March 23, 2018 : New FLCL Premiere Dates Announced (And They Are Right Around The Corner)
Premiere dates for the two new FLCL seasons were recently announced. The 12 new episodes will be broken up into two 6-episode seasons.
The first season, FLCL: Progressive, will premiere June 2nd – while the following season, FLCL: Alternative, will air in September. The episodes will air in Japan and America concurrently (ala Space Dandy).
I have tried to avoid trailers or spoilers of any kind, but I did find out that the two seasons won’t have much in common. They will follow different characters and even had different crews working them (except for the high level positions like Chief Director and Script Writer).
To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about the different cast and crew for the two seasons. I was hoping for a unifying story. Yet again, FLCL tends to dance to the beat of a different drum. Either way, I’ll still watch whatever they make with bated breath.
One thing I do know: The Pillows are involved throughout; and for that, I’m stoked no matter what. Do you like Foo-Ree Coo-Ree?
posted by Pi Visuals at 9:38 pm
Tags: Adult Swim , FLCL , ToonamiComment
March 14, 2018 : Happy Pi Day!
You know what day it is? Of course you do – it’s the nerdiest day of them all, and this year it has been made extra nerdy special with an animation:
After you re-watch (and share) the video several times, be sure to reflect on the awesomeness that is Pi. Although, if you come to this site, I guess you already do that. Then again, if you regularly visit this site, you are probably fictional. Either way, Happy Pi Day!
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:14 pm
Tags: After Effects , Cinema 4D , PiComment
March 7, 2018 : Frame x Frame Tumblr
I apologize if the title had you believe the post was going to be about Hunter x Hunter (I really need to catch up on that series). Instead, it is about a tumblr I came across, Frame by Frame.
The site shows frame by frame sequences of various animations – from movies, shows, and even some sweet anime. It also includes a gif of the animation for reference. I find it both interesting and educational, which is why I’ve spent a lot of time perusing through it lately.
posted by Pi Visuals at 9:54 am
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February 14, 2018 : Animated Sequence Cut But Not Forgotten
A recent project was rather involved and had a lot of different animated sequences. There were plenty of moving pieces during Production, including re-writes to the script and storyboard.
As things progressed, it became evident that some of the sequences no longer fit the video’s overall message and had to get cut. Below is one such sequence that I particularly enjoyed:
All the animation was done in After Effects, while the icons were designed in Illustrator.
It was a bummer the client decided to ax the clip – albeit totally understandable. On the plus side, the animation was already complete so I kept it and plan on putting it on my reel.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:11 pm
Tags: After EffectsComment
January 28, 2018 : Checking In (And A Bebop Mention)
Has it really been over a month since my last post? Sadly, yes – but for good reasons. Since the New Year, things have been crazy hectic working on several projects. They have been fun but are slated to be around for a few more weeks.
Shifting gears, I came across this article, highlighting the fact that Cowboy Bebop turns 20 years old this April (although technically it didn’t premiere in the US until 2001). So how is Kyoto celebrating this event? By having an all night, 26 episode marathon of course. I’d totally go if I didn’t use my miles on that trip to Namek last Fall.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:44 am
Tags: Cowboy BebopComment
December 24, 2017 : Holiday Card – Scrapped Versions
For the first time ever, I made a Holiday Card this year. Below is the final product:
Overall, I like how it came out. Much like what was discussed in my previous post, there were several major versions required to get to the above – even though this was a personal project. One of the earlier iterations had a Snowman. It was very simple, but I liked it’s feel and was disappointed with not being able to use it.
The ornament overlay works better with the mosaic look of the other photos, but I enjoy the cartoon look of the Snowman. It was made in Illustrator, and I intentionally excluded edges. I didn’t think they would mesh well over the photos. Ultimately, it was the right call to not have the Snowman, but perhaps I’ll think of a use for him in the future.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:14 am
Tags: Holidays , IllustratorComment
December 16, 2017 : The Iterative Process Of Client Work
A little over a month ago, I took on a small Logo Animation Project for a tax software company. The video was to be played at a conference for employees during the CEO’s speech. As is usually the case, it was an iterative process – requiring multiple versions and revisions before the final video was delivered. The project was fun, and it evolved throughout its short life. Below is a recap of most of these versions to show its development:
There were certain elements of the earlier versions I really liked (the timing and movements would have needed tightening if they were to remain). However, the purpose of the video was to help convey a message, and the client didn’t want it to infer anything else. As such, things were cut and revisions were made.
The Client’s reasoning for each decision made perfect sense, and I made sure to move the project along to fit their vision. They know their brand, and it wasn’t my job to question that (for the record, they were very pleasant to work with).
The video’s final movements and timing played slower than my initial versions, but this wasn’t a Michael Bay movie. It was played during a CEO’s speech about a company merger at an employee based conference. So once again, the client is right. Plus, I’m not sure I would have wanted to be involved in a Michael Bay project. After The Last Ship, he’s got nowhere to go but down…
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:12 am
Tags: After EffectsComment
December 1, 2017 : YouTube Series – Anime Crimes Division
I came across a funny YouTube Series, Anime Crimes Division, which is pretty much what you’d expect it to be… a procedural show detailing the investigation of crimes against anime (and no they don’t just play episodes of Casshern Sins).
Crunchyroll co-produced the first season, which is three episodes long. I watched the first one and liked it. The anime jokes are solid… at least the ones I got. I would prefer more satire about the procedural genre, but that’s been done plenty of times. Jokes about anime is a bit more esoteric, but I like that kind of food.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:50 pm
Tags: AnimeComment
November 18, 2017 : Bulma And Her Relevance
There was some sad news reported this week – the Japanese voice actor who portrayed Bulma passed away. I never knew of her (although it looks like she had quite the career, including Meryl Stryfe from Trigun); and this doesn’t really impact the version of DBZ that I watch, but it’s still a bummer nonetheless.
The news actually got me thinking of the character of Bulma, and her role in the Dragon Ball franchise. Nowadays, she’s relegated to comic relief or Filler Material (and has been for quite some time). However, she did play a much more important role when Dragon Ball first started. She was the connecting character that framed Goku’s unbelievable skills, helping enfold the world of Dragon Ball.
She became less relevant when the tournament Sagas began. As DBZ moved on, she stayed around to help advance the story through her technological prowess (allowing for space travel and quick Dragon Ball hunting). Her knowledge of Dr. Gero sped along the faster moving plot of the Android and Cell Saga. However after that, she remained on the show mostly to be an incubator for half Saiyans. Although one could argue she also acts as an anchor for Vegeta.
Overall, Dragon Ball does a good job of ‘discarding’ obsolete characters. They will do an occasional call back for nostalgia sake, but they don’t let them bog things down. Bulma seems to be the exception. She seems to still sticks around, probably for the reasons mentioned above.
It’s easy to dismiss Bulma. She doesn’t have any powers, which is what DBZ became and the focus of Dragon Ball Super – and we had to endure her dealings with Frog Captain Ginyu (insert shudder here). However, the more I think about it, Bulma is the strongest female character in the franchise. She might be annoying at times, but you can also say that about what Gohan has became after the Cell Saga.
So for that, I think I have a new found respect for Bulma. She was (and still is… sorta) an important character. More so than Krillin. Although, every time he dies, it angers a Saiyan – and the aftermath of that is pretty cool to watch.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:40 pm
Tags: DBZ , Dragonball , RandomComment
October 28, 2017 : So The Matrix Code Was Supposed To Make Me Hungry?
Things have been busy and so it’s been a while since I’ve made a post. While I don’t have much substance to share at the moment, I’ll link to this article – which describes the inspiration for the design of the Matrix Code. As you’d expect, it was a mash up of… sushi recipes?
The article is pretty interesting. However, the part that really caught my attention was the latter half, which talked about new movies currently in pre-production. It technically isn’t considered a Reboot (thankfully), nor is the new material sequels. Instead, it is just expanding the universe. Color me intrigued.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:43 am
Tags: The MatrixComment