You picked the wrong day to submit if you were looking for prizes (HappyHarry and SexuaLobster and this? This might be the best NG day ever!), but damn is this an impressive movie. You deserved first in my book!
Reviews for "GIRL & IT"
AWAAA THE FEEELLLLLSSSS SOB HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME SOB, THAT WAS AMAZING I LOVE THE STORY AND EVERYTHING .....sob
i wana know what will happen next
Wow...just wow!
I am no animator myself, so no professional review, just my opinion as a consumer :D :
When I started the film I was expecting some kind of red riding hood-story with a twist. How wrong I was!
PROS:
- Invented language. Spent some time trying to figure out what language that was, but very soon it didn't matter anymore, it just added to the "exoticness" of the story. To me it sounded quite archaic which fit very well.
- Twists were well-placed, starting with the first one early in the film (girl running into the beast while hiding from the hunters). I actually thought that was it and that it was good, then realized there's so much more oO.
- while others have already critizised the "stiffness" in the characters' expressions I personally don't see this as something over-all negative. The girl's staring sometimes felt a bit over the top, but on the other hand it was part of her characterization of being the mute watcher and the precious treasure worthy of protection. Although you created beautiful sceneries it still had the charme of a silhouette-like type of work which more detailed animation probably would have destroyed. Same goes for the walking/running.
- Music went very well with the narration.
- love the harshness and darkness of the world this is playing in
CONS:
- wished the beast either would have recovered or, twist, had puppies (Sunrise Mountain referred to it as "she" in its final scenes) or at least would have returned one more time after falling into the abyss to do something meaningful, so the main theme would have carried on. While the beast dies trying to rescue the both its death still felt a bit meaningless (and turned the film more into "Girl & Guy").
- during the final scenes dying Sunrise tells the girl she was "ready". While she obviously killed one of the hunters on her own before he enters the scene and while he practised fishing with her earlier on and with her giving up on her (on-screen)passiveness when she stabs the hunter it still didn't feel like she was ready. I wished there were some more scenes scattered across the film like the one where they're fishing together. You could have shown her progressing in her attempts to get along, like showing her succeed at fishing in another scene, then showing her hunting, failing, succeeding, showing the both fight practising and so on. Also good opportunities to add some more "light" and cheerful scenes and development to their relationship.
Loved this, 5 stars, will tell others about it. Great job :-)
PS: I think it was pretty clear she was pregnant after the puking scene with her holding her tummy. There are also several subtle hints at the developing relationship between Sunrise and the girl, like them holding hands twice, him touching her face. While, at least for me, their relationship/her pregnancy didn't come out of nowhere maybe some more hinting scenes would've made it clearer.
Composition, visuals and music were gorgeous.
Two tips to keep in mind for your next animation.
The expression of your characters. Your story is dramatic, and you have the privilege to tell it, so don't loose the oportunity to tell us more about the soul of it.
First I thought she didn't move her pupils because she was blind, but then I realized the hero's didn't move either. I don't know what software you used for animating, but Flash, Toon Boom, After Effects, Anime Studio, etc they all offer some way to animate them. One way would be swapping beetween multiple faces, just like they do for stop motion.
Second, your walk cycles.
Watch people and animals, there is an ease out and in vertically because of gravity. But usually we don't ease in and out every step horizontally unless its some special kind of walk. The movement is supposed to flow.
Personally, I found the ending kind of anticlimatic, I was expecting the man returning to claim the throne or even perhaps his children who would stop the killing. Stories don't always need to end like that. You're the director / writer and it's up to what you want to tell and I respect that.
Perhaps it won't be too easy distributing / spreading out / your animation because of the lenght, I wish you luck and will recommend other colleagues to watch it.
It was an splendid animation to watch.
Congrats.
Great movie. The animation was very good. Definitely worth much more than 5 stars