June 6, 2016 : New Ultra Vector Artwork
I recently dusted off Ultra and created a quick document that summarized the intent of the project if it were to become a series (a mini-Pitch Bible of sorts). I limited it to four pages but made sure it covered the essentials: a general overview, character bios, and potential future episodes. To spice up the document – and prevent it from being too bland – I created some vector artwork to accompany the text.
As you’d expect, this was done in Illustrator. Coming up with the design took some time. It wasn’t easy creating a graphic that wasn’t a still image from the animation. It needed to capture the essence of Ultra without focusing too much on a particular character or event. Plus it needed to be black and white to complement the text. Ultimately, I was making a logo, and I was happy with the end result. It was placed off to the left of each page:
The graphic ensured the pages weren’t too text heavy. Having just a bunch of paragraphs would have made the document much less appealing to read. Overall, I was very pleased with the layout template for each page. As a side note, the bullet points were also made in Illustrator, and I felt they were a nice touch.
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:48 pm
Tags: UltraComment
May 27, 2016 : ‘Player Two’ Animated Short
I saw a cool student animation film on Vimeo earlier this week. If you have just under four minutes, it’s worth a view.
There are several reasons why I enjoyed the short: the video game references, the subtle music track, and the overall message. However, I was particularly surprised with how much I liked the design.
I assumed it was rotoscoped, which is confirmed by the creator in the video’s description, and normally I am not a huge fan. I think the jagged edges often come off too jarring. This film didn’t use edges, which reminded me of Samurai Jack, and the softness works by offsetting the fast movements.
To be fair, I never really considered my brother Player One or Two – but he is definitely Player B in my mind.
posted by Pi Visuals at 7:50 pm
Tags: AnimationComment
May 16, 2016 : Gundam Back On Toonami
I remember when I was first introduced to the Gundam franchise. It was Gundam Wing, via Toonami… when it was still on Monday through Friday. It was a captivating series, but sadly was followed up with some lackluster iterations – the last one being Mobile Suit Gundam SEED in 2004. There hasn’t been a Gundam franchise on Toonami (or Cartoon Network) since… until now.
A few weeks ago during their upfronts, Cartoon Network announced Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans will start up on Toonami in June. This entails all 25 episodes of the series, which has been decently reviewed.
The character design looks on par with a Gundam product. If anything, it looks modernized. I am curious to see if the Gundams were done with 3D software. Nowadays, one would think that that would be the direction. Yet again, when it comes to the highly successful Gundam franchise, perhaps it’s best not to try and fix something that isn’t broken.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:50 pm
Tags: Cartoon Network , Gundam , ToonamiComment
April 29, 2016 : Animation Software Toonz Now Open Source
Toonz, a professional software package, has released an open source version. Not only is it the software of choice for Studio Ghibli, but it was used to make Futurama. First developed by an Italian company (Digital Video), Toonz was purchased by Dwango, a Japanese media and entertainment company. As part of the agreement, an open source version of the software was released in late March. Here is a link to the free version.
In addition to the open source platform, a premium version of Toonz is available. This Open Source Business Model is new to me so I don’t know if the free version is very watered down. Although, Toonz Premium is supposed to be sold at a “competitive price”, which probably means cheaper than the more popular Toonboom.
I haven’t installed the open source version yet, but I plan on checking it out soon. It’s been a while since I had a 2D animation program in my pipeline. Way back when, I used Mirage (from Bauhaus); but it grew obsolete, and I didn’t purchase its successor, TV Paint.
posted by Pi Visuals at 8:32 pm
Tags: FuturamaComment
April 18, 2016 : Definition Of Anime?
io9 republished an article about the definition of the word ‘Anime’, entitled What “Anime” Means. It has interesting facts on the history of the ‘anime’ moniker as well as the differences between Japan’s definition and the West’s.
I’ve always thought ‘Anime’ was a rather nebulous term. It’s very general with countless genres and sub-genres. However, I never realized how greatly my definition varies from others.
Personally, I don’t feel the need to answer the question of what Anime means. After all, I enjoy many different forms and styles of it. To me, I enjoy it because of the story lines and appealing visuals. I don’t like all shows labeled Anime. There are plenty that have poor stories and/ or visuals; but that is something you can say about any genre.
posted by Pi Visuals at 2:49 pm
Tags: AnimeComment
April 1, 2016 : New FLCL – On Adult Swim
I want to preface this by saying this is not an April Fool’s joke – at least it better not be. New episodes of FLCL are going to be made! Adult Swim will co-produce 12 new episodes with Production I.G., under the supervision of series creator Kazuya Tsurumaki.
The new episodes will serve as a sequel to the original series, divided up into two, six episode seasons – which is said to premiere in late 2017 or early 2018. Below is the release summary  for these episodes:
In the new season of FLCL, many years have passed since Naota and Haruhara Haruko shared their adventure together. Meanwhile, the war between the two entities known as Medical Mechanica and Fraternity rages across the galaxy. Enter Hidomi, a young teenaged girl who believes there is nothing amazing to expect from her average life, until one day when a new teacher named Haruko arrives at her school. Soon enough, Medical Mechanica is attacking her town and Hidomi discovers a secret within her that could save everyone, a secret that only Haruko can unlock.
To make things even cooler, Toonami’s creative director Jason DeMarco states the original voice cast will be involved as well as The Pillows! Do you like Furry Curry! I know I do.
posted by Pi Visuals at 9:28 pm
Tags: FLCLComment
March 28, 2016 : Agent Smith: The Real ‘The One’?
Apparently it isn’t that new, but there is a fan theory that claims Agent Smith was the True ‘One’. I can’t say I really buy into it, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Plus, I’m always game to hear somebody talk about The Matrix. An older (written) argument for this hypothesis can be found here.
The big problem for me with fan theories is they are extrapolated opinions, which take liberties with the creator’s intentions. They are often fun to read but can turn obnoxious in the comments section when disagreeing parties take offense. Still, when well conceived and executed, they can make one think. Or at the very least, kill some time.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:16 am
Tags: The MatrixComment
March 14, 2016 : Happy Pi Day!
It’s that time of year – the glorious day of days that is Pi Day!
There was quite the big deal about last year’s Pi Day since it was 3/14/15, which accurately carried Pi to 4 decimal places. For me, all Pi Day’s are special so I didn’t give it any extra attention.
However, this year’s Pi Day is a more accurate representation of Pi to 4 decimal places (Pi being 3.14159265…). Whether you’re truncating or rounding, you should know abbreviating Pi can lead to disastrous results.
In either case, enjoy the day. It’s special no matter what year.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:57 am
Tags: PiComment
March 5, 2016 : Hold Me Walter, Hold Me Perry
I came upon this at an overpass near me (Randolph Street over 90/94). Being a big fan of Home Movies, it definitely brought a smile to my face.
In case you want a closer look:
It’s a pretty random graffiti stamp since Walter and Perry were pretty minor recurring characters. Although, the image might be more about being kind and affectionate.
After seeing this, I did some Home Movies Wiki surfing. The article said, “it is suggested in a DVD Commentary Track that they (Walter and Perry) may be the only truly happy characters in the series.” Not sure how accurate this is, but it was an interesting idea.
In either case, the final episode of Home Movies aired almost 12 years ago, and I still quote it quite a bit. It’s times like this, I wish Adult Swim would put it back on its schedule. I guess there just isn’t enough room for it and all the Tim & Eric shows…
posted by Pi Visuals at 8:43 pm
Tags: Graffiti , Home MoviesComment
February 25, 2016 : New Goal: Figure Out AE’s Colorama
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately in After Effects; and usually when I am in these spurts, I try to pick up a new technique or skill. I have identified my next target:
After Effects has a lot of Color Correction effects; and while I am familiar and regularly use several of them, I have always avoided Colorama. It has always seemed so daunting, but I recently seen several examples of its capabilities. As such, I have decided to do some research on the effect to get a better handle on it. Stay tuned.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:08 pm
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