Recording a Commentary for NGE

[BrikHaus]

6.) We breifly go over Eva-Unit 01

If you refer to the Evas as "she" there will be hell to pay. ;)

[Themaninblack]

6.) We breifly go over Eva-Unit 01

If you refer to the Evas as "she" there will be hell to pay. ;)

Matt Greenfeild would probally 'sue' us if we don't go over the fact that Eva Unit01 horn is a giant penis

[BrikHaus]

Seriously you guys, the creator of Evangelion, Matt Greenfield, already did a commentary. What more do you want?

[Shiro]

We're trying to imitate Matt Greenfield and do as he did, and maybe some of his amazing creative ability will rub off on us.

[Themaninblack]

We're trying to imitate Matt Greenfield and do as he did, and maybe some of his amazing creative ability will rub off on us.

I think none of us will be so lucky

[slothen]

6.) We breifly go over Eva-Unit 01

If you refer to the Evas as "she" there will be hell to pay. ;)

you sound a bit datdude-ish. Although I hadn't been planning on it. Except I might refer to unit-01 once or twice. Like ep-17.

Also, as for synching, I mean only one person would actually be recording, but that recording would have everyone's voices on it. Anyway, I'm going to download the vent server program and see if I can configure my router and firewall to get it running.

Add my aim sn: One Joel of Many

[Eva Yojimbo]

Bah! I sleep for a day and all this breaks loose. Okay, a lot to reply to, but most importantly - SOMEONE FILL ME IN ON WHAT WE'RE DOING RECORDING WISE! I'm completely ignorant about this stuff, so someone will have to walk me through it.

Here's my idea. Host a vent server on your PC,

I also don't think this will work. It will be too much trouble coordinating everyone to get online at the same time, starting the episode at the same time, and figuring out who's going to talk about what. This method will inevitably lead to very uneven commentary content per individual.

Also, what do you think about using the intro and ending things to outline the main things we want to hit on and cover anything we missed in the end?

I think that's a necessity. Although I think the beginning will be most often used as an outline or as a place for discussing the actual opening animation, which has quite a bit to talk about. Though I don't want to go deep into details on the opening animation - that's what the FGC is for, but I do want to point out certain things.

What assumptions are we going to make about the listeners familiarity with the episode? Maybe they've watched it once, maybe they watched it twice a year or two ago? Veterans that know the dialogue nearly by heart? We don't want to bore the veteran with very basic plot descriptions, and we don't want to intimidate the NGE newbie.

I want to make this more for newbies. For one thing, veterans do not need an audio commentary. I do not think we're going to shed light on the series in terms of the real NGE vets. So first and foremost this commentary must be aimed at the newbies. We really don't need basic plot descriptions, but a noting of the more confusing plot elements in the series. I mean, most episodes - especially the early ones - are self-explanatory in terms of plot. But towards the end things pop up and are given no explanation, and it's these elements that confuse newbies.

Also, we need to make sure we have no feedback from speakers back to microphones. Echo is bad. Some people never seem to have this problem, sometimes closed-cup headphones is a must. Do a simple voice recording with your microphone and see how much noise it has.

I still don't have a mic and, believe it or not I checked th local Walmart and they didn't have any either. So it might be a while before I'm available, but I definitely think we need time to work this whole thing out.

In my experience it would work best if I just recorded the whole thing on my computer, and I'd send you copies for backup. It would take a bit of figuring out, to be able to record the microphone and vent at once, and play the episodes at the same time, but i think i could do it.

Exactly what are you talking about here? You guys will have to excuse my ignorance with recording and mixing audio over the net as I have no clue.

As for subs and dubs, both by ADV?

I'm assuming so. No dub.

That would suggest we go with mp3 files. That would be easier to release, manage and distribute. Then people could watch either audio version on their computer, and adjust the volumes however they want. Then we wouldn't have to mix the audio tracks at all. Suddenly, it seems so clear... the benefits go way beyond clearing of us legal liability.

Themaninblack seems to think we can't be sued...

We'd all be commenting simultaneously, and we'd all hit play at the same time, and i'd hit record at the same time. It just seems more natural to me, thats all.

Using Audacity, right? How are we going to, uhhh, all know what's going on? I mean, how are we going to hear/connect with each other? (I'm so confused.) :(

1.) When Rei-III appears we breifly go over the bookend theroy

2.) When the third angel appears we discuus facts about Sachiel. I.E he is the most humniod in appaerance. What his name stands for and blah blah blah

3.) We begin to discuss Misato and Shinji's relationship

4.) We begin dicussing Nerv's function.

5.) We can breifly go over some production notes while nothing elese is going on and relate how this ep fits in with the big picture

6.) We breifly go over Eva-Unit 01

7.) We discuss Gendou and Shinji relationship very breifly

8.) ???????

9.) Profit

1) And I really think it's best to discuss the bookend at the first episode because there's too much going on during the final scene to get it in. I swear, EoE will be hell. We might all have to record a separate one for the final scene, for instance.

2) Agreed.

3) Agreed. Although I think most of this will be best left for ep. 4 which is strongest in that respect. But we do need to set the basics.

4) Agreed.

5) We'll have to sort this out.

6) In what sense?

7) Very briefly. I wouldn't do much more than state that ep. 1 immediately shows the fact that the two are estranged.

More:

1) There's a glimpse of Shinji and the train. We must point this out to show that this theme had started at the very beginning.

2) The episode establishes a link between Misato and Shinji immediately (both have problems with their fathers)

3) The continuity error with Ritsuko's suit.

4) The excellent setup with showing buildings underwater and the endless cicadas (all evidence of the effects of 2nd Impact).

5) "Nigecha Dameda"

6) The first two being an ode, and perhaps a slightly sardonic parody of the mecha genre.

There's also random stuff I'd like to mention, like how before we see the angel we see it shaking the power lines, which are subtle touches that you don't find much in anime. I also think the first episode would be a good spot to comment on the title of the series, mainly the difference between the original "Shin Seiki" (New Century" and "Neon Genesis" (New Beginning). If we don't have room we do need to figure out where to get this in.

Someone's really going to have to clue me on how we're planning on recording this. Please, feel free to treat me for the dummy I am when it comes to this stuff. I had originally planned to just record separate commentaries and be done with it. But I still wonder if recording separate ones and then mixing the best parts wouldn't be the best route. It would take time, and effort, but I'm very leery and cynical about this "recording together" concept because I think it will make it even more difficult to get all the content needed in, and then be able to spread it relatively even among the commentators. Plus, if we get too many it will be impossible.

I also don't want to get ahead of ourselves. If we're going to do this as an ACTUAL project, let's make sure to do it right. I know some of you are exciting, but that excitedness could easily turn to frustration if this starts going bad. The way to avoid that is through some pretty careful planning.

[Shiro]

I think, what we're going to have to do, is split episodes up into thirds, or more, or less, by an exact second number, and then send them over to someone to edit together. We aren't gonna be able to have something like

Yojimbo: This scene shows that Rei is hot.
Shiro: Yeah, it really shows off her sex appeal.
Slothen: I disagree, Asuka is by far sexier.

[slothen]

as for the audio stuff, best to explain over some real time chat program instead of the forums. aim is all i have installed at the moment, but if you use msn or whatever im flexible.

my "vision" is this: we all are at our computers at a prearranged time, we've discussed the major things to hit on, but above all, i want the commentary to flow naturally, prompted by what we see on screen. We all hit play at the same time so we're watching the episodes almost completely in sync. Then, we talk on vent. I'm at my computer, recording all the while. My microphone feed, and the output to my headphones from ventrilo are all going into the recording audio file. The result is one audio file with the whole conversation recorded as if we were in the same room watching the same screen. After that, we listen, see if we like it, and the only mixing/editing we'd need to do would be if we want to splice in what someone else has to say on the subject, if that someone were not a part of our original recording.


My point is, if we can get a good conversational dynamic, it will be much more fulfilling and interesting than splicing together the monologues of several people. Also the ideas will flow better, and there will hardly be any editing to worry about.

[slothen]

I think, what we're going to have to do, is split episodes up into thirds, or more, or less, by an exact second number, and then send them over to someone to edit together.

I cannot overstate how much I am opposed to this.

Yojimbo: This scene shows that Rei is hot.
Shiro: Yeah, it really shows off her sex appeal.
Slothen: I disagree, Asuka is by far sexier.

this is pretty much exactly what I want, except maybe over something more relevant than Rei's hotness.

[Shiro]

Yeah, I'm not crazy about doing that either. But you know what, your idea might work. We should do a test run when Jimbo gets back on.

[slothen]

do me a favor, download the vent client, and lets see if i can get it running off my computer for now. If not, some of the companies that rent out ventrillo servers have instant 24 hour delivery, and i think i have enough residual cash in my paypal to get one.

[Shiro]

I play WoW...I've got Vent downloaded.

[Themaninblack]

That would suggest we go with mp3 files. That would be easier to release, manage and distribute. Then people could watch either audio version on their computer, and adjust the volumes however they want. Then we wouldn't have to mix the audio tracks at all. Suddenly, it seems so clear... the benefits go way beyond clearing of us legal liability.

Themaninblack seems to think we can't be sued...

We'd all be commenting simultaneously, and we'd all hit play at the same time, and i'd hit record at the same time. It just seems more natural to me, thats all.

Using Audacity, right? How are we going to, uhhh, all know what's going on? I mean, how are we going to hear/connect with each other? (I'm so confused.) :(

1.) When Rei-III appears we breifly go over the bookend theroy

2.) When the third angel appears we discuus facts about Sachiel. I.E he is the most humniod in appaerance. What his name stands for and blah blah blah

3.) We begin to discuss Misato and Shinji's relationship

4.) We begin dicussing Nerv's function.

5.) We can breifly go over some production notes while nothing else is going on and relate how this ep fits in with the big picture

6.) We breifly go over Eva-Unit 01

7.) We discuss Gendou and Shinji relationship very breifly

8.) ???????

9.) Profit

1) And I really think it's best to discuss the bookend at the first episode because there's too much going on during the final scene to get it in. I swear, EoE will be hell. We might all have to record a separate one for the final scene, for instance.

2) Agreed.

3) Agreed. Although I think most of this will be best left for ep. 4 which is strongest in that respect. But we do need to set the basics.

4) Agreed.

5) We'll have to sort this out.

6) In what sense?

7) Very briefly. I wouldn't do much more than state that ep. 1 immediately shows the fact that the two are estranged.

More:

1) There's a glimpse of Shinji and the train. We must point this out to show that this theme had started at the very beginning.

2) The episode establishes a link between Misato and Shinji immediately (both have problems with their fathers)

3) The continuity error with Ritsuko's suit.

4) The excellent setup with showing buildings underwater and the endless cicadas (all evidence of the effects of 2nd Impact).

5) "Nigecha Dameda"

6) The first two being an ode, and perhaps a slightly sardonic parody of the mecha genre.

There's also random stuff I'd like to mention, like how before we see the angel we see it shaking the power lines, which are subtle touches that you don't find much in anime. I also think the first episode would be a good spot to comment on the title of the series, mainly the difference between the original "Shin Seiki" (New Century" and "Neon Genesis" (New Beginning). If we don't have room we do need to figure out where to get this in.

Someone's really going to have to clue me on how we're planning on recording this. Please, feel free to treat me for the dummy I am when it comes to this stuff. I had originally planned to just record separate commentaries and be done with it. But I still wonder if recording separate ones and then mixing the best parts wouldn't be the best route. It would take time, and effort, but I'm very leery and cynical about this "recording together" concept because I think it will make it even more difficult to get all the content needed in, and then be able to spread it relatively even among the commentators. Plus, if we get too many it will be impossible.

I also don't want to get ahead of ourselves. If we're going to do this as an ACTUAL project, let's make sure to do it right. I know some of you are exciting, but that excitedness could easily turn to frustration if this starts going bad. The way to avoid that is through some pretty careful planning.[/quote]


Alright on point 1.) Your defintely right we won't have time on EoE to talk about the bookend theroy so we will talk about it in ep 1.

6.) We relate the Eva's basic function and why only it can kill an angel

On everything else I agree
BTW We can't be sued as long as we don't release or provide the epsidoe we're commenting on its. Commentaries are concsidered free speech...just like news paper reviews on movies.

[slothen]

I started up the vent server program, and ran the client, and managed to connect to myself. unfortunately im getting some weird buzzing from my computer... the kind that doesn't turn off when i hit the mute button. I think my computer has some serious kind of problem with ventrilo. It crashes my computer every time i try to use it. It didn't use to do this, it even happened when I played guildwars with Seele08 and i tried to connect to her guilds vent server. Worst comes to worst I can run it off my desktop with no problem.

whatever, things work on my other computer. Anyway, someone send me a message on aim so we can see how well this works.

[Themaninblack]

I started up the vent server program, and ran the client, and managed to connect to myself. unfortunately im getting some weird buzzing from my computer... the kind that doesn't turn off when i hit the mute button. I think my computer has some serious kind of problem with ventrilo. It crashes my computer every time i try to use it. It didn't use to do this, it even happened when I played guildwars with Seele08 and i tried to connect to her guilds vent server. Worst comes to worst I can run it off my desktop with no problem.

I can easily get a voice communciter (right now I only have a mic.) And I do like this idea...and we should do a practice run in the near future. But I liked EVA J idea as well, so lets see how both of these play out. (though it looks like you method will be nerssiary for the movies.)

[slothen]

right now i just want to see if you can connect to my server. open vent, connect to 71.156.82.55 port 3784. I'll say a test phrase. If you can hear it too, then we're like 80% of the way through all the foreseeable technical problems. If I can figure out ventrilo's built in recording feature, the honestly we're home free.

[Themaninblack]

right now i just want to see if you can connect to my server. open vent, connect to 71.156.82.55 port 3784. I'll say a test phrase. If you can hear it too, then we're like 80% of the way through all the foreseeable technical problems. If I can figure out ventrilo's built in recording feature, the honestly we're home free.

I'm downloading vent now

[Shiro]

I have connected to your server.

[slothen]

so for so good!