Humor in Animations

[jlewellen]

Does anyone know how humor affects the scoring of the animations? Are you better off going with a serious animation or one that's funny?

[Alexander McGee]

It really depends on what aspect of FIRST you are trying to portray.

Gracious Professionalism should probably be a serious topic. As should safety.

However, a team being so exhausted from the last minute all-nighter before ship, that they accidentally locked their driver in the crate; well that's kinda funny. And it has happened.

It really depends on what you are trying to do with your animation. Be sure to use caution, however. I know of a team who had very good intentions with their animation, but once their sponsor saw it, (at a regional) they became very upset. So upset that they nearlly pulled funding, and kicked the students off the team.

Keep in mind that your animation reflects not only the charming individuals on your animation team, but the entire team and all of it's sponsors as well.

-axe

[sanddrag]

The FIRSt game description animations are always kind of funny with robots wityh faces and robots that have arms that reach across the entire field.

[Yov]

I say make a funny animation even if it means you don't win, the chances of winning are so small anyway, you might as well be remembered as a funny runner-up

Last years winner was serious, but I prefer the more funny animations personally, and I'm not going to comphremise my animation by making it more "winning material".

edit:
I think my point is best described by a tomato:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pi...&quiet=Verbose

[Billfred]

I'd say humor with discretion. Some things just can't be funny, like safety. Hence airline videos are so boring, as are most videos that I have seen.

Of course, good humor can be used to reinforce your point. Just use it sparingly, and you probably want to show it to your sponsors to get their okie-doke before you submit. After all, your team is on their dime, so it is wise not to tick them off. Ever.

[Yov]

Originally Posted by Billfred

Some things just can't be funny, like safety. Hence airline videos are so boring, as are most videos that I have seen.

Which is why nobody watches them, if you want to make someone care in the slightest about your safety video, first make then want to watch it.

[Jessica Boucher]

I think the first reply sums it up pretty well.

Now, I'm no expert on animations, but does anyone remember the animation winner from 2001? The big thing about that animation...is that almost 4 years later, I can still recall it. They used very subtle humor, and at a competition with that many entries (as was the judging back then), the ability to recall it is just as important as fulfilling all the other requirements.

[Roland]

Originally Posted by Billfred

Some things just can't be funny, like safety.

I beg to differ. Stapelfahrer Klaus is one of the funniest videos I've ever seen. The main problem with FIRST animations is that very few of them make sense without sound. At regionals it's often very hard to hear the soundtrack so all the animations end up looking the same - robots driving around doing stuff, then the FIRST logo. The main thing you should focus on is getting the animation so clear and simple that it doesn't need sound to make sense.

[Koko Ed]

Nothing wrong with a good laugh so long as it's in good taste.
I actually think the 30 second time limit causes more problems than the subject matter.

[kelsomallette]

Everything's good in moderation. A little humour to keep the animation fun, and not boring, can be a great asset. The extreme can and probably will kill the video (296 members will recognize the Sphynx, and that laugh track ).

[Li Jianliang]

Humor or something quirky in the animation can make it stand out and very memorable... ^_^ From last year, I can clearly remember the cell-shaded Gaiden ninja one at the nationals.

Badly placed humor (and/or puns) doesn't add to the overall point at all. Seriousness is as hard to pull off as humor in my opinion, because most of times the seriousness is overplayed and makes the viewer feel that the animation is melodramatic or drabby in that sense.