CompuServe Thread

#Reboot TV Series ?

13 messages in this thread
#745From: Chris DukeSep 10, 1994 5:42 PM
All, I was wondering if any Hash users had seen the new ABC Saturday morning TV series named Reboot, and if so what were your opinions, thoughts, criticisms, etc… Does anyone know what hardware and software the creators of this show are using ? For me the series came as a surprise because I thought 3D computer animation was too expensive and time consuming to be used to create an entire weekly TV series. It seems the future has arrived much earlier than I anticipated. Chris D.
#750From: KEVIN SANDERSONSep 11, 1994 12:41 AM
I thought Reboot was great. It came as a surprise to me, too, as I had fallen asleep in front of the TV last night and woke up with it already on. I rolled tape on the last 15 or 20 minutes. It's probably good to introduce this style of animation as characters inside a computer. It will probably appeal to a mass audience more readily. Some of the side characters were a hoot! Funny lines! My personal opinion is the female character was animated very well. She showed emotion, even with her eyes and there were realistic movements. A friend who saw part of it said you could see her cheeks move when talking instead of just jaw motion. She is probably the best looking human-like computer generated character I've ever seen. Great figure! I'm in love….uh, oh…on the computer too long again!<g>
#774From: Chris DukeSep 12, 1994 3:37 PM
Kevin, I am glad I am not the only one who saw it. Your right about the smoothness of the characters facial expressions and lip syncing. It looked like the results of motion capture. As for a favorite character, I liked the design of the evil character Megabyte and the female with the white mask (what was her name?). But that shouldn't be much of a surprise since evil characters are usually better designed. But did you notice some interesting deficiencies in the images, such as pointy curved surfaces(suggesting polygon models) and the sparse use of cast shadows. It seemed strange to see characters who don't cast shadows on the ground on which they stand. I look forward to seeing how the series develops. Chris D.
#785From: KEVIN SANDERSONSep 12, 1994 8:58 PM
Yeah, I liked Megabyte, too. I thought Bob was too stiff and I'm in LOVE with Dot Matrix. Bob is blue, Dot is green. I liked the way they gave her some nice animated movement. I only saw about the last 15 minutes. Someone over on AOL suggested it's polygon based, too. And the copyright says 1991 at the end, so my guess is it's been in production since then. Also, someone over on the Internet (alt.3d) said it's running on YTL, which I believe is a Canadian network. The show is made in Vancouver, B.C.
#787From: John StetzerSep 13, 1994 8:41 AM
Just passing along info; acording to CGW March '94, REBOOT was done using SoftImage (pg 23) John Stetzer JWS
#800From: KEVIN SANDERSONSep 13, 1994 7:41 PM
Wow! SoftImage is what the Amiga guys I run into are saying is one of the best. Thanks for the info! Kevin
#753From: Loyd CaseSep 11, 1994 11:58 AM
The upcoming Battletech cartoon show (starting Sept. 24th) will also feature computer animation, particularly of the battlemechs. Loyd Case
#775From: Chris DukeSep 12, 1994 3:37 PM
Loyd, Do you know what network Battletech will be broadcast on ? Chris D.
#814From: Loyd CaseSep 14, 1994 9:14 PM
Battletech will be in syndication. You can call FASA up in Chicago and get a list of stations around the country. I saw some clips at a recent convention; pretty awesome stuff. Cheers, Loyd
#819From: Chris DukeSep 15, 1994 12:04 PM
Thanks Loyd.
#763From: Steve/HASH, Inc.Sep 11, 1994 10:11 PM
Chris, No, I didn't catch the show but now my curiousity is definitely piqued… you can be sure I'll catch it next saturday! Steve, Hash Inc.
#776From: Chris DukeSep 12, 1994 3:37 PM
Steve, When you do see it I suggest you look closely at the curved surfaces. I don't think the creators had the advantage of a spline modeler. Chris D.
#778From: Steve/HASH, Inc.Sep 12, 1994 4:04 PM
Chris, Thanks for the tip! This is one I'll catch next week for sure… Steve, Hash Inc.