Screwed Up Animation, Too Much “Star Wars,” and the NFL Network Should Get a Clue. Merry Christmas!

By:

The Dude on the Right

As I’m at home this Saturday night, becoming pissed at myself for my, hmm,
improper animation techniques (which actually means I screwed up a good chunk of
our animated review for "Apocalypto" that I wanted to get posted this weekend),
I also have the Dallas Cowboys vs. Atlanta Falcons game on my NFL Network
Channel in between my watching, again, thanks to the Cinemax folks, my various
"Star Wars" fixes.

For the animation, as I got through most of the subtitling
that would be necessary, I realized most of none of it was going to work because
I forgot about the camera angles I would use (I should have fully outlined the
animation schedule on paper, instead of doing it in my head).  In trying to
rush the animated review, I pretty much set it back a week due to heading home
for Christmas and my lack of computing power in Ohio.  My fault, but it was
a stupid mistake, which wouldn’t have happened if I had just done some proper
planning.

I’m also wishing, hoping, praying, that Cinemax is almost done with
their various showing of the "Star Wars" films.  For "Episode I" I’m a
sucker for the hope that Anakin is the one to save the galaxy, "Episode II"
gives me Senator Amidala to be happy she is of age, and she looks great as
monsters rip off her clothes.  "Episode III" has great fight scenes and
sadly, the end of Mace Windu.  "Episode IV" is always great but sort of
creepy.  Great because it was the first "Star Wars" movie, that I saw at
the Avon Lake Theater in Ohio before they remodeled from one screen to four, and
creepy, because now we now Princess Leia is Luke’s sister.  "Episode V" was
the dark episode, but I was now at the age when "A New Hope" started to make
sense.  And then came "Episode VI," "The Return of the Jedi," where
everything worked, except the Ewoks still suck, even watching it today.

But
enough about "Star Wars," what is really pissing me off tonight is the NFL
Network and their bizarre insistence of showing games on their cable channel. 
All I can ask is "Umm, Dudes at the NFL Network, have you, or your producers,
even watched the games that CBS, FOX, and NBC, have perfected.?"  Your
announcers don’t work together, your camera shifts blow, and no dude wants to
see a "long shot" of the cheerleaders – Give us the close-up, with the cutest of
them juggling their jugs and pom-poms for the camera.  And don’t get me
started on your trying to expand the season to a Thursday night and Saturday
night.  I totally forgot the Cleveland Browns/Pittsburgh Steelers’ game was
on a couple of Thursdays ago.  Sorry, NFL Network dudes, you’re just not on
my weekday radar.  And the only reason I tuned in to this Saturday’s game
with Dallas and Atlanta was because I heard someone else talk about how bad the
production (including the announcer talk) was.  And they were right. 
Dear NFL, leave the football to when we want it:  Sunday – All day, and
Monday night.  And never, ever, take away our Thanksgiving Day games. 
These extra Thursday night and Saturday games are crap, especially with your
presentation, so just cut it out and get back to what we want to see, and not
your convoluted way to make more money.  The only reason reason I was able
to watch your game tonight, which sucked, was because A: I was home on a
Saturday night.  And B: I pay for everything on my cable channel.

Well,
I’ve got to get back to my animating that I screwed up, but that’s okay. 
It’s that weird time of year when sometimes when things go wrong, you get a
little bummed, but then remember that it’s the Christmas Season, so sometimes
work can be put on a burner a little further back.  Our animated review of
"Apocalypto" will be posted, eventually, just not as soon as I planned. 
Merry Christmas.

That’s it for this one!  I’m The Dude on the Right!!  L8R!!!