TLS Ranks... The Best Cinematics in Final Fantasy!

[CrashOuch]

HELLO EVERYONE as you know, Fancy is currently away just now so please accept me as a poor substitute as we await her return.

The time has finally come to actually rank these cinematics and as you'll know from previous goes ONLY VII WILL MAKE THE FINAL CUT. (As in seven (7) in total, not only FFVII cinematics.)

Here is the survey!​

Please make sure to finish it in one go or risk losing your progress!

I will be checking in to crack the whip and make sure you all complete this, so get a move on or prepare to face my wrath

Full Disclosure: The creative team here at TLS want to put out another countdown video in the same vein of Claymore's video project, The VII Best.... this time with cinematics. I'm putting this survey out in order to reassess how the community ranks the nominated cinematics as well as snagging a few quotes to put into the video.

Please note that whatever you say regarding cinematics in this thread has the potential of being used in our countdown video. By sharing your thoughts on any cinematics in this specific thread, you are granting the creative team permission to potentially feature that quote in the video unless you explicitly state that you do not want your words being used.

If you don't mind being quoted, but would not like to be named, please specify so in your post.

Thank you so much! Please, look forward to more rankings like this in the future!

 

[Ite]

Damnit it refreshed and I lost all my writin.
Is there a distinction between the openings of XII and XII:TZA?

 

[Obsidian Fire]

I hate to be the one to say this, but I feel like I can't fairly vote in this poll and will not be voting in it.

It feels like there really needed to be some guideline on to what really counts as a cut-scene. Especially when it comes to how some of the older games have scenes where the player controls a character when in the newer games, it would be a cut-scene with no player control at all. Examples of this would be Tifa Fixing Cloud's Mind, Aerith's Burial, Edea Greets the Crowd and Edea's Parade.

There also should have been some kind of limit on how much editing is allowed. The Heavensward Finale and Operation Mi'ihen sequences are essentially a movie of all the cut-scenes for the last quest and cuts out all the conversations that happen outside of cut-scenes and an entire boss fight. Edea Greets the Crowd and Edea's Parade cut out both dialouge that using game engine footage (which would actually count as a cut-scene) and Edea's Parade cuts out several fights.

Opposite that, the "gameplay" cutscenes feel very odd. The Basch vs Balbranth, Vane Novus, and Vossler and the 8th Fleet sequences include their entire boss fights, which from the narrative angle makes sense, but when compared to the other cut-scenes feels unfair. The same thing goes for Sephiroth's Super Nova attack. Is it a cut-scene? or an animation? And if it counted, then can some of the other cinematic animations count too?

It's not fair to the rest of the actual cut-scenes that they are being compared to full gameplay sequences. Or that cutscenes with parts edited out to make them flow better are being compared to cut-scenes that aren't edited. It just doesn't feel right that I'm looking up other YouTube videos to figure out how a lot of these actually were presented in game. It especially doesn't feel right that I'm comparing cutscenes that are 30 seconds long (Sephiroth in the flames of Nibelheim ) to those that are nearly twenty minutes long (Heavensward Finale).

All that said, I don't think editing cut-scenes or having gameplay in cut-scenes is necisarrily bad. I do think it should have been clarified at the start of the nominating phase if those things were okay or if they were not okay. Not only because it would make it easier to vote fairly on things, but mainly because of the following sentiment.

Hoh jeez. A lot of my favorite cinematic are interspersed with scenes and even battles, such as the Weapon vs. Junon sequence in FFVII, the Black Waltz No. 3 encounter in FFIX, and the parade in FFVIII. Individually, the CG video files don’t compare to one of those single moments like the Opening of FFXI but as a sequence they are SO good.

It bothers me a bit that no one who was running the event addressed this issue in the thread even though the gameplay sequences mentioned got added to the poll.

 

[Ite]

It feels a bit strange to me too, because effectively FFI-VI are excluded. I sure would have nominated the “Coin” scene from FFVI, it’s up there with FFVII’s opening for me.

Perhaps we can hold off for a bit on voting while some things are clarified, maybe get a few more nominations in?

 

[Roger]

There were too few nominations when it was restricted to pure cutscenes.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

To be clear, it's not ultimately if something is a "pure cut-scene" that I have a problem with. It's the lack of communication about when that rule changed since if it was announced that cut-scenes that had bits of gameplay in them were allowed, their might have been more nominations. Or at least, everyone would have been on the same page as to what a "cut-scene" was when voting happened.

The only mention I can find of rules changing is this post by Fancy, and it doesn't say what rules were changed. I assume the change was about the movies not being allowed since none of those cut-scenes were in the poll.

 

[fancy]

Hi, hello, so I heard folks are a bit miffed about select things and I’m here not to convince anyone to partake in the event anyway if they are truly annoyed with what has and hasn’t been included, but to mebbe tell my sloppy side of things and y'all can make your decision from there.


Regarding the Rules
Indeed, I was rather lenient on what constituted as a ‘cinematic’ in order to encourage more nominations though, fair enough, I never did set any hard guidelines as to what I would allow and where I would draw the line. Thus, folks might’ve kept back on nomming something they would have upon seeing what’s been allowed and for that mishap, I so apologise! In truth, I walked into the whole thing rather blind, lmao, having not played most of the Final Fantasy titles or failing to remember them (THERE! I’VE BEEN EXPOSED AS A FRAUD!), and this was probably the appropriate time to ask for a bit of help on my end... I was fixated, however, on putting together the survey and releasing it as soon as possible because I felt that I was already behind schedule and I was basically freaking out and got sloppy lmao.


Regarding the Editing
Right, again, due to my own imposed constraints, I hadn’t the time to edit, isolate, and upload every nominee (as I originally planned), so that’s why I largely took to pre-existing clips on the youchuubs. Given that I had little frame of reference for what was an ‘OG’ cutscene (THOUGH TYPING IT OUT NOW I RECKON I COULD’VE GONE THROUGH WALKTHROUGHS AND ISOLATED SHIT FROM THERE DAMN), it was hard for me to tell what’s been edited or not?? Oooofff, I am so lame, I’m sorry! Like in retrospect, this is kind of a mess eh lmao. Big yikes!


In truth, I suppose I was using the clips more as a frame of reference for folks, assuming those who have experienced them know exactly what’s going on and those who haven’t, again I assumed, wouldn’t have clicked them anyway because of spoilers. Like, they’d read “Edea’s Parade” and try to recollect in their mind how that went about using, mayhaps, the first few seconds of the clip provided to jog the memory. I reckon I hadn’t meant for them to be taken so literally, but that’s like unfair on my part eh???


Regarding Ite’s Quote lmfaoo
Oh, I thought I addressed it by adding in those noms. Though, right, having read what you had to say Obs, it hasn’t been made entirely clear that I’m literally referring to those noms based on the clips I’ve chosen to upload.

BIG OOOOOF, BIG YIKES!! I apologise, fam!

Consider this a lesson learnt on my part, eh? I’d so love to retry this another time with less confusion regarding what’s going on and a hard guideline in order to encourage fairness. Feelsbad that folks are feeling discouraged from voting because of my lame handling of affairs, but I'm afraid it must continue on as it is now. I hope you understand! <3 <3 <3


Regarding the opening to XII vs TZA
I asked this same question and was told that one is slightly shinier than the other lmao. I was curious to see if anyone was going to vote the updated one over the old one. Mess, I tell ya, mess!!


Hope you’re all well! Thanks for the votes anyway! Back into the hole I go!

 

[Ite]

Fancy <3 <3 <3

 

[Ghost X]

Okay, so, imagine you're at a film festival. There's a lot of films at said festival, and you have to pick which one has the best costumes. You even have the power of holding the remote control, and fast-forwarding to the bits where the costumes are. Cool, huh! You then realise that various films only feature good costumes in some bits. In some films, in fact, the actors are usually naked, and only wear poorly-made costumes some of the time (according to your personal tastes, at least). Are you going to forfeit as a judge in that scenario? This is kind of like that scenario, except we're switching costumes with cinematics.

Now, in my view, I thought this exercise was pretty straight forward. For the purists out there, however, perhaps you would like to volunteer your time and run the same competition in future, and edit all the material as you like it. I don't think anyone would stop you if you asked. I'm sure TLS would enjoy the extra help actually. You're also free to criticise how events are run, of course, and good points have been raised to be fair, but remember, free speech goes both ways .

If you were extremely purist about this competition, after all, you'd realise that in most games, the cinematics are interlaced with non-cinematics. That is, they are essentially divided up. I don't think anyone wants to vote for a second long FMV clip, which is obviously part of a larger sequence of FMV clips, etc (<-- just using FMVs as an example, I know not all cinematics are FMVs). I personally would rather vote for a sequence of FMV clips as a chunk, etc, which is what I'm doing with this particular competition, using the power of my brain.

I don't mind using my judgement on what is being referred to in the long videos (videos not editted/specialised for this event) that clearly aren't cinematic (eg: game play), but that's me. Maybe I'm privileged in an ivory tower or something.

 

[Ite]

In truth, I suppose I was using the clips more as a frame of reference for folks, assuming those who have experienced them know exactly what’s going on and those who haven’t, again I assumed, wouldn’t have clicked them anyway because of spoilers. Like, they’d read “Edea’s Parade” and try to recollect in their mind how that went about using, mayhaps, the first few seconds of the clip provided to jog the memory.

When I was going through the survey I didn't feel like I needed to watch the videos, partly because my job is boring and I think about FF all day long so Edea's Parade runs through my head like a viral pop song, and the way those motion capture dancers do that funny knee dance. I also didn't watch the clips from XIV/XV, which I haven't played yet so I won't vote for LMAO

As far as XII vs. TZA, it came down to who they were nominated against. For me, XII beats out its first competitors but the next batch had some of my all-time faves (the attacks on Cleyra and Alexandria?? Be still my heart). I really learned where XII presently sits on my "Top Final Fantasy" list/blob. I also appreciate the distinction of OG Zack's death and CC Zack's death, they couldn't be more different imo

Re-doin' the survey now. Fancy, Crash, thanks y'all for your hard work!

[edit: i ended up voting for the Bahamut explosion from XIV, cause I know it, it's awesome. so, lmao's on me]

 

[CrashOuch]

HELLO EVERYONE! Please, please, please have a gander at PART TWO of the VII BEST CINEMATICS survey. Fill it in even if you didn't do part one!

You have 72 HOURS until it closes. Happy voting, everyone <3

 

[Avalanche87]

Hi all! I hope everyone is well.

I've not been as active as I'd like, but I saw on twitter this poll & have participated in that.

I've got to say, some choices were very hard to make!!!

Some options I wasn't able to "refresh my memory with" but majority were easy to find.

I've got to say, Zack's sacrifice was the obvious choice, but despite not having played FFXIV, I really love the "end of an era" clip & the song is one of my favorites! (poll 4/8)

Poll 6/8 was hard to pick, but obviously Sephiroth in Nimbelheim takes the cake. I really liked both Escape from Forest & Black Waltz no3 Encounter also.

I've just got poll 5 left to pick

 

[Roger]

Hi all! I hope everyone is well.

I've not been as active as I'd like, but I saw on twitter this poll & have participated in that.

I've got to say, some choices were very hard to make!!!

Some options I wasn't able to "refresh my memory with" but majority were easy to find.

I've got to say, Zack's sacrifice was the obvious choice, but despite not having played FFXIV, I really love the "end of an era" clip & the song is one of my favorites! (poll 4/8)

Poll 6/8 was hard to pick, but obviously Sephiroth in Nimbelheim takes the cake. I really liked both Escape from Forest & Black Waltz no3 Encounter also.

I've just got poll 5 left to pick

Thanks for coming in to add your vote, Avalanche! Much appreciated! Hope you do stick around

 

[CrashOuch]

Hope everyone's voted! If not DO IT NOW!

 

[CrashOuch]

ROUND 3, BABY!

Even if you haven't before, crack on and VOTE!!!!!