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NEWS: Gonzo Sells 3D/VFX Digital Division to Q-Tec




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edzieba



Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 704
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:38 am Reply with quote
With Gonzo's legendarily terrible video mastering (post-processing interlaced, framerate shifted video? Are you SERIOUS?), why would anyone pay money to them to screw up their own videos too.
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GeorgeC



Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Posts: 795
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:02 am Reply with quote
Golly gee Jehosaphat!

Are they ever going to get done STRIPPING this company to the bone???

Goes to show you that Japanese companies also trim companies down like crazy, too!

I'd be worried about my job if I worked at Gonzo for sure...
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Renaisance Otaku



Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 469
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:45 pm Reply with quote
Rather surprising news considering Gonzo's long time place in the forefront of overusing CGI in tradition animation projects. They practically solidified the concept in Japan themselves. CGI is/was a big part of Gonzo's animation look, so it's amazing to see them sell it off. It'd be like if Lucas had sold ILM's computer department instead of the practical effects one.

I've always had mixed reactions to most og Gonzo's productions, but I must say that it's rather disheartening to see the company get picked over like carrion like this.
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DomFortress



Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 751
Location: Richmond BC, Canada
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:26 pm Reply with quote
Renaisance Otaku wrote:
Rather surprising news considering Gonzo's long time place in the forefront of overusing CGI in tradition animation projects. They practically solidified the concept in Japan themselves. CGI is/was a big part of Gonzo's animation look, so it's amazing to see them sell it off. It'd be like if Lucas had sold ILM's computer department instead of the practical effects one.

I've always had mixed reactions to most og Gonzo's productions, but I must say that it's rather disheartening to see the company get picked over like carrion like this.
I understand your sentiment. However that's what happens when a company like Gonzo unrealistically expanded beyond actual market potential, due to poor decision making based on unreliable market returns.
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Renaisance Otaku



Joined: 15 Jan 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:19 pm Reply with quote
Oh I understand it. I remember how they seemed to be the kings of the genre in their aggression for the last few years. Never helped that ADV and Funi always treated their stuff like it was the best out of Japan with each license despite maybe a handful of quality titles like FMP and Gankutsuou. We're seeing the same thing here with ADV, who were at the top a few years back, and are now nearly as quiet as Animeigo. I just find it amazing that they'd let go of such a key part of their stylistic approach (a part I've admittedly never been fond of). It's like when Disney shuttered Feature Animation ages ago because they thought "2D was dead".

How the mighty have fallen I guess.
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MetatronM



Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 281
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:55 pm Reply with quote
Renaisance Otaku wrote:
Rather surprising news considering Gonzo's long time place in the forefront of overusing CGI in tradition animation projects. They practically solidified the concept in Japan themselves. CGI is/was a big part of Gonzo's animation look, so it's amazing to see them sell it off. It'd be like if Lucas had sold ILM's computer department instead of the practical effects one.

That analogy would work better if ILM sucked at CG.
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vulcanraven01



Joined: 18 Apr 2009
Posts: 677
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:39 pm Reply with quote
Good news for me.
One of my main concerns with recent Gonzo work is that they rely too much on CGI, but due to their budget, it always ends up looking half-assed and just brings down the whole visual quality of the overall product.
I think if this perhaps forces them to rely on traditional methods, and be a little more creative, then it could help Gonzo in the long run.
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Skua



Joined: 24 Apr 2009
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:48 pm Reply with quote
GeorgeC wrote:

Are they ever going to get done STRIPPING this company to the bone???

Goes to show you that Japanese companies also trim companies down like crazy, too!


Well, the majority ownership and management changed, so it's not surprising. The new overlords aren't emotionally invested in the company and its legacy, so they'd be the most inclined to do anything it takes to return Gonzo to profitability.

Renaisance Otaku wrote:
Rather surprising news considering Gonzo's long time place in the forefront of overusing CGI in tradition animation projects. They practically solidified the concept in Japan themselves. CGI is/was a big part of Gonzo's animation look, so it's amazing to see them sell it off. It'd be like if Lucas had sold ILM's computer department instead of the practical effects one.

I've always had mixed reactions to most og Gonzo's productions, but I must say that it's rather disheartening to see the company get picked over like carrion like this.


I can see Gonzo transitioning from a studio-oriented producer to a more "commissioner-oriented" one. This means fewer shows that are uniquely Gonzo, and more that merely adhere to the specifications of financiers. In terms of current series, think Shangri-La vs Saki.

This doesn't mean that Gonzo can't add some identifying nuances (like Shaft's excessive visual symbolism or J.C.STAFF's soft, watercolor look), but if you aren't out to make your mark as a creator, there's no need or budget to rely on something expensive. Simple CG work can also be outsourced.
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Top Gun



Joined: 28 Sep 2007
Posts: 4835
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:02 pm Reply with quote
I can't help but think of one random scene in Trinity Blood (a train wreck in almost every aspect, but that's another story) where one character slides a gun across a table to another. A fully-rendered CGI gun...for no reason at all...which stuck out like a sore thumb. Even in Last Exile, a series I genuinely enjoyed, the computer-generated ships and effects jumped out against the backgrounds as if they were all painted neon green. If being forced to ditch their VFX arm means that they shy away from this sort of style, then so much the better.
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DomFortress



Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 751
Location: Richmond BC, Canada
PostPosted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:37 pm Reply with quote
Renaisance Otaku wrote:
Oh I understand it. I remember how they seemed to be the kings of the genre in their aggression for the last few years. Never helped that ADV and Funi always treated their stuff like it was the best out of Japan with each license despite maybe a handful of quality titles like FMP and Gankutsuou. We're seeing the same thing here with ADV, who were at the top a few years back, and are now nearly as quiet as Animeigo. I just find it amazing that they'd let go of such a key part of their stylistic approach (a part I've admittedly never been fond of). It's like when Disney shuttered Feature Animation ages ago because they thought "2D was dead".

How the mighty have fallen I guess.
The problem is, they were led to think that way from an outside influence; us, the anime fandom community outside of Japan, which are the target consumer group for R1 anime licensing companies, that's outside of the niche Japanese anime market. So essentially, we as the anime fans are responsible for the "unreliable market returns".
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hikaru004



Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Posts: 2306
PostPosted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:02 pm Reply with quote
Hopefully Q-Tec won't let Gonzo's bad CG rub off on them. Basquash looks great right now.
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edzieba



Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 704
PostPosted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:51 am Reply with quote
hikaru004 wrote:
Hopefully Q-Tec won't let Gonzo's bad CG rub off on them. Basquash looks great right now.
Basquash's CG is done in-house by Satellite, not Gonzo/Q-Tec.
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