Check Out my Multiplayer Courses:https://smartpoly.teachable.comHello guys welcome back to another video. In this video we'll be checking out the 8 new templates coming to Unreal Engine 5.6. There's quite a bit of exciting new stuff here like a fighting template, FPS template, horror game template, RTS game template and so much more! Let me know what you guys think down in the comments below! LINKS:---------------------------------------------------------------------------My Courses: https://smartpoly.teachable.com Survival Game Course: https://smartpoly.teachable.com/p/ue5-multiplayer-steam-survival-game-course-remasteredChannel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@SmartPoly/joinSupport Me on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/smartpolyBuy My Complete Projects: https://smartpoly.gumroad.comDonate: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smartpoly---------------------------------------------------------------------------MY PC SPECS & AFFILIATE LINKS---------------------------------------------------------------------------Mouse: https://amzn.to/46WMdjNKeyboard: https://amzn.to/3M11SpVLaptop: https://amzn.to/3M7kjJQCPU: https://amzn.to/3tKTK6ERAM: https://amzn.to/45yvWjWGPU: https://amzn.to/3rUGMmmSSD 2TB: https://amzn.to/46QcGPSSSD 4TB: https://amzn.to/46T10f9Primary Monitor 4K: https://amzn.to/3RZxqk5Secondary Monitor 1080p: https://amzn.to/3M6X16VMicrophone: https://amzn.to/3S0aLnxAudio: https://amzn.to/3S5z5VmHeadset: https://amzn.to/45BeWJP

The AI Voice Clone: ElevenLabs Magic Trick!!4 min readJust now--Photo by Jason Rosewell on UnsplashBy the time you finish reading this article, ElevenLabs couldve dubbed it into Spanish, Mandarin, Swahili, and Klingon all in your own voice.If AI were in a band, ElevenLabs would be its lead singer, smooth, expressive, and just a little bit show-offy. This rising star in the world of generative AI has taken a classic human talent, the voice and given it a hyper-intelligent, multilingual upgrade.From podcast hosts who dream of speaking 29 languages, to indie filmmakers who cant afford 10 voice actors and a studio in Burbank, ElevenLabs is changing the way we speak, listen, and understand. And it all started because two Polish guys were tired of bad dubbing.From Awkward Dubs to Audio DisruptionThe founders of ElevenLabs, Piotr Dbkowski (an ex-Google machine learning engineer) and Mati Staniszewski (an ex-Palantir deployment strategist) didnt just stumble into AI voice cloning. They were haunted by the memory of watching foreign films ruined by emotionless voiceovers. So they decided to do what any self-respecting AI nerd would do: build tech that could fix it.Their vision? A world where voice isnt a barrier, its a bridge.And thus, ElevenLabs was born in 2022, armed with deep learning, a dream, and likely a very large GPU bill.The Tech: Deep Learning Meets Deep EmotionAt the core of ElevenLabs magic is a blend of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Transformers, and large-scale speech datasets. But dont let the jargon scare you, heres what that really means:Their AI doesnt just read text. It feels it.It can detect emotional undertones, mimic intonation, modulate pitch, and adjust rhythm. So when you ask it to say, Im not mad, just disappointed, it doesnt sound like HAL 9000 having a bad day. It sounds like your mother.What Can ElevenLabs Actually Do?Lets get into the goodies because this isnt just some fancy TTS (text-to-speech) tool. Its a full-on voice ecosystem.1. AI Dubbing StudioThis is the crown jewel. Upload a video, choose your language(s), and let the AI dub the entire thing, all while preserving the original speakers voice and emotional delivery. Your Spanish teacher can now yell at you with exactly the same frustration, in Japanese.2. Voice Library MarketplaceWant Morgan Freeman-style gravitas or your own quirky nasal tone? Clone your voice with a short audio sample and either keep it private or share it with the world (and maybe earn a little money on the side).3. Mobile App ReaderTurn articles, web pages, or your exs long messages into smooth audio you can listen to while pretending to work out.4. Movie Dubbing Tool & AI TranslationThink: full-length feature films translated into multiple languages with zero lip-syncing trauma. Not only does the voice carry over, but the emotions and delivery remain intact. Netflix might want to have a word.5. VoiceLabCreate brand-new synthetic voices or clone existing ones from as little as a one-minute sample. Basically, its like creating a digital twin but just for your vocal cords.The Money Talks (And Now, So Can You)Like any good startup story, ElevenLabs didnt stay garage-level for long. It raised:$2 million in pre-seed (Jan 2023)$19 million in Series A (June 2023)And then, just to flex, $80 million in Series B (Jan 2024), bringing its valuation to a cool $1.1 billion.Investors include the likes of Andreessen Horowitz and Nat Friedman, names that tend to appear when a product is about to become the product.The Catch: What If Your Voice Gets Hijacked?Of course, with great power comes great potential for deepfake horror.ElevenLabs knows this, and has implemented some safeguards:Voice verification before cloning.Limiting cloning to paid accounts.Monitoring for abuse.Still, in a world where your voice could be used to fake a ransom call, this tech is a double-edged mic. The ethical lines are blurry, and the world hasnt quite figured out the rules yet.Why This Actually MattersHeres the real deal: ElevenLabs isnt just about cool voices. Its about access.A teacher in Brazil can now teach students in Bangladesh in Bangla.A creator in Spain can share their podcast with an American audience in flawless English.A visually impaired user can read anything online with the nuance of human emotion.This isnt voice cloning for the sake of novelty. This is the beginning of AI-powered global communication.Final Thoughts: The Future Will Speak in Many Tongues Yours IncludedElevenLabs is doing for audio what Photoshop did for images. Were moving toward a world where content isnt just translated, its transformed, localized, and personalized, all with the click of a button.And sure, that might mean one day your voice ends up starring in a Turkish soap opera without your knowledge. But it also means that your actual voice, your thoughts, your stories, your ideas can travel farther than ever before.So go ahead, speak up.AI is listening.And its getting really good at talking back.Want to try it out yourself?Just be warned: Hearing your own voice read Shakespeare in Italian is a strange, beautiful and slightly unnerving experience

MusubiUnshakable Resolve - Prophet of TruthMemberOct 25, 201726,923This was me just late last year.I was very confused to the appeal of Metaphor Refantazio and was very down on it. Well in January GameStop had a sale in SEGA titles.I ended up buying Metaphor Refantazio alongside SMT V and Sonic x Shadow Generations. I figured at $30 I should at least give it its fair shake. I have my hot takes but I'm also willing to give things a fair shot. Well... fast forward to well now...I'm right at the doorstep of the final thrust of the game and been loving it. So what changed then? Well to be frank it's the characters and the story. To me the absolute make or break with an RPG is being able to have a cast of characters to go on adventures with that you care about and are well written. And while I do still sort of hate that Metaphor is tied to the same exact social link setup that Persona popularized... I was always anticipating the next chapter of each companions story. Outside the real of Square RPGs it's probably my favorite cast now. But the classic FF7 cast is still my favorite of all time. The main story thrust also has been pretty thrilling. It's had a couple great twists both heartbreaking and exciting. And it centering around the political landscape of The Kingdom of Euchronia is particularly resonating with me right now. Especially with the current political climate in the real world. I also really like the Archetype system. It has a level of customization that I really feel was missing from previous Atlus titles. I also have to shout out the music. As it is very striking at times. I plan on hopefully finishing up over the next few days. And then since Doom isn't until May.... I think I'm going to commit to a NG+playthrough to finish off all the trophies. So, hats off to Atlus & SEGA. Y'all won me over big time. Jonathan Lanza"I've made a Gigantic mistake"MemberFeb 8, 20198,555Welcome to the resistance. While the game didn't wow and shock me, it was ultimately a very good game that I have now committed 2 playthroughs to.Also the music is good and I think a lot of folks are a bit unfair to the soundtrack as a whole.mrmickfranThe FallenOct 27, 201732,607GongagaWelcome to the right side, OP. Metaphor was my GOTY last year, absolutely loved it.Need an expansion nowAnd yes, Metaphor's OST is soooo good but everyone is so harsh on it :(DynoAVALANCHEThe FallenOct 25, 201716,456Tbh I don't disagree with your original take anyway. It's a very ugly art style. Unfortunately there's too much Persona DNA in there and the story doesn't interest me so it's gonna remain a skip from me, but I tried too with that demo. It shows more promise than Persona, just doesn't stray far enoughBurgess_101MemberOct 26, 20171,534The music is the stand out in Metaphor in my opinion. Really unique.nsilviasMemberOct 25, 201729,351the game has alot more restraint than persona 5 ui so the criticism is weird when i see it. its pretty basic tbh its just got more texture is allchanmanMemberNov 9, 20171,669I've only played the demo (waiting for the inevitable Switch 2 version and possible additional content ) but this made me realize how much I am over Altus' Persona/Demon Catching gameplay in their RPGs since P4 for me, so I agree the Archtype system is really nice.PlaxMemberNov 23, 20193,080I'm in the last dungeon but got distracted by Monster Hunter. It's been a solid 8/10 for me so far. I think the story and setting are great. But in contrast, I find the characters and the bond storylines mediocre at best. I also think the character designs are pretty boring besides a couple of major players. Archetypes are cool but also disappointing because you can mix match all but a handful of them.The strongest element has been the combat and dungeons/bosses. The systems all work together very well and the difficulty curve is bang on for keeping you on your toes (mostly).I'm mixed on the persona time/calendar system. It works well enough but most of the deadlines are completely meaningless and don't make a lot of sense in the story. You can look past alot of it, but then they'll use something like "rocks in the way for another 11 days" and it pulls me right out of the story.It's a great game but I'd be fine with it as a one and done.UnluckyKateMemberOct 25, 201711,778I couldn't finish the demo. I find the game repulsive and yet, the character design are the best i've seen for a JRPG. And everybody says its amazing but I just can't... I'm not sure if anything can be done to fix my issue with teh graphics : higher resolution on PC ? Reshade ? anything?PlanetSmasherThe Abominable ShowmanMemberOct 25, 2017130,704The game really does look like shit, and it's at its absolute weakest when it's trying to be Persona.But when it's doing its own thing I like it, I think carlsojoShinra EmployeeMemberOct 28, 201736,708San FranciscoHell yeah brothercarlsojoShinra EmployeeMemberOct 28, 201736,708San FranciscoI won't fight anyone saying Astro Boy was the overall GOTY but damned if Metaphor wasn't a split hot second behind. It doesn't have a great story, it has an epic story. One of the very, very, very few games to have a real epilogue too. The whole epic blew me away. It was my game of the year.ApolloCorrupted by VengeanceAvengerOct 25, 20179,748I'm mixed on a lot of the game but I do quite like it overall. In particular I really like the music and several of the characters.PhilippoDeveloperVerifiedOct 28, 20178,713Completely opposite for me, went in well expecting to love it, ended up 100 hours later not liking it, frustratingly so.It made me appreciate Rebirth so, so much more.Agni KaiMemberNov 2, 20179,728Welcome to the family, Musubi. We've been waiting for you.Now let's raid the Persona subreddit.MangoUltz"This guy are sick"MemberMar 24, 20193,804I generally don't play Persona games because the art style and menu UI really doesn't click for me. Just find it hard to look at. Thought it would be the same for Metaphor but I have it a go as it seemed to have some interesting ideas and I ended up really loving it. There's a lot in there to connect with, even if it has some short comings. Would definitely come an expansion or sequelVincent GraysonMemberOct 27, 20177,135Mount Airy, MDPhilippo said:Completely opposite for me, went in well expecting to love it, ended up 100 hours later not liking it, frustratingly so.It made me appreciate Rebirth so, so much more.Click to expand...Click to shrink...Yeah, all things being said, it would be my biggest disappointment last year if not for Dragon's Dogma 2.Ashes of DreamsFallen Guardian of Unshakable ResolveMemberMay 22, 202019,089Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I do think people get a little caught up in "the art style" for ATLUS now. I hear people talk about how their UI and menus are always a main draw and that was only really a thing in Persona 5. I agree that ATLUS is trying to recreate that lightning in a bottle. I have some issues with the UI and artistic design of both Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor ReFantazio as a result. But of course that is always a small aspect of a game. The appeal to a RPG is going to be the story, characters, and gameplay. That's what people like about Metaphor and is still the bread and butter of any ATLUS experience. They haven't let the chasing of the UI distract them from that either. Game is great. Best cast that team has created yet. Love pretty much all of the squad.carlsojoShinra EmployeeMemberOct 28, 201736,708San FranciscoAgni Kai said:Welcome to the family, Musubi. We've been waiting for you.Now let's raid the Persona subreddit.Click to expand...Click to shrink...Take no prisoners!astroMemberOct 25, 201764,356Best Atlus game yet. DJwestMemberOct 26, 20177,775So you were convinced by OH POWER OF KINGSLobster Rollsignature-less, now and foreverMemberSep 24, 201939,819It's the best JRPG in years. Glad you got to experience it with us, OP.ZemocoMemberJan 12, 20212,350Finished it last month. It was all right, but that back half was a bit too meandery.Final Boss was also really obnoxious. I did really like what they did with More though.OP OPMusubiUnshakable Resolve - Prophet of TruthMemberOct 25, 201726,923DJwest said:So you were convinced by OH POWER OF KINGSClick to expand...Click to shrink...God I love Heismay's VO.VamerMemberMay 7, 2024246Graphically, the most unappealing game of all time. As soon as it was known that it uses a calendar system, all interest I had for it evaporated.SportelloMemberSep 15, 2020451nsilvias said:the game has alot more restraint than persona 5 uiClick to expand...Click to shrink...Yes, but this is a bad thing lolAbaddonnMemberDec 4, 2018314I liked the game when I played it but after finishing it I felt that it really wasn't anything special, the playable characters range from boring to decent, my favorite is actually Alonzo who isn't even a playable character. The music is fine but I've played lots of other RPGs with more memorable music (completely different style, but P5R has a far superior OST IMO). The story wasn't really all that interesting, and the world was not super interesting lorewise.Overall I still think its a decent game but far from being among my favorite RPGs. I don't care if they ever make a sequel to it.LunatiousMemberDec 18, 20181,184I love Metaphor but yeah, the UI isn't great and the art direction is all over the place.BrokofievMemberJun 20, 2019870Abaddonn said:I liked the game when I played it but after finishing it I felt that it really wasn't anything special, the playable characters range from boring to decent, my favorite is actually Alonzo who isn't even a playable character. The music is fine but I've played lots of other RPGs with more memorable music (completely different style, but P5R has a far superior OST IMO). The story wasn't really all that interesting, and the world was not super interesting lorewise.Overall I still think its a decent game but far from being among my favorite RPGs. I don't care if they ever make a sequel to it.Click to expand...Click to shrink...This was my girlfriend's take as well. She just got more and more confused by all the hype the further in she got. Pretty much just said everything was "okay" -- okay characters, okay world, okay story. She was absolutely nuts about P5 and P5R.I sat on the couch and read a lot while she played, so I heard most of the music. I quite liked what they did with unusual vocals in a lot of tracks, and appreciated a lot of other things in the score, thought it was pretty good, even if it won't have a legacy of being iconic.

MenuHomeNewsHardwareGamingMobileFinanceDealsReviewsHow ToWccftechDealsUpgrading To An AMD Radeon RX 9070 For Just $669.99 For A Phenomenal Graphics Upgrade Sounds Like A Distant Dream, But Not If You Are An Amazon Prime MemberOmar Sohail Apr 6, 2025 at 09:31am EDTIn a perfect world, consumers should be able to grab the newest graphics card to uplift their gaming experience at MSRP, but that reality does not exist for us, and we need to scour multiple retailers, both online and offline, to get the best deal possible, even if it means paying a slightly higher amount. AMDs Radeon RX 9070, which launched for $549, is a solid GPU with enough VRAM and horsepower to breeze through the 4K resolution, and the GIGABYTE WINDFORCE model listed on Amazon can be yours for $669.99.Unfortunately, as you would have guessed, it requires that you are a Prime member, which is not a difficult process because all you have to do is subscribe to the companys service for a $14.99 monthly fee, or $139 annually. Given that the listings for the RX 9070 for non-Prime members is upwards of $950, this deal will certainly have you salivating over it. It sports a triple-fan cooler and sports a boost clock speed of 2,700MHz. Additionally, it ships with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, which is more than sufficient for the latest AAA titles, which require a ton of video memory for their higher-quality textures.You do not need to own a beefy power supply to juice the RX 9070 either, as the specifications mention that a 750W unit is recommended. You also get a ton of ports for a multi-monitor setup, which includes two HDMI 2.1 and two DisplayPort ports. The graphics card is not insanely bulky, and looking at the dimensions, the RX 9070 will require only two PCIe slots to fit comfortably. The only obstacle you need to scale is subscribing to Prime, and before you ask, this is not the only exclusive deal you get at your fingertips if you opt for the service immediately.Get the GIGABYTE WINDFORCE AMD Radeon RX 9070 from Amazon- $669.99See what else Amazon has discounted todayDeal of the DaySubscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inboxFollow us onTopicsSectionsCompanySome posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLCAssociates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earnadvertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

[UPDATE] A Minecraft Movie pulled in $57 million in the US for its first Friday--that's the most money for any video game movie on its first Friday ever. It's even higher than The Super Mario Bros. Movie's first Friday ($54.8 million). However, it's not exactly a fair comparison, since The Super Mario Bros. Movie opened on a Wednesday back in 2023.In any event, Deadline reports that A Minecraft Movie could make $145 million over its first weekend in the US--counting Friday, Saturday, and Sunday--this would compare to $146.3 million for The Super Mario Bros. Movie's Friday, Saturday, and Sunday combined haul in 2023. But again, The Super Mario Bros. Movie actually released on a Wednesday.Only three previous movies in history that opened in April had a bigger Friday than A Minecraft Movie in the US--these include Avengers: Endgame ($157.4 million), Avengers: Infinity War ($106.3 million), and Furious 7 ($67.4 million).Continue Reading at GameSpot

Grinding Gear Games' action RPG Path of Exile 2 has faced "Mixed" recent reviews on Steam after the release of its latest content update. Players are blaming one aspect in particular for their Path of Exile 2reviews being negative.

The first thing I worked on for this week was a final puzzle that would allow access to the next area (the forest). After trying out some different ideas and concepts, I decided to have an evolved version of the puzzles used on the island house and castle. The premise of the puzzle is that there are a bunch of crates blocking off the forest, and the player has to find five separate switches to get rid of them all (each switch revolves 1/5). The player needs to activate all five switches to ge

Tuesday morning, Lionsgate announced that among a trio of new projects in the John Wick universe, there will be an animated prequel movie about the night the master assassin initially broke free from his obligation to the High Table. Intended for more mature audiences, the movie will be directed by Shannon Tindle (Ultraman: Rising) and written by Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones, The Shape of Water). Keanu Reeves will return to voice Wick. (The other projects teased: John Wick 5 and a Caine spinoff directed by and starring Donnie Yen).The official announcement of a John Wick animated prequel movie should come as no surprise. Franchise auteur Chad Stahelski (who is producing the prequel) is a longtime anime fan who has made no secret of the mediums influence on his work (I hope people can watch at least John Wick: Chapter 4 and go, Oh, hes got a heavy, heavy anime influence, he told Polygon), and has been dropping hints about the project for months. Hes also recently flexed his action design chops in that arena, working on a sequence for Ninja Kamui and serving as action designer for Shinichir Watanabes new series Lazarus. Stahelski, fellow 87eleven action designer Jeremy Marinas, and their team filmed live-action sequences at their studio and sent them to Watanabes team in a continual collaborative process that spanned approximately a year.Stahelski grew up as a massive fan of Watanabes work, and told Polygon he has literally memorized everything of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. So when Watanabe and his team reached out to see if Stahelski could recommend a member of his team to give advice on Lazarus action design, Stahelski jumped at the opportunity and fulfilled a lifelong dream.Polygon spoke with Stahelski, calling in from his script-covered office at 87eleven Action Design (the man is attached to approximately 2 million upcoming projects, including quite a few video game adaptations), over Zoom about his experience designing action in a new medium and his love for anime. The second part of our interview, focusing on how the collaboration with Watanabe came together, will be published later in Lazarus run.Polygon: Did your experiences on Lazarus and Ninja Kamui change anything about how you think of converting animated projects into live action?Chad Stahelski: I know your sentiment, but I wouldnt use the word converting. Were not converting anything. Were an ingredient. Converting is when we lock something in and theyre just going to translate it over. That couldnt be further from the process. Remember, its not just building a house. Youre building a house in a different dimension where gravity and rules dont mean the same thing.Im jealous. If I could draw a third as good, an eighth as good as Watanabe-san, the shit that would come out of my fucking head If I could get it down, I would never leave this room. I would draw all day long. I have to go out and choose people and get it. So Im constantly defined by the talent of people, the cameramen, the angles, the time, the money. If I could just take a piece of paper and draw, there are no limits. I could draw forever. I think Im very open-minded, and I think Im fairly creative and all that stuff, but you ask any creative in the film industry what terrifies them the most? I guess the number one answer would always be a blank piece of paper. Now this seems funny. If I took away all references for you and you had to create your own thing, brand-new original idea, a blank piece of paper, that should scare the shit out of you.Thats what the animators do. There is nothing but whats in his head. I go to location. People say, Oh, John Wick is beautiful. I went to fucking Paris, guys. I could spin myself around, open my eyes, and Id find a good fucking place to shoot. Yeah, Im framing it, Im shining it, dont get me wrong. Im doing a great job washing the car, but I didnt invent the car. I made choices. So if anything, Im a genius at choices, but I didnt come up with the creative vision. Im working that out. These guys, the animators, there is literally nothing on that piece of paper. And then they have to draw it. Even if they were copying a real-world thing like the Eiffel Tower, they have to draw it into perspective in a way that best fits them.People say, Oh, John Wick is beautiful. I went to fucking Paris, guys. I could spin myself around, open my eyes, and Id find a good fucking place to shootThey have an opportunity. They take the motions. Lets say our choreography is in the Eiffel Tower, right? Its something that weve given them, but now they have to literally do the Star Trek transporter thing and go interdimensional with it and take that in any direction they can take. Our guys arent always perfect. But [animators] can make the perfect punch. They can make the perfect kick. They can move the camera anywhere they want. They can see bones break, they can see teeth all in one shot. They dont have to edit. They dont have to do a digital zoom. They dont have to stitch. They have a whole nother dimension that we dont have. So if anything, were just an ingredient in the cake. They still got to fucking bake. Were not equals, Im just giving em good stuff.For someone as detail-oriented as you, it must be a dream to be able to have that level of control over every single frame and pixel.Everyone wonders why directors always want to go do anime. I bring in a great cast, and all the cast has to do is talk into a mic. I can act it out, and then I can have my animators do the impossible.Are you going to try and do more of that in the future?Yeah, we would love to. Again, I wish I was a Watanabe-san-level guy at that, but thats something I have to ease into. And Im going to go with what I know right now, and I think Im decent at taking real-world stuff and making it, so a couple more of those. But at the same time, yeah, this and what were currently doing with John Wick are things we want to venture into that world.Are you interested in taking drawing lessons or anything like that?Oh, I suck, thats never going to happen. You got to know thyself, right?Did yours and Jeremys experience designing action for Ninja Kamui help?We had already been doing a bunch of Lazarus as we helped out on Ninja Kamui, and that was just for a sequence. But [another] great director [Sunghoo Park] who knew what he wanted. I bring in several different choreographers. Every movie I do, I want that different flavor, different flair. He had a great team that was doing really good. They just wanted to see what we would do and how we interpreted the language that they had already kind of established. And you come up with this great synergy. One of my favorite things to do is mix it up with other teams, because you always get something, I wont say better or worse, but you always get something a little fresh, which is great. And I think I wish more people would do it that way, but stunt teams dont really work that way, unfortunately.How did you think about making Lazarus action feel like anime?Me and Jeremy, were huge anime fans, so we get it. [In real life] I can pick you up and throw you for 2 or 3 feet. Thats it. I could kick you and knock you back maybe 2 meters, but thats not anime. In anime, you can go back a mile. Our kind of movement doesnt work the same way anime movement does, so our emotions have to be bigger and tighter. Theres more sequencing. You can get away with stuff in anime that we cant do practically. So you cant let yourself be the ceiling. We know anime can take it to an unlimited nature. We just have to find out where the creative apex should be for this kind of character, reality versus fantasy. How do we stretch it laterally or horizontally? And thats up to the directors. So we try to go big. We use wires. Well do things that give the animators a sense of things, and then they have to dial it in to fit the anime to make it look great. Its a constant process between us and the animators.Were there any limitations you found in animation when designing the action?Only the process and the time. At some point, no matter what medium or platform were in, theres always a schedule and a budget. As far as creativity goes, if youre asking that, no, its the people. Look, it always starts from story, character, and the reality that youre based in. If youre doing a Bourne Identity kind of movie, your goal is to convince the audience that this is real. Thats your limitation: How do you suspend disbelief, and what is your expectation of reality? Now, if youre telling me thats not a concern for you, then its up to the director or the creative team to go, What are my parameters? Not that we cant bend and stretch. Its not a hard line. OK, so you cant hang on a drone, so well stretch it there. We cant actually survive this kind of fall, but well take that. You cant actually dodge bullets, but well take that. As long as you help define your own rules, theres as many limits or as few limits as you choose to dictate.Turning that around, were there any things that you had wanted to try in live action, but werent safe or possible, that you got to play with here?You could do so much. Thats the thing with anime. Look at the opening episode. You want me to run on a monorail, on drones? Of course! Like, fucking anime is incredible. If I could get away with it, having a career in anime as an action design guy wouldnt be a bad gig. I wish more people would ask us to do it. Im surprised we havent, Im kind of bummed. I wish more people would call about it.I think you might be getting more calls after this.New episodes of Lazarus air every Saturday at midnight on Adult Swim.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

If youre finding yourself contemplating whether you can get an extension on this years tax return, youre not alone. Forty percent of Americans still havent filed.Theres something almost perverse about the IRS placing tax day smack-dab in the middle of the loveliest month of the year. Want to enjoy the warm weather, cherry blossoms, and the sunshine reflecting off the pasty white skin of everyone venturing outside for the first time since last fall? Too bad! You have to excavate all of your financial decisions from the previous year while simultaneously trying to remember your math skillsor risk the wrath of an IRS agent named Spike.Thats why its something of a relief that every American taxpayer can get an automatic six-month extension on filing their federal income taxes. But, since this is the IRS were dealing with, there is a catch: You still have to pay what you owe by Tax Day.If filing your 2024 taxes has crept up on you this year (when did it get to be April already?), heres what you need to know about getting an extension while staying on Spike the Auditors good side.File for an extension with Form 4868While all taxpayers are eligible for an automatic tax return extension, you still need to request one. Thats where Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return comes in.Anyone who fills out and turns in Form 4868 (which can be filed electronically using IRS Free File) by the tax filing deadline of April 15, 2025, automatically receives a six-month extension for filing their 2024 taxes. This pushes the tax filing deadline back to October 15, 2025.Unlike your 1040 and other required tax forms, Form 4868 does not require a great deal of information from you. All you need to provide on this form is the followingYour nameCurrent addressSocial Security numberEstimated tax liability for 2024Amount of 2024 tax you have already paidThe form also asks you to subtract your total 2024 payments from your estimated liability to calculate your balance due.Once you have completed and filed the form, you will automatically receive the filing extension. Just remember that youve only extended the deadline for filing your tax paperwork. You still have to hand over your estimated tax liability by April 15.Estimate your tax liabilityIf you, like me, have never once figured out your tax liability (or overpayment, in the years you get a return) without actually filing your taxes, you might be wondering how youre supposed to calculate your estimated tax liability for Form 4868. It doesnt help that the IRS offers this not-at-all ominous warning on Form 4868:Make your estimate as accurate as you can with the information you have. If we later find that the estimate wasnt reasonable, the extension will be null and void.Just in case you werent already stressed about tax season.Thankfully for those seeking a tax return extension, there are some guidelines for making a reasonable estimate of your tax liability.Knowing whats reasonableSince one taxpayers reasonable is anothers gross negligence, the IRS helpfully defines a reasonable estimate as being 90% of the total tax you owe. If your estimate is at least 90% of the real number, and if you pay the remaining 10% or less balance when you file your tax return by the end of the six-month extension period, the IRS considers you all good.W-2 employeesTraditionally employed taxpayers will typically have the easiest time estimating their liability. If you remained in the same job in 2023 and 2024 and your income didnt change a great deal, youll just need to look back at your total tax liability for 2023. Go back to your 2023 tax return and check line 24, labeled your total tax.When youve found your 2023 total tax number, subtract the following from it:Any taxes you have already paid in 2024, includingmoney withheld from your paychecks by your employerany estimated tax payments you madeAny 2024 tax credits you qualify for, includingthe child tax creditthe child and dependent care creditthe earned income tax creditTaking your 2023 total tax liability and subtracting any 2024 taxes paid and 2024 tax credits from it should give you a reasonable approximation of your current liability.Self-employed taxpayersFreelancers, gig workers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners seeking a tax return extension have a tougher task ahead of them when estimating their tax liability. Instead of a handy-dandy W-2, these taxpayers have to rely on their own records to know their income and estimate their taxes.For these taxpayers, start with your total profits and losses from 2024 to get a back-of-the-envelope estimate of your income for the year. Plug that income estimate into a marginal tax rate calculator like this one from Bankrate to calculate your tax liability. Once you have that number, you can subtract any quarterly estimated taxes you paid in 2024, as well as any tax credits you qualify for. This should give you a reasonable estimate of your liability.Job-hopping taxpayersIf you had more than one job in 2024, had an extreme change in your income, or otherwise had kind of a weird year money-wise, its probably best to calculate your tax liability with the IRS 1040-ES Estimated Tax Worksheet.This is a 12-page form, which means it will take more work than filling out Form 4868. (It may even be the IRSs Machiavellian scheme to encourage procrastinating taxpayers to just file their taxes already, since this requires almost as much work). But using the 1040-ES will give you the most accurate method of calculating your tax liability if you need to file for the extension.Pay what you oweor else pay even moreIf you dont cough up the taxes you owe by April 15, there will be consequencesof the financial variety.The first consequence is a late payment penalty. This penalty charges you 0.5% of the unpaid taxes per month or partial month that the taxes remain unpaid. For example, lets you owe Uncle Sam $5,000 for your 2024 taxes. Instead of making the $5,000 on April 15, you wait to pay until you file your tax return on October 15. You will face a 3.0% penalty or $150 because you made your payment six months after the April 15 deadline.The second penalty youll face will be interest charged on your unpaid taxes, which can really be a pain in your bank account. The IRS sets its interest rate at the federal short-term rate, plus 3%, and it changes the rate on a quarterly basis. As of April 2025, the IRS currently charges an interest rate of 7% per year, compounded daily, for underpayment of individual taxes.That means waiting until October 15 to pay your $5,000 in taxes would mean owing $178 in interest (provided the rate does not change). And that interest will continue to accrue until you pay what you owe.Dont forget about state taxesIf you live in a state with income tax, you probably need an extension for your state tax filing deadline, too. The good news is that many states automatically grant an extension for state taxes when you apply for a federal tax extension. But thats not true of all statessome require a separate form to receive a state-level extension. You can find out what your state requires here.Just remember that you also have to pay your state income tax by the spring tax deadline, even when you apply for a state-level extension. Theres no avoiding the spring tax payment.Give yourself some breathing roomIf tax season snuck up on you, an automatic extension can give you more time to file your taxes. Just remember that Uncle Sam still expects the money you owe him on April 15.