so i’m taking it upon myself to rip off that ugly mask and tell you all a little about the most creative, smooth, and personally iconic mcdonald’s mascot out of all of them, Mac Tonight.

origins

in 1959, Bobby Darin released his cover of the song “Mack the Knife”. decades later, in the early 80s, some marketing guy trying to come up with an ad campaign for mcdonald’s thought “hey this song about a killer would be perfect parody material for a fast food company!”, and thus, the mcdonald’s parody was born.

Mac Tonight also drew inspiration from Max Headroom, the character. not the broadcast hijacking that used his face.

usage

in the mid 80s, the commercials started rolling in for McDonald’s brand new 24 hour policy. and they were a hit. for good reason! i am a massive fan of Mac Tonight, if it wasn’t clear, and i adore every one of these.

i would link one, but the feature doesn’t seem to be working for me at the moment…

the commercials were jazzy, smooth, maybe repetitive, but they were fun. Mac Tonight got so popular they made several statues and singing animatronics to place in restaurants across the globe.

eventually, Bobby Darin’s son found out, and sued McDonalds for using his fathers song uncredited and without permission. this was, temporarily, the end of Mac Tonight in advertising. however, in the late 90s, he began being used again in various non-musical commercials.

downfall

unfortunately, this is where moon man comes in. he is Mac Tonight’s white supremacist rapping internet persona that 4chan probably made.

i earnestly, for the life of me, cannot imagine why they would want to ruin such a beloved mascot.

he was so widespread McDonald’s tore down several Mac Tonight physical incarnations in restaurants everywhere.

Mac Tonight’s latest usage was in a Singaporean ad in 2007, a singing CGI rendition, that is still lovely despite the lack of Mack the Knife parody.

Defunctland made a wonderful video on the history of this icon.

i am thrilled to inform you all on this mascot i adore, and i hope more people love him as time goes on. down with the moon man.