E4 - Hold That Machete Tight!

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
SIGN    Film
[00:18] M
    The shape's so hazy,
[00:20] M
    and the shadows end up looking
    totally flat and different...
[00:25] A
    I ended up drawing a pond up top,
    even though there's no water source.
[00:27] M
    How does the smoke flow
    from an explosion, anyway?
[00:32] A
    This is gonna be hard to adjust.
[00:35] A
    Maybe a bunch of roots would imply
    capillary action in a way that—
[00:39] M
    I'm getting nowhere, and it's
     making my brain boil!
[00:49] A
    You've gotten really good
    at handling a machete.
[00:52] M
    I wanted a real one, but they
    said it was too dangerous.
[00:55] M
    I have no idea how this smoke is moving...
[00:59] A
    Smoke can be pretty
     complicated in motion.
[01:02] ---
    There's nothing wrong with
    using live action references,
[01:04] ---
    but check out the kind of
    stuff our forebears did.
[01:10] M
    I guess it can change pretty suddenly,
    without much transition, too.
[01:18] M
    This has a lot of impact.
[01:20] M
    And this one is just shaking the screen?
[01:22] A
    You can learn a lot from studying
    what our predecessors did!
[01:25] M
    There's something about the pace here...
[01:28] K
    Both of you, in the PC room, now!
[01:32] A
    Hey, there's color, and it's composited!
[01:34] K
    Is that really all you have to say?
[01:36] M
    This feels totally different
    from just flipping pages.
[01:39] M
    Since there's no option for previews,
[01:41] M
    only getting to see it once it's
    finished makes a stronger impression.
[01:43] M
    The extra time until it's ready gives
    you a more objective view on it...
[01:46] M
    You get that, "So that's how
    it turned out!" feeling,
[01:47] M
    like after you fire some sculpted clay.
[01:49] M
    You imagine how it'll turn
     out while you work on it,
[01:50] M
    but once it's finished, it's hard
     to make any corrections.
[01:52] M
    It makes you think about where
    you could do a better job!
[01:55] M
    Since the screen's big
     with good picture quality,
[01:57] M
    you get a better idea of how it turns out.
[01:59] M
    It's still kind of rough...
[02:00] A
    Adding sound effects and music
    will give it a new vibe, too!
[02:03] A
    Gotta say, I can't wait to
    see the finished product!
[02:07] K
    Do you realize whose job that is?!
[02:10] K
    You'd like to see all the finished cuts, yes?
[02:13] K
    Because we only have a month
    left until our deadline.
[02:15] A
    Hang on... is that all we've
    got for finished animation?
[02:19] K
    Exactly.
[02:21] K
    Mizusaki, what cut were
    you working on last week?
[02:25] M
    Number four...
[02:26] K
    What about this week?
[02:29] M
    Number... four.
[02:31] K
    After an entire month,
    we only have four cuts done?!
[02:34] K
    This pace is too slow! Try to consider
    that we have to finish the entire thing!
[02:38] K
    Here we have two typical cuts.
[02:40] K
    And here are our four!
[02:43] K
    Each one has enough art for 36 cuts.
[02:46] M
    You said I could make the
    acting realistic, Kanamori!
[02:50] K
    Only when there's leeway to do so,
[02:52] K
    in the context of finishing
    the whole product!
[02:53] K
    At this rate, we have no chance of
    finishing before the budget committee review!
[02:57] K
    You'd need to draw 24 hours a day for
    the next month, starting today.
[03:01] M
    That impossible! Thirty all-nighters in a row?!
[03:04] K
    In that case, we'll shorten it to 48 hours
     a day over the course of 15 days.
[03:08] M
    All you did was halve one of those
    numbers and double the other!
[03:12] A
    That ought to give us another ten seconds.
[03:15] K
    What kind of magic did you use to do that?
[03:17] A
    I added a pure background to the cut.
[03:19] A
    Then throw in a little camerawork to jazz it up.
[03:22] A
    We don't have to animate every single scene.
[03:25] K
    Good! More like that!
[03:26] A
    Yes, ma'am!
SIGN    Episode 4       Hold That Machete Tight!
SIGN    Keep
SIGN    Your
SIGN    Hands
SIGN    Off
SIGN    Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
SIGN    Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
[04:59] A
    We will now begin shooting with our
    self-propelled tripod-mounted camera!
[05:02] A
    Now, where's our subject?
[05:04] M
    Asakusa! That car!
[05:05] A
    Rotating camera platform!
[05:07] A
    We can get away with just rotating the
    cel for the camera with top down shots!
[05:10] A
    Wait, maybe we could rotate
    the rest instead...
[05:12] M
    Asakusa, hurry!
[05:13] A
    Get rid of anything that hasn't been painted
[05:15] A
    in an otherwise a pure background shot!
[05:17] A
    Got it!
[05:18] A
    If it's a close up of a rotating wheel,
[05:20] A
    we only need three frames to reuse over and over!
[05:22] M
    I'm not a fan of these highlight-only
    backgrounds, though.
[05:24] A
    Then we can zoom in and add the sky!
[05:26] M
    But wouldn't that be a waste,
    since we drew the bottom?
[05:29] A
    We could cycle three frames for the ground,
[05:31] A
    and fade them into the horizon!
[05:32] A
    How's that?!
[05:33] A
    Plus a side-scrolling cut!
[05:35] M
    It's the same background repeating, huh?
[05:37] A
    That one is pretty infuriating...
[05:39] A
    Okay, let's take a cool pose, and stretch
     it out to fill a bunch of time!
[05:43] A
    Pan! Pan! Pan!
[05:45] M
    Too close!
[05:46] A
    Since it's hand-drawn, we just rescan the art.
[05:48] M
    These are still roughs!
    There's not enough detail.
[05:50] M
    The lines...
[05:51] A
    So we throw in a light source!
[05:55] A
    We can add additional cuts to focus
    on the parts with a lot of movement!
[05:59] A
    Tight focus, horizontal pan!
[06:00] A
    Make the background slightly
    off-set from the character!
[06:02] M
    This is like cheating.
[06:03] A
    Aw, shut it!
[06:04] M
    It's not holding up with this zoom,
    so I'm gonna add an additional frame.
[06:07] A
    That looks more natural!
[06:08] M
    I don't really like these kind of loops!
[06:11] M
    I'd rather draw a unique fluttering animation.
[06:13] A
    Too fancy!
[06:13] M
    If it's gonna hold on the shot
    for so long, then one more frame!
[06:15] A
    That made a difference!
[06:17] A
    You take the classics and then add a
    little variation to keep things fresh!
[06:21] A
    Just like the menu at a popular cafeteria!
[06:23] A
    Let's shoot the sky!
[06:26] A
    Everybody loves a blue sky with clouds.
[06:28] A
    Movies set in summer are bound to
    have a shot with clouds scrolling by.
[06:31] A
    If a character is framed against the sky,
     it makes the backgrounds simple.
[06:34] A
    There are lots of panels in
    manga with white backgrounds.
[06:37] A
    It makes you wonder why the backgrounds
    bother being so detailed in anime!
[06:41] A
    Manga is monochrome! Is there
    really any need for color?
[06:44] M
    But it's pretty!
[06:46] A
    We can change the level of exposure
    to simulate a real camera.
[06:48] A
    That's how it works for
    the human eye, after all.
[06:50] A
    Even if there are no animation cels involved,
[06:52] A
    we can't just show a purely static shot!
[06:54] A
    That said...
[06:55] A
    If we overdo it, the story
    is going to fall apart,
[06:59] A
    considering we've already
    got a storyboard.
[07:00] K
    It makes a good impression, though.
[07:03] A
    Th-The thing is, even if it
    looks good, without a story—
[07:05] K
    I'm trying to say that it's already cool.
[07:08] K
    Even in black and white.
[07:10] A
    You're not about to lay some kinda
    weird stuff on us, are you?
[07:13] M
    It would be a lot easier
    without a story, though.
[07:17] M
    You think we can pull that off somehow?
[07:19] K
    Let's drop the narrative
    and have Asakusa figure out
[07:22] K
    a way to re-contextualize it all.
[07:23] A
    Whoa, hold on—
[07:24] K
    We do not have enough time for
    additional color, sound, or photography.
[07:29] M
    Wait, you mean actually going monochrome?!
[07:31] K
    It should be fine.
[07:32] K
    We'll make it stylized, and present it
    like a preview for the finished product.
[07:35] K
    Manga is monochrome too, but it's still
     a full-fledged entertainment product.
[07:38] A
    But the story...
[07:42] K
    The story won't matter if we can't finish it!
[07:45] K
    Listen. As long as we can deliver on
    this presentation, we'll have funding.
[07:49] K
    Then, by all means, make whatever
    you want, however you want.
[07:53] K
    We're going into this
    budget review committee...
[07:57] K
    And our plan is to bluff.
[08:34] M
    It's hard to get the right
    line quality with a scan...
[08:37] K
    You're the one who wanted
    to do this with paper.
[08:41] K
    Getting the lines to look nice and
    finishing the coloring takes time.
[08:45] K
    We're not going to be able to finish this anime
[08:47] K
    with just what you have on paper.
SIGN    Film
[08:50] M
    Automated inbetweening?!
[08:51] K
    Right. We generate the art between
    key frames automatically,
[08:55] K
    which should save us on the
    time needed to color them.
[08:57] K
    That'll let you focus more
    on the general animation.
SIGN    Finished In-Betweens
SIGN    Finished Keyframes
[09:02] M
    Hang on! I said I wanted to do this all by hand!
[09:05] K
    Why are you so dead set on that, anyway?
[09:07] K
    We're already using digital
    colors and photography.
[09:09] M
    Those are different!
[09:11] M
    And it'll be hard to use this
    method for the whole thing!
SIGN    Finished In-Betweens
[09:14] M
    There's no guarantee it'll work...
[09:16] M
    Besides, a lot of simple cuts are coming up!
[09:17] M
    I bet we make a ton of progress really fast!
SIGN    Finished In-Betweens
SIGN    Finished Keyframes
[09:19] K
    I've heard those kinds of
    optimistic proclamations before,
[09:24] K
    and I've come to realize that
    there's no basis for them.
SIGN    TASK
SIGN    MIZUSAKI
SIGN    KEYFRAMES
SIGN    IN-BETWEENS
[09:26] K
    The numbers aren't going up,
SIGN    TUESDAY
SIGN    WEDNESDAY
SIGN    THURSDAY
SIGN    FRIDAY
SIGN    SATURDAY
SIGN    SUNDAY
SIGN    MONDAY
SIGN    TUESDAY
SIGN    WEDNESDAY
[09:28] K
    and based on that, we have to
    assume it won't be done in time.
SIGN    THURSDAY
SIGN    FRIDAY
SIGN    SATURDAY
SIGN    SUNDAY
SIGN    MONDAY
SIGN    TUESDAY
SIGN    WEDNESDAY
SIGN    THURSDAY
SIGN    FRIDAY
SIGN    SATURDAY
SIGN    SUNDAY
SIGN    MONDAY
SIGN    TUESDAY
SIGN    WEDNESDAY
SIGN    THURSDAY
SIGN    FRIDAY
SIGN    SATURDAY
SIGN    SUNDAY
SIGN    MONDAY  TUESDAY  WEDNESDAY  THURSDAY
[09:31] K
    It's already clear that this won't
    work if it's 100% hand-drawn.
SIGN    Finished In-Betweens
[09:34] K
    So we need to go with the methods
    that will actually let us finish.
[09:37] K
    The audience won't be particular about
    whether it's analog or digital anyway.
[09:41] M
    There are people who will be able to tell!
[09:42] K
    The alternative is you finding
    a way to work 48 hours a day.
[09:47] M
    Look, I'm doing this by hand! Okay?!
SIGN    Finished In-Betweens
SIGN    Finished Keyframes
[09:51] A
    I think it'd be good for the
    cuts where we need clean art
[09:54] A
    with simple proportion changes.
[09:55] A
    The way the lines stay clean even
    when you zoom in is pretty handy.
SIGN    Finished In-Betweens
[09:59] K
    But if we can't use digital at all,
     we won't be able to finish.
[10:03] K
    Is it all right if I ask the art club
    for help with the backgrounds?
[10:07] K
    I want you to be able to back
    Mizusaki up as soon as possible.
[10:11] A
    I couldn't possibly start bossing
    around the folks in the art club...
[10:17] K
    Then we'll use solid white or
    black shots for backgrounds.
[10:21] K
    And the remainder of our cuts will
    be panning, static lip sync shots.
[10:24] M
    Using lip sync shots when there isn't
    any dialog?! That misses the whole point!
[10:28] K
    Then it'll have to be a static picture story.
[10:30] M
    We can't do that! No way!
[10:33] K
    Would you rather screen the
    line art we have right now?
[10:36] K
    I'm going to talk to the art club.
SIGN    Hold That Machete Tight!
[11:16] K
    The art club was no help.
[11:18] K
    They've got their hands full preparing
    for the budget review committee,
[11:22] K
    and apparently don't feel anime backgrounds
[11:23] K
    are a sufficient outlet for
    their artistic ambitions.
[11:26] K
    That being the case...
[11:28] K
    Moving forward, it'll be
    stills and keyframes only—
[11:30] M
    I'll test out the automatic
    in-betweening program!
[11:33] M
    In exchange, can I still do the cuts
    that I want to focus on by hand?
[11:37] K
    That should be fine, as long as
    you pull back some on other cuts,
[11:41] K
    and are willing to split the
    work with Asakusa occasionally.
[11:43] M
    Okay! Then I'll put my focus where
    it's needed, and get get to work!
[11:46] K
    Let's head to the PC room, and I can
     give you the basic breakdown.
[11:50] K
    I've already set everything up,
    and know how it's done.
SIGN    P
    C
     
    R
    O
    O
    M
[11:54] A
    Awesome!
[11:56] K
    What do you think, Mizusaki?
[11:58] M
    Yeah, this should work with a few adjustments.
[12:00] M
    It's better than I thought!
[12:03] A
    This is gonna work!
[12:05] A
    The lines are clean and flow smoothly,
[12:06] A
    so we can even up the frame count!
[12:08] K
    Please head back to the club room and
    get to work on the backgrounds, Asakusa.
[12:11] A
    But I wanted to see more...
SIGN    Film
SIGN    Place card here
SIGN    Place card here
[12:59] K
    Asakusa?
[13:01] K
    Were you sleeping down there?
[13:03] A
    Yeah. I was pretending to be a pro.
[13:05] K
    And professional animators
    sleep under their desks?
[13:08] A
    Yeah. What time is it?
[13:11] K
    It's 3:5.. wait, no, it's 4:00 AM now.
[13:15] K
    Good morning.
[13:16] A
    Yeah, something about 4:00 AM says,
    "It's morning now," huh?
[13:19] K
    So, were you able to finish?
[13:22] A
    I'd say it's less about finishing
    or completing the project,
[13:25] A
    and more the outcome of passion
    crashing against compromise and resignation.
[13:28] K
    Where's Mizusaki?
[13:30] A
    The last cut is a pretty beefy one...
[13:33] K
    I suppose we'll have to
    use line art for that one.
[13:37] A
    No time to color it, huh?
[13:39] A
    I gotta say, there's something
    humiliating about having to toss out the story
[13:43] A
    in favor of doing something
    more like a preview!
[13:46] K
    Given the situation we were in,
     what was the alternative?
[13:49] K
    And even then, we ended up having to stay
[13:50] K
    at school overnight the
    day before the screening.
[13:53] K
    The night watch is going to
    be making the rounds soon.
[13:56] A
    That's bad, Kanamori!
[13:58] A
    Then again, considering we never left,
[14:00] A
    it's not like we snuck in,
    so we won't be arrested.
[14:02] K
    You realize being on campus
    outside of designated hours is
[14:05] K
    still trespassing, right?
[14:06] A
    It is?!
[14:09] K
    It looks like Mizusaki's finished.
[14:18] A
    That sure is morning.
[14:25] A
    Let's finish this thing and clear on out.
[14:34] M
    Sorry I'm late!
[14:36] F
    Oh, good morning.
[14:42] K
    I got approval for our overnight stay.
[14:44] A
    You could've said something!
[14:46] K
    You never asked.
[14:48] M
    That's our Kanamori!
[14:50] K
    Moving on, during the presentation,
[14:52] K
    I want you two to stay quiet
     and avoid anything dangerous.
[14:55] M
    Dangerous?
[14:56] K
    We're up against the student council,
[14:58] K
    who are apparently dangerous enough that,
     "Keep your hands off the student council!"
[15:01] K
    is common advice.
[15:03] Carbs Guy 1
    We at the carbohydrates revolution group,
     with the amoeba we have created...
SIGN    Club Activities  Budget Review Committee
[15:06] Crowd
    Go home! Beat it!
[15:07] CG 1
    h-have found a way to make the miso soup
    from the cafeteria taste more mild!
[15:09] Crowd
    How long is this gonna be?!
[15:11] Crowd
    Who gives a damn?!
[15:12] Crowd
    I like the rich flavor, dumbass!
[15:15] Crowd
    Get lost!
[15:16] CG 1
    The carbohydrates revolution
[15:18] CG 1
    seeks to have ramen and rice
    added to the cafeteria's menu,
[15:21] CG 1
    and eliminate the parties responsible
     for charging exorbitant prices
[15:24] CG 1
    for double orders at our school's cafeteria!
[15:26] Crowd
    Double carbs?!
[15:27] Crowd
    Ramen with rice is a crime against nature!
[15:28] Carbs Guy 2
    This will all be made possible
    by our electromagnetic amoeba!
[15:33] Crowd
    Get off the stage!
[15:34] Crowd
    Other people have
    presentations to make!
SIGN    SECURITY CLUB
[15:35] Dotonbori
    Okay, that'll do.
[15:36] Dotonbori
    There's inconsistency in your vision,
     your agenda is ambiguous,
[15:40] Dotonbori
    there's no scientific basis for
    your claims about that amoeba,
[15:42] Dotonbori
    and ramen with rice is not a socially
    approved dietary combo.
[15:46] Dotonbori
    Therefore, the carbohydrates revolution's
     budget request is denied.
SIGN    DENIED
[15:54] A
    This is one intense committee!
[15:55] PA
    Next up is the film research association.
[15:58] A
    Calm down, people!
[16:00] A
    We've done all we can to prepare.
[16:02] A
    Let's hold our heads high...
[16:03] M
    Come on, Asakusa.
[16:06] K
    We are the film research association.
[16:08] DTB
    One second, please.
[16:10] DTB
    Before your presentation,
SIGN    SECURITY CLUB
[16:11] DTB
    there are questions about the
    film research association's activities.
[16:14] DTB
    Or rather, antics you've gotten up to.
[16:17] DTB
    We've received reports that
    you've smashed through steel walls,
[16:22] DTB
    and torn down iron pipe railings.
[16:24] DTB
    You do realize that you're damaging
    property that was provided to you
[16:28] DTB
    by the school, right?
[16:29] DTB
    Isn't that a major problem?
[16:31] K
    I fail to see the problem.
[16:33] DTB
    Huh?
SIGN    SECURITY CLUB
[16:35] DTB
    Well, there's more than that!
[16:36] DTB
    The anime club has made complaints
[16:38] DTB
    that your film club was chased through
    their screening, disrupting it,
[16:43] DTB
    with non-school personnel being
    on the premises as a result.
[16:47] DTB
    What do you have to say about that?
[16:49] K
    I don't believe it's a problem.
[16:51] DTB
    Well, it's a huge one!
SIGN    SECURITY CLUB
[16:53] DTB
    There are even rumors the eizouken
    has been keeping a wild raccoon dog!
[16:59] Sakaki
    Why don't you think it's a problem?
[17:01] K
    Why?
[17:02] K
    Are you curious about what I think about it?
[17:05] Sakaki
    We're making the call on whether
    you get a budget here.
[17:08] Sakaki
    As it stands, the eizouken is
    basically a public enemy.
[17:12] Sakaki
    And depending on how this goes,
    you might even get shut down.
[17:16] K
    Our club room was damaged
    because it was in disrepair.
[17:19] K
    The school has admitted that already,
[17:21] K
    and if there is an issue with
    the outsiders on school grounds,
[17:25] K
    that would be a matter to
    bring up with the school
[17:27] K
    as a lack of security, wouldn't it?
[17:29] K
    Meaning the problems you've stated
    are the school's responsibility.
[17:32] K
    Which would be downright scandalous.
[17:34] K
    Would the faculty like to
    discuss these scandals?
[17:37] DTB
    No! Let's not talk about any
    school scandals at this meeting!
[17:40] Sakaki
    You don't have much of a poker face, huh?
[17:41] DTB
    By my authority as
    student council president,
SIGN    SECURITY CLUB
[17:43] DTB
    the eizouken's activities
    are hereby suspended!
[17:45] K
    Your authority?
[17:46] K
    Does the student council wield their
    authority like a blunt weapon, now?
SIGN    SECURITY CLUB
[17:52] Sakaki
    Y'know, your little bluff might
    have scared the teachers,
[17:56] Sakaki
    but do you really think it's
    enough to get us to back down?
[18:01] A
    Aw, cram it!
[18:05] A
    You bunch, thinking you can get high and mighty
[18:08] A
    just 'cause you've got us over a barrel!
[18:10] A
    Well, we ain't exactly the kinda folks
    who're gonna bow to bums like you!
[18:14] A
    We come up on this stage like clowns
    'cause you decided to put on a show,
[18:18] A
    and now you wanna rake us over the coals?!
[18:20] A
    Say what now? All kindsa problems?!
[18:22] A
    Blast it, all you've done is run your
    mouths about a buncha hokum, ya nimrods!
[18:27] A
    You think we were running
    from those goons
[18:29] A
    or wrecking ourselves in that
    crummy old club building for fun?!
[18:32] A
    But we did it all, cuz that's
    what it took to make anime!
[18:35] A
    We took our lumps to get this
    anime made, ya ignoramuses!
[18:38] A
    The proof's in the pudding! Don't run
    yer mouth until you've tasted it!
[18:41] A
    Got it?!
[18:45] DTB
    Say what now?
[18:47] Sakaki
    "Don't complain about how it's done.
    Look at the finished product first."
[18:50] DTB
    I suppose you can run your video, in that case.
[18:55] Sakaki
    You realize you just gave them the
    okay to announce their project?
SIGN    Hold That Machete Tight!
SIGN    Film
SIGN    Film
[22:20] Crowd
    Holy crap...
[22:22] Crowd
    That wasn't in 3D, right?
[22:23] Crowd
    Y'know how in 4D theaters,
    they blow wind at you?
[22:25] Sakaki
    Huh... they were actually
    working on something.
[22:25] Crowd
    I wanna see more.
[22:28] K
    What do you two think?
[22:29] A
    Aw, come on.
[22:30] M
    You're seriously asking that, Kanamori?
[22:33] M
    It was hard to pick the tank out
    with the two-tone coloring.
[22:36] M
    We should've added some gray.
[22:37] A
    The transitions during the
    fall didn't look too good.
[22:39] M
    And the dust clouds look really flat
    unless you add textures to them all.
[22:42] Sakaki
    They got something done even without a budget.
[22:42] A
    The rough parts look more
    obvious on a big screen.
[22:44] M
    Just shows you must do the job right,
     no matter how small it seems.
[22:47] K
    One of the frames in the loops
     was missing a shadow.
[22:49] K
    That made it look a bit choppy.
[22:50] A
    Some stuff only becomes obvious
    when you see the final product.
[22:52] A
    Like how almost all the cuts
    are with a wide angle lens.
[22:54] M
    We should bring a PC into the club
    room so we can do regular checks!
[22:57] K
    I'll take it under advisement.
[22:58] A
    Anyway, we've gotta move on from here.
     The editing is pretty rough.
[23:00] A
    You've gotta be thorough, or it wrecks the thing.
[23:02] Sakaki
    What do you think they'll come
    up with if they get a budget?
[23:06] K
    Wouldn't the tank shoot her down?
[23:08] A
    Don't be stupid! Those flight
    suits are really fast!
[23:11] K
    We should probably go over what
     we've got so far and redo the plan.
[23:13] A
    All right! Onto the next phase!
[23:16] A
    Our goal is to put everything
    we want into this thing!
[23:19] M
    Yeah, definitely!
[23:21] A
    I dunno how we got this far, but it's
     getting even more interesting!
SIGN    Club Activity Budget Request Form
SIGN    Club Name:
SIGN    Film Study Association (Eizouken)
SIGN    Goals:
SIGN    Study of film, production of animation
SIGN    APPROVED
SIGN    Wa-ha-ha
SIGN    Illustration by: Masakazu Ishiguro