Thoughts about Bones (and other madness...) :X

[Rai López]

Well, I've comented it in other occasions (and other people too, so something must be happenig here...), you know, about try to get effective results animating 2D forms with bones, yes...

The cuestion is, this is something that make my mad all the time and I don't know if finally the problem is inside me (very probable, in the other hand ) or in the structure of the program... I mean, really use bones is the best way to resolve 2D animation? It works perfectly for 3D, of course, and for knowed reasons, but maybe like other million of things they don't have to be the way to work propertly with 2D... PLEASE, keep reading

Well, of course I LOVE bones and always have loved Moho for have it, yes... but sincerly, more for that *sQUishY* results that for the "versatility" during animation... As you can see, I've been thinking about all this (all days) and finally I think if wouldn't be possible a software where bones and shapes/forms be the same thing! (oOoh!) Jaja... I mean something like "chained" points with influence or something like this, I mean (again...), you have a body with legs and you define Master points (for knee, ankle, etc...) for build an IK chain to control the middle Flexi-Bind points (just in case they exists) under his influence with the movements/rotations of that Master points, all to get the best of the two worlds: the versatility of the bone animation with the "LIBERTY" of the Point animation! ...Well I don't know if I can explain me very well here or if something like this is really possible (otherwise I think ALL can be possible ), but the question is that I think bones and points rarely will work fine in a 2D animation software se-pa-ra-te-ly... and maybe another completelly new solution especifically thinked to animate 2D forms is necesary for a "totally credible" 2D animation program...

Well, now the reality... I know this never (with Italics, yes... if you don't mind ) will happen in Moho, yes , I know... cause this is a very developed program at this time with a defined way of work, but I write this thoughts here with the best intention (of course) and with a hope , the hope of someday exist the perfectly resolved 2D "boned" animation program, without all that knowed opened questions as far as possible... just in the same (or seemed) way that it exist for the still resolved 3D animation, ahhh... always dreaming , anyway... THANKS for the interest (if it really exists ) & CIAO!

PS: ...Of course another thoughts,"possible solutions",or even disagreements will be very WELCOMED!

[PhantomIre]

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I don't know how long ago you posted that "madness" but you're freakin hillarious dude. Plus we have the same name. Do you have ideas for shorts? I'm in this media production group and we're not getting anywhere. We suck at thinking.

[jahnocli]

I'm in this media production group and...we suck at thinking.

Wow. Top marks for honesty, but if you suck at thinking, how the hell can you call yourself a media production group?

[PhantomIre]

ANYONE can call themselves a media production group. It's simple really. HEY KIDS, LETS SEE WHAT ALL YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR OWN MEDIA PRODUCTION GROUP JUST LIKE ON TV!

1. a ring leader, someone with a vision
2. a crew, people who share in that vision
3. lots and lots of techy stuff i.e. cameras, computers, and coke
4. a headquarters, preferably the leaders basement
5. a name for your group, something sweet and simple
and finally
6. gonj

I think the reason we don't get anything done is number 6. But without it we'd be completely without material for our shorts. Oh, and happy birthday.

[ingie01]

Oh yeah, de drugs mon.
work(accomplishing a task )
+
drugs (enjoying the short term euphoria)
=
confusion ( what the hell did I just do???)

[Rai López]

HI! And very WELCOMED to my post ...Hmmm, althought I'm not totally sure to have undertood you boys...

[Rhoel]

We suck at thinking.

Humour comes from everything and anything around you. You won't get anywhere unless you immerse yourself in the situation. Remember anything can be funny if you look at it differently.

There are thinking tools for doing that. Try switching the subject/noun order: A man taking a dog for a walk is not usually funny. A dog taking a man for a walk has potential. A man taking a chair for a walk - thathas possibilities. Or man teaching a snail to fetch.

Study Spike Milligans work - a world class comic genius.

Keep a notebook with you 24/7 - ideas come from nowhere and you forget them if you don't write it down, there and then. Some ideas come from weird dreams - I write professionally and am happy to admit one story came entirely from a dream which literally made me wake up laughing - the idea was utterly ridiculous yet made perfect sense. I have no idea how such brain misfunctions occur but I'm very glad they do.

The current series I'm working on now is usually driven by situation not gags - We usually start with a situation and see how the characters behave. If you have good background knowledge about your characters, you'll find they frequently "speak" in any give situation - ie, you don't have to think what their lines will be ... if you know the character well, you just write down what they say.

In the misc section, I have written more about 3 layer conflict and setting up situations. So I won't cover old ground here.

Read newspapers - there are thousands of tiny stories out there which can be made into cracking shorts - here's a freebie from my cuttings file (And it's a true story): A Russian hunter is out with his dog. He shoots a pheasant. The dog goes boldly and retrieves the fallen bird. Our hunter is well pleased and praises the dog. Dog is happy he pleased the master and jumps up to receive a pat on the head. Unfortunately the dog places a foot on the shotgun trigger and shoots the Hunter dead. Oops.

Develop the story by telling it from the dogs POV. You can base an entire series around such true stories - Call it, "Sad but True" or such like. Pleanty of source material around. Try "Historic Failures" in Google. You;ll find stuff like the homing pigeon in Wales UK, who returned home eight years late, dead, in a cardborard box, from Brazil. Ask yourself "How" - that road will give you pleanty of ideas.

Alternatively, why not write about a bunch of dopehead Media Producers stuck in a basement HQ, whose collective handicap is their creative thinking sucks.

Now there's a really great situation for comedy.

Enjoy,

Rhoel.

[PhantomIre]

Rhoul, dude, you have too much time on your hands to have written that lengthy post. BUT, that being said, no, wait, I should also say this: your advice bored me. NOW, i can move on to say THIS: you did, however, manage to peak my interest when you said you are a writer. Interesting. I myself am a writer, but not professional - qualified, though. I've been recognized by NFAA and the board of ed in my county, just so you don't think I'm another one of those types who thinks he's a writer because he writes random dribble every now and then. No, I am quite for real. I'm way into Lovecraft, R. Matheson, and for some odd reason Ben Franklin. Anyway, get back to me on what you write about. Don't be so boring next time, RHOUL!

[Rhoel]

Rhoul, dude, you have too much time on your hands to have written that lengthy post.

Actually I don't, The time stamp was 01:30 ... I completed it after a 12 hour day, a meal to talk businesss with a collegue and a side trip to my local bar to discuss a web-content with the owner. I checked yje forum on my return and posted what I thought might be useful.

your advice bored me.

I try to please.

you did, however, manage to peak my interest when you said you are a writer. Interesting. I myself am a writer, but not professional - qualified, though. I've been recognized by NFAA and the board of ed in my county, just so you don't think I'm another one of those types who thinks he's a writer because he writes random dribble every now and then. No, I am quite for real. I'm way into Lovecraft, R. Matheson, and for some odd reason Ben Franklin.

Writing they say is a muscle, you only get good by practice. Reading others work is no great help ... you are the one who has to create something from a blank sheet. And that takes practice, heaps of it.

FYI, my job is part writing, part technical adviser ... I'm paid by an international company to live in Thailand, to resolve bastard production issues (like the 12 hour day yesterday figuring out how to match move a HDcam helicopter shot with CGI animation - the video plate starts with no reference points usable for the camera tracking software).

My background? BBC network TV (1 & 2), National Film School Beaconsfield, and former features rostrum cameraman for Universal (two pictures for Speilberg). My claim to fame is being the person to crack the technical side of (successfully) builting a front projection rig on an Oxberry AN Master series camera. No-one outside of Amblimation has ever repeated it.

Your claim to fame (as listed here by you)? Someone stuck in a dead production unit in a mates Maryland basement, without any creative talent.

Yet when someone takes the time to pass on some thoughts, useful or other-wise, you elect to call them boring. Take note, techies are boring, that is their job. They also carry a huge amount of information around in their heads; We're useful - that is why we get called in to register a match-move over water, to do front projection onto glass surfaces, to shoot aerial images (focusing one lens into another lens) or build radian mathmatic formulas for camera moves. It's why I get paid to live in such fun places as Berlin, Thailand, Australia and Reunion Island.

Tonight I will be tucked up in bed with my delectable Thai girlfriend 20 years my junior, in an exotic hot country.

And where are you? Ah yes, stuck in a dead production unit in a mates Maryland basement, without any creative talent or the courtesy of getting a guys name right.

Respectfully, you should consider another career as your ignorant mindset will not suit the film industry.

[Rai López]

PS: Jaja, definitelly you are refering to "other madness", yes...

[PhantomIre]

Yet when someone takes the time to pass on some thoughts, useful or other-wise, you elect to call them boring. Take note, techies are boring, that is their job. They also carry a huge amount of information around in their heads; We're useful - that is why we get called in to register a match-move over water, to do front projection onto glass surfaces, to shoot aerial images (focusing one lens into another lens) or build radian mathmatic formulas for camera moves. It's why I get paid to live in such fun places as Berlin, Thailand, Australia and Reunion Island.

Not only do you have too much time on your hands. You offend easily. It's okay. You'll find someone some day. But not anytime soon.

Cheers.

[jahnocli]

Not only do you have too much time on your hands. You offend easily. It's okay. You'll find someone some day. But not anytime soon.

Your shallowness is only matched by your ignorance -- I hope you don't offend easily...

[Rhoel]

To misquote jahnocli, "His shallowness is only matched by his inability to read "

You'll find someone some day. But not anytime soon.

Obviously the poor thing's reading ability and comprehension capacity has been damaged by too much dope.

Tonight I will be tucked up in bed with my delectable Thai girlfriend.

For that reason, I have better things to do than waste time with this troll.

Topic closed.

[Rai López]

Topic closed.

...ARGGGHHH!!!

PS: BTW Selgin, here you have my unhappy number 1.000 post ...Te la dedico!

[PhantomIre]

Not too bright either, are you rhoul? It's okay. It'll hit you one day. But yeah, topic closed.