Part of the reason I went out and bought the dvd was to get the behind the scenes documentary on how it was made. After all, the thing took forever to come out so I figured that'll at least give some insight into the creative process behind the video.
Was anyone else extremely dissapointed?
It just seemed like an Adam Jones ass-kissing contest. It was as if these people he worked with were told to sit in front of a camera and ramble on about the many talents of Adam Jones as a visionary artist. Shouldn't this go completely unsaid?
It just seems to me like the focus should've been on how the storyboard for the video was constructed and how the video went from concept to digital images.
after 15 years of making groundbreaking musicvideos, connecting hundrets of different artists to one concept, always making his own thing and pushing things forward- I think it is not much an "ass-kissing-contest" than more a tribute to a person that really made something out of his life and pushed art in the 20th/21th cenutry a little bit further...maybe more useful than just writing stupid posts in a useless forum....
and to hide the storyboard concept and not to tell too much about the "story" is part of tools concept as you miiiiight have recognized...
I'm not trying to belittle his talents and acheivments. I just thought the "Vicarious" documentary might be a little bit more focused on the making of "Vicarious", as the title suggested. I don't think I'm wrong in feeling I was mislead. It's not like the thing was titled "A Tribute to Adam Jones".
I got nothing against a little ass-kissing, but for Xenu's sake, make it a little interesting. That was the most BORING thing I'd ever watched. Big disappointment.
I got nothing against a little ass-kissing, but for Xenu's sake, make it a little interesting. That was the most BORING thing I'd ever watched. Big disappointment.
Hell yes. I didn't even touch on the BORING factor. Some of the speakers were just so brutally inarticulate. It was pretty awesome seeing all those sculptures and drawings in their early stages, but why ruin it with jabbering ass-kissing commentary?
I thought the documentary was fucking awesome. Sure, some of the speakers weren't the most articulate, but I bet if we stuck you in front of a camera to talk about a project you worked on, you likely wouldn't be very quick on-the-spot either. What you're all missing is that these people talking are key figures in Tool's art throughout its history-- the art that has shaped and given almost the entirety of the context surrounding the music we all argue over today. The band (or at least Adam) enlists those people to help produce the message they want transmitted to us, and you can squeegee a lot from the knowledgable (if sometimes inarticulate) comments of those who actually worked closely with certain projects. Prying open your third eye and all that.
On a related note, the CoSM tour was sweet. Gotta go there sometime.
youd only be disappointed if you thought it was a "making of vicarious" documentary, when in reality it was a documentary about the various people and processes involved in making videos with adam. i thought it was a neat way to give some spotlight to some people who deserve but never get it.
the only thing that was disappointing was that adam himself didnt speak about his art, not that i was surprised that he didnt.
__________________ The Church of Macho Man Randy Savage
Time distortion, space is the place, go down that lonesome highway, but don't be hypnotized. Reincarnation does not have to be. (Mean Gene I 2:3-4)
alex grey sounds exactly like every other diluted hippie philosopher ive ever met at a drum circle/pagan festival/whatever
his paintings are cool though
__________________ The Church of Macho Man Randy Savage
Time distortion, space is the place, go down that lonesome highway, but don't be hypnotized. Reincarnation does not have to be. (Mean Gene I 2:3-4)
Seeing as the entire video was made in CGI, it would probably be farily tedious for them to show us how they made it. If thats not what you were looking for, and if you were looking for an explanation/interpretation for the video (which you were), you would most definitely be disapointed. Why you can't watch it and draw your own conclusions is beyond me. To expect the creator to come out and explain each little idea that passed through his head while making this seems irrational. It takes away all the fun. I'd rather not have a clue what he was thinking of, so I can watch the video and maybe get some ideas for myself, rather than being bound to his train of thought.
Also, considering how many people worship Maynard and keep the rest of the band in the shadows, I'm sure Adam just wanted recognition for his hard work.
The one thing I did get out of it was how important Adam Jones is to the band. I knew he was behind the artistic direction but I never realized to what extent. Those were his sketches that spawned album covers and music video props. After watching the documentary it made me feel like Maynard gets a little too much credit in that department.
By the way, that sculpture of the freaky looking priest on the cover of Opiate was badass.
after watching the documentary it made me feel like cam de leon gets a little too less credit in that department...
i know from an interview that they had differences (he wanted to be treated as a 5th bandmember or something) but in the documentary: opiate, undertow, aenima (only the kevin willis picture) then it goes on with lateralus and 10,000 days...i guess after all he deserves to be mentioned....or not?!?!
Cam probably would have been a bigger part in this particular production if he wasn't such a douche bag. His art is amazing and he's still one of my favorite artists but his lawsuit against tool is just childish and will leave a black mark on his reputation. It's a real shame too, I bet his character designs would have greatly improved the visual quality of Vicarious.
As for the documentary...I highly enjoyed it. As a 3D artist I can really appreciate the multitude of work that goes into a production like this. Seeing the maya view port with a 3D version of the net of being gave me chills and inspired me to create something in this vein. I also noticed Chet Zars influence almost immediately and hope he continues to offer his unique perspective for years to come.
If anyone wants to check out my 3D work...mostly real time video game stuff...visit my webpage www.stevekick.com
the entrance page has an image of a character I modeled from one of Zar's oil paintings.
alex grey sounds exactly like every other diluted hippie philosopher ive ever met at a drum circle/pagan festival/whatever
his paintings are cool though
Actually I think his views on art, creativity, and life in general are pretty thoughtful and benevolent. And it seems to me, if alot more people were able to perceive the bigger picture and express it like he is able to through his art, and Tool are able to through their art instead of other more destructive means, we would at least have alot less monkeys killing monkeys (for lack of a better way to put it). And I don't think there are very many people who have been educated either by school or by life or by Tool who wouldn't agree that'd be a real good thing.
By the way, everybody bitching about the documentary glorifying Adam... keep in mind IT WAS DIRECTED BY HIS WIFE. Actually, I got alot out it myself.
Are you referring to the posters who didn't know after he'd said it once, or the posters who didn't know before he'd mentioned it?
PROTIP: not everyone wastes time checking credits and liner notes and Tool news sites checking to see whose wife made what...
Didn't mean it to come off antagonistic, just was being mildly sarcastic. I just meant people who didn't read that anywhere. Maybe I should've said "hadn't read it anywhere". I've read that in numerous places, that it was directed by Camella... several places on this board actually.
I should probably not say it, but... Thanks for the PROTIP! and... not everyone wastes time posting responses about not wasting time reading credits and liner notes, to people who waste time reading credits and liner notes and inform others who don't waste time reading credits and liner notes about the important point they were missing by not reading credits and liner notes.
haha... just couldn't resist.
__________________ ( . )(.) zZzZzZzZzZz
Last edited by A Tad Bit Catatonic; 12-29-2007 at 10:43 PM..
But I happen to be one of the people who does waste time posting responses about not wasting time reading credits and liner notes to people who waste time reading credits and liner notes and inform others who don't waste time reading credits and liner notes about the important point they were missing by not reading credits and liner notes, and then read the long and time wasting response by aforementioned person who wastes time reading credits and liner notes, and informs others who don't waste time reading credits and liner notes about the important point they were missing by not reading credits and liner notes, and then responds to them.
But I happen to be one of the people who does waste time posting responses about not wasting time reading credits and liner notes to people who waste time reading credits and liner notes and inform others who don't waste time reading credits and liner notes about the important point they were missing by not reading credits and liner notes, and then read the long and time wasting response by aforementioned person who wastes time reading credits and liner notes, and informs others who don't waste time reading credits and liner notes about the important point they were missing by not reading credits and liner notes, and then responds to them.
