Bronytoons is a fan studio in the business of producing animated shorts for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. We've seen people do animation for this show before, but not quite like this. What you're looking at now is the result of some highly skilled, focused, and organized ponies dedicated to maximizing the awesome output of the internet.
They've just released their first short, Luna's Lament. I've watched it, and it's... breathtaking. Gorgeous and smooth; it's almost crazy to think that it was all put together by fans. The bar's been raised, everypony! Go visit their website, and see the video after the break.
169 comments:
Not first.
ReplyDeletethird!
ReplyDelete@Soda No, you're second, silly.
ReplyDeleteI sat with my mouth open for fifteen minutes after finishing it. I am going to watch it again <3 This is an amazing piece of work. These guys are geniuses.
ReplyDeleteDamn. How long did it take to make this?
ReplyDeletesimply unbelievable
ReplyDeleteNow that was brilliant. *runs off to hug Luna*
ReplyDeleteThe animation is amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh my god, thats amazing!
ReplyDeleteHI GUISE
ReplyDelete-James
Amazing job, WOW.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty much incredible how awesome this fanbase is.
ReplyDeleteOur 'OMG THIS IS AWESOME' videos have moved from basic PMVs to fanbase music to YTPs to YTPMVs to full-out fucking animations.
I love you guys.
This is simply a great piece of animated artwork.
ReplyDeleteThe mixing needs to be redone completely, the voices are way too soft.
ReplyDeleteThe animation was jerky in spots.
The stars aren't astronomically correct and has obvious copy'n flip going on.
And the script needs work, the pacing is uneven.
Finally, Celestia's voice actor isn't a good match to the official one.
EXCELLENT animation...but ugh, the voice acting.
ReplyDeletegreat animation
ReplyDeleteokay voice acting
didn't like the angst
That was by far the best fan created animation for the show I've seen yet. I think it was really good, but there was also a lot of room for improvement. I dont mean to sound over critical, I know that making that was no mean feat. As long as we continue the trend of steady advancement in quality, then I think this is a major first step in truly great fan animation.
ReplyDeleteO_O ...that ...that was INCREDIBLE! The amount of work that must have gone into it is astounding! Gah, just everything about it is awesome. Keep up the good work, guys. We need more of this!
ReplyDeleteIt was like watching a One Act community theater play, that had all the writing talent of a mediocre Fan-Fiction. The animation was good; but the subject matter was rubbish.
ReplyDeleteWell done, absolutely amazing animation.
ReplyDeleteEpicness overload
ReplyDeleteIt was ok... There was a lot of awkward movements, especially with Celestia's mouth and wing... And their voices kinda creeped me out...
ReplyDeleteHoly, I thought this was a joke at first.
ReplyDeleteOh boy I was wrong.
Wow. To think a group of fans could make a 4 minute cartoon like this; that's impressive. There's been a lot of good Celestia/Luna drawings and comics, but this is a worthy addition to that aspect of the fanon, with good dialog and voice acting. While the animation isn't up to the standards of the show or the recent Present Prank, it's still quite good, and the art is excellent. I sincerely hope we can see more from Bronytoons.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very, very good work, though like the others said, it wasn't perfect. The voice actors voices were too soft, save for Luna's outburst, and there were a few moments where the animation skipped or jumped to the next phase without the smoothness one would like.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, I commend you for this attempt and look forward to more. You can only get better, after all :)
The animation in this was beyond what i expect for something fan made, but can't say i particularly liked the story.
ReplyDeletehenke37 and NonReality hit the nail on the head
ReplyDeleteBut that only goes to show what masters Studio B are, I would still recoment Bronytoons to use this as a application to work at Studio B it's amazing for a fan project.
No need to fear, when they "quit" MLP FIM, I'm sure the fanbase will make it's own.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the effort that goes into making something like this. Sure, Celly's voice was a little soft, and the mouth animations could've been better in places, but keep in mind that when I say this, it's because I compare it to the actual show.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they've made something where the natural thing to compare it to is the parent material like that, THAT is freakin' impressive. 10/5 stars, will gawk again.
Here's your freaking fannon Luna. It was awesome. You are satisfied. Now make way for the bats**t insane cannon Luna.
ReplyDeleteIt was worth encouraging. Not entirely the most appealing story, I might say, but despite the... voice "acting" (no offense), I did haze out a bit at the end.
ReplyDeleteThe authors should be proud and happy about this quality of work, even if it isn't perfect. Keep at it, bronytoons.
Having used these animation tools before I for one can really understand how difficult this must have been to make. Like, even a 3 minute vid... Very well done. Remembering to constantly animate Celestia's mane would drive me nuts. Voice actors weren't perfect though, but that's just me nitpicking.
ReplyDeleteIt´s awesome.
ReplyDeleteThe animation is fantastic.
And it´s awesome.
It was passable. I had to stop it every once and a while because the story was very bland and the animation was kind of wonky and stiff. Also the voices could've used some work.
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't really an irony in the story to keep my attention, it was just moping and that doesn't equal a compelling story. It's unfortunate to say that bored me quite quickly.
I would love to see what you guys can do with some more practice. Keep up the effort.
Damn i really love this. Though my only problem was the credit font being too small, i really loved the voice acting and the animation put into this.
ReplyDeleteI hope you all plan to make more of these no matter how long you all will take to make another one. Cause from this project, i can tell that i will enjoy more projects from brony toons
Not bad.
ReplyDeleteThe voices definitely could have stood to be louder in spots.
Well that was fucking awesome.
ReplyDeleteGod this community is amazing.
I like the animation with the exception of one strange part where Celestia's eyes looked very strange.
ReplyDeleteVoice acting however could stand much improvement. Not alot in the way of feeling but most bothersome was the loss of Celestia's cheery undertone that often accompanies her voice when she smiles.
All in all, excellent for a fan made production. I apologize if I judged too harshly.
The awesome thing is I know 2 of the guys who did this... YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH.
ReplyDeleteIn fact one of them asked me to do a Gmod reskin of his OC
They broke the bar! Why in Celestia's name did they break the bar!!?
ReplyDeleteSure voice acting was a tad off but eh, don't care >:3
More please!
Okay, after the first impact wore off, I have to join the group of people saying that the writing is not particularly great. I think that's secondary though. The animation is incredible coming from a 100% independent production. Credit where credit is due.
ReplyDeleteDamn. Just damn. That was amazing! My god. Besides Celestia's voice and the slightly jerky animation, this is just great! I had chills all the way through! Fuck, I love this community...
ReplyDeleteMy god, absolutely stunning artwork there. I'm blown away that this exists. Holy crap you guys.
ReplyDeleteThat said there is a lot of room for improvement.
Number 1, you need much better scripts. This was so painfully generic it was quite awkward to listen to I'm afraid. It feels like a ton of time and effort has been put into building this, but the basic plan was flawed which is a huge shame.
The voice acting is also quite flat, seems like it's just being read out rather than 'acted'. Obviously it's a fan work without proper actors, but still, it's something to work on.
Sound balance! Turn the music down, turn the voices up! Music should set the tone for the dialogue, you need to be able to hear the dialogue first!
But seriously, well done on that animation!
It's beautiful. Thank you a lot for making this! Just what I wanted to see in MLP. It also reminds me of a MLP comic called The Real Story. I'm glad this team exists, and plans to make more such animations ^_^
ReplyDeleteThe quality is wonderful, though not perfect. Sprites and animation are great, although both a bit sharp. The voices however are not too natural, especially Celestia's. I know how hard it is to make such animations, but thought this critique might help. Keep it up <3
Not only does the animation rival that of the show, the voices are dead on. Celestia's does sound a little off, but once you listen to it for a minute, the difference fades away. I also love Luna. Even though we only knew her for 20 seconds and heard her utter a couple lines, I feel that this embodiment of Luna is accurate to what the creators of the show felt how she should act.
ReplyDeleteOkay but, just because it take them a long time to say what ever it is they are trying to say. just seens too much drama then needed. Just how many words you need for I'm Luna, I'm sad. I guess it goes back to show don't tell.
ReplyDeleteVery good work overall, I'm impressed.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll animate a Pony Band, that would be so awesome!
You people are too easily impressed. This is very nice, but there were some serious hiccups.
ReplyDeleteThere's a part where celestia's facing the camera 3/4ths and she speaks, and her jaw line flips out with each frame. There's a front shot of luna where celestia's mane just stops moving for a good 5 or 6 seconds. The audio leveling was bad, and i had to turn the sound up and down to listen to it at an appropriate volume. Also celestia's voice wasn't even close.
HAVING SAID THAT
it was really well done for a fan project, but you guys saying how you were slack-jawed by how awesome it was for like 10 minutes? Stop exaggerating.
@Kile Anderson
ReplyDeleteDon't give this animation that much credit. It was good for a fan animation, but saying that it rivals the show in quality is insulting. Same goes for the voice acting, but that needs more work than the animation does.
The overall sound and dialogue was really quiet for some reason, had to turn my volume all the way up.
ReplyDeleteThe subject matter was a little dull, but probably because we've seen so much of that since the fandom began. I'm also not a huge fan of angst, but that's merely personal.
The backgrounds are pitch perfect for the show, so that's good.
As an animation graduate, everything has a stiffness to it, motions don't quite flow as well as they should. Anyone learning ANY kind of animation should buy or download Richard Williams Animator's Survival Kit. Must read.
Having said that, Flash is difficult, and this is an amazing effort regardless, and I commend the people involved to doing it!
With a bit of improvement, this could be even better.
4/5.
It's so great that our expectations are really high, like, professional high. So don't take all the criticism we're giving too hard, but also don't ignore it. It's what would make this animation as good as the real series.
ReplyDeleteI agree with henke37's criticisms, but to be a bit more specific: the words of Celestia were overly drawn-out in a trying-to-be-be-regal manner. That tone doesn't fit, especially for her affectionately addressing her sister. Luna's voice sounded almost good enough to be canon, but there wasn't a huge amount of variance in tone. The opening zoom-in lost me a bit because it seemed... dull. Shimmering a few stars, a shooting star, just something to emphasize Luna's power and control over the night sky would be wonderful.
It was a nice short. I was impressed with the animation. Some really dedicated bronies here.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely needs some work with the audio balancing--there's points where Luna's basically yelling and I can't hear Celestia while she's at a comfortable volume. Celestia's voice is also a little too honeyed and slow; it sounds a little unnatural because of that.
ReplyDeleteAnimation is really good for the size of the team. There's some jarring transitions with the head and facial movements, not much else to criticize.
Hope this team will make a second work with the audio in mind, because you did do a really good job overall and you've got lots of feedback to work with to improve.
Wow... I... am in shock. That was absolutely amazing.
ReplyDeleteFive stars, unhesitatingly, for the sheer scope of the project :)
ReplyDeleteWhile we niggle about the ways (writing, some of the animation, depth and delivery of the voice acting) that the real thing is better, let's not forget HOW GOOD the real show is, okay?
Can we remember that we are comparing the hard work of some loving brony fans to-
-best writing I've ever seen in a cartoon
-best most experienced voice actors who've been doing that in show after show
-most innovative Flash animation, driven on by producers who exhort "I want to see acting!" and get it?
This is beautiful. It's an act of love, and it is utterly broadcast quality. Compare it to any previous MLP season! Every single element here is already better than lots of real, commercial, budgeted animated shows.
It AIN'T their fault if they can't match the real thing, and I would have them remember that as they read the (so far, nice and polite) criticisms. If bronies ever do match that, it would mean MLP stopped growing- so don't hold your breath =)
Holy bubblegum, monkey wrench, and the sixth moon of Saturn! O___O
ReplyDeleteI thank you braouk me spech senter with yer auwesomnesss.
I...wow
ReplyDeletethis was amazing, I was really impressed by the animation
A "fan studio"? Umm, how does THAT work?
ReplyDeleteThe cartoon itself... It's like all the other fan art I've seen... Very sweet and touching, but at the same time, part of me feels that this isn't canon and might mess with stuff that is canon when Luna's episode comes around...
It sucks that you couldn't properly replicate the voices, but there's nothing you can really do about it...
Regardless, it's really cute, and I love it. The animation isn't QUITE what the show's like, but that's more nitpick territory. The song at the end... Whoever's singing it needs to practice some more.
If I had any energy right now, I'd be going ballistic. Never pull all-nighters, folks.
ReplyDeleteStop lying, you are the MLP animators staff under fake names.
ReplyDelete@Mike
ReplyDeleteowait... I gotta do something first;
YAY FANIMATION... *falls asleep*
The animation is strange in spots, the writing iffy, the voice acting weak. That being said Kenny's Holy Balls that was awesome!! The above is what I would say should this be a professional studio work. But its not. It's just enthusiastic Bronies in their spare time. You've set a very good bar. I hope you guys release more of these on at lest a monthly basis hopefully, though I understand it must be a grueling process to make this. I can't wait to see the things you guys can do once you hone your craft some more.
ReplyDeleteIt's perfect, except for one exceedingly creepy moment @ 2:26
ReplyDeleteWhile many would consider this cliche story telling it's a start. There's always growing pains before producing a more refined product. Critiqics where a plenty for the Discord 2 parter and that had the backing of enitire studios and Hasbro. Voice acting could have been a little better as Celestia has a more dignified voice and playful attitude. While this voice acting was a little hammed up. Luna's I'll be a bit more forgiving as Luna had only a few lines so far in the series and the voice acting was not forced. Music and setting were perfect. The animation smooth. Overall I'll give it a 4 out of 6. Good but needing a little more work.
ReplyDeleteGuys. This. Is. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteNow I know who definitely should film the Past Sins.
I'll be the one to say it. Celestia's voice actor was absolutely horrible. I loved Luna! maybe its because I have never seen her official character so this version was very impressive, but Celestia's line and voice were murderous...
ReplyDeletethis was fan made?????? looks like it was done by pros!!!
ReplyDelete"Oh Luna, you didn't give me any other choice."
ReplyDelete/trollface
well done
@henke37 >astronomically correct
ReplyDeleteOrion's belt has three stars. That constellation is Canis Major, not Canis Minor.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Risky
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Celestia's voice was the only thing I didn't like about this. :/
I love it! Its very touching as well!
ReplyDeleteThe voices although I can tell they tried just don't fit perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThe animation is great, very believable, but then again considering MLP is made in Flash it's not too difficult for anyone to emulate it. None the less it's very good looking, and easily show-like.
The two minutes of credits seemed unnecessary considering the video was only 4 minutes.
Great job 8/10.
That was pretty good, especially for a fan work. If I were the Bronytoons guys I would try as much as possible to stay away from characters with well established voice actors; because people will always look to compare and it'll just be criticised for not being close enough.
ReplyDeleteWonderful animation, although the story/writing had me laughing pretty damn hard at several moments
ReplyDelete"A Tousaaand years SISter. a ThOWSAND yeeeeears.
Great! I loved it!
ReplyDeleteExcept Celestia's voice... Sounded like she was mocking it...
Celesti's voice actor went too far in the way of in character for Celestia. It's like she started off with one level of character, thought "wait, she'd be like that" and aimed a little beyond the right level.
ReplyDeleteFor the animation, if FiM was a 10, it would be a 9 or a 9.2. Excellent doesn't do it justice.
Hope they do more.
Animation was good, but for me the topic was really lame. Voice acting was decent, even if the voice didn't match.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought after watching this was, "Isn't this the kind of cheesy nonsense Lauren was trying to avoid?"
Imagine if the actual show tried to resolve the Luna issue with a little soap opera balcony chat like that. So boring. I'd rather them just leave it mysterious.
Woah...
ReplyDelete...
....
.....
*is speechless*
Very, very nice. The animation was excellent, although there were a few things that seemed off. (There was one spot where Celestia's mane stopped flowing, and her blinking, at least towards the end, I didn't notice it in the beginning at all, seemed too sudden, as well as a couple other things) The only thing I didn't like, as others have said, is Celestia's voice. Can't wait for more, though!
ReplyDeleteI'm thoroughly impressed.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know how this fandom could impress me anymore, but these guys managed to just that!
Seth, you forgot to post the ponychan thread:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ponychan.net/chan/collab/res/4036+50.html
This has it's obvious weak points, but for a fan-made animation, I am beyond impressed. My jaw was hanging open at how close to the show's visual style they got. All I can say is keep working, keep improving.
ReplyDeleteImpressed by the animation!!
ReplyDeleteI have to say it was good. Just good.
ReplyDeleteAs far as animation it wasn't spot on, but the people working on it could definitely have a bright future in animation. Just needs a little polish.
The voices were a bit soft, and not great matches for the official voices, but that's passable as it is a fan work and you take what you can get as close as you can to it. That said the acting was pretty good. The voices had emotion to them and seemed genuine.
The writing is where is get's hazy, right now everyone has their own idea about what Luna is like so that definitely comes into play here. The dialog needs a bit of work, as it is now the conversation doesn't make much sense. It actually sounds more like when I argue with myself in my head than two siblings. That's just my two bits.
For something made by fans, not the official company, this is badass. The voicing was a little subpar, that's about my only gripe. The dialogue seemed a bit off. & there were a few frames here & there that looked a little iffy. Otherwise, sublime. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, & of course even in a story focused entirely on Luna, Celestia gets the first line. :P
ReplyDeleteReminds me a final fantasy! This is intensely awesome!
ReplyDelete@henke37
ReplyDeleteI agree.
I mean, I commend the effort that was put into making this, and I certainly wasn't expecting the quality of a fanimation to be on par with the actual show, but...
I'm sorry, after about 90 seconds, I found myself cringing, and had to turn it off. There's a certain uncanny valley effect going on here, and I get flashbacks to the discomfort I felt watching clips of that G3 "newborns" stuff, or whatever it's called.
I chalk it up to the fact that the animators tried so hard to emulate the appearance of FiM, but without the resources and professional effort that the real show gets. I would have preferred that the people who made this cartoon went with their own style instead, as that would allow my mind to better separate this video from the actual show, and be able to enjoy it for what it is.
My subconscious keeps telling me that I'm watching the real FiM, and every unnatural jerk and second of voicework is like a needle in my brain, as it is unable to comprehend why and how FiM managed to drop so low in quality. Even as my rational brain reminds my subconscious, "this is just a fan animation, not the real thing," that feeling of discomfort never goes away.
I'm sorry to say all of that, but I had to give my completely honest opinion if I didn't want it to eat away at me.
it was nice but... the vioces where terible
ReplyDeletenice though.
@henke37
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one that thought so. Celestia really sounded flat to me.
STILL. Good work on the makers' parts. This couldn't have been easy to pull off in the first place.
I wouldn't say it's broken the bar or anything (I just think the animation of that Present Prank video was smoother and all, as well as being accurate), but it's impressive. The voice acting needs work, though, but they did a fairly good job.
ReplyDeleteJust seeing an animated Luna again instead of the still frames that we've had to live with since episode one was great! I thought that you guys did an amazing job.
ReplyDeleteLike others, my only complaint was the voicing(Luna's was better than Celestia's), but great job nonetheless.
Welcome to Luna's Apartment!
ReplyDeleteIt's our apartment too!
We've been around for a hundred-million years and we'll be here long after you!
There's lots of food!
There's lots of fun!
Luna takes care of me! (And me!) (And me!) (And me!) (And me!)
WELCOME EVERYBODY! LUNA'S APARTMENT! (That's 'Luna' not 'Luni!' THE PLACE TO BE!
Guh, can't believe I still remember that jungle
Wow. Now that is some impressive fan work.
ReplyDelete"A "fan studio"? Umm, how does THAT work?"
ReplyDeleteVery simple, my dear Smashmatt202.
1) Someone proposes a project.
2) A whole BUNCH of talented individuals, of all different artistic stripes, volunteer their time and talent for the project.
3) They unite together over a long-term period on a program like Skype.
4) They work like professionals.
4) They get the job done.
WAY TO GO, EVERYBODY!!!! WORD OUT TO ALL MY BRONYTOONS BRONIES!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL, SODA AND VERKULA AND AMARETTO AND INK AND MEW AND TIMON AND LAUREN AND DIZZY, AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!
WE -- DID -- IT!!!
BRONYTOONS FOREVER!!!
- Louis Badalament
I liked the backgrounds more than anything else, actually. And the good morning moment at the end was really cool.
ReplyDeleteOh Luna, please come
ReplyDeleteAnd kill the whiny, emo
Fannon that plagues us!
This is like a better animated version of My Little Pony: The Final Adventure
ReplyDeleteWow, I was definitely impressed here. The animation was definitely something worth seeing.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there's many things that could really use some help from more people. I mean, bronies are such a talented and altruistic race, you've got all kinds of writers who would kill to write a good scene that will be animated, not to mention everytime someone asks around for some voices, there's like 50 people responding and half of them are doing a pretty good job at imitating the original one.
So, next time you animate, it would be a great thing to ask for more external support, all it takes is mailing Seth about it and the right bronies will flock to you after a EQD post.
And while I was positively stunned by the animation quality, next time it would be nice if you figured out a better way of animating a speaking mouth viewed from the side. Seeing Celestia's visage go all over the place when speaking was a little too hilarious for the mood of the scene XD .
All in all, this seems like a stellar first effort, and you should definitely feel proud for what you have accomplished.
Keep up the awesome, BronyToons! I'm sure great things await ^^
Honestly, I'm not that amazed that things like this can be put together by fans in this community. We do have many animation professionals and the like lurking around. So it's not that hard to believe things such as this will eventually pop up. :P
ReplyDeleteBut let's not be -too- critical on this either. We shouldn't compare it to the animation in the show itself. It doesn't have the budget or resources the actual show does of course. For what it is, I think this was done rather well. This is also their first full animation short. As they do more, they will improve.
So all in all, quite nicely done for a first go. Keep up the awesome work guys. :)
There really isn't a whole lot here that I can say that hasn't already been said.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing what else Bronytoons will crank out in the future.
Luna's Lament gets a 4/5 from me.
the animation in this is pretty darn good! I loved it all the way...
ReplyDeleteHonestly really amazing how great the animation is. Kudos! Great job on backgrounds as well.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I'm expecting Luna to be emotionally solitary and closed off and Celestia having a lot of trouble getting her to open up. She'll have a "I'm fine, don't worry about me." Attitude no matter how bad things get.
I do love this, but Celestia's voice doesn't resemble her at all.
ReplyDeleteImpressive, five stars and an applause.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing I'm sad about, is as touching as it is, it won't be canon Luna I fear.
I recognized a few names, like SpeccySy and immediately some of my impressed feelings turned to "nothing less was expected".
ReplyDeleteAlso: Voice of Luna--Lauren Goodnight... Fitting :)
First of all, I want to say congratulations are in order for creating a well done animation as a whole. I enjoyed just how well you were able to recreate the characters and style. While it wasn't exactly spot on, it was far more than close enough that someone wouldn't be able to tell without closely examining it. The ending with the sunrise was a nice last note to end on.
ReplyDeleteWhile there were a few things I would think of changing or at least considering, it wasn't enough to detract from it. The dialogue seemed fairly well done and overall matched as well as they could. (granted that's hard to go on with Luna being mostly fanon) The voice actors did a good job as well, but Celestia seemed as if she were talking down to Luna instead when she tried to do that "diplomatically yet in the warmest way possible" thing she does which is understandably hard to pull off. Luna maybe needed to speak a bit slower instead of speaking some of her parts so quickly and hastily (I understand that was how she was supposed to say them (I think), but perhaps not as fast as she did)
Either way, it was still an impressive piece of fanwork and I'll be waiting for more. Constructive criticism is a good thing, but don't make that think that what you've done is any less impressive or well made.
As I love to claim over and over again. Season 5 will be entirely Fanmade by Pronies. Mark my words!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the majority of the critical ponies above. I'll point out a few again: jerky animations at spots, little odd mouth behavior, some problems in Celestia's face when she turned, voice acting (-_-). I've listened to the majority of voice actors for fanon work and I'll admit it is rare that I instantly accept a voice for "Canon-Like".
Overall I think what really bothered me the most was... What in the world happened during the scene? I know it's a dialogue scene, but at times I almost enjoyed closing my eyes listening more than I did watching. Suppose I agree in the comments above that at times it was "boring".
Note that just because it's boring doesn't make it bad. The animation and overall construction of the video is turning out really well. It's the Core Script and voice-actors. Celestia needs to sell it as a primary speaker. In this case she was really pretty bland, which is a shame.
Goodluck everypony, looks like the magic has arrived!
bravo! bravo! that was fantastic and that last scene with the music as you pull away from Luna and Celestia's embrace as she transitions the night into day was beautiful <3
ReplyDeleteHow long did this take all of you to make if you mind sharing?
Wow... Is there a need to be so harsh? It's *fan* work and exceptionally well made fan work too. The voices are not quite like the show? How many bronies can do a imitation of Princess Celestia perfectly? How about Luna who has had but two lines of dialogue to draw her voice and mannerisms from?
ReplyDeleteThe dialogue doesn't appeal? That's personal to each and everyone watching it, perhaps compounded by this is one of the few unrepentant non-evil Luna's I've seen.
I could go on but I don't feel the need.
To those that participated in this I salute you! May you make many more works like this in the future!
At least it was better animated than Newborn Cuties.
ReplyDeleteWell I believe they're still looking with volunteers, so if someone thinks they can do better at something they're willing to accept your help.
ReplyDeleteThat was beyond incredible. I can't even imagine how much work that animation would take.
ReplyDeleteCelestia's flowing hair was exceptionally well animated. I don't think I'v even seen a non studio flash has something appear as well animated as her hair was.
A wonderful performance, yet I'm going to have to take my usual role of a critic for the sake of reaching higher.
ReplyDeleteThe only things that caught my attention were the lip syncing (too much? It looks weird) and the voice level (indeed, too soft). Other than that, it's as stunningly amazing as it gets.
voice acting (-_-)
ReplyDeleteincredible fan art here. major props to everypony who put this together it's pretty amazing. but listening to some of the auditions for ponies that submitted themselves as potential voice-actors to mane6, for example, i have to say celestia's voice really needs some work. the MOST convincing word she says is "luunaaa?"
the voices dont even need to sound like the show to make this awesome, but they need to convince us that their voice belongs to that character through their acting, which celestia was lacking. sorry to be critical, this was incredible, but her voice is just distracting
I love how this all came together. Everyone worked very hard, and I know I appreciate constructive criticism <3 It can only help us all improve!
ReplyDeleteThe animation is beautiful. The writing and voices could use a lot of work, but the animation is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHeh. If this was any other fandom I'd have nothing but praise. I guess I've been spoiled by the quality of the other stuff the Herd produces.
Who cares if everything isn't perfect? This is simply incredible for fan produced animation. I mean I'm speechless.
ReplyDeleteThere are times when constructive criticism is appropriate and others where you just shut up and tip your hat. This is the latter.
It's good, but there's room for improvement. Some of the movements ended abruptly, you could see were the last animation ended and the next one began. The characters from the side and all of the backgrounds are excellent, you could mistake them for the actual show. Calling it as good as FiM is an exaggeration, but it's great as a fan work.
ReplyDeleteFor a fan animation, this is really, really impressive. I have no words. This is just plain fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI mean yeah, sometimes it's not perfectly but holy crap! For a fan made animation, it's the best.
If you like what you see here in Luna's Lament, and think you have what it takes to be a part of Bronytoons, (especially if you're an animation or illustration or sound or musician specialist,)
ReplyDeleteContact us at our official e-mail, at [email protected]
We'd love to hear from you, and we're ALWAYS looking to expand our little herd!
... Am I the only one wanting a fully animated Cupcakes now?
ReplyDeletean awesome piece of fan work, I loved it
ReplyDelete@Smashmatt202
ReplyDeleteWow. Really? That musical piece was amazing, and her singing was superb. Think more before you insult someone sacrificing their time and talents to bring you enjoyment voluntarily.
The animations for this are amazing. The only thing I would change is choose voice actors that are closer to the originals. Luna was fine, but Celestia lacked a sort of regal tone in her voice.
ReplyDeleteLove the animation. Love the music. Love it.
ReplyDeleteReally do not like the dialogue or the voice acting. =/
Destroyed all the happies.
Really well done. I can't help being reminded of the Legend of Zelda: Wand of Gamlon cinematics though. There's too much unnecessary movement.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, take how critical people are being as a sign that you're really close to getting it right. You've sorta reached the 'uncanny valley' of fan animation.
@Sketchy Sounds Everything's better animated than Newborn Cuties
ReplyDeleteAnimation was brilliant.
ReplyDelete@ Louis Badalament
ReplyDeleteAlright, thanks. I just thought they're actually getting money out of this or something.
There's no constructive criticism I can add that hasn't already been called out.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is important to remember is that we're being all the more critical of Luna's Lament because there's real talent and potential going into the making of this. Every one of the team that made this deserves a deep, slow pat on the back.
It's hard for me to fine the right thing to say my feeling, as it is neither "incredible -considering the constraints (is that condescending?)-" nor utter appraisal.
I can't help but keep some of the latter in mind though, because this has broken away from the herd to dwell in a higher tier of quality that few pieces earn.
Something I think has been pointed out already, albeit briefly amidst the greater current of techincal criticism is that with this, you guys have pretty much earned the loyalty and backing of EqD readers:
Send out a call for what you need and I'd be suprised if droves of bronies didn't respond to support your next effort (I hope that you do make more). I think most of us simple bronies concur on the main criticisms pointed out and that rather than limits they are stepping stones to greater projects ahead.
I'm really proud to be in a fandom which can respond so intensively to an amazing fan production with reason and consideration. This, in such a manner that that the complicated appraisals of such amazing efforts don't deteriorate our comments into bickering and intractability. everbrony deservers a nice brohoof.
That said, the big brohoof goes uncontested to the team that crafted this. Wooo! Aim for the moon! (in a good way) - even if you miss, you'll be amidst the stars! Yay you guys!
Animation is jumpy in some places,
ReplyDeleteVoice actors don't do original justice.
That being said, this is one of the most awesome things ever posted on this entire site. It sets a good precedent.
And this is from a Solar Loyalist.
Woah. Some quality stuff here. Though I must admit I was bugged by Celestia's voice. It's like...the voice actress has a good natural quality, but her delivery is stilted. It sounds like she's reading from a script rather than speaking freely.
ReplyDeleteStill, good stuff guys. I look forward to seeing more. =)
Honestly I didn't really like it, it hasn't the magic of the original. But this is a first after all, and beginnings are always clumsy, and if THIS is clumsy, just imagine what it will be once mastered
ReplyDelete(well... it will probably be MlP : FiM :p)
Anyway, although i didn't appreciate it, congratulations to the makers, keep up the good work. Soon enough, we WILL reach circular creation.
I'm liking the animation, but as someone who has done voice acting, I can say this is rather...meh..
ReplyDeleteSome things were iffy, but everyone else has already pointed that out.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I really didn't like about it was that the voice actor for Celestia just... didn't seem powerful enough.
Other than that, good work.
On second thought, Luna's voice actor is pretty good. Celestia's is lacking though.
ReplyDeleteI give it a 3.5/5 (0/5 being GoAnimate quality, 5/5 being Studio B quality). The artwork was spot on and had enough detail to look like official work; the animation was a bit stiff and obviously lacked in pose and angle transitions, and at points showed layer clipping issues. The script was a bit uneven, and the line delivery didn't help. Luna was okay, but felt a bit forced. Celestia just sounded stiff and artifical, like she had no soul.
ReplyDeleteOverall, definitely impressive for a fan-made work attempting to emulate a critically acclaimed, commercially successful series.
Very good, but it seemed a bit awkward at times. And the mixing needs a little more work. Other than that, bravo!
ReplyDelete*mouth agape for several minutes*
ReplyDelete...Woah. That...was...AMAZING.
That final zoom out shot was just marvelous. As others have said, the voice actors don't do the originals justice, but they're still quite good.
Amazing work, people. You do the brony kingdom proud.
My the speach animation needs a bit of work, and I felt Celestia's dialog was off. I feel Celestia speaks very plainly so rather than saying 'emulate' she might say somrthing simpler like 'copy', but that's just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteNo comment on Luna's lines because we've seen too little of her to guess what she's like, I don't realy like the almost emo persona she's been given (by the fan base at large) but in her situation a bit of emo is justifiable so I'll role with it...
Still a great effort and product, I think with a little bit more polish it could be at least fantastic.
Lol, typo in the first line. Oh well, what can ya do?
ReplyDeleteImpressive.
ReplyDeleteCelestia's va needed to put a little more "umph" into her role but other than that it's was well done.
The way they used the music in the end reminds me of the way they used to do it in old animated movies. A nice touch.
it was for the most part very well done, my only true complaint is that whenever celestia and luna changed positions where they had to change the model to keep smooth animation, there were no in between posses and so they would stretch out the two angel posses for as long as they could, and it caused for some jarring transitions between movements sometimes, where it was like... there but not quite there.
ReplyDeleteIt was other than that well done, but I would suggest that next time around they should fill in the gaps between models better, even if it must be done by hand at points to make it smoother and more like it looks on the show.
subpar voice acting
ReplyDeletedo not want.
*hoofclaps happily*
ReplyDeleteVery well done, love it. Few rough spots here or there, but thats to be expected with one's first attempts at something of this scale. Also wish it was a bit longer, but well, if wishes was horses we'd all be ponies.
This is actually better done than the official generation 3 pony content. Even the voice acting, which to be fair needs some help in this piece, is better. Sure, it's still jerky in places, and the lip synch isn't perfect, but take this for what it is: brilliant fan content.
ReplyDeleteFor those not satisfied with this and keep posting "blurrr this sucks because of the voice acting" and so on: I challenge you to do better. Because if you don't, you don't have the right to gripe about something you got for free that cost other people time and effort. And if you do make something better, everybody gets more better pony! Win win!
Finally, that's an interesting explanation for eclipses... since nopony would ever have seen one before.
@Flutterfan
ReplyDeleteFalse. Constructive criticism is always appropriate.
Key word here is constructive, meaning that the good was praised and the less-than-good was acknowledged.
Look below for my example.
This was absolutely amazing. Never before have I seen any other fanbase of any cartoon show create such a realistic depiction of its respective much-loved show. This only goes to show that quality work inspires quality work. And both MLP:FiM and Luna's Lament are quality work. In their own respective fields, of course.
Yes, there were some jerky animations, but with starting from scratch, this was pretty much the best fan-made animation I have ever seen. Yes, the voice acting didn't exactly match the actual show, but that is to be expected, Nicole Oliver (Celestia) and Tabitha St. Germain (Luna) wouldn't exactly be such wonderful voice actors if they could be imitated so easily, now would they? In fan-made voice-acting I tend to look at whether or not the voice, on its own, is a well-developed voice. And in this case, Nichole Goodnight's (Celestia) and Lauren Goodnight's (Luna) voice acting were extremely mature and well-developed not only for a fan-made animation, but also for most cartoon shows these days. Needless to say, they were much better than most everything on the front page of Newgrounds.
My only real problem with this animation lies in the actual story. Nothing happens. Like, nothing. They have a conversation that was, honestly, sub-par compared to most Luna-Celestia fanfics. Sorry if that sounds harsh but it's true. Before all the fancy effects, the most important thing that a story must have is, well, a story. This fan-made work has splendiferous (look it up) effects, but the story was severely lacking in content. This can easily be remedied, however, in future productions. Just make better stories.
Despite my criticisms (Which, if I may say so, were quite constructive), I have extremely high hopes for Bronytoons. I hope that every Bronytoonist will not simply be satisfied with already raising the bar for fan-made original content. I hope that they will continue to set even higher bars, and improve themselves with a sort of Faustian-disciplined pride in their artwork. Brohoof.
Simply wonderful. I am going to ignore my overly analytical nature and simply say at how amazed I was. This is just soo well done. While this is simply the best, I hope you have learned from whats been done, and will continue to make more videos. I simply cannot express the gratitude to all of you involved for making this. Truer fans there never were. I really felt for dear Luna, the knot remains as I type this yet. *Rainbow Dash Salute*
ReplyDeleteThank you, I hope that we can see more in the future. The wait was well worth it, if I do say so myself n.n
@Lazuras L. ...yes. Yes you are the only person who would want such a terrible, terrible thing.
ReplyDeleteNever speak of this again.
LOOOOOOOOOOOONAAAAAAAA ;o;
ReplyDeleteAs a first release this is awesome!
ReplyDeleteThe only way this could disappoint is if it fails to improve over time.
SWEET JESUS. Witnessing the future of our economy where fans actually take a hand at generating content.
ReplyDelete@Lazuras L.
ReplyDeleteWell ... I was sort'a curious about that myself. Cupcakes, and that one fanfic where the CMC get stuck on a mountain side and resort to eating each other to survive.
But that's only morbid curiosity, really.
this was awsome! i lost my jaw at 3:45, that animation was incredible, only thing that really shows that this is fanmade is the voice acting. i had some.trouble getting over the voices to be honest, only one solution!
ReplyDeletehasbro! get over here and provide the real voiceactors, NAOW...
The animation here is superb, barring a few minor glitches here or there. The only thing that bothers me is Celestia's voice. It just sounds... inhuman. I know she uses the official tone that the voice actress was going for a lot, but that's only because shes talking to her subjects from her position of royalty. She even breaks the official tone occasionally during the show (when she trolls Mr. and Mrs. Cake for example, or when she talks to Twilight) so I have a hard time believing she wouldn't use a more familiar tone talking to her sister, especially when Luna is obviously upset.
ReplyDeleteBasically, one of the only major things I think needs work here is Celestia's voice; it lacks any indication of emotion and just sounds flat and static. I don't think that you need a different voice actress for her if you're going to continue making cartoon about these characters, but I do think that the lines need to be delivered a bit deeper than they were here. Other than that, A+ job. I can't wait to see more of these.
@henke37
ReplyDelete"The mixing needs to be redone completely, the voices are way too soft.
The animation was jerky in spots.
The stars aren't astronomically correct and has obvious copy'n flip going on.
And the script needs work, the pacing is uneven.
Finally, Celestia's voice actor isn't a good match to the official one."
^This.
Additionally, I've seen better animation from a single person or multiple people rather, just look on newgrounds! No offense, but it's true.
ReplyDeleteSomeone hire these guys for more MLP, now!
ReplyDeleteLook, I'm impressed and all, and I applaud you for a lot of work well done, but my fellow ponies, you need to cease your overhyping ways. By the time I clicked play I was expecting the show reincarnate, and what I saw was very good, but... it just wasn't up to the show's standards. It gets major points, HUGE points considering the state of most other fan animation, be it for this fandom or any other, but it's not the amazing, life stopping wonder I saw hyped. Just for a moment, I was sad at how easily impressed our fandom is...
ReplyDeleteThat is some truly amazing animation, only the dialog needs work.
ReplyDeleteCelestia Should sound more playful and confident.
Luna is closer, but she needs to slow down and to sound a little more thoughtful.
Great job and I hope to see more in the future.
I loved the animation a bunch. I can't wait to see more of this. There was not much story going on, but perhaps this is just a prologue.
ReplyDeleteThis was so amazing. I loved it! I hope more like this happens. God.... It's truly a shame they don't have the resources to animate popular fanfics and feature length stuff!
ReplyDeleteGoddamn, the animation! But, goddamn, the voiceacting...
ReplyDeleteWell, the bar has been raised, if perhaps not quite high enough. That is, the animation was almost at the level of the show, but not quite. Celestia's mouth and some of the more difficult animations were a bit wonky. The script wasn't very good and the voice acting for Celestia was pretty poor and not a match for the show ... in fact I was rather reminded of the voices in Charlie the Unicorn.
ReplyDeleteWith better voicework this could have passed for a take from the show ...
As it is, it's still an impressive effort.
I'd like to say right now that the reason I'M impressed, personally, is because I know just how much work must have gone into those four minutes! That was astounding animation quality for a fan-made video, and despite my personal feelings on the voice-acting, the lip-synch was phenomenal. Some constructive criticism: perhaps next time there won't be as much reliance on "stretching" characters to show subtle shifts in posture - it looked very unnatural to me.
ReplyDeleteVoice Acting: Celestia's voice wasn't actually bad. The recording quality/post-editing was poor, but that's easy enough to fix in future sessions. The only concern that has been voiced before that I'll bring up again is that Celestia's inflection was... inappropriately detached. Part of it can be blamed on the writing ("Beloved sister"? Really?), but... well, that goes back into comparisons against the show, which isn't fair. Just bring her back down to earth is what I guess I'm asking for.
The animation was unreal! Love it!!
ReplyDeleteBut Celestia is also unreal. Kill the imposter and bring back the real Celestia.
That was pretty damn awesome for being a fan-work, especially a first step. However, it definitely did reek of being a first step, and there's lots of room for improvement (especially in the voice acting).
ReplyDelete