I liked the first episode overall. I agree that the f-bomb is a bit over the top. It did not offend me but my wife is going to have a fit if I play this for my daughters. Which is a shame really since I have been introducing blender to my oldest (10) and I think she would be excited to see what is possible.
I do get it though that this is not a kiddie film. Having the lead character try to off himself in the first scene pretty much lets you know that younger kids do not need to be watching.
The visuals were well done I think and it was nice to finally see my name on a credit list. LOL
1 - I don’t see why saying a bad word in a movie makes the software used for it any worse? Imagine how many people were killed in movies made with Maya. Does that make Maya worse?
2 - That’s obviously your point of view Ace, I don’t really see this being an issue.
Everyone with internet access was able to follow the production, the scene with the ‘bad word’ was in the edit for months. I know that not everybody with a cloud subscription followed the weeklies etc, but also, everybody should be aware that investing into a project in advance brings some risks. Risks that are much higher than some ‘bad words’. They took these risks by supporting the project.
If people are really that concerned about their ethical loyalty, they can contact the cloud support, which “will kindly respond to your comments and try to settle a dispute with you in harmony”.
Further than that, I don’t think the BF needs to proof any good ethical will and regretting the support for this project because of such a small part of the whole is just nit-picking.
Let me turn the tables and take up my position in this (IMO quite senseless) discussion: For me, being able to say a word like “fucking” in public, is a proof of freedom and openness. In my understanding (obviously biased from the culture I’m living in) this is part of the freedom of speech, which is so important in arts.
Enough said about this. I won’t answer to any further posts on this topic, don’t take it a miss
Nicely done from technical perspective. I didn’t get any uncanny valley vibe, nor noticed any accent. “Fing hooves" line nicely spiced up odd narrative I am not sure who makes more fuss about "F” bomb - Americans or Europeans Let’s make a poll!
I am not sure what’s the story with sheep on that island, and why Frank was trying to commit suicide. You guys should put a wiki up or something. Just so we know what’s the background. Otherwise in a year or so, people will watch it and trash this short.
Ok! Finally got a chance to watch it. I thought the story was pretty good. I wasn’t bothered too much by the lack of setup. Sure, we don’t really know why Frank is suicidal, but honestly I think the story works well enough just accepting it as a given. It didn’t even occur to me until after I watched it that we never really learned his backstory or reasons. After how annoyed I was with the writing and acting in Tears of Steel, I was kind of expecting the worst with this, and was pleasantly surprised.
On the technical side, Frank and the lighting looked amazing. I loved the sunset and rim lighting on the island, and everything looked very crisp. The only flaw I caught was the DOF noise. Maybe that’s just because I was looking for it though.
Technically brilliant. As a tech-demo, this nails what is needed to show off Blender. Much better than Sintel in that regard (though oddly enough, BBB still fares pretty well). On this front, the team deserve the accolades they’re getting here & elsewhere.
I agree with early comments regarding Victor’s appearance. It’s jarring given the afore-mentioned brilliance. One or two other visual oddities in there but very minor in the grand scheme of things.
The music - absolutely love it. The tornado scene and the music into the credits. Just perfect.
Story is… interesting(?) but not my fare. Suicidal toon characters? Perhaps it’s a European thing. Not bad mind you (for what there is of it), just not something I would watch knowing the content outside it being a “Blender film”.
The f-bomb does mean it won’t get as broad an appeal as one might expect given the visual style. Put it this way, we’d be cautioned for use of the term here on BlenderArtists according to the rules. There were alternate expletives that are more socially acceptable. shrug
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No, it isn’t. Sorry but if it forms part of a person’s impression of the film as a whole, it’s as respectful as any other critique. That’s what this thread is about after all - the film as a whole which the script is part of. Some people think the f-bomb good, some people think it’s bad, some are indifferent.
If the thread was specifically about the visual appearance of the film - you’d have a point. If someone stated that the f-bomb made the film look bad, you’d have a point. However, like live action films, it’s not just the artists/actors that make it good, bad, or somewhere in between. It’s the script, directing, editing, etc too.
I realy enjoyed the visual, it was a cycles feast. Amazing look. But there was something about victor i did not like, i simply cant put my finger on it!
I really love it! the hair and the grass just looks awesome,very astonish visual,just the part of the tornado when the sheep is abducted has a weirdo effect…
The word “fuck” by itself is not “mature content”, and certainly not 18+. Since the US language police has a lot of influence on its media, you can’t say the seven dirty words on public broadcast TV/Radio (enforced by the FCC through heavy fines). Still, the words are recognizably used all the time, albeit “bleeped out”.
If you look at the self-policing done through the MPAA however, you will find that a few uses of the word “fuck” are acceptable in the coveted PG-13 rating.
I would like to point out that in Europe, the attitudes towards profanity in the media are far different. “Cosmos Laundromat” is an international production. There’s no need to infantilize the international audience by treating them like easily-offended US-Americans.
I know the BF technically has the freedom to do what it wants, but if you place mature content in the movies, then you will assume the expectation that people also have the freedom to refuse all financial support for anything not solely based on Blender development due to moral reasons.
Of course people have the freedom to not donate to something they don’t have creative control over (that was never part of the offer). If you believe the BF will do something that goes against your overzealous morals, don’t donate to them. There’s no problem with that.
You seem to be the only person that is sincerely offended by this, so I would wager there’s not much money to be lost here. In fact, I’d wager that there’s way more people taking offence at Victor lighting a cigarette at the end, or that there aren’t any strong female characters, or that there aren’t any people of color (unless you count the sheep as people… sheeple?) and so forth. You can only please some of the people, some of the time.
1 - I don’t see why saying a bad word in a movie makes the software used for it any worse? Imagine how many people were killed in movies made with Maya. Does that make Maya worse?
Those movies weren’t made to promote Maya. And you will have a hard time to find an official Autodesk trailer that contains the f word. The Blender open movie though IS made to promote Blender. And while i personally don’t really mind, since the f-word is common use out there, i can see where Ace is coming from. The movie has from this angle of view a much bigger problem than the f word though. You cannot attract “customers” with detailled suicide content. Even when it’s “just” a comic sheep. Promotion videos have to be positive.
The graphics style gives the wrong impressions about the content, and attracts the wrong target audience anyways. The graphics are super fluffy, so you expect a funny movie for kids. But instead you get a weird storyline with depressive content. A sheep that tries to commit suicide is definitely nothing for kids. Just try to explain a six year old what the sheep is doing with the rope. Let alone explaining the confusing storyline. It simply doesn’t catch me. Even worse, it distracts me. I wanted to turn it off after ten seconds because of the suicide content.
Technically the movie is well done. The artists did a great job here. Only the Victor character simply does not fit to the graphics style of the rest. The sheep and Victor looks like from two different movies.
What remains is a nice and well done tech demo for adults and Blender addicted, with a content that is definitely off. And ten minutes are imho more than enough here.
Congratulations to the guys at BF, this is a great work in my opinion! I think visuals are great and I found the story attracting, the best one in a BF movie so far, even if it shows little. The only thing I did not like so much is the design of Viktor… a bit of a strange stylistic choice IMO.
Let’s make a poll!
