Thoughts on expectations of MLP: FIM's seasons

[Arcanel 3,041]

It's something I just realized about what we expect of the seasons. Some people complain that, having so much fan art, we could even make our own show (and, techinically, with the project Double Rainboom we are), and with that, any comment on the show is forgotten. This means, the "What will happen in the show" itself is getting forgotten. But ironically, that's almost good for us. Why? Because we have SO many fan things, that, whatever the guys at DHX do, will probably be different from we have done or have tried an idea, to net let see that they are listening to us, so to speak. Let me explain. We know that Jayson Thiessen, Jim Miller, James Wooton, Megan McCarthy, Lauren Faust, M.A. Larson and the rest will probably do things by their own (obviously) and not consider what we bronies want (as that would be fanservice, and while there has been some stuff, like Derpy thanks to Amy Keating Rogers, not much more). So, whenever season 3 comes out...I think we'll be surprised, regardless of what it is in the end. Maybe we'll like it, maybe not (I'm puttinjg my money on that we will, of course =) ). But the point is, so much fan things we do deviates us from actually wondering about the show, and rather just let our own imagination run wild. And since that question's gone, whenever the new season DOES appear, it shocks us, because we never saw it coming. And I think this is something that will translate to the rest of the seasons, especially the more the time passes. What do you think?

[Regality 233]

For me, fan content is never the same as official canon. Why? Perhaps it's just me being slightly paranoid, but I have trouble comparing it with the quality of official network content put out by professionals. Yes, it's a great thing that there's so much awesome fan content, it symbolizes a growing and thriving fanbase. But I'll always look forward to the real thing over fan renditions.

~~

[NavelColt 22,880]

The fanbase spreads like wildfire, and I for one, embrace the fanon. I can last a very, very long time on fan content this high, easily, as it continues to crank out each and every day. I do think the shock factor exists, but at the same time, Hasbro has done a good job thus far of having things work out. For example, Luna was popular from episode 1, and people were very pleased with how she was later portrayed in season 2's Nightmare Night episode. So while some things aren't expected, plenty of others work out just fine.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I for one, take the fandom to heart, and contribute a lot of time to it. Fan art is of really high quality (at least most of it) so I think I can go without saying that it basically says that the fandom is thriving. I think part of the fun of a new season, is the unpredictability of it.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Dusty Soul

[Arcanel 3,041]

For me, fan content is never the same as official canon. Why? Perhaps it's just me being slightly paranoid, but I have trouble comparing it with the quality of official network content put out by professionals. Yes, it's a great thing that there's so much awesome fan content, it symbolizes a growing and thriving fanbase. But I'll always look forward to the real thing over fan renditions.

~~

Nah, you're not paranoid. Besides, it's REALLY difficult to compare it. And every maker of the awesome stuff there is knows that. For example, we know some GREAT stuff out there on anything related that could be used in the show. Art (for example Pixelkitties), music (for example Tsyolin/ApplejackTheEngineer), animation (for example JanAnimations), etc. And yet, do we probably like it more than the show? Nah, we still love it from the bottom of our heart. Even if we do so much stuff that the wonder about the show is somewhat forgotten, when the season comes out, oh yes...we waiting for it, so much, we have the countdown until it begins. Like Sethisto said, if I'm not mistaken "We have to fill in the void between the seasons somehow" .

[Finesthour 7,287]

I'm honestly not caring about the content, or the fan art for that matter. It may be because of the shorten of ponies, but I am just losing interest entirely.

 

I need season 3, damnit.

[silvadel 1,393]

They have really blown it in a way having it be so very long between seasons. If they do have another pause quite like this one they could lose fans over it. Season 4 needs to essentially be a summer season if season 3 indeed has only 13 episodes.

 

As for fan content -- yes there is quite a lot of it, but you can "reach the end of the internet" on fan content as well. But compared to there just being a little over 18 hours of my little pony show, it is a much more substantial set.

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

Professional content creation has research and schooling that back what they do. They also have corporate funding.

 

This means that regardless how slapdash the work comes out, it's been made by people who actually have what they're doing together. Even at their worst, it's still better than our own.

 

This error is four frames long. What a travesty.

An episode is 22 minutes and 29 seconds. NTSC Animation is 24 frames per second.

((22*60)+29)*24= 32376 total frames in an episode.

A ratio of 1:8000 is pretty good for Error:Correct. And that's just a technical appraisal.

 

Now this simplification I just provided is almost a straw-man argument but it conveys the message I intended: that there are an immense number of logistics that go into making an actual episode or other canon material. Film/Video Production and Toy mass-production are things that we are not in the know about. Seeing as we already have 54 episodes to enjoy and at least 13 more on the way, that's 57 examples of the fact that Hasbro & Co. already have these logistics figured out, streamlined and perfected (more or less.) Fans in order to replicate this effort must invent and refine their own method, out of their own wallet. This is why we'll never have a fan-created equivalent to the show itself. We can't possibly match the speed and/or quality on our own. ("Logistics" entails numerous disciplines, including Art, Concept, Story, Script, Audio, Music, Voice-Acting, Animation Reference, Animation Keys, Animation Tweens, Animation Cleanup, Mastering, Editing, Compositing, Background Art, Finalization, Rendering- and that's just the raw copy of an episode. That's ignoring management, technology development, software, server systems, marketing and so on)

 

But we have proven ourselves hyper-competent in making our own Written, Painted, Drawn, Composed or Sung extollences of their work. Fan-fictions and artworks of substantial quality often exceed the works of Hasbro themselves, but of a different variety because they are not constrained or upheld by corperate sponsorship.

 

Inherently, Fandom and Canon are different, unbridgeably so. This does not mean one is bad or one is better. It just makes an interesting phenomenon to observe. Like a moon, orbiting a planet. The moon is not the planet, nor vice versa. But them moving in contrast to each other is fascinating- and most interestingly, they affect one another as they move through the medium. Fans are drawn to their inspirers, and in turn, Canon gets bints and budges depending upon what the fandom says.

 

^{And we love it.}

 

In terms of seasons, my low prediction is 5 Seasons for the show to run, and outrageously high will be 12.

[Arcanel 3,041]

I'm honestly not caring about the content, or the fan art for that matter. It may be because of the shorten of ponies, but I am just losing interest entirely.

 

I need season 3, damnit.

 

You're not the only one on that last sentence XD. Still, I think we all get tired at some point. It's been...what...almost FIVE months since the last season. We indeed need to see more of the show love. And unless Journey of the Spark and Double Rainboom suddenly have the ability to get out NOW, and in full movie and/or episodes, respectively, then yeah, WE WANT IT NOW! Don't worry. It's the fact that we can't survive out of fan content alone. With any luck, they next season after 3 will come quicker. Or at least so we hope.

 

 

They have really blown it in a way having it be so very long between seasons. If they do have another pause quite like this one they could lose fans over it. Season 4 needs to essentially be a summer season if season 3 indeed has only 13 episodes.

 

As for fan content -- yes there is quite a lot of it, but you can "reach the end of the internet" on fan content as well. But compared to there just being a little over 18 hours of my little pony show, it is a much more substantial set.

 

I think there's a reason for the time they are taking. For one, changes in between the crew and all that (like for example Amy Keating Rogers no longer been there, and new writers coming in, which can ALWAYS make something go slower in the sense that they need to get accustomed and such things). However, I think the very main reason is, that they don't want to mess up. Think about it. We already know that the season will be only 13 episodes. And it's been almsot 5 months since the last episode. They also know, who they have as their main watchers. The last thing they want to do, is screw this one up. Then again, look at for example the things in creation for the songs released back in the San Diego Comic Con. Look at the animation in Twilight's hair when she was on that balcony. For Celestia's sake, I thought for a second that was ANIME! And if we look on the whole crystal empire thing, it will probably be something big. Besides, there could be another reason. If we people absolutely LOVE these season, then any doubts on a future season will dissapear regarding the length. Because we would then know, that they are breaking their asses off to make something epically good. And if it works, then even better for us and them.

 

 

Professional content creation has research and schooling that back what they do. They also have corporate funding.

 

This means that regardless how slapdash the work comes out, it's been made by people who actually have what they're doing together. Even at their worst, it's still better than our own.

 

This error is four frames long. What a travesty.

An episode is 22 minutes and 29 seconds. NTSC Animation is 24 frames per second.

((22*60)+29)*24= 32376 total frames in an episode.

A ratio of 1:8000 is pretty good for Error:Correct. And that's just a technical appraisal.

 

Now this simplification I just provided is almost a straw-man argument but it conveys the message I intended: that there are an immense number of logistics that go into making an actual episode or other canon material. Film/Video Production and Toy mass-production are things that we are not in the know about. Seeing as we already have 54 episodes to enjoy and at least 13 more on the way, that's 57 examples of the fact that Hasbro & Co. already have these logistics figured out, streamlined and perfected (more or less.) Fans in order to replicate this effort must invent and refine their own method, out of their own wallet. This is why we'll never have a fan-created equivalent to the show itself. We can't possibly match the speed and/or quality on our own. ("Logistics" entails numerous disciplines, including Art, Concept, Story, Script, Audio, Music, Voice-Acting, Animation Reference, Animation Keys, Animation Tweens, Animation Cleanup, Mastering, Editing, Compositing, Background Art, Finalization, Rendering- and that's just the raw copy of an episode. That's ignoring management, technology development, software, server systems, marketing and so on)

 

But we have proven ourselves hyper-competent in making our own Written, Painted, Drawn, Composed or Sung extollences of their work. Fan-fictions and artworks of substantial quality often exceed the works of Hasbro themselves, but of a different variety because they are not constrained or upheld by corperate sponsorship.

 

Inherently, Fandom and Canon are different, unbridgeably so. This does not mean one is bad or one is better. It just makes an interesting phenomenon to observe. Like a moon, orbiting a planet. The moon is not the planet, nor vice versa. But them moving in contrast to each other is fascinating- and most interestingly, they affect one another as they move through the medium. Fans are drawn to their inspirers, and in turn, Canon gets bints and budges depending upon what the fandom says.

 

^{And we love it.}

 

In terms of seasons, my low prediction is 5 Seasons for the show to run, and outrageously high will be 12.

 

... ... ...Woah...dude, I'll have this thing on speed dial whenever someone asks about the subject . Still, I can agree with everything you said. The only reason we don't have beter stuff , is because almost none of it is with proffessional material, nor do we have proffessionals working. But the talent sure is there. Also, that was a nice comparison you did for the show crew/fan relationship. It gets plus points for being astronomical, but whatever . Also, I THINK that 5 seasons is a bit short, but then again, that was the low prediction. Of course, why predict the end when we enjoy the present? . And while the long "speech" wasn't needed, I appreciate it. The main point was that if there will be shock among the fans on any season the show runs, basically, because so much fan content makes us forget the "What will happen in the show?" factor. Sorry if that was a bit confusing on the original post .