Age 33, Male
Joined on 7/30/04
I think sprites can be quite stylish, as long you make them yourself and/or get creative with them.
I'm fucking tired of the same old mario and luigi sprites though. But that's just my opinion and I choose not to watch movie like that. Simple as that.
I can understand, I've yet to see a really good bubble bobble movie. :(
I'll try to do this short...
The sprites aren't yours. So it makes it less your work.
For some people it matters, for other it doesn't. That's just a matter of opinion.
Custom sprites are step in the right direction. But then you could keep on complaining that the charaters aren't yours and so on, again, a matter of opinion.
But hey! I don't mind it at all... SF vs MK 3 was orgasmic and so were other sprite movies there were even less customized and unique.
The most common mistake I see when someone is uploading a movie or responding to a review is: "Don't vote 0 if you don't like sprites" or "watch it for the fun side and ignore that it is sprites". That is too much to ask... if the movie is good, then even the sprite haters will vote higher than 0. And asking people to ignore graphic and half of the animation is impossible.
I write to much, don't delete it right away XD
It's all just a matter of opinion I agree, I just hate that people can hate a movie for one aspect that doesn't really get in the way of the movie, it's like hating anime, it's a style of drawing and people hate it saying 'get a different style', that is some ways is the same as hating sprites.
And yeah totally, most of the sprite movies I see have 'if you no liek sprites you no watch', of course sprite haters are still going to watch it and vote what they think it deserves, a comment like that can't rescrict people from watching since sprites are such a huge part of a sprite movie. :/
I could very much enjoy a movie where someone drew out all the little 16-bit buddies themselves. Fact of the matter is, that sort of effort scarcely exists in a sprite animator, and using someone else's sprites IS lazy, flat out. Ideas and creativity, rah rah rah. Everyone has them, that's not the hard part. In fact, it's possibly the most fun part, which is why a lot of people don't often move far beyond the conceptual stages. It's the laborious task of actually seeing the animation through that really demands respect. As such, I don't like movies like this one. It really doesn't help to hear some sprite animators say that it takes just as much work as traditional animation, because I actually grow a new tumor every time I hear that. It's like a kid saying to their mother "Don't tell me about the pain of child birth. I know. I fell off my bike one time, and it REALLY hurt, so I've been there."
I believe sprites are good for the people that want to be creative but have no artistic skill, it still seems like an 'easy way out' but it can work.
And I agree, sprite movies flat out don't take as much effort as drawn movies, but that's only when you compare them to the drawn movies that take effort. There are a lot of small bad drawn movies that take no effort, and those are the ones sprite movies are better than. Comparing an average sprite movie to anything by Adam Phillips for instance, it's obvious that Adam put a heel of a lot more effort in his movie, and it's not likely any sprite movie can come close, but if you compare an average sprite flash to mabye a Foamy flash? It's about the same.
Sprite haters really bug me, they should maybe just not watch sprite vids instead of leaving all the crap reviews >_>
I tend to only enjoy sprites if i see people designing their own. From scratch. None of this 'modified' business. That's like taking someone's painting and adding a few strokes. I don't find that to be talent.
I have only seen someone make their own sprite characters, animations and backgrounds from scratch once, and so I typically steer clear from sprite animations because I know they will be chock full of stolen content. I know it's hard, but it's just as hard as animating with a pen or brush. People steal sprites because it's easy.
Completely custom sprite movies are very very rare, it's a pity becuase I think those are the best kind of sprite movies. Like NegativeONE said that kinds of commitment and effort just doesn't come from an average sprite animator. I've tried my hand at doing it once or twice sans background and that did take a lot of effort to pull of, even if the final productions were a bit on the boring side.
I admit that I'm not a big fan of sprite movies but i'd never vote 0 on something that I could tell took effort. I'm also not too keen on stick-men, clocks etc so I usually don't watch them because 1. I know I won't like it and 2. It's not fair on the artist if I'm voting low because of a particular style he\she chooses.
Don't worry about the bad reviews either- even if you draw all your own stuff there will always be some prick who thinks "You suck, dude!"
Don't let it get to you, just keep doing what you enjoy.
Newgrounds has room for all of us.
Well i don't normally like sprites but when they are used as skillfully as you have done with Thwomps, It really sort of makes it more of a unique animation with a nice take on classic characters like mario and luigi without being badly drawn.
Though they do tend to be parodies or fights because of reusing copyrighted characters, though you can make your own sprites which is pretty cool!
I think they're gr8 as parodies like yours which are just so hillarious!
I don't mind them as long as they're used well and not just as an easy way to create a quick animation.
Most sprite movies tend to be fights or 'blooper reels' becuase those are the obvious choises for sprites.
And thanks, I didn't really want to use my own flashes as examples but ok, I put work into them but not as much as a high quality drawn movie, but it doesn't seem that that factored a lot due to TTM's score. But IMO thinks like The Yuyu and Newgrounds Rumble should be higher.
The main reason I hate most sprites is because they gives people who know nothing about animation the chance to make what could be called a cartoon
<a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/395761">http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view /395761</a>
See what I mean?
In your case, however, you were able to make a hilariously entertaining movie out of them. You put legit effort into it, and it came out great
yeah that's just... that's just terrible. I'd try and link it to terrible drawn flashes, but damn that sucked ass. :/
But see, you can't really do that, because a Foamy Flash is not an example of traditional animation. With so little actual animation in it, it's more like a webcomic with voiceovers.
If we don't like sprite animations, we can't just pretend they're not there, as so many people seem to suggest. We can't pretend, because they waddle their way into the top 50, the monthly awards, etc, often beating out animations that could have been better in every respect, but didn't come with the instant boost that comes from suckling at an intellectual property built up to fame by years of other peoples' work. Of course it's no crime to the viewers - what do they care? It's just a slap in the face to a lot of developers who worked really hard to build their own popularity, fanbase and characters. Adam Phillips' work IS incredible, but where is it right now with reference to "The Thwomps"? Of course it pisses people off.
I've always been against the whole 'you no like sprite you no vote' idea for sprite animators, it seems like they're trying to rescrict access to their movie so the only people watching it are the people who will like it.
I guess that's just how Newgrounds works, when a movie uses the fame of an already established character to make it more popular. As for Thwomps, I hope you can understand getting #1 of all time, no matter how long it can stay there, is a great feeling. Even if it was sprites I still put a great deal of work into it, just not as much as drawn movies. I know a lot more movies and games deserve that position more than I do, it's just becuase it's a popular vote deciding it. Of course my movie has pissed of a lot of people who put a lot more effort into their movies, but obviously, I didn't ask for my movie to do so well I just wanted to make an entertaining sprite movie with a good story and the like.
Hey man, don't be put down or discouraged by some stupid reviewers. Besides I bet you a lot of these reviewers haven't even made anything good in flash themselves, they're probably just jealous. Anyway, There's always gonna be someone who doesn't like your work, and then some people that have a one track mind and dismiss anything with sprites (which is extremely stupid in my opinion). Obviously you're creative, and amazing in flash. Your latest submission shows your talent. I think your movie deserves to be number 1 on newgrounds. Just remember in life, always do things your way, the way you want it, and the way you like it, and never listen to other people's bullshit. For real ;)
I think your sprite movies are tastefully done. They may take less time to make then a drawn flash, but that doesnt mean they're any less creative/entertaining/funny.
I don't see what the deal is with sprite movie haters. I say it's just a path some flash creaters take.
Some find it easier to put their story forth with sprites, but couldn't make a decent non-pixellated movie if their life depended on it.
Others are ultra-skilled drawers putting forth high graphics into their flash but could not for the life of them make a worthy sprite movie.
It just depends on your medium: graphics, humor, or storyline.
I, personally, think your thwomps series is some of the best humor here, but I like the ultra-realism of 'Fallen Angel' as well. They're both good.
sprite movies rock
I agree 100%. Sprite movies that people like YOU make are great because you take time and effort into making it look as good as possible. Sure, some sprite movies are just a sprite walking in the same pose, but people like you make sprite movies that are just as good if not better than drawn cartoons. That fucking pisses me off that people are like that.
There are way too many Mario parodies, but I can admit that some are actually quality work, yours for example.
For the most sprite haters its just a matter of having fun by pissing people off... Sprite movies are just the scapegoat they voilate for it.
If they would try to rate a movie fair-minded they would never rate movies which are made with effort that bad.
Even if I hate a special content of a movie it's not right to give it the worst score if something is well done. There's allways something good about a movie that was made with some effort and it doesen't care how much I hate it's contents of the author, I should vote fairly.
The problem with the sprite haters is just that they don't seem to understand that making sprite movies is an art for itself!
Of course you should compare them to other movies which are completely handdrawn an of course many of these deserve a hgher score than many overrated flash movies but that's no reason to tell the author that "his mom smells like salmon" and that he "has no talent and sould go die"
Even if I had a real personal problem with a well done movie I would vote at least 5 to show my respect to the effort the author put in it.
The only problem you suffer from is that you submission is so pupular right now.
You would never get so many bad reviews if there weren't so many guys who envy you about your score and the attention you get.
You could make the perfect movie but there would allways be guys who would hate it! Just don't take those reviews too seriously, lean back and wait until they get deleted! You did great work! Just don't let yourself down by some bad reviws of those -evil- (yes, I'm trying to be sarcastic) sprite haters!^^
Sprites are good, or bad depending on what the artist/author chooses to do with them...what i dont like is when people use sprites, and then have huge speech bubbles or lasers and blood etc that make the scene look totally unatural...and with the mario sprite topic, id have to agree a little bit, which is why so many people who are sick of mario like ideas like 'Thwomps' just cus it takes a boring classic and looks at it from someone elses perspective (ie. the thwomps)
I think sprites are just fine! Like you said - if it has a good story, and things run together smoothly, why hate it just because the movie is made with sprites? If someone would have liked a sprite movie if it were all hand drawn, but don't like it because it has sprites, then why hate it? You can work just as hard on a sprite movie, as you would on one without them. That's my opinion, anyways... I can tell you worked hard on the Thwomps Movie!
I agree sprites are good for a lack of animating skill. But if you don't have a storyline quit the sprites or just don't flash. Screw all the clocks frocks locks and glocks. They just make stuff without anything reasonable thought. So sprite if you will but have a storyline!
Anti-pie
I like alot of sprites but its the Mario ones I don't really like. Most can be cheesy.
Psycosis91
Yeah I agree there are too many Mario sprite movies, I guess he's just the most recognizable.