New Stop-Motion: An Ode to Hitchcock

I really like Alfred Hitchcock (I'm a film major).  I always found his subtle humor very funny.  However, he is more of a humorist than a comedian.  I don't often find myself laughing out loud, but I often get very big grins.  I'm not sure if that's an accurate distinction between a humorist and a comedian, but I'm not really an expert on the matter.  Regardless, I hope you enjoy my new video.

Production notes:

I started this project by surveying my room looking for things to make dance.  My eyes fell on a Christmas present that my loving sister, Christina, gave me.  I immediately knew that I wanted to animate words, but I was unsure if I should do a song or a speech.  I looked up some speeches, but none of them felt right.  Then I thought of movie quotes, which made me think of Hitchcock.  I pulled the audio from his 1950s TV show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and compiled it in Audacity.  After I had the audio I transcribed it so I knew what all the words were.  Then I set up my camera rig on the side of my desk so that it looked down on a small nightstand.  Then I filmed the animations you see above.  After filming, I downloaded all the video and used iMovie to pull all of my images (I find it easier to pull images in iMovie than in AvidMC).  While pulling my images I realized that I had actually forgotten a few words.  Luckily, I had left my camera rig in place just in case I had to re-shoot.  Thank goodness I did.  Once I was finished re-shooting I got the final images I needed.  I then exported the video to Avid where I went about syncing the animations to the audio, which was by far the most time intensive part of the project.  Finally, I added some filters to make the video reflect the era and quality of the audio.  

Ode to Hitchcock by the numbers:

• 760 unique images in the video.
• 20 hours of total production time
• 4 hours of finding and mixing audio
• 3 hours of set up and filming
• 12 hours of editing and syncing
• 4 different audio clips from 3 different episodes.

Philosophy of the Final Frontier

Yesterday, while I was working on a project, I had the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation keeping me company.  One of the reasons I really like the show is that it makes me stop and think.  Yesterday, there were two such episodes. I thought I would share with you their profound quotes and why they gave me pause. (Warning: This may get philosophical and/or preachy.)

Season 4, Ep. 21: The Drumhead

After a Romulan spy is found aboard the USS Enterprise, a manhunt begins for any other Romulan collaborators.  One young crewman is suspected of creating an explosion on the ship and becomes the focus of the hunt.  Jean Luc defies the investigative team by allowing the crewman to go about his business instead of restricting him.  However, the trials continue until Jean Luc Picard, Captain of the Enterprise, is accused of espionage.  In the climax of his trail Jean Luc says, "'With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden , the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.' The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged."  This struck me as incredibly relevant for two reasons: SOPA/PIPA and our treatment of suspected terrorists.  With the recent shelving of SOPA and PIPA, it appears that Jean Luc's argument would have been well received.  Many spoke out in a single voice, refusing to let their freedoms be infringed upon.  This was a monumental step forward for us.  An achievement that shows the true power an interconnected society can have.  However, I believe that Jean Luc's argument is lost when dealing with suspected terrorists.  I think back to the episode and how Jean Luc was willing to put himself and his crew at risk to not violate the rights of one man.  Meanwhile, we incarcerate people indefinitely without trial, even though as a society we believe that we are innocent until proven guilty.  Let me make it clear that I do not have a better solution to the problem.  I also realize that it is much easier for a television program to be idealistic.  But I do know that we should never stop in pursuit of our lofty ideals.  As Jean Luc says at the end of the episode, to maintain our freedom, "constant vigilance is the price we must pay."


Season 4, Ep. 23: The Host

When the two moons of a distant planet are on the brink of war, the Enterprise is enlisted to take an ambassador to the mitigate discussions between the two societies.  The ambassador is told by another delegate, "They are more factionalized then ever. Listening is a skill that seems to have evaporated with the heat of argument." To which the ambassador replies, "Speak softly Governor, those who cannot hear an angry shout may strain to hear a whisper." Another fascinating quote with relevant political implications. I often get the feeling that the mentality of our current political climate is fundamentally flawed. Words like compromise seem to be avoided at all costs. Indeed our past 112th Congress spent more time in Washington than ever before, but still managed to be the most unproductive session since records began being kept. The political climate has reached a point where no one listens to each and thus cannot agree on anything. My hope is that as a society we can be that whisper and change all that.

Stop Motion Techniques

Yesterday, I started on a new stop-motion film.  It's taking a bit longer than expected, so in the meantime I wanted to discuss two different stop-motion techniques that I've used in my films.  I believe there to be two fundamental stop-motion techniques.  From here on I'll refer to them as the mainstream and experimental techniques (these names are based on their usage and are not descriptive of the actual technique).  The fundamental difference is that the mainstream technique makes a still subject appear to be moving, and the experimental technique makes a moving subject appear to be still or change its natural course.   However, the more important aspect is that these techniques violate an audiences' expectations in different ways and thus produce animations that are perceived differently.  Filmmakers can utilize these differences to create different effects.

Many people are familiar with "Claymation" films such as the Rudolph Christmas special and Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas."  (I guess people get a lot of free time around the holidays.)  This is why I refer to this style of stop-motion as the mainstream approach.  These films gain their appeal by violating the audiences' expectations that still objects should remain still.  I believe that the mainstream technique is more popular because it "gives life" to the subject.  A self-propelled figurine has an almost magical effect that captivates the imagination (or at least it captivates mine).
// While doing this post, I found a really cool video using the mainstream technique in a very experimental manner. Sorry i'm late 

The experimental technique violates expectations in the opposite fashion of the mainstream technique: taking an object already in motion and making it appear still or changing its course.  Many times this technique is used to make objects appear as though they are violating the laws of physics.  In THIS video I made myself look like I was flying.  This effect is accomplished by taking footage of me repetitiously jumping at the same height but only taking a single frame from the apex of each jump.  While this is a fun experimental technique, it is not as widely used in mainstream media as the other form of stop-motion.  I believe there are two major reasons why this technique is used less often than its counterpart:
1. There are too many alternatives to create the same effect that are easier to execute and produce a higher quality product.  Imagine if you wanted to make a ball look like it was floating.  The easiest way to accomplish this would be to suspend the ball from a string and just film it hanging there. This would avoid a lot of filming and editing as well as the choppy image that is inherent to re-creating this effect using stop-motion.
2.  It looks very unnatural.  The mainstream technique attempts to take the lifeless and make it appear more life like, while the experimental technique attempts to defy the confines of reality.  I believe that audiences are more accepting of a film that tries "play by the rules" while finding films that push the boundaries of a film more of a novelty.

Stop-motion is a fun style of film making that anyone can do with enough time, patience, and creativity.  While I'm not an expert, I hope that my analysis gives you a better understanding of stop-motion from a viewer stand point.  And if you're making a stop-motion film, I hope this can help you understand how your work will be perceived and what technique is right for you.

Friday Fun: Ladyface Alehouse

Lady's and Gents, we have made it through another week.  To celebrate my first week of blogging I've decided that today is going to be a fun post.  As a young person living in LA, there are lots of things to do and places to go.  Today, I want to talk about a little brewery that lives right down the road from my work: Ladyface Ale Company.

I've been working at THQ for a little over a year and half now, yet I've never walked the mile or so down the road to check out the Ladyface Alehouse.  About two weeks ago, a coworker of mine came in carrying a growler (a half gallon jug) of beer from Ladyface.  I had suspected that they are everywhere with lots of micro-breweries, like Seattle, WA.  However, I have been on the LA beer scene for a number of years and never seen one.  I was immediately filled with joy and excitement, because I had a birthday party to go to and had yet found something to bring.

The next day, I walked down to the alehouse to pick up some beer.  I really like the atmosphere.  Inside there are long wooden tables with big blocky benches where large groups or families can sit and chat with each other, while the patio seating looks out toward the mountains that separate Agoura Hills and Malibu.  I wasn't there for sunset, but I imagine it would be a nice place for dinner on a warm summer evening.  But the best part was the beer (Here's what they have on tap.)  I got three different growlers: Ladyface IPA, Blind Ambition (a Belgian abbey-style amber ale), and the Picture City Porter.  The IPA and Belgian were pretty good, but Picture City Porter was definitively the star of the show.  Which is apt, because Agoura Hills was once known as "Picture City" because of all the movies that were filmed here.  It was delightfully creamy with lots of coffee and malt flavors.  I will admit, however, that I am partial to porters and stouts.

The prices for pints are average for drinks in LA ($5-$7), however you get a better deal for the growlers (take out only, $6 for the jug and refills start at $12).  They don't have a drink happy hour, but they do have cheap eats from Mon-Fri 3-6pm & Th-Sat after 10pm.  I didn't eat when I visited, but I probably will sooner or later so I'll update this blog when that happens.

Overall, I liked Ladyface.  The beer was excellent and the prices weren't too bad.  It is a bit of a drive out of LA, but if you're looking for a local brew that's a little off the beaten path, then I would definitely come check this place out.

8 Reasons Why Everyone Should Do Code Year

If you're like me and you want to get into the gaming industry, yet you don't already know how to code, you're probably trying to learn.  I have friend that brought up this awesome sight called www.codecademy.com, which just started its Code Year initiative.  Below are eight reasons why everyone should sign up:

1. It's simple to sign up:  The page takes a Google approach to its simplicity. There's a nice big box where you put your email address and every Monday you'll receive an email with your lessons.

2. It's Free:  Lots of people pay a lot of money to take courses in school or online to learn how to code.  While there are no football games or keggers to go to at Codecadmey, you can't beat the price tag.

3. Preset Goals:  One of the difficulties that I've had in teaching myself code (I was learning C++ from THIS sight), was that I had nothing to keep me on track but myself.  Whenever I got busy, my own lesson plans got smaller and smaller.  With Code Year, the emails they send you have a set of lessons that you know you have to finish by next week.  And the lesson plans are more than manageable by my account.

4. It's Interactive:  When you click on a lesson link you're taken to an interactive page.  The left side has instructions while the right side has a lite Integrated Development Environment (IDE) where you can write and run your code.  The IDE is the interactive portion of the lesson.  Lead you through your lesson by telling you what you've done right and if you're doing it wrong.

5. Lots of Positive Feedback:  Some people get crazy with collectibles. Like badges on 4square or achievements on XBL.  Code Academy has recognized this and added a point and achievement system into Code Year.  It tracks your progress and awards your efforts.  Positive reinforcement and collectibles are great ways to motivate people.

6. Sense of Community:  Codecademy is also set up with Facebook and Twitter.  This way you can tweet your progress and see what you're friends (or total strangers) are up to as well.  I enjoy this aspect because knowing you're not alone in your efforts can really help you keep it up.

7. Make Yourself A Better Candidate:  I wouldn't recommend doing one lesson then putting "Fluent in JavaScript" on your resume.  However, it doesn't hurt to inform people that you're learning.  It shows initiative and a willingness to learn.  Just make sure that you are upfront about your abilities and limitations if anyone expresses interest.

8. It's not too late!  Yes, it is already over halfway through January, but Code Year is only in it's second week.  You may have to put in a little more effort, but being behind two weeks shouldn't be a reason to give up on the whole year.

There you have it. Eight simple reasons why everyone should be learning code.  And if you're still not convinced, just remember that you don't have anything to lose, but a lot to gain.  So let's get out there and code!

League of Legend's Black Eye

(IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH LEAGUE OF LEGENDS, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO READ THE ABSTRACT THAT I WROTE ABOUT IT.)

Have you ever gone to a sporting event with really rude fans?  You’re there to have fun, but that drunk guy three rows back is hell-bent on ruining the experience.  This is League of Legend’s black-eye: their community of players.  I want to make it clear that I love playing League of Legends (LoL) with my friends online.  Unfortunately, some of the reasons why I love the game are also the inadvertent causes of its major flaw.  There are no natural filters (i.e. low skilled people are not deterred from trying the game because it is free).  And emotions are elevated because of the high level of competition.  This often leads to teammates fighting over game chat, blaming others, and over all rude behavior.  The developer, Riot Games, continues its campaign to improve its community (The Summoner's Code and The Tribunal), but it remains an often immature and hostile environment.

League of Legends debuted in 2009 and is based on a free-to-play model so that anyone can get on and try it out.  If you really like LoL and want to support Riot Games, you can throw as much money into it as you want, and if not then no big deal.  I love this because it’s a win-win for the developer and gamers.  However, no cost barrier means there is nothing to deter casual gamers.  Now, this is not a bad thing by any means, because people should be encouraged to try new things.  But, casual gamers will have a hard time with the learning curve, unless he or she is naturally skilled or has friends that are willing to teach the ins and outs.

Learning the ins and outs is crucial in League of Legends as it is also a fiercely competitive game.  It has a tutorial, as well as options for AI opponents, but sooner or later you’re going to want to play with other people.  The only way to get good at playing real people is by teamwork and a willingness to learn.  This is where the community starts to break down.  When most players start losing, they just give up the fight and harass the weak player instead of trying to explain what that person did wrong.

I really like the game and I’m sure I’ll blog about it in the future.  However, dealing with the community has a huge psychological toll.  So if you feel like I do, make sure you try and teach others when they fail.  Also make sure to report players with bad behavior as that is the only way to kill a troll.

BTW, if you'd like to join me and my friends my tag is rstrojan.

League of Legends Abstract

Tomorrow, I'm going to be talking about why I like, and dislike, League of Legends. If you are unfamiliar with LoL (or video games in general) then here is an abstract that I wrote that explains it. If you'd like to watch some gameplay you could go to YouTube or just watch it stream live on CLGgaming.net. Here is the official LoL website.

League of Legends

An abstract review by Ryan Suter

League of Legends is a team-based action-strategy game from the growing “multiplayer online battle arena” genre (MOBA). MOBA games are exclusively played online. Characteristically they release with a small number of heavily tested and well-balanced maps. Traditional story elements, including back story, world story/context, map descriptions, character bios and lore, are expressed in-game as well as on the web. MOBA games are designed around competitive matches that have high replay value.

The main objective in League of Legends (LoL) is to destroy the enemy Nexus by breaking through the enemies’ defenses. Two teams of five players control unique hero units called Champions. Players must use skill, strategy, and map elements in order to gain an advantage in an otherwise equal playing field.

LoL is set up with two bases in opposing corners that are connected by three lanes. Two layers of defenses protect the lanes.

· These defenses are balanced to provide a level playing ground for each team.

· Stationary towers are the first layer of defense. They prevent the Champions from walking straight into the enemy base.

· Endless waves of AI controlled robots (minions) are the second defense. They are designed to protect their lanes and towers. Champions kill the minions and towers in order to gain experience and gold.

Champions are fundamentally balanced, however over the course of the game they differentiate themselves with their items and abilities.

· Experience is used to upgrade abilities.

· Each ability for every Champion is unique in some way.

· Gold is used to purchase items that can give bonus statistics or abilities.

· Items can compliment a player’s Champion or counter an enemy.

Players need to use strategy and teamwork to win games. When picking teams, players need to choose Champions that will compliment their teammates.

· Well-rounded teams are harder to counter.

· It is important to communicate with teammates in order to know when to engage or retreat during a team fight.

· Winning or losing team fights can dictate the victor, as it gives the winning team an advantage.

My first blog for my new plan.

Hello world. My name is Ryan Suter and this is my first blog. Recently, I felt that I don't have a lot to show for the type of person I perceive myself to be. So I created a video and posted it online. It made it all the way to the 14th position on the r/video subreddit. I was very happy with the response that I got for the video. However, the most amazing response was the unexpected attention I received from my coworkers. It did not occur to some of them that their Mailroom clerk could be so creative. That's when I had an epiphany. I need to properly document the things I do so that I may share them with others. Read a comic book, play a video game, make a movie, write some code, or go to a museum. Then sit down and write about. That way I can show people who I am and what I do. In other words I'm writing this to better myself and so you can know me better.

To really kick off this tremendous undertaking, please enjoy this video. It may not be the most amazing thing I've done or that you've seen, but the ramifications of making this video have been incredibly inspirational. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZccNAPf0OQ&feature=share