WHITEPINE is boring, but you SHOULD watch it
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- I wanted to make this video for a long time, but I couldn't find an angle that I could critique WHITEPINE without being over confrontational, and I finally found it!
All footage is from WHITEPINE 1, 2, 3 and 4 by @MythrodakTV. The background music is also from Ivory from @ivorysoundtracks980 channel. The use of this material should be covered by fair use, but, Ivory, if you'd like the video taken down, feel free to contact me on Discord @mchorse or on X.com: x.com/McHorsy/
The original title was "WHITEPINE sucks, but you SHOULD watch it," but it appears many people have discarded what I've said in the video itself, so an adjustment was made.
coloca bbs forge pfv
@ pode usar o bbs no forge, mano. Vá para a página do BBS mod e leia a parte sobre como instalar o BBS mod com Sinytra Connector e Forge.
One thing I will strongly disagree on is the take on voice acting. I think with Whitepine it's supposed to capture a more realistic take on dialogue and how people would actually interact with each other. People aren't usually super animated and more dramatic in their speech and when you talk to someone it's a whole lot more subtle at times unless someone is purposely doing it or just has a more cartoonish personality. As a voice actor I can pick up on these types of things and see the appeal for a more "neutral" tone in dialogue. Having characters be more exaggerated in their emotions and voice just wouldn't fit that stillness Whitepine has.
My take on VA’ing has to do with my opinion that it’s boring. This aspect of WHITEPINE, if addressed separately, could make it more interesting to watch.
Regarding stillness, I think Look Back has this element nailed. Btw I should watch it!
But yeah, for the guy who used TTS in his videos for a long time, I don’t think my opinion on that aspect holds much weight. I see where you are coming from, but I respectfully disagree. I don’t say the VA’ing has to be like dialed up a ton. I’m saying it would be better IMHO if VA’ing was less neutral and tiny itty bitty bit dramatic.
th-cam.com/video/lKmHlMRvtDk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8AgACWSRe_9HY8Ve
One thing I would like to add is that the character of Ivory is a classic example of a passive character. She just reacts, does nothing actively for the progression of the plot when the plot rarely progresses.
Also, there is no conflict, ideally a good story has three level of conflicts: External, Internal and Philosophical. But Whitepine rarely shows any, it's just this happened and that happened, oh look someone's playing music in the forest, and then that happened.
Mad respects for the critique, some people won't like it, but this video is essential for the development of machinimas into an actual art form
That's interesting... I've never heard about passive characters and philosophical level of conflict, TIL! Despite that, a lot of people still find it interesting/captivating to watch such experience. Although, I really feel like this, for the most part, comes out due to novelty for majority of the WHITEPINE fans. I've been watching Minecraft machinimas since 2016, and I've seen tons of bad ones, dozens of mediocre and a handful of masterpieces, and because of that WHITEPINE appears sooo good.
absolutely agree on the story parts. Whitepine is a good stepping stone for a revolution in machinimas, and I hope people learn from its mistakes rather than aiming to replicate its style.
As someone who really appreciates what Whitepine is doing for the machinima space, I think this video brings up some interesting points, though I personally see a lot of these aspects as intentional stylistic choices rather than outright flaws. The slow pacing and subtle voice acting work well in the kind of grounded, cinematic storytelling Whitepine is going for. Not every story needs heightened drama or fast-moving plots, and I think the series thrives on its atmosphere and visual storytelling.
That said, I do get why some people find it slow, especially since the episodes lean more into aesthetics and mood rather than major plot developments. A little more movement in the story could keep engagement up while maintaining the same tone. I think the voice acting fits the setting well, but I can see why a slightly more dynamic delivery in key moments could enhance emotional beats.
I am planning to create my own full-length Minecraft movie. I have a lot of ideas and a good background in cinematography. I find your project very promising in this regard, since it potentially allows you to create good animated 3D movies alone, which otherwise requires the work of an entire studio and a huge budget.
I really hope that you will be able to successfully complete your project. It seems that you have already worked on the animation of the mouth and eyes. I am also waiting for you to add support for distant horizons. I have almost finished the plot, all I need is the finished technical capabilities of your mod.
As a rule, all machinima projects remain nothing more than machinima - a very amateur creation. I would like to take it to another level, the level of the best examples of animation and dramaturgy. Thank you for your work.
I remember hearing about this series and checking it out. I watched the first episode and it didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't really for me. The art, music, cinematography and everything is beautiful, it has an aesthetic and mood that some people might be drawn too but I'm far from being that kind of person. I'm more drawn to action, drama, excitement, colors, dramatic music. Art is subjective. My mom loves watching the Pride and Prejudice movie meanwhile I think it's boring as hell. I love watching Spiderman Into the Spiderverse, My mom gets too anxious watching it. We're very different people with very different interests when comes to art and film. I think with WhitePine that's where it mostly comes down to.
Мне нравится иногда смотреть твои видео как АСМР
База
I feel like a lot of people go into whitepine with prior experience of other media and expect it to be an exciting show but personally it comes across to me as a world that was made and then the show was made not a world made for the show. The voice acting feels natural rather than movie like and i can definitely understand how that makes it seem boring and i think the long walking shots also go to this end in that it feels more like you are watching people go about their everyday life rather than people acting for a movie. All in all i can definitely see where hes coming from with all his points and its definitely not a show for everyone.
As a Whitepine fan myself, and fellow Minecraft storyteller, i think this video would benefit from more in depth analysis, and detailing of your points. Admittedly, i don't have much experience in critique, but i think it's hard to argue with - or agree with, as you don't go into much detail with examples, and things like that. From the POV of someone that enjoys the series a lot, i simply cannot see these criticisms very well, let alone properly grasp them, without more detail or explanation. idk if you have more to say or would want to, but a longer video going into more detail, with specific examples, how you would improve the specific issues, maybe what you would do differently, etc, would actually be really cool and interesting i think.
But as for the actual criticisms, i think honestly a lot of it comes down to stylistic choices, and what fits the vibe of the series. I completely understand how some people could fine Whitepine boring, i don't think it's for everyone. Its pacing is slow, its very cinematic, and focused on aesthetics, and its not very loud or expressive - like you mentioned. I think as a series, it's very subtle and quiet. Heavily focused on sound design, music, feeling, and cinematics. I see it as a heavily visual art piece, as well as a story, which definitely isn't for everyone!
I agree with you on the walking to a degree, and there could definitely be some scenes here or there that could maybe be cut, or shorter. But at the same time as someone very passionate about cinematography, camera work, aesthetics, etc, i really appreciate and enjoy those scenes, as i admire them, and they teach me a lot myself regarding my own work. However, most people probably don't feel that way, and your average viewer probably isn't super passionate about cinematography, so yeah understandably that can be boring and disrupt pacing. Personally, i think this loops back to Whitepine being very visual, and focused on art in general, rather than just storytelling. Idk if that was Ivory's intention, i don't know her, but as an artist that's how i see it, and it's something i like and enjoy about it.
For the characters, I don't really see your point. Some characters might be weak, and I think if you put them in a different setting, different genre, they might be boring characters. However, I think they fit the genre and style of storytelling very well. I don't think it'd make sense for them to be stronger, and I think it might ruin the general vibe Whitepine has. Overall, I think they fit into their universe well. They feel generally quite realistic, and people-like, which isn't always good for character writing, but again I think that kind of character design fits into Whitepine well.
I think you have a bit of a point on Ivory's character development, especially seeing as she's the main character. However, I also think a lot of that has to do with the general pacing of the story, if the story is moving at a slower pace, then less is happening episode by episode - including what is happening in universe, and thus she, and other characters, do not develop very fast. Personally I enjoy this pacing style, and don't find Whitepine boring, but of course if it's not for you then that would further enhance that negative quality the series has to you for sure. However, despite that i do also believe the pacing could be ever so slightly faster, or like, more could happen each episode, even if I personally enjoy it
As for the voice acting, I really don't see a problem at all. I think it fits into the setting perfectly, and I haven't really noticed the whitepine voice acting feel dull, or like it needs more expression. I think it simply works, idk. Though I'm not at all a voice actor myself, so these are things i probably wouldn't pick up on as much
Despite my disagreements, an interesting video and as someone very big on criticism and analysis myself its great to see videos like this!!
Aint readinallat lil bro
I appreciate you writing all of this.
Honestly, when I finished uploading this video, I realized something to myself about this video. I feel like WHITPINE is a really unique piece, as such it's not really fair to put it up and critique objectively, because it seemed to be made for specific target audience (maybe Ivory made WHITEPINE for herself for self-expression). Therefore, it would be not relatable to a lot of people.
Initially, I wanted to share my opinion about WHITEPINE rather than hard critique it (I actually wrote an analysis piece of the first episode 2-3 months ago, but it was so boring to read I scrapped it), and my second goal was to shine a light upon WHITEPINE, so people would watch it, and come up with their own conclusions whether WHITPINE is something to get inspired by, or something to avoid making mistakes of.
I still think that WHITPINE is boring. However, I'm glad it exists, and people enjoy it! 😊
I think one of the reasons that I enjoy Whitepine so much is because it pushes back againt the trends of content needing to be super engaging and attrention grabbing. People today, myself included, have such poor attention spans, that taking the time to watch a show more interested in atmosphere than sensational content is just extremely allruing to me. It reminds me of Downton Abbey in a way, except with even less drama (despite the murder, obviously) and even more stunning artistry.
It’s nice indeed, but TV show doesn’t have to be sensational to be interesting. I’ve watch a TV show called Lie to Me where there wasn’t much action, however, the most interest comes from the intrigue of the mystery. “Why did she lie?” “What could he possible be hiding?” etc. and every episode explores this at steady pace IIRC. There are some peak moments, but it doesn’t go around aimlessly like WHITEPINE.
But for a lot of people, it comes down to preference, and I can’t argue with that. If you like it, you like it. I respect that. I just wanted to express my opinion and share for people to check it out as well. 👍
Я конечно не смотрел этот сериал, но я правильно понял, что теперь иногда ты будешь делать обзоры на проекты, которые делают в BBS mod или Blockbuster?
Потому что выглядит это именно так
Ты неправильно понял, я думаю это одноразовое видео. У меня особо больше нету идей для контента 🤷♂️
@McHorsesCreations печалька
Но окей
Mchorse ❤thank you for your hard work.
Whitepine isn't boring, it's a slowburn. A slowburn is meant to progress the story at a steady pace instead of rushing you with a bunch of things. Think Better Call Saul. It took almost two seasons for Better Call Saul to get to something remotely "intense" with "stakes" in the slightest, and even that is nothing compared to the stakes of later seasons like Seasons 5 and 6.
It's not a regular take on Minecraft shows, it treats itself as a regular TV show and that's admirable. It doesn't have the over the top voice acting, emotions, or anything like that. It takes itself as if it's a book and that is a really interesting thing to do in this form of media. I'd disagree with the take that Whitepine is "boring" for those reasons. People are treating it as if it's another Minecraft Roleplay when in reality, Minecraft is just the medium it's using to convey a good slow burn story (which isn't normal from what I've seen in the Minecraft content / MCRP / MCTV scene).
It's also been a huge help in making more Minecraft shows actually SEEN and has inspired people to take on making shows themselves. (Obviously, this has nothing to do with it being "boring" but it's just another thing that Whitepine has done that was positive for the Minecraft "storyteller" community.) When you rip away the "Minecraft"-iness from this show, it gets a lot realer. You almost have to look at it from an entirely different lens. Some of Ivory's dialogue is very "small" and come off as "bad" or "awkward" but in my opinion that's 100 percent how it's supposed to be conveyed. The writer(s) clearly want to convey that there's some sort of neurodivergence or difficulty speaking to others. From a surface view, this can look like frail weak dialogue but in reality it's just good character building. Nobody is usually over the top in a business setting (which Whitepine) is based in, so it wouldn't make sense for them to talk like they're in some Highschool Drama.
The reason you may not be "connecting" with the characters is because again, at the time of writing this, there are only three / four episodes of Whitepine out in a show that seems to be a slowburn. You're not automatically going to feel anything for these characters. It should be earned. And in a slowburn, no writer is going to earn you over in three episodes. Especially with how short Whitepine's episodes are as opposed to a regular hour of TV. This is also why you're not seeing any character growth or development. It's setting up the characters, stakes, getting you to feel for them, ect. Without any of this, a character's actions in a slowburn don't really matter. You usually if not always in a slowburn have to start small.
Finally, Whitepine was never framed as a show about a "murder mystery", but it's obviously going to be a large point of the plot. During small scenes you can see Ivory being watched by the detective which means it wasn't thrown out completely, and the plotline of the family / workers at the estate intentionally not bringing it up is proof that this plot isn't lost, but instead being covered up by the characters themselves. It doesn't mean it shouldn't matter to the viewer or that it doesn't matter to the story, instead it's there to create mystery about WHY it's not being talked about. Probably so that the scenes where it comes full circle and IS spoken about are more intense. Again, slowburn.
Whitepine's story 100 percent isn't for everybody. It's like asking a horror nerd to read a romance novel when romance isn't their thing at all. Some people don't see / don't care to see / can't understand a piece of work, and that's completely okay. But in situations like that, it's better to ask yourself "why" or "what" you're not seeing something that captivates you and maybe digging deeper instead of calling something shallow or boring. Just because a piece of art doesn't connect with one person, does not mean it cannot connect with others.
Of course, this is just my own take on it and I'd love to have a friendly discussion and open debate with anyone who disagrees. Talking about "good" writing is what helps people understand what good writing is, but all stories can be subjective :3
Nice video.
The first episode really set the mood of the series, The cinematography is great and the music is also good but I absolutely agree, It is quite boring, It really doesn't feel like anything at all has happened since the first episode though i still look forward to each episode, i just hope it picks up.
I’m still waiting for the matter to finally get addressed. It feels unresolved, and I kinda don’t like it… 😞
i feel like most of your points come down to a matter of artistic taste rather then objective critique yknow?
and this series is very artistically centric*, some people like it, for others its just not for them
you're allowed to dislike it, but you said that it sucks. and i think you're wrong XD
although i agree that the story is a little aimless, we'll have to see if it all builds to something or not i suppose
I addressed the title in the beginning. While in the video itself, I didn't say that it sucks, but I guess if it's what people are focusing on, it's better to change the title, so that people won't argue about wrong thing.
Hi Mc horse
I have a question can we make animation like a punch together with fire particles shown in the video :- th-cam.com/users/shortsZhKV1OFHJ2w?si=GVSU_TqoACjkIN8V
Hello McHorse! I am a big fan of yours and your work since it has helped me wonders, and to get to the point, id like some advice when it comes to put my own project in the spotlight. I call it "Tales of the Mineweb" and it is set in the world of Minecraft after an organization creates the technology to travel between worlds/realms/servers, this company then became a monopolium of entertainment, controlling all media, the boss and main villain of the series is a mysterious enderman that can control memories, and is in search of a power to become a god.
I've been working on this for years long practicaly alone and your mod has helped me so much when it comes to production, i am currently working on the second pilot episode(First its outdated) and my first ever machinima, with my own custom models, scenes fully illustrated by my hand in manga style, and a mini ARG to promote it, so, if it catches your eye in any way, could you give me any advice on how to go on as a creator? I dont really know if i will make it out the pilot phase, specially considering that i'm latino and about to start college, so i dont really have budget or help to produce it, thank you in advance!
I'm glad my work helped you out!
If I have an advice is this: it appears to me that you're trying to run a 30 mile marathon without having any prior experience in running. If this series is something that you're dreaming to make, and not an impulsive desire, then you have to prepare for it, before you are capable making it.
Start with something small. Make 10-20 simple machinimas that are no longer than 3 minutes long, and have very few models or sets that you need to build. You can use these machinimas to practice animating and storytelling, but also creating assets (skins, models, etc.) on a smaller scale. Make sure you don't spend more than 8 hours working on one of those videos. If it takes too long, you're probably over working or have not enough experience to achieve it yet. Don't consider it a fail, just try making something simpler. Make sure to also work on your titles and thumbnails. They are very important!
Once you are comfortable in creating simple machinimas, you can try making something longer, that involve more moving parts. Now try making 10 8-minute cohesive and interesting video in under 2 weeks each. You can make simpler videos in between, if the work doesn't go on that 8 minute project your way.
Once you are comfortable in creating longer machinimas, that's when you can start working on a large project you wanted to work on. Beside earning experience, you also produced some content that shows what viewers can to expect, and possibly you also attracted some audience from recommendation system.
Hopefully, that helps!
@@McHorsesCreations Thank you so much!, i'll take your advice into practice
This is really interesting this is the first time I've heard about it
Please tell me how to make an actor takes knockback when I hit them???
You can't
@@McHorsesCreations but why
@@MythFlexx because of limitations of this system.
Broo when is the update coming of hitting actors😭😭 I waited jan😭😭😭😭
February 9th is the exact date, or you can access it via Patreon.
I feel like WHITEPINE lacks a lot from Wes Anderson films
Objectively, yes, it really does feel like the format could be inspired by Wes Anderson's films!
Wow, I liked this content!
I will definitely be watching this content if you decide to do more of this :]
I’m not sure… WHITEPINE is a special case. I have a couple of ideas, but I’m not sure if I’d like to spend the time recording and editing it 😅
2 more days to go❤
I actually disagree with the point about walking. I think compressing it would only make it worse. Whitepine is not supposed to be fast. I think going at a faster pace would be a bad idea.
Compressing it without adjust the story/plot would be worse, I agree.
would you rate my movie when it comes out?
i can rate it dlcraft im a hater
This review is probably one time only. I got a bit obsessed with WHITEPINE, so I made the video.
@ k
@ k bet
no i shouldn't
i get the point behind it but it sucks to watch🙏
I watched WHITEPINE 1 at least 5 times 🫨
this is such an overstatement 😭
minecraft content nowadays is not that great so whitepine is "good" enough for minecrafters to watch it
also this hasn't really been done before in english mcyt so of course people will be interested
you can see the number of views go down every episode so idk if this will be that succesful in the end
There are a ton of hidden gems if you’ll know where to look, but for an average viewer it could be inaccessible due to language barrier (I’ve seen some captivating French, Russian, German and Chinese machinimas) or just due to the content being obscure.
I think the best of the best is HerrBergmann’s red riding hood: www.zdf.de/filme/spielfilme/herr-bergmanns-rotkaeppchen-100.html
Absolute cinema! It’s only in German though…
I think u should change the thumbnail to something white pine related to get some kids
I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm happy with the current thumbnail. 😎
first
Eleventh
Rage bait used to be believable
I don't think you watched the video. I addressed the title in the beginning.
@McHorsesCreations I'm talking about the video as a whole. Yes I have watched the video but I don't agree with the points made. It feels like you just saw "good popular thing" and decided to make a video to get clicks.
@@Frosty-ud7fv I really don't care about getting clicks rather than to share WHITEPINE with people in my community, but also to express my opinion about it. I think you're projecting about taking it to get views.
If I wanted to make views, I would've made the video immediately when it came out.