Hello Cadets, I know it's no excuse but I have been working a lot (just under 80 hours this week!) and I just don't get the time to sit and read right now. That being said I am going to keep my promise and release the first of a series of reviews of the various comics I've read the last few weeks. The first review heading your way is Stale N Mate from actor Shia LaBeouf.
First I would like to preface this with the fact that there are very few times, if ever, that I'll read or watch something and just rip it apart, aside from Munger Road (I'm still bitter about that one). I am a firm believer in constructive criticism because everyone has to start somewhere and there is nothing more heartbreaking than someone telling you that you are rubbish at something you love to do. That being said I would like to encourage anyone who really wants to succeed in their craft to take what people are telling you and run with it, use it to improve yourself and never give up.
That being said let's begin. Stale N Mate was a good first attempt and had a very interesting premise. The writing had a few flaws. When writing your story for the comic by hand always type it first and use spell check that way you haven't committed to run on sentences and spelling errors. Also never use shorthand such as w/, b/c, and so on because while you are working hard on this page it will come across as sloppy or lazy. Also try to avoid unnecessary jargon when dealing with laws, we all start out doing that sort of thing but as you go try to paraphrase, keep it simple without losing the meaning to keep it from losing the tone of the story because it will detract from what you are trying to do. Lastly there were some quirky things in the story that definitely were attention-getting and it's bold to not put it as a background easter egg of sorts. Personally I'm for it, do something different (if you read the comic you know I'm talking about the cat).
On to the artwork and again, everyone begins somewhere. The truth is I can tell you are using markers, more than likely Prismacolor because of the lines in the larger drawings. An easy way to get rid of that effect is to color in a circular motion, start from one edge and work your way across the area to make it a bit smoother looking. If you want to do subtle shading you can wait for it to dry and go over the shadowy areas again, the markers layer and it will make it have a little more depth. Lastly practice practice practice. There were some issues with proportion and poses and that's okay. Start out trying to draw poses mimicking other drawings in your own style to learn a bit more about how they should look, more natural looking positions for certain actions, et cetera. Lastly don't leave too much white space, even if it's a Minecraft-esque background you'll want to fill that space. I hear a lot of people do well with the grid system of drawing, there are hundreds of methods, try some out and see what works for you.
Overall this is a tough read but everyone has to work at their craft to get to the level they would like to be at. I look forward to seeing more books and seeing how he improves. Just to be clear, I do draw, I'm by no means a great artist but to all the artists out there, help others out, share words of wisdom or how you learned to draw the way you do because sometimes "try harder" isn't specific enough. I give kudos to anyone who at least tries, no matter the outcome.
That's all for today, please feel free to visit me on facebook at War Kitten Revue or twitter @WarKittenRevue. Also you can visit my youtube channel at War Kitten TV. I know this turned into a critique session but what can you do? Thanks for visiting, this is War Kitten signing off and informing you that "because I'm awesome" is not a valid answer to any question asked in an interview, even if it's totally true.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Movie Review Monday: Nerds Assemble!
Hello Cadets! It was a beautiful rainy weekend and unless you've been hiding all week you know what highly anticipated movie came out this weekend. I was one of the crazies that went to the midnight premiere and may I just say it was worth the long day that I had just to be there. Without further ado, may I present my review of Marvel's The Avengers!
Let me start out with the fact that this movie was impossible to watch without bias, there were high expectations all around from the cast to the director to the fight choreographers. I never in a million years thought every expectation for this movie would be met then exceeded beyond what I thought was possible. This will be the first time I will be using an A-E rating system A being the highest mark and E being the lowest. We are going to break it down in three catagories this time because the scale of this movie requires that much review.
First let's start with the story and directing as both were done by Joss Whedon (with additional writing credit to Zack Pen). Joss has a very distinctive style of writing that puts him on a different level from the other comic book movie writers. He likes to break tension from very intense scenes with unexpected verbal or physical comedy. The story was extremely engaging and is almost abrupt at times. He can create this tension that feels like it's at a breaking point then make it completely dissipate with a single joke or action that catches the audience off guard. The trick is that every so often there will be a very heartfelt scene and we wait for the punchline, but it never comes. I imagine this is an attempt to add gravity to the overall story and let me tell you, it works. Overall I give it an A.
Next is the cast, and boy, what a cast. There are two big risks in getting this many amazing actors and actresses in one film and that's balanced, adequate screentime and a consistent performance. Both of these aspects can be tricky but each character had their role in keeping the movie going all while staying in character. There is the brute, the soldier, the joker, the brain, and the cold, calculating informers (you can guess who I mean by each). Each actor and actress played a large role in moving the story, no single character was the sole focus for more than a short amount of time. The drama, quick wit and pure, terrifying rage was clearly emoted with enough force to get the point across without becoming campy or overdone. Overall I have a hard time defining who was the best hero but by far Loki is my new favorite villain of any movie I've seen. He is insane and it shows every minute you see him. I wish I could give a rating higher than an A but it'll have to suffice.
Last but not least is the production of the film. The camerawork and editing were something to behold, there was not a scene wasted, the pan shot of the heroes finally united for the final battle was awe inspiring and the action sequences were fast but lacked that quick cut-away choppy editing that is so popular in poorly filmed action scenes. The fights were choreographed with amazing fluidity and such brute force that you didn't want to look away for even a second. The sound was perfect, background noise did not distract the viewer from what was going on and the music was extremely well done in matching the emotion of the scene and overall tone. Overall I give the production an A.
This movie is fantastic, I saw it in regular 2D and still plan on going back two more times before the theater run ends. This film has something for everyone and is a definite must see. I give it an overall A and encourage and implore everyone to check it out.
I do have one additional announcement before signing off, I have officially launched my youtube channel and posted a promo video of what's to come. You can view it at War Kitten TV. Until then this is War Kitten signing off and reminding you that some assembly may be required, batteries not included. I'm going to go play with Legos...
Let me start out with the fact that this movie was impossible to watch without bias, there were high expectations all around from the cast to the director to the fight choreographers. I never in a million years thought every expectation for this movie would be met then exceeded beyond what I thought was possible. This will be the first time I will be using an A-E rating system A being the highest mark and E being the lowest. We are going to break it down in three catagories this time because the scale of this movie requires that much review.
First let's start with the story and directing as both were done by Joss Whedon (with additional writing credit to Zack Pen). Joss has a very distinctive style of writing that puts him on a different level from the other comic book movie writers. He likes to break tension from very intense scenes with unexpected verbal or physical comedy. The story was extremely engaging and is almost abrupt at times. He can create this tension that feels like it's at a breaking point then make it completely dissipate with a single joke or action that catches the audience off guard. The trick is that every so often there will be a very heartfelt scene and we wait for the punchline, but it never comes. I imagine this is an attempt to add gravity to the overall story and let me tell you, it works. Overall I give it an A.
Next is the cast, and boy, what a cast. There are two big risks in getting this many amazing actors and actresses in one film and that's balanced, adequate screentime and a consistent performance. Both of these aspects can be tricky but each character had their role in keeping the movie going all while staying in character. There is the brute, the soldier, the joker, the brain, and the cold, calculating informers (you can guess who I mean by each). Each actor and actress played a large role in moving the story, no single character was the sole focus for more than a short amount of time. The drama, quick wit and pure, terrifying rage was clearly emoted with enough force to get the point across without becoming campy or overdone. Overall I have a hard time defining who was the best hero but by far Loki is my new favorite villain of any movie I've seen. He is insane and it shows every minute you see him. I wish I could give a rating higher than an A but it'll have to suffice.
Last but not least is the production of the film. The camerawork and editing were something to behold, there was not a scene wasted, the pan shot of the heroes finally united for the final battle was awe inspiring and the action sequences were fast but lacked that quick cut-away choppy editing that is so popular in poorly filmed action scenes. The fights were choreographed with amazing fluidity and such brute force that you didn't want to look away for even a second. The sound was perfect, background noise did not distract the viewer from what was going on and the music was extremely well done in matching the emotion of the scene and overall tone. Overall I give the production an A.
This movie is fantastic, I saw it in regular 2D and still plan on going back two more times before the theater run ends. This film has something for everyone and is a definite must see. I give it an overall A and encourage and implore everyone to check it out.
I do have one additional announcement before signing off, I have officially launched my youtube channel and posted a promo video of what's to come. You can view it at War Kitten TV. Until then this is War Kitten signing off and reminding you that some assembly may be required, batteries not included. I'm going to go play with Legos...
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