Now let's get one thing clear. I'm still a sceptic when it comes to the future of motion comics and animated graphic novels. But I've seen that there's hope! The last months I've been commenting on MC's and AGN's, but I would like to get to the way I like it and how I think MC's and AGN's DO have a future.
Last week I followed on Motion Digital Comics, Dead Space:
An ancient artifact referred to as a 'marker' is unearthed, the first one in 200 years. It's a strange rock formation talked about by a spiritual leader 200 years earlier. The markers discovery confirms the religions beliefs and the followers as well as the doubters of the faith will have their relationships with each other changed permanently.
Digitalmotioncomics.com, synopsis
The Dead Space MC is a prequel to a prequel. First comes the MC, then the animated movie, and finally the game from EA. Now I didn't get to see the movie or play the game, but for me there was no need to. The story, characters and plot are new for me, the storytelling was just the right pace and it got me hooked! More importantly, everything is balanced. Visuals, animation, sounds, all ingredients for a MC. There's not too much pressure on the viewer as it has just the right pace of storytelling. Not like other MC's or AGN's I've seen, where animation or visual-art seemed to be more important for the developer. Dead Space is well thought- and worked-out.
Other reviews commented on the visual-art as negative. Being more like scribbles. (The scribble style reminded me personally of Robert Venditti & Brett Weldele's Surrogates, which is one of my favourites!). But that comment came out as the only negative aspect. Most reviewers credited the story and own style.
Now I would like to conclude with my favourite! Metal Gear Solid!
The AGN version of Metal Gear Solid is a comic book that can be watched on PSP. This one reminds me of the MGS cutscenes. It's basically a page-by-page comic book you can either automate as a slideshow or page through manually. Page through manually! Exactly! Decide your own pace! And it gets said a lot about MC's and AGN's. Now that word comes from the community and fans, developers should know where to pay attention at.
- Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel is not only a cool concept for digital delivery of interactive fiction, it will hopefully pioneer a complete new product line and give the PSP a greater edge in the handheld marketplace. I know I certainly wouldn’t mind experiencing more adventures of Snake or even other characters like Sam Fisher or Lara Croft in graphic novel form.-
Gamechronicles.com, review by Mark Smith (2006)
For Iphone a similar concept was developed; Perfect Echo (2010). I didn't have the chance to take a look at it. Graig Smith of PhD Research on Motion Comics, Animation, Comics and Film Studies mentions:
Termed an ‘interactive audio and visual experience for iphone and ipod touch’, Perfect Echo is a free app that introduces the futuristic city of Elysium. The interactivity allows the reader/viewer to dictate the pace of the story at their choosing. In many ways it’s very similar to the experience of reading a digital comic, however subtle sound effects and simple animation techniques add a further layer of depth to this motion comic.
I'm kinda like reaching the point where I would like to conclude my research so far in a first essay. This essay will be a sort of white paper and vision document. In it I'll discuss my research so far, the graphic novel, the graphic novel in the Netherlands, the motion comics and animated graphic novels and finally my vision on further development and introduction in the Netherlands. First I'll post the Dutch version and then translate it in English. So stay tuned!
maandag 23 mei 2011
dinsdag 17 mei 2011
Don't watch Readmen! Read Watchmen!
I tried, but I could hardly finish the first part. Boring! It reminded me of an audiobook I listened a few months back, Face of Death by Cody McFadyen. The book was awesome, but the guy reading it had an annoying voice and he was reading it very slowly, so that I had to speed it up with VLC-mediaplayer.
Watchmen is awesome too. But not the animated graphic novel. The voice is well done and the sound is well mixed, but why have only one voice for all the characters? If it's necessary to use voice-overs than make sure you have the right voice-actors. But I rather have my fantasy make up the voices of the characters. With only one voice-actor you are almost forbidden to make up your own voices for the characters. Next to that, voice balloons appeared in different forms to illustrate whether it's a thought, an aggressive undertone, a nuclear effect (in case of doctor Manhattan) etc. etc.. In this case you get a struggle between the reader's own interpretation and the voice-over.
The animation is well balanced, but it's not adding anything to the original Watchmen. So I was not impressed!
When I think about the way that animated graphic novels and comics are being introduced and published, then I see it as follows;
Blockbusters (Watchmen), expanded stories (I Am Legend) and superhero-stuff take care of introducing the public with the new medium. Programs can be developed to make it a suitable medium for new media devices (like smartphones or the I-Pad). In a while new stories, new characters, new worlds, new scripts can be introduced to fully test the animated graphic novel. And in my opinion that should be right about now. Enough testing and playing safe. Let's take the gamble, what's there to lose?
Watchmen is awesome too. But not the animated graphic novel. The voice is well done and the sound is well mixed, but why have only one voice for all the characters? If it's necessary to use voice-overs than make sure you have the right voice-actors. But I rather have my fantasy make up the voices of the characters. With only one voice-actor you are almost forbidden to make up your own voices for the characters. Next to that, voice balloons appeared in different forms to illustrate whether it's a thought, an aggressive undertone, a nuclear effect (in case of doctor Manhattan) etc. etc.. In this case you get a struggle between the reader's own interpretation and the voice-over.
The animation is well balanced, but it's not adding anything to the original Watchmen. So I was not impressed!
When I think about the way that animated graphic novels and comics are being introduced and published, then I see it as follows;
Blockbusters (Watchmen), expanded stories (I Am Legend) and superhero-stuff take care of introducing the public with the new medium. Programs can be developed to make it a suitable medium for new media devices (like smartphones or the I-Pad). In a while new stories, new characters, new worlds, new scripts can be introduced to fully test the animated graphic novel. And in my opinion that should be right about now. Enough testing and playing safe. Let's take the gamble, what's there to lose?
woensdag 20 april 2011
vrijdag 15 april 2011
Superheroes
Okay. I'm actually not really into the superhero-stuff. But since I find it hard to find Watchmen, Sparks and Invincible (Because I don't want to pay for them to watch at the moment) I started to review some other comics.
The first I would like to discuss a little is 'Spider-Woman'.
From the first moment on I really liked the intro! Just like the start of a movie added with sinister music. Right after that it starts of in a dark environment and continues until the end. The design and drawings happen to be the style just how I like it! Dark and intense! As for the motion or animation: (Let's keep it animation ok? We're already having trouble defining 'graphic novel') I find it well balanced. It's a little on the edge, but just enough not to get me annoyed and saying this is a cartoon. The voices are well recorded as well as the rest of the sound design. Not like different layers placed on top of each other, but a right mix!
And not to forget the character and story. It stays a short period but I felt kinda fascinated with the main character. When she is thinking, a reverb is added to her voice. It gives way more draft. The conversations are not to fast and are much more easy to follow than N.
The second is 'Gifted' of X-Men.
To be honest, I watched it for only 4 or 5 minutes. This is just what i'm not looking for. For as far as I'm concerned, this is a cartoon, and I was not amused. The sound was quite good. But it's just that the animation was too much! No further marks.
I still hope to get Watchmen as soon as possible and post a review about it. As soon as I found what I'm looking for, I'll also give you some insights into the story I'm writing for my animated graphic novel.
Stay tuned again and have a nice weekend!
The first I would like to discuss a little is 'Spider-Woman'.
From the first moment on I really liked the intro! Just like the start of a movie added with sinister music. Right after that it starts of in a dark environment and continues until the end. The design and drawings happen to be the style just how I like it! Dark and intense! As for the motion or animation: (Let's keep it animation ok? We're already having trouble defining 'graphic novel') I find it well balanced. It's a little on the edge, but just enough not to get me annoyed and saying this is a cartoon. The voices are well recorded as well as the rest of the sound design. Not like different layers placed on top of each other, but a right mix!
And not to forget the character and story. It stays a short period but I felt kinda fascinated with the main character. When she is thinking, a reverb is added to her voice. It gives way more draft. The conversations are not to fast and are much more easy to follow than N.
The second is 'Gifted' of X-Men.
To be honest, I watched it for only 4 or 5 minutes. This is just what i'm not looking for. For as far as I'm concerned, this is a cartoon, and I was not amused. The sound was quite good. But it's just that the animation was too much! No further marks.
I still hope to get Watchmen as soon as possible and post a review about it. As soon as I found what I'm looking for, I'll also give you some insights into the story I'm writing for my animated graphic novel.
Stay tuned again and have a nice weekend!
zondag 10 april 2011
A graphic what?... ("Een graphic novel? Nee nog nooit van gehoord." )
Allright! Step back! I realized that I actually never gave a real definition of the term 'Graphic Novel'. So I owe you I guess! I'll try to get to a good definition as best as I can, since I've seen a lot of different definitions in the last years. And as the graphic novel is a rising medium in the Netherlands not everybody is yet acquainted with the term.
The graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format. (from the Oxford English Dictionary, I find this the best definition).
As much media do, the comic developed itself during the sixties and from there on. With the new millennium, the graphic novel rose in popularity in the Netherlands, and the term was adopted. But...! The term got adopted, as well as adapted. I find it very annoying when these situations occur in the Netherlands. It makes it hard to get to a well definition. Eddie Campbell also encountered this problem and formulated his Graphic Novel Manifesto (Thank you Eddie!). Because the term is now used to explain that comics are no longer just for kids but for the big audience. The graphic novel marked the adultery of the comic. And here's another definition that is used: "A graphic novel is a layered story, wrapped in compelling images." Themes vary from autobiography, humour, war, fantasy, love, music, philosophy and so on, and often in a literary style aimed at the adult reader.
Here are some interesting links as well (Dutch and English):
http://www.lambiek.net/aanvang/2000graphicnovel.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel
http://web.archive.org/web/20080603041720/http://www.graphicnovels.brodart.com/history.htm
For my research I'll also read the following literature and articles:
The graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format. (from the Oxford English Dictionary, I find this the best definition).
As much media do, the comic developed itself during the sixties and from there on. With the new millennium, the graphic novel rose in popularity in the Netherlands, and the term was adopted. But...! The term got adopted, as well as adapted. I find it very annoying when these situations occur in the Netherlands. It makes it hard to get to a well definition. Eddie Campbell also encountered this problem and formulated his Graphic Novel Manifesto (Thank you Eddie!). Because the term is now used to explain that comics are no longer just for kids but for the big audience. The graphic novel marked the adultery of the comic. And here's another definition that is used: "A graphic novel is a layered story, wrapped in compelling images." Themes vary from autobiography, humour, war, fantasy, love, music, philosophy and so on, and often in a literary style aimed at the adult reader.
Here are some interesting links as well (Dutch and English):
http://www.lambiek.net/aanvang/2000graphicnovel.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_novel
http://web.archive.org/web/20080603041720/http://www.graphicnovels.brodart.com/history.htm
For my research I'll also read the following literature and articles:
- A Comic-Book World, Stephen E. Tabachnick, march-april 2007
- The rise and reason of comics and graphic literature, McFraland & Company, september 2010
- Understanding comics, Scott McCleod, 1994
- Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School, Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher, january 2004
zondag 3 april 2011
What works?
Stephen King's N, a digital graphic novel
This week I... well.. Ok. I watched the digital comic adaptation of Stephen King's N. I'm still more used to say: "read comics." This also occurs when I say that I listened a book instead of that I read a book, since I listen to audio-books. I get to that later.
I was under the impression of this graphic adaptation. I was partially dragged into the story. I did a quick analysis and summarized what I liked and disliked.
The story of a man obsessed about a creepy place and discusses it with his psychiatrist, who then inherits the obsession of his patient, fascinates me and is stimulated by the pace, the story is told. The drawings done by Alex Maleev, colored by José Villarrubia, really emit the atmosphere of the situation the antagonists find themselves placed in. There's not to much of animation, what could almost make it just another sort of short-animation.
It can be viewed on small screens like a mobile phone or on the website. Almost exactly the way that I can imagine the form of the digital/animated graphic novel. There are 25 episodes, of each 1.30 min.. Now they can all be found on the website, but in August 2008 you could download a new episode every week or so.
So let's get to the 'dislikes'. I wasn't very fond of the sound-design. It was overdone, which leads to separation in my experience: The images, and the sound. I find they should be merged. The voices where way to fast. In a way it contributes to the atmosphere of the entire story, but this is just what I mean with putting pressure on the audience. I favour to decide my own pace.
Because of dyslexia I have some trouble reading books. I tackle this by 'reading' audio-books or radio-dramas. Like with books I can decide my own pace and, depending on the reader, get dragged into the story most of the times.
Two of my favourites are: 'The Whole Truth, David Baldacci' (Hachette Audio) and 'De Moker, NTR' a radio-drama. The Whole Truth is very well read and some scenes are supported by music, playing softly on the background. I remember I rewind some scenes because they were so cool!
De Moker is a Dutch radio-drama about the battle of De Wallen, Amsterdam. The voices are done by well-known actors. It's like you're listening to a movie! Watch a small making-of down here!
So!? Well simply saying: combine the 'like'-elements of 'N', with the elements of the audio-books and radio-drama right? Not just yet! I hope to check out the digital graphic adaptation of Watchmen, The Dark Knight and Sparks.
I'm also working on a thriller set in Amsterdam. I'll post the designs of the main-characters very very soon! Stay tuned!
Might you just have a MUST SEE tip on a motion comic, let me know!
This week I... well.. Ok. I watched the digital comic adaptation of Stephen King's N. I'm still more used to say: "read comics." This also occurs when I say that I listened a book instead of that I read a book, since I listen to audio-books. I get to that later.
I was under the impression of this graphic adaptation. I was partially dragged into the story. I did a quick analysis and summarized what I liked and disliked.
The story of a man obsessed about a creepy place and discusses it with his psychiatrist, who then inherits the obsession of his patient, fascinates me and is stimulated by the pace, the story is told. The drawings done by Alex Maleev, colored by José Villarrubia, really emit the atmosphere of the situation the antagonists find themselves placed in. There's not to much of animation, what could almost make it just another sort of short-animation.
It can be viewed on small screens like a mobile phone or on the website. Almost exactly the way that I can imagine the form of the digital/animated graphic novel. There are 25 episodes, of each 1.30 min.. Now they can all be found on the website, but in August 2008 you could download a new episode every week or so.
So let's get to the 'dislikes'. I wasn't very fond of the sound-design. It was overdone, which leads to separation in my experience: The images, and the sound. I find they should be merged. The voices where way to fast. In a way it contributes to the atmosphere of the entire story, but this is just what I mean with putting pressure on the audience. I favour to decide my own pace.
Because of dyslexia I have some trouble reading books. I tackle this by 'reading' audio-books or radio-dramas. Like with books I can decide my own pace and, depending on the reader, get dragged into the story most of the times.
Two of my favourites are: 'The Whole Truth, David Baldacci' (Hachette Audio) and 'De Moker, NTR' a radio-drama. The Whole Truth is very well read and some scenes are supported by music, playing softly on the background. I remember I rewind some scenes because they were so cool!
De Moker is a Dutch radio-drama about the battle of De Wallen, Amsterdam. The voices are done by well-known actors. It's like you're listening to a movie! Watch a small making-of down here!
So!? Well simply saying: combine the 'like'-elements of 'N', with the elements of the audio-books and radio-drama right? Not just yet! I hope to check out the digital graphic adaptation of Watchmen, The Dark Knight and Sparks.
I'm also working on a thriller set in Amsterdam. I'll post the designs of the main-characters very very soon! Stay tuned!
Might you just have a MUST SEE tip on a motion comic, let me know!
zondag 20 maart 2011
New research planned
The Animated Graphic Novel
Thesis:
The Graphic Novel is a medium that's rising in popularity and is more and more accepted as literature. In The Netherlands the medium is quite new and also rising in popularity as more and more graphic novels are being translated, and to be found in more and more bookstores.
But just as soon, this medium is gaining popularity, a sub-genre is developping. The Animated Graphic Novel.
Like in normal literature, graphic novel-readers can be dragged into the story, identify themselves with the characters etc. etc.. Propably due to the story's quality and the quality of the drawings.
The Animated Graphic Novel might be achieving the same effect with readers and I'm sure some allready are. I'm referring to Metal Gear Solid (video above). The reader determines it's own pace. But not all of these animated graphic novels allow the reader to determine it's own pace.
This immediately approaches my thesis: These animated graphic novels are well developed. But in my opinion they can put too much pressure on the reader and it becomes difficult to be dragged into the story and have the reader, or in this case viewer, identify itself with the main-character in such a short time (3 min. / 10 min.). Besides, I find these formats more animation instead of animated graphic novel, and in that case almost an infringement on the medium. Once again, the ideal form for the reader would be to determine it's own pace.
Why this research?
New forms of media allow ideal opportunities for the animated graphic novel. Imagine the format like an e-book. Minimal animation and pace of reading determined by the reader. I hope to find out how the animated graphic novel could be applied at it's best! It's an upcoming market and I believe it can grow much more popular.
I'll try and publish for the minor sound and image, an animated graphic novel myself based on this research, for I love to write and draw.
The research includes the comic-, graphic novel, literature and the gadget universe. In this case it would be very interesting for, publishers, writers, screenwriters, graphic novelists, animators, audio-engineers, students, teachers, genre-interested public, perhaps even autodidacts. Graphic Novels and comics are already being applied as teaching methods!
As for myself, as I already explained, I love to draw and write, and hope to publish a graphic novel someday as well. Be it animated or in book-form.
Via this blog I'll keep you updated about the research. Don't be confused if you might find sketches, drawings, short graphic novels or reviews I posted. As a matter of fact, I recommend you read "GodDAMN mother fucking BULLshitfuck shitFUCK! GodDAMN mother fucking BULLshitfuck shitFUCK!" A review I wrote about DMZ #4 Friendly Fire. It's about how the book managed to get me dragged into the story. How about you click the link above and start reading?
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