Daily Archives: 12/25/2007

How not to watch The Incredibles

Okay, I admit it. I have a special place in my heart for The Incredibles. It was my first opportunity to work for Brad Bird. I worked with a lot of really great people, many of whom I went on to work with again during Ratatouille, and let’s face it: I just love the whole comic book/superhero genre.

It’s hard to describe what I spend a lot of my time doing during movie production, but I’m often working in the rendering department. It’s our responsibility to make sure that each and every frame of each and every shot meets with the directors approval. We fix all sorts of minor technical issues, and even the occasional odd bit of animation or lighting. When the shot clears out department, the director has basically said that he’s approved the look of the film (minor changes can be made in image mastering, but hopefully they are minor).

That’s why it’s so painful to watch The Incredibles on the ABC Family Channel on Comcast.

To be honest, I don’t know whether it’s the Family Channel’s fault or Comcast fault, but sweet spirit of camphor, are they sending the movie down the pipe at 500kbps or something? The transfer is simply awful. Dreadful. Unwatchable. Words escape me how terrible it is. Pixelation. Colors are crushed. Mosquito noise. It’s just pathetic.

Please, please, please. Watch the DVD. It’s really quite good. Don’t judge it by the youtube experience you see on the Family Channel. I’ve seen better from pirate DVDs from Singapore.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

Merry Christmas to all BrainWagon readers

I’m sitting up in bed, laptop buzzing away, with my wife sleeping next to me. Within the next hour, we’ll have showers taken, coffee brewing, and begin opening presents. I didn’t get the house cleaned as much as I would like and my wife’s Jeep still needs its wiper arm replaced (did they Loc-Tite the bolt or what?), but for today, the sun is shining, there are presents under the tree, and all is well with the world.

Best wishes from me and mine to all of you and yours. Merry Christmas.