A COH video for a friend...

Dark_Respite · 02-06-2011 11:48 PM

In addition to my trailers, I sometimes do music videos. This one was a Christmas/birthday present for a friend, but I wanted to share it here. I think it's a rather poignant reminder of how matters of heroism and matters of the heart can sometimes be conflicting, and more often than not, painful.

(And FWIW, it also briefly references characters and events from THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE...)

City of Heroes - A Heart Divided (YouTube version)
City of Heroes - A Heart Divided (highrez download version)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

Fleeting Whisper · 02-07-2011 12:20 AM

Nice job! The cinematography went really well with the lyrics, though I think the camera orbit at the beginning was a bit much

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt

Techbot Alpha · 02-07-2011 04:33 AM

That was pure, A-grade Fantastic, Michelle. I...think I'm lost for words, t'be honest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger

GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon

NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

BigFish · 02-07-2011 04:42 AM

Nice work, as always

There is no such thing as an "innocent bystander"

Dark_Respite · 02-07-2011 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fleeting Whisper

Nice job! The cinematography went really well with the lyrics, though I think the camera orbit at the beginning was a bit much

Thanks! (And I'm still learning what makes a 'good video' when it's not a flat-out-fast-paced trailer...)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha

That was pure, A-grade Fantastic, Michelle. I...think I'm lost for words, t'be honest.

Really? Thank you very much!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

Nice work, as always

Thank you, as always.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

Antoinette · 02-07-2011 05:20 AM

Wow, this is amazing! The story is so heartbreaking. Very well done, this is your best work. But of course all your work is amazing because it's poured with passion.

P.S. I'm still being emo about that story, so sad. *cries*

[center][IMG]http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h461/cohroguemagazine/Logos/sig.png[/IMG][/center]
[center][size=1][color=#FF99CC][font=Tahoma] GLOBAL: @Antoinette |[/font][/color][color=#FF99CC][font=Tahoma] MAIN: [/font][/color][url=http://www.virtueverse.net/wiki/Pinkrise][color=#FF99CC][font=tahoma]Pinkrise[/font][/color][/url][color=#FF99CC][font=Tahoma] | SG: [/font][/color][url=http://www.wix.com/netherealist/spitfire][color=#FF99CC][font=Tahoma]The Ethereals [/font][/color][/url][font=Tahoma][color=#FF99CC] | PROJECTS: [/font][/color][url=http://cohrm.wordpress.com][color=#FF99CC][font=tahoma]Rogue Magazine [/font][/color][/url][/size][/center]

Casual_Player · 02-07-2011 06:09 AM

My first reaction is, "States, you dog! Breaking that poor little spy gal's heart like that."

But then I thought, "He's been having a really busy week, what with half the population of 12 shards wanting to work with him. I'll cut him some slack 'til we see his side of it."

Beautiful as always, particularly the reveal and her final walk-away.

*applause*

Statesmonkey Sez: Lighten up! It's a game, for Lincoln's sake!
Also: Six years of casual play begins to look an awful lot like one year of hardcore play.

Shadow Ravenwolf · 02-07-2011 06:39 AM

The video was very well done.

Comic and Hero/Villain Culture

Saturday January 29th, 2005 (12:37 PM) ~ Monday August 9th, 2010

Those Who Lived It Will Remember Long after your Ban Hammer Crumbles and the servers flicker dead.

We Will Remember This One Moment In Time! ~ Shadow Ravenwolf

Chase_Arcanum · 02-07-2011 08:31 AM

Exceptional!

Dark_Respite · 02-07-2011 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casual_Player

Beautiful as always, particularly the reveal and her final walk-away.

Actually, him being exceptionally popular made filming a bit tricky... coz every time I'd start shooting, a bunch of heroes would drop out of the sky and get right into shot. *rolls eyes* Ah, how I suffer for my art...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

Chase_Arcanum · 02-07-2011 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark_Respite

Thanks! (And I'm still learning what makes a 'good video' when it's not a flat-out-fast-paced trailer...)

I wouldn't worry about the orbits too much.

I know that when I did the comics, I found myself changing camera angles much more than what good illustrative design suggests-- but I did it to make up for the lack of change in the face or posture between shots. When your models lack the activity or variation to keep the scene dynamic, you resort to using what you *can* control (the camera) to keep it from going flat.

Of course, there are many more ways to do that than the orbit, but things like a slow close up on the character would eventually draw attention to the unchanging face too. Granted, in some shots, stressing the unwavering gaze would be useful.

Overall, though, as I said before, great work and looking forward to what you attempt next.

(And no, this Course of a Superhero Romance reference doesn't get you off the hook... we'll still be expecting the full machinema version sometime in the next decade. Get cracking.)

Sapphic_Neko · 02-07-2011 11:08 AM

That was touching

RadDidIt · 02-07-2011 11:48 AM

Question: Who was the woman?

Repeat Offender

Dark_Respite · 02-07-2011 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadDidIt

Question: Who was the woman?

A friend's character, whose backstory is somewhat intertwined with that of Statesman in the present day (as part of a much larger story).

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

Tenzhi · 02-07-2011 12:20 PM

I started out hating the song, but by the end of the video I wanted to see Dracula: the Musical. Must've been a good video.

Goodbye may seem forever
Farewell is like the end
But in my heart's the memory
And there you'll always be
-- The Fox and the Hound

Dark_Respite · 02-07-2011 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenzhi

I started out hating the song, but by the end of the video I wanted to see Dracula: the Musical. Must've been a good video.

IMO, "Please Don't Make Me Love You" is the best song. Granted, I've had songs kinda 'grow' on me after multiple listening, so I'm giving it time.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

cursedsorcerer · 02-07-2011 12:22 PM

Sniff... sniff...

That's all I can say... Beautiful!

Loved the tension buildup around 1:50-2:00.

Get a hold of yourself, Cursed! Don't show emotion!

to

TO THE END!
Villains are those who dedicate their lives to causing mayhem. Villians are people from the planet Villia!

Memphis_Bill · 02-07-2011 12:32 PM

Very nicely done, Michelle. Sweet.

See my Guides and Tutorials

Ironik · 02-07-2011 01:30 PM

That was excellent. Well done, indeed. I particularly liked how you combined the "Assume the Position" emote with the "Wall Lean" emote to get them into an intimate position; very clever, that.

What font is that at the beginning? And how do you get those smooth tracking shots? I can't seem to manage that.

The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction

Dark_Respite · 02-07-2011 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironik

That was excellent. Well done, indeed. I particularly liked how you combined the "Assume the Position" emote with the "Wall Lean" emote to get them into an intimate position; very clever, that.

What font is that at the beginning? And how do you get those smooth tracking shots? I can't seem to manage that.

*grins* Thank you.

The title font is SonyannaScriptSSI Regular (a TrueType font).

As far as the circle tracking shots, that's courtesy of Zloth's Demo Editor. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the math so that I can do uber-spiffy swooping shots like Aralcox does, but no luck yet. *sigh*

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

Indiramourning · 02-07-2011 03:25 PM

Wow. It's not easy to make me cry. But that was just awesome. Thanks Michelle.

Dark_Respite · 02-07-2011 07:16 PM

Before I forget my manners entirely, thank you all for the compliments, and also for the critiques. Each video I learn something new, so I can improve for next time.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

Ironik · 02-07-2011 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark_Respite

*grins* Thank you.

The title font is SonyannaScriptSSI Regular (a TrueType font).

As far as the circle tracking shots, that's courtesy of Zloth's Demo Editor. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the math so that I can do uber-spiffy swooping shots like Aralcox does, but no luck yet. *sigh*

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Ah. A couple years ago I exchanged a few emails with Aral and I can honestly admit that I had (and still have) zero idea how he accomplished those shots even though he patiently explained it to me. The guy even wrote a program from scratch to make it easier to do them.

The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction

Chase_Arcanum · 02-07-2011 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark_Respite

Thanks! (And I'm still learning what makes a 'good video' when it's not a flat-out-fast-paced trailer...)

Really? Thank you very much!

Thank you, as always.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark_Respite

*grins* Thank you.

The title font is SonyannaScriptSSI Regular (a TrueType font).

As far as the circle tracking shots, that's courtesy of Zloth's Demo Editor. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the math so that I can do uber-spiffy swooping shots like Aralcox does, but no luck yet. *sigh*

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I've cheated on mine in the past.

Do one demo of the character where I want her.
Do another one of the path I want the camera to fly.
Merge..

but I can do that since I usually only needed a few stills, not a seamless shot.

Cosmic_Herald · 02-08-2011 08:27 AM

Michelle,
Here I was very behind in my work.. taking a short break by just doing a fast browse of the boards. Kind of ... clear your head for a moment type thing.

THEN....
I came across this thread with your name and the word Video attached to it.
SOooo.. naturally I check out the youtube version.
Three times!!!!
Then I had to go and see the high res version too!

I even went and read the comments on your youtube version to see who the female lead was!

Soooo... much time has passed since my 'break', I haven't gotten back to work yet. (I will after this posting).

But I felt not only obligated but driving in a desire to thank you for putting this together for your friend.

You have always done great work. This video however reaches a new level, perhaps because of the intimate nature of the story and music, perhaps because I am a sap at heart or some combination of both.

Whatever the case may be, you have touched upon many levels with the song choice, the video and the willingness to put a friends story together in such a warm and heartfelt way.

Thank you Michelle... this was a fantastic video from you.

Cos

Member of Team Awesome��
Justice Server