Parallel between Demoman shooting pills/pipebombs to kill enemies and Dr. Mario throwing pills (medicine) to kill viruses (enemies). I wasn't too familiar with Dr. Mario gameplay, so I made sure to play the game to better understand it for the video. Similar to Tetris but consistent block size with conditional blocks, arcade puzzle.
Notable Parts/Edits ✂️
0:04 - Upward slow-motion tight pill shot on fleeing scout
On closer inspection, the pill was very close to being repelled by the wooden beams, adding to the value of the clip. Did a slow-motion sequence from first-person to the pill's perspective so you can see it better.
0:12 - Upward landing surpise pill, scout ragdolls into bush
The cut is not best for following the motion of the pill but I wanted to show the scout ragdolling into the bush, which I found out when figuring out what camera angle to put in the corner (now first-person in corner). It reminded me of stealth game HITMAN 2 where you can hide bodies in bushes. Recorded reference and audio from the game and recreated the point scoring effect.
0:18 - Suijin 180 roof pill magnifying glass cam
Kill happened off screen, so added extra camera angle. Wanted magnifying glass that shows you the viruses like Dr. Mario game, but in TF2 style (instead of original pixel-art style too jarring/distracting for this part of video).
Left: Video, Right: Dr. Mario (NES, 1990)
Also, for this clip, used image render method instead of screen capture since it kept lagging. I usually use that slower capture method for slow-motion sequences (like the one at 0:04) to have a more consistent and smooth capture. In the air at high speed, all other players/game objects, rotating firstperson view fast can be factors to make a demo lag in screen capture. Since the 3D player model's animation plays too fast with image render method, I use SFM to re-create this, so the video is more consistent. Last time I did this I made a pixel art version of the model.
0:21 - Fake pill advertisement SFM poster of RED SOLFUREN®
A bit of pause in the music, felt like adding some b-roll cutaway thing. Why not a medical ad/poster to add to the doctor/medical theme. Poster style inspired by a still from a Panadol (real life painkiller) ad (no affiliation).
Reskinned a enhanced demoman SFM workshop model to look like doctor instead of the default unemployed skin (one of the model variants in the model pack). Used Medic cosmetics (Otolaryngologist's Mirror + Surgeon's Stethoscope). Some referencing to Emesis Blue and respawn machine lore.
Added Louis from Left 4 Dead since he is popular pill guy in Valve game universe (was going to be Coach from L4D2 but good thing I fact-checked). "He's got the cure" slogan from Dr. Mario 1990 commercial. Subtle House M.D. reference on shirt since on medical topic, sickness sherlock.
SFM + Paint.NET + HitFilm
0:49 - Harvest predictipill
Updated the HUD with TFC inspired win panel, the avatars sometimes don't appear properly for older demos so I add them manually. Followed up on Louis from pill ad poster with 2 frame flash alternate render with demoman's pill instead of pain pills, what better place since player named Louis – complete with matching avatar – was in clip.
Credits screen 🙏
Following up on body of video using "Fever" music like a Dr. Mario game in progress, then used "Fever Clear" and styled credits like the level clear.
Source material: Dr. Mario (NES, 1990) stage clear (medium speed)
Edited the original pixel art from a few reference screenshots, trying to respect the color palette (from screen capture) and how background sprites/objects are aligned to an 8px grid, from the text to the pill bottle label appearing. Pixel art scaled to 5x, and any moving position animation is snapped to a 5px interval: the virus movement and thrown pill at end.
Going further and making TF2 pill bottle shape instead of original
8px grid
The demoman pill-shaped magnifying glass was looking empty, so I made some TF2-themed viruses of possible frag videos I may do in future, and with that idea, might as well make a "Pill Doctor" virus to die like the original game: where you kill the final virus (in this case, ending the video) and get the stage clear screen + clear music. Magnifying glass still too empty, so added rotating TF2 logo.
Based on the original viruses (24px grid)
Title 📝
Shorter draft list, "Pill Doctor" made most sense/sounded better over second choice "Dr. Demo".
When lighting, lots of trial and error, trying to keep in mind that light bounces and the pill emits light. Checking Expiration Date (official TF2 short film) to see examples of acceptable lighting.
It's nothing much to worry about, want to document this, still concerning that I still got email like this anyway despite linking official creator website and saying I have no affiliation. Could giving extra credit than usual person somehow backfire?
Saw email from youtube, worried if possibly video removed.
Worried at first; what possible reason could I have the YouTube trouble
Official Pokemon website is scam? What do you mean?
Was this really youtube's "team" or automated bots? If bots, why say "our team"? Why say "we think"? A possible penalty based on "we think"?
Demo date range: 2022/03/21 – 2023/07/05 Project start: 2023/09/29 Project end/upload date: 2023/11/10 Server:Uncletopia (AU) Music used:"Playing with Danger" composed by Mike Morasky, peformed by Valve Studio Orchestra (slight edit by me, see below)
Overview ⭕
Wanted to make more teamwork based video this time, especially since Team Fortress 2 is team based game.
TF2 OST no-brainer choice fits theme and originally from this game, but
as always execution important. As usual, treating music not only
background music but as score so video and music work/fit together better.
Notable Parts/Edits ✂️
0:06 & 1:52 - Half HUD UI customization
I added new customization to the HUD to be able to accomodate half screen with the information still visible. Will update when I do more changes.
0:16 - Gravelpit Sandman scout clip
Was a nice baseball hit, missed Tofu but still hit me but sad because old sandman would've stunned me, maybe he would've lived. The ball smacked my player (and viewer) right in head, looked like it would hurt so made 2-frame SFM render.
0:45 - Dustbowl clip, Uberchainer part
There was server regular KnowZero, moment reminded of his uberchaining video, "UberChain Mayhem | TF2". It was part of the dustbowl demo where demoman and sniper me got a pyro, wanted to leave it in since it showed teamwork albeit being the enemy team. I wanted to tie things together, do an edit to reference. I added a melody from "Attack of the Killer Queen" by Toby Fox, from Chapter 2 soundtrack of Deltarune; the same track KnowZero used for his uberchaining video. I used the class selection guitar note sound effect when you hover over the classes, trying to make it sound in key with "Playing with Danger" to fit more.
Choosing which part of the song works best
Still that didn't feel enough so I made the Queen character play a guitar to make the added melody make more sense (one of this character's themes is "Attack of the Killer Queen"). Had help by downloading project file from a recreation to have base to work from: "[UPDATED!!!] Deltarune - Attack of the Killer Queen (Recreation + FLP)" by nini.
Since I was already there with Deltarune edits, I added the combat text to further show that I messed up in trying to take on these uberchainers showing their threat.
Best reference is source material
Additionally, did an "pseudo-HUD" edit to help credit the other uberchainer.
1:50 - Pyro playing piano animation b-roll
Extends on the band from intro. Pyro's Scorcher's Solo piano is normally heard at a higher octave, I "tuned it down" but the notes should be correct, to add to the animation.
2:04 - Barnblitz dual caber
The other demoknight's caber wasn't visible, so edit to tell viewer they use caber, since relevant to clip. In the style of TF2 comic panel text.
Manual rotoscope for out-transition
Then made another "pseudo-HUD" edit to give more credit to the other caberknight since both swings exploded on the spy and to add more flair, bit of experiment what HUD could be. Then the custom edit vanishes and shows only I was credited for the kill, which didn't seem fair for that cool clip.
3:13 - Borneo airblast clip
Tried to get view of the scene, figuring out how to show things like uber-push disable compared to solo-focused kills.
Credits screen/sequence 🙏
Following up further on the intro and piano animation, band now finished playing. The demonstration version of "Playing with Danger" plays, I used the Audio File hat with retextured vinyl models from steam workshop show the physical version Fight Songs vinyl. Put a projector there to play into the projector sound for more immersion/thematic. Bit of mocap for the 3 mercs in background of them drinking coffee, links back to the coffee machine at intro and my "buymeacoffee" support page.
Image projection via light gobo
Camera then moves and zooms into matchcut of the frag still montage part. Since more teamwork focus video, stills of the moments with names. Supporter names at the bottom scrolling, size variation not viable for already small part of screen, so used item quality colors on top of order to represent amount donated.
Detective work looking at who's alive and kill notices to properly name some players in credits, also checking cosmetics
Title 📝
Was longer list, so here's more notable draft titles/ideas:
mercenary teamwork
uncoordinated teamwork
uncoordinated coordination
loose teamwork
teamwork in its loosest sense
Teamworktress 1
Uncle-ordination
Unclordinated
Banding Together
Casual Coordination
Banding with Teammates
Mercidental Teamwork
mercenary incidental
CASUAL TEAMWORK
Band Together
Title influenced by starting animation timestamp name "BAND TOGETHER" from the band of mercenaries playing in a band.
Thumbnail 🖼️
Wanted to feature other teammates/enemies to show team video, but more nice with poses while still representing video. Ended up going with dustbowl engie and altitude spy, the map of session is where the dustbowl engie frag happened. Had the peace sign demo from the dustbowl engie frag, looked cool so I
include, adds to the "Two" in "Together" from title. Frag area looks similar to
the altitude frag location, so added computer models on the walls, 2
maps in 1. Experimenting with lighting, trying to make it look good
without editing too much afterward. I research the hats/effects to use in SFM, enemies harder to see since you can't inspect items on enemy team even in demo, use TF2Wiki and scroll through hats.
Much easier to see weapons on teammates Enemies, not so much
Computer crashed when I added to
many lights with shadows enabled (very taxing on computer; be careful
SFM users).
Shadowed light eat the memory
Demo/clip info 📽️
0:05 2022-03-21 @pl_badwater as Pyro – "Spontaneous Sauté & Slash Pincer Attack" 0:13 2022-05-17 @cp_gravelpit as Pyro – "Sandman Scout faces a Fast and Furious Flare" (RIP old sandman ⚾🪦) 0:23 2022-05-21 @pl_snowycoast as Sniper – "Jarate Direct Divebomb" 0:29 2022-08-26 @cp_dustbowl as Sniper – "Jarated Knockback" 0:45 "Attack of the UberChainers" ft. @KnowZero 0:57 2022-09-01 @cp_snakewater_final1 as Pyro – "Aided Ignition with a Side of Stickies" ft. @ca7x3 1:09 2022-09-14 @cp_mountainlab as Pyro – "Aggressive Spy Fishing" 1:17 2022-09-15 @cp_dustbowl as Sniper – "Stair-Staring Sniper Searing Spycheck Synergy" 1:24 2022-09-18 @cp_dustbowl as Demoman – "Sticky Spycheck; Engie Exterminates" 1:39 2022-09-19 @ctf_turbine as Pyro – "Long Flare; Assisted Ignition" ft. @Jauntyweb elmaxo cosplay sighting 1:52 2022-09-27 @pl_swiftwater_final1 as Pyro – "Phlog to Nelog" 2:03 2022-11-19 @pl_barnblitz as Demoman – "Dual Caber Attack" 2:17 2022-12-16 @pl_wutville_event as Sniper – "Friendly Soldier's Last Rocket; Enemy Pyro's Last Breath" 2:27 2022-12-18 @cp_altitude as Demoman – "Tactical Taunter x Sneaky Stabber" 2:43 2023-02-07 @pl_borneo as Soldier – "Mangled to Mail" 2:51 2023-07-04 @koth_nucleus as Soldier - "Mangled to Sentry" 2:59 2023-02-07 @pl_swiftwater_final1 as Scout – "Jarate-aided Bombk" 3:13 2023-02-22 @pl_borneo as Pyro – "Uber-push Shutdown" 3:33 2023-02-25 @pl_thundermountaino as Pyro – "Enemy Harassment & Demoknight Lockdown" 3:53 2023-07-05 @cp_5gorge as Pyro – "9 o'clock DetJumpAxting Pincer Attack 🦀🕘"
The advantages of direct screen capture outweigh the render since I currently have decent PC specs, had worse before which was when in-game render was necessary for demos. Even with in-game render there may be some situations where the lag/stutter is baked in the demo itself – for example: the intro camera movement to first-person in the video had lag, even with in-game render (should be less affected by hardware-related lag), so I edited some frames out of the render/output/image sequence to make it smoother.
Unsure if this is too technical when I talk about the demo recording but can't explain it every time, I started a steam guide about demo recording, most likely take long time when things come to me, especially more focused to get videos out as one person, need to secure this profession. Feel free to skip ahead if you don't have interest about demo recording process, but hopefully useful to those who want to adapt my processes for their own use. Don't want to keep this some sort of "trade secret".
See also my BuyMeACoffee posts (this blogpost should be more convenient as overview):
Since my demo-recording scare, I felt more inclined to make a video of one of my favorite/"main" classes – pyro (other is huntsman sniper). Nowadays harder to say more definitively what a favorite is since you can change playstyles, pre-empt enemy movement to decide how to play into your strengths – many ways to approach/solve an interaction on the battlefield – which I hope I can show you more in video.
Why the reluctance? Still some lingering disappointment from old inspiration I've long renounced. Always the concern in the back of head ending up like a cruel person or worse, irresponsible/unaccountable/apathetic. Time goes on, bigger fish to fry, better destinies bring to fruition. Can only hope to grow what whatever adversity finds me. So here is me. "Bing Soy". Not anyone else, I will make my own accomplishments and mistakes.
Camera angles
Most of the killing blows are shown in third-person. Less emphasis on my perspective, interesting how things look outside of first-person. Shifting some emphasis on the other players/server who help make this possible.
Proof-watching
Toward the end, I rewatched the video many times, especially the uploaded version on YouTube. In retrospect, I could've saved some time by watching more before upload but in the end, I caught some mistakes and fixed them.
Some mistakes include:
forgetting to list previous concurrent donators
black bar effect ending too early
damage indicator in hud stuck, rerecord
out-of-place ragdoll in demo record messing with shot continuity, rerecord
intro had lag in camera movement, rerecord still had lag, so edited some frames out
double audio, forgetting to mute music track, used extra composites shots to help with post-processing including audio mixing consistently to -6 dB
rendering glitch, displaced layer unintended move for a frame, likely happened from changing audio devices/bluetooth in middle of rendering
Some other "mistakes", but more considered better editing decisions such as ducking the music in the badwater scout clip, so viewer can hear the scout approach – a key element of the frag.
Mini-animation of scout in Krita, accentuates the sound-relevant clip
On Nintendo not releasing official Mother 3 english translation + console exclusivity
Even if nintendo decided to remake or make official translation port of Mother 3 for their most recent console (Nintendo switch), they seem insist on console exclusivity no matter what, and they aren't the only ones - Sony's Playstations, Microsoft's Xboxes.
I don't like console exclusives, especially when PCs have become much more available and viable for more people – games meant to be sold to many people but prorprietary and not widely avaiable in the age of decent and affordable PC hardware?
Why would I want to inconvenience myself with another piece of hardware just to play a console exclusive to configure when my PC is perfectly competent to run games like TF2? I feel less inclined to support a company who cares more about keeping things exclusive in this current time/century rather than make their games widely available on PC. Supporting a business makes you complicit with their activities, like buying delicious meat from the grocery store or supporting my channel – I know things far from simple, but the money comes from people.
I'm not an expert and much to learn in life but I will list some concerns anyway. What of e-waste from the result of upgrading a game console? Are gaming consoles planned obselescence? Same could be said about PCs but they have many more uses than gaming. Giving up on the PC market place? Is it to do with public image/reputation of delivering a consistent experience connected to the brand of Nintendo? Is the price of the console + games + "membership" + exclusivity worth it?
I'm not well versed on Nintendo's stance on emulation (seems to be
aggressive/non-supportive), but I will continue and appreciate the hell
out of these old games people worked very hard on. I do know they hate when people preserving their music on YouTube.
"They" in this case is probably executives with shallow vision for the
future of videogame preservation. So far, Nintendo hasn't messed with
me. I hear how scary they are with their legal matters – right or wrong.
I will continue to be respectful and transformative of the videogame
music I use without being a market replacement for the source media I
use, crediting the authors.
I don't feel I articulated this clearly enough but I want you to think about business practices, appropriate use of copyright law and possible implications for the future. Become smarter, as the future is always at stake.
I have no idea how many of Nintendo's employees (artists, composers, developers) agree with this. I imagine they are at the "mercy" of the executives that make the business and legal decisions.
Big thank you to emulator developers for unlocking/preserving these retro games (they are part of history and mine). If I release software/games/mods, I never want to be as anti-preservation/unreasonably aggressive as big corporations such as Nintendo, I could be delusionably idealist, but what's the alternative? Remember, you can be grateful for and criticize a company at the same time. Or even use a platform like YouTube but be supportive of reformation of unfair policies on platform. Things not always at odds.
Since clips didn't fit a more intense action track such at the battle music, used a non-battle track to suit less intense, slower-paced video.
One of the early tracks used in Mother 3, helps reflect beginnings of channel, beginnings of playing on Uncletopia.
Been many years since I played Mother 3, little refresher playing the starting areas for reference and to get in Mother mindset. Lasting impression, good game. Power of love and adversity.
When I had a main foundation of clips, I had some gaps to fill when I had to cut out some clips that didn't work well enough for the video - clips that weren't as methodical/too basic/slow with too little payoff/more on the mindless side like point blank airblast or a basic detjumpaxting kill that didn't look challenging enough. The borneo twofer clip initially was going to be an outtake but I decided on including it, with camera + slowdown effect to do the clip more justice.
Mother 3 has a musical combat system, my videos like to flow with the music used. Wanted to use a hypnosis effect which reveals the "heartbeat" of the music that helps you land consecutive hits. Speaking of, I considered it in the snakewater consective reflect clip, but it seemed too distracting; was strong enough to stand on own. The hypnosis effect I used is themed around Duster's
hyponosis method using his hypno-pendulum. The PSI counterpart is
Hyponosis α or Ω, used by
Kumatora.
Being a non-battle track, there is no heartbeat track. so I edited the track slightly by using a Mother 3 soundfont, found the hypno-pendulum/hyponosis/heartbeat/metronome sample and, also doing slight time-shift to make the slow-motion part more smoothly go in and out of the normal tempo.
FL Studio
The soundfont patches + notes are:
Patch 113, "Type 0 @0x11a194"
E4 (cymbal crash)
Patch 128, "Type 128 @0x11a248"
C5, D5, E5, F5 (like a 1, 2 ,3 ,4 countdown) then G5 only – with whatever beat you want
When recording the camera movement and main first person footage, I
forgot to turn it back on for the first person part as the player model shakes frantically fast when I used in-game render method to more smoothly capture the camera movement. I figured I
might as further flesh out the effect and made a pixel-art version of the 3D player model in bottom left corner so there is the little guy in the corner throughout the clip, moving to music, reflect musical combat of Mother 3. Even further, made pyro look like Duster in that effect, using the in-game effect subtly as to not get in the way too much.
Trace from reference + pixel art knowledge
Duster-pyro
References (to external media) 🔗
Kept it strictly on the music/game used this time.
Source material
Animation: B-roll Leder bell 🏃♂️
There was a break in the music where it loops, might as well do a little reference to Mother 3 to go with that breathing room after the more "intense" snakewater consecutive reflect clip.
Did a model hack using a suited scout and a sniper head to make Leder (also stretched the limbs a lot), edited some textures to make him, sniper "Flint" and engineer "Thomas" more alike to their original counterparts.
As usual, did some mocap to give more personal touch and helps get me more experienced with animation. Depending on how close the camera shot is to the mocap, refinement is more needed, seen in the credits segment which looked much more sloppy when unrefined.
Back at it with another SFM credits sequence. Building upon the Leder animation, did an imitation of the forest santuary, found a church model from resident evil on the steam workshop, tried to make it look closer to the original counterpart in Mother 3. Even though I fiddle a lot, didn't want to spend too much time for the credits sequence to hack models together to make the scene more accurate. Decisions have to be made for your project.
Made the dark dragon centerpiece from rathalos from Monster Hunter. Excluded Jonel, he's "outside" – scene variant where you attempt to walk past sanctuary.
Inserted the pyro at end to tie together back to the TF2 video. In this part of Mother 3 you pay your respects to the dark dragon, classic light and dark/good and evil decisions theme, I appreciate that theme – for example, you may see some of it in my "costumes" across my channels. In that sequence, the player inputs their name, bit of a 4th wall break – in this case, I am the player, ready to embark on this "adventure".
Birth
Had a large donation from person named binker, I was taken aback, wanted to do something special maybe drawing, so I asked, they request their comrade doggo avatar to draw. I make in Mother 3 artstyle, into dog-tank chimera.
Wanted to show the original console, used SFM again with a Gameboy Advance model to show the origin more.
More SFM, using screen replacement effect (tracking)
One point I grow more competent at animating something longer/complex, so I feel more inclined to upload again to my main animation channel to help branch out into non-TF2.
Title 📝
pyro of the general forest
The Forester
Pyro of de forest
Pyro of a general forest
general pyro of the forest
general forest pyro
general pyro in a general forest
GPiaGF
Reforestation ✅
Pyro of de Forest (deforest implies sharp implements such as ax, this isn't ax heavy video, but at least 2 ax)
DeReForest Pyro
DeReFoReSt PyRo
Deforest Deflector
Deforest Deflector Does Dice Chop (D4C for future pyro video)
Willem DeFoerest
General Forest Pyro
In General Forest
General Pyro in a General Forest
Settled in "Reforestation", bit of reprise from previous general pyro video "deforestation α", acknowledge past. Reclaiming, rebuilding something, something new, my own path but not completely on my own – help from Uncletopia, providing an acceptable casual TF2 experience that Valve's casual servers cannot, people I may meet on the way. Uncle Dane had vision of more balanced servers, I appreciate. Will you curse the darkness or light a flame if you have been let down?
Thumbnail 🖼️
Using SFM. Built upon the music used and the title "Reforestation". I used cp_snakewater_final1 for the scene, nice forest and was a map featured in one of the frags. In retrospect, may of considered cp_sunshine more since I had the SFM B-roll segment of Leder ringing the bell there, but it wasn't in one of the frags. Something to do with trying to have video thumbnail represent the video better while having some soft of flair/looks good, without being too flashy.
Chose this point of the map since in forest, with nature instead of the buildings and had a telephone pole, resembling a crucifix, like going to metaphorical church to find better path in spite of hardships and callback to Mother game's faith/religious themes. Put a spotlight to accentuate the telephone pole.
Tired pyro resting pose, but he may still have fight left in him to reclaim; rebuild; own destiny. Weapons used on the ground.
Added some flowers in the background to reference the Tazmily gerberas as seen in the B-roll Leder part too.
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