2,000 Hits a Single Day Record !!!

Usually I see traffic booms during specific times of year such as the Superbowl or NBA Finals, but nothing like this. We here are really happy that thousands of you have choose to join us as we look behind the preparation required to be an Olympian. Thanks, again and keep visiting.

-Mike

What Should My Next Tutorial Be?

Hey Everyone,

I've been busy with work, and have had limited time to work on the website. So to help each other out and to get my creative juices flowing again, I'm asking you for tutorial requests, and I'll try my best to deliver. Just write your tutorial requests in the comments.

Thanks

Get help picking colors

For those of you unsure about what colors to pick while scheming up that new site, here is a little help:

Color Blender

Color Schemer Generator

Review: Transformers makes my eyes HURT !!!

(Not as seen in the movie)

So I recently decided to go out to the local Bestbuy and use my cool 10% off savings to buy a DVD and the movie I decided to buy was Transformers. Having already seen the movie at the theatre I wanted to have the movie in my library for movie parties, and this weekend I had one with some of my best friends. Those who had seen the movie thought that the idea of a Transformers movie was pretty neat, and it seemed like no matter what the movie did, just the thought carried it for those people.

In my honest opinion I liked the movie primarily based on its story. The writers found a way to take what was really an unexplained storyline to most of us who were blinded by transformable robots as kids, and had made it into a compelling movie. Also, there was a high degree of geek factor which appeals to any nerdy high schooler looking to land the hottest girl at school. However, there was and will always be one major problem with the movie.

No matter how many times you fool around with the settings that you thought were not available in the theater, you still can not make this movie less monochromatic than it already is. Early in the movie, metallic monsters seem pretty cool as they are set against backdrops that are bright and in high contrast to the metallic colors of the bots. But to my dismay as the movie goes from the first hour into the second hour the fight scenes are mostly set at night or in a cityscape setting where no sunlight is available to highlight the bots features. At its worst which coincides with the climax of the movie, the fight scenes involve completely colorless bot on slightly completely colorless bot action. The fights in which the bots are engaged similar to grappling, you really can't tell who is winning the fight. So in the end, I really only got a couple good minutes of fight scenes out of the entire two hour movie. Could this movie have been done any other way, probably not. But in the end you do grow appreciative of the original cartoon.

Dark Knight Movie Posters

(Click on the Movie Posters to Enlarge)

I don't hate the CG in 'Legend'

From what I've read, many don't like the CG in the knew Will Smith movie "I am Legend," and I can understand that because even looking in the commercials the animals look like crap. Their movements, texture, and even sometimes their shape look like utter crap. So then why don't I care about the CG in "I am Legend" ?

Because, it does not have anything to do with the movie what so ever. I took a break from work to spend an hour and a half at the theater and came away with more questions surrounding the movie then questions that surround the graphics. Hell, the producers could have pulled a fast one on us and saved money by putting people in animal costumes, similar to that which you see at a children's party, and I still would not have cared. But what I do care about is this?

(SPOILER ALERT: Text is written in black, so highlight to know my real question about the movie)

I know the movie was originally a book from what I understand and written many years ago. But shouldn't the producers of the movie said damn, I would love to make this movie but its really just taking '28 Days Later' and adding in a little bit of Castaway. Instead of hearing Sam all the time, I would have sworn I heard Smith saying "Wilsoooooooon".

[ ROPEOFSILCON ]

Penguins all year 'round

Just in case you though that you couldn't get enough penguins with movies like Surfs Up, and Happy Feet, you will be happy to know that a cartoon series with CGI penguins is in development over at Nickelodeon, but you never would have guessed which penguins would be staring in the new cartoon. Its the penguins from Madagascar whom which I placed a bet at 150-1 odds to have their own penguin series. Damn, those who had their money on the certain Happy Feet are leaving the casino without their shirt.

[ Forbes ]

The true Profitability of 3D modeling

While, many of us know that 3D modeling can make a good living for anyone with the right business, it seems as though the folks at CNET is just figuring that out (no wonder they are going bankrupt). So if you need an extra buck, learn how to model in these specific areas:

- Game mapping
- Modeling Social Avatars
- and most importantly modeling the accessories for social avatars.

[ CNet ]

Behind the Scenes: Bee Movie

With the creation of Bee Movie, I guess its safe to say one thing: its safe to make CG movies about insects again ( See "Antz" and "A Bug's Life"). For those of us who are more interested in the production rather than the story, here are a few behind the scenes clips from the making of the movie.