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[neutr]

I came very close to walking out of the theater with 2012.  Right at the beginning, "The nutrinos are heating the earth's core!".  The neutrinos?  Seriously?  That's the best you could come up with? It was just downhill from there but the visuals were pleasing, so I soldiered through it.

I hate to say it, 'cause he's made some movies I love (Stargate, The Patriot) but I think Emmerich has lost his touch.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Mills - interesting perspective... I remember just thinking how cool the floating rocks looked and how they sort of just "fit" on Pandora (they mentioned lower gravity and strange minerals so I just accepted it as part of that).  I did get the mythical/fantasy feeling at the end when the "goddess" transferred Jake into the avatar and let his human body die but it didn't bother me at all as the movie, up to that point, had been sort of hammering home that Pandora (and by extension the na'vi) was not like Earth and humans and that the entire planet was "connected".  It started off with a very technological tone (act I) showing the colonization of Pandora and the greedy humans and their toys, then shifted seamlessly into a [gloriously non-offensive] treehugger mode (act II) as Jake fell in love with Pandora and The People and then ended on a spiritual/fate tone (act III) after many explosions of course!

I don't know, for me it just worked on all levels

Nacho - I can't wait to play video games with this style of 3D.  I think some game companies are going to get sued when some idiots try to duck under something coming at them and get concussions from bangin' their heads on their keyboards

I sense an AGS plug in for this 3D stuff    Get working all you module builders out there!!

[SPOILER]

Oh yeah, music.  It didn't stand out to me as good or bad.  I hardly remember there being music at all, actually (which I suppose could be good or bad, again).

I actually consider it a good thing when I don't remember the music but, rather, remember emotional involvement with the movie!  To me, that is what music (in a movie) should do!

Another effect that just blew me away and was super subtle: looking through windows.  There were lots of shots through windows looking out onto Pandora, or through canopies of helicopters or big mechas and the glass would have finger (or whatever) smudges on it.  And they just made it feel like the glass was right there in front of you.  It felt like you could move your head slightly to see the details slightly obscured by these smudges.  Pretty cool.

YES!!  This was, by far, my favorite part of the 3D experience!  It created so much depth that I actually got the feeling of being IN the scene.  Nothing has ever come so close before to such sensory stimulation as that.  The scene SPOILER where Jake (riding the dragon thing) threw the one helicopter into the other and it was the cock-pit view of the one about to be struck and you could see the thing coming I actually flinched back in my seat anticipating the impact!  It was amazing!  My heartbeat was actually accelerated!  Most excellent indeed!

On the 3D, though, I was getting a bit of a headache throughout the whole movie.  I didn't have a problem with Coraline, so I suspect it was because I watched this in IMAX.  Here's my big problem with 3D movies:
...
But when you watch a movie in 3D, your eyes think they can focus on the different things at different depths (and you can!  Changing the focal distance of your eyes brings certain parts of the stereoscopic image into line.)  however, even if you do that, the part of the image that you're focusing on may not be in focus because the director may be focused on something else.  So if you try to focus on, say, a background piece of jungle (which is hard not to do, since you want to soak up all the details of this world) you wind up just focusing a blurred image, which makes your eyes think that they're still not focused even though they are.

I too had this problem (not in IMAX either).  I was getting a bit of eye strain.

My brother and I discussed this on the way home and had very similar ideas as to what you expressed here.  You almost have to stop watching the movie in the way you used to (where your eyes could wander and take it all in)  You just need to watch the focal point the director wants you to watch.  While this is somewhat limiting I do not mind it so much in trade-off for the overall immersion experience.  I found, about 1/2 way through the movie, that if I just relaxed my eyes and let them follow the focal point my eye strain went away.  But my curiosity always gets the best of me and I needed to keep looking around (in a movie other than this with the AMAZING level of detail it'd probably be far less an issue, but I needed to check out Pandora).  That and I was constantly trying to see if the female Na'vi actually had nipples

I would wager, as this is really the first movie with this technology, that eventually it'll be tweaked to allow for those of us who like to let our eyes roam to take in the entire screen rather than just the focal point.

Personally, I cannot wait to see how this evolves!

[Vince, SSH and Ghost]

Vince, SSH and Ghost - please let me know what you think/thought of the movie!

Nic - really??  I love James Horner's music.  Granted I'm no expert on music but one of my favorite things about movie music is if it sets the mood, but you almost don't hear it.  And Horner does that for me.  One of my favorite of his scores was from a oft-forgotten movie called Deep Impact.

Jet - the story isn't too original, but it's still a great (enjoyable) story!

I would say the story has similarities to Dances with Wolves but it's not "the same" as it or "copy" it.  This argument has always bothered me a bit as all [good] stories follow a similar vein (not going to go into it).  I don't think similarities to another great story take away from this movie though.

Maybe he should've waited with Terminator 2 or Abyss...no you say? Why not? Because they're great movies and they have great and original plot and the effects should not be a selling point they should add to the immersiveness and not so the whole movie is based around it, does a CGI background need floating mountains to tell an interesting story?!

Terminator 2 was basically a recycling of the plot of The Terminator with a few twists thrown in (and some new technology).  Not exactly "original" there.  The Abyss has original elements but is still a recycling of an age-old story telling method.  He waited to make Avatar] until technology caught up to his vision.  I applaud his willingness to wait.

I would be curious to hear your thoughts on the movie after seeing it though!

VWG - I'm a little surprised to hear your thoughts on the tech!  I was blown away by it.  I read somewhere that some people have ... something ... about their eyes that keep this 3D technology from working for their vision.  They don't have bad eye sight or anything it's just some kind of thing with their eyes where the 3D illusion isn't maintained.  Perhaps this is the case because I was blown away!

Shawn - I had heard about the game but deliberately ignored it 'cause I wanted to avoid spoilers!  I intend to check it out but I don't like buying things for myself around Christmas time   Thanks for the heads-up!

Nacho - go see it in 3D.  You will not be disappointed!

I'm going to go see it again on Thursday.

Peace out.

[WARNING - POSSIBLE AVATAR SPOILERS - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK]

WARNING - POSSIBLE AVATAR SPOILERS - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Last night movies changed forever for me.  I saw Avatar.  James Cameron may not have made a movie since Titanic but a 12 year gap had no effect on the man's movie-making talents.  I dare say he's better than ever.  This movie is fantastic.

I want to start with the 3D technology before getting into the movie itself.  The first few previews were traditional (non-3D) and then the screen said "Please put on your 3D glasses now".  Now... I have been reading about the 3D tech for Avatar for years and was really anticipating seeing what it had to offer.  The next two previews were in 3D and I must admit, I was very underwhelmed and disappointed. 

Then Avatar began...

The previews were, I'm guessing, "dumbed" down a bit because it wasn't thrilling.  But the 3D in the actual feature was mind-blowing.  This new 3D technology cannot be adequately explained in words.  You have to have your ass in the seat with those [dorky] glasses on to truly appreciate it.  James Cameron has (in typical James Cameron fashion) truly revolutionized the industry.  This is the new way to make movies.  I can honestly say that I will put on those glasses for every movie I see if they look/feel like this!  I will admit that when there was a lot of camera motion coupled with fast action on the screen the 3D gets a little lost, but if the camera motion was more steady, and the action on the screen mid to slow it was simply amazing.  There was a part, in the Pandora jungle, where there were bugs flying around.  The focus was not on the bugs, they were just adding to the immersion.  I actually, entirely sub-consciously, swatted at one of the bugs in my peripheral vision.  I then promptly realized what I had done and looked around to see if anybody had noticed, and saw 4 other people swatting at nothing.

It's that good.

Now I want to talk about the CGI.  James Cameron said he had written this script in 1995, but knew back then the tech wasn't available to allow him to make this movie and he wanted to wait until it was.  Well ... he waited long enough.  The CGI has finally reached a point (and this is truly the first time I can say this) that I was unable to distinguish the live-action and the CG.  It was so seamlessly integrated.  Being a technophile I spent a good portion of my time in the seat studying the special effects that I probably missed out on the great story (more on that in a bit).  There is a scene where Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have a kiss ... this CG was simply, mind-blowingly, amazing.  Most of the movie-goers probably just thought it was a kiss.  But the CG characters; their lips, teeth, eyes, cheeks ... it was almost not CG. 

It's that good.

Now ... the movie.  Almost three hours in length (and I could tell he had far more material that was removed to get the movie under 3 hours; perhaps he learned his lesson with Titanic) you don't notice the length.  Now, I have to admit, I'm still in a bit of awe of the over-all experience so eventually I might find some things to complain about (as I always do with most movies) but at this point.  I'm in love.

Sam Worthington is Jake Sully, the lead.  Sam, at this point, would be a virtually unknown actor had it not been for his role in Terminator: Salvation (which was shot long after Avatar's production; meaning Jim picked Sam before seeing him in Terminator).  I was nervous about him in the lead role as I just wasn't sure he had the chops to carry the film.  I was wrong.  He has the chops.  I felt the same thing about Leonardo DiCaprio when learning he was cast as the lead in Titanic. I knew the kid had talent (Gilbert Grape) but wasn't sure he could carry a lead.  James Cameron proved, again, that he knows what he's doing and I wouldn't be surprised if Sam's career sky-rockets (his next role as Persius in the retelling of Clash of the Titans) after this role. 

Having said that; Zoe Saldana, as Ney'tiri was incredible.  I had a crush on her because of her role as Uhura in the new Star Trek.  I am now in love with her.  Now, normally, this wouldn't be much cause for surprise from an actress in a lead role in a movie.  The reason it's remarkable (and surprising to me) is because Zoe Saldana is not in this movie.  Her Avatar is.  Totally motion-capped and computer animated.  It was outstanding.  She breathed so much life into the character.  This was the first time that I actually had an emotional connection to non-real characters on the screen.  I wasn't sure it was possible with CG human characters ... but this was CG aliens and still, the performances coupled with the technology ... it's hard to describe, but I was involved.  I thought this connection and emotional involvement with CG was impossible.  I was wrong.

I want to make a prediction here; I'm going to predict that Ms. Saldana will be nominated for an Oscar (yes, an Oscar) for this role.  And I dare say, she deserves it.

Plot Spoilers Ahead...

The movie was paced perfectly.  Three precisely sectioned acts seamlessly sewn together.  Now I will say that it bordered on being a little preachy at parts (but wasn't, just came close) about environmental issues ("their world is green, ours is no longer") but it works perfectly in the context of the film.  Jake's conversion to the Na'vi way of life and his eventual betrayal of his own people is done so perfectly that you don't realize until you're sitting around later talking about it that you supported his decision to fight the humans.  It's done that well.  You want him to fight them (granted the humans aren't painted in an appealing light, they are painted as corporate greedy pigs and military tyrants but still).  This goes back to my comment about how the CG characters have reached a point where you get involved with them.

The world of Pandora is breath-taking.  There was no part of it that made me think, "stupid CG backdrops" (and I am very picky about such things).  There is almost nothing on Pandora that looks like earth.  It's a bio-luminescent planet that is so full and realized in a way that has never been equaled in sci-fi before.  James Cameron has not set the bar, he has shattered it.  This movie will change Hollywood.

The battle sequences are simply amazing.  I have said for years that James Cameron has an amazing ability to put together action sequences that are so perfectly constructed that you don't get lost in them but lose none of the intensity.  Hacks like Michael Bay rely on large explosions and hectic camera moves to confuse you into a sense of action but you're most often left with that, "what just happened" feeling.  Cameron delivers all that intensity, but you don't wonder what just happened, you are part of the action.

I posted it on my facebook (so some of you have read it) but, as the title of the this thread suggests, I want to personally thank James Cameron.  It is movies like this that make me realize why I love movies.  It's story-telling at it's best, production at it's best, design at it's best, acting at it's best, pushing technology at it's best... it is, in short, what movie-making should be about.

It's that good.

Thank you, Mr. Cameron, for reminding me that magic does still exist.

As far as I understand it, Jesus' actual birth-date was completely forgotten in time.

I have heard several explanations as to why 25 December was selected but the one that makes the most sense to me is:

The Roman emperor Constantine made Christianity the law (yes law) in the Roman Empire after his "victory by god" at the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD.  Then his new church set out to decide what stories were acceptable for inclusion in Christianity (I love this often over-looked fact, "hey, let's pick what we like and just disregard the rest").  They selected 25 December (the approximate time of the winter solstice) to compete with Roman/Pagan holidays that took place around the winter solstice. 

The lesson here?  If you have no idea, just make something up that is the most convenient for your cause!

Ahh...Christmas. A time to paint little Santa hats on our forum pics.

Whatever are you talking about??

I smell a religion debate/explosion...

Christmas for me was, as a child, all about receiving lots of toys.  As an adult it's about being with family.  While I still like receiving gifts (who doesn't) for me the joy of the season is in giving them to others.

I don't hold to the religious significance of it anymore (as you said Christ was born in March) but more the sentiment of family and friends and the whole "good will" stuff.

Haha!  I have no authority in the GenGen (or any other board other than the GiP) so I wasn't really attempting to be moderator-ish!

I actually meant that post as "you'll have better luck" kind of vibe.  I think I should have been [a tad] clearer

I find it highly unlikely I will be able to participate

I'm planning a skiing trip one weekend soon ... so if this thread is still alive I'll contribute!

I think you should post in the proper place...

Sad to hear this news Ghost ... gimme a shout (PM) when you're ready to fire the engine up again and we'll unlock this!

Good luck!

[Development PSD File]

- I reversed the angle of the bridge (had to work with a color reduced stock photo, so it could use some work in the final version)
- lowered brooklyn a bit
- punched up the red color just a little on Brooklyn to make it more the focal point (if it was meant to be the focal point!)
- I used copy/paste from your original file for the italoamerican restaurant text so it could use touch-up as well

Here is the Development PSD File (~1.4mb) if you want it!

Hope it helps amigo!

I like the new bridge better than the first version.  I would remove the waitress and the baseball (but leave in the "estabilished" banner) and flip the bridge graphic horizontally ... this would make the bulky part of the bridge more symmetrical with the B (larger part) of Brooklyn and should serve to "balance" the logo!

I don't think your attempt(s) were horrible!  They just lack a "fluidity" that I like to see in explosions.  I have come across some amazing explosions over at pixel joint.  Here are some examples:





That's just a few ... but might provide some inspiration!

Good luck!

The still photos, to me, look like time-lapse (left the shutter open for a long time) because none of the video I have seen come even close the number of rings or "radiance" of the photos.

From my perspective this looks like a laser-light show (from the ground) shining up on the clouds.

I did hear some speculation that it was a wormhole generated by the LHC.  I am fond of that notion, however ludicrous

Congrats on finishing a game!

I wouldn't worry too much about the nay-sayers ... just make the game you want!

I was, just recently, dealing with this exact issue.  What I eventually settled on was creating template(s) for my backgrounds.  Each background fits into one of the template layouts and each template fits the characters (which were created first).

The up-side; It makes each background fit into a cohesive style giving the game a unity of style.
The down-side; It sort of feels like the game was made in a mold as all screens fit the same template (but I make up for this with TONS of details)

This is just how I do it and is, by no means, the way

I'm always amazed at people's fears of airplanes.  Airplane travel is FAR safer than car, bus or train travel not to mention far more convenient!  I'll grant that if you are involved in a plane crash you're FAR more likely to die but, statistically speaking, I'll get on a plane any day!  I would also get on a space elevator and an under-sea train to Europe.

I once saw a guy with a sign

Ninjas killed my father
Need money for training

I just about emptied my wallet on this guy. 

I saw a picture (didn't see the guy myself) of a bum (what we call beggars) holding a sign that said, "Bet you can't hit me with a quarter".

I thought that was rather brilliant, if a bit sad.

Same here in South Florida, USA ... they are at every intersection in every city you drive through.