• Ah, DreamWorks! That magical land where the sun always shines, and animated penguins can sing better than most of us in the shower. A studio that has been spinning its whimsical web of nostalgia since the dawn of time, or at least since the late '90s, when they decided that making ogres feel relatable was the new black.

    So, what's this I hear? A documentary detailing the illustrious history of DreamWorks? Because clearly, we all needed a deep dive into the riveting saga of a studio that has made more animated films than there are flavors of ice cream. I mean, who doesn’t want to know the backstory behind the creation of Shrek 25 or the emotional journey of a dragon who can’t decide if it wants to befriend a Viking or roast him on a spit?

    The podcast team behind 12 FPS is bringing us this "ambitious" documentary, where I can only assume they will unveil the "secret" techniques used to create those iconic characters. Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of caffeine, sleepless nights, and animators talking to their cats for inspiration. Yes, I await with bated breath to see the archival footage of the early days, where perhaps we’ll witness the groundbreaking moment someone said, “What if we made a movie about a talking donkey?” Truly, groundbreaking stuff.

    And let's not overlook the "success" part of their journey. Did we really need a documentary to explain that? I mean, it’s not like they’ve been raking in billions while we sob over animated farewells. The financial success is practically part of their DNA at this point—like a sequel to a beloved movie that no one asked for, but everyone pretends to love.

    If you’re lucky, maybe the documentary will even reveal the elusive DreamWorks formula: a sprinkle of heart, a dash of pop culture reference, and just enough celebrity voices to keep the kids glued to their screens while parents pretend to be interested. Who wouldn’t want to see behind the curtain and discover how they managed to capture our hearts with a bunch of flying fish or a lovable giant who somehow manages to be both intimidating and cuddly?

    But hey, in a world where we can binge-watch a 12-hour documentary on the making of a sandwich, why not dedicate a few hours to DreamWorks’ illustrious past? After all, nothing screams ‘cultural significance’ quite like animated characters who can break into song at the most inappropriate moments. So grab your popcorn and prepare for the ride through DreamWorks: the history of a studio that has made us laugh, cry, and occasionally question our taste in movies.

    #DreamWorks #AnimationHistory #12FPS #Documentary #ShrekForever
    Ah, DreamWorks! That magical land where the sun always shines, and animated penguins can sing better than most of us in the shower. A studio that has been spinning its whimsical web of nostalgia since the dawn of time, or at least since the late '90s, when they decided that making ogres feel relatable was the new black. So, what's this I hear? A documentary detailing the illustrious history of DreamWorks? Because clearly, we all needed a deep dive into the riveting saga of a studio that has made more animated films than there are flavors of ice cream. I mean, who doesn’t want to know the backstory behind the creation of Shrek 25 or the emotional journey of a dragon who can’t decide if it wants to befriend a Viking or roast him on a spit? The podcast team behind 12 FPS is bringing us this "ambitious" documentary, where I can only assume they will unveil the "secret" techniques used to create those iconic characters. Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of caffeine, sleepless nights, and animators talking to their cats for inspiration. Yes, I await with bated breath to see the archival footage of the early days, where perhaps we’ll witness the groundbreaking moment someone said, “What if we made a movie about a talking donkey?” Truly, groundbreaking stuff. And let's not overlook the "success" part of their journey. Did we really need a documentary to explain that? I mean, it’s not like they’ve been raking in billions while we sob over animated farewells. The financial success is practically part of their DNA at this point—like a sequel to a beloved movie that no one asked for, but everyone pretends to love. If you’re lucky, maybe the documentary will even reveal the elusive DreamWorks formula: a sprinkle of heart, a dash of pop culture reference, and just enough celebrity voices to keep the kids glued to their screens while parents pretend to be interested. Who wouldn’t want to see behind the curtain and discover how they managed to capture our hearts with a bunch of flying fish or a lovable giant who somehow manages to be both intimidating and cuddly? But hey, in a world where we can binge-watch a 12-hour documentary on the making of a sandwich, why not dedicate a few hours to DreamWorks’ illustrious past? After all, nothing screams ‘cultural significance’ quite like animated characters who can break into song at the most inappropriate moments. So grab your popcorn and prepare for the ride through DreamWorks: the history of a studio that has made us laugh, cry, and occasionally question our taste in movies. #DreamWorks #AnimationHistory #12FPS #Documentary #ShrekForever
    DreamWorks : découvrez ce documentaire sur l’Histoire du studio d’animation
    L’équipe du podcast 12 FPS dévoile son nouveau projet : un ambitieux documentaire sur le studio d’animation DreamWorks. Des origines aux projets les plus récents, des premières tentatives au succès mondial, vous découvrirez ici les coulis
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  • 48 Rustic Living Room Ideas For the Coziest Family Space

    With its comfortable, laid-back decorating vibes, no room says “come and sit awhile” or “aah, I’m home” quite like a beautifully inviting rustic and cozy living room. Whether you live in a farmhouse, cabin, cottage, a new-build in the suburbs, or even a city apartment—rustic living room ideas bring a certain homespun style that ranges from downright traditional to modern and chic.Here at Country Living, we’ve discovered that the very best classic and country rustic living room ideas begin with good ol’ tried-and-true character-rich decor. We're talking reclaimed wood, stone focal points, and a casual mix of natural textures and materials. More modern rustic living room ideas include a less-is-more approach with calming neutral color palettes and clean-lined furniture. Paint colors, fabrics, and accessories in grays, browns, and greens pulled from nature make for the just-right warmth—all simple rustic living room ideas at their finest. So relax and sink into our best country rustic living room ideas from some of our all-time favorite Country Living house tours!Here are more creative ways to make your home feel rustic and cozy:1Fill the Room With CharacterSean LitchfieldFrom floor to ceiling and wall to wall, this rustic living room packs in loads of character. Comfy leather and upholstered furniture, a vintage patterned rug, and a blue and yellow painted cupboard found on Facebook marketplace sit well together against a backdrop of rustic wood.2Source Local MaterialsLincoln BarbourIn this beautifully rustic Mississippi barn. the owners sourced local wood materials from a nearby military depot to clad the walls and ceiling, bringing maximum warmth and texture. Large windows let in loads of natural light during the day, while a chandelier and mounted sconces make for a romantic glow come nighttime.RELATED: These Wood Ceiling Ideas Bring Country Charm to Any RoomTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below3Pick a Cozy Paint ColorAlpha Smoot for Country LivingThis cozy living room has a built-in warmth, thanks to saturated navy blue walls. Its handsomely worn floorboards, doors, mantel, and warming cabinet above the fireplace complement the dark blue beautifully. The fire and candlelight emit a magical glow.Get the Look:Wall Paint Color: Dark Navy by BehrTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE4Lay a Comfy RugSara Ligorria-TrampWhat's cozier than a roaring fire on a cool night? A soft, fuzzy rug in front of it! The fireplace features mantel made from a tree felled on-site and white Zellige tile. The artwork is a vintage find paired with a contemporary painting.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Embrace Log Cabin DetailsLisa FloodIn this stunning Wyoming log cabin, the family usually gathers in the wonderfully rustic great room. Its cozy factor is off the charts, thanks country decorating classics like unpainted log walls and beams, a woodburning stove, textural rugs, and a sweet swing that hangs from the ceiling. Get the Look:Swing: The Oak & Rope CompanyTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE6Wrap a Room in WoodMarta Xochilt PerezIn this rustic and cozy cabin, an original fieldstone fireplace creates the warmest welcome. A pair of cushy leather sofas piled with pillows blankets face off, anchoring the wood-wrapped space, and providing the perfect perches for game night. TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Build an Rustic Stone Accent WallMarta Xochilt Perez for Country LivingThis impressive wall of moss rock surrounds the fireplace. Chiseled stone corbels provide mantel supports. On cool nights, you can count on a roaring fire! Throughout the home, carved timbers, rough-cut stone, and walls of windows reflect a combination of the homeowners’ Scandinavian heritage and Irish roots.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE8Go Big in a Small SpaceEmily FollowillThis tiny living room is packed with so much character. Designer James Farmer added decorative oomph with a large tobacco basket, an art-forward fireplace screen, and natural design elements like plants. Details like arranging the paneling on the diagonal to “point” upward enhance the vertical space. Says James, “Tall ceilings, bold plant arrangements, and large light fixtures have even more impact in a small home. Play with scale to find what feels right.” Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Mix and Match FurnitureLincoln BarbourFor the ultimate collected-over-time vibe, forgo matching furniture. Here, a wingback chair and a spool chair look right at home in this living room. Other period-appropriate decor found in this 100-year-old home: painted paneled walls, exposed ceiling beams, and a rustic mantel wood.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE 10Let There Be LightChristopher DibbleWe put this family room in the “rustic light” category. For a top-to-bottom cabin-like feel, designer Max Humphrey wrapped the space in eight-foot knotty pine planks on the ceiling and walls. A clear coat of polyurethane protects the wood while letting its natural color shine through. Colorful national park posters, globes, camp grounds signage, and a linen modern sectional create a hip yet homey living space.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Customize a Focal PointHomeowners Victoria and Marcus Ford’s vision of a custom wood fireplace surround included open shelves and striking floor-to-ceiling firewood nooks. “We figured go big or go home,” says Victoria. Brass sconces provide a library-like touch, and a custom frame has the TV looking picture-perfect above the mantel.Get the Look:Wall and Trim Paint: Endless Sea by Sherwin-WilliamsCeiling Paint: Oyster White by Sherwin-WilliamsTOUR THE ENTIRE SPACE12Incorporate Rustic Furniture FindsAnnie SchlechterTopped with a plaid cushion, a rustic yellow daybed nestled in the corner makes for the coziest spot to take in lake views. The 22-foot cathedral ceilings are clad in wood, warming up this lofty open-concept space designed by Amy Meier that also includes a dining area and kitchen.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Paint the FloorsDane Tashima for Country LivingWhile the homeowners of this New Jersey dairy barn were able to salvage the structure’s original knotty beams, the walls and floors in the soaring 25-foot-high space needed to be replaced. Simple poplar planks painted white got the job done affordably. A new cast-iron pellet stove warms the space with a rustic, authentic look. Get the Look:Wall and Floor Paint Color: Alabaster by Sherwin-WilliamsTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE14Tell the BackstorySean LitchfieldWhere possible, the original Eastern Hemlock posts and beams of this 1819 Maine barn were carefully preserved when, in 1999, the structure was disassembled and then reassembled several miles down the road. Hand-split slabs of Maine graniteand brick were used to fabricate the massive woodburning fireplace. The walls and floors are lined in rough-hewn, nonuniform wood planks. The sofa table, made from an old piece of barn wood found on the farm, shows off collections of books, ceramics, and shells.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Use Old Materials for New BuildsBrie WilliamsIn this new build, reclaimed materials create instant patina for a warm and welcoming family room. Here’s what makes it rustic: reclaimed beams came from an 1800s mill in Massachusetts mill; log skins salvaged from old Midwest barns; North Carolina stone on the fireplace. A soft palette for the furniture and window treatments was inspired by the antique rug that covers the ottoman.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE 16Balance Natural Wood with ColorNick JohnsonA pretty blue on the fireplace and in the fabrics balances the overall rustic vibe in this country house. “I wanted this room to feel rich and cozy and warm—the kind of place you’d sit by the fire to read a book,” says Erica Harrison of Detroit-based design firm Hudson and Sterling.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below17Make It WorkHelen NormanDespite the renovation challenges, this cozy sitting area situated just off the open kitchen works. The fireplace, which had to be rebuilt from the inside, was covered in stucco to balance all the exposed brick that was discovered underneath damaged drywall. For attic access, a ladder that was found in a barn on the property gets the job done in lieu of stairs. On the other side of the fireplace, a sturdy wooden bookshelf replaces an existing one that was crumbling.18Paint It WhiteZIO AND SONSFor the ultimate modern farmhouse vibe, start with an all-white palette, like in this home of designer Anthony D’Argenzio. This allows you to layer in character-rich architectural elements, like wide-planked wood floors and ceiling beams. A comfy sectional piled with pillows balances perfectly with hard elements, like the wood-and-iron coffee table, handmade oak stump side table, and a round iron chandelier. The hanging chair in the corner provides a wink to this serene design. RELATED: The Best Warm White Paint Colors For Every Room in Your HouseAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below19Leave Materials NaturalJames MerrellRustic meets cozy in this cabin that features walls constructed of hand-hewn logs, a stone fireplace, exposed ceiling beams, and a pair of comfy armchairs. Leaving all materials in their natural finish and unpainted contributes to the overall homespun feel.RELATED: The Best Places to Find or Buy Reclaimed Wood Near You20Choose Neutral FurnishingsSeth SmootIn this California living room, a comfortable collection of neutral furnishings complements the home’s rustic redwood walls. The solid sofa and barrel chairs that are upholstered in linen leave room for visual delights, like the wicker and fringe lamps, an antique rug, a patterned ottoman, and piles of pillows.Jennifer KopfJennifer Kopf is the Executive Editor of Country Living. She also covers antiques and collecting.Amy MitchellManaging EditorAmy Mitchell is the managing editor for VERANDA and Country Living, where she writes articles on a variety of topics—decorating and design, gardens, and holidays. Amy’s experience in the shelter magazine category spans more than 20 years, as she’s previously held positions at Coastal Living and Cottage Living. Her personal pursuits include cooking, gardening, and hunting her favorite tag sale spots for the next piece of Pyrex for her prized collection.
    #rustic #living #room #ideas #coziest
    48 Rustic Living Room Ideas For the Coziest Family Space
    With its comfortable, laid-back decorating vibes, no room says “come and sit awhile” or “aah, I’m home” quite like a beautifully inviting rustic and cozy living room. Whether you live in a farmhouse, cabin, cottage, a new-build in the suburbs, or even a city apartment—rustic living room ideas bring a certain homespun style that ranges from downright traditional to modern and chic.Here at Country Living, we’ve discovered that the very best classic and country rustic living room ideas begin with good ol’ tried-and-true character-rich decor. We're talking reclaimed wood, stone focal points, and a casual mix of natural textures and materials. More modern rustic living room ideas include a less-is-more approach with calming neutral color palettes and clean-lined furniture. Paint colors, fabrics, and accessories in grays, browns, and greens pulled from nature make for the just-right warmth—all simple rustic living room ideas at their finest. So relax and sink into our best country rustic living room ideas from some of our all-time favorite Country Living house tours!Here are more creative ways to make your home feel rustic and cozy:1Fill the Room With CharacterSean LitchfieldFrom floor to ceiling and wall to wall, this rustic living room packs in loads of character. Comfy leather and upholstered furniture, a vintage patterned rug, and a blue and yellow painted cupboard found on Facebook marketplace sit well together against a backdrop of rustic wood.2Source Local MaterialsLincoln BarbourIn this beautifully rustic Mississippi barn. the owners sourced local wood materials from a nearby military depot to clad the walls and ceiling, bringing maximum warmth and texture. Large windows let in loads of natural light during the day, while a chandelier and mounted sconces make for a romantic glow come nighttime.RELATED: These Wood Ceiling Ideas Bring Country Charm to Any RoomTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below3Pick a Cozy Paint ColorAlpha Smoot for Country LivingThis cozy living room has a built-in warmth, thanks to saturated navy blue walls. Its handsomely worn floorboards, doors, mantel, and warming cabinet above the fireplace complement the dark blue beautifully. The fire and candlelight emit a magical glow.Get the Look:Wall Paint Color: Dark Navy by BehrTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE4Lay a Comfy RugSara Ligorria-TrampWhat's cozier than a roaring fire on a cool night? A soft, fuzzy rug in front of it! The fireplace features mantel made from a tree felled on-site and white Zellige tile. The artwork is a vintage find paired with a contemporary painting.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Embrace Log Cabin DetailsLisa FloodIn this stunning Wyoming log cabin, the family usually gathers in the wonderfully rustic great room. Its cozy factor is off the charts, thanks country decorating classics like unpainted log walls and beams, a woodburning stove, textural rugs, and a sweet swing that hangs from the ceiling. Get the Look:Swing: The Oak & Rope CompanyTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE6Wrap a Room in WoodMarta Xochilt PerezIn this rustic and cozy cabin, an original fieldstone fireplace creates the warmest welcome. A pair of cushy leather sofas piled with pillows blankets face off, anchoring the wood-wrapped space, and providing the perfect perches for game night. TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Build an Rustic Stone Accent WallMarta Xochilt Perez for Country LivingThis impressive wall of moss rock surrounds the fireplace. Chiseled stone corbels provide mantel supports. On cool nights, you can count on a roaring fire! Throughout the home, carved timbers, rough-cut stone, and walls of windows reflect a combination of the homeowners’ Scandinavian heritage and Irish roots.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE8Go Big in a Small SpaceEmily FollowillThis tiny living room is packed with so much character. Designer James Farmer added decorative oomph with a large tobacco basket, an art-forward fireplace screen, and natural design elements like plants. Details like arranging the paneling on the diagonal to “point” upward enhance the vertical space. Says James, “Tall ceilings, bold plant arrangements, and large light fixtures have even more impact in a small home. Play with scale to find what feels right.” Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Mix and Match FurnitureLincoln BarbourFor the ultimate collected-over-time vibe, forgo matching furniture. Here, a wingback chair and a spool chair look right at home in this living room. Other period-appropriate decor found in this 100-year-old home: painted paneled walls, exposed ceiling beams, and a rustic mantel wood.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE 10Let There Be LightChristopher DibbleWe put this family room in the “rustic light” category. For a top-to-bottom cabin-like feel, designer Max Humphrey wrapped the space in eight-foot knotty pine planks on the ceiling and walls. A clear coat of polyurethane protects the wood while letting its natural color shine through. Colorful national park posters, globes, camp grounds signage, and a linen modern sectional create a hip yet homey living space.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Customize a Focal PointHomeowners Victoria and Marcus Ford’s vision of a custom wood fireplace surround included open shelves and striking floor-to-ceiling firewood nooks. “We figured go big or go home,” says Victoria. Brass sconces provide a library-like touch, and a custom frame has the TV looking picture-perfect above the mantel.Get the Look:Wall and Trim Paint: Endless Sea by Sherwin-WilliamsCeiling Paint: Oyster White by Sherwin-WilliamsTOUR THE ENTIRE SPACE12Incorporate Rustic Furniture FindsAnnie SchlechterTopped with a plaid cushion, a rustic yellow daybed nestled in the corner makes for the coziest spot to take in lake views. The 22-foot cathedral ceilings are clad in wood, warming up this lofty open-concept space designed by Amy Meier that also includes a dining area and kitchen.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Paint the FloorsDane Tashima for Country LivingWhile the homeowners of this New Jersey dairy barn were able to salvage the structure’s original knotty beams, the walls and floors in the soaring 25-foot-high space needed to be replaced. Simple poplar planks painted white got the job done affordably. A new cast-iron pellet stove warms the space with a rustic, authentic look. Get the Look:Wall and Floor Paint Color: Alabaster by Sherwin-WilliamsTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE14Tell the BackstorySean LitchfieldWhere possible, the original Eastern Hemlock posts and beams of this 1819 Maine barn were carefully preserved when, in 1999, the structure was disassembled and then reassembled several miles down the road. Hand-split slabs of Maine graniteand brick were used to fabricate the massive woodburning fireplace. The walls and floors are lined in rough-hewn, nonuniform wood planks. The sofa table, made from an old piece of barn wood found on the farm, shows off collections of books, ceramics, and shells.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Use Old Materials for New BuildsBrie WilliamsIn this new build, reclaimed materials create instant patina for a warm and welcoming family room. Here’s what makes it rustic: reclaimed beams came from an 1800s mill in Massachusetts mill; log skins salvaged from old Midwest barns; North Carolina stone on the fireplace. A soft palette for the furniture and window treatments was inspired by the antique rug that covers the ottoman.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE 16Balance Natural Wood with ColorNick JohnsonA pretty blue on the fireplace and in the fabrics balances the overall rustic vibe in this country house. “I wanted this room to feel rich and cozy and warm—the kind of place you’d sit by the fire to read a book,” says Erica Harrison of Detroit-based design firm Hudson and Sterling.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below17Make It WorkHelen NormanDespite the renovation challenges, this cozy sitting area situated just off the open kitchen works. The fireplace, which had to be rebuilt from the inside, was covered in stucco to balance all the exposed brick that was discovered underneath damaged drywall. For attic access, a ladder that was found in a barn on the property gets the job done in lieu of stairs. On the other side of the fireplace, a sturdy wooden bookshelf replaces an existing one that was crumbling.18Paint It WhiteZIO AND SONSFor the ultimate modern farmhouse vibe, start with an all-white palette, like in this home of designer Anthony D’Argenzio. This allows you to layer in character-rich architectural elements, like wide-planked wood floors and ceiling beams. A comfy sectional piled with pillows balances perfectly with hard elements, like the wood-and-iron coffee table, handmade oak stump side table, and a round iron chandelier. The hanging chair in the corner provides a wink to this serene design. RELATED: The Best Warm White Paint Colors For Every Room in Your HouseAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below19Leave Materials NaturalJames MerrellRustic meets cozy in this cabin that features walls constructed of hand-hewn logs, a stone fireplace, exposed ceiling beams, and a pair of comfy armchairs. Leaving all materials in their natural finish and unpainted contributes to the overall homespun feel.RELATED: The Best Places to Find or Buy Reclaimed Wood Near You20Choose Neutral FurnishingsSeth SmootIn this California living room, a comfortable collection of neutral furnishings complements the home’s rustic redwood walls. The solid sofa and barrel chairs that are upholstered in linen leave room for visual delights, like the wicker and fringe lamps, an antique rug, a patterned ottoman, and piles of pillows.Jennifer KopfJennifer Kopf is the Executive Editor of Country Living. She also covers antiques and collecting.Amy MitchellManaging EditorAmy Mitchell is the managing editor for VERANDA and Country Living, where she writes articles on a variety of topics—decorating and design, gardens, and holidays. Amy’s experience in the shelter magazine category spans more than 20 years, as she’s previously held positions at Coastal Living and Cottage Living. Her personal pursuits include cooking, gardening, and hunting her favorite tag sale spots for the next piece of Pyrex for her prized collection. #rustic #living #room #ideas #coziest
    WWW.COUNTRYLIVING.COM
    48 Rustic Living Room Ideas For the Coziest Family Space
    With its comfortable, laid-back decorating vibes, no room says “come and sit awhile” or “aah, I’m home” quite like a beautifully inviting rustic and cozy living room. Whether you live in a farmhouse, cabin, cottage, a new-build in the suburbs, or even a city apartment—rustic living room ideas bring a certain homespun style that ranges from downright traditional to modern and chic.Here at Country Living, we’ve discovered that the very best classic and country rustic living room ideas begin with good ol’ tried-and-true character-rich decor. We're talking reclaimed wood, stone focal points (there are so many rustic style living room ideas with cozy fireplaces!), and a casual mix of natural textures and materials (think wood and woven furniture, perfectly worn leather sofas, vintage wool rugs laid atop natural sisal). More modern rustic living room ideas include a less-is-more approach with calming neutral color palettes and clean-lined furniture. Paint colors, fabrics, and accessories in grays, browns, and greens pulled from nature make for the just-right warmth—all simple rustic living room ideas at their finest. So relax and sink into our best country rustic living room ideas from some of our all-time favorite Country Living house tours!Here are more creative ways to make your home feel rustic and cozy:1Fill the Room With CharacterSean LitchfieldFrom floor to ceiling and wall to wall, this rustic living room packs in loads of character. Comfy leather and upholstered furniture, a vintage patterned rug, and a blue and yellow painted cupboard found on Facebook marketplace sit well together against a backdrop of rustic wood.2Source Local MaterialsLincoln BarbourIn this beautifully rustic Mississippi barn. the owners sourced local wood materials from a nearby military depot to clad the walls and ceiling, bringing maximum warmth and texture. Large windows let in loads of natural light during the day, while a chandelier and mounted sconces make for a romantic glow come nighttime.RELATED: These Wood Ceiling Ideas Bring Country Charm to Any RoomTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below3Pick a Cozy Paint ColorAlpha Smoot for Country LivingThis cozy living room has a built-in warmth, thanks to saturated navy blue walls (“It’s sort of a gentleman’s navy,” says homeowner Justin Reis). Its handsomely worn floorboards, doors, mantel, and warming cabinet above the fireplace complement the dark blue beautifully. The fire and candlelight emit a magical glow.Get the Look:Wall Paint Color: Dark Navy by BehrTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE4Lay a Comfy RugSara Ligorria-TrampWhat's cozier than a roaring fire on a cool night? A soft, fuzzy rug in front of it! The fireplace features mantel made from a tree felled on-site and white Zellige tile. The artwork is a vintage find paired with a contemporary painting.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Embrace Log Cabin DetailsLisa FloodIn this stunning Wyoming log cabin, the family usually gathers in the wonderfully rustic great room. Its cozy factor is off the charts, thanks country decorating classics like unpainted log walls and beams, a woodburning stove, textural rugs, and a sweet swing that hangs from the ceiling. Get the Look:Swing: The Oak & Rope CompanyTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE6Wrap a Room in WoodMarta Xochilt PerezIn this rustic and cozy cabin, an original fieldstone fireplace creates the warmest welcome. A pair of cushy leather sofas piled with pillows blankets face off, anchoring the wood-wrapped space, and providing the perfect perches for game night. TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Build an Rustic Stone Accent WallMarta Xochilt Perez for Country LivingThis impressive wall of moss rock surrounds the fireplace. Chiseled stone corbels provide mantel supports. On cool nights, you can count on a roaring fire! Throughout the home, carved timbers, rough-cut stone, and walls of windows reflect a combination of the homeowners’ Scandinavian heritage and Irish roots.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE8Go Big in a Small SpaceEmily FollowillThis tiny living room is packed with so much character. Designer James Farmer added decorative oomph with a large tobacco basket, an art-forward fireplace screen, and natural design elements like plants. Details like arranging the paneling on the diagonal to “point” upward enhance the vertical space. Says James, “Tall ceilings, bold plant arrangements, and large light fixtures have even more impact in a small home. Play with scale to find what feels right.” Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Mix and Match FurnitureLincoln BarbourFor the ultimate collected-over-time vibe, forgo matching furniture. Here, a wingback chair and a spool chair look right at home in this living room. Other period-appropriate decor found in this 100-year-old home: painted paneled walls, exposed ceiling beams, and a rustic mantel wood.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE 10Let There Be Light (Wood)Christopher DibbleWe put this family room in the “rustic light” category. For a top-to-bottom cabin-like feel, designer Max Humphrey wrapped the space in eight-foot knotty pine planks on the ceiling and walls. A clear coat of polyurethane protects the wood while letting its natural color shine through (a stain would’ve darkened the room). Colorful national park posters, globes, camp grounds signage, and a linen modern sectional create a hip yet homey living space.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Customize a Focal PointHomeowners Victoria and Marcus Ford’s vision of a custom wood fireplace surround included open shelves and striking floor-to-ceiling firewood nooks (our favorite detail!). “We figured go big or go home,” says Victoria. Brass sconces provide a library-like touch, and a custom frame has the TV looking picture-perfect above the mantel.Get the Look:Wall and Trim Paint: Endless Sea by Sherwin-WilliamsCeiling Paint: Oyster White by Sherwin-WilliamsTOUR THE ENTIRE SPACE12Incorporate Rustic Furniture FindsAnnie SchlechterTopped with a plaid cushion, a rustic yellow daybed nestled in the corner makes for the coziest spot to take in lake views. The 22-foot cathedral ceilings are clad in wood, warming up this lofty open-concept space designed by Amy Meier that also includes a dining area and kitchen.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Paint the FloorsDane Tashima for Country LivingWhile the homeowners of this New Jersey dairy barn were able to salvage the structure’s original knotty beams, the walls and floors in the soaring 25-foot-high space needed to be replaced. Simple poplar planks painted white got the job done affordably. A new cast-iron pellet stove warms the space with a rustic, authentic look. Get the Look:Wall and Floor Paint Color: Alabaster by Sherwin-WilliamsTOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE14Tell the BackstorySean LitchfieldWhere possible, the original Eastern Hemlock posts and beams of this 1819 Maine barn were carefully preserved when, in 1999, the structure was disassembled and then reassembled several miles down the road. Hand-split slabs of Maine granite (some from the barn's original foundation) and brick were used to fabricate the massive woodburning fireplace. The walls and floors are lined in rough-hewn, nonuniform wood planks. The sofa table, made from an old piece of barn wood found on the farm, shows off collections of books, ceramics, and shells.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Use Old Materials for New BuildsBrie WilliamsIn this new build, reclaimed materials create instant patina for a warm and welcoming family room. Here’s what makes it rustic: reclaimed beams came from an 1800s mill in Massachusetts mill; log skins salvaged from old Midwest barns; North Carolina stone on the fireplace. A soft palette for the furniture and window treatments was inspired by the antique rug that covers the ottoman.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSE 16Balance Natural Wood with ColorNick JohnsonA pretty blue on the fireplace and in the fabrics balances the overall rustic vibe in this country house. “I wanted this room to feel rich and cozy and warm—the kind of place you’d sit by the fire to read a book,” says Erica Harrison of Detroit-based design firm Hudson and Sterling.TOUR THE ENTIRE HOUSEAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below17Make It WorkHelen NormanDespite the renovation challenges, this cozy sitting area situated just off the open kitchen works. The fireplace, which had to be rebuilt from the inside, was covered in stucco to balance all the exposed brick that was discovered underneath damaged drywall. For attic access, a ladder that was found in a barn on the property gets the job done in lieu of stairs. On the other side of the fireplace, a sturdy wooden bookshelf replaces an existing one that was crumbling.18Paint It WhiteZIO AND SONSFor the ultimate modern farmhouse vibe, start with an all-white palette, like in this home of designer Anthony D’Argenzio. This allows you to layer in character-rich architectural elements, like wide-planked wood floors and ceiling beams. A comfy sectional piled with pillows balances perfectly with hard elements, like the wood-and-iron coffee table, handmade oak stump side table, and a round iron chandelier. The hanging chair in the corner provides a wink to this serene design. RELATED: The Best Warm White Paint Colors For Every Room in Your HouseAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below19Leave Materials NaturalJames MerrellRustic meets cozy in this cabin that features walls constructed of hand-hewn logs, a stone fireplace, exposed ceiling beams, and a pair of comfy armchairs. Leaving all materials in their natural finish and unpainted contributes to the overall homespun feel.RELATED: The Best Places to Find or Buy Reclaimed Wood Near You20Choose Neutral FurnishingsSeth SmootIn this California living room, a comfortable collection of neutral furnishings complements the home’s rustic redwood walls. The solid sofa and barrel chairs that are upholstered in linen leave room for visual delights, like the wicker and fringe lamps, an antique rug, a patterned ottoman, and piles of pillows.Jennifer KopfJennifer Kopf is the Executive Editor of Country Living. She also covers antiques and collecting.Amy MitchellManaging EditorAmy Mitchell is the managing editor for VERANDA and Country Living, where she writes articles on a variety of topics—decorating and design, gardens, and holidays. Amy’s experience in the shelter magazine category spans more than 20 years, as she’s previously held positions at Coastal Living and Cottage Living. Her personal pursuits include cooking, gardening, and hunting her favorite tag sale spots for the next piece of Pyrex for her prized collection.
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  • DISCOVERING ELIO

    By TREVOR HOGG

    Images courtesy of Pixar.

    The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear.

    Rather than look at the unknown as something to be feared, Pixar has decided to do some wish fulfillment with Elio, where a lonely adolescent astrophile gets abducted by aliens and is mistaken as the leader of Earth. Originally conceived and directed by Adrian Molina, the coming-of-age science fiction adventure was shepherded by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who had previously worked together on Turning Red.
    “Space is often seen as dark, mysterious and scary, but there is also so much hope, wonder and curiosity,” notes Shi, director of Elio. “It’s like anything is ‘out there.’ Elio captures how a lot of us feel at different points of our lives, when we were kids like him, or even now wanting to be off of this current planet because it’s just too much. For Elio, it’s a rescue. I feel that there’s something so universal about that feeling of wanting to be taken away and taken care of. To know that you’re not alone and somebody chose you and picked you up.”

    The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear.

    There is a stark contrast between how Earth and the alien world, known as the Communiverse, are portrayed. “The more we worked with the animators on Glordon and Helix, they began to realize that Domee and I respond positively when thosecharacters are exaggerated, made cute, round and chubby,” states Sharafian, director of Elio. “That automatically started to differentiate the way the Earth and space feel.” A certain question had to be answered when designing the United Nations-inspired Communiverse. “It was coming from a place of this lonely kid who feels like no one wants him on Earth,” Shi explains. “What would be heaven and paradise for him? The Communiverse was built around that idea.” A sense of belonging is an important theme. “It’s also inspired by Adrian Molina’s backstory, and our backstories too, of going to animation college,” Sharafian remarks. “For the first time, we said, ‘This is where everybody like me is!’”

    Green is the thematic color for Elio.

    Visual effects are an important storytelling tool. “Especially, for our movie, which is about this boy going to this crazy incredible world of the Communiverse,” Shi observes. “It has to be dazzling and look spectacular on the big screen and feel like paradise. Elio is such a visual feast, and you do feel like, ‘I want to stay here no matter what. I can’t believe that this place even exists.’ Visual effects are a powerful tool to help you feel what the characters are feeling.” A wishlist became a reality for the directors. “Claudia Chung Saniigave Domee and me carte blanche for wish fulfillment for ourselves,” Sharafian remarks. “What do you want Elio’s outfit in space to look like? It was a difficult costume, but now when we watch the movie, we’re all so proud of it. Elio looks fabulous, and he’s so happy to be wearing that outfit. Who would want to take that off?”

    The Communiverse was meant to feel like a place that a child would love to visit and explore.

    Methodology rather than technology went through the biggest change for the production. “The Communiverse is super complex and has lots of moving pieces. But there’s not much CG can’t do anymore,” notes Claudia Chung Sanii. “Elemental did effects characters. We did long curly hair, dresses, capes, water and fire. What we hadn’t done before was be a part of that design process. How do we get lighting into layout? How do we see the shaders in animation in layout? The tools department was working on a software called Luna which does that. I went to the tools department and asked, ‘Can I play around with it?’ They were like, ‘Okay. But it’s not ready yet.’ Tools will basically be bringing RenderMan and an interactive lighting workflow to the pipeline across all of these DCCs. Because we light in Katana, you can’t get back upstream. The conceit that we were dipping our toe in on Elio was, ‘Whatever you do in lighting, anyone on the pipeline can see it.’”

    The influence of microscopic forms and macro photography grounded the Communiverse in natural phenomena.

    The variety in the Communiverse is a contrast to the regimented world on the military base.

    There were no departmental borders, in particular with cinematography. “We had our layout and lighting DPs start on the same day. Derek Williams wouldn’t shoot anything without Jordan Rempel, our lighting DP, seeing it,” Sanii states. “Jordan would drop in lighting and start doing key lighting as Derek’s team was laying out. It wasn’t like you had to hit the render button, wait for the render to come up and go, ‘Oh, my god, it’s dark! I didn’t know that it was nighttime.’” A new term was adopted. “Meredith Homand I pulled the entire crew and leadership into this mental concept that we called the ‘college project.’ For some of us, college was a time when we didn’t have titles and crafts. You begged, borrowed and stole to hit that deadline. So much of our world has become linear in our process that I wanted to break that down to, ‘No. We’re all working together. The scope of this film is too large for us to wait for each other to finish our piece. If this person is slammed, fine. Figure out a different idea to do it with what tools you have.’”

    Directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian are drawn to chubby, exaggerated and cute characters.

    Forgoing the word ‘no’ led to the technology breaking down. “I remember times when crowdsis dressing all of the aliens and because of forgetting to constrain it to the Communiverse, they all show up at the origin, and you’re going, ‘Why is there a whole party going on over there?’” Sanii laughs. “On Elio, it was always forward. There were no rules about locking things down or not installing over the weekend. It was always like, ‘Put it all in, and we’ll deal with it on Monday.’ There would be some funny stuff. We never QC’d something before walking it into the room. Everyone saw how the sausage was made. It was fun and not fun for Harley Jessupbecause sometimes there would be a big thing in the middle screen, and he would say, ‘Is that finished?’ There was no way we could get through this film if we kept trying to fix the thing that broke.”

    An aerial image of Elio as he attempts to get abducted by aliens.

    Part of the design of the Coummuniverse was inspired by Chinese puzzle balls.

    A former visual effects art director at ILM, Harley Jessup found his previous experiences on projects like Innerspace to be helpful on Elio. “I liked that the directors wanted to build on the effects films from the 1980s and early 1990s,” reflects Jessup. “I was there and part of that. It was fun to look back. At the time, the techniques were all practical, matte paintings and miniatures, which are fun to work with, but without the safety net of CG. One thing Dennis Murenwas keen on, was how people see things like the natural phenomenon you might see in a microscopic or macro photography form. We were using that. I was looking at the mothership of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which Dennis shot when he was a young artist. It was nice to be able to bring all of that history to this film.”
    Earth was impacted by a comment made by Pete Docter. “He said, ‘The military base should feel like a parking lot,” Jessup reveals. “You should know why Elio wants to be anywhere else. And the Communiverse needs to be inviting. We built a lot of contrast into those two worlds. The brutalist architecture on the military base, with its hard edges and heavy horizontal forms close to the earth, needed to be harsh but beautiful in its own way, so we tried for that. The Communiverse would be in contrast and be all curves, translucent surfaces and stained-glass backlit effects. Things were wide open about what it could be because each of the aliens are from a different climate and gravity. There are some buildings that are actually upside down on it, and the whole thing is rotating inside like clockwork. It is hopefully an appealing, fun world. It’s not a dystopian outer space.”

    Exploring various facial expressions for Elio.

    A tough character to get right was Aunt Olga, who struggles to be the guardian of her nephew.

    Character designs of Elio and Glordon. which shows them interacting with each other.

    Architecture was devised to reflect the desired tone for scenes. “In the Grand Assembly Hall where each alien has a desk and booth, the booth is shaped like an eyelid that can close or open,” Jessup explains. “It increases the feeling that they’re evaluating and observing Elio and each of the candidates that have come to join the Communiverse.” A couple of iconic cinematic franchises were avoided for aesthetic reasons. “As much as I love Star Wars and Star Trek, we wanted to be different from those kinds of aliens that are often more humanoid.” Ooooo was the first alien to be designed. “We did Ooooo in collaboration with the effects team, which was small at that time. She was described as a liquid supercomputer. We actually used the wireframe that was turning up and asked, what if it ended up being this network of little lights that are moving around and can express how much she was thinking? Ooooo is Elio’s guide to the Communiverse; her body would deform, so she could become a big screen or reach out and pluck things. Ooooo has an ability like an amoeba to stretch.”
    Flexibility is important when figuring out shot design. “On Elio, we provided the layout department with a rudimentary version of our environments,” states David Luoh, Sets Supervisor. “It might be simple geometry. We’re not worried necessarily about shading, color and material yet. Things are roughly in place but also built in a way that is flexible. As they’re sorting out the camera and testing out staging, they can move elements of the set around. Maybe this architectural piece needs to be shifted or larger or smaller. There was a variation on what was typically expected of set deliveries of environments to our layout department. That bar was lowered to give the layout department something to work with sooner and also with more flexibility. From their work we get context as to how we partner with our art and design department to build and finalize those environments.”

    Regional biomes known as disks are part of the Communiverse. “There are aquatic, lush forest, snow and ice, and hot lava disks,” Luoh remarks. “The hot disk is grounded in the desert, volcanic rock and lava, while for the lush disk we looked at interesting plant life found in the world around us.” The Communiverse is a complex geometric form. “We wanted these natural arrangements of alien districts, and that was all happening on this twisting and curving terrain in a way that made traditional dressing approaches clunky. Oftentimes, you’re putting something on the ground or mounted, and the ground is always facing upward. But if you have to dress the wall or ceiling, it becomes a lot more difficult to manipulate and place on something with that dynamic and shape. You have stuff that casts light, is see-through and shifting over time. Ooooo is a living character that looks like electronic circuitry that is constantly moving, and we also have that element in the walls, floors and bubble transport that carry the characters around.”
    Sets were adjusted throughout the production. “We try to anticipate situations that might come up,” Luoh states. “What if we have a series of shots where you’re getting closer and closer to the Communiverse and you have to bridge the distance between your hero and set extension background? There is a partnership with story, but certainly with our layout camera staging department. As we see shots come out of their work, we know where we need to spend the time to figure out, are we going to see the distant hills in this way? We’re not going to build it until we know because it can be labor-intensive. There is a responsiveness to what we are starting to see as shots get made.” Combining the familiar into something unfamiliar was a process. “There was this curation of being inspired by existing alien sci-fi depictions, but also reaching back into biological phenomena or interesting material because we wanted to ground a lot of those visual elements and ideas in something that people could intuitively grasp on to, even if they were combined or arranged in a way that is surprising, strange and delightful.”
    #discovering #elio
    DISCOVERING ELIO
    By TREVOR HOGG Images courtesy of Pixar. The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. Rather than look at the unknown as something to be feared, Pixar has decided to do some wish fulfillment with Elio, where a lonely adolescent astrophile gets abducted by aliens and is mistaken as the leader of Earth. Originally conceived and directed by Adrian Molina, the coming-of-age science fiction adventure was shepherded by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who had previously worked together on Turning Red. “Space is often seen as dark, mysterious and scary, but there is also so much hope, wonder and curiosity,” notes Shi, director of Elio. “It’s like anything is ‘out there.’ Elio captures how a lot of us feel at different points of our lives, when we were kids like him, or even now wanting to be off of this current planet because it’s just too much. For Elio, it’s a rescue. I feel that there’s something so universal about that feeling of wanting to be taken away and taken care of. To know that you’re not alone and somebody chose you and picked you up.” The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. There is a stark contrast between how Earth and the alien world, known as the Communiverse, are portrayed. “The more we worked with the animators on Glordon and Helix, they began to realize that Domee and I respond positively when thosecharacters are exaggerated, made cute, round and chubby,” states Sharafian, director of Elio. “That automatically started to differentiate the way the Earth and space feel.” A certain question had to be answered when designing the United Nations-inspired Communiverse. “It was coming from a place of this lonely kid who feels like no one wants him on Earth,” Shi explains. “What would be heaven and paradise for him? The Communiverse was built around that idea.” A sense of belonging is an important theme. “It’s also inspired by Adrian Molina’s backstory, and our backstories too, of going to animation college,” Sharafian remarks. “For the first time, we said, ‘This is where everybody like me is!’” Green is the thematic color for Elio. Visual effects are an important storytelling tool. “Especially, for our movie, which is about this boy going to this crazy incredible world of the Communiverse,” Shi observes. “It has to be dazzling and look spectacular on the big screen and feel like paradise. Elio is such a visual feast, and you do feel like, ‘I want to stay here no matter what. I can’t believe that this place even exists.’ Visual effects are a powerful tool to help you feel what the characters are feeling.” A wishlist became a reality for the directors. “Claudia Chung Saniigave Domee and me carte blanche for wish fulfillment for ourselves,” Sharafian remarks. “What do you want Elio’s outfit in space to look like? It was a difficult costume, but now when we watch the movie, we’re all so proud of it. Elio looks fabulous, and he’s so happy to be wearing that outfit. Who would want to take that off?” The Communiverse was meant to feel like a place that a child would love to visit and explore. Methodology rather than technology went through the biggest change for the production. “The Communiverse is super complex and has lots of moving pieces. But there’s not much CG can’t do anymore,” notes Claudia Chung Sanii. “Elemental did effects characters. We did long curly hair, dresses, capes, water and fire. What we hadn’t done before was be a part of that design process. How do we get lighting into layout? How do we see the shaders in animation in layout? The tools department was working on a software called Luna which does that. I went to the tools department and asked, ‘Can I play around with it?’ They were like, ‘Okay. But it’s not ready yet.’ Tools will basically be bringing RenderMan and an interactive lighting workflow to the pipeline across all of these DCCs. Because we light in Katana, you can’t get back upstream. The conceit that we were dipping our toe in on Elio was, ‘Whatever you do in lighting, anyone on the pipeline can see it.’” The influence of microscopic forms and macro photography grounded the Communiverse in natural phenomena. The variety in the Communiverse is a contrast to the regimented world on the military base. There were no departmental borders, in particular with cinematography. “We had our layout and lighting DPs start on the same day. Derek Williams wouldn’t shoot anything without Jordan Rempel, our lighting DP, seeing it,” Sanii states. “Jordan would drop in lighting and start doing key lighting as Derek’s team was laying out. It wasn’t like you had to hit the render button, wait for the render to come up and go, ‘Oh, my god, it’s dark! I didn’t know that it was nighttime.’” A new term was adopted. “Meredith Homand I pulled the entire crew and leadership into this mental concept that we called the ‘college project.’ For some of us, college was a time when we didn’t have titles and crafts. You begged, borrowed and stole to hit that deadline. So much of our world has become linear in our process that I wanted to break that down to, ‘No. We’re all working together. The scope of this film is too large for us to wait for each other to finish our piece. If this person is slammed, fine. Figure out a different idea to do it with what tools you have.’” Directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian are drawn to chubby, exaggerated and cute characters. Forgoing the word ‘no’ led to the technology breaking down. “I remember times when crowdsis dressing all of the aliens and because of forgetting to constrain it to the Communiverse, they all show up at the origin, and you’re going, ‘Why is there a whole party going on over there?’” Sanii laughs. “On Elio, it was always forward. There were no rules about locking things down or not installing over the weekend. It was always like, ‘Put it all in, and we’ll deal with it on Monday.’ There would be some funny stuff. We never QC’d something before walking it into the room. Everyone saw how the sausage was made. It was fun and not fun for Harley Jessupbecause sometimes there would be a big thing in the middle screen, and he would say, ‘Is that finished?’ There was no way we could get through this film if we kept trying to fix the thing that broke.” An aerial image of Elio as he attempts to get abducted by aliens. Part of the design of the Coummuniverse was inspired by Chinese puzzle balls. A former visual effects art director at ILM, Harley Jessup found his previous experiences on projects like Innerspace to be helpful on Elio. “I liked that the directors wanted to build on the effects films from the 1980s and early 1990s,” reflects Jessup. “I was there and part of that. It was fun to look back. At the time, the techniques were all practical, matte paintings and miniatures, which are fun to work with, but without the safety net of CG. One thing Dennis Murenwas keen on, was how people see things like the natural phenomenon you might see in a microscopic or macro photography form. We were using that. I was looking at the mothership of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which Dennis shot when he was a young artist. It was nice to be able to bring all of that history to this film.” Earth was impacted by a comment made by Pete Docter. “He said, ‘The military base should feel like a parking lot,” Jessup reveals. “You should know why Elio wants to be anywhere else. And the Communiverse needs to be inviting. We built a lot of contrast into those two worlds. The brutalist architecture on the military base, with its hard edges and heavy horizontal forms close to the earth, needed to be harsh but beautiful in its own way, so we tried for that. The Communiverse would be in contrast and be all curves, translucent surfaces and stained-glass backlit effects. Things were wide open about what it could be because each of the aliens are from a different climate and gravity. There are some buildings that are actually upside down on it, and the whole thing is rotating inside like clockwork. It is hopefully an appealing, fun world. It’s not a dystopian outer space.” Exploring various facial expressions for Elio. A tough character to get right was Aunt Olga, who struggles to be the guardian of her nephew. Character designs of Elio and Glordon. which shows them interacting with each other. Architecture was devised to reflect the desired tone for scenes. “In the Grand Assembly Hall where each alien has a desk and booth, the booth is shaped like an eyelid that can close or open,” Jessup explains. “It increases the feeling that they’re evaluating and observing Elio and each of the candidates that have come to join the Communiverse.” A couple of iconic cinematic franchises were avoided for aesthetic reasons. “As much as I love Star Wars and Star Trek, we wanted to be different from those kinds of aliens that are often more humanoid.” Ooooo was the first alien to be designed. “We did Ooooo in collaboration with the effects team, which was small at that time. She was described as a liquid supercomputer. We actually used the wireframe that was turning up and asked, what if it ended up being this network of little lights that are moving around and can express how much she was thinking? Ooooo is Elio’s guide to the Communiverse; her body would deform, so she could become a big screen or reach out and pluck things. Ooooo has an ability like an amoeba to stretch.” Flexibility is important when figuring out shot design. “On Elio, we provided the layout department with a rudimentary version of our environments,” states David Luoh, Sets Supervisor. “It might be simple geometry. We’re not worried necessarily about shading, color and material yet. Things are roughly in place but also built in a way that is flexible. As they’re sorting out the camera and testing out staging, they can move elements of the set around. Maybe this architectural piece needs to be shifted or larger or smaller. There was a variation on what was typically expected of set deliveries of environments to our layout department. That bar was lowered to give the layout department something to work with sooner and also with more flexibility. From their work we get context as to how we partner with our art and design department to build and finalize those environments.” Regional biomes known as disks are part of the Communiverse. “There are aquatic, lush forest, snow and ice, and hot lava disks,” Luoh remarks. “The hot disk is grounded in the desert, volcanic rock and lava, while for the lush disk we looked at interesting plant life found in the world around us.” The Communiverse is a complex geometric form. “We wanted these natural arrangements of alien districts, and that was all happening on this twisting and curving terrain in a way that made traditional dressing approaches clunky. Oftentimes, you’re putting something on the ground or mounted, and the ground is always facing upward. But if you have to dress the wall or ceiling, it becomes a lot more difficult to manipulate and place on something with that dynamic and shape. You have stuff that casts light, is see-through and shifting over time. Ooooo is a living character that looks like electronic circuitry that is constantly moving, and we also have that element in the walls, floors and bubble transport that carry the characters around.” Sets were adjusted throughout the production. “We try to anticipate situations that might come up,” Luoh states. “What if we have a series of shots where you’re getting closer and closer to the Communiverse and you have to bridge the distance between your hero and set extension background? There is a partnership with story, but certainly with our layout camera staging department. As we see shots come out of their work, we know where we need to spend the time to figure out, are we going to see the distant hills in this way? We’re not going to build it until we know because it can be labor-intensive. There is a responsiveness to what we are starting to see as shots get made.” Combining the familiar into something unfamiliar was a process. “There was this curation of being inspired by existing alien sci-fi depictions, but also reaching back into biological phenomena or interesting material because we wanted to ground a lot of those visual elements and ideas in something that people could intuitively grasp on to, even if they were combined or arranged in a way that is surprising, strange and delightful.” #discovering #elio
    WWW.VFXVOICE.COM
    DISCOVERING ELIO
    By TREVOR HOGG Images courtesy of Pixar. The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. Rather than look at the unknown as something to be feared, Pixar has decided to do some wish fulfillment with Elio, where a lonely adolescent astrophile gets abducted by aliens and is mistaken as the leader of Earth. Originally conceived and directed by Adrian Molina, the coming-of-age science fiction adventure was shepherded by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who had previously worked together on Turning Red. “Space is often seen as dark, mysterious and scary, but there is also so much hope, wonder and curiosity,” notes Shi, director of Elio. “It’s like anything is ‘out there.’ Elio captures how a lot of us feel at different points of our lives, when we were kids like him, or even now wanting to be off of this current planet because it’s just too much. For Elio, it’s a rescue. I feel that there’s something so universal about that feeling of wanting to be taken away and taken care of. To know that you’re not alone and somebody chose you and picked you up.” The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. There is a stark contrast between how Earth and the alien world, known as the Communiverse, are portrayed. “The more we worked with the animators on Glordon and Helix, they began to realize that Domee and I respond positively when those [alien] characters are exaggerated, made cute, round and chubby,” states Sharafian, director of Elio. “That automatically started to differentiate the way the Earth and space feel.” A certain question had to be answered when designing the United Nations-inspired Communiverse. “It was coming from a place of this lonely kid who feels like no one wants him on Earth,” Shi explains. “What would be heaven and paradise for him? The Communiverse was built around that idea.” A sense of belonging is an important theme. “It’s also inspired by Adrian Molina’s backstory, and our backstories too, of going to animation college,” Sharafian remarks. “For the first time, we said, ‘This is where everybody like me is!’” Green is the thematic color for Elio. Visual effects are an important storytelling tool. “Especially, for our movie, which is about this boy going to this crazy incredible world of the Communiverse,” Shi observes. “It has to be dazzling and look spectacular on the big screen and feel like paradise. Elio is such a visual feast, and you do feel like, ‘I want to stay here no matter what. I can’t believe that this place even exists.’ Visual effects are a powerful tool to help you feel what the characters are feeling.” A wishlist became a reality for the directors. “Claudia Chung Sanii [Visual Effects Supervisor] gave Domee and me carte blanche for wish fulfillment for ourselves,” Sharafian remarks. “What do you want Elio’s outfit in space to look like? It was a difficult costume, but now when we watch the movie, we’re all so proud of it. Elio looks fabulous, and he’s so happy to be wearing that outfit. Who would want to take that off?” The Communiverse was meant to feel like a place that a child would love to visit and explore. Methodology rather than technology went through the biggest change for the production. “The Communiverse is super complex and has lots of moving pieces. But there’s not much CG can’t do anymore,” notes Claudia Chung Sanii. “Elemental did effects characters. We did long curly hair, dresses, capes, water and fire. What we hadn’t done before was be a part of that design process. How do we get lighting into layout? How do we see the shaders in animation in layout? The tools department was working on a software called Luna which does that. I went to the tools department and asked, ‘Can I play around with it?’ They were like, ‘Okay. But it’s not ready yet.’ Tools will basically be bringing RenderMan and an interactive lighting workflow to the pipeline across all of these DCCs. Because we light in Katana, you can’t get back upstream. The conceit that we were dipping our toe in on Elio was, ‘Whatever you do in lighting, anyone on the pipeline can see it.’” The influence of microscopic forms and macro photography grounded the Communiverse in natural phenomena. The variety in the Communiverse is a contrast to the regimented world on the military base. There were no departmental borders, in particular with cinematography. “We had our layout and lighting DPs start on the same day. Derek Williams wouldn’t shoot anything without Jordan Rempel, our lighting DP, seeing it,” Sanii states. “Jordan would drop in lighting and start doing key lighting as Derek’s team was laying out. It wasn’t like you had to hit the render button, wait for the render to come up and go, ‘Oh, my god, it’s dark! I didn’t know that it was nighttime.’” A new term was adopted. “Meredith Hom [Production Manager] and I pulled the entire crew and leadership into this mental concept that we called the ‘college project.’ For some of us, college was a time when we didn’t have titles and crafts. You begged, borrowed and stole to hit that deadline. So much of our world has become linear in our process that I wanted to break that down to, ‘No. We’re all working together. The scope of this film is too large for us to wait for each other to finish our piece. If this person is slammed, fine. Figure out a different idea to do it with what tools you have.’” Directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian are drawn to chubby, exaggerated and cute characters. Forgoing the word ‘no’ led to the technology breaking down. “I remember times when crowds [department] is dressing all of the aliens and because of forgetting to constrain it to the Communiverse, they all show up at the origin, and you’re going, ‘Why is there a whole party going on over there?’” Sanii laughs. “On Elio, it was always forward. There were no rules about locking things down or not installing over the weekend. It was always like, ‘Put it all in, and we’ll deal with it on Monday.’ There would be some funny stuff. We never QC’d something before walking it into the room. Everyone saw how the sausage was made. It was fun and not fun for Harley Jessup [Production Designer] because sometimes there would be a big thing in the middle screen, and he would say, ‘Is that finished?’ There was no way we could get through this film if we kept trying to fix the thing that broke.” An aerial image of Elio as he attempts to get abducted by aliens. Part of the design of the Coummuniverse was inspired by Chinese puzzle balls. A former visual effects art director at ILM, Harley Jessup found his previous experiences on projects like Innerspace to be helpful on Elio. “I liked that the directors wanted to build on the effects films from the 1980s and early 1990s,” reflects Jessup. “I was there and part of that. It was fun to look back. At the time, the techniques were all practical, matte paintings and miniatures, which are fun to work with, but without the safety net of CG. One thing Dennis Muren [VES] was keen on, was how people see things like the natural phenomenon you might see in a microscopic or macro photography form. We were using that. I was looking at the mothership of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which Dennis shot when he was a young artist. It was nice to be able to bring all of that history to this film.” Earth was impacted by a comment made by Pete Docter (CCO, Pixar). “He said, ‘The military base should feel like a parking lot,” Jessup reveals. “You should know why Elio wants to be anywhere else. And the Communiverse needs to be inviting. We built a lot of contrast into those two worlds. The brutalist architecture on the military base, with its hard edges and heavy horizontal forms close to the earth, needed to be harsh but beautiful in its own way, so we tried for that. The Communiverse would be in contrast and be all curves, translucent surfaces and stained-glass backlit effects. Things were wide open about what it could be because each of the aliens are from a different climate and gravity. There are some buildings that are actually upside down on it, and the whole thing is rotating inside like clockwork. It is hopefully an appealing, fun world. It’s not a dystopian outer space.” Exploring various facial expressions for Elio. A tough character to get right was Aunt Olga, who struggles to be the guardian of her nephew. Character designs of Elio and Glordon. which shows them interacting with each other. Architecture was devised to reflect the desired tone for scenes. “In the Grand Assembly Hall where each alien has a desk and booth, the booth is shaped like an eyelid that can close or open,” Jessup explains. “It increases the feeling that they’re evaluating and observing Elio and each of the candidates that have come to join the Communiverse.” A couple of iconic cinematic franchises were avoided for aesthetic reasons. “As much as I love Star Wars and Star Trek, we wanted to be different from those kinds of aliens that are often more humanoid.” Ooooo was the first alien to be designed. “We did Ooooo in collaboration with the effects team, which was small at that time. She was described as a liquid supercomputer. We actually used the wireframe that was turning up and asked, what if it ended up being this network of little lights that are moving around and can express how much she was thinking? Ooooo is Elio’s guide to the Communiverse; her body would deform, so she could become a big screen or reach out and pluck things. Ooooo has an ability like an amoeba to stretch.” Flexibility is important when figuring out shot design. “On Elio, we provided the layout department with a rudimentary version of our environments,” states David Luoh, Sets Supervisor. “It might be simple geometry. We’re not worried necessarily about shading, color and material yet. Things are roughly in place but also built in a way that is flexible. As they’re sorting out the camera and testing out staging, they can move elements of the set around. Maybe this architectural piece needs to be shifted or larger or smaller. There was a variation on what was typically expected of set deliveries of environments to our layout department. That bar was lowered to give the layout department something to work with sooner and also with more flexibility. From their work we get context as to how we partner with our art and design department to build and finalize those environments.” Regional biomes known as disks are part of the Communiverse. “There are aquatic, lush forest, snow and ice, and hot lava disks,” Luoh remarks. “The hot disk is grounded in the desert, volcanic rock and lava, while for the lush disk we looked at interesting plant life found in the world around us.” The Communiverse is a complex geometric form. “We wanted these natural arrangements of alien districts, and that was all happening on this twisting and curving terrain in a way that made traditional dressing approaches clunky. Oftentimes, you’re putting something on the ground or mounted, and the ground is always facing upward. But if you have to dress the wall or ceiling, it becomes a lot more difficult to manipulate and place on something with that dynamic and shape. You have stuff that casts light, is see-through and shifting over time. Ooooo is a living character that looks like electronic circuitry that is constantly moving, and we also have that element in the walls, floors and bubble transport that carry the characters around.” Sets were adjusted throughout the production. “We try to anticipate situations that might come up,” Luoh states. “What if we have a series of shots where you’re getting closer and closer to the Communiverse and you have to bridge the distance between your hero and set extension background? There is a partnership with story, but certainly with our layout camera staging department. As we see shots come out of their work, we know where we need to spend the time to figure out, are we going to see the distant hills in this way? We’re not going to build it until we know because it can be labor-intensive. There is a responsiveness to what we are starting to see as shots get made.” Combining the familiar into something unfamiliar was a process. “There was this curation of being inspired by existing alien sci-fi depictions, but also reaching back into biological phenomena or interesting material because we wanted to ground a lot of those visual elements and ideas in something that people could intuitively grasp on to, even if they were combined or arranged in a way that is surprising, strange and delightful.”
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  • Deliver At All Costs Review – Lukewarm Goods

    Despite its appearance as just another arcady sandbox game, Deliver At All Costs is shockingly story-minded. So much so, that its constant focus on narrative might deter those just looking for some dumb fun. And after seeing the narrative through to the end, I wouldn’t blame them, given how hard the game tries to be a grand tapestry of storytelling excellence. The adventure is structured into three acts, each with a unique town to explore and complete missions in. One act even features a time skip accompanied by a moment of no return. So even if you just want to ignore story and focus on acing deliveries and causing mayhem in the streets, you still have to go through some cutscenes and narrative progression to unlock the next towns and side missions.

     
    "The majority of the side content in Deliver At All Costs isn’t very enticing."
    Not that the side missions are worth doing anyway. The majority of side content in Deliver At All Costs isn’t very enticing. The rewards aren’t worth it and the fetch quest design doesn’t warrant the effort. I’d only recommend going out of your way for the side content if you’re already keen on exploring the various maps. The treasure chests and small boxes hidden throughout the game give cash that is used on materials for vehicle upgrades; however, a majority of upgrades can be purchased from the main story mission rewards anyway.
    I expected to have fun with the vehicle upgrades, but ended up sorely disappointed in their limited application. This is because upgrades cannot be used outside of curated story missions; bummer. Not that the crane attachment or extreme hauling capacity upgrade aren’t fun to play with; they are rather fun, but exclusively used for their particular missions. Again, if you’re expected a zany vehicular sandbox with a lot of options and unlockables, Deliver At All Costs isn’t that.
    The reason I keep associating the game with sandbox playability is due to its map design. It has an old-school 2D Grand Theft Auto style of isometric driving. In between story missions, you’re given the leisure to roam around town freely. All of your driving and running around is done through a top-down isometric camera angle that gives the environments a nice diorama look to them, and what’s more, you can move the camera between two different angles in case it’s difficult to see something.

    "Speaking of scenery, there’s a surprising amount of activity going on while you’re driving around delivering stuff."
    All the unique shops and landmarks of this diorama give off a classic vibe well. Oh, and the soundtrack fits the setting wonderfully. Lounge jazz and instrumental surfer rock accompany your deliveries, and it rarely gets repetitive. Tying it into GTA even more is the radio, with infrequent broadcasts that add flavor lore to the setting. Each town has multiple districts, each with their own theme, which helps vary up the scenery just that much more.
    Speaking of scenery, there’s a surprising amount of activity going on while you’re driving around delivering stuff. NPCs go about their business, birds glide across the sky, and plenty of vehicle traffic accompany the streets. In fact, there’s often a tad too much activity. Streets are so packed with cars and people that collisions are unavoidable.

    "NPCs roam the streets and become aggressive when threatened."
    I like how populated the game is, but it’s tuned a bit too high, getting in the way of enjoyability a lot of the time. Perhaps, it would have been better balanced to up the street traffic the further you get into the game, especially since the towns progress from rural to metropolitan through the course of the narrative. At the very least, there’s an attractive mini-map with well designed labels and indicators. Navigation is aided with helpful arrows showing the way to a mission destination too.
    But you aren’t merely delivering parcels to a destination in a given time limit; there’s a variety of ways the game mixes up its missions. Part of the game’s initial draw is its physics-based driving, which manifests in hilarious ways. One of the first missions tasks you with delivering a truck full of rotted watermelons. The first step is to bring them to a sanitizer, then you paint them so they look presentable, all while avoiding traffic and trying not to knock them over as they roll around in the back of the truck. It’s one of the enjoyable missions in the game, and one that demonstrates the physics gameplay best. I like how the missions get progressively more wacky and clever as you progress too. You even become a UFO hunter during one late-game job. It’s just too bad the very high traffic and wonky controls hamper the overall experience.

    "I like how the missions get progressively more wacky and clever as you progress."
    The driving controls are rather simple. Just aim in the direction you want to drive and hold the accelerate button. It’s the high sensitivity of the acceleration and the hard braking and turning that contribute to a somewhat frustrating experience. The high traffic just further compounds the controls to make for a somewhat clunky driving experience. Vehicles don’t differ in how they drive either, though you really only have the one truck for a large majority of the game anyway, so it doesn’t really make a difference. And the cars aren’t great to look at either. Heck, nothing looks particularly nice in the game, especially the characters. Facial animations are frankly bad and the bland art style doesn’t make up for the graphical shortcomings. What’s worse is there’s still some pretty substantial load times in-between regions, which hurts the flow of the open-world.
    But the element that gets hurt from graphics the most is the mixed story. It’s hard to take the drama seriously when its presented so poorly. There’s an attempt at cinematic camera angles during cutscenes, but textures are featureless and close-ups of people’s faces are serious PS1 quality stuff. Thankfully, a handful of characters are quite likable despite what their low poly models suggest. Winston’s delivery mates have surprising depth and a good amount of backstory. And Winston himself is a fully fledged personality and someone you can imagine working with.

    "Winston’s delivery mates have surprising depth and a good amount of backstory."
    Characters like Norman are instantly likeable while Winston’s arch-nemesis and hardline boss, Donovon, is perfectly punchable. I’m also impressed with a majority of the dialogue writing. Characters speak with a down-to-earth tone and level of informality that makes them realistic, even if they look like untextured Unity assets.
    Going back to where I started the review, the game goes surprisingly hard on the story axis, but it doesn’t fully land for me. The wacky yet earnest tone is great, but the execution of the plot doesn’t wrap up in a satisfying way. Winston’s mysterious past and the true motives of the delivery company’s executives had so much potential for an intriguing narrative thread. But alas, the finale just kinda falls flat without the payoff that the game was teasing.

    "The game goes surprisingly hard on the story front, but it didn’t fully land for me."
    As a whole, Delivery At All Costs delivers a zany and fun, though frustrating, isometric delivery experience with a story that tries a bit too hard. I can easily see this game being a cult classic, but for a majority of gamers, it won’t deliver a truly stunning experience. If you’re looking for a game with a wacky and inventive premise that experiments a bit, and don’t mind gameplay and graphics from three generations ago, give Deliver At All Costs a try and it might just deliver.
    This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
    #deliver #all #costs #review #lukewarm
    Deliver At All Costs Review – Lukewarm Goods
    Despite its appearance as just another arcady sandbox game, Deliver At All Costs is shockingly story-minded. So much so, that its constant focus on narrative might deter those just looking for some dumb fun. And after seeing the narrative through to the end, I wouldn’t blame them, given how hard the game tries to be a grand tapestry of storytelling excellence. The adventure is structured into three acts, each with a unique town to explore and complete missions in. One act even features a time skip accompanied by a moment of no return. So even if you just want to ignore story and focus on acing deliveries and causing mayhem in the streets, you still have to go through some cutscenes and narrative progression to unlock the next towns and side missions.   "The majority of the side content in Deliver At All Costs isn’t very enticing." Not that the side missions are worth doing anyway. The majority of side content in Deliver At All Costs isn’t very enticing. The rewards aren’t worth it and the fetch quest design doesn’t warrant the effort. I’d only recommend going out of your way for the side content if you’re already keen on exploring the various maps. The treasure chests and small boxes hidden throughout the game give cash that is used on materials for vehicle upgrades; however, a majority of upgrades can be purchased from the main story mission rewards anyway. I expected to have fun with the vehicle upgrades, but ended up sorely disappointed in their limited application. This is because upgrades cannot be used outside of curated story missions; bummer. Not that the crane attachment or extreme hauling capacity upgrade aren’t fun to play with; they are rather fun, but exclusively used for their particular missions. Again, if you’re expected a zany vehicular sandbox with a lot of options and unlockables, Deliver At All Costs isn’t that. The reason I keep associating the game with sandbox playability is due to its map design. It has an old-school 2D Grand Theft Auto style of isometric driving. In between story missions, you’re given the leisure to roam around town freely. All of your driving and running around is done through a top-down isometric camera angle that gives the environments a nice diorama look to them, and what’s more, you can move the camera between two different angles in case it’s difficult to see something. "Speaking of scenery, there’s a surprising amount of activity going on while you’re driving around delivering stuff." All the unique shops and landmarks of this diorama give off a classic vibe well. Oh, and the soundtrack fits the setting wonderfully. Lounge jazz and instrumental surfer rock accompany your deliveries, and it rarely gets repetitive. Tying it into GTA even more is the radio, with infrequent broadcasts that add flavor lore to the setting. Each town has multiple districts, each with their own theme, which helps vary up the scenery just that much more. Speaking of scenery, there’s a surprising amount of activity going on while you’re driving around delivering stuff. NPCs go about their business, birds glide across the sky, and plenty of vehicle traffic accompany the streets. In fact, there’s often a tad too much activity. Streets are so packed with cars and people that collisions are unavoidable. "NPCs roam the streets and become aggressive when threatened." I like how populated the game is, but it’s tuned a bit too high, getting in the way of enjoyability a lot of the time. Perhaps, it would have been better balanced to up the street traffic the further you get into the game, especially since the towns progress from rural to metropolitan through the course of the narrative. At the very least, there’s an attractive mini-map with well designed labels and indicators. Navigation is aided with helpful arrows showing the way to a mission destination too. But you aren’t merely delivering parcels to a destination in a given time limit; there’s a variety of ways the game mixes up its missions. Part of the game’s initial draw is its physics-based driving, which manifests in hilarious ways. One of the first missions tasks you with delivering a truck full of rotted watermelons. The first step is to bring them to a sanitizer, then you paint them so they look presentable, all while avoiding traffic and trying not to knock them over as they roll around in the back of the truck. It’s one of the enjoyable missions in the game, and one that demonstrates the physics gameplay best. I like how the missions get progressively more wacky and clever as you progress too. You even become a UFO hunter during one late-game job. It’s just too bad the very high traffic and wonky controls hamper the overall experience. "I like how the missions get progressively more wacky and clever as you progress." The driving controls are rather simple. Just aim in the direction you want to drive and hold the accelerate button. It’s the high sensitivity of the acceleration and the hard braking and turning that contribute to a somewhat frustrating experience. The high traffic just further compounds the controls to make for a somewhat clunky driving experience. Vehicles don’t differ in how they drive either, though you really only have the one truck for a large majority of the game anyway, so it doesn’t really make a difference. And the cars aren’t great to look at either. Heck, nothing looks particularly nice in the game, especially the characters. Facial animations are frankly bad and the bland art style doesn’t make up for the graphical shortcomings. What’s worse is there’s still some pretty substantial load times in-between regions, which hurts the flow of the open-world. But the element that gets hurt from graphics the most is the mixed story. It’s hard to take the drama seriously when its presented so poorly. There’s an attempt at cinematic camera angles during cutscenes, but textures are featureless and close-ups of people’s faces are serious PS1 quality stuff. Thankfully, a handful of characters are quite likable despite what their low poly models suggest. Winston’s delivery mates have surprising depth and a good amount of backstory. And Winston himself is a fully fledged personality and someone you can imagine working with. "Winston’s delivery mates have surprising depth and a good amount of backstory." Characters like Norman are instantly likeable while Winston’s arch-nemesis and hardline boss, Donovon, is perfectly punchable. I’m also impressed with a majority of the dialogue writing. Characters speak with a down-to-earth tone and level of informality that makes them realistic, even if they look like untextured Unity assets. Going back to where I started the review, the game goes surprisingly hard on the story axis, but it doesn’t fully land for me. The wacky yet earnest tone is great, but the execution of the plot doesn’t wrap up in a satisfying way. Winston’s mysterious past and the true motives of the delivery company’s executives had so much potential for an intriguing narrative thread. But alas, the finale just kinda falls flat without the payoff that the game was teasing. "The game goes surprisingly hard on the story front, but it didn’t fully land for me." As a whole, Delivery At All Costs delivers a zany and fun, though frustrating, isometric delivery experience with a story that tries a bit too hard. I can easily see this game being a cult classic, but for a majority of gamers, it won’t deliver a truly stunning experience. If you’re looking for a game with a wacky and inventive premise that experiments a bit, and don’t mind gameplay and graphics from three generations ago, give Deliver At All Costs a try and it might just deliver. This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5. #deliver #all #costs #review #lukewarm
    GAMINGBOLT.COM
    Deliver At All Costs Review – Lukewarm Goods
    Despite its appearance as just another arcady sandbox game, Deliver At All Costs is shockingly story-minded. So much so, that its constant focus on narrative might deter those just looking for some dumb fun. And after seeing the narrative through to the end, I wouldn’t blame them, given how hard the game tries to be a grand tapestry of storytelling excellence. The adventure is structured into three acts, each with a unique town to explore and complete missions in. One act even features a time skip accompanied by a moment of no return. So even if you just want to ignore story and focus on acing deliveries and causing mayhem in the streets, you still have to go through some cutscenes and narrative progression to unlock the next towns and side missions.   "The majority of the side content in Deliver At All Costs isn’t very enticing." Not that the side missions are worth doing anyway. The majority of side content in Deliver At All Costs isn’t very enticing. The rewards aren’t worth it and the fetch quest design doesn’t warrant the effort. I’d only recommend going out of your way for the side content if you’re already keen on exploring the various maps. The treasure chests and small boxes hidden throughout the game give cash that is used on materials for vehicle upgrades; however, a majority of upgrades can be purchased from the main story mission rewards anyway. I expected to have fun with the vehicle upgrades, but ended up sorely disappointed in their limited application. This is because upgrades cannot be used outside of curated story missions; bummer. Not that the crane attachment or extreme hauling capacity upgrade aren’t fun to play with; they are rather fun, but exclusively used for their particular missions. Again, if you’re expected a zany vehicular sandbox with a lot of options and unlockables, Deliver At All Costs isn’t that. The reason I keep associating the game with sandbox playability is due to its map design. It has an old-school 2D Grand Theft Auto style of isometric driving. In between story missions, you’re given the leisure to roam around town freely. All of your driving and running around is done through a top-down isometric camera angle that gives the environments a nice diorama look to them, and what’s more, you can move the camera between two different angles in case it’s difficult to see something. "Speaking of scenery, there’s a surprising amount of activity going on while you’re driving around delivering stuff." All the unique shops and landmarks of this diorama give off a classic vibe well. Oh, and the soundtrack fits the setting wonderfully. Lounge jazz and instrumental surfer rock accompany your deliveries, and it rarely gets repetitive. Tying it into GTA even more is the radio, with infrequent broadcasts that add flavor lore to the setting. Each town has multiple districts, each with their own theme, which helps vary up the scenery just that much more. Speaking of scenery, there’s a surprising amount of activity going on while you’re driving around delivering stuff. NPCs go about their business, birds glide across the sky, and plenty of vehicle traffic accompany the streets. In fact, there’s often a tad too much activity. Streets are so packed with cars and people that collisions are unavoidable. "NPCs roam the streets and become aggressive when threatened." I like how populated the game is, but it’s tuned a bit too high, getting in the way of enjoyability a lot of the time. Perhaps, it would have been better balanced to up the street traffic the further you get into the game, especially since the towns progress from rural to metropolitan through the course of the narrative. At the very least, there’s an attractive mini-map with well designed labels and indicators. Navigation is aided with helpful arrows showing the way to a mission destination too. But you aren’t merely delivering parcels to a destination in a given time limit; there’s a variety of ways the game mixes up its missions. Part of the game’s initial draw is its physics-based driving, which manifests in hilarious ways. One of the first missions tasks you with delivering a truck full of rotted watermelons. The first step is to bring them to a sanitizer, then you paint them so they look presentable, all while avoiding traffic and trying not to knock them over as they roll around in the back of the truck. It’s one of the enjoyable missions in the game, and one that demonstrates the physics gameplay best. I like how the missions get progressively more wacky and clever as you progress too. You even become a UFO hunter during one late-game job. It’s just too bad the very high traffic and wonky controls hamper the overall experience. "I like how the missions get progressively more wacky and clever as you progress." The driving controls are rather simple. Just aim in the direction you want to drive and hold the accelerate button. It’s the high sensitivity of the acceleration and the hard braking and turning that contribute to a somewhat frustrating experience. The high traffic just further compounds the controls to make for a somewhat clunky driving experience. Vehicles don’t differ in how they drive either, though you really only have the one truck for a large majority of the game anyway, so it doesn’t really make a difference. And the cars aren’t great to look at either. Heck, nothing looks particularly nice in the game, especially the characters. Facial animations are frankly bad and the bland art style doesn’t make up for the graphical shortcomings. What’s worse is there’s still some pretty substantial load times in-between regions, which hurts the flow of the open-world. But the element that gets hurt from graphics the most is the mixed story. It’s hard to take the drama seriously when its presented so poorly. There’s an attempt at cinematic camera angles during cutscenes, but textures are featureless and close-ups of people’s faces are serious PS1 quality stuff. Thankfully, a handful of characters are quite likable despite what their low poly models suggest. Winston’s delivery mates have surprising depth and a good amount of backstory. And Winston himself is a fully fledged personality and someone you can imagine working with. "Winston’s delivery mates have surprising depth and a good amount of backstory." Characters like Norman are instantly likeable while Winston’s arch-nemesis and hardline boss, Donovon, is perfectly punchable. I’m also impressed with a majority of the dialogue writing. Characters speak with a down-to-earth tone and level of informality that makes them realistic, even if they look like untextured Unity assets. Going back to where I started the review, the game goes surprisingly hard on the story axis, but it doesn’t fully land for me. The wacky yet earnest tone is great, but the execution of the plot doesn’t wrap up in a satisfying way. Winston’s mysterious past and the true motives of the delivery company’s executives had so much potential for an intriguing narrative thread. But alas, the finale just kinda falls flat without the payoff that the game was teasing. "The game goes surprisingly hard on the story front, but it didn’t fully land for me." As a whole, Delivery At All Costs delivers a zany and fun, though frustrating, isometric delivery experience with a story that tries a bit too hard. I can easily see this game being a cult classic, but for a majority of gamers, it won’t deliver a truly stunning experience. If you’re looking for a game with a wacky and inventive premise that experiments a bit, and don’t mind gameplay and graphics from three generations ago, give Deliver At All Costs a try and it might just deliver. This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
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