Best of Rifftrax Shorts Box Art

[RoninFox]

Seriously, its deep breath time here.

People do get oversensitive around here when anyone gets negative about Rifftrax, I've been guilty of it too.  This was being discussed in another thread and it didn't seem this heated to me.  The problem, I think, is that you started a new thread and made your complaint as your first post.  That gives people the impression that you only registered to complain.  That doesn't reflect well.  Personally I don't hold it against you, I'm not fond of the dvd cover myself.  Obviously it doesn't bother me as much as it does you, but whatever.

[Indomitus]

With as many of us in these forums that are skilled at creating DVD covers as there are, I'd think the cover on this thing is really a non-issue.  We can make our own and share them if we wanted to.
But if the animation is anything like what was in that old Road House preview, then I may just rip and re-author that short without it when I get my disc.  Kind of in danger of pulling an mst3k.com with the animation here, I'd imagine.

[torgosPizza]

Well, we appreciate the feedback. "Monstrously unappealing" may be a tad over the top, but we get your gist.

I would like to clear up some presumptions you have about the cover and who designed it, though. It was designed by an "actual professional." (Not me.)

I think if you hadn't been so condescending in your posts, your feedback would have been taken more seriously.

[bazmagorky]

I did only register to complain.  I have no real intrest in reading forums or joing online communities-- not because I'm "too cool" for it or something stupid like that, I'm just not interested.  I registered for the sole purpose of providing negative feedback for a product I thought should have been better.

I'm a professional animator, and I have produced some bad work in my time.  Whether it was due to inexperience with the tools I was using, time contraints, or simply being less than enthused about what I was working on.  But as a professional I'm also used to being held accountable for my work.  I've been told work I've done was "fantastic," and I've been told work I've done was "absolute shit."  Every artist has.  It comes with the territory.  Artists have thick skins, or they aren't artists for long.  If the artist who did your work is in fact a professional and saw what I wrote, they'll take it as harsh criticism, not a personal affront.

Rifftrax's bread and butter is looking at other people's work and profiting by making fun of it's flaws.  No one's gonna pay me $2.99 to read what I have to say about box art, but I do expect a company like this-- and it's fan base-- to be open minded when it comes to recieving criticism of it's own.  (I have to say, the staff does seem pretty good about it, and I suppose I must admit it's understandable that some of the fans would not be.)

Aside from what I criticized, I have nothing but good things to say to everyone I talk to about Rifftrax.  I've introduced it to dozens of friends, some of whom I know have downloaded more tracks than I have.  I stood in line at Comic Con 2 years ago and got Mike Nelson's autograph and even geeked out and got my picture taken with him shaking my hand.  I'm passionate about the things and I like, and if I see them fall short of their potential I'm going to speak my mind and I'm not going to sugar-coat it.  Too much trouble for a stupid DVD cover?  Maybe, but I guess that's just the kind of geek I am.

[Piobman]

Words to live by.

[Ortega]

Hmm.

Registered for the sole purpose of bitching. Check.

First post a huge over-analyzation of something trivial and minuscule.Check.

Declaration that he is a expert in said field of internet freak-out. Check.

Stereotypical reaction of disdain against objective criticisms against his post.Check

Flippant dismissal of messageboard protocols. Check.

People, we have Troll Sign.

  You see, sir: Unlike most messageboards, this one tends to be a fairly relaxed and laid back one.  Usually, most people can have discussions with thing devolving in to a shouting match.  Its understandable that you didn't particularly find the RiffTrax cover art to meet the standards of excellence that you have.  This is all well and good, and its you right to voice your opinion to the RiffTrax crew in general.  However, one would question your intentions after you've said your piece.  If all you wanted was to say: "I didn't like the RiffTrax cover art, and i didn't like the CGI animation.   Frankly, I thought it sucked".  Then fine, you've said it, issue closed.  However, it seems that your intention wasn't to simply voice your opinion, but to ignite an argument.  For instance, your replying to every reply, with a wordy, and rather long-winded post, which simply just redundantly reiterates your point.  There really isn't much to say, other than " I disagree", or " Box art isn't that big a factor for me".  To continue the conversation, is to prove my point.  That you are a Troll.  If you're not, your unintentionally being one.  As you've said before, you registered in the forum simply to leave feedback about the cover art.  If all you wanted to do was leave feedback, i would think that emailing them would have been a more convenient solution.  But, you choose to voice your opinion on a public messageboard, to make your opinion public for all to see.  That either shows a large lack of tact, or you simply wanted to start an argument, knowing that an immediately hostile post would garner negative replies.  But the point is moot.  You will probably reply to this post feigning some sort of attack on your thoughts or opinions.  All i simply can say is this:  When you bust into a room, and immediately start pointing at the curtains and yell: " Man, These curtains suck! I'm a professional curtain-maker, and i can make curtains better than these!'  Don't be surprised when the people in the room don't take kindly to your brash and rather rude tone.

[bratpop]

Haha, Ortega got trolled.

Mmmmyeah. I imagine this guy joins 12 messageboards a day, saying how he doesn't care for or have time for messageboards, just to complain that the puzzle on the back of his most recent cereal purchase sucked.

This is known as the bitter artist troll. Bitter about having to take criticism for being an artist, and jealous that anyone with less, equal, or in fact more talent can get a professional design job when he can't, the bitter artist troll will ensure people that his opinion is much more informed and correct than anyone else's, even if he's literally the only one in the world who cares about the aesthetic value of the text placement on a pack of breath mints.

[bazmagorky]

If what I'm doing is being a troll, then I guess I'm a troll, but I don't see how it's different from the people who repeatedly replied to me.  I was trying to explian my reasons-- which apparently I failed at-- but if they're not acceptable to you I guess I'll have to live with that.  Have a good one, you can continue your "shouting match" without me.

[RVR II]

WAIT!! ............................ D'OH oh well..

[bettertomorrowamy]

I think he was this type of Troll, or maybe some form of as yet undefined Troll:

2) Mindless: Mindless trolls have a tendency to post lengthy stories of questionable belief thus promoting good facial tone in members due to excessive eye-rolling. They are generally harmless. On rare occasion, the ficticious posts of a mindless troll may lead to insightful debate and discussion. Aside from encouraging them, there is generally no harm in responding.

http://communitiesonline.homestead.com/dealingwithtrolls.html


I'm this type of Troll: 

1) Mischievous: Such trolls have a humorous intent. Often, they are a "regular" who has temporarily adopted a new identity in order to play a good-natured prank. They are not abusive to members and rarely create trouble within a community. Generally there is no harm in responding to them. Some members may find mischievous trolls to be annoying, particularly if their presence leads to lengthy threads that distract the community from its true intent; other members inevitably find that the troll's humor and light-hearted antics provide the community with an opportunity to laugh together, thereby enhancing and strengthening community bonds.

[RVR II]

You're a Nazi Troll!

[torgosPizza]

You guys realize that we've posted links all over the site telling people to come to the forum to provide feedback, right? So when a user registers once to do what we've asked them, they're not trolling.

Trolling is when someone butts into conversations and goads you into arguing with them. Posting feedback, even if it's negative, and if that's the only thing you've registered for, is not trolling. In fact, it's actually quite helpful, and it makes it easier for us to respond to and track. Moreso than email, because we have enough support emails to deal with, and sometimes feedback sent through there won't seem to get as much "direct" attention - whereas on the forum we can address concerns directly. (Unless of course you're a complete dick about it, in which case we will probably ignore you.)

So, I guess the point I'm trying to make is, lighten up, guys.

[Indomitus]

Registering to join or start a real discussion is one thing, but if that very first post is intensely negative then there's an issue.

Trolling is when someone butts into conversations and goads you into arguing with them.

Starting a conversation with that intent counts too.  The goal is always to disrupt, but the techniques vary.  (Listen to me, talking like I'm some kind of f**king expert!)

But I don't think this person's a troll.  They just weren't very graceful in posting their opinion.

[bratpop]

I just don't see why someone this anal about graphic design wouldn't have dozens of DVDs to complain about per WEEK. Don't tell me a giant cropped close-up of Nicolas Cage with supporting cast member in the background  isn't worse than the Shorts DVD.

[bratpop]

Feedback, yes. Helpful, no. One guy's opinion that the art sucks in no way helps the next DVD release to be better, since this guy thinks we're all too dumb to understand his criticisms. He suggested Flash for the animation, which I think we all know people would complain about just as much. ("This looks like crappy Flash animation!") He said even Beowulf isn't good 3-D. And he suggested a professional designer, which you already have. (Well, that's pretty subjective if you ask me. Anybody you pay becomes a professional. There's no way to quantify "more" professional.) Feedback would be suggesting that you pre-drill a hole in the center of the DVD to make it instantly playable in most DVD players. Or at least offering some other cheapo DVDs featuring public domain content that have better designs. I mean it's not like the riffers can afford to do a photoshoot for every DVD compilation put out. Hell, most compilations of any kind have subpar artwork.