I'd like a new live action show

[Nelson]

Here we are talking about the cost of live action vs animation shows, but I though the topic needed some numbers to back up that argument so I did a little search.

The average cost of a 1 hour drama show is in the $2-5 million range (source.)
It looks that each episode of ER in 2001 (outdated, I know) cost $13 million to make (source.)

For animated series, it seems that the average cost is $200,000 per episode (source.)
Daria cost $500,000 an episode to make back in 97. Family Guy cost around $750,000 per episode (source.)

So it seems that an animated show is indeed cheaper to produce than a live acion one.
Of course I guess live action could get cheaper than the examples cited before, like in the case of a Power Rangers tyle show, but personally I wouldn't want a show like that. We already went that route before (yes, sdp, they were not exactly the same, but probably had a similar budget), and if a new TMNT series was to be made I would like it to be a quality 1 hour action-drama series.

[sdp]

Well yeah if we compare it to a primetime action drama series the costs are not going to compare, we'll never get a TMNT show like that, it'd be awesome but it ain't happening. What I propose a PR-budget show IMO would work well and be cheap.

[The Stryker]

But it would also look super cheap. Animation is cheaper and would look way better.

[sdp]

Power Rangers doesn't look cheap.

Also cheap animation =/= good animation.

[The Stryker]

Originally Posted by sdp

Power Rangers doesn't look cheap.

Whatever you say.

[sdp]

come on, have you seen any recent PR show?

Look at the sets, costumes, special effects, martial arts, cgi, all made exclusively for PR and tell me thats cheap.

[TMNT-Leonardo]

Originally Posted by sdp

Power Rangers doesn't look cheap.

Also cheap animation =/= good animation.

Whenever people say Power Rangers, they think of the first season with bad sentai footage slicing, and cheaper versions of the costumes used in Sentai. And yes, it WAS cheap because the point of the series was to make it with as little money as possible.

[Candy Kappa]

and the cretures in PR/Sentai series still to date look cheap

[TMNT-Leonardo]

Well how real can you make a guy in a monster suit look, especially considering it's made for kids. As long as the heroes look cool it's all good lol.

[Candy Kappa]

true
and they are meant to resemblance the old style from the older shows.
it is a part of their charm.

but the TMN turtles looked crap, not just compared to the movie costumes, they look cheap and not very convincing.

and Power Rangers uses Sentai costumes, sets and footage so they don't need a high budget.

And TNM was a proof that the PR recipe don't fit the turtles at all.
but unlike The Sentai series, they only need to make a few costumes rather new ones per episode, which are a huge difference

[sdp]

Originally Posted by TMNT-Leonardo

Whenever people say Power Rangers, they think of the first season with bad sentai footage slicing, and cheaper versions of the costumes used in Sentai. And yes, it WAS cheap because the point of the series was to make it with as little money as possible.

You nailed it.

Originally Posted by Kiwamu The Kappa

and the cretures in PR/Sentai series still to date look cheap

I wouldn't say so, I think a lot look pretty damn awesome, again I think you're thinking of mostly early PR seasons. Go to rangercentral click the later season monsters and you'll see how awesome they look. Of course theres still bad ones and they look like suits, but thats inevitable even the first movie turtles look like suits just like CG looks like CG no matter how good. The monsters don't look worse than the Tokka/Rahzar suits from the second movie.

Originally Posted by Kiwamu The Kappa

but the TMN turtles looked crap, not just compared to the movie costumes, they look cheap and not very convincing.

Well thats a matter of opinion, I thought they looked great. The faces would be my only complain and how bad the mouths move besides that they look fine to me and not only that the suits allowed for actual movement, we got better action shots from TNM than any of the three live action movies.

and Power Rangers uses Sentai costumes, sets and footage so they don't need a high budget.

They only rent(they still pay for them) the monster costumes, all the PR costumes were done by Disney including all the american villains, power ups and anything extra they added. The sets were all PR exclusive like I mentioned. The amount of japanese footage used is really not that much, all the zord footage is japanese and a some of the monster of the day fight scenes but not all of them. They also pay for the footage and the rights. Its still a relatively cheap show and it doesn't look like a cheap show. Like mentioned this isn't the first season were it was a lot of japanese footage, and the budget of everything else was crap.

And TNM was a proof that the PR recipe don't fit the turtles at all.
but unlike The Sentai series, they only need to make a few costumes rather new ones per episode, which are a huge difference

TNM is nothing like PR though, I only keep bringing PR up because its a cheap show and it doesn't look like crap. And you got it wrong Sentai needs pretty much a new monster suit which costs a lot to only use it once, a TMNT series only needs a few suits and they'd be used in nearly every episode. All TNM proves is that mediocre writing doesn't make a great show, but even primetime shows that cost a lot of money have that problem so its not like that happens because of lack of budget.

Just a question have you seen more than five episodes of TNM and recent PR shows?

[The Stryker]

Originally Posted by TMNT-Leonardo

Well how real can you make a guy in a monster suit look.

And theres your problem right there. The main characters would have to be guys in monster suits and you can't have a high quality suit on a kids TV budget.

[Koi]

I would watch a person in a cardboard monster suit any day. With a Crayola marker face.

I can take that type of cheap entertainment.

[Candy Kappa]

Originally Posted by sdp

I wouldn't say so, I think a lot look pretty damn awesome, again I think you're thinking of mostly early PR seasons.

no, Even the Goseiger series look cheap.

ofc PR/Sentai is a awesome show, but it still have a low budget look

Originally Posted by sdp

TNM is nothing like PR though,

I'd say with the effects, The Dragonlord and his Rank minions, It's very PR-esque in style.

Originally Posted by sdp

And you got it wrong Sentai needs pretty much a new monster suit which costs a lot to only use it once, a TMNT series only needs a few suits and they'd be used in nearly every episode.

that's what I wrote

Originally Posted by sdp

Just a question have you seen more than five episodes of TNM and recent PR shows?

yes, what a silly question.

[Luzmagica]

Originally Posted by moosandra

Hell no. I don't want another Power Ranger styled TMNT series. ><

Agree 100%...I'd welcome a new live action TMNT series, but nothing like Next Mutation again!!!

[Nelson]

A good producer would work around the budget limitations. Mutant suits are too expensive? Then only have the turtles and Splinter as mutants, everyone else would be human. I don't see anything wrong with that at all. The villains would be ninjas, mobsters, even the police. A lot better than Silver if you ask me.

You could have occasionaly actors in prosthetics instead of full suits. It could work for the Rat King and even Savanti Romero.

It could be done. Bah, I'm getting excited for a show that doesn't even exist.

[Candy Kappa]

yeah as long as they have a decent budget on the main mutants. The rest can be good with a limited budget.

and less is better when it comes to mutants

[Jelly Bean]

I hope they scrap the idea of a nick toons toon on the 80's version and have a live action show instead aimed at older teens and adults with the 2012 movie acting as a pilote for the show...yes I realize I'm delusional...but one can hope right?

[Candy Kappa]

they could, if they made the show after the movie. Just use the movie suits, and get a CGI crew that can work fast and have the CGI elements from the movie.

not likely, but it could be done