Max Steel eps with a Mainframe feel

[Captin "Hank" Murphy]

To those who have been watching Max Steel, have you knowtice that the current eps have somewhat of a Mainframe feel to it in in animation style and motion? I think these are the new MS eps Mainframe was gonna make to finish the series. Your thoughts?

[Discloner]

I love Mainframe...I really do..


But these MS episodes arn't done with the best of quality that the priar episode were. I don't think it's a lack of effort on Mainframe's part...I just think Mainframe Is used to doing Cartoonish bits, where they don't really go for the realistic feel. At the same time it almost seems as if these MS episodes have become Mainframe's Action Man with diffrent characters...Just my thoghts though!

[wonderfly]

Waitaminute...there are new episodes of Max Steel? Are they on Cartoon Network or Kids WB? Cause the only Max Steel I've seen recently is the same old repeats play at 6 oclock in the morning on Cartoon Network.

[zimbach]

Yes, the Max Steel episodes showing this week were animated by Mainframe. Just look at the production logos after the closing credits. The episodes aren't bad taken on their own, but there is a noticeable decline in quality from the earlier Foundation Imaging episodes.

What was it that prevented them from finishing the series anyway? (I missed the press release)

[The Detective]

Did anyobe else think tht Max Steela animation was TERRIBLE?

[Captin "Hank" Murphy]

Did anyobe else think tht Max Steela animation was TERRIBLE?

If you mean the beginng eps, then yes.

You know what would sound sweet to me, a Max Steel/Action Man cross over series.

[Digu Volz]

Originally posted by wonderfly
Waitaminute...there are new episodes of Max Steel? Are they on Cartoon Network or Kids WB? Cause the only Max Steel I've seen recently is the same old repeats play at 6 oclock in the morning on Cartoon Network.

They're the same ones that show(ed) in the morning, just the revamped version with Team Steel and, well, practically Action Man.

[Discloner]

Originally posted by The DarkKnight
Did anyobe else think tht Max Steela animation was TERRIBLE?

I initially thought the beginning episodes were horribly animated...but it took Mainframe's new episodes for me to wish Foundation Images still did the series...it wasn't too bad actually, I mean the characters looked realistic, which is something they were going for from the start. Mainframe however is accustomed to doing shows where the characters are cartoonish, go through the lineup of all the shows Mainframe has done, and pick one out that isn't cartoonish in anyway...I think Action Man was the closest they ever got to realistic characters, and their vision was good...but it was messed up by FOX and Toy Companies!

As for why Foundation Images isn't doing MS episodes anymore...I think they went out of buisness. But I 'm not completley sure...frankly if Columbia/Tristar was going for the realistic feel, why didn't they approach the company that did roughnecks and/or the Final Fantasy movie.

[zimbach]

Foundation Imaging did Roughnecks.

[Discloner]

Originally posted by zimbach
Foundation Imaging did Roughnecks.

My bad!


And Square is out of the Movie/Television Buisnesses, because of the bomb of Final Fantasy movie (which I liked *Avoids Mob*)...Did my research !

Well, Seems like Mainframe is the only real CGI powerhouse around....besides Pixar and ILM, which are more Movie based...I dunno, I'm almost interested in finding out how either of the two would handle a TV based series...

[Discloner]

And can someone clear up my confusion about Foundation Imaging still being a company, or have they shut their computers down?


Their Website doesn't work...yet all other accounts say their still up, as for why they arn't doing Max Steel anymore...well that seems to be because KidsWB! was planning on making the series into a 2D show, after the first couple of seasons...Sony didn't like this and the series got shifted to CN, who had Mainframe do the rest.

Of course all this info comes from the net...weither or not it's true, it still a mystery to me. Anyone know the truth?

[Christopher N. Denner]

I thought Sony's CGI divison did Roughnecks?

I know that there were 3 companies doing Max Steel. I didn't like the first season... mostly due to bad direction and shiny/off sync characters. Didn't mind the Mainframe ones though.

BTW... for those interested, 2 of Mainframe's founders, Ian Pearson and Gavin Blair are over at a new CGI studio called "THE SHOW PRODUCTIONS". It's co-founded by Pearson, and they've just announced their first deal with Pat Lee of Dreamwave.

[Discloner]

Originally posted by Christopher N. Denner
I thought Sony's CGI divison did Roughnecks?

I know that there were 3 companies doing Max Steel. I didn't like the first season... mostly due to bad direction and shiny/off sync characters. Didn't mind the Mainframe ones though.

BTW... for those interested, 2 of Mainframe's founders, Ian Pearson and Gavin Blair are over at a new CGI studio called "THE SHOW PRODUCTIONS". It's co-founded by Pearson, and they've just announced their first deal with Pat Lee of Dreamwave.

Woo! ReBoot Creators!

Anyway, Sony's CGI division didn't do Roughnecks...Foundation Images did...I'm not even sure if Sony was involved. I do know that Sony was incharge of Max Steel, when WB wanted to convert the show to 2d, Sony was the unhappy one...

[Christopher N. Denner]

Looks like you are right. I did some searching and it appears that it was done FOR Sony, but not by Sony.

Seems that Foundation Imaging did most of the series, Flat Earth Productions did a few eps, and Rainbow Studios did some stuff in between.

[Vin]

Foundation closed its doors, which prompted Mainframe to be contracted to complete the final episodes of the series. Initially however, Kids' WB! had ordered a new season of Max Steel and wanted it to be cel-animated. Mattel did not like the decision and took the final episodes to Cartoon Network.

[Gmfox8@cox.net]

Max Stell was on The Cartoon Network weekday's at 5:30 am central time but they took it off the air and it was nevery on The Kids WB.


Take Care and God Bless
Aaron

[Eric B]

I thought the last few times I caught Max Steel recently, it didn't look quite as good as the ones I saw when it used to be at 6:30 last year.

The best CGI animation I ever saw was the last Sugar Crisp commercial, if anyone remembers that from a few years ago— the one where Sugar Bear is trying to get the cereal from that old lady, and she covered the house with armor. Looked like you could reach right in and touch something. Far better than even Pixar's stuff. It was by a Canadian company called Topix. I wish someone would hire them to produce an animated series.
The old "Cartoon Network Library" and "cartoon Network World" promos were good too. It seems CGI works best with 2D animated cells (perhaps enhanced with shadowing), to avoid that plastic look, especially on human characters.