February 19, 2022 : Some General C4D Practice
Unsurprisingly, I haven’t been able to spend as much time in C4D as I’d like the last few months. Fortunately, a few weeks ago, I challenged myself to due a little work in it. I was asked to do a quick Visualization Test for a company’s logo, and I saw it as an opportunity to stretch some of those C4D muscles:
There are several things I would have improved, but overall I enjoyed the exercise of extruded splines, general animation, and twist deformers. At the very least, it reminded me of how much fun C4D can be – not to mention how powerful. Here’s hoping I get more time to dive into the software.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:44 am
Tags: Cinema 4DComment
January 27, 2022 : Scott Pilgrim The Anime?!
I was a fan of Scott Pilgrim (the film… I haven’t checked out the graphic novel yet). There was tons to like: the story, the cast, and of course the visuals. With its Japanese influences, I guess it’s not a shock I enjoyed it; and that’s also why I was stoked to hear Netflix is developing it into an Anime series.
While the creator’s involved, it’s worth noting there isn’t a series order yet so it’s not a sure thing. I suppose either way I should temper my expectations. After all… Bebop 🙁
posted by Pi Visuals at 3:51 pm
Tags: Anime , Cowboy Bebop , Scott PilgrimComment
December 30, 2021 : Akira Animator’s Secret Message
Akira’s attention to detail has been lauded by anime fans and movie critics alike – and was even the subject for a brief post here. However, it turns out that didn’t always go over well with the crew.
A Twitter user recently discovered a message around the 38 minute mark from one of the animators who didn’t seem to appreciate the work required to provide such detail:
In English, the text translates to: Why do we have to draw this far! Knock it off! Enough
The movie came out in 1988, which seems crazy that the internet took so long to find this gem of a jab. Bravo unknown animator… hats off to you!
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:22 pm
Tags: Akira , AnimeComment
December 10, 2021 : Tis’ the Season – For A Simple, Yet Quaint Holiday Card
In addition to the normal Holiday hubbub, I also took on a side project. Even with things being so hectic, I still made time to create this year’s Holiday card:
This marks the fifth straight year of making the card, which I’m proud of. Although, I must say this year was light on design. In fact, I had a more detailed background in earlier versions but pulled it back to the more simplified one seen above.
That said, I still like the overall aesthetic and its message. I suppose the people in the photos aren’t bad either.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:54 pm
Tags: HolidaysComment
November 19, 2021 : Anime’s Global Popularity
With today’s release of the live-action Cowboy Bebop, it seems fitting to celebrate the popularity of anime.
Earlier this month, the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) released its annual Animation Industry Report. It’s in Japanese, but the Anime News Network has a great analysis article, highlighting the key points.
It’s an interesting read, but one of the big takeaways for me was the fact that 2020 marked the first time that the overseas market size surpassed the domestic market. Moving into 2022 and beyond, the article anticipates a growing global demand for anime. All in all, great news for fans of the genre.
posted by Pi Visuals at 9:13 am
Tags: Anime , Cowboy BebopComment
October 31, 2021 : Remembering Some Halloween Fun
In tribute to the day, here’s a Halloween Throwback:
It’s crazy to think this was 5 years ago! The costume required the most amount of planning and work compared to any of the others I’ve done, but it was also the most well received and recognized.
Sadly, Halloween costumes has been sparse for me since this bad boy. Hopefully a trend that will be reversed in the near future.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:50 am
Tags: DBZ , HalloweenComment
October 8, 2021 : The Saiyan Saga In A Nutshell
I wholeheartedly approve of this (obviously):
The video is by an animator from Spain, and apparently he is working on a video for the Frieza saga. His Twitter page has some stills and gifs from that project.Â
Being about DBZ pretty much had me hooked, but I found it really funny and enjoyed the character design. I think the sound effects really pushed it over the top for me, though.
posted by Pi Visuals at 10:45 pm
Tags: DBZComment
September 17, 2021 : Match Cuts
I’ve always been a fan of match cuts – which is an edit between two scenes that uses elements of one in the transition to the next. These elements can be either audio or visual cues.
Sometimes it’s tough to incorporate match cuts in professional Mograph work, particularly with projects that are ‘dryer’ or clients more conservative.
That said, there’s often an opportunity to help liven a project. I want to identify a few more techniques in the hopes of having more tricks in my bag moving forward.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:47 pm
Tags: Animation , MoGraph , TransitionsComment
August 28, 2021 : Bebop Live Action Photos and Premiere Date
Netflix released some first-look images of Spike, Faye, and Jet; and it’s getting me more and more interested in the show. To be fair, I was already pretty stoked. Below is a cool cast shot, presumably on board the Bebop:
One of the released images also implies a Ballad Of Fallen Angels scene. Which. Would. Be. Awesome!
Lastly, a premiere date of November 19th was set. The first season will be 10 hour long episodes. There are expectations of more seasons, but nothing official has been announced.
In either case, I am getting pumped. Between this and the new Matrix movie (which I’m pretty sure is only the second one in the franchise), there’s plenty to look forward to this Holiday season.
posted by Pi Visuals at 9:32 pm
Tags: Cowboy Bebop , The MatrixComment
August 10, 2021 : Adult Swim and Crunchyroll… and Cartoon Network and Original Anime
I recently heard about Adult Swim’s upcoming show, Blade Runner: Black Lotus. The trailer is below; and while it doesn’t blow me out of the water, I find it intriguing:
First, I know nothing about Blade Runner, having never watched any of the films so I have zero attachment to franchise. However, the environment shots and action sequences look pretty cool. That said, the character design seems lackluster, and the show doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the Toonami’s anime block. The interesting tidbit is that this is a co-production between Adult Swim and Crunchyroll.
To add a little extra spice to the pepper, it was just announced that Toonami co-creator Jason Demarco will lead a new division in charge of producing anime at Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network. On his Twitter feed, he goes as far to say it won’t be ‘anime inspired,’ but created and produced in Japan.
Personally, I don’t think the former is worse than the latter, as long as it tells a good story. However, I am curious what types of shows get made. Demarco is currently overseeing production on Black Lotus, but I assume this doesn’t fall under the ‘genuine anime’ label.
posted by Pi Visuals at 10:54 pm
Tags: Adult Swim , Anime , Cartoon Network , ToonamiComment