![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Let's make this quick
So with a lot of tinkering I've found a way of extracting HQ FMVs from Playstation 2 discs. Alas, I've had to go into Windows on Parallels to convert the disc's *.pss files into an *.m2v video file and a *.wav audio file. From there, I went back into OSX and used Switch to convert the *.wav into MP3, and MPEG Streamclip into an *.avi. However, to get the sound back into the movie, I had to use iMovie, adding the *.avi to the Clips pane and the sound to the Editing area. Then I saved it-- initially as an *.avi again, but for some reason the quality was totally degraded, so I changed it to a *.mov instead. *.movs are great for streaming media, but that's not the purpose of my project-- I didn't want to keep downloading FMVs for my Journalism 371 (Women, Men and Media) media deconstruction project, which is titled "Gendered Language and the Double Standard in Final Fantasy X and X-2."
Since I'll be presenting on a projection screen, I need the quality to be big enough so that people sitting 10+ feet away from the screen can see it clearly. So I want everything to be as HQ as possible-- but it's got to compress down on a DVD, because the computer set-up in the room doesn't have an audio output, and while MacBook Pros have good speakers, they're not THAT good.
Long story short, the process of cutting and editing takes a while, so I don't have as much time to focus on other aspects of the project at the same time, since I can't have two instances of iMovie doing two huge things at once. I know I have 2 GB of memory, but even I'm not that masochistic.
Therefore, I need some help. My copy of FFX was a used copy, and I'm not sure if it came with the manual or not, and I need to know what the "Story" section of the book says. Would anyone who owns the game be so kind as to transcribe that portion for me? Mind you, there's a reason why I'm specifically asking for the manual/official version, rather than what's printed in reviews at online stores, in game FAQs, and so on: I want the OFFICIAL version that was marketed toward the public. Please help!
While I'm on the subject, if you've played either FFX AND/OR FFX-2, would you mind answering a short and easy survey about the game and your impressions of it? THANK YOU!
[Poll #1077157]
If you have any commentary on any of the questions OR on some of the following thoughts, please be sure to comment!
ETA:* If you played both games, but liked one more than the other, why did you like the one that you preferred more? If there were particular elements added or removed to the other game that made you like it less, would having them added or removed to the other game improve it, or no? Why?
* Do you think either of the games are sexist in any way?
* Do you think either one of the games are more targeted toward male gamers, or female gamers?
* Why do you like one game more than the other? (Please indicate if you've played one or both of the games if you answer this question)
* When did you get one/either of the games? Right when it was released, or some time after? How long? Why?
* What did you think of the marketing (commercials, print advertising, reviews) for one/both of the games? What did they emphasize, and what did they neglect to mention (if anything)?
* Do you think the main characters (Yuna, Tidus) of each game fit into any particular stereotypes? Which ones? Why do you think that?
* What makes a video game (in general) appealing to you? Has playing (or not playing) either (or both) FFX and FFX-2 changed your opinion at all?
* Have you played any Final Fantasy games prior to FFX or FFX-2? Do you still play them?
Since I'll be presenting on a projection screen, I need the quality to be big enough so that people sitting 10+ feet away from the screen can see it clearly. So I want everything to be as HQ as possible-- but it's got to compress down on a DVD, because the computer set-up in the room doesn't have an audio output, and while MacBook Pros have good speakers, they're not THAT good.
Long story short, the process of cutting and editing takes a while, so I don't have as much time to focus on other aspects of the project at the same time, since I can't have two instances of iMovie doing two huge things at once. I know I have 2 GB of memory, but even I'm not that masochistic.
Therefore, I need some help. My copy of FFX was a used copy, and I'm not sure if it came with the manual or not, and I need to know what the "Story" section of the book says. Would anyone who owns the game be so kind as to transcribe that portion for me? Mind you, there's a reason why I'm specifically asking for the manual/official version, rather than what's printed in reviews at online stores, in game FAQs, and so on: I want the OFFICIAL version that was marketed toward the public. Please help!
While I'm on the subject, if you've played either FFX AND/OR FFX-2, would you mind answering a short and easy survey about the game and your impressions of it? THANK YOU!
[Poll #1077157]
If you have any commentary on any of the questions OR on some of the following thoughts, please be sure to comment!
ETA:* If you played both games, but liked one more than the other, why did you like the one that you preferred more? If there were particular elements added or removed to the other game that made you like it less, would having them added or removed to the other game improve it, or no? Why?
* Do you think either of the games are sexist in any way?
* Do you think either one of the games are more targeted toward male gamers, or female gamers?
* Why do you like one game more than the other? (Please indicate if you've played one or both of the games if you answer this question)
* When did you get one/either of the games? Right when it was released, or some time after? How long? Why?
* What did you think of the marketing (commercials, print advertising, reviews) for one/both of the games? What did they emphasize, and what did they neglect to mention (if anything)?
* Do you think the main characters (Yuna, Tidus) of each game fit into any particular stereotypes? Which ones? Why do you think that?
* What makes a video game (in general) appealing to you? Has playing (or not playing) either (or both) FFX and FFX-2 changed your opinion at all?
* Have you played any Final Fantasy games prior to FFX or FFX-2? Do you still play them?
no subject
Yes, from Final Fantasy X-2's debut at the Tokyo Game Show, it was clear that the game used sex appeal as one of its main appeal points.
* Do you think either one of the games are more targeted toward male gamers, or female gamers?
In general, RPGs are targeted towards male gamers. Final Fantasy X-2's over the top revealing costumes simply capitalized on this.
* Why do you like one game more than the other? (Please indicate if you've played one or both of the games if you answer this question)
I've played both games, and I liked Final Fantasy X far more, because Final Fantasy X-2 was boring and dumb.
* When did you get one/either of the games? Right when it was released, or some time after? How long? Why?
I got Final Fantasy X the day it was released, and I got Final Fantasy X-2 several months before it was released. I got Final Fantasy X because I love the Final Fantasy franchise, but I got Final Fantasy X-2 out of morbid curiosity as to how bad they butchered the franchise.
* What did you think of the marketing (commercials, print advertising, reviews) for one/both of the games? What did they emphasize, and what did they neglect to mention (if anything)?
Final Fantasy X's marketing and advertising played strongly to its visual aspect. It showed only the beautifully pre-rendered screens and videos, without telling much about the actual gameplay. However, the reviews (which I don't consider marketing, since SquareEnix doesn't control them explicitly), covered all aspects of the game fairly comprehensively.
Final Fantasy X-2's marketing also played to the same effects as X, although it was focused more on the girls than the world as a whole.
* Do you think the main characters (Yuna, Tidus) of each game fit into any particular stereotypes? Which ones? Why do you think that?
Tidus' stereotype is that of the idealistic, sissy hero boy. I honestly don't remember much of Yuna's character in X-2 because she was just not that memorable.
* What makes a video game (in general) appealing to you? Has playing (or not playing) either (or both) FFX and FFX-2 changed your opinion at all?
Different genres of video games have different criteria for being appealing to me. However, since RPGs seem to be your main focus in this questionnaire, for an RPG to be appealing to me, it has to have an entertaining battle mechanic, a compelling story, and not drag on with boring fetch quests (which FFX-2 had in spades, and FFX had a lot of for the ultimate weapons)
Playing FFX and FFX-2 made me hate boring fetch quests with a passion. I never played either of them after beating them once, because just that one part of the game where boring, repetetive things must be done over and over again made me not want to play the games as a whole.
* Have you played any Final Fantasy games prior to FFX or FFX-2? Do you still play them?
Yes, I played Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, and Tactics before I played FFX and FFX-2. Over the summer, I played all those games over for nostalgia's sake. However, I didn't touch FFX or FFX-2.
Mood: hopeful
Having a hopeful mood after thinking about Final Fantasy X and X-2 in depth is impossible.
About your video encoding woes, remember that there are more than just one setting for video encoding. Just because something is called .avi or .mov doesn't mean it will have the same quality. There are many different codecs, bitrates, and other variables to tweak to get right. I believe iMovie has DVD quality settings that you can just click and be done with, though. Barring that, just use lossless encoding (you will get a GIGANTIC file, be warned) and then chuck the whole thing into iDVD and make a DVD out of that. iDVD will encode it to DVD quality, and you should be good to go.
Keep in mind this stuff may take a long time, even with a MacBook Pro.
If you want a transcription of the FFX manual, I can do it tomorrow night when I go back to San Francisco. If that's too late, then sorry I couldn't be any more help.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, give me a call at 415 297 7776 or send me an email, I'll be up late working on a lab report anyway.
Hope this helps,
Sean
no subject
I also know there's more than one setting for movies, but primarily what I wanted to do was combine the audio and video-- not just jump straight into iDVD, because I haven't even finished editing the clips that will make up my final project yet. What was weird was that I specified very HQ settings for the AVI, but it still came out kind of pixelated, but with the *.mov, it came out fine.
Also, my project's not due until 11/21, so I don't mind waiting for the transcript. I appreciate it!
no subject
That's strange that you're getting pixelated AVIs when you set high quality for the AVI. Anyway, if the.mov is fine, it all works out.