This was very interesting for a fan of TF2 like me and I almost pissed myself at the end... Hillarious.
Reviews for "Team Fortress 2 Fail"
So true >:)
Gonzo, man. I'm at a loss for words on this one, but I really need to say something.
I need to preface this review by saying parodies are not bad, there is nothing wrong with parodies. Many successful shows currently are parodies or mocks. However, you shouldn't parody things JUST to parody them knowing they'll get views. Even if you do do that, make it not obvious by only releasing parodies relevant to that week or month.
I never give anyone shit for JUST not being funny, but man, script is really important. I didn't laugh once, or smile once. I just stared at the screen waiting for something to happen. Some of the voice acting was really bad. Your cartoons always look visually appealing and really unique, I'll give you that, but fuck, cut back on the face close ups and screaming.
I have no program with wacky faces, funny faces and characters making interesting facial expressions IS A CARTOON, that's what makes a cartoon interesting and fun, I'm not giving you shit about that. However, the XD faces, the CONSTANT facial close ups every time a joke is said is just painful to watch. Use facial close ups when necessary, they're a good tool for a joke, but use it super sparingly.
One of the biggest obstacles of doing a parody is making it funny to people who are outside the reference bubble to what you're parodying. I think you fell the flattest here. I know TF2 players who didn't find it funny, and I have never played TF2, but wasn't amused by this. While I'm on the subject of bad writing, I was flabbergasted you used a fucking Skyrim/Arrow to the Knee joke in LATE JUNE 2012. It wasn't funny in February, why would it be funny now? Skyrim has NOTHING to fucking do with Team Fortress 2.
Also, if you're making a parody, give it a theme, dude. Team Fortress 2 is hard, Team Fortress 2 is easy, the players on Team Fortress 2 are dumb, etc. This was just, look at this character from TF2 saying something wacky and having a weird voice on a close up.
Again, I must reiterate as strongly as possible, silly faces and silly dialogue MAKE a cartoon, look at Ren and Stimpy or Spongebob. Abusing these and making them your crutch is not, however, how you're supposed to write a cartoon. Try to seriously do a video without XD faces, with two normal people talking. If you can make that funny, then the faces are a bonus.
The animation is icing on the cake, but if your written cake is garbage, you just have trash with icing on it. The purpose of cartoons is to entertain, and you failed on that aspect for this video. Does that mean you're a bad artist? No. Everyone flops. Every single animator, TV show, movie, musician, artist, everyone flops. It's in our nature, but you look at why you flopped and don't to it again. You can pander to young TF players who are going to laugh and giggle and fart because they get the references, or you can make something that's legitimately funny to everyone.
That's the biggest issue, is I've seen other artists tell you your mistakes, and not only have you repeated them, but you've started doing it MORE than before. Take this review as a gentle shove in the direction of the other countless reviews. If you don't, that's fine. I'm not forcing you to change your writing, or anything at all. However, if I (or anyone else who has left a review) didn't care about your improvement, we wouldn't post at all. You have a shitload of potential, and seeing you waste that on XD faces and loud screaming that's so loud it clips is more than disappointing at this point, it's a shame.
4 years ago parodies weren't a giant deal. Since 2010 or so, I've noticed an exponential increase in people doing parodies JUST TO DO THEM. If money is your only motivation, you're in the wrong field dude. Become a lawyer. If you seriously want to make something people won't forget about in a few weeks and not be inspired by, continue the way you do things. If you care about what you produce, and how it comes out, follow not only my advice, but follow other peoples. Criticism isn't HATERS BEING HATERS, it's people wanting to help.
Good luck.
Gonzossm responds:
That is one huge as review! I'll respond back to it all.
I don't just parody things just to parody. I'm a fan of TF2. Meet the pyro coming out around the same time I finished this was a coincidence. I was going to release this last month but I got interrupted with personal matters. I haven't released anything in near 3 months. :P
I can agree with you that the script did have a lot of problems. Didn't really notice it till it was released tho. The animation mostly caters to the Team Fortress 2 fan base. So a lot of the jokes are basically inside jokes, only people who'd play the game long enough would get the jokes. So I did screw up by not making the animation open for everyone.
About the facial close ups I got a few bad responses on that aspect. So I'll tone those things down.
Arrow to the knee was just a small suttle little thing. You can dress up as dovakiin in TF2 so EH I knew going in it some people would get annoyed with it if they spotted it.
Theme; Team Fortress 2 is addicting.
I try n listen to what other people tell me and try to apply them. Sometimes I just screw up. That said people still enjoy the animations for what they are.
Why dont you stop making parodies?
I have my reasons why I do what I do. I still dont just do them just to only get money from them. Money does play its role in animation, but I do try n get better with each animation. I try out different stuff in each animation. Sometimes it sucks sometimes it dosnt. I dont plan nor want to stick only to parodies.
Anyways thanks for the Review, and criticism I'll do what I can to get better at what I do.
i just found out about tf2 now there is ton of funnys of it and its been out for ever i dont get it wtf
Funny and true :)