I learned 2 things

#1. Apparently filmmakers and/or camera operators LOVE drugs and sunsets
#2. This would have been much better if the girls were facing each other

>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

I find Hi-Def to be jarring when watching old beloved films. It loses that dreamy painted quality and looks more like closed circuit television. Filmmakers put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful celluloid pallor, which HD Blu-Ray usually just rudely brushes aside. I have a sneaking suspicion that QT feels the same way, because he is a student of classic cinema. I'll be curious to see if QT finds a way to keep the old school warmth. Either way, this looks awesome. Take my money, please.


Are you sure you don't have some kind of motion smoothing on, or some similar effect? Because it sure sounds like it. A good Blu-ray transfer of a classic film looks far, far more film-like than any DVD is able to muster. Modern TVs default to the closed circuit television, or soap opera look, which absolutely baffles me.

I read an article that said that a good rule of thumb is that any video setting that can be turned off on a TV should be turned off. Modern TVs look like garbage by default. Though I suspect that you know how to calibrate your TV, and in that case I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Blu-rays are awesome.

>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

I find Hi-Def to be jarring when watching old beloved films. It loses that dreamy painted quality and looks more like closed circuit television. Filmmakers put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful celluloid pallor, which HD Blu-Ray usually just rudely brushes aside. I have a sneaking suspicion that QT feels the same way, because he is a student of classic cinema. I'll be curious to see if QT finds a way to keep the old school warmth. Either way, this looks awesome. Take my money, please.


I could not disagree with you more sir after watching Blade Runner on Blu Ray on a large screen. It was like watching it at the movies.

I find Hi-Def to be jarring when watching old beloved films. It loses that dreamy painted quality and looks more like closed circuit television. Filmmakers put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful celluloid pallor, which HD Blu-Ray usually just rudely brushes aside. I have a sneaking suspicion that QT feels the same way, because he is a student of classic cinema. I'll be curious to see if QT finds a way to keep the old school warmth. Either way, this looks awesome. Take my money, please.

I have a soft spot for Gore Verbinski. I wasn't a huge fan of Pirates 2 or 3, but they suddenly looked a whole lot better after the abysmal part 4. At least those movies had a certain amount of style, and were obviously the product of a filmmaker with a clear voice, even if they weren't necessarily that successful. Part 4 felt like it was directed by a robot who had been programmed with the knowledge of the first three.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

This is an email submission request by the creator - very cool video. More details:

The Ancestor is a collaboration between Chinese Takeout and Crazy Lake Pictures, both young production companies forged in the fires of speed-filmmaking challenges. Chinese Takeout members Timothy Hahn – Pixar employee by day, ruthless preditor (producer/editor) by night – and Abraham Dieckman, writer-director of the upcoming sci-fi feature Trash and Progress – recently made a splash on the festival circuit with the animated short film Cadaver, featuring the voices of Christopher Lloyd, Kathy Bates, and Tavi Gevinson. Crazy Lake Pictures accomplices Mike Lavoie, co-executive producer of the acclaimed film Sleepwalk with Me, and Keith Boynton, whose feature film Chasing Home was chosen as the opening-night premiere of the 2012 Gotham Screen International Film Festival, also collaborated on the well-received "Here We Go" music video for Brooklyn-based band The Spring Standards.

The Ancestor is Crazy Lake's second video for Darlingside (after the jaunty parable "Terrible Things"), and the first meeting of the minds between Crazy Lake and Chinese Takeout, though Hahn and Boynton have enjoyed the texture of each other's brains since their days doing improv comedy together at Amherst College. All four men are sensitive film nerds who look forward to many future collaborations.

I think that's what the filmmakers were going for... >> ^Sagemind:

?????

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Yes, I think so. We can look for alternative sources.
In reply to this comment by ReverendTed:
Question:
Should we call "dead" on Sifts where Embedding is disabled?

Question:
Should we call "dead" on Sifts where Embedding is disabled?

You make some interesting points probie! Half-life is my top game of all time too and I'm a bigtime Valve fanboy of course.

I basically agree with everything you said, the games have become more broad, L4D2 and Portal 2, while both excellent, were a little underwhelming... but I guess comparing them to the greatest game of all time is bound to lead to disappointment too...

For the most part though, I think that Valve's overall approach; releasing software for free, bridging the gap between developers and gamers with Steam, and their system of game development in general, is a great approach and it's one that's given me a lot of joy and fulfilment as a consumer.

I'm using their Source Filmmaker software right now to create a short film and all along the way Valve employee's been answering questions on forums, blogging about their favorite videos so far, releasing new content every week etc...

Sure they're just a company and ultimately they want our money but when I look at Valve compared to most other developers/publishers, it's like night and day. Valve releases DLC all the time, for free. Every time I play TF2 (which is now free too) there's always new maps and new weapons. L4D1 and 2 both got new campaigns, in fact another one JUST came out for L4D2, for free! Compare that with almost every other game company and they're charging you for DLC before the game is even out. Or they split their game into 3 separate games! *cough* Blizzard *cough*

I just think there's something they 'get' about where gaming and software is going in general and I for one hope they continue on this ride!

Yes I know I'm a huge fanboy...

>> ^probie:

Still my #1 game of all time. I've always been a fan of the Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, etc., so the idea of an every man unleashing who-knows-what-upon-the-world was really appealing. Not to mention the variety of guns, the variety and originality of the monsters, the way each section felt like a real place. [spoiler]You race to the surface dependent on being rescued only to be driven back down underground, realizing as you wander through areas of the facility that no one normally goes that you're now entirely self-reliant. Top that off with other little psychological tricks they used: passage of time (when you first run into the military it's sunny, the next time you hit the surface it's night time), mortality (getting caught and thrown to your doom in the trash compactor, knowing you're about to become a footnote, only to escape again). I still get tingles when I remember dropping down off the roof into that pit of water, hoisting myself up into the pipe and starting to scurry down it when, at the other end, I see a soldier pop open the door and throw in a satchel charge. (Read: OH SHIT!!! backpedal backpedal ) Hell, I'm pretty sure I even held my breath in real life when I dropped back into the water; that's how engrossing the experience was. [/spoiler]

Unfortunately, I think Valve took the idea of spit and polish to absurd levels in every game they've made since, with it culminating in Portal 2. I'm not talking about the story; that was great. I'm talking about the "Here, let us spoon feed you each level by pointing out that this is the only wall that you can put a portal on, oh good, you did it, see? Aren't you having fun?"-type gameplay. The only way they could have been more direct is by putting a giant, flashing sign that says "DO THIS NEXT". [spoiler]To be fair, I felt a small tinge of it again in Half-Life 2, when you reach the bridge and have to make your way across the under-belly of it. I think this was do to the fact that there was nothing there (ie. a convenient arrow sign) to indicate that's what you needed to do. I remember looking around, seeing the path leading down behind the house, following it with my eye to the bridge and thinking "Are you serious??" Sure enough, 2 minutes later I'm grasping on the rusted metal and cursing under my breath at the developers. [/spoiler]
Regardless, something has gotten lost in the translation since Half-Life. Gone is the wonder and sense of freedom I felt; now I feel that I'm only playing the game the way they require me to, and not on my own. They may have been directing me where to go in Half-Life, but they did it with such slyness that it never felt forced, or blatant.
Sadly, I think their cabal process has become a double-edged sword, allowing them to create some of the most memorable video games, but tailoring it to the lowest common denominator. (A great read if you have a minute or two.)
And on that note, I'm off to hunt down some really, really good weed that will make me forget about everything I liked about Half-Life 1. Just so I can replay it again.

Keep rebooting until you get it right. Keep rebooting for new technology in filmmaking. Go for it... I'll watch em all!

Terence Mallick is a filmmaking hero.

*quality I'm calling it just because Source Filmmaker is some bad ass cool shit!

Valve is one of the greatest companies on the planet!!! WOOT Source filmmaker!!

>> ^Fletch:

>> ^cosmovitelli:
>> ^jmzero:
It's bizarre that there isn't better tools out there for this kind of thing - in particular, I was surprised that MS didn't develop a simplified "movie maker" tool for Kinect.

MS couldn't find their ass with both hands.

Pffft... I can find my ass with both hands tied behind my back.


I can tie your hands back there in a way that you couldn't.

Just sayin.