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astercontrol · 4 months

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Ever think about how amazing it is that we got a character like the Bit in TRON 1982?

I mean, yeah, having some cute little robot or animal side characters was, and still is, very typical of movies in that genre.

But, look at the Bit.

It's based on a computer science concept, of course: the simplest unit of data in a computer, a single 1 or 0 indicating yes or no. And it's anthropomorphized just enough to get actual computer nerds confused about what exactly it is supposed to be. Clearly you'd need lots more than one bit, to create a programmed entity that behaved the way a Bit does!

Is it the mystical energy of Programmer Spirits that animates it beyond what should be possible-- as it does for the Programs themselves, who also aren't nearly complex enough to be alive on their own? Or is a Bit something else, like an external subroutine of a program, which is called a Bit simply because of the way it communicates?

Who knows? Who cares? It's a Bit! It's adorable!

And yet… this same level of anthropomorphizing is very unusual for Disney, and for the whole genre, in a whole different way.

Though it's much more animate than one could reasonably imagine for an actual bit… the Bit is much less anthropomorphic than any creature playing any comparable role in any comparable movie I can think of.

It has no eyes, no mouth, no words except a synthesized Yes and No. It expresses itself only by shifting appearance between three faceless geometric shapes.

And yes, we love it! Yes, we adore the heck out of that sassy little thing! Yes, we will absolutely look at this object that resembles no person or animal in existence, and we will find enough cuteness to scream over!

We are the weird nerdy audience that you sucked in with the promise of a movie about computer programs being alive, and YES we are invested enough to take this ALL the way!

But I haven't seen any other movie do this, ever since.

And even the original Tron movie wasn't GOING to do it, at first.

Now, every other time I've looked at the early development of ideas in a movie, I've seen a pattern of "Less Relatable being reworked into More Relatable." Any creature design that looks "too weird," "too unfamiliar," "too alien," will evolve over the course of edits, until it satisfies the developers' expectations for being something audiences can relate to.

In other words… looking at the early concept art and the final product, I am certain any other movie I can think of would've adapted the Bit in the exact opposite direction.

Same with the MCP.

Whether it's a villain or an adorable little sidekick, the fans who became captivated by the classic Tron movie are an audience eager and ready to see life and personality in something utterly alien, something that resembles no actual life in the world we know.

And yet, I'm sure this wasn't even the goal of any of the character designers.

When you look at the early design of the Programs, you see them follow a more typical pattern, starting out more robotic, less humanoid, less "Relatable," and progressing toward recognizable humanity.

That movie, I'm pretty sure, was an exception to the rule not because of any philosophy about what would resonate with audiences... but simply because of the constraints of the medium.

The Bit and the MCP became more simple, more geometric, because that was easier to computer-animate.

Programs became more humanoid because that was easier for human actors to play.

A big, huge chunk of what made this movie relatable in a gloriously weird way, to gloriously weird audiences who may have had serious trouble relating to lots of other media, is just a serendipitous side-effect of the wild experiment that it was.

...I wish movies would take risks like that more often.

Really.

#tron #tronblr #tron 1982 #concept art #tron bit #creature design #mcp #master control program #analyzing

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fights4users · 7 months

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The sounds of Tron-

Something that is often looked over is the fact that Tron not only has a connection with early computing but with early gaming as well. Not just because one of the characters makes games and runs a arcade, video games are absolutely integral to the world. In fact they make up a good portion of how the system looks and functions!

For example most of the transport, ships, and weapons we see come from video games, mainly Flynn’s but extends into encoms catalog. In the vernacular it’s common to mention it as well “video game warriors” “Gonna make you play video games” “video game simulation” etc. but you didn’t need me to tell you this.

The way video games impacted and shaped the digital world of Tron absolutely plays a hand in how seamless it translates into the two tie in Arcade cabinets. Though heavy on the grid bugs they’re beautifully decorated and similar to the games as we see them on screen/would translate in real life. The music stings come straight from Wendy Carlos’s work for the film, to the extent the game contains the entirety of Anthem. [Listen]

Sound cue’s and combat-

Part of what makes the sound and style of the game so accurate to the movie is the sound design. Like in old games there is a sound for everything. Every movement has its own sound, it sounds silly as things in real life also have noise but if you’ve ever played any retro game you know what I’m talking about.

One of the best examples of this is when Flynn is tossed into the cell and stumbles around, there’s a metallic echo to his footsteps. In combat it’s the same thing —very distinct sounds to go with every action. A lot of what older games are is pattern recognition- both visual and audio, certain music loops or sound cues help you get better at the game. Another good example is Tron casting his disc, blocking throws etc- if you know what a disc sounds like you can better dodge etc. I also like how they have almost a ceramic sound when Ram plays with his.

Nothing is more video game than De-resolution itself! The death cry and slowly breaking into bits before getting reabsorbed. You can hear the noise off screen and know what happened, game over.

Apart from video game comparisons I do have such a genuine love for the sound design of the film and how much it fleshes out the world. The blips and bloops of energy flowing through the system. The sounds of a working computer. There’s a dial up esc noise when Flynn is beamed in and judging by the guards reactions it’s not different from a how a regular program would enter/travel between systems. Programs get to make funky little computer noises in my heart 💕(another inhuman attribute I think they deserve, they’re like us in so many ways but then… aren’t.)

I know it’s probably just because it’s older recording equipment but occasionally programs will get a grainy feedback/radio style grain to their voice. I’d like to think it’s intentional- especially considering Legacy does this too (going so far for it to be what some sound like all the time)

The way sound is utilized in the movie is a incredibly underrated aspect of what makes the movie so good.

#tron #tronblr #tron 1982 #Tron meta #video games #love that Pac-Man is canon- has a cameo #retro gaming #retro arcade #sound effects #sound design #tron worldbuilding #worldbuilding #game grid #master control program #Tron game #Tron soundtrack #wendy carlos #Tron lore

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izunias-meme-hole · 5 months

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Forgot to include some antagonists so here this.

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bed-wed-behead-your-fave · 1 month

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Master Control Program from Tron (1982)

#bed wed behead #Tron #master control program

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coupleofdays · 10 months

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One "plot hole" in Tron that I've wondered about for a while is: Why the hell did they put a computer terminal in "the laser target area"? Isn't that an incredibly dangerous place to sit, right in the path of a laser capable of pulling objects apart into their molecules? Of course the real life reason is to have an excuse for Kevin to get shot and enter the digital world, but it feels like a pretty weak excuse.

So I came up with a slightly sinister headcanon: When the Master Control Program became aware of the laser digitization research that ENCOM was planning to do, it realized the potential of this, and began wondering if it could be used to capture a User to experiment on. So the MCP subtly altered the digital blueprints of the new research facility, moving a planned computer terminal to a new spot, to make sure that there was a reason for someone to occasionally sit still in front of the laser. Then it waited, biding its time, for an opportunity where it could try out the laser on an unsuspecting User, perhaps excusing it as an unfortunate accident if anyone else noticed, or perhaps planning to mindwipe the User and putting them back before anyone noticed.

Of course, when the MCP's old chess opponent Kevin Flynn broke in, it couldn't resist the temptation to try the laser out on him. And it got far more than it had bargained for. I would like to think that after Kevin came back and became boss of the company, he made sure to remove the terminal from the laser target area.

#tron #tron 1982 #Master Control Program #Kevin Flynn #headcanon #if anyone protested that the blueprints looked weird #Dillinger would shut them down #“The MCP is infallible!”#“Just start building!”#I'm gonna have to put you on the Game Grid

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kittykat-pikachu · 18 days

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do you ever do something so great and know no one will be able to appreciate it like you do?

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thmadethis · 2 months

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🌟🌟🌟 EVERYTHING MUST GO!!! 🌟🌟🌟

LIMITED SUPPLY!

This past weekend I ended up digging through my flat file and looking at some old art I made in school and a little after. Short answer, it was a blasty blast from the pasty past and I found A LOT of work that I'd like to get rid of!

Instead of being smart and tossing everything out, I decided to put everything on my Etsy and drastically drop the prices on all of my old work to just $10. Not looking to make a killing, just need it out of my house to make room for *NEW* work. And some people out there probably have some wall space that is itching to be covered up by a cool piece!

Very few of these pieces remain. Some of them are singles so when they're gone, they're gone.

*BONUS* if you live in Columbus, we can do a Venmo transaction and I can personally deliver it to you! You'll save on shipping prices and I'll save on shipping supplies! It's a win-win!

Please people... Help me help you cover up those bare-ass walls 🙏🏼 link here and in my bio:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/THMToriginals

#thmadethis #illustration #design #posters #art prints #daft punk #adventure time #justice #hot cross buns #robots #disco #funky #music #tron #mcp #master control program #obey #gig poster

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encominternational · 1 year

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Round 1: SARK vs MASTER CONTROL PROGRAM

#tron #tronblr #tron 1982 #sark #master control program #mcp #sark tron #tron sark #tron character smackdown

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mayertis-not-a-user · 2 years

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#hmmmmmmm 🤔🤔🤔#sarklives #sark lives #tron #tron 1982 #tronblr #tronlives #tron lives #interesting 🤔#🤨#mcp #master control program #programming #programming history #os

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getvalentined · 1 year

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Can I gush for a second about the use of pokeballs in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet to indicate characterization? I'm sure this has been brought up many times before by people more dedicated to the series as a whole than me, but I'm really delighted by this particular detail, so: let's talk about Team Star.

—

Mela is only seen with a quick ball, which works better when used immediately during an encounter with a wild pokemon. It's what you use if you want to get it over with. Mela is hotheaded, impatient, and prone to jumping the gun. She likes to gets things over with fast so she can get back to he own life before she gets too annoyed.

—

Atticus is seen using a repeat ball, which works best on pokemon that have been caught by the trainer multiple times before. This is for people who like to have make sure that they have the best pokemon for a given situation, perfecting their choice over time through a combination of training and selection. Atticus is patient and detail-oriented, and he works in the design and creation of clothing, which requires dozens of mockups and modifications to get right. He'll go through a hundred shirt designs that aren't quite right before finally producing the one that is.

—

Ortega is shown with a luxury ball, which is extremely expensive but immediately increases the friendship of any pokemon caught with it. This is for people that like to work with the "hard customers" of the pokedex without necessarily having to go through all the hard work to get those pokemon to like them. Ortega is extremely wealthy, but he very clearly values his friends more than his position: he's not a classic spoiled brat, using what he has to make things easier for the people he cares about. If I had to guess, I'd say his love language is gift giving.

—

Giacomo uses a timer ball, which works better the more turns have elapsed in a given encounter. This is for trainers that don't give up when they want to catch a specific monster, those who are willing to wait take their time if it means they get what they want. Giacomo is patient, has an excellent concept of strategy, and is willing to take as long as he has to in order to get where he wants to be.

—

Eri uses a heal ball, which instantly heals any pokemon put in it. This is for trainers that focus really heavily on the health of their pokemon, those who want to make sure that they're always at their best. Eri is fiercely protective of the people she cares about, to the point of standing guard at the gate of her base herself so that none of her people are put in danger. Her biggest concern is the health and safety of the people around her, regardless of the toll protecting that might take on her own.

—

In contrast to these five, the Big Boss of Team Star uses normal pokeballs. Because they're nothing special, and at first glance the boss isn't either—but when it all comes down to it, this is a character that is dedicated, steadfast and reliable, the one that started everything for Team Star and the one that everyone comes back to in the end. Out of context, them using normal pokeballs doesn't seem to mean anything, but when put against the backdrop of the rest of the team, it's as indicative of character as all the rest.

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astercontrol · 8 months

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one of many many delightful bits of RANDOM WTF CONFUSING

in this bizarre movie

so Tron and Yori walk past these... whoever they are

and there's a little dialogue

I'm not completely sure if these phrases ("inoperative data pushers" and "control programs") are both answers to the same question.

And either way, there are so many interpretations for what the heck any of that could even MEAN.

Why are they Inoperative?

Do they... not work?

Are they not actually "pushing data," whatever is meant by that?

Or is "data pushing" what they do when they can't be "operative" in the way they are supposed to?

like becoming a drug dealer 'cause you lost your job?

is their Inoperative status the reason why they do not look like Users?

Nobody is Operating them

they are not Usable

they HAVE no Users so they... degrade to the point of not looking like anyone

?

And... if they are also "control programs"...

is this "control" in the sense of "the part of a study where nothing actually is done, so you can compare it to the part where you DO something"

is it, in this sense, a SYNONYM to "inoperative"?

and if so, in WHAT the hell study are they acting as the control group

...OR

are they control programs in the same sense as THIS GUY

hahahahhomfg that was the VERY wrong search result but i'm laughing so hard i'm keeping it ROFL

....nah i mean

i mean him

do they not look like a User for whatever same weird reason the MCP does not look like a User

are they, like

the Minion Control Programs to his Master Control Program

and if so

why are they Inoperative

is he that hilariously incompetent

did he not pay them enough and they're Quiet Quitting

who KNOWS

there ARE NO ANSWERS

I LOVE THIS MOVIE

#tron #tronblr #tron 1982 #master control program #inoperative data pushers #headcanons

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fights4users · 7 months

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- “You really think the users are still there?”

- “They better be. I don’t wanna bust out of here and find nothing but a lot of cold circuits waiting for me.”

My original interpretation of this line was that “Cold circuits” meant cold/apathetic programs, basically rude or uncaring people. In part I still believe that, maybe in the more common language use of the phrase. In this case I think it’s a bit more/sadder than that.

I’m planning a post on the future going more in depth on the mcp because the more I rewatch, reread - the more absolutely horrific it really starts to be. Take this as a little precursor to that.

The MCP cannonically absorbs or kills you. You’re lucky to be in the games at least that’s a quick death. Imagine being in one of the cities he cut off- It never registered until the storybook put it this way but the factory domain- the city of “live ones” Yori is in… is a city he’s cut off from energy and left to die a impossibly slow death. They have just enough to function but it’s not real. They’ll either be absorbed or completely taken over- a hivemind situation where they’ve died and the MCP has taken over their functions.

It’s been doing this to several domains, some of which are mentioned to be completely dead and deserted. What trons saying here is essentially “I don’t want to break out and find nothing but the MCP waiting for me. I don’t want to break out to find everyone dead”…. Cold circuits. A stiff. A husk. Dead! He meant dead programs.

It’s interesting there’s a term for it too, that slow death. As when a program Derezzes they’re energy is Redispersed through the system and that’s it. There’s no evidence or body (if you count voxels) like the grid.

#tron #the horrors of dictatorships- you know for kids!#tronblr #tron 1982 #tron lore #ram Tron #mcp #master control program #yori tron #tron meta #ramble #line interpretation #fandom essay

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seehowsupplethespineis · 1 year

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I drew some delicious glowy Tron guys because I love that movie so much. The original one has such good designs but most people have only seen the new one. Got kinda obsessed and made little backstories for each of these guys.

#drawing entity #tron #the top left orange dude is a program written by a minorly disgruntled worker for that big sleazy company.#he isn't as anti-master-control as tron is or anything but he is very loyal to the users and thinks master control and sark are too harsh.#the bottom left blue lady is one of those programs like tron meant to defeat master control (written by the same guy but she's trans)#she got distracted in trying to get top left orange guy to revolt with her so she doesn't fulfill her programming yet (hence the movie)#the top right guy is a minor organization program written by a power-hungry low-level employee who wants to impress the greedy businessguys #the program himself is so proud he serves under sark and is really devoted to master control...not realizing neither really care about him.#the bottom pink dude is a rudimentary program written by the partner of the red businessguy when he was trying to teach them how to program #they're really simple but curious and always want to learn which sometimes gets them into trouble.#red dude's programmer wrote a little accessory code to keep the pink program from causing trouble on the rest of the server...#so the red program is forced to babysit the pink one.#ta-da! amusing characters for amusing encounters!!!#not many people have seen the original tron so i don't know how many people are going to appreciate this hahaha.

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sir-ted · 7 months

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The wiki has been fixed.

#tron #tron 1982 #“you're a guest of the master control program”#terrible quote

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coupleofdays · 3 months

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Hey, remember when the MCP threatens Dillinger by showing a possible future newspaper headline on the screen? Apparently someone recently found that actual newspaper prop (though unfortunately without Dillinger's photo):

It would have been fun if the other smaller headlines had been injokes or something, but that's probably too much to expect from a prop that only briefly flashes by in the film on a blurry computer screen.

While on the subject, I have a certain fondness for newspaper props in films. The gold standard is of course Back the Future, where they are used for all kinds of exposition, the most memorable of which is the "Emmet Brown committed/commended" headlines:

In this case the propmakers also took the time to make the other headlines in the paper relevant, even though they're only shown briefly in the film. I have to commend that kind of commitment!

Another personal favorite of mine is the "White House surrenders" newspaper from Superman II, if only because I once went to a science fiction convention where I got to see the prop in real life:

#tron #tron 1982 #props #newspaper #Edward Dillinger #Master Control Program #Back to the Future #Superman #DC Comics #Daily Planet #I like the idea that the MCP can just create newspaper headlines to scare people

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whyarewewlwlikethat · 2 years

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oh and i got my bachelor's btw

#im hot and smart #also i like how this quick pic while waiting for the bus turned out lol #my post #this is a picture of my printed research titled 'The Rise and Fall of Sony's Handhelds: How Sony Failed Where Nintendo Succeeded'#i dont think its that big of an accomplishment tbh i only remembered to post this cause i got an email that i got into the masters program #lemme clarify an accomplishment for me personally* because i actually want a phd but i doubt ill be able to get one if i pass my tests and #start working as an air traffic controller which has been my dream job for nearly a decade

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