Dark_Respite

Finally, after HOURS and HOURS of slogging away at it, "Midnight's Secrets," my Issue 12 trailer, is finished! And I have to admit, this is probably the best video I've done since I started making videos for COH.

And I will have all of you know - ALL of the 1930s Midnighters, ALL of the 1960s Midnighters, and ALL of the Roman armor folks that I was capturing screenshots of and demorecords of over the course of two days during the casting calls on the test server...

... YOU ARE IN HERE. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. YOU.

It may be but a brief glimpse in a crowd, but since you guys went through the effort to get into the casting call... I went through the effort to get you into the video.

As usual, the low rez version is on YouTube (at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdYd3ljMFUU), and the high rez version is on the Videos page of the Samuraiko Productions website ( http://www.samuraikoproductions.com/Videos.html ).

And although I didn't know it at the time, last night I was apparently harboring a wicked case of food poisoning. God, I just hope people like this thing.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Finally, after HOURS and HOURS of slogging away at it, my Issue 12 trailer is finished! And I have to admit, this is probably the best video I've done since I started making videos for COH.

And I will have all of you know - ALL of the 1930s Midnighters, ALL of the 1960s Midnighters, and ALL of the Roman armor folks that I was capturing screenshots of and demorecords of over the course of two days during the casting calls on the test server...

... YOU ARE IN HERE. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. YOU.

It may be but a brief glimpse in a crowd, but since you guys went through the effort to get into the casting call... I went through the effort to get you into the video.

As usual, the low rez version is on YouTube (or will be once it finishes uploading, just hit my profile at http://www.youtube.com/samuraiko and keep an eye out for it), and the high rez version is on the Videos page of the Samuraiko Productions website ( http://www.samuraikoproductions.com/Videos.html ).

I'm so tired I could cry, I haven't eaten since noon (it's now 1am), and everything in my body hurts from sitting here so long. God, I just hope people like this thing.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I do it both ways - sometimes I hear a piece and fit a video to it (a la "Time to Start" by Blue Man Group); other times I create a video and look for music that works (a la the I-10 Rikti Invasion trailer I did). I think the one thing all the videographers on here can agree on is we all have our own way of doing things.

I will take a listen to your more 'orchestral' stuff when I have a bit of a break!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

For myself, I tend to use more symphonic, orchestral stuff - however, I am not averse to taking a crack with different types of music. (Listening to both now - I like "Waste"... this would so be me shooting in the RWZ.)

I will give the rest of your stuff a listen and keep it in mind.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

*applause*

Well done video, VERY well done - I'm glad I got mine done first, coz I'd hate to have been forced to follow that...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Hooray! I made it work! And while walking down a hill, no less!

Now if I could just master that pan-around circle coding thing, I'd really be golden. But this will definitely do for now. Thank you guys!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Ahhhhhhhh. Excellent! This was just driving me batty. Much experimenting to do with this when I get home from work today.

Neutra, if you end up doing a program like that, PLEASE share it. The two things I have the hardest time with are SMOOTH camera movements (I can fake it in-game but it doesn't always come out right) and mass group movement (I can code myself running from here to there, but getting a large group of people is a trick).

Hmmmm. Anything that you guys need help with that I can provide info on? Wish I could be fair on the sharing of info... :S

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Yes, I mean like in demos. I have tried the various WALK commands and not gotten it right. I know I can't make a toon walk in-game.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

ARGH! This is the one thing I cannot get right. I can film my characters running, flying, swimming, but not WALKING. And it is driving me MAD. Can anyone help me with this?

(And by WALK I mean at a fairly relaxed pace, neither galumphing nor that somewhat hurried "I'm important and I have to be somewhere important and don't I look important" kind of walk.)

*bangs head repeatedly against desk*

It's official - I cannot consider myself a good videographer until my characters can WALK in a video.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Still working on it - yes, been busy, hubby came down with a WICKED case of food poisoning, so neither of us have gotten any real sleep for close to five days. Also spent a good chunk of time at the open casting call getting info from people but I have not forgotten you.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

For anyone who wanted to get in and do some casting of their own (archetypes, SoAs, Midnighters, whatever), but couldn't make it in - I have demorecords from last night and today, plus screenshots.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Thanks to all of you in Roman outfits who obligingly let me grab screenshots and footage!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

still can't connect... it just goes "Connecting #2... Connecting #3..." etc.

And the main Server Status page still shows it as down.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

10 minutes and counting, and the Test Server is still down... Hmmm.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I know that when I cast for the 1930's look, I had a couple of people show up who went for the rather swashbuckling look of early film heroes. A couple also went for the motorcycle jacket "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" style.

And at least one did the dress shirt/tie/trench/fedora look to create the Sam Spade image.

If you've got a tall, fairly slim male hero, throw him in a black or dark grey suit and tie with a fedora and there's Eliot Ness and the Untouchables...

Hope that helps and see you tonight!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

*arches an eyebrow*

Hmmmm... a casting call on the Test server. Where I have seen this concept before...?

*grin*

Sure, I'll try and be there. And like Neutra, this does sound like a prime opportunity to capture a few folks' costumes that I might want for MY videos.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

[ QUOTE ]
how good are you really d_r?....after reading the arbiter thread in the SoA forums i had this idea, would it be possible to edit a toon, Arbiter Sands, and Lord Recluse onto an already existing video?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a rather awkward question. Um... if I had access to the demorecord file, mapping in Sands and Recluse would be easy - I just swap out whoever's standing there. But if it's an actual video file, that's a whole other animal.

To give you an example - you saw the scenes I did in the I-12 teaser (to pick one at random, say... all the heroes standing in the base at the start of the video). Instead of having all the heroes, I could swap out the codes and instead make it, oh, Positron, Ghost Widow, Jurassik, Statesman, Battle Maiden, Azuria, and a random Carnie. (now THAT'd be an interesting sight)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Okay, not a problem. I will find suitable stretch o' street and have the Rikti hordes come sweeping in.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

And no, I haven't switched to GEICO.

Hmmm... if you'd like, I can probably create a good shot of a mob of Rikti charging the 'open' gate of the Vanguard compound (shot 'through' the gates, as it were - I'd need to pop into the RWZ to double-check logistics of it).

When I get it done, I'll just put it up on my server and you can d'l it from there.

And yeah, I can film without the HUD showing up.

Okay - so, at the moment, we're talking 30 Rikti re-enacting the "Charge of the Light Brigade"...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

EDIT: Found a better place. The link goes to a screenshot I put on my server. Tell me what you think...

Location, Location, Location

Depending on how I can mess with the code, I might even be able to map in some other stuff.

Hey, I have a reputation as a videographer and generally cool person to maintain!

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Tell me where you want the footage shot (meaning specifically where in the RWZ) and I'll create it for you. I think I can muster enough members of the Sinclair Syndicate on Triumph to get several folks charging the camera.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I am so there... the story side of this game is what does it for me, and I've been wanting more on the Midnight Squad since I started this game.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

That's why for every video I make, I finish it - then I let it sit for a couple of days so I can get past the 'oh, wait, I want to add this!' phase.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding about the phrase "I feel much better now". It refers to me being absolutely frustrated with the spammers, and taking my frustration out by making a video, NOT about me making a video that I think elevates me to a higher caliber of videographer.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

And I just posted a new video! It's short and it's scathing, but I really think it just makes a statement.

The Value of PWNage (low res version)

The Value of PWNage (high res version)

I feel much better now.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite