"I Got This" Filming Starts On Dec. 19th

Wish us luck. We're gonna need it.

Production of Film to start quite soon!

We are back from our month off from the blog, in which time we stuffed ourselves with turkey and pasta, and loads of desserts, with a new announcement!

OFFICIAL PRODUCTION OF OUR FILM STARTS IN DECEMBER!


While it will mostly be filming with the main cast and establishing each of the filming locations, main production is set to start at some point towards the end of the month of December!

GET YOUR ACTING FACE ON, PEOPLE!

Over acting...

Not quite there yet...

The Thing (2011) Review

THE PROLOGUE! (feel free to scroll down to the actual review)
John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) is one of my favorite movies of all time. A team of American scientists trapped in the most desolate place on earth with a creature that is trying to kill and replicate them causing paranoia and terror to spread like herpes on Jersey Shore. The formula is perfect, the characters are believable and the creature effects set a standard for the movie industry.

When I learned that a prequel was in the works I got that:
"excited/scared feeling. Like 98% excited, 2% scared. Or maybe it's more - It could be two - it could be 98% scared, 2% excited but that's what makes it so intense, it's so - confused. I can't really figure it out." -Oscar (Armageddon)
I didn't want to set my sights too high and get stabbed in the back like Hollywood has a tendency to do but I allowed myself to hope. When I started reading articles talking about all the practical effects and the interior of the space ship I had a geekasm. The female role left me feeling dubious, but what the hell, WHY NOT?! It's gotta get pretty lonely out there in Antarctica, am I RIGHT LLLLLLADIES!? Nothing against female leads but in a movie such as this it's just a distraction. Anyway, I went to see the movie with my heart in my hands and hoping Universal would not snatch it from me and take a dump on it but instead cause it to erupt from terror and icky nasty alien glee.

MEH

THE REVIEW! (minor spoiler alert)
The Thing (2011) is decent movie. It's not good, and it's not awful. It is a modern director's tribute to John Carpenter's classic that was very aware that it could never come close to the movie it was honoring; but tried anyway.

OVERVIEW: A team of Norwegian scientists tracking a mysterious signal find a space ship in the ice, they find a frozen alien nearby and get a hold of an American paleontologist (Winstead) with experience digging out ice age animals to come to Antarctica and dig up the ET. Once all the characters are assembled on top of the alien space ship, the first thing that becomes apparent is that there are no ugly women in Antarctica. All two of them.

They dig up the alien and bring it back to base and OH NO the main scientist guy turns out to be a dick and wants a tissue sample from the alien despite the protests by our friendly neighborhood American paleontologist hot chick and wouldn't you know it the alien gets thawed out and death ensues.

THE TRAILER (LINK)

GOOD STUFF: The story keeps you interested through the end and it's a lot of fun if you're a fan of the 1982 film to see how the two films get tied together; the axe in the wall, the frozen body with it's throat cut, the creature that RJ and Doc find burnt in the ice outside of the camp are all there and explained. The ship is impressive and you get to go inside where a mad-crazy game of Tetris is going on (you'll see) and the base is faithfully recreated and the acting is pretty good.

The original original

BAD STUFF: The female lead is dubious and boring, not at all like the hard boiled RJ MacReady and her purpose seems to just be a place holder even though you're forced to spend most of your time with her instead of getting to know the other characters so when they die you don't really care because they are all place holders as well. Several scenes are brought right over from the 1982 flick which classifies it as a remake/prequel (remaquel, sounds Latin) only in less interesting ways. There are plot holes abound but you don't really notice them until the movie is over because it does keep you engaged to the end. There are some twists but the movie relies too much on shock scares to create the same level of paranoia in the original. Some characters make decisions that make no sense and it fails to explain how two men survive a helicopter crash with a massive alien on board with no fire. The creature itself also makes a lot of stupid decisions like NOT kill Winstead when it had several opportunities. OH, and if you like impaling than you have found your home! Impaling is EVERYWHERE! What is it with horror movies and impaling? Have you noticed that impaling is like the go-to for a death? And they're always through center of body mass, never through the face, or the side, or the hip, always through the sternum like they're SEAL team 6.

PRODUCTION: The creature effects are good if not great but become a little too reliant on CGI later on in the film which blows as the 1982 is so well known for it's practical effects; even the Norwegian helicopter is digital. Shaky cam is rampant, especially in a lot of the dialogue and if there's one trend I despise in Hollywood film making it's over used shaky cam. You don't feel like the characters are in Antarctica so much as on set; they don't get cold, in fact they don't even wear jackets a good bit of the time and run around outside like they're on vacation in Miami. For a place where the mean annual temperature is −57°C (−70°F) that's pretty ridiculous. To be fair the director had no idea what he was doing. He makes commercials. Considering this though, he did a good job for what he knew.

WANT

CONCLUSION: This movie is worth watching, but not a worthy installment to The Thing franchise. Think of it as a companion piece and nothing else. If you're looking a more satisfying accompaniment to John Carpenter's classic then I suggest the 2002 video game if you can find it.

The Thing (2011) gets a 3/5

SECOND OPINION

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IMAGE

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7.5/10

Combating Complacency

I think everyone has the dream of doing what they love for a living. For those that can keep their heads straight and objective in sight a professional passion is an attainable goal if the dreamer has the talent and the drive. However I think most people are afflicted by the same plague that keeps me from seeing most of my grand schemes to fruition, the chronic vidjagametittiosis (legit).

Save the ta-tas

Losing focus on a project is an ailment that has afflicted me since I discovered video games and boobs. So, since second grade every time I set out on a project that takes longer than an afternoon to accomplish (Lego's, trapping lizards, climbing a tree) I tend to get sidetracked by the most basic of distractions, the two most common offenders being already mentioned.

semper gumby

When I start a project it is usually because I've been inspired by something, a movie, a book, a video game, a person, or just seeing something and going, "dammit, I can do better that that asshole." So I plan it out, I talk about it with my friends and maybe get a small support network going, tell people about it and start cranking out the framework and then maybe a week or so later, I just forget all about it. My vidjagametittiosis kicks in and I'll start playing a game or reading a book or pick up a weird hobby like wood burning or didgeridoos and get completely side tracked. All that planning, all that ground work is gone. If you know what I'm talking about by this point then hold on, because I may have some help for you that's better than anything prescribed by a prick in a lab coat.

That cure I was talking about? Oh, I lied I don't actually have one, that's what I'm talking about. But I do have a few ideas in mind which I will discuss... now.

Notice how it is blank.

1. Schedule - A routine is something that is tough to break. If you masturbate every night before you go to sleep for a week, chances are it's gonna be hard to break that routine, you may not even be able to sleep without doing it. I am aware that masturbation may not be the most common example of this but it's a human habit and it seems to work for what I'm getting at. The best time to set up a routing is first thing when you wake up in the morning and your brain has a chance to distract you from your goal or right when you go to sleep so you have a steady time slot available for whatever it is you are working on. This is all based on crap I've read but I know that it works because it's how I programmed myself to exercise 3 days a week. If I don't do it I go crazy, and if it works for flexing the gluts it's gotta work for a writing a novel. For further reading check out https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php

SUPPORT, GET IT?!

2. Support Network - A lot of professionals claim they never could have gotten where they are today without having a support network. Stephen King talks about it in his book On Writing and so does Robert Rodriguez in Rebel Without A Crew. Having a group of like minded individuals whom you can count on and share your passion is a huge plus to any project. "But Draco, what about the fine gentlemen of Raptor Inc.? How can you be so lazy when you have such an amazing team of professionals supporting you every step of the way?" you may ask. Well my answer to you is this: We're all lazy fat people on the inside if not on the outside. The fact that we have weekly meetings is a miracle. You should have seen the time we tried to make a video game LOL.

RAPE IS IMMINENT

3. Self Discipline - You can't do shit unless you force yourself to do it. Even if you feel awful and there is nothing you would like more than to NOT work on your project that day you HAVE TO. Why? Because if you don't you will start writing articles about growing complacent because you lost your pace. It's just like running a 10k, you have to find your rhythm and once you get it you have to keep it. You can't charge ahead and burn yourself out but you can't go so slow your 56 year old XO beats you (personal experience).

Working on the movie has taught me a lot about where I want to be in life and how I want to live it. So many people out there have found a way to make a living out of what they love, and a damn good one at that and I'll post some examples after I conclude this article. After 4 years of service in the Navy college is looming right around the corner. Do I focus on my passion and get an art based degree or do I play it safe and go for engineering and keep my loves on the side? Do I take a risk or cheat myself? I don't know. I know that 'starving artist' isn't a euphemism and I know that the economy is rough and if I can't even get off my ass to crank out and finish something that I know I love with all my heart, how am I going to convince others to take a trip through the worlds and with the characters I have created? Thus the dilemma.

Here are those links (keep in mind there are tons of crap like this, these are just the few that seam to have the biggest impact on me):
http://www.penny-arcade.com/
http://cinemassacre.com/
http://boburnham.com/
http://www.alagaesia.com/

Courage and Honor: A Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Review

GRAPHICS/LOOKS:
BLOOD EVERYWHERE! The game looks very well, the textures are well done in terms of base and details, such as distress or blood. They aren't the best in the world, but definitely on the "Gears of War" level. The blood sometimes looks more like splattered jam and some bits of the environment need some work but you are normally moving to fast to see this. One bit that disappointed me is that there are only four execution animations for each melee weapon, and each strong enemy (Daemon, Nob) only has one execution per weapon (The Chaos Marine has two).
8/10

GAMEPLAY:
HOLY SHIT, I'M A MARINE IN SPACE! The gameplay is what really sells this. It seamlessly goes from a hack'n'slash to a shooter, depending on your play style. It is very anti-cover, with the mantra, "YOU ARE A SPACE MARINE. MAN UP AND TAKE IT." The melee combat is extraordinarily well done. One minute, I'll find myself rushing headfirst into a mob of Orks, shouldering three out of the way before flailing my chainsword about and stomping, sending greenskins flying whilst blood is filling the air. The next minute, I have a thunder hammer and a jump pack, rocketing down from thirty feet, landing in the center of a horde of renegades, flinging the back and crushing those underfoot before smashing faces in. Along with your standard attacks are stuns and executions. Each weapon has its own unique stuns and executions, and some enemies do as well. There are four stuns per weapon (Backhand/Smack with weapon, Kick, Shoulder Charge, and AoE Stomp/Smash) and four executions that all blend well into the game. Each weapon has its own attacks and style.
10/10

SOUND:
EVERYONE IS BRITISH! Seriously, the Guardmen are all general Brits, Orks are Cockney, Inquisition is Posh, Space Marines are a mixed bag of British, and Chaos are soft British. I enjoy it though, and damn do Orks scream a lot when hacked in two with an axe. As for weapon sounds, yep, that's what I'd expect them to sound like. The game has its own general epic soundtrack that is normally drowned out by chainsaws and death cries.
8/10

MULTIPLAYER:
At the time of this review, I did not get to play multiplayer because the servers were fucked. I have no say on this.
?/10

OVERALL:
The game was incredibly fun to play through and I would love to see more. Next time, I just hope it will star a Chapter with character, unlike the Ultramarines. They are rather boring. (WOO! DARK ANGELS!). Until next time folks. See you on the battlefield.
9/10

Tune in next time for my enlightening review of DARK SOULS!
Prepare To Die

Here's a shitty comic for ya.

Oh man, you can just tell how phoned in this is. I was gonna originally draw it, but then I didn't so FUCK YOU MAN, YOU DON'T OWN ME.

Btw: Manta Style's an item that makes 2 clones of yourself, Guinsoo's Scythe turns enemies into sheep, and Eul's Scepter makes a tornado. Just in case you're wondering.

Anyway, I'm off to kill myself now.

A Bit of News

It's been a while since I posted a regular update of the things and doings of Raptor Inc. and it's not because we haven't been doing anything it's just that I haven't told any of you nonexistant people about our doings. As it were.

Movie News: I Got This is going to be a challenge but it's the biggest project we have ever tackled and it's going to be a lot of fun. Nothing but positive reviews for the script and production schedules have been made, still got some phone calls to make of course but production should move forward as scheduled at the end of this year.

Tourney News: All serious practice has been cancelled until we can make this movie. Expect to see comics and shite still being posted around but nothing too ambitious as we are going balls in to this flick.

Office News: A little bit more progress has been made to a (possible) physical address to our main office. I won't go into details but it's looking awesome.

What is Raptor Inc.? I still don't know but I ask myself that sometimes and the closest thing I can think of is a production company at the moment. Like all other things, I'll keep you posted.

How about that economy, huh? Am I right?!

Comic Dump 03 July 2011

Another spat of comics for your viewing pleasure!


The Blain Test




Pro

  Writing, Pencils, Ink, Lettering - Frankie Sanabria II
Colors - Jessica "Jaz" Sanabria

Comic Dump 26 June 2011

Here's two more, I didn't get the other two I planned on posting colored but they will be up shortly. I've been on vacation for a week so.... yeah.



Styles of Agony

 


Historically Accurate

 Writing, Pencils, Ink, Lettering - Frankie Sanabria II
Colors - Jessica "Jaz" Sanabria

Raptor Inc. Comic Dump 13 June 2011

I'm gonna try to get a side job as a daily comic strip guy for a local newspaper so I figuired I'd do some daily comic strips for practice. Here's my results so far.



I Know What This Is




I Hate That Saying




Wild Pigs Unlimited




Terraria Building Standards

 Writing, Pencils, Ink, Lettering - Frankie Sanabria II
Colors - Jessica "Jaz" Sanabria

I Got This IMDB Page

I Got This (2011)
Comedy | Mystery | Horror | Action
Not yet released

Leo MacReady moves to a small southern town to live with his estranged mother and egocentric older brother. After Leo and his imaginary friend witness an act of extreme violence, the two begin to pose as high school reporters to investigate the mysterious history of the town.
As they dig deeper into the town's story however, the dark presence that hangs over it begins to take notice and fight back. As it becomes apparent Leo's life is in danger, a strange local girl named Tabitha seems to be his only hope at solving the mystery and finding the source of dark plague that is infesting the town and its people.
Will Leo and Hobbes be able to solve the town's secrets or has he unwittingly been placed in a game he is doomed to lose?

Director: Frankie Sanabria II
Writer: Frankie Sanabria II
Status: Pre-production
Comments: Script finalization
Updated: 13 June 2011

Credited cast:
  Dillon Streuber  ...  Leo MacReady
  Fat4all  ...  Hobbes
  Frankie Sanabria II  ...  Wade MacReady
  Karla Morris  ...  Gwen MacReady
  Jessica "Jaz" Sanabria  ...  Tabitha
  Ian Short  ...  Dalton Summers
  Alecia Short  ...  Jenny
  Frankie Sanabria  ...  Damion
  Ryan Phelps  ... Rooster Wrathchild
  Dean Alexander  ...  Jason Melrose
  (in order of appearance)Ryan Phelps, uncast, Jessica "Jaz" Sanabria, Karla Morris, Frankie Sanabria II  ...  Smilin' Jack
  uncast  ...  Librarian
  uncast  ...  Angry Driver
  uncast  ...  Thug 1
  uncast  ...  Thug 2
  uncast  ...  Thug 3
  uncast  ...  Evil Townsperson 1
  uncast  ...  Evil Townsperson 2
  uncast  ...  Evil Townsperson 3
  uncast  ...  Evil Townsperson 4
  uncast  ...  Evil Townsperson 5

Country:USA
Language:English | Spanish
Filming Location: Jesup, Georgia; Jacksonville, FL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Company Credits
Production Co: Raptor Inc. Productions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Specs
Color:Color
Aspect Ratio:2.35 : 1

Trivia
Smilin' Jack is based on old southern folk tales concerning Satan.
Most of the cast consists of friends and family of the production team.
Some of the dialogue between Leo and Hobbes is based on actual arguments between Dillon Streuber and Darris Pratt.
The film was inspired by the philosophy of Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron.
Rooster's line, "what am I paying you for?," is a reference to MoO0OoN 3, one of Raptor Inc.'s earlier short films.
Composition books are major plot device in the film.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Assassinate your Thursday 09 June 2011

THIS PRACTICE MADE ME FEEL LIKE

YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA

So any fucking way this is how the whole shit went down. We didn't win a single fucking match. NOT A SINGLE FUCKING MATCH. I don't know what the whole deal is with using smoke bombs offensively, if someone knows please enlighten me because I'm getting tired of the shit. Not only that, it seems like everyone not on our team had the spirit of a fucking eagle and x-ray vision because even if you were completely covered and they didn't have Templar Vision they could still spot you in a perfectly good group of people. I was so sick of this game at the time of writing that I literally wish I had e. coli or something. Fuck everything.

FUCK

THIS

GAME

FOREVER

Reach for the Tuesday 07 June 2011

Let's take some time out from our busy E3 coverage to discuss some HALO PRACTICE!

They're excited!

In our first bout we did good and this is because we were up against controller-in-mouth retarded people.

We are the best, ever.

 On our second match, once again lone gunning the whole thing and throwing caution to the win we come out victorious.

Yay.

Now behold the turning point, my friends. We were on a new map called Kingdom (new for us anyway) and we got tore up. One of our opponents had a diamond rating, this means he was a Halo BAMF and we got rolled. It was just an unfamiliar map though, right? Can't be a bad sign!



Aw.

Until this. Yeah. We lost again. We put up a good fight in the beggining but our heart wasn't in the fight and we scattered about, lost coordination and got destroyed. No fun, my friends.

In short the problems are the same as before. Lack of map control and communication.

The Weekend Funnies - 05/06/2011

SO I SIAD ID MAKE SA COMIC AND HERE IT IS

FUCKERS
ISNT IT FUKING CGRAND???

A MADSTERPEECE IF I SA YSO MYSLEF

Amnesia Comic

This comic is based off my experiences in Amnesia - The Dark Descent ; a wonderful horror game by the creators of Penumbra, Frictional Games. You can't defend yourself, only hide in the dark, but, if you're in the dark too long, you begin to lose sanity and the monsters will hear you. You have a lantern for convenient light, but, the monsters thank you for it too. They wouldn't have been able to find you in the dark. It's a hell of a challenge but is intense and worth it.

Raptor Inc. at Kawaii Kon 2011

Okay, so I got a chance to go to Kawaii Kon 2011 (if I had known what kawaii meant at the time I would now have gone) and despite all the weirdos and spandex it was a pretty decent time. Lots of art work shops, acting lessons, interesting panels, a wide variety of vendors, free video gaming, tournaments, all kinds of cool crap to fill up your weekend and destroy your pride.

Anyway here are "Greatest Hits" of the pictures I took over the weekend. My one regret: I forgot my RINC shirt.



My bad ass button collection I got for my messenger bag.



Check out the fat fifth element chick!

I don't know what is....

The green guy is a creeper, you can see his head on the table. I first saw him coming down the escalator with a stare locked on to me as if he would explode. The Deadpool is just awful.



One of the contenders for the silent auction.



Ezio isn't very sneaky.

I'm in the  middle. I know these guys from my old submaarine. Doesn't everyone looks so happy?!

Favorite picture.

Me wrecking my wife's shit on SF2

This is my scribble for one of the art contests. They give you a scribble and then you're supposed to draw something using it.

Here's my drawing! I lost.

That pikachu probably got laid that day.

This is the line for Otaku speed dating. Note that they are all dudes.

This guy sat in the audience at the speed dating and exposed himself for the men causing a big distraction. Genious.

The dude who everyone is cheering on in the blue hoodie is wearing hot pants.

My wife with pedobear.

So much fucking awesome in this shot I just came.

My souvenier, my very own potted fire plant.