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tekering

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Everything posted by tekering

  1. As we're starting to veer dangerously off-topic, I've moved this discussion to the appropriate thread.
  2. Since finding an original 1984 broadcast of Southern Cross, I've taken the time to try and correct the color-timing on the ADV box set release from 2003: ADV's masters on the left, my color-corrected version on the right. It's still a soft, low-contrast transfer from two decades ago, but at least the colors aren't so messed up this time. I did my best to reproduce them using the superior DVD video source. If there's demand, I can upload further episodes. Standard-definition DVDs are either NTSC or PAL, certainly; however, both Japan and North America use NTSC. Naturally, your results may vary, based on the specific configuration of your monitor.
  3. Especially if you're displaying her next to the Premium Finish VF-4A, which really makes the ol' 4G look like a toy by comparison.
  4. Given the premise, it couldn't possibly be any better than Michael Dougherty's King of the Monsters, much less Gareth Edwards' Godzilla... Just keep your expectations low, and I'm sure you'll appreciate it for what it is.
  5. "Please consider it?" Japanese is a poor language to begin with, but Google is particularly bad at translating it. It's more like "I'm afraid the weathering wasn't possible. Thank you for your understanding." Machine translation may yet become a reality, but for now it's still a pipe dream...
  6. My conclusions exactly. As much as I'm enjoying these comparisons, it's starting to feel like a fool's errand... We'll surely revisit this issue when we debate what color the Spartas Hovertanks are supposed to be.
  7. Sure... assuming Bowie was supposed to be a black guy with blue eyes. I'd say the Southern Cross DVDs have the least-accurate colors.
  8. I've been experimenting with a three-shade blend, actually, using a layering technique I picked up from my Japanese friends: Over a flat black base coat, a couple layers of semi-gloss green are sprayed over the surface, with more even coverage over the raised surfaces and less coverage in the recessed areas, suggesting a subtle gradation in color. Thinner coats of a slightly lighter green are then sprayed over the most prominent areas, further enhancing the gradation effect and achieving the desired primary color. It's not as high-contrast as the popular "cel-shaded" look, but it involves a similar combination of colors to achieve a more dynamic finish. That depends on your source of reference... The more research I do, the more inconsistency I find. It's easier to determine the right colors for Mospeada mecha because of the wealth of reference material available, including the high-definition Japanese transfers; like Macross, the Blu-rays are definitive. Unfortunately, there's nothing as reliable for Southern Cross, as the best DVD transfers are nearly two decades old... and they were low-contrast 16mm masters to begin with. What's worse, ADV's DVDs show the same heavy blue tint that plagued their Mospeada releases, so the colors are way off. The green Bioroid is a particular challenge, since there's very little published art and no official merchandise to refer to, either; despite their age, I suppose the original Southern Cross TV broadcasts are the best color reference we have to work with.
  9. Precisely, yes. I'm afraid "as is" remains a rather deplorable state for my King Crab...
  10. Nah, more like this: In fact, exactly like this.
  11. Scale models of fictional aircraft (from decades-old hand-drawn animation) provide such a wealth of creative opportunities for unseen markings and nomenclature... and yet, we fans try increasingly hard to reproduce each other's work down to the minutest detail. I'm surprised so much gets canonized after the fact, based on "that's what the garage kit used" or "Tenjin's art included it" or "Kawamori once drew it that way."
  12. It's got pedigree, though. SDF-018 has appeared on most toy and model representations of the VF-4, 'cause it was there on the very first: the Musashiya garage kit... ...and rumor has it Kawamori himself did the box art.
  13. Ah, but will you see fit to include markings Arcadia left off the PF, like that mysterious "SDF-018" on the vertical stabs? Even the Wave kit included those...
  14. It's cool, see, 'cause it doesn't sound like Japanese (and to Japanese, there's nothing more lame-sounding than Japanese), so Japanese marketing serves another delicious helping of English word salad. I... My... Me... Strawberry... Egg... Fate... Stay... Night... Grand... Order... Kingdom... Hearts... Dream... Drop... Distance... Melty... Blood... Actress... Again... Current... Code... [ ... ] Somebody stop me, before my brain melts.
  15. EVERY third-party movieverse figure looks amazing, compared to any official option. Even the straight KOs have more accurate colors, more detailed paint app's, and better prices... The OSKOs have better engineering, more articulation, and more electronics... Most amazing of all are the original figures, designed from scratch at Movie Masterpiece scale and accurate enough to put any previous versions to shame... But what's really amazing is how these enterprising fans keep beating HasTak at their own game, delivering product that's better, cheaper, and often easier to obtain, even. Find me an official Transformer toy that holds up to this level of scrutiny... ...and can actually, y'know, transform.
  16. No, she wears it on stage as well, and it gets repurposed as her costume in Shao Pai Long:
  17. A Robotech-branded product, with questionable artwork? Impossible. Harmony Gold would never stand for it.
  18. Guardia has always been one of my favorite combiners... ...so much that I seriously considered picking up the YES-Model OSKO. I sure hope the reissue sells well for them.
  19. Master Made a lot more figures that I'd realized! I love their Metroplex, and I've admired their Omega Supreme from afar... but I think I really need that Devastator. Thanks for the heads-up, TJ!
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