December 2, 2011 : We Are… DC Nation
It’s not hot off the presses, but a few weeks ago Cartoon Network aired a trailer for its new Friday programming block set to start in 2012 – DC Nation.
The block will possess a mix of series and shorts, all supposedly DC Comics related. The three initial series are ThunderCats (is that DC related?), the new Green Lantern Series, and Young Justice. The shorts seem cool, but I’m more interested in seeing what other TV shows develop out of the programming block. If it’s succes sful, hopefully it will spawn some cool new shows – maybe a new Kevin Conroy voiced Batman series?
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:34 pm
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November 24, 2011 : Ninja Tales Intro Audio – First Pass
Moving forward from the Title Card, a first pass for the Intro song to Ninja Tales was cranked out.
[audio:http://www.pivisuals.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/NinjaTalesIntroSong.mp3|titles=Ninja Tales Intro Song]After listening to it (a lot), it’s become apparent that the length of the song needs to be cut. Since each clip for the series is going to be short, it only makes sense the Intro should follow suit. It looks like only the second half of the audio will be used. I enjoy the melodic setup in the first half, but sadly it’s unnecessary.
By the way, the higher pitched instrument used for the melody during the last half is the Koto – a Japanese, stringed instrument – alongside a subtle violin backing. Of course, those instruments weren’t physically used during the recording. Instead, they were created via a MIDI keyboard.
The next step is to create the animation for the Intro. The specifics still have to get worked out; but since it has to be short to accompany the audio, that means it needs to be efficient (yet effective).
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:37 pm
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November 22, 2011 : New Shorts On The Horizon – Ninja Tales
Not sure if it’s been noticed, but there have been a few ninja posts in the last couple months. While some of it can be attributed to my general love of these stealth mercenaries, it is mostly due to an upcoming side project that has slowly been in the works. Ninja Tales is a series of animated shorts, typically 1-2 minutes in length, that follows the workings of a less than stellar ninja clan. Below is a title card that might be used for the series.
Pre-production is about complete. Nearly all of the set and character design is finished, and the shorts have been written. Audio will be recorded within the week, and the rest of production will follow. The goal will be to release a new short every one to two weeks – hopefully beginning at the end of December or start of January. Once animation gets going, expect updates to follow.
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:43 am
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November 11, 2011 : Green Lantern’s New Series
This Friday, Cartoon Network premieres its new series – Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Same as the movie, the starring Lantern will be Hal Jordan (and not the awesome John Stewart). Frankly, it seems odd that this show didn’t premiere closer to the release of the movie. Yet again, after the movie’s reviews perhaps this was intentional.
I can’t say I’m a fan of the character design. It seems like a cheap knock off to The Incredibles. Still, the prospect of a 3D animated series can lend itself to some cool things… if done well. Plus, if the writing and story is solid, people will overlook the subpar visuals. Still, between the poor design and having Hal Jordan as the lead – they certainly have their work cut out for them. We’ll see how things look after the premiere.
UPDATE: So apparently this past Friday was just a ‘Sneak Peak’ into the series. The premiere isn’t slated until Spring of next year. They really are distancing themselves from the movie.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:59 am
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November 1, 2011 : Ninjas, All In A Row
The Base Ninja Model has spawned four ninja characters of a less than proficient clan. Below are two basic character sheets:
And a side shot:
These ninjas will be used in a series of animated shorts… each ~1 minute in length (give or take). The shorts have been written, but the audio still needs to be recorded. Additional modeling for the sets and props still need to occur. This includes weapons – even though they’re bad ninjas, they still deserve cool weapons.
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:48 pm
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October 27, 2011 : Queue The Sad Music
Over the last month, I’ve slowly been developing an idea for a new short. It looks to be less than two minutes and will have no dialogue – just a music accompaniment. After spending a few weeks composing possible scores, I recorded a rough piano track.
[audio:http://www.pivisuals.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PegMusicTest.mp3|titles=Peg Music Test]Hopefully you realized that the short will be sad in nature… at least until the end. The music is still rough and will go through re-records once I get a better handle on the timing of all the scenes. So clearly, there is still plenty left to do including storyboarding and modeling. The final music will have more than just piano. Strings will be included to give a fuller sound.
By the way, a huge thank you to Moridin for figuring out why this site wasn’t able to post mp3’s. Now only if he would post more frequently than every two months.
posted by Pi Visuals at 10:13 pm
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October 21, 2011 : It’s Time For Some Ninjas!
I previously mentioned working on a new ninja 3D model, and it is now near completion. While testing out the rig, I created a few poses; and while I still might tweak some of the color schemes, I am really pleased with how things are looking.
The rig for this model has a few new features – most notably, a reverse-foot rig setup and IK-FK switching capabilities – and I am really excited about these additions.
This model will be a base from which several different ninjas will be created. Similar to the base ninja, they will not necessarily be the most in shape individuals – some less so than others. The goal is to create four distinct characters from this guy. Plenty more to come.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:29 pm
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October 18, 2011 : Justice League: Doom Trailer
Below is the trailer for the next DC animated movie, Justice League: Doom, set to come out early 2012.
Kevin Conroy voices Batman, while Tim Daly takes care of Superman – so all is right with the universe. Plus, most of the old school voices for the Justice League will also be in it. One big change is that the Green Lantern in the film will be Hal Jordan. Even though I don’t know much about Hal Jordan’s character, I have grown attached to Phil LaMarr’s portrayal of John Stewart. However, Hal will be voiced by Nathan Fillion, which is tough to complain about.
While the Justice League appears to be in full force, the Legion Of Doom cast is filled with unknowns – or at least significantly less popular villains. Bane is in it (I wonder why), but so is Vandal Savage – and he had a few good episodes in Justice League. Still, any time you include Kevin Conroy, it’ll capture my interest.
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:51 pm
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October 7, 2011 : Cyborg 009: Now That’s A Trailer!
I never got into Cyborg 009 when Cartoon Network aired it nearly 10 years ago. I can’t really say why, but the trailer for a new version looks awesome.
I still don’t know if this is a series or a feature, but the trailer makes we want to find out. Whatever it is, it looks to be CG cel shaded… and very well done at that. If you think it looks like Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, you’re not crazy because Kenji Kamiyama has been signed on to direct. Kamiyama was the director of all the GITSAC’s.
The Japanese version is set to come out in Fall 2012 so who knows when it will get translated, but it probably won’t be until 2013. Here’s hoping Adult Swim airs at least one decent anime in the meantime.
UPDATE (10/17/11): I don’t know why, but the YouTube video is now listed as private. I’ll try to find a different link to the trailer.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:45 am
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September 29, 2011 : An All Simpsons TV Channel: A 30% Chance Of Hilarity
Apparently Fox is considering a TV channel solely for The Simpsons. Ten years ago, I would have been ecstatic (although they didn’t have nearly enough episodes to even consider the possibility). My reaction now to hearing the news? Meh.
The channel is still several years away from forming since syndication deals would first have to expire. Frankly, if I were to get the channel, I don’t know how often I would actually watch it. The Simpsons is about to kick off their 23rd season (yeah, it’s been that many). The first nine seasons were solid (an opinion these people share) so I would clearly watch those.
But I would only watch episodes from the next five seasons if nothing better was on… and I was bored… and content with laughing only three times over 22 minutes. And I wouldn’t bother with anything after those seasons unless I wanted to punish myself (and I couldn’t get to a Denny’s).
posted by Pi Visuals at 9:27 pm
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