"Good News, Everyone..."

August 15, 2014 12:13 PM

Futurama 3D Test Shot (plus photos and making-of video).
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI (37 comments total)

Without a 3D rendered Zoidberg it's impossible to judge.
posted by 2bucksplus at 12:20 PM on August 15, 2014 [7 favorites]

Just me, or did that have a Firefly/Serenity feel to it?
posted by valkane at 12:23 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

A 3D Zoidberg you say?
posted by The Whelk at 12:24 PM on August 15, 2014 [6 favorites]

I would play that version of Sim City.
posted by Mr. Six at 12:25 PM on August 15, 2014 [4 favorites]

Without a 3D rendered Zoidberg it's impossible to judge.


"My name isn't Slick. It's Zoidberg. John Fucking Zoidberg."
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:25 PM on August 15, 2014 [4 favorites]

It feels like I'm looking into some kind of weird mirror.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:25 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

I have to say after years and years of uniform SF grime OR Apple Store bloom fill I'd be down with a candy-colored, jaunty Tomorrowland setting.
posted by The Whelk at 12:26 PM on August 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

The animation is blissful on its own, but paired with Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots (In the "making of" video) nudges it right into euphoria for me.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 12:28 PM on August 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

paired with Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots

Phantom Fallout Pangs
posted by The Whelk at 12:37 PM on August 15, 2014 [6 favorites]

Awesome (everything, but especially the) hovercars! And the making-of video is really worth the time.
posted by achrise at 12:51 PM on August 15, 2014

I don't want to be Captain Buzzkill about this, because it's neat, but let me be Captain Buzzkill:

Lots of Futurama was already 3-d rendered CGI. It was just toon-shaded instead of shaded photorealistically. They talk about this in the commentary tracks.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:06 PM on August 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

Captain Buzzkill? Does he serve with doop?


I think people are excited about this, because it suggests even the slightest possibility of a live-action Futurama.

That is, assuming they can come up with a way to make Leela's eyeball look realistic, but not also horrify and disgust the audience.

Also assuming that you-know-who doesn't keep inking up craft services every 2 or 3 days of shooting.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:17 PM on August 15, 2014 [2 favorites]

> "Good News, Everyone..."

Work had a few terrible days last week, and I had to give my boss some minor bad news on Thursday. When I went into his office, he said, "OK, gimme good news." I paused and replied, "Well, I have good news for bad news lovers."

I've never seen a man deflate like that before.
posted by boo_radley at 1:17 PM on August 15, 2014 [9 favorites]

Making a realistic version of Planet Express Ship kinda goes against the whole point doesn't it? Planet Express Ship should look like it would be at home hanging from a string in a cheap 50 year old movie.
posted by ckape at 2:01 PM on August 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

I'm gonna be Kif to ROU_Xenophobe's Captain Buzzkill. This test shot doesn't look anything like Futurama. Half of the charm of Futurama's animation is their weird semi-3d rendering of exterior shots. It's a whole unique visual style. This dressed up fancy animation is neat too, and has its own style. I like the carnival complexity of it. But other than the spaceship model shape it's a totally different thing, it could just as easily be The Jetsons or Speed Racer in the Future or a friendlyfied Transformers movie.
posted by Nelson at 2:10 PM on August 15, 2014 [4 favorites]

Sunday, November 9th: the cast of Futurama invade Springfield in "Simpsonrama", an episode that will force those of us who gave up on The Simpsons years ago to tune in to FOX on a Sunday night.

Pleasedon'tsuckpleasedon'tsuckpleasedon'tsuck.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:41 PM on August 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

Just me, or did that have a Firefly/Serenity feel to it?

I think it's the fast zoom followed by deliberately obvious refocus (00:10), Firefly used that a lot
posted by Pre-Taped Call In Show at 2:42 PM on August 15, 2014 [3 favorites]

"Man, this place looks expensive."
posted by mikelieman at 2:58 PM on August 15, 2014 [6 favorites]

This is just "FUTURE." If it were FUTURAMA, the ship would have crashed into something, and there likely would be some goop on something somewhere.
posted by hellphish at 3:30 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

Objectively pretty good
Subjectively wrong, wrong, wrong
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:00 PM on August 15, 2014

I think it's the fast zoom followed by deliberately obvious refocus (00:10), Firefly used that a lot.

Yup. I love that effect.
posted by valkane at 4:09 PM on August 15, 2014

Just me, or did that have a Firefly/Serenity feel to it?

Zoidberg: Reavers. Again? Quick! Hide the sewing machine.
posted by hal9k at 4:31 PM on August 15, 2014 [2 favorites]

I'm gonna be Kif to ROU_Xenophobe's Captain Buzzkill.

Thank you for your extremely sensuous support!
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:42 PM on August 15, 2014 [4 favorites]

Just me, or did that have a Firefly/Serenity feel to it?

Is it just me, or has everyone watched thru every episode of Futurama on Netflix, and then gone onto the Firefly universe? (maybe with a brief David Attenborough detour?)
...

Uh... Don't tell me. Are they the same show? Can't be. Futurama has better one-liners. Firefly has better theme music.
posted by ovvl at 4:42 PM on August 15, 2014

Zoidberg: Reavers. Again? Quick! Hide the sewing machine.

*slaps hand away from "Add New Work" button on Ao3*
posted by The Whelk at 4:50 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

Firefly has better theme music.

notsureifserious_fry.jpg
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:57 PM on August 15, 2014 [12 favorites]

If it were FUTURAMA, the ship would have crashed into something, and there likely would be some goop Slurm on something somewhere.

FTFY.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:13 PM on August 15, 2014

Enjoyed the making of more the he actual video, me thinks.

Its like looking at a weird wax musemum rendition of Futurama.

Needs more delicious popplers. And maybe some Zoidberg why not?
posted by The Legit Republic of Blanketsburg at 7:16 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

Firefly has better theme music.

As someone who played in a band that covered both songs, you are very, very wrong.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:32 PM on August 15, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm just in another universe where Meryl Streep played Mom.

I mean she was Jessica Lovejoy on the Simpsons soooooo
posted by The Whelk at 10:26 PM on August 15, 2014

I'm sure Meryl Streep is a lovely person, but... to displace Tress Macneille? That's some bad fuckin' karma, man.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:27 PM on August 15, 2014

but... to displace Tress Macneille? That's some bad fuckin' karma, man.

Yeah, ain't that a real kick in the kajigger?
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:31 PM on August 15, 2014

Yeah, that makes me want to puke my face off.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:10 AM on August 16, 2014

Sunday, November 9th: the cast of Futurama invade Springfield in "Simpsonrama", an episode that will force those of us who gave up on The Simpsons years ago to tune in to FOX on a Sunday night.

They should bring Jay Sherman in on it, for reasons.
posted by JHarris at 6:37 AM on August 16, 2014 [2 favorites]

As someone who played in a band that covered both songs, you are very, very wrong.

Nay, SB, it is you who are wrong. The Futurama theme has those clanging tritonal tubular bells and gronking synths, which might be fun for a musician to perform live, but which really start grating on my ears if I watch more than one episode in a sitting.

Sure, The Firefly theme has that easy-to-hate neu-county cowboy vibe, which admittedly sounds like the beginning of a pick-up truck advert, but it also has this subtle open-ended quality that I quite like. It sounds like it's going to launch into a rousing chorus, but gently winds down instead. This might not be for everyone's taste.
posted by ovvl at 8:48 AM on August 16, 2014

I think this is exactly the kind of nerd fight that would go down well on Judge John Hodgman.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:09 PM on August 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

I think we should get Judge Reinhold to decide.
posted by ovvl at 6:46 PM on August 17, 2014