Hey so I've been reading through the thread and wasn't sure if the time was right, but I'MA GONNA DO IT, GOSH DARN IT. I'm posting this around because it took me like 2 hours and I care a lot about what's happening and I hope some people see the move as a positive thing.


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Well, gee. It's happening!

http://tiny.cc/FA2SP
^ The announcement from Stone.

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A VERY LONG POST.
It covers:
-My thoughts on FA switching to SP
-A little bit of info on Shock More progress
-How I essentially failed a class by spending so much time online
-How I really feel about stick figure animation right now and...
-Where I want stick animation to go

I think Stone is doing the right thing by getting the FA community over to SP. I realize that in the past I've given BOTH sites a hard time (back in the days of... ShiftLimits *silent tear*) but the fact is, these sites are the most popular stick figure animation sites around. The fact that recently FluidAnims members provided a lot of StickPage's front page content seemed a little silly considering the sites are two separate entities.

If the creative power of the FA community migrates to the immensely popular platform of SP, we're actually in the process of becoming the absolute center of stick figure animation across the entire internet. Granted, it's still stick figure animation, so we won't receive universal acclaim, but we can say we've successfully secured our niche. If talented animators continue to create compelling and innovative work, there should be nothing wrong with moving to SP.

I am concerned, though, that some people will stop posting in forums and fall out of contact with the stick animation world. I did this to FA, not because I don't care about the site, I do check it very regularly, but because I've been focusing on my own personal projects and trying my best to get my work done. It's a little selfish, I know, but I've been struggling with balancing school and animation lately, and I really wish I could at least finish Shock More and then take a break for a while, as opposed to not releasing Shock More at all and disappearing.

(On that note, Shock More will be out soon. I know I said mid-January, but it looks like it's been further delayed. I'm not going to give a release date, because I'm really not sure how my school workload is going to stack up within the next few weeks. However, rest assured that the animation looks very good according to my team of highly trained specialists. I don't think you will be disappointed. Mayyyybe. I hope ;-;)

Back to StickPage. I also think it's important to remember that regardless of people's opinions on the forum, StickPage is a reeeeaaally popular site. It generates actual money lol. I think people should realize that if they take this move seriously -- if people start to broaden their horizons a little bit beyond generic 2D 1-on-1 stick fights -- we could be looking at a sort of Renaissance of the art form. That sounds pretentious and a bit like I could be biting off more than I can chew, but stick figures aren't ready to die yet.

If current animators are willing to put in a lot of effort into making their animations a unique expression of themselves, and not an imitation of the work they admire, we'll be looking at an absolute win-win situation.

Work hard to get an animation featured on SP. Get a little money for that animation. That animation attracts people to the site (generating more money) and attracts people to you and your work. You feel motivated to create more. People who have seen your work are motivated to create something, too. Other people create quality work, and the cycle continues!

It sounds pretty self-explanatory, but I've realized that I don't often stop and think about how wonderful it is to have a community of kids/teens/young adults coming together to make simple animations of sticks beating each other up and stuff. My only worry is that we do get comfortable with where we are. We figure that if what we're doing is well-liked, there's no reason to stop doing what it is that we're doing. I don't mean that we should abandon stick figure animation, because it's simplicity is meant for us to get work done faster. I'm trying to say that we should dig deeper.

We shouldn't be afraid to experiment with what we do, whether it's using unique music, adding some voice acting, creating stories, throwing in the occasional full-body monster/machine/wizard/thing to showcase some flexibility, putting lots of effort into background art, having a lot of fun with angles and framing, and going for zany choreography and set-pieces!!!!

Just because its fun to make a really fluid, fast-paced, hand-to-hand stick fight on a white background in 2-dimensions when you have 4 hours to kill doesn't mean that's all you should ever do. Sure it's nice having people tell you you nailed the physics and the hits were really satisfying and the sounds were really sharp and crisp and that finishing move was cool etc. etc. etc. But is that really going to stick with people in a month or two?

Just because stick figures don't look like real humans doesn't mean they can't grab people by the face for 5 minutes to say "HEY, CHECK THIS OUT BRO, IT'S GONNA BE FREAKIN TIGHT" and then actually deliver that promise. If we put effort into making stick figures as cinematic and entertaining as a good deal of the rest of popular Flash animation out in the world nowadays, we could experience the bliss of working hard on something and being told it's great by more than those who are already fans of stick animation. I'd love to see the day people stop saying "Pretty good for a stick figure animation," to say "That's a very good animation. Period."

Anyways, I've become very attached to stick animation over the years (started watching in 2004 I guess, started animating in 2006), and I remember thinking FluidAnims was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. I didn't think I'd ever be as great as some of the animators on the site. I thought their effects were so cool and detailed. I loved how exaggerated and bouncy everything was drawn. The backgrounds were so simplistic and calming. Don't even get me started on when I first played wpnFire. To this day, it's one of the most beautiful stick figure games I've ever played. Anyway, I know I won't experience that again, because I'm older, less easily impressed, and am now in a position to make work to try and inspire others... BUT... there's no reason I should stop doing what I'm doing and deprive other kids getting into animation from experiencing the same thing. I'm very blessed to be in a position now where I can use the tools I've been given to create animations that will inspire people to try the same. I have a vision of where I want my animations to be before I'm ready to pursue a different art form as a career. Heck, maybe I'll never be ready to pursue another career and will continue freelance animation for a long time to come.

I don't want people to think that because I don't post in forums a lot, I don't care about stick animation. I don't want people to think that I don't read their comments on my YouTube videos, FA submissions, DA submissions, etc. To be completely honest, I spent more time working on Shock More during the fall semester than I spent working for Writing I. That led me to fail Writing I, and I'm retaking the class this spring (don't worry, I did fine in my other classes, I just really disliked writing but it didn't help that I spent so much time on Shock More). I checked FluidAnims daily, I watched portal animations, I helped people when they PM'd me, and I'd try to be on IRC during my free time. One unfortunate thing though, was I would tell people that I'd participate in something and never deliver. To be fair, it's something that I do in all areas of my life, not just with animation, so please, please, PLEASE don't take it personally. It's just one of my biggest weaknesses as a person to procrastinate to the point of not producing anything.

If you did read all this, I hope you thought a little more deeply than usual about stick animation, lolol. Perhaps you may be slightly motivated now to try something new with your animations, I don't even know! I only wrote this because I really do have a passion for animation. I don't want the community I cherish to dissipate just because it was moved from its small, comfortable pasture to a wide-open, windswept hillside rich with history and a sizable population of its own. We're like exotic, tightly-bonded birds being released from captivity into a world full of other exotic birds and tons of people to appreciate us

PHEW. I'm not sure why I felt so compelled to say all this, but it felt good to get all that out, even if only a handful of people read it. I want 2012 to be a great year for me, both online and off. Again, I can only hope that Shock More is well-received and earns me a bit more appreciation as an animator, as well as satisfy those beautiful, incredible, lovely, amazing, supportive ANGELS that are fans of what I do.

So don't worry, be happy. When you work hard, things work out.

I love you guys, I really do <3 <3 <3!

-Geo!

~~~End Entry~~~

Index said it really well in much fewer words. The creative potential of the StickPage will come from incoming FA members and other people interested in the new stuff coming to the site.

Sorry for the wall of text, dunno how well those are received around these parts.