#and this isn't to say that the framing or character aren't warranted criticism

[fayevalcntine]

I haven't read the Prince Lestat books and to be honest I don't know if I ever will, but I feel like even book!Lestat's ending shouldn't have just been him 'returning to his former home in France to act out some would-be vampire hierarchy'. Not even because I consider him to be some sort of exquisite exception or special vampire in the way that Anne probably did, but because the notion of him returning to his old family home makes little sense to me at all, based off of what it represented to him. Namely his terrible upbringing on account of his family's neglect and abuse, that in spite of (but also because of) he returned to take care of his old father (while also verbally berating him when he could). He also can't straighten out his own life even when it literally depended on that, so I can't take the monarchy angle seriously at all.

#lestat de lioncourt (book) #the vampire chronicles #lestat de lioncourt #I saw an analysis post about the PL trilogy and really I feel like the biggest issues I have with it beyond #anne rice's insane writing choices; is the decision to have Lestat 'rule' in his old home??? the home he kept running away from #in every possible way? #and this isn't to say that the framing or character aren't warranted criticism #but I feel like when discussing the lack of logic in this overall writing choice #you also have to consider his history with his family in that place and namely the abuse he suffered under #like......it's why I can't even make fun of the fact that he went back to take care of his ill father #despite what he and Gabrielle went through with him #because it's too often the reality of how abusive familial structures work #no matter how much you try to detach yourself from your upbringing or your former self #be it through money or in Lestat's case a literal change of what you are #you can't run away from your past unless you detach yourself from it permanently #so really the whole 'him going back to his home' would sooner be a tragedy than an intro to them all playing castle #I feel like in Anne's obvious favoritism of him and in wanting to write out her fairytale-like fantasies #through these vampires she forgot what actual character development is

[thelovelydoggycatmadi]

A "Be With You" (Aphmau) in Depth Analysis/Critique PT.1

DISCLAIMER; just as the title says I am not a professional nor do I claim to be, I'm just a 22 year old artist with a passion for animation and love to give the most genuine criticism I can. This is not an excuse for me or anyone else to attack Jessica/Jesson or the original animators. Any anger that you may pick up on is either not genuine or possibly an oversight in my wording. Enjoy!

To start let's discuss the opening shot;

Other Minor Notes;

The snow isn't falling in the correct direction, technically, the correct way you'd animate this is the snow starting big on the screen, then get smaller implying it's getting farther away, then disappearing into the ground.

To expand on why I made the realistic cut, it would probably make more sense because the implication is Ein just seems to find this "perfectly cut" emerald in the middle of the snow.

This is extremely minor but the snows line-art texture is off, it shouldn't look as round, sculpted and squishy, the line-art should be more bumpy and rough looking.

Other Minor Notes;

The emerald having three light sources while none of them interact with each other makes no real physical sense, not just because it's snowing in the middle a dense forest, this emerald exists on a other plain.

Some may point out that so much animation might be a show of hard work therefore its "good", I'll be blunt and say it's not. More frames and movement doesn't always mean better. Subtle and singular movement works just as well. As the saying goes "work smarter now harder".

Minor Notes:

typically scarring doesn't have it's own line art, scars normally aren't defined enough on the skins to warrant that. Typically they are drawn in a separate color on the color animation file. I will go more in depth on this later.

I typically don't but I believe his you're character’s in a place with harsh lighting its better to experiment with colors you are using.

remember when someone in animation moves if it has something poking out of it that piece will follow, notice how the ears are so high up on the head there almost on the back of it. When they should be on top.

Minor Notes;

the standard fps is 24 for animation, this includes film, most animators by a 2 to 3 rule. Which means a frame will take up two to three ticks in the timeline.

Remember, hair/fabric/fur will move and be "yanked" by the roots when a character head moves, and the movement is dictated by speed and force as which the character moves.

#aphmau #aphblr #mystreet #mcd #animated gif #animation critique #Animation analysis #aphmau be with you #mystreet season 4 #Animation discussion #Madi rants

[wolfgabe]

The Super Mario Bros Movie My Review

Be warned will contain spoilers below.

The Story: This seems to be a major point of contention among the critics with how there was barely any character development and how bare bones the plot was but as I often keep saying to people "If you went into this movie expecting an Avengers grade plot with Oscar worthy storytelling you were basically just setting yourself up for disappointment. In my personal opinion the Mario Movie represents something I think has been missing from a lot of animated films as of late which is essentially a straightforward fun filled adventure the family can enjoy that isn't worried about trying to perform any social commentary or impart any big moral life lessons. A lot of the critic reviews also do complete disservice to the dynamic on display between Mario and Luigi in particular with Mario's drive to save his brother and his refusal to give up even when everything seems stacked against him really serving as the films emotional core. In essence one could say that the structure of the film is almost like a game in itself where the plot and character development essentially serve as a vehicle through which to drive viewers towards the next big set piece or as some have called it an amusement park ride. But at its most basic core the story of the Mario Movie is a tried-and-true origin story wrapped in a good old-fashioned tale of good versus evil which really serves Mario well in this case. In the span of 90 minutes we see Mario struggling to make it as a plumber, accidentally get him and his brother sent to a fantastical world, team up with Peach to save his brother from Bowser's clutches, stumble through a training course, and slug it out with Donkey Kong before teaming up to crash a wedding that ends up leading us right back to where we began complete with one final confrontation. All in the process finding new confidence in himself and coming out as a better man. It's nothing new for a plot but this is a Mario Movie and if you know Mario, you should know you probably aren't watching this film for the plot in the first place.

The Visuals and Presentation: I am gonna be honest here I didn't expect Illumination of all studios would manage to do justice to the look and feel of Mario, but I can safely say I was wrong in that regard. It's been mentioned how working with Nintendo pushed Illumination's VFX teams to new heights and their newfound effort clearly shows in every frame. You can clearly tell Nintendo's trademark commitment to polish and attention to detail has rubbed off on Illumination. It's not just in the gorgeous set pieces which I dare say rival some of Disney and Pixar's finest work or how Illumination's signature squash and stretch art style fits the Marioverse like a glove but also in the smattering of enough easter eggs and cameos to warrant many repeat viewings. You're not just watching a Mario Movie but in essence a celebration of Nintendo and Mario's legacy be it nods to iconic NES titles or blink, and you'll miss it cameos, this is clearly a film for the Mario and Nintendo fans first and foremost.

The Soundtrack: The music my god the music Its frankly incredible how Brian Tyler has managed to do such a masterful job of weaving Koji Kondo's most iconic melodies into a cinematic soundtrack. As a longtime Mario fan I found myself astounded at how I found myself remarking "I recognized that tune." during the film. Its also crazy to say this might be the first film soundtrack I actually have shown genuine interest in listening to in a long time. I highly encourage the Mario aficionados to stick around for the credits especially.

The Voice Actors: Now this was another major point of contention prior to the films release but I think I can safely say the voice acting for the most part works. Chris Pratt and Charlie Day does a surprisingly good job of playing up Mario and Luigi's Brooklyn roots. With their falsetto Italian accents cleverly being presented as a marketing tactic for their plumbing business and before you ask Charles Martinet Mario's original voice actor does make an appearance which I won't spoil. Anya Taylor Joy does a wonderful job casting Princess Peach as a strong devoted ruler while Keegan Micheal Key manages to radiate excellent sidekick energy as Toad. Seth Rogan manages to be well Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong who's dynamic with Mario makes for some of the film's funniest moments, but the real scene stealer is arguably Jack Black as Bowser. It's almost surreal how Black has managed to do such an amazing job bringing an air of goofiness and menace to the Koopa King that hasn't been seen in ages. One point he is burning down a penguin clan's Ice Palace just to take their Super Star and the next he is tapping into Jack's musical side belting out a Tenacious D style power ballad on the piano declaring his love for Princess Peach. Be warned you may struggle to get Peaches out of your head after watching this film.

Final Verdict: Personally The Super Mario Bros Movie is a film where I can safely say that if you are a fan of Mario and Nintendo you can basically ignore what the majority of the critics are saying because those critics are not the audience this movie was intended for in the first place. While there may be some pacing issues and some scenes could be fleshed out a bit more, The Super Mario Bros Movie manages to be a lovingly crafted celebration of Mario that isn't afraid to embrace its gaming roots. And with the movie well on the way to breaking the 1-billion-dollar box office mark and having already smashed several records this will no doubt become the video game movie against which video game film adaptations are judged for years to come. I still find it hard to believe that after all these years it would be Illumination of all studios that would end being the ones who redeemed Mario on the big screen and who essentially may have truly broken the video game movie curse. I think I can safely say I am excited to see where they go next on the big screen with Mario and likely other Nintendo franchises as well.

My final score for the Super Mario Bros Movie I would say probably 8/9 out of 10.

#super mario movie #mario movie #film review #nintendo #mario #the super mario bros movie