Hey there everyone, Sudofox here with our third Newsletter of the week. Here is the unabridged feedback from the judges of the FFC. Want to delve into detailed critique, gain valuable tips for improvement, and dissect the winning strategies. Look no further! This article is for you!

First of all, let’s introduce the judges:

Hyun

Owner of Hyun's Dojo Community. Lover of #stickfigures and good ol' fashioned flipnote anims

Yunero

Long time member of the Hyun’s Dojo community, flipnote veteran, and overall lover of animation and the process behind it.

Hatena

Me animator. Me from flipnote. Me do judging now

Sopple

What can I say, I really like stick-figure fights!

Sudomemo Flipnote Fight Competition Results

Now let's explore the top victors and hear what the judges had to say about each animation:

1. "This Beat is Non-Stop" by JMCU:

This electrifying animation stole the spotlight, clinching an impressive four gold medals.

Hyun: “When I see flipnote anims like this, it really makes me wonder how it's even possible. This part was just really fun, well animated, ambitious, and overall executed very well. The choreography definitely wasn't the best compared to some others, but it had its own quirky style of movements that was appealing. Overall very impressed with the time given for this competition.”

Yunero: “My favorite entry in the bunch, really nice use of both 2D and angles, overall goofyness is why I like it so much, there was a lot to unpack and I enjoyed it all.”

Hatena: “I adore the personality in this entry! Many jokes and it’s just fun all around. There are so many details added here that you could watch this over and over and keep finding something new. Smooth as well! My only issue would be pacing and weight. It feels too fast at some points but that is a natural restriction in Flipnote. The stop sign was a great addition and carried some proper weight as you would expect from a metallic object but soon after it is introduced as a weapon the weight is no longer there. Still a fantastic entry!”

Sopple: “Indeed this beat is non-stop! By far this animation impressed me not only through its animation, but with entertainment as well through its high-energy music beats and music-video-esque pacing. The drawing of its backgrounds and objects in this entry was also very well done, and I especially liked the scene where he grabbed the stop sign to use as a weapon, which also cleverly plays into the title of the beat being non-‘stop’. Overall an entertaining, satisfying animation to watch, leaving me wanting a part 2!”

2. "Vs Angel" by Arancia:

Arancia's "Vs Angel" emerged as a formidable contender, securing 3 silver medals and bronze medal. Judges were captivated by its fluid animation and impactful choreography.

Hyun: “A very solid fight with the perfect amount of flashy animation and effects that I love to see. The movements were snappy with a lot of power and anticipation and I really loved the subtle details on the wings and the progression of power ups during the fight. These are the types of flipnote anims that impress me!”

Sopple: “I am a sucker for high-intensity fight animations, and this animation pulls it off so well while also being synced up to an epic track. Its animation is smooth, yet whenever the two characters collide you can feel their impact like a burst of fireworks. Every single hit was clear to me, and honestly I can see this entry being used as an anime opening on television.”

Yunero: “The presentation in the beginning is a nice touch, given that it can take away from precious time for flipnotes to have music past a certain point, but it mixes in the introduction of the animation with the fight very well. The wing animation was my favorite part during the fight.”

Hatena: “Incredibly fluid! Like Godly fluid. I really like the way you sell impact. Each hit you can really FEEL! The effects and choreography are both really well done but the only reason I didn’t give this gold is because it doesn’t do anything new, but instead combines many ideas from Flipnote stick fights from their powers to their choreography. I’ve seen many flipnote stick fights in my day but I can’t see myself being incredibly excited watching this, rather just being impressed at how good it looks. Keep it up, but I’d love to see you do something new to really make yourself stand out!”

3. "Home Run vs Jello" by MⒶZOkidox:

Okidox's entry secured a silver and bronze medal, showcasing a unique blend of creativity and technical prowess.

Hatena: “Really fun fight, I love how you utilize each character’s powers and abilities to their fullest. You seem to do very well with the mechanical-esque animations from a lot of your other work and it works very well here too. I think you could do a better job with leading the viewer’s eyes on where to look though. There are some moments where you have several things happening on different corners/sides of the frame and we don’t know where we should be focusing our attention, leading to confusion. Your hits lack impact and weight most times and can feel like their hits glide right through their opponent as if they weren’t even there. Still ranking this bronze as I really want to see more people using powers and abilities to create some interesting choreography that we either don’t see often, or have never seen before. Okidox is a great example for this!”

Yunero: “A unique use of a certain brush for a stickfigure OC, I like it. The thin style works really well for how smooth the animation is, and it stayed consistent throughout. The fire effects on the baseball bat character was really cool.”

Tied 5th. "1 vs 5" by C2:

C2's animation stood out for its clarity of choreography and flow, tying for 5th place and earning a well-deserved bronze medal.

Sopple: “This animation impressed me by the clarity of its choreography, and for me this entry is showing a mastery of something called ‘flow’ in fight animations. The execution of the stickmen’s movements essentially flows into one another, like an endless wave powered by momentum through the body. The result is an animation like this, looking smooth as butter. Also the part where the hero kicks up the opponent’s sword and then uses that same sword to stab him is peak.”

Tied 5th. "White vs Black" by HALU:

Crafted by the talented HALU, "White vs Black" secured a bronze medal, thanks to its solid animation and engaging narrative.

Hyun: “Very solid animation and good use of music sync that put this part over some others that were considered for bronze. Loved all the close up shots / different angles. The hits were meaty and satisfying. Just very nice to watch!”

We'd like to thank all the judges from Hyun's Dojo for their hard work and dedication in evaluating the entries. Your expertise and insight have been invaluable in selecting the top animations.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and competitions in the future. Until next time... Happy Flipnoting!