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Valfire
Hey you can't bring that in the pool!

Age 38, Male

Joined on 4/22/00

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Valfire's News

Posted by Valfire - November 21st, 2012


Been a while since I did an update, so I figured it was time.

It's been such a long time since I finally released any lengthy movie.
So naturally, I want to bring out some in the near future.

However I forgot just how much dedication these things take.
Fortunately, I won't let that get me down as I simply want to create entertainment.

Or at least some thingy with some sort of meaning.

Been dealing with some sort of morale issues lately.
As I think it's more fun to work with people.

Yet as of late those very peoples have gotten themselves all busy.
So I guess this truly is another solo project.

At least I am finally laying off the MMO games.
And back to retro!

I've been asking myself.
When will I know when this movie is truly done?

Surely theres a limit to even so much I can do with flash.
Yet is the problem the incapability to tween the way I want?

Or is it a lack of resources?
Fortunately I don't think these will be the cases.

As I think it all boils down to motivation if anything.
One can sit for hours upon end just trying to make one little thing look right.

Yet , to obtain that very mindset to work in can be hard to come by.
Especially with other complications.

Thats the worst really.
In any case, i'm still learning new tricks every corner.

And I am quite happy with the turnout on some of the things.
So heres to hoping I can complete EF in 2013!

EF Production Entry 05


1

Posted by Valfire - October 30th, 2012


This is a bit off topic here.
But i'd like to announce that after a quarter of a century later.

Tonight I finally beat Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson's Punchout.

EF Production Entry 04


Posted by Valfire - October 18th, 2012


Just got back from vacation.
Oi, this month's been screwing with my flash time.

Had several games release all at once.
And naturally I had to play a good few of them.

Yet here I am back settling in to resume development.
And yet.
I am stuck with the same situation that generally prevents most of my projects from seeing daylight.

A simple lack of graphics!
No it's not only sprite graphics I need.

No I need actual graphics.
Preferably plane seating graphics or theatre seat graphics.

Yet I am certainly no artist so I must scavenge them from foreign sources.
Arr! Like a pirate be searchin for his pirate booty.

Yeah enough of that shtick.
Can't imagine how many voice actors are going to stick with me through this thing.
But boy I have alot to learn about how to properly produce.

Funny i've been at it for 11 years and the number one problem is simply motivation.
Motivation AND graphic finding.

Regardless, there are 3 flash projects I have had burning inside that I want to bring out.
And i'll ensure I see them through before I pass on.

Ultimately, i've also been poking my nose into other mediums for unrelated projects.
Since I am not the kind of guy who can only focus on one project at a time I figure it's best to switch them out from time to time depending on interest and love.

Fortunately, this won't damage the film's integrity.
As if anyone has ever seen some of my unreleased-on-ng works.

Really do ANY of my films have integrity?
Oi, well I am just doing shtick for fun these days anyway.

Sure would be nice to have a comrade as I did back in the old days.
Yet partnerships generally turn sour at some point or another.

Maybe solo is the best thing.
Just I wish I had someone to bounce ideas with.

EF Production Entry 03


Posted by Valfire - August 15th, 2012


Has it been 3 months already?
Jesus time goes a little too quickly these days.

Anyway I am sure many think that I forgot about the movie.
No actually I was just making some more input here and there.

So where have I been lately if not for working on this flash?

Well i'll tell you.
In June I finally got around to a project I put off since December 2010.
And that was putting together a long needed new PC to replace my 2005 Presario.

(the same Presario I got to play GTA San Andreas with)

For the longest time that was my project PC.
Not that i'd rather use anything for the rest of the world, but it was aging.

Like milk.

Worry not though i'm still going to be using the same software by choice.
(Flash 5, Fireworks MX 6.0, Photoshop CS2, Goldwave, roms, etc)

Well, after much chaos and even a little period of grief, I got my PC up and working in mid July.
(no thanks to a faulty processor which took a very long process of trial and error)

And then I got lazy for about a month and did nothing but game on my new toy.

Fortunately, that time is over and now I am back and ready for the project.
Also I have been trying harder to pick out my direct vision for scenes in this project.
So taking scenes can take a bit longer.

Especially since I like doing artsy shit.
Love artsy shit.

1980s was arsty shit.
Especially the music videos and they generally were artsy shit.

Though thats not to say all shit is artsy.
but hell it's been a while since I released anything upon NG, so lets hope its not shit.

Course given the circumstances of things, Its just fun to try different stuff.

So i'll get in touch with my voice actors soon to record some new dialogue and maybe even add a little myself.
Because you all so love my singing voice apparently.

pff, I don't think i'll be singing unless it's to give a voice actor the idea and emotions I want out on a scene or so.
So no the public won't hear me singing.

Oh yeah the AC started leaking again so I can't turn it on.
And with temperatures of 110 daily, it's quite unpleasant in my office.

Anyway , yeah,

EF Production Entry 02


Posted by Valfire - May 23rd, 2012


And here we are with a first production blogging rant thing.
Not sure exactly how often i'm going to be updating this, maybe weekly?

If that.
Anyway I understand voice talent needs update for relations to the project.

So in this of which I am going to be discussing.
Fortunately, I never particularly follow a script of any sort, so theres always chance and room for change.

See last time I was trying to start the entry, I got caught up ranting about Xombie and it's supposed cancellation.
While time has yet to prove how much of this is true, the fortunate thing is the rights are once again in their rightful owner's hands.

So let's hope for the best and leave it at that.

In regarding to the next project.
It's been a while since I really sat down and finished a sprite movie.

At least, an actual movie.
I mean, sure there are mish mashes every here and there.
Or random scenes being made with no true background.

I excercised this alot with Acient 5 back in 03.
(and no it's not Ancient 5, it's called 'Acient 5')

For the life of me i've been dying to make a true sequel to that movie.
Though movies were so much easier to make ten years ago, their quality and artistic value left much to be desired.

Yet ultimately they were actually made and saw the light of day.
And since it's been a while since I made a true project worthy of release.

I figure it's best to go back to what I started with.
RPG sprites.

Particularly Final Fantasy.
(Un)fortunately I am working on this project solo.
So really I have to do almost everything aside from some of the sprites thanks to many websites.

Yet lately i've taken a liking to working with custom sprites.
As I feel they give our main leads a significantly more interesting feel and look.

It just takes me forever to create those to the specifications I feel and want.
Seriously it kills me sometimes.

As far as the plot goes, I am somewhat iffy on it to an extension.
Whatever the hell i'd have fun telling a story about.

That's really what it boils down to is just me putting sprites in more odd situations.
(So don't worry Kefka isn't going to somehow rise from the dead and our heroes won't need to beat him again or whatever)

Tired of that bullshit.
We need fresh meat.

EF Production Entry 01


Posted by Valfire - May 19th, 2012


Actually I intended to discuss things a bit further last time.
But I didn't have much to say when it all came down to it.

Thankfully, I intend to keep a little production journal as the film progresses.
As well as I feel the need to say a few more things.

Last year, I made an entry discussing the now defunct Xombie movie.
http://valfire.newgrounds.com/news/post/574227

It recently came to my attention James Farr finally stepped out of the shadows in a few weeks ago and gave the low down.
Dreamworks just sat on the Xombie rights for four years.

So now that the deal is more or less expired, the rights are now once again with James Farr.
Rightfully so as I didn't trust at all what Dreamworks had planned for it.

But it's what happened following this.
He went and announced 'Xombie: Death Warmed Over" which from what was said to be 'Season 2' of Xombie.

I was excited for all of ten seconds until I saw it was already canceled the moment I found out about it.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/epiclevel/xo mbie-death-warmed-over

Ok so... they open the funding for it.
And in less than a few short weeks the funding was already closed, and the project was canceled.
At least from what I can gather.

All this flew right under my radar as I didn't even know this funding was taking place.
Where was the info??

I mean sure it was on the Xombified page, but seriously you think something like this would have gotten more publicity.
(Seriously with the lack of updates since 2008 who checked it often?)

And this was an open and shut deal in all of less than three weeks.

Honestly, I would have gladly donated money had I even KNOWN this was going on.
But now since that's an impossibility.

All I can really do is gripe about it.
No while I am not upset with James Farr.
(Dreamworks a bit rather)

It's just I for one want to see the rest of the story that James Farr has to tell.

Xombie Cancellation


Posted by Valfire - May 4th, 2012


Well I had to take a small haitus from development due to a career change.
Though since everything went smoothly, as well as some other vacation time.
Naturally development is once again underway!

As it's important for one to charge batteries during development cycles.
Yet, it's been so long since I told a story naturally I only feel it's right I finally get around to it.

Project Update


Posted by Valfire - March 22nd, 2012


As it is i've been tryin to get the old bones back flashing.
Or rather, trying to COMPLETE something for a change.

So heres the drill.

Obviously I need to round up some actors.

So heres what I am looking for as of present.

1 Actor, and 1 Actress.
Unless you happen to be some Actor that can voice both gender roles then that's fine too.

Not expecting any results but eh might as well.

Voice Actors Required


Posted by Valfire - March 13th, 2011


What can I say?
I love this series.

All though I think it's a bit hard to keep up with the news of it.
Last thing I heard was that Dreamworks wanted to make a live action movie out of it.

And...
Well really I just can't see it as being a live action film.

Hell, I remember still the night when chapter 2 was showcased on the front page.
And simply say it was totally awesome back then and ever more so now.

This fan, is not in particular agreement with the thought of the live action movie..

We know producers.
Ralph Bakshi knew producers all too well.
And they fucked him over timelessly.

They want to recreate it, among the lines of him being a zombie cop or some shit.
And I am like , 'WTF?'

Hes not supposed to remember who or what he was!
Thats only the dawn of the descriminations I know they have in store for this project.

And its not that I don't want to see a Xombie movie.
Its just i don't want to see a 'live action' Xombie movie.

It just can't be done justice the thought of actual actors and whatnot.
No, Xombie is a cartoon to me.

As the Mario Bros is a video game. (Remember THAT movie?)
Yeah if anything, the only thing I want to see Dreamworks do with Xombie, is ANYTHING but a live action movie.

Hell wasn't the original movie idea supposed to be animated?
Course, even though the flash series is great I am a major animation enthusiast.

Really i'd love to see James Farr up with a team of animators re-imagine the series.

Just... anything but a live action mish-mash for the love of god..

Xombie


Posted by Valfire - October 26th, 2010


Throughout the years, I have been an avid fan of Newgrounds as far back as the fateful day back in 1995.
Hell, back then when the website was devoted to killing pop-icons & other celebrities, alot of the early ones were done in HTML!

It was set up like you had to click the image for it to progress.
Practically all it was was links and images, until Tom had gotten ahold of flash.

And well, the rest is history.
When the portal opened up to the public, is when the site really began to develop what I still consider the golden years.

Everyone had to provide their own graphics as well as scrounge up the few sources everyone had at the time.
And yet, one thing they all had in common was that dark gritty nature, as well as original moused in graphics.

Now in comparison, the average movie back then was roughly 300-500 kb and that took a while to load.
As nowdays its roughly 5 mb minimum, with daily features capping as much as 15 megabytes every single day.

Artistically, the movies have gotten better.
Even though they are done with so many programs I don't even consider them to be 'flash' movies/games any longer.

Adobe Photoshop this, After Effects CS-whatever that..
Heres a handful of some of the first portal entries I have ever seen back then...

Scorpio Mercenary Group
Pac-Man Gets Wasted
Yoda, Drunk on the Set
29 Cents In Life
Quake III Wazzup?!?
boy
Resident Evil-Mon

And so on and so forth..

Overall I would say the one that stuck with me the most was, Scorpio Group.
As at the time I hadn't quite seen anything like it, as the characters in it were not only original, but they were memorable.

Sure they had plenty of shit back then, but once in a while, it was actually worth seeing.
Nowdays there are so many things , alot of which are probaly worth seeing, but I just don't care anymore.

Like I might look if its on the frontpage and if the name/thumbnail looks interesting enough , but I rarely search up for a movie.

Things just haven't been the same.
Maybe someday i'll resume this rant.

And gentlemen, as of today that rant continues... now.

Regarding sprite based movies.

In my ealier years I was an active spriter of older video game based sprite movies.
As early as December 2001 in fact.

Back then there were no real standards for the video game flashes aside from Clark Lybeck, Randy Solemn and SplashKhat.

Hell, I remember when this was one the coolest thing I had seen.
Although I personally preferred this one simply due to it's mas selection of objects & music loops.

I was more or less a spectator back then, so I never had anything of my own to contribute.
Always had hopes of doing so one day.
Though little did I know how anything about manipulating Macromedia Flash.

Always though doing things with sprites was a trip.
Years later to this day my thoughts have not changed.

All though... Along the way, something was amiss.
And admittedly, when I first submitted a project to newgrounds, it was no biggy.
Even though my skills were quite lacking, it didn't take me too long to learn.

In the recent years, spriting has generally only consisted of just absurd humor, or mostly fighting.
Not to say that fighting is always a bad thing, especially with Rebaz the Double Dragon sprite master.

Hell, fighting scenes are always a kick as they have been since Final Fantasy Gaiden.

Though back then the movies didn't always involve fighting and they were generally a long drawn out random adventure.
Or perhaps a movie with such stupidity you couldn't help but love it anyway.

Admittedly, 2003 was a very productive year for me as well as many great sprite artists.
Though 2004 came...

Thats when the sprite movies began to take a decline from what I have seen.
People stopped being original.

As then it just... degraded into some sort of trivial rivalry.
With authors attacking each other in their movies.

Now while this can be funny as hell, I just don't see the point of all this.
We shouldn't be thrashing each other, hell we should all be out there putting together awesome shit!

If theres one thing we don't need.
Is bad or boring retellings of video game plots.
Such as 'Oh noes, Lavos/Kefka has Returned!'

No. Its not amusing, its boring.
WHY would we want to see that, rather than watching Ben from Mystic Quest came out of the closet?

Its not a hard formula to follow really, just entertainment!
Yes, 2004 was officially the most dissapointing year I have ever seen in sprite animators.

I mean hell, even an inconsistent oldie of a sprite film is more entertaining than most of the shit that happened in 04!
Remember the time Kirby went to Egypt?
Out of all the places i'd never thought i'd see that pink piece o shit, Egypt is one of them...

Perhaps one of the only examples of good things that came out of 04 was Hell Fire's Sprite Survivor!

All though it looks familiar to something else , but it doesn't really matter because their all quite entertaining.
Even though the FF Survivor Series was never finished, it still lives on in our sweet memories.
Oh rest in peace sweet sweet flash...

While I understand not all of the parts are on newgrounds, I do however own all of the released movies, so if anyone wants to see them just send a note to my inbox.
Damn shame they never released the finale though.

Speaking of things that go incomplete, whatever happened to Final Fighting Fantasy?
Its gone!
Why has Splashkat forsaken the spriters in their hour of need???

Even though it involves so much fighting.
Fact is its still a hell of alot more original than what goes on these days.

People used to have such originality!
Such weird yet totally awesome visions.

Even in the early days, the quality standard hadn't been achieved yet, though that didn't stop people from trying at least.
Hell they had attitude!
What if it was the priest whom wanted to assasinate Link so he could be the next hero of Hyrule?

Or how about that time Link was home alone???

People can come preaching the gospel to me about that sprite films aren't as stale as I say but you know what?
My opinion isn't changing.
The sprite movies have gotten stale.

The animators need to open up their creativity network and get animating for some new classics!
I mean hell, theres just no excuse for this.

Good god, even this is more entertaining than most shit i've seen nowadays!

Even though its been a cruel few years for spriters ,I think its really because the sprite movies just haven't been worth watching because they are so stale!

For the good classics such as Link's Quest For Ass , Parovadius or this that or the other thing.

I've chosen my path in the sprite film ,and I want the days of the classical random adventures to resume.

Don't make me come down there.

This rant may yet again be resumed when I think of another chapter of rants to rant about.

Days of Old redux