God Box : Ascension

I spent these last few days before college finishing up God Box. I decided to wrap things up sooner than I had first expected to test out the water. I definitely plan on expanding on this idea sooner or later, but I have other things to focus on right now.

Give it a peek when you have the chance.

Things are moving along quite nicely now. God Box just demo'd his first Trapezoid, and animating the carnage was very tedious. I mean, the basic movements are tough enough, but then you have to add sparks, explosions, smoke, and plenty of debris to make it truly satisfying. It's worth it though. The mere 13 seconds since the last update have done wonders for the flash on the whole. It was a big hurdle, but now I can finally move on to the second half of the movie.

I plan to start it off by rackin' up some easier Triangle kills. So far, God Box has been using his finger lasers almost excessively, so I'm counting on using some new weapons. He also has to catch a few more bullets in his spare time. The Trapezoid was sort of like a mini-boss, and I intend on having God Box face a second one. Although, this time, he's gonna fight one of those Rectangles, which are melee based and extra strong. This will lead to some CQC - sword fighting and maybe some old fashioned punching as well. After that, Satan Sphere will make an appearance. I'm not sure if I want them to fight yet, so I think a shitty cliffhanger is in order.

Anyway, here are the numbers.

Frames: 1490 (+315)
Duration: 62.0sec (+13.0sec)
Kills: 7 (+1)
Bullets Caught: 1
Bullets Blocked: 8 (+3)
Completion: 50%

In the previous update, I mentioned that I was cookin' up some ideas and sketching them out. I've made progress via these techniques, although there isn't much flashwork to prove it. However, these sketches have made it easier to envision the choreography of the flash, so when I sit down to animate, I already know almost exactly what I'm aiming for. In the past, I've relied on good fortune to spark ideas. Having a gameplan for a change is quite encouraging.

Over the past few days, I've been attempting to evolve the plot and theme of the flash. I was watching the animation and sensed a lack of purpose. It just seemed like our pal God Box was going around murdering people for beans and giggles. This was troubling for two reasons. 1) God Box is supposed to be the protagonist (hero). Having him go on a rampage with no apparent objective or reason (while still entertaining) comes off as cruel. 2) On a similar note, I believe that having a storyline (even an extremely limited one) is always a plus. It attracts and involves the viewer, and again, it gives the movie some reason to exist. Take a look at some of the great gorefests, and 90% of the time, you'll come across some form of a story element (i.e. Kill Bill, Madness, even Doom). I know for certain that Doom's environment would not have been as intense or frightening if the story hadn't repeatedly reinforced that you were all alone, and that there was no hiding from hellspawn. You either fried the demons, or you were bound to be shredded without mercy. So hopefully by adding some story, I'll give the movie more substance. That's the plan, anyway.

Here are the finer details. Originally, I named our hero "God Box" because of his ability to do whatever the hell he wanted to do. However, going on what I mentioned in the last paragraph, I decided to build on the God idea. Instead of Mr. Box functioning solely as an assailant, I wanted him to double as a rectifier. For this, I focused on his enemies. At first, they were simply shapes with guns and jetpacks. Pretty cool, but much too bland. Stickin' with the god theme, I began to put satanic insignias on the shapes. But I didn't just slap on any symbol. I tried to make sense of it all. For instance, the Triangles (which are the weakest enemy) are branded with the anarchist "A." The stronger Trapezoids are branded with Satan's Trident, which symbolizes enforcement. The Rectangles, which are twice the size of God Box, are branded with the Satanic "S," which represents possessing power over others. So, it's turning out to be a bit more than shapes shooting shapes. It's a definitive struggle between Good and Evil.

As for the main boss, I've come up with a horrid fellow - Satan Sphere. I can't say much about him yet, but he's meant to be the evil twin; the antithesis of God Box.

Alright, that's it for now. Here's a small update on the specs.

Frames: 1175 (+162)
Duration: 49.0sec (+6.8sec)
Kills: 6 (+1)
Bullets Caught: 1
Bullets Blocked: 5
Completion: 35%

Alright, so God Box has been in production for almost two weeks now. I've made some strides, but I'm still trying to find a steady rhythm so I can really make progress. The plot has not changed. We're still talkin' about a kickass box that can fire plasma from his hands and catch bullets in mid-flight. I've been doing plenty of sketching and brainstorming, and I came up with a ton of combat moves for him. I guess the only real challenge now is animating them in flash.

To keep myself going, I've been drawing small amounts of inspiration from a wide variety of places. However, the majority of them are flash movies right here on Newgrounds. Being a fighting flash, I watched some of the Madness movies again, along with all of the Bunnykill episodes. I've always admired Krinkles' animation, but now that I know what it takes, that admiration has grown threefold. D3vilsheep's Proto has the speed I'm aiming for, with the use of blurs and camera tricks. It also has a fun sense of humor, which diversifies the movie in a unique way.

So that's it for now. I'll leave you with some specs.

- Dynimize

Frames: 1013
Duration: 42.2sec
Kills: 5
Bullets Caught: 1
Bullets Blocked: 5
Completion: 25-30%

I guess I'll cut to the chase.

I've started a flash project based on a kickass box. He is known as "God Box," and he can instantly answer his every whim. The twist is, he normally appears to be your average, nondescript box. This tempts others to mess around with him, and they quickly discover that this ain't no ordinary box. This is God Box, and you don't mess with God Box!

I'm planning on having a lot of fun making this one :)

So, I've thrown myself into the Newgrounds community in search of some footing. I've been around this place for ages, so I figured it was about time I took a whack at it. I guess I should start with some personal info to set the mood, so here it goes.

I'm a mut. A whole mix of things. I love a good game of soccer, but I could also sit infront of this damned screen for hours on end. I'm an all-county athlete, but I've also played on a Cal-M CS team, so it's a rather unusual jock/dweeb combo that I'm dealin' with. If you met me in person, you'd probably view me as a jock, although I'm not the rowdy douchebag type. I believe Teddy said it best ... "speak softly, but carry a big stick."

I'm also passionate about music. I play the cello, and I've been slowly teaching myself the guitar for the past few years (sort of like a junior Van Halen). Recently, I've gotten a handle on the music software program, Fruity Loops, so I've been able to compose some original pieces with much satisfaction. My favorite genre is heavy metal, and my favorite group is Metallica without question, so I gain loads of inspiration from them. However, I am also an advocate of classical music, and surprisingly, one can apply classical concepts to rock and metal with a great deal of success (i.e. TSO). I plan on continuing my work with FL Studio, so keep an eye out for some new Audio Portal submissions.

As I've grown through adolesence, art has gained a place in my heart. With each passing day, I become more and more adamant about my decision to pursue fine arts as more than just a hobby - as a career. I'll be off to college in August to study graphic design, and perhaps even animation. This is where the big dude comes in. I've been working with Flash (MX, 6, 8, and CS 3) for years now. My interest in animation first sparked as a young teenager, and ever since, I have been very enthusiastic about the field. Long story short, I plan on revving up the engines and working on some animation projects in the near future. I couldn't even begin to state a direction or plot, but I have been reading up on Vikings as of late, so perhaps I'll give a Viking flash the green light. Afterall, how can you go wrong with an over-sized battle axe and a whole lot of chest hair?

-Dynimize