pouët.net

commercially commissioned demos

category: general [glöplog]
As you may already know, a commerically commissioned production was recently added to pouet.net A demo not made for fun alone, and not made to win a competition, but because the creators were hired to do so.

It's probably safe to say that all subcultures eventually become commercial. This usually creates a mainsteam scene and an underground, or hardcore, scene. Is the afri-cola production the beginning of this division in the demoscene? And would this be a good, or bad, path to follow?

Maybe it's far too early to tell for sure, but I'm very certain we will see more of this trend in the future...
what's the difference between a demo made to win a compo and a commercial demo?
another whore is working for a pimp?
added on the 2002-06-29 02:55:14 by 216 216
One is paid for up front, usually with a set of 'demands.' The other has complete creative freedom, with some chance of possible reimbursement.
Beginning?

Future Crew - Waite Group Press Demo, SSI Demo
Triton - Gravis Ultrasound Demo
OS/2 Warp Compo (with entries from Valhalla, Complex, and Sonic PC)

I could go on..

And I'm surprised that it came out so.. demo-like. Product commercials usually aren't so depressing grey-scale and abstract. If you took out the afri-cola logo, it would be no different than what we're used to in demos today. They might as well have taken FR-019 (or .the .product!) and slipped some logos in there. But most companies wouldn't go for such a style, preferring something a little more.. "vibrant" and concrete.

Anyway, half the point of demos is to promote something, usually the talent of their creators.. so as long as we have our parties and compos.. let them eat some corporate cake!

P.S. They shouldn't have entered "afri-cola" as a group, but maybe this is something better said in the demo comments. Or maybe part of their deal was to promote the afri-cola name on pouet. Sneaky. :)
added on the 2002-06-29 04:31:53 by phoenix phoenix
one possible future market:
low budget music videos for eclectic smallish labels

requests of this type already have in the past been made
added on the 2002-06-29 10:03:38 by _-_-__ _-_-__
There is nothing to be scared of. The scene isn't more or less commercial than it was before.

This time no scene-group has sold itself.

In fact the afri-cola demo wasn't made by farbrausch. It was made by the a company called vcc. A company that is also known for producing games, making tv trailers and copying porn movies. Doing something like this demo fits perfectly in their portfolio.

Like May Payne wasn't done by, for example, Komplex just because Reward is working at Remedy. The movie Titanic wasn't done by TRSI just because Joe was working on the special effects.

All the sceners who work in the game industry are selling their skills that they got through demoscene. I don't have a problem with that.

I like the afri-cola demo. It's nice. I like the graphics. I like the music. Who cares about the name afri-cola in the demo?


added on the 2002-06-29 10:14:54 by xxx xxx
let us take a view to movies and music.
Ir the film is from hollywood, it´s also OK. If Daran Aronowsy ("pi", "Requiem for a dream") will know film the new Batman, that´s ok. And of course kids will by batman figures. And some Music Band also change to a major label like sony, etc. You need money to live. That is poor but true. I don´t care if this is a commercial.

First. It´s a good demo. That´s all.
I also like the "nike" TV Spot, with the Soccer Team on that Ship (Boat). It´s Commercial, but der Regiseur did a great Job. This is also Art.
You can also make a musicclip about underground artist, or mainstream artist. Sorry for my bad english. I want top say, that i don´t care.

If something is good. than it´s good. END

We are all enough intelligent not to run in the next supermarket and by "afri-cola" :)
added on the 2002-06-29 11:09:06 by diver diver
this is the end ... my friend!
Where can I find the TBL commercial products again? (I think it was Heineken advertisements???) I had seen them once but I don't remember now...
added on the 2002-06-29 12:13:47 by Optimus Optimus
Damn capitalists, dont earn money :)
added on the 2002-06-29 12:39:53 by Wain Wain
optimus. i also remember the "heinecken-beer-demo". i want to see this again.
added on the 2002-06-29 12:52:49 by diver diver
damn, I should have read diver's post first...
*sips some more of his freshly bought afri-cola*
:)

Anyway, I don't see the problem... The demo may be commercial, but it didn't harm the creativity, if you ask me. It still fits my idea of a demo.
Now if we had to pay to see it, then it'd bother me :) That's a kind of commercial demo I hope we won't ever encounter.
I feel the same way about the MadOnion productions... They still fit my idea of a demo. They show audiovisual excellence.
(In fact, I would like to see their productions on here, they are freely downloadable, and they don't really try to sell you anything either)

Whether or not the demo should be on pouet.net, is another matter... I think afri-cola should sponsor pouet.net, if it hosts the demo :)

I don't think we should be against this kind of commercial demos... I mean... we all like to make demos, if someone offers to pay us to do what we like, who would refuse it?

In fact, I think that a lot of sceners make demos, hoping that they will be discovered by a game company or such, and get a good job.
And when they do, a lot of them stay true to the scene, and continue to release demos (very good ones at that).

I think the only thing we should not tolerate in the scene, is lack of quality/art... But we never did anyway, sceners are rather harsh critics :)

added on the 2002-06-29 14:45:45 by Scali Scali
scali: you are right.
added on the 2002-06-29 16:25:12 by diver diver
doesnt even deserve a thread.. lets just ignore it :)
added on the 2002-06-29 16:45:32 by hooligan hooligan
Oh, and anyone who doesn't agree with me, can always install Linux or something :)
added on the 2002-06-29 23:36:05 by Scali Scali
STOP WHINING
thg, WORD! let's discuss productions, not some abstract shit.
added on the 2002-06-30 01:40:35 by dipswitch dipswitch
yea, let's start some boring crapthreads about prods instead of boring crapthreads about the scene..
added on the 2002-06-30 02:13:30 by 216 216
For the record, I was more pondering general situation rather than pointing fingers at the afri-cola demo. Shit, I gave the damn thing a thumbs up...
Scali is right. And compared to some kinky screenshot some scener thought would be nice on the pouet forums, afri-cola is sweet as pie.
added on the 2002-06-30 06:09:30 by moT moT
btw, this discussion is about the best advertisement in the demoscene for a beverage (ever!).
macaw: I know, you should see the paycheck I just got from afri-cola for my post :)
added on the 2002-06-30 15:12:25 by Scali Scali
A message to outer space: Heineken Screensaver is available on www.gizmozone.com and is described as:

A unique, next generation, Ixalance technology Screensaver.
A desktop commercial visualised in a way you have never seen before. EYE POPPING video effects, STUNNING & EXTREME real-time 3D animation and a CD quality audio track which lasts over 2.5 minutes.
All that, in only 359 Kb!

Also check the shortcut & gizmozone screensavers :)
added on the 2002-06-30 19:32:57 by Tolle Tolle
they look vaguely familiar
Tolle, the heineken is at least not on pouet.net nor wont be presented in any democompetition.

I dont think that make money with demo is bad in itself. I just think it could be bad if commercial and marketing invaded the whole scene and started releasing stuffs on parties and invaded also the free zones like pouet or other demoo web sites...

Commercial demos and for fun one should never meet at the same place, it would be like comparing "kb" music and "depeche mode" one (for exemple).

Imagine a world where cocacola would pay Pixar or IDsoft to make them a PC advert demo, i dont think any free demo could survive to the comparison of hours of work from professional ppl paid to do it 10hours a day 5 day a week during monthes. Dont laught it may be possible. The amount of ppl having computers at home is huge, and brands wont let them escape.

It's all like if starwars2 was prensented in a "independant homemade special FX" competition in a film festival;) it's unfair...

I know, life is unfair... Money rule this world... There are no escape...

So africola is not a problem in itsefl, the disturbing fact is that it's on pouet.net just like other free productions...

It should have stayed behind, with ppl watching it for fun. Adverts dont need to be advertised. If i'm wrong so maybe we should also add the nvidia, intel, matrox and ati demos in here... And maybe could we also comment and add all the 3Dbenchmark tools, and even sum games like doom3...
added on the 2002-07-01 02:54:46 by alkama alkama

login