Honestly that was some of the coolest stuff I've seen so far in this series. It's potentially spoilery/opiniony though, so I'll talk about that after the break!
Pinkie Pie completely obliterated the 4th wall multiple times in this episode, and the addition of hand-crafted felt animation was an amazing touch to her zanyness.
Cutesypoo Toys is actually Jayson's wife, who does storyboarding and a few other things for FiM. The idea that they would work on the show on their own time, in their basement no less, really shows how much they care for it. I love this team.
Anyway, you can find her Twitter page here!
Also an image from October as pointed out in comments !
116 comments:
indeed, it was a nice surprise, as well as Smile :)
ReplyDeleteI loved it.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was good.
ReplyDeleteWhen Pinkie held up the felt check after the dream, I lol'd. Dat Pinkie!
ReplyDeleteThe felt was cool, but using the felt tick in the flash animation was an inspired stretching of the joke.
ReplyDeleteI felt it was grand.
ReplyDeletedid i mention these people are awesome?
ReplyDeletecause these people are awesome.
I loved it!
ReplyDeletePinkie didn't just break the 4th wall in this episode. she created new walls (cartoon vs. felt), and broke those too!
ReplyDeleteWow dude!
ReplyDeleteThis was possibly the highlight of the episode for me. To hear that it was traditionally animated is even better.
ReplyDeleteI acctually got a bit scared of it first time. It's very cool and well done though, I like it very much.
ReplyDeleteI hope this comment reaches cutesypoo and everyone working on the show. You are amazing, thank you so much for delivering yet another awesome episode. I loved the felt animation.
ReplyDeleteWelp, I seem to lack words to describe how much I loved the new episode ^_^'
Just thank you :D
- and thank you eqd for blogging this, of course ;)
If she is reading this, then I thank her and Jayson for delivering to use this alternative animation that felt really cute for this specific episode.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder though if Friendship is Magic will use other animations besides Flash in the future. This episode was the first time we have even seen another style of animation besides flash.
This made the episode slightly better with this kind of animation and though not everyone will agree with me I do hope they will continue to experiment with this kind of animation in the future if for only moments like this as opposed to a full episode of Flash.
Though I still prefer flash because it suits the show best, this felt like a nice change of animation that was inside Pinkie's mind :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA small glimpse in the mind of Pinkie Pie, she thinks in felt.
ReplyDeleteGood job with that animation. Even simple stop motion takes at least a couple of hours.
ReplyDeleteFor our next trick...PUPPETS
ReplyDeleteEyup, that is the true dedication.
ReplyDeleteWe love you all so much :)
Worth mentioning: Jayson Thiessen on Twitter from October.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great touch, I certainly didn't expect it.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that moment in the episode.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it. The next step would be to use some clay animation like wallace and gromit.
ReplyDeleteIt was great!
ReplyDeleteI certainly "felt" the extra care and attention they put into that scene.
ReplyDeleteThe felt was awesome. Pinkie in general was awesome in this episode, actually.
ReplyDeletePinkie brings her felt thoughts into real life, makes na jump rope spin without being held, seemingly teleports around to follow Cranky, blasts into the air and explodes in fireworks...
The felt scene was made in their basement! XD
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! Hilarious and awesome. A lot of epic things should be partially made in basements.
The avatar. It scares me.
ReplyDeleteOh also, this got me thinking.
ReplyDeleteWe need one of those episodes where different parts of the story are told by different members of the mane 6, and the art styles and character depictions are different in the perspective of each. How awesome would that be?
It was epic. This whole episode was epic.
ReplyDeleteFourth wall? What fourth wall?
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, that part was pretty awesome. I thought the felt was definitely a nice touch, as was Pinkie holding the felt check after the thought was done. I lol'd.
That moment was fantastic. I really hope to see more like that in this season, because it was brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI already sent her a tweet telling her how I felt about this episode. It was 100% undoubtely, undeniably, un-dissapointing <3
I loved the felt scene. It reminded me of the stop motion that shows like Sesame Street and Eureka's Castle used to have.
ReplyDeleteI'll try to say something like this on Twitter later just to make sure Jayson and his wife see it, but in case they're reading these comments too: that felt scene is now one of my favorite cartoon moments of all time, and all the proof I'll ever need that this show is, even taking away the writing, characterization, humor, and mass appeal, worth watching purely for the direction, storyboarding, and animation. Fantastic work, both of you, and I can't even describe how excited I am to see what you and the rest of the FiM team have in store for us during the rest of this season and all ensuing seasons after that.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, it was like a look into Pinkie's mind. And all her thoughts are constructed of felt. No, but seriously, I love the alternate animation style today. Hopefully we will see more in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe felt scene was lovely :)
ReplyDeleteThe felt scene was probably my favorite part of the episode. I sincerely appreciate that Jayson Thiessen took personal time to make an amazing scene like this.
ReplyDeleteSo awesome. They really are the best ponies.
ReplyDeleteThat was the coolest part of the episode indeed, and totally unexpected to see that.
ReplyDeleteI wager some of the Eve Online players thought of this when that scene came up ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfv1QtZDirY
Loved it to bits.
ReplyDeleteI really love when certain cartoons show some scenes with different art styles or animations that are differnt from the usual style.
I keep getting distracted by that Twitter avatar... It's kinda disgusting in a really cute way.
ReplyDeletejayson and his wife are best ponies
ReplyDeleteHell ye, that part was amazing!
ReplyDeletepinkie's imagination is in felt... even her imagination breaks the 4th wall lol.
ReplyDeleteIt reminded me of that Fairly Odd Parents special when they travel through television. They had all kinds of crazy animation in that one. Live action, stop motion...
ReplyDeleteImpressive animation, I should say. Very well done, and I loled upon seeing the green check in the flash animation after that.
ReplyDeleteIt was honestly so fluid I barley noticed untill someone said something about it!
ReplyDeleteYoure doing it right ^^
Seeking help: http://equestriancode.blogspot.com/
Yeah, that was great.
ReplyDeleteSo does this make Pinkie's brain being made of felt canon?
ReplyDeleteOne of many things that made this episode simply epic. Who'd have thought they would whip out the ol' stop motion, and with felt no less. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteThe Pinkie's brain bit was definitely one of those moments that made me stop and go "Whoa."
ReplyDelete"Pinkie Pie completely obliterated the 4th wall multiple times in this episode"
ReplyDeleteUmm... No, she didn't. As a matter of fact, she's never broken the fourth wall even ONCE in the entire show. Even Lauren Faust has established this. This stereotyping needs to die. It comes off as rather insulting and quite unfair when the show has been trying to BREAK stereotypes all this time.
@Lugbzurg
ReplyDeleteDo you even know what the fourth wall is?
@Lugbzurg
ReplyDeleteWell that one time she held open the black fade-away with her hooves and stuck her head through and spoke to the camera counts, I would think...
This was probably one of my favorite parts of the episode
ReplyDeleteThe felt animation, and the entire episode really, was so awesome! It's difficult for me to choose a favorite episode because all of them are wonderful, but A Friend In Deed was truly something else.
ReplyDeleteIf you're reading this, then thank you and the DHX staff for pouring your love into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It really shows how much you care.
STUDIO IS BEST PONY OKAY.
ReplyDelete@Jigglysaint Kudos! Guess you could say Pinkie was... really CUT OUT for it?! eh? eh?!
ReplyDelete@Lugbzurg
ReplyDeleteUmm, you know that was a complement right? Thats what pinkie pie does and i love it ^^
Breaking the fourth wall just means thyre "aware" theyre on screen
@Beta-Carotene
ReplyDeleteBreaking the fourth wall involves directly addressing the audience.
What Pinkie Pie demonstrates in actions like toying with the iris outs is medium awareness. Since Pinkie Pie never addresses the audience outside the boundaries of the show, she never breaks the fourth wall.
@vulpixel
ReplyDeleteShe actually did that twice. Once at the end of Friendship is Magic part 2, and once at the end of Over a Barrel.
Those were definitely examples of breaking the fourth wall, since Wikipedia defines "breaking the fourth wall as "Speaking directly to or otherwise acknowledging the audience through the camera in a film or television program". Since in those two episodes, Pinkie looks right at the "camera" and talks directly to us, the viewers, that is a textbook example of breaking the fourth wall.
In today's episode, she also did it when she held up a check mark that we saw in her imagination, since that is supposed to be an "imaginary" object within the context of the show.
It's not felt! It's strips of multicolored compressed cotton candy, spun from the deepest depths of Pinkie Pie's imagination!
ReplyDelete@Evelgrivion
ReplyDeleteMy mistake, but either way, its not an insult. I wouldnt have pinkie any other way :)
I happily applaud the decision to introduce traditional, innovative animation applications (say that three times fast) into the show! Flash animations can sometimes be too antiseptic for it's poignant perfection.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work; time-consuming, delicate and precious! Just like Pinkie Pie!
You guys rock, 'nuff said.
The felt animation was flipping AWESOME. Medium shifts are always a favorite joke of mine in children's animation, be it Spongebob or Chowder. Seeing it here just totally made my day!
ReplyDeleteWe need Kirby Epic Yarn PMVs. now.She dreams in soft fluffy textures and is incapable of evil.
ReplyDeleteand regarding pinkie's 4th wall breaking, it's why I love her and she is best pony. and best singing voice.
I wonder if they'll ever use 3D CGI in the show.
Wow this day just keeps getting more awesome!
ReplyDelete*applause to EVERYONE on today's Ep.*
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that the entire song sequence, the felt checkmark in in-universe reality, the scene with Pinkie's head popping up all over some map, and the pink stream coming out from Pinkie when she jumps for joy are all her imagination's interpretation of the scene from a third-person perspective. The rapid change in location throughout the logical portions of the chase scene, I accredit to magic (EoH anyone?). As for the eye through the lock and the six hooves.... Six hooves may be imagination, but eye through the lock suggests Pinkie is a mutant or something.
ReplyDelete@Pegasus Rescue Brigade I second this sentiment. It would be fantastic.
ReplyDeleteMy heart sang when I saw this animation. You guys? I love you. All of you. <3 Keep up the fantastic work!!!
ReplyDeleteThat map scene felt like a reference to the fantastic scene in The Emperor's New Groove.
ReplyDelete@MyBoyJ
ReplyDeleteActually, no. She didn't adress the audience. She just gave a logical response to the immediately-previous actions.
She never acknowledged the existence of an audience or even that everything in her world is inside a TV show.
Also, holding up a check mark from an imaginary sequence is even less remotely like fourth wall breaking.
The felt animation was a wonderful surprise and that is what you call dedication.
ReplyDeleteI love you guys.
this ep was so so COOL! my fav pinkie pie ep yet :) excellent work to all the people that worked on it :)
ReplyDelete@Lugbzurg
ReplyDeleteShe manipulated a camera wipe twice. That is definitely an example of acknowledging that she is part of a television program.
During those same scenes she looks directly at the viewer, not any characters in the show, and directly speaks to them. This is especially evident in Over a Barrel, she says, "Hey, that's what I said!", maintaining eye contact with the viewer virtually the entire time. The way this line is delivered implies that she is seeking confirmation and support for her claim.
In today's episode, we see a zoom into Pinkie's eye which begins the felt sequence. The felt sequence is clearly intended to be an illustration of Pinkie's thought process. After that sequence ends, she lifts up a physical felt check mark exactly like the ones that she, and we the viewers, know were in her mind. This was clearly intended to produce a comedic reaction to her being able to physically manifest something that the audience knows isn't real within the context of the show.
In other words, the audience is clearly shown that the felt sequence is imaginary, and Pinkie knows it is imaginary, and then she immediately produces a physical object from a world that she and the audience both know isn't real within the context of the show. It is treated as something of an "in-joke" between Pinkie and the audience.
I thought that the check mark looked really weird. In a good way, awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhile I do think people overuse the 4th wall breaking even when it isn't happening, it still does happen in the series, many times by Pinkie.
ReplyDelete@Yellow 13
ReplyDeleteThank you.
I'm well aware that there are lots of jokes about Pinkie and the fourth wall that exaggerate it quite a lot, but she does do it canonically.
Rainbow Dash even breaks the fourth wall in May the Best Pet Win, when she whistles along to "Ride of the Valkyries" during the race.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was totally fantastic. The felt was and epic Pinkie-worthy addition. I love this team so much... ^>^
ReplyDelete*an epic. Sorry. :P
ReplyDelete@MyBoyJNo, Andrea Libman has canonically broken the fourth wall a few times. Not Pinkie Pie.
ReplyDelete@nemryn
ReplyDeletePlease clarify that statement.
And on topic: Wait, that was an actual felt stop-motion? That's pretty neat!
ReplyDelete@MyBoyJ
ReplyDeleteWell, I was under the impression that the original concept of 'fourth wall' involved the actor speaking directly to the audience, not just the character; it's an action that inherently breaks character. But, after quickly doublechecking on Wikipedia, I couldn't find anything to wither support or deny that. So, maybe that statement stands, and maybe it doesn't.
I am pretty much always in favor of art shifts. Loved it.
ReplyDelete@nemryn
ReplyDeleteLooking at the same Wikipedia entry, I agree that "actor" and "character" remain ambiguous in terms of what entity is breaking the fourth wall. However, the implication appears to be that the character is "self-aware" as it were. In other words they know they are a character in some fictional production, and they feel like having a little fun with the audience.
Regardless, breaking the fourth wall definitely includes many actions attributed to Pinkie Pie. Primary examples I have mentioned are manipulating the camera wipe at the end of two episodes, looking at and directly speaking to the viewer (I will accept that some instances where she looked "at the camera" may have been animation errors, such as the end of Bridle Gossip and during a closeup when she is talking to Dash near the middle of Over a Barrel)
Am I right in assuming that you believe that breaking the fourth wall is canon on the show?
In other words, you agree that it happens, at least sometimes?
The felt animation was one of the best parts of the episode! :D
ReplyDeleteWait...that check mark was felt, not ink?
ReplyDeleteOh my god, Pinkie has officially broken the 4th wall on a whole new level!
Not even deadpool has gone that far and HE weaponizes HEALTH BARS and uses ENERGY BARS AS THROWING STARS.
In this episode the entire time where she is talking to herself and the felt sequence could also be considered (loosely) breaking the fourth wall:
ReplyDeleteIn theatre terms it was an "aside", most commonly performed in self-narrated Film Noir type stuff, and although it partially could be considered that she was talking to herself, she was facing the audience at the time.
Even the breaking of physics that she's shown *multiple* times, and the fact that other characters refer to the fact she's breaking physics (cleverly hidden in the "She's just being Pinky Pie" comments) are a weak, but verifiable form of breaking the fourth wall, as it's a given that cartoon physics are normally never broken unless it's for the direct pleasure of the audience.
Regardless of any other statements in this fandom it is a given that out of all the characters, Pinkie Pie is the most "traditional" of cartoon characters, and we wouldn't love her if she was any other way.
@Zaehlas
ReplyDeleteYes. Thank you.
Pinkie is a "traditional" cartoon character who plays with the laws of reality.
In Feeling Pinkie Keen, she bounces off the edge of a cliff, but doesn't fall, and is pulled back by Applejack. In today's episode, she is shown jumping rope while the rope spins on its own.
Am I right in assuming you agree that Pinkie Pie breaks the fourth wall, at least sometimes?
@MyBoyJ
ReplyDeleteSure, it's happened a few times; Ditzy/Derpy waving at us at the beginning of the Hearth's Warming Eve Pageant is another example. It's just, I think 'interaction with the audience' is a necessary component, not just 'awareness of the medium'. I count interacting with the iris-out as 'cartoon physics', the check mark as Rule of Funny, and Spike rolling up the background in Lesson Zero as a visual metaphor.
@nemryn
ReplyDeleteOk. Sounds good. I just think a claim made earlier that there has never been an instance of "breaking the fourth wall" under any circumstances is completely baseless.
It's a cartoon. Sometimes weird and unrealistic things happen. Sometimes characters talk to, look at, or wave to the audience.
I respectfully disagree that Pinkie interacting with the iris-out is merely cartoon physics though. During those sequences, she looks directly at the audience and speaks directly to them. While the iris-out could be an example of cartoon physics, the communication with the audience would make that an example of fourth wall breaking by your definition.
Ultimately, the earlier claim that there has never been an instance of fourth wall breaking sounds like the work of a parasprite, as the rest of us seem to be in agreement that it does happen, at least occasionally, and Pinkie Pie is the "most cartoony" character on the show.
For a second when I saw that I felt like I was watching a cutaway in Chowder. Supremely unexpected but supremely AWESOME! ^^
ReplyDeleteThis is just another item in the long list of reasons why this show is awesome.
ReplyDeleteYou can tell the animators and writers are getting very good at what they do, and trying very hard to please their fans. I am very impressed with the continuing quality of this show, which seems to outdo itself every episode (except Mare Do Well, but yeah anyway). THE BEST kids' show on TV. It is art, and will be remembered as such for a long time.
ReplyDeleteGotta say the truth: when the animation changed, I yelled "OMG YES" out loud. It was so creative, adorable and well-done (not to mention unexpected)! Totally the highlight of today's episode for me :D
ReplyDeleteIt took me by surprise and it was amazing! I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI love everypony involved in FIM. I. BUCKING. LOVE. THEM.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete*Obligatory comment on the AWESOME felt animation*
ReplyDeleteSo uh... Did anypony else feel a little twinge of fear when Pinkie licked the cake off herself and swallowed it? When her belly expanded, I gasped because for some reason, I thought she'd stay that way for one horrifying second...
I also liked the continuity they displayed in the episode, with the Cake Twins cameo and Rainbow Dash reading again.
And the DerpGlobe? Best. Useless knick knack. EVER.
And finally I squee'd like a...Thing that squees when Zecora made a cameo. Of her appearance I did approve, for the FiM team it was a most delightful move.
That was an AWESOME sequence!
ReplyDeleteI remember Jayson tweeting about this awhile ago! So THAT was what they were doing! :D
ReplyDeleteWas a wonderful detail
ReplyDeletePink controlled this episode from the inside out. Pinkie doesn't break the fourth wall, she turns that 4th wall into a door and opens it freely!
ReplyDeleteThis is the only US show I watch. Anime FTW.
The felt animation blew me away, I was not expecting it at all! at first I was shocked to see it but then I realized how great it was, also love the derpy in this episode!
ReplyDeleteThe felt scene was amazing. All of my money I would pay for the Pinkie singing cut out
ReplyDeleteThis was glorious. As you pointed out, this brings the Pinkie-vs-Fourth-Wall thing to a whole new level.
ReplyDeleteI loved it, added a humorous little flavour to it, very well done!
ReplyDelete...And Pinkie breaking the forth wall again and grabbing the tick.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that's what that was.
ReplyDeleteNice.
somehow it just makes sense that pinkies brain in made of felt.
ReplyDeleteThat was definitely my favorite part of the episode. A little sneak peek into the workings of Pinkie's mind and it was just as weird as I expected ;)
ReplyDeleteI CAN NOT WITHOLD MY ENTHUSIASM IN EXPRESSING MY APPRECIATION FOR THY DEDICATION!
ReplyDelete@InquisitorM Indeed, it gave us a clue into the workings of Pinkie's powers! She can bring things from her mind into the real world! This is only possible for beings that possess enormous psychokinetic abilities! I'm talking on the level of Bill Mumy as the little scary kid from the Twilight Zone-level powers! Phear the Pink One! D:
ReplyDelete