A Photorealistic CGI TV Series Coming Real Soon Now 259
ziggy_zero writes "SoulPix has revealed their project named "SoulFire", a photorealistic computer-generated TV series created entirely with 3ds max. Here's a trailer (it's in German). Looks pretty cool, better than those CGI cartoons I've seen - although definitely not even Final Fantasy quality. Note - apparently the DivX version was encoded using a weird codec that doesn't work on all players, so you might be better off getting the Quicktime version."
Mirrors yet? (Score:2, Informative)
These people put their hundreds of megs of downloads on one single HTTP server, and expect it not to crash and burn? Did anyone get a copy of this to mirror yet?
BitTorrent Mirror (Score:5, Informative)
Please keep your BT window open for as long as possible (at least an hour or two) after your transfer completes. Thanks!
BT link for DivX (35MB file): http://cobaltnine.net/bt/FINALTRAILER_720_divx.av
Be gentle... (Score:5, Informative)
Photorealistic animation: an oxymoron? (Score:2, Informative)
Really, what's the point of the exercise, apart from the "but it's sooo kewwwl" factor, and possible future studio leverage against the SAG? [snarky chuckle] If you want absolute photo-realism, just shoot live-action, and you know you'll be right on target. OTOH, live-action is the best reference resource for any animator, CGI or otherwise. Personally, I think that the very best CGI that I've seen lately was shot live with motion-capture: Andy Serkis' performance as Gollum in The Two Towers. Andy's little tics and quirks were what made the character come to life. No matter how good the current hardware and software is, there are [gasp] some things that a computer just can't do.
A computer is an incredible tool to use in the production of art - I know from experience; I use mine for all sorts of art-oriented applications. But art isn't produced by logorithms alone. Like any other artist, CGI animators need to learn how to really see and observe the world around them. The quality of an artists' observations always shows up on whatever "canvas" they use.
Re:I'll stick with real cartoons, thanks (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I'll stick with real cartoons, thanks (Score:3, Informative)
Perhaps you are getting confused with the overuse of big, cheesy explostions in some programs? ;)
BTW. South Park does use 3D effects as the central element. The entire cartoon is created with a 3D package, and they use rendering effects to give it the 2d cardboard cut-out look.
Perhaps this is what you mean anyway. In which case, I don't see what's wrong with this new cartoon, because it's simply using a different style.
Re:photorealism (Score:3, Informative)
Re:photorealism (Score:5, Informative)
Sweet idea! (Score:2, Informative)
That was terrible. Seriously, I know the CG part of "CGI" stands for "computer graphics", but I have know idea what the hell the "I" is for. Everytime I've heard someone reference this it's just been called CG.
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Re:CG? CGI? (Score:2, Informative)
Quick and Easy CG (Score:2, Informative)
Few characters or computationally intensive objects on screen at any time.
Short range of vision, caused by weather effects, darkness, or short twisty hallways.
Lack of or extremely simplistic collisions: Characters shoot each other rather than getting into a wrestling match.
Characters lack emotion: no complex facial skin folding and animation required, just basic lip movements for near-deadpan speech.
Simple physics: exploding objects are obscured by the fireball rather than display deforming, twisting, buckling, and shattering physics. Also, clothing is snug, either skin-tight or padded and obscuring.
Simplified lighting, often masquerading as style: single blue lights, red lights, etc that obscure details and leave much in shadows.
Sci-fi setting to account for all of the above (and to appeal with most likely audience). It's post apocalyptic or in the depths of space so crowds of people are hard to come by, spaceships rarely have anything to run into, lasers or blaster bolts that just leave a blackened mark are easier than bullets with their complicated ballistics, collisions, object deforming penetrations, etc.
Interestingly, many of the same are true for low-budget live-actor productions, with the exception of human body and cloth physics.
I haven't been able to download the video, but the screenshots make it look like it falls fits my profile pretty well.
Translation (Score:3, Informative)
Every story has a beginning,
But this seems to be the last page.
It is a kind of
Here it says: be without fear,
be fearless and open.
For someone will come to change everything
Either for the good or for the bad I dare not say,
for it is up to you to decide
You will recognise the carrier of fire.
Hmm, sounds a bit like Wheel of Time to me. (and possibly a hundred other books)