Slow
Poorly animated, quite slow-moving and boring... pretty emo.
'Nuff said.
Reviews for "From Life to Death"
ReklessCreati0n responds:
Thanks for the review, glad you hated it!
Ridiculously ridiculous
C'mon, this is filled with emotional depth? You probably would have gotten a higher rating from me had you not sounded like a pompous ass in your video description. This flash has zero emotional depth, you ripped the story from Harry Chapin's Cats in the Cradle--so there goes your creativity points. Unfortunately, that song doesn't have emotional depth either. Its sentimental schlock. Fake emotion. Anyone can get that kind of reaction out of someone and it takes no artistry. What you need to add to make this flash better is a hint of subtlety. Explore the character's emotions (REAL emotions, not the cliche sentimentality present here) and explore the characters interaction with the other characters. The fact that you were working with flash animation does not excuse the complete lack of subtlety--Charlie Chaplin made some of the greatest artistic statements ever with silent film, which I think is comparable to flash animation here. I just ask that you not masquerade as an artist (or condescend on the other people who gave your film negative reviews...I believe you said "if your looking for mindless violence this isn't the video for you." No, the story isn't mindlessly violent, it's mindlessly sappy. And that is just as bad, if not worse. At least people who make mindlessly violent flash animation films aren't showcasing their flashes like an artistic statement.
So please, start this flash over and work on creating a work of delicate, subtle emotion. THOSE type of flash videos are filled with emotional depth. Not this one.
ReklessCreati0n responds:
I have actually never seen Harry Chapin's Cats in the Cradle, but I will have to check it out. I appreciate your review, really I do. When I made this, I was actually very depressed, and went through a few different story ideas, then I listened to Colbolt Blue Sphear by PianoForte, and this is what came of it. I don't think its one of the greatest things to hit newgrounds, but it is something new, to some.
I will have to watch Harry Chapin's Cats in the Cradle to see what you mean, but I will work on my character's emotions for the next flash I intend to make.
What he said.. and more!
Well, I think berlinalexanderplatz hit the nail on the head for this one. Read his review before you praise this submission for having deep emotional meaning. C'mon guys, you all know that its badly animated and massively cliche. If you think you're tired of people insulting the "true artists" of Newgrounds, I'm tired of lame viewers who like to appear thoughtful and inspired by a flash like this.
Now, as for the artist, if you truly wish to pursue such a mindlessly standard plot line about life and death, I would suggest you spend more time detailing the drawings and animations, and less time on each slide. The first picture of the baby remained for so long that I almost stopped watching then and there.
Even the style changed in the next picture. You went from nice clear slightly pulsing strokes to this kind of brushy, streaky effect with thinner strokes. This detracted from the overall quality, and turned me off to whatever happened next.
Speaking of quality, I only made out that the blocky lump of god-knows-what was a coffin! I mean, who'da thunk it? At least make things clear so we can spend less time squinting at the screen and questioning your already dubious drawing talent (or lack thereof), and more time drowning in the sappiness of your flash. On second thoughts, stick with the bad drawing. Ambiguous is still better than flat-out crap, right?
As for the girlfriends & spouses of the involved males, they were very faint and hard to make out. The yellow you chose for the girl at the dinner table made it hard to tell the gender of said person.
ReklessCreati0n responds:
Thanks for the Review Kusfraba, here is what happend....
When I animate a piece, I have a terrible habit of not finishing my works, I will usually only get to about half way done if I do full animation, then I look at it and say, well i don't like it anymore.
I decided to start this story off with simple line drawings, finish that and see where I want to go to next. I really enjoyed my storytelling in the piece and I felt that If I would have done any detail animation to the whole thing I wouldn't have finished it and it would have never been complete.
So out of artisic integrity I decided to do the line art which you saw, I went through and did the animation in the style you guys watched, just so I could finish the story.
Personally I agree with you on an artistic scale, I didn't expect this to get so much praise, but it is a beautiful story nonetheless. Let the viewers enjoy what they would like to enjoy my friend.
-darx