6||0|1284|0|yes
0|0|0|||1||Avatar Day%3F Anyone else%3F %28probable spoilers in thread%29|Ardaniel||00:09:40|08/22/2009|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-22-09 AT 00:13 AM (EDT)]I%27m probably going to regret asking this%2C but did anyone else get to go to the Jim Cameron%27s Avatar sneak preview tonight%3F  Chad%2C Tramm%2C and I attended the local one and were suitably impressed.  I even managed to get some actual 3D out of it%2C which isn%27t easy.%0D%0A%0D%0AI did like the woman behind me in line who loudly and pompously announced that they only did motion-capture VFX movies like this because they were %5Bi%5Dcheap to make%5B%2Fi%5D.  I politely corrected her-- I%27ve got a little mocap work under my belt from a stint at Henson the first half of last year%2C and a lot of my coworkers there went on to or were also working on Avatar at the same time-- and she pompously explained to me that people like me were %5Bi%5Dputting graphic designers out of work%5B%2Fi%5D and refused to speak to me further.  Los Angeles%2C ladies and gentlemen%21%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Collier%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace%2C putting graphic designers out of work since 2006
1|1|0|||||RE%3A Avatar Day%3F Anyone else%3F %28probable spoilers in thre|Star Ranger4||11:38:18|08/22/2009|%3ELos Angeles%2C %0D%0A%3Eladies and gentlemen%21 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%2Asnerk%2A  And this surprises you how%2C Ardie%3F
2|2|1|||1||RE%3A Avatar Day%3F Anyone else%3F %28probable spoilers in thre|Ardaniel||17:10:16|08/22/2009|%0D%0A%3E%2Asnerk%2A  And this surprises you how%2C Ardie%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AStill fails to beat the time a %2Aclassmate%2A of mine asserted that the shark in My Super Ex-Girlfriend had been the subject of animal cruelty%2C because they left it out of water for that %2Aentire scene.%2A%0D%0A%0D%0AI really hate having to explain to fellow pros%2C incipient or otherwise%2C that some things in movies aren%27t actually real%2C they%27re made by people at VFX houses.%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Collier%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace
3|3|2|||||RE%3A Avatar Day%3F Anyone else%3F %28probable spoilers in thre|Croaker||16:54:12|08/23/2009|So%2C how was the movie%2C already%3F %3A%29
4|4|3|||1||RE%3A Avatar Day%3F Anyone else%3F %28probable spoilers in thre|Ardaniel||20:46:38|08/23/2009|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-23-09 AT 08:47 PM (EDT)]%3ESo%2C how was the movie%2C already%3F %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AThe 16-minute teaser was largely stuff from the SDCC 25-minute teaser%2C as described %5Blink%3Aio9.com%2F5321644%2Fholy-freaking-avatar-we-saw-25-minutes-of-camerons-weird-masterpiece%7Cat io9 back in July%5D.  The scenes we got are listed in that article as %22The Pep Talk%2C%22 an extended version of %22Getting Your Space Legs%22 that ends as Jake goes crashing out of the medbay to explore the base with a bunch of technicians in hot pursuit%2C a slightly shorter version of %22Monsters of Pandora%22 that skips right to Augustine%27s lecture%2C a shortened version of %22You%27re Like a Baby%22 that ends as the %22pure spirits%22 land around Jake but before Neytiri%27s explanation%2C and all of %22Dragonrider.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AIt all looks really good%2C according to my accomplices-- that%27s not something I%27m equipped to judge%2C sadly%2C although when the 3D worked for me%2C it really worked%2C which is rare in my condition.  Sam Worthington is excellent%2C and the motion capture really does manage to preserve the idea that it %5Bi%5Dis%5B%2Fi%5D his performance%2C not something the animators ginned up or overwrote as they cleaned up the data from the stage shoot.  Same with Zoe Saldana-- there are facial expressions in these scenes that you can clearly trace back to Uhura in %5Bi%5DTrek%5B%2Fi%5D and say %22Hey%2C that%27s the same person%2C%22 even though Neytiri%27s a 10-foot-tall blue glowing-faced cat person with a giant fucking longbow.%0D%0A%0D%0ADefinitely%2C though%2C needs to be seen in 3D.  The HD trailer%27s up at Apple if you want it%2C but Cameron%27s 3D process really does add something to the footage that doesn%27t make the translation otherwise.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd yeah%2C I%27m buying a new pair of glasses this fall%2C just for going to the movies%2C %5Bi%5Dbecause of this teaser%5B%2Fi%5D.  The tint on my everyday glasses knocks out about three-tenths of a point of %5Blink%3Aen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGamma_correction%7Cgamma%5D as it stands%3B they%27re also polarized%2C so putting a %5Blink%3Aen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FIMAX%23IMAX_3D%7Ccircular polarization%5D setup in front of it knocks off another couple tenths of a point.  Throw in the tint on the right-eye lens on the IMAX 3D setup%2C and I%27m definitely looking at a %5Bi%5Dvery%5B%2Fi%5Ddark image.  %28The %5Bi%5DTron Legacy%5B%2Fi%5D teaser takes this to entirely new and painful levels%2C actually%2C since Tron%27s universe is basically a black plane with blue neon.%29  Best solution%3A get a second pair of glasses like a normal pair%2C no tint no polarization no antiglare%2C and wear those to the cinema.  Whee%2C science.%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Collier%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace
6|5|4|||1||RE%3A Avatar Day%3F Anyone else%3F %28probable spoilers in thre|Wedge||21:31:37|08/23/2009|%3EDefinitely%2C though%2C needs to be seen in 3D.  The HD trailer%27s up at %0D%0A%3EApple if you want it%2C but Cameron%27s 3D process really does add %0D%0A%3Esomething to the footage that doesn%27t make the translation otherwise. %0D%0A%0D%0ATo expand on this%2C since I got a little bit more than Ardie out of it...%0D%0A%0D%0AI am %2Avery%2A cynical about the modern re-advent of 3D cinema.  I personally don%27t think it%27s any less of a gag now than it was in the 50%27s%2C and I have never thought it was going to be the savior of the film industry that some people think it is.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat being said%2C holy %2Ashit.%2A%0D%0A%0D%0AI can honestly say that the 3D actually makes the CGI characters look %2Amore real%2A than the live action actors.  As Tramm pointed out after%2C %27photoreal%27 isn%27t the right term here%2C because they%27re obviously fantastical characters.  It doesn%27t jump the Uncanny Valley so much as it just avoids it altogether.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis combined with James Cameron%27s ironclad command of story and action%3F  I can%27t remember a time that I%27ve been so excited to see a movie.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.gweep.net%2F%7Ewedge%2Fufchad_ficon.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5DChad Collier%0D%0ASmirking Kilrathi%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%230000CC%5DThe Captain of the Gravy Train%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
5|1|0|||1||RE%3A Avatar Day%3F Anyone else%3F %28probable spoilers in thre|Ardaniel||20:49:29|08/23/2009|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-23-09 AT 08:51 PM (EDT)]Also%2C Jim Cameron %5Blink%3Aio9.com%2F5343458%2Fwould-you-have-sex-with-james-camerons-blue-aliens%7Ctotally wants to know if you wanna date his Avatar%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I happen to know that his stage crew was not%2C in fact%2C all-male%2C FWIW.  One of my most favorite old coworkers was on the shoot%2C and she%27s no guy.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AArd Collier%0D%0Athat Janice chick%0D%0AUsual Suspect and general menace