[SFM 2013 Saxxy Winner] Chinatown Getaway

[UPDATE 11/26/13] Thank you to EVERYONE who voted and helped me get where I am. And thank you Valve for choosing me over the mass of great competition this year. I'm honored that I moved up from where I was a little over a year ago to earning a Saxxy award. I poured my heart and soul into this small video and I'm VERY glad it all payed off.
Please watch in 1080p or at least 720p, 360p does not do the video justice. Like, seriously, KZbin does NOT handle fast moving dark videos well, so if you have a problem with the lighting, rewatch it in 1080p and I'm sure you won't anymore.
Follow me on Twitter for updates and to hear me complain about video games / hypo_thermick
I am INCREDIBLY happy to say that I finished this blasted video and uploaded before the deadline.
I have gone through so many problems this past week it's astonishing that I managed to get this out there.
That said, I really hope you like the video I've slaved on since, like, mid-summer. (Mid June-November roughly, please stop asking)
I first had a vague idea for this video last year when I was working on Badwater Bebop. My initial major influence stems from Kung Fu Hustle and Sleeping Dogs. Then as I got deeper in to the project, the video and my influence had grown and matured. Now most of my influences cover a wide array of Kung Fu films and parodies alike. And much like a lot of my other videos, I've found a lot of anime has subliminal influences on my animations, like the briefcase in the air or most of the Spy fight.
Also, why is the briefcase such an area of concern for people? You're willing to suspend your disbelief for, pretty much the rest of the video, but the case is going too far? Not to stroke my own horn, but insults on your creative vision really stings.
A list of people who have helped me with this film and/or have been extremely beneficial to the production:
Deniz 'Intero' Akbulut (steamcommunity....) - created the magnificent original soundtrack for this video, you can listen to the track on his Soundcloud here / chinatown-getaway-ost .
Nicholas "Deity of Greed" Robinson (steamcommunity....) - My great friend that housed me for the last week of the Saxxies when my internet shut down at my own house (can you believe that??) And provided constructive criticism.
Maxxy (steamcommunity....) and VeLlix (steamcommunity....) - kindly let me use their Enhanced Engineer model i.imgur.com/7kV...
Deity Link (steamcommunity....) - kindly let me use his crate and key models i.imgur.com/Rhx...
Kerplunkers (steamcommunity....) - Fixed textures on items that don't work properly in SFM (Jogon and Weight Room Warmers)
LazyPurple ( / xlazypurplex ) -Really pushed this video in the right direction and helped me emotionally, and got me working on this video when I was really in a bad spot.
Narry Gewman (KZbin - / smellyfeetyouhave , Steam - steamcommunity....) helped me overcome KZbin compression issues. Thanks, dude!
Some awesome fanart by Tumblr user, defenestratin that I had found on accident: defenestratin.t...
steamcommunity....

[@LazyPurple]

I think we can all agree that you have surpassed all expectations. This is unreal, Hypo, you should be very proud.

[@gandalflovegood3707]

hey :DD

[@theepicgamergirl5969]

Lol

[@malcolmm.8551]

Does anyone know how to send videos to lazy purple? I managed to record a replay i think he would like.

[@lamosca7781]

In China yes we do have rich gangsters that have a bunch of Gard

[@sethplaysbadly6897]

Hi LazyPurple

[@Forkontheleft]

i cannot imagine how bloodthirsty everyone would get if ctf awarded a key for a capture

[@BigJinfinity]

Also, keys would be worth less than a weapon

[@crazypapermaskdude]

BigJinfinity Unusuals.... Would be worthless.

[@AlexandriteFeyheart]

crazypapermaskdude ...Valve needs to make this happen

[@Forkontheleft]

yeah like a bonus for random ctf matches

[@angle4z]

Now that's 1 good way to break the economy

[@Valmillions]

0:49 wow lucky hat drop

[@Jeddy2]

That was as literal as a hat drop can get.

[@chitrungnguyen2368]

Queen_Zelda iyb

[@Chilly37]

Throws briefcase into air, takes 84 seconds to come back down, scout is on steriodes is my final conclusion

[@averagesqueaker7121]

Due to the nature of tf2 physics,Gravity is 2x faster and stronger than our real life solution.That means that friction could also be increased.The briefcase would go up in the thermos layer of the air,staying their for a minute 1/2 coming down at a speed of 90 mph. So in conclusion,it's just as easy as shooting a basketball from the other side of the court. Challenging,but possible.

[@Chilly37]

uh.....game theory much

[@averagesqueaker7121]

What's game theory?

[@Chilly37]

very good youtube channel :)

[@averagesqueaker7121]

Oh, okay.

[@legendaryvanilla4876]

Did scout just like throw the intel to buzz aldrin on the moon then buzz was like" alright it's over" then shot it back?

[@GaminGuy_]

Legendary Vanilla yea

[@skeptica]

yep

[@jasonszeto1420]

that scout musta thrown that case really high....

[@diegoarmando8798]

REALLY high.

[@jasonszeto1420]

El fruto amo Lol word...

[@smacq6000]

*meanwhile all the fighting is happening* *Soldier rocket jumps and takes back the intel*

[@liferdy3528]

Like, 8 Kilometers high. for comparison, Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) is 0,8 Kilometers.

[@franklinclinton249]

King Jay Up into the Sky probably. But he sure is master at Martial arts like a true ninja warrior.

[@Daucus]

Looks like we're pitted up against each other. This was a pretty solid entry. Glad you got nominated. Good luck!

[@LineX240]

Impressive work, I love the fighting part

[@Fatpiepro]

Hypo, honest to god, if you don't win anything this year I will personally go to Valve and throw a brick through Gaben's office window. This was seriously great, I thought that the Saxxy's were relatively dull this year, but this entry really made it much better. All of the effort you've put into this video was certainly well worth it, it's just THAT good! I'll definitely vote for you this year! Good luck getting first place, I really seriously hope you'll win!

[@SW1FTKILL]

I wish getting keys was that easy.

[@Romanji]

Melee combos, parkour, knockdowns, finisher moves, the spy being able to throw his knife, these would be amazing additions to TF2.

[@atonal928]

Team Fortress 3? Oh wait, Valve...

[@TenecoGaming]

Callum Price Team Fortress 3 or Half-life 3 or Left 4 Dead 3 or Portal 3, they can take a pick at the moment, really.

[@atonal928]

TenecoGaming Yeah but that Gabe though.

[@Spike-bk8by]

Callum Price There isn't any need for TF3

[@Romanji]

Spike the Raccoon Theres a need for a third of every valve game

[@nextstone7]

I guess friendly fire was on...

[@MaxLebled]

That was amazing! So much expression with only one second of dialogue! The pacing was excellent! This definitely has my vote. If I had to nitpick though, I find the way the briefcase stayed in the air for so long really exaggerated, even for something like this :p

[@derekmendoza3901]

Maxime Lebled - 3D animator I think the length of the fall was to give the sfm a cheesy Kung fu 80’s movie feeling to it as most of that genre had the same eggsageration

[@arctisCircle]

My gosh, this animation is fluent. The battle also bears a bit of a resemblance to the battle in Matrix Reloaded with Agent Smith. Really good video. :D

[@LifeForSpice]

IKR matrix is epic bro

[@franklinclinton249]

ArctusDracon This is awesome! Some action! It's awesome how it starts in China! Amazing! I love watching Action! :D

[@Rev3rberations]

Goodness me, that was so polished! It flowed so nicely, the theme worked perfectly, and the expressions were priceless. This is probably one of the best things in SFM I have seen in a long time. You have my vote.

[@corbinedge]

saxxy damn it

[@TheTber123]

I like how you parodied the "bad guys only attack 3 at a time or less" rule most fight scenes in movies have.

[@TrueStopwatch]

CRITIQUE Camera was a bit odd at times, but otherwise very effective. Animation was rock-solid all around: There was no noticeable clipping, and character movement was pretty fluid. The music fit what was happening very well. The plot I will praise greatly, because it wasn't ENTIRELY action-y - it had some actual pace to it and it kept me more immersed in what was going on. Ending sealed the deal, even if it was a bit predictable. Lastly, character emotion was very well shown without words. You can tell that RED Scout is a bit nervous about fighting such a large force of enemies at first, and you can see BLU Heavy getting more and more frustrated, among other small things. Overall, a very strong and very well animated entry into the Saxxys that didn't need to use all five minutes to do what it needed to and didn't pad anything out. That's pretty respectable. Looks like you might be getting nominated again. Can't really say for sure you'll win until we see what the rest of the community puts out, but it's definitely the best Action entry I've seen so far. (You know, I think the Chinese Scout Army would have actually won if they just threw their cleavers like God intended.)

[@owenshark24]

How did the briefcase stay up in the air for so long?

[@paulcairns204]

Plot

[@WinkyDink]

This is really Badass! Nice work :)

[@MsZsc]

aww, crap? Don't you mean aww, piss? :D

[@themidnightspy4782]

Well, the spy never was really gone. THAT, I can say. For I myself, am a spy.

[@jakubmanczak4306]

aww man

[@mcsakoki]

This was brilliant, absolutely astonishing. I dunno if I've ever seen a SFM video with animations and facial expressions this good, you're definitely on of the best SFM animators on youtube, if not the best. Zachariah Scott had my vote, but you conquered it. As for those who disliked this video, I don't know your motives, but what I do know is that anyone with a love for details, no, anyone who cares even just a bit about them simply has to appreciate this fine piece of art.

[@leonderprofie123]

Very nice and smooth animation, I wonder how you do that. I know how to do animations, but they're so blocky.

[@kungfubellydancer]

Great job! I couldn't wait to see this. I'm glad you finally got it uploaded :D

[@RoxyPoxSFM]

CONGRATS!!!! :D

[@AvitalShtap]

Now these are some pixar-grade, sexy, expressive, and comical animations!!! :D And it's a great way of showing the awesome things SFM can do, too. And - FINALLY - the proper use of Fisheye effect and lighting! I can breathe in peace now. :') And sweetjesus that unexpected ending...and that perfect use of voice lines just FHUIHifiADAuhfuHUFIF. Sorry to pour out all the sugary goodness but this was GRRRRREAT! Definitely going to vote this as Best Action as soon as the clock strikes 12.

[@levirivai5970]

The animations in this video was of course really smooth, but what surprised me the most was the camera and lightning work. Never have i seen such beauty. True inspiration.

[@Finzlow]

Ooh man, that was great Hypo! I think you'll win Action!

[@samuelchu7880]

Haha that was good. And the ending was so realistic XD

[@ittooklongtomakethis]

I hate to be a nerd but I calculated how hard he would have had to thrown the case into the air to be up that long. It would take an initial velocity of around 392m/s, reaching a height of about 7800m or so. Other than that it was epic :)

[@ludacris10]

damn I was expecting an unusual

[@james63701]

everyone does :/ but no one gets them XD

[@ludacris10]

James S. True,True

[@TheDarthredav]

James S. I got one yesterday :D

[@franklinclinton249]

ludacris10 I thought it would be something special or something nice.

[@outlived8154]

Meanwhile on an airplain "We are now flying over chinatown. At your left you can see a suitcase flying past the plain. These are known as common villagers"

[@xOzone69]

*plane

[@madcat789]

Some of these Saxxy videos can be quite silly, and quite stupid. Others, like this? Defiantly deserve their praise.

[@Sp0ttheCat1701]

Its like a really bad Chinese Kung Fu movie, but with much much less technology. Great Job!

[@Sp0ttheCat1701]

lol all those +1s

[@Surkee]

Where's the cat?

[@gordon4426]

Haha typical uncrate

[@gordon4426]

Thanks! :)

[@gordon4426]

haha people. Thanks!

[@grimmthrashr1035]

all that effort to get a key, just to get a jar of piss. poor scout. XD

[@Freezenification]

Animation quality is WAY better than Badwater Bebop, but there's something about BB that just makes me prefer it to this. Either way though, both are still great.

[@TheRedzGuy]

your really know how to put on a really great sfm. well done Hypo, so amazing I am running out of idea to say people amazing work on the sfm

[@pyropoyo]

Congrats on the Saxxy!

[@marmyt3]

10 years later, this still holds up pretty well! props to you!!

[@Jacky_Raider]

So INCREDIBLY, PAINSTAKINGLY done good sir, I thought you were a shoe in for badwater bebop but this HAS to earn a saxxy, You have mah vote

[@nizar70707]

HOLY PANCAKES THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, THE MOVEMENTS, EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT THIS MUST WIN

[@B0NKABLE]

Congrats on your well deserved Saxxy, Hypo.

[@erinpollard3795]

I was one of the many who voted for you. I loved the video, and watched it over and over again. Good job.

[@SalamenceFury]

AND THE AWARD GOES TO... Also, Lazypurple will get a Saxxy too!

[@owenshark24]

Out of the four nominee videos for the "Action" genre for the 2013 Annual Saxxy awards, your video had the most "likes". This should help you in your efforts to get a Saxxy. I wish you the best of luck.

[@AnimalSlices]

so this is an extremely epic video, and i love how the briefcase stayed up in the air for about 2 minutes, XD.

[@FreeMovieDownload2019]

Amazing work dude! This is easily the best SFM video i have ever seen. The animations were breathtaking and the music fit really damn well. You really deserve a Saxxy for this one dude! :3

[@OpaqueVideos]

2:05 - Red Scout throws briefcase into the air. 3:28 - At the end of the fight, Red Scout catches the briefcase. That briefcase was in the air for a minute and 23 seconds. That scout's got some arm.

[@Thatonefuckinguy]

BTW this is by far the best SFM video for TF2 I have ever seen in all my life. The Animation is fucking amazing even though it has no voice acting the music makes up for it in dozens. all around amazing video wish I was around for saxy 2013 to vote this up.

[@ericsmith3808]

Loved every second of this! My only complaint would be the martial arts. I myself study a form of martial arts, and when we spar, it's much quicker movements, and the stuff that you put in looked a lot more like wrestling or street fighting, especially with the heavy (though he looks more like a wrestler anyway). Best part had to be the end fight between the scout and spy. Love this vid and hope you win!

[@ericsmith3808]

As the saying goes, 'Ignorance is bliss." I'm not offended at all, I just meant that next time you make a fighting/action themed vid, brush up on some fighting styles and check out some vids to check out some of the different moves. It will really help your vids. I really hope you win the award for best action vid :D

[@fecalfred7943]

You know wrestling is a type of martial art, right?

[@ericsmith3808]

It's more like grappling in my opinion, where you try to pin the other person and make them submit. Martial arts of any kind is more of a self defense where you just want to get away from the enemy or take him down if they persist, but wrestling and grappling that I've seen in MMA fights on television (not that WWE bullshit) and at martial arts tournaments I've participated in are more over crushing attacks that try to make your opponent submit, granted an MMA fight also brings in different kinds of martial arts. Either way, it fits the Heavy perfectly.

[@TrueStopwatch]

This was such a huge comeback from you since last year, and I'm so happy to see it come out on top. After all the work you put into Badwater Bebop, after all the work you've put into this, and after everything else in between, you've really earned this.

[@XplosiveKnuckles]

Nice Zelda reference at the end. :3

[@XplosiveKnuckles]

Yeah man. At the very end when he uses the key and when he looks downwards towards the shining treasure in the crate. Pretty much happens when Link opens any special treasure chest. The music sounds similar too. Put them side by side and you'll see what I mean.

[@XplosiveKnuckles]

Hey man. Im just saying they look.....ironically similar. Just sayin'.

[@VafeleCh]

Knuckles DaEchidna well, it could be, but for me that is just a simple crate opening xD

[@SadButter]

paahto maisteri they were dark times before strange weapons were implemented

[@maxio142]

It's a reference to Pulp Fiction if anything... 1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWNSXk5LCUg/ThRYlpjskQI/AAAAAAAAABc/BtysldAeD9A/s1600/vince+looks+into+briefcase.jpg

[@BallantyneFilms]

So glad this won! This was my favourite action submission. Well deserved, man!

[@The_Ajna]

amazing. congrats Hypo! :)

[@TheRealScaithe]

BEST SFM FIGHT ANIMATION I'VE EVER SEEN ;u; You did a fantastic job, with the parkour chase scene, the fighting, everything! The scout's acrobatic fight style is epic, I really hope this gets a saxxy.

[@cherkaderka2663]

That was the longest airtime I've ever seen of a briefcase.

[@Jojje4567]

This is seriously one of the best sfm videos i have ever seen. The animation is outstanding.

[@Mrprogramer1000]

Mann Co. Supply Crate #Jarate List of what can be found in this crate:Jarate Jarate Jarate Jarate Jarate Jarate

[@Jeddy2]

Or an Exceedingly Rare Special Jarate.

[@Mrprogramer1000]

True xD

[@danbarake8596]

That was AMAZING!!! You had awesome action scenes and the overall animation was excellent. Good work dude!!! :D

[@ToxicAtom]

the animation can be stiff at times, and sometimes the fighting is slow, and I don't mean deliberate slow-mo, I mean poor animation slow. Finally, when the scout runs starting at 1:09-1:15 and at 1:22-1:25 he looks more like a run cycle placed on a moving background, not the scout moving in space. Otherwise, this is well done, and really does look nice. The plot, well what else can you shove into 4 minutes? for what it is everything looks nice aside from the minor things I pointed out earlier, but overall it's really good. 8/10 Ps. Don't take what I say negatively, take it as criticism so you can keep improving.

[@ballistictehpanda9198]

ok

[@ToxicAtom]

2 out of the 6 classes in my high school schedule were animation and rendering classes from sophomore to senior year. that's 160 minutes a day for three years. you tend to pick up little things like that when you've "Been in the business" for so long. I'm sorry I'm picky at times, but don't take it as insults, take it as a criticism to improve yourself.

[@liamhuxhold2583]

For the experience and amount of videos Hypo has made, Chinatown Getaway is really cool and has a nice ending. Strange jarate? Screw crates.

[@fuzion4477]

Personally, it looks to me like you just mistook the close camera angles for flaws as the scout ran, Atom.

[@mookipfisto]

Somebody likes to rant.

[@doclloyd179]

I can see why this was a winner, it's so well animated. Also, when I saw the key I knew EXACTLY what would happen.

[@MrRohanThomas]

Reminds me of sleeping dogs a lot, Great video

[@jacobdigo4008]

After all these years... Still a timeless masterpiece!

[@ZAN23966]

I was expecting the intel to come down and thwack someone on the head durring the fight. it didnt exactly play much role apart from the scouts objective, Though I still love this and hope it wins

[@Dougthedoughnut]

Haha me too, I was like " So who's getting hit with the intel?"

[@Chaos007X]

This was absolutely AMAZING! =D It reminded me of the awesomely CG movies from Pixar/Disney and Dreamworks. (Although of course with far less superior graphic capabilities, being SFM...) But I digress, that was AWESOME! You're really, really good at this!

[@MegaMario9001]

VIDEO SPOILERS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO READ COMMENTS BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO FOR SOME STRANGE REASON Since it came out of a crate, that Jarate should be Strange, right? That ought to be worth something.

[@Darkraidalek]

Doesn't have to be strange you can get normal weapons from crates as well, like I got a regular Jag from one.

[@Darkraidalek]

Yeah this might be set back when they used to not be strange :3

[@Darkraidalek]

Darkraidalek and strange jarate is only a worth 1 or 2 reclaimed or less anyway ;/ whereas the key would be worth 6+ refined

[@TeleTrenta]

@@Darkraidalek man, now they are like 50 ref. oof

[@Darkraidalek]

@@TeleTrenta Damn boi replying to mah 6 year old comment. Yeah stock market is sort of dead in TF2. I've just gathered like nearly every item in the game as a little museum now. Across several accounts.

[@joetan8000]

I really love the use of orchestra music the most. Not only they fit well, they also paced perfectly.

[@ConvoBreaker]

Dude, I was expecting lil' guardian pyro, I hope you wield your saxxy with pride, and use your saxxy victory taunt after every saxxy kill.

[@NanTheDark]

Awesome choreography. The parkour, the fight scene, all those kicks and stuff... I hadn't seen a SFM like this before. Good work.

[@CJojo_13_]

Hey Jaraties are surprisingly effective. Strange Jaraties are cooler.

[@JBerg_]

yeah but they are only worth 0.66 ref while a key is worth 7.44 ref right now

[@CJojo_13_]

Well that sucks, then the Strange Jaratie is underrated.

[@CJojo_13_]

Because of that price with Stranges I never unbox regular crates.

[@eirin099]

Jomei Bernier jarate*

[@jackripley3906]

But it's for sniper, the scout can't use it

[@somnewon953]

This is probably the best TF2 channel animation that I've seen! Great details make it perfect! Well done :)

[@Inusitus]

1:55 reminded me of kung fu hustle. or was it kung pow: enter the fist

[@Majorakitten]

You might be thinking of Kung fu hustle the main villains were the axe gang

[@Inusitus]

yeah that was it. loved that movie

[@thepoogazer6465]

MASTER BETTY!!!

[@mikkobryanmalinao9440]

AXE GANG

[@THEUGLYSPAGHETTI]

The camera angles and fight scene were the best animation ever. Great job!

[@damian66661]

I know that feel with jarate ;_;

[@cedricletherisien6816]

This is by far the best sfm video i have ever seen. The music is also a really great compliment to an already good video

[@unknownakatsuki]

Jarate???NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[@azulatios1674]

One of the best I've watched! Love it. This'll be a great inspiration for my films. I was going to submit one, but I procrastinated too much and I was too late. Well, it wouldn't have been as good as yours! btw, Congratulations!

[@brenda0823_]

:( i wish i wansn't crap at sfm.

[@THEUGLYSPAGHETTI]

Congrats on winning. This was the best entry IMO.

[@Tkdboy-gk1wk]

Jarate!? NOOOOOOOO!!!

[@liamhuxhold2583]

Hypo, this animation is AMAZING! I've watched it probably 50 times! And the sequel "Chinatown Congaway" is hilarious! Keep up the saxxy-winning work!

[@moveurass9529]

Chackie Scout

[@TTMR]

Good to see you finally get the Saxxy you deserve!

[@iplanetopia5097]

There are no samurai's in china right?

[@OldJoeCregg]

Maybe he was hired all the way from Japan? Who knows.

[@MsZsc]

it's chinatown...

[@pmillionpercent]

He is not samurai he is a knock off of samurai "sharmoory" XD

[@iplanetopia5097]

:0

[@007Spadge]

I really like your choice of music and sound effects on this one, very smooth.

[@EAGLE13441]

0:44 Hat drops in a nutshell.

[@Speed_2011-n3z]

Heck yeah!!!

[@EAGLE13441]

@@Speed_2011-n3z This just gave me a huge wave of nostalgia lol, I'd completely forgotten about this.

[@MissMonsterMaker]

Custom walk/run cycles make my day. This looks great!

[@finleyjoslin4741]

Sleeping Dog's???

[@kenpak728]

game

[@DarkGaara2007]

This is a really fun little movie you did. Its like the older chinese movies my dad and me used to watch and though its cheesy it still fun to watch. You earned your Saxxy :3 You should be proud

[@plepleplep]

I ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE A SCOUT PARKOUR AND FIGHT VIDEO, NOW IT'S DONE, THANK YOU SO MUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH !!!!

[@JanneSala]

Wow! 60fps and smooth as heck animation? Action-packed fighting scenes? Great story without needing dialogue? If I was voting in 2013, this would've definitely gotten mine. Awesome job!

[@Sashow1000]

the video is in 30fps

[@JanneSala]

Sashow1000 Really? It sure feels like 60 fps! :P

[@isabellev9576]

This is just as good as probably the best sfm short ever, good job.

[@funny-o2564]

I was going to enter my vid in the saxxy awards, but after watching this... My video doesn't have a chance. Very well done. You deserve something even better than a saxxy

[@kaamuu557]

The Scout gang looked like the Axe Gang from Kung Fu Hustle The Red Scouts moves had partially looked like when he was fighting the Frog Style guy

[@TheTimberwolf99]

This is the best animation I've seen EVER. Great job.

[@KittehsMadness]

I love your camera scene, animation and background music! Amazing ! Keep it up!

[@yungscarecrow5941]

I love the ending... Completely annoying outcome for the crates in real life too lol

[@graywolf7169]

congrats dude, you deserve it! very well done. great theme and everything was smoothe af. -Mitch

[@Greener221]

Dude, this vid was amazing. You deserved that Saxxy. More thanks for giving Lazypurple a Memory Maker for his troubles.

[@UltraSword2442]

This is very nice. Spot-on animation, Music in sync with the video, Very nice battle/fighting scene. Everything is amazing :D

[@C.A._Old]

Forgotten masterpiece. 10. years anniversary.