My name is Phillip Washington and I'm an aspiring animator. I am writing from Dallas, TX from my home computer. Much in the same fashion as Peter Wiggin, I hope that my message will reach the "high ranks" and make significant different in what I choose to be important to me. I hope to be well known in the field when my time comes, and I seek to enrich the minds of children. The personification of our future.
Telling me that a movie adapted version of Ender's Game was being made is no different than taking a treasured, coming-out-of-adolescence mnemonic of my own and defocating on it. The only way Enders Game will ever truly be correctly be depicted is through the eyes of Orson Scott Card and onto the pages of thousands of cels and backgrounds that make up an animated feature. It is the only way.
Think of how a skilled painter draws a portrait of somebody else. Think in your mind how those street-corner artists draw all of those extremely detailed, accurate charicatures every day. Those pictures are drawn very articulately, and they are drawn in consideration of mathematics, proportion, and etc. They are drawn with expertise that only those artists know.
Now look around... do you see "Street Corner Video Artists" ? No. Do you see anyone standing on the corner of the street getting an accurate depiction of your facial features holding a video camera? No. Why? Becuase that would be stupid. Anybody can hold a video camera and could do that for themselves.
With a group of skilled animators under his eye, I KNOW Orson Scott Card could innundate thousands of sheets of cel to be animated and depict the story of Ender's game EXACTLY AS HE WANTS IT TO BE! Animators are not directors, so not nearly would there be as many of their personal visions and artistic nuances getting in the way of Orson's vision. It wettens my brain just to imagine Orson Scott Card directing a toon of animators in the same way toon's are directed in his books.
Posted by Sephiroth the Enigma (Member # 6735) on :
What is your point? Orson Scott Card is on the project as well. It's not going to be anything that would depict the story incorrectly. So stop worrying.
Posted by phil washington (Member # 6741) on :
One of the major supporting ideas behind my argument is that Wolfgang Peterson has never directed a child in his career. I don't even think he knows how. Imagine how difficult it must be to direct a child in a movie!
One must observe that there are more child roles in animated films than anywhere else. I do not know why, that's just how it happens. If I had to ASSUME why, I would say that it is because children are
1) Difficult to direct 2) Difficulties that enter when starring a child in a Hollywood film these days, you know, with al off the smut around! 3) Child agency problems
Given the talents of animators, Orson Scott Card could bring alive the project like he probably never imagined possible, directing a crew of animators, USING THEIR HANDS to paint his visions... his visionary power would be limitless, amplified to the tenth power and unstoppable. Each animator a finger on his compelling hand...
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
>One of the major supporting ideas behind my argument is that Wolfgang Peterson has never directed a child in his career. I don't even think he knows how. Imagine how difficult it must be to direct a child in a movie!
Wasn't Wolfgang Peterson the director of the first Neverending Story movie.... which was primarily children?
Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
quote:One must observe that there are more child roles in animated films than anywhere else. I do not know why, that's just how it happens
Ummm....because, historically, animated films have typically been aimed at children?
Yes, you will find some animated films without a child to be seen in them (not counting animated films with only fluffy bunnies and pretty ponies). Those films are typically aimed at an adult audience, and are not the majority. More "adult oriented" (no, not that type of "adult oriented") animated films are being made, but they are still the exception, and the minority.
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
dunno 'bout Ender's Game animation, but this thread is giving me a real hankering for Watership Down.
fallow
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
Flayrah!
*HAnds fallow a "Mirror Pond PAle Ale*
*HAnds over the popcorn*
*Prepares to watch Thlayli kick the piss out of Woundwort*
Yes! Just what I needed to get past the grungy mood I'm in. Yeah!
Edited to add: YARK! Ees Meester PeegVeeg Vunderful, yah! Yark!
[ July 31, 2004, 01:46 AM: Message edited by: Shan ]
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
*strokes shan's bristling neck fur*
err...
*looks into camera at post reader (YOU)*
DON'T MAKE ME USE THE V-WORD!
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
*Contemplates species change from bristling bunny to contented kitty . . . *
*purrs*
Posted by Sephiroth the Enigma (Member # 6735) on :
Oh my god. Have you guys read the Watership Down books? the first and second one? They are so GOOD. The movie was really violent..I love those books. I love all fiction books. Except Romance and Horror. Romance is too sappy. Horror is too deranged. The Ender's Game movie is animation!? What!?
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
Posted by Verily the Younger (Member # 6705) on :
Well, there's no question that the current movie is going to be live action. But I certainly wouldn't be upset if OSC suddenly decided to make an animated feature instead, depending on which studio he went with.
As an anime enthusiast, I'm well aware that it's quite possible (perhaps even easier) to tell a deep and meaningful story in a compelling way through animation. Americans tend to assume that it's not possible, since W*lt D*sney (the vulgar name has been censored to avoid offending myself) vomited his saccharine all over the industry, leaving stains that still have not been successfully washed out despite the best efforts of the Groenings and MacFarlanes of the world.
Still, an anime adaptation of OSC's work would, potentially, be very awesome indeed. Just think, a Studio Ghibli version of the Tales of Alvin Maker . . . darn it, where the heck is the 'drool greedily' smiley?
Posted by odouls268 (Member # 2145) on :
I never got into anime. Don't know why. I tried. Just couldn't do it. It bores the hell out of me.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
*Sings wistfully*
"bri-iiight eyes, burning like fire . . . .*
Snif - sob . . . . .
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
quote:W*lt D*sney (the vulgar name has been censored to avoid offending myself) vomited his saccharine all over the industry, leaving stains that still have not been successfully washed out despite the best efforts of the Groenings and MacFarlanes of the world.
I hope you're refering to the Modern Company, and not the Man himself. Walt was an amazing inovater, who actually crafter seemingly non-commercial tales, making risks, and even conjuring up quite dark imagery that industryites thought was 'too dark'.
Eisner on the other hand... Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
I have it on good word that the Ender's Game movie will be made with...
(cups hand to mouth to whisper better) . . . . . . . . . . thumb puppets Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
*raises eyebrow and lifts sagging chin from sock-puppet workbench*
really?
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
The whole idea of a movie sounds weird to me. It will be weird seeing "Ender's Game" unfold on screen without being able to know what ender is thinking. Imagine how much of that book will be changed on screen because we are now not able to "read Ender's mind".
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
quote: directing a crew of animators, USING THEIR HANDS to paint his visions...
As opposed to a regular, live-action film crew who use, what, their feet? Their telekinetic abilities?
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
Foot-muppets...
opposability!
big toes
fallow
Posted by MacBeth (Member # 5670) on :
like the use of voiceovers has never been done b4?...Honestly... I didn't get the idea it was being told from Enders point of view in the first place..you don't really know him in enders game...sure you know about him very intimately...but you don't know what it is to "Be" him...so completely off most of the topic I don't think not being inside his head would really hurt the plot. I will say this however...I had never imagined enders game as an anime...but it does intrigue me...now that you mention it. It does seem like the only way to do justice to the colorful landscape painted in our minds.
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
If you want an anime about introverted/introspective children with the weight of the world on their shoulders being forced to fight an Extraterrestrial enemy by a military organization, then watch Evangelion.
As for Ender, live action it is, and live action it shall be. The way it should be.
Not to diss animation - I'm a huge fan of animation done right. The above example is actually one I have immense amounts of respect for.
It's just... not for Ender's game. Not now.
[ August 02, 2004, 11:02 PM: Message edited by: Taalcon ]
Posted by MacBeth (Member # 5670) on :
Oh come on...Maybe the Aeon Flux crew could do the animation...mMmMm Graphic Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
*picks eons of road flux from betwixt toesies*
*pulls recently darned sock garment over relevent appendage and attempts to make emotive gestures*
"helloooww.... hello! ender ender ender!"
"hello. how low can you gooooooo...."
*plucks sock from foot, straightens googly eyes, and reapplies*
"hello? I'm sam the sock rocket."
charley horse!
"arghhhhh!"
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Wolgang Petersen directed children in The Neverending Story.
:cringes:
Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
And in "Enemy Mine"
Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
Just thinking through the "Thumb Puppet" image:
Ender (bobbing up and down), "Hello, Bonzo."
Bonzo, (also bobbing up and down), "Hello, Ender. You have dishonoured me. We fight."
Ender (straightening menacingly), "We fight."
The two rush at each other with a strange hopping and weaving motion. Their fingers interlock, and they start attacking each other with their heads, until Ender pins Bonzo's head between his own head and the fleshy part between himself and his fingers. He holds him there for one, two, three seconds, and then rises up.
Bonzo doesn't move.
Ender, "But I didn't want...to hurt him."
Fade to black.
[Steve goes off to look for his long-overdue meds]
[ August 03, 2004, 12:32 PM: Message edited by: ssywak ]
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
*drops darned socks and grips the edge of his seat*
and then?
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Steve
Just for the record, if you ever do a thumb puppet Ender's Game and release it on the web, I promise to email the link to all of my friends.
Posted by ssywak (Member # 807) on :
That's what I get for watching Thumb Wars, and Thumbtanic.
I'll send a quick memo off to Steve Oderkirk... (as if)
--The Other Steve
Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :
Actually, I think an anime miniseries of Ender's Game, followed by Speaker for the Dead, could be interesting. Speaker for the Dead, however, falls more into shoujo manga/anime (girl stuff--deep plot, etc) while an anime of Ender's Game would end up more like shounen manga/anime (mostly action).
Posted by lunox (Member # 6758) on :
XD Puppets performing Ender's Game...remind me of Potter Puppet Pals. We should make Jerry the Frog Productions or the people who made Potter Puppet Pals do SOMETHING with Ender's Game.
Or at least make a puppet Ender shirt.
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
Umm.. CT, I don't think they like the addy posted on the boards. There's a form on Hatrack main for sending things thorugh the proper channels.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Last I heard, the preferred method of contact (to which Taalcon was referring) was the OSC Help Desk link found at the top of each page.
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
*cough*
*ponders an attractive styling for CT <- needs a little help*
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Laugh]](graemlins/laugh.gif)
big toes![[Razz]](tongue.gif)