Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!ima!necntc!ames!mike
From: mike@ames.arpa (Mike Smithwick)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: the Computer Animation show
Message-ID: <4831@ames.arpa>
Date: 16 Feb 88 22:07:33 GMT
References: <457@mv03.ecf.toronto.edu> <1676@desint.UUCP>
Reply-To: mike@ames.arc.nasa.gov.UUCP (Mike Smithwick)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 41

In article <1676@desint.UUCP> geoff@desint.UUCP (Geoff Kuenning) writes:
>
>What I found interesting about this show was the generally low quality
>from a "cinematic" standpoint.  The graphics were technically interesting, but
>for the most part the plots and "direction" (as in movie directors) were
>atrocious.  Even the well-known "Tony de la Petrie" is at best a B movie.
>There were a few standout exceptions, most of them from predictable sources
>such as Disney studios (the Disney entry was also saccharine and "Disneyish").

Hear! Hear! So many of the entries had good technical gimmicks and 
proof-of-concept stuff, but were rather spartan in the plot department. 
(Although many pretended to have one). Several started off well, and had 
nice moments (such as the Dog balloon) but someone just lost track of what
was going on, or just got to damn lazy to write any sort of coherent ending.

>However, there was also one other really exceptional film involving
>stick-figure acrobats;  I don't remember the title or the source, but
>it was produced on an Amiga in somebody's bedroom.  To me, plot and humor
>are much more important than ray-tracing.

That was "Dance of the Stumblers" and was my favorite (next to Red's Dream). 
It was creative, original, and shows that a person doesn't need 500 kilobucks
of film-recorders, IRISs and staffing to turn out good material. I don't 
remember the name of the guy who did it, but I believe he is a professional
choreographer which explains the fluid, believable motion of the figures. It was
produced with Aegis Animator, a hundred buck package, and came in second
place in an Aegis competition.

Oh, by the way, the version of "Dance. . ." was the edited one. The full
length version is about 15 minutes long.

>
>Still, I concur with Vince's recommendation.  A most interesting evening.
>-- 
>	Geoff Kuenning   geoff@ITcorp.com   {uunet,trwrb}!desint!geoff


-- 
			   *** mike (Cyberpunk in training) smithwick ***
"live long and multi-task"
[discalimer : nope, I don't work for NASA, I take full blame for my ideas]