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DRESDEN FILES - 2-HOUR PILOT PRESERVATION (Released) — Page 2

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According to Robert Wolfe the other version was 67 minutes so what you have in your Sci-Fi pile is what was produced. FYI the fx house that did the pilot was Sundog Films and the rest of the season's fx where done by Keyframe in case you're wondering of any inconsistencies; ie, they changed the set from the basement in SF to the one level office/apartment he's in now. Currently there is no news on a season two of the show as they don't know themselves. Perhaps by summer time we'll know.
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Originally posted by: pavemental
Originally posted by: Doctor M

Pavemental: what is the general quality of the rough cut?

Sci-Fi pile?


It's an original Sci Fi disc, so picture/audio is broadcast quality. I haven't watched it but my scan through didn't reveal too many temp fx title cards (unlike, say, BSG discs also in the Sci Fi pile). The episode seems to have opening credits, but not closing.

I've been thinking about this 107 min cut, I'm wondering if the guy who blogged about it has it wrong, maybe his dvd player said 1:07? (ie 67 mins). The reason I say this is that a 107 min edit is way too long for a 2 hour broadcast, but a 67min edit would match a 90min broadcast slot.

Psycho_Dayv, get in touch so I can mail you the disc.



PM SENT.

"I'VE GROWN TIRED OF ASKING, SO THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME..."
The Mangler Bros. Psycho Dayv Armchaireviews Notes on Suicide

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Psycho_Dayv, make sure you catch up with Segaflip for the HD cap of the TV version.

Dr. M

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Nearly a month since the last post on this thread... any updates you can share with us?

I'm really drooling over this one.

Dr. M

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WORK HAS BEEN KEEPING ME RATHER BUSY AS I'VE JUST LOST TWO EMPLOYEES. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY STORE IN MY DISTRICT IS GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING, SO I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET MUCH OF ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED. AS SOON AS I HAVE SOME REAL PROGRESS I'LL POST AN UPDATE.

"I'VE GROWN TIRED OF ASKING, SO THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME..."
The Mangler Bros. Psycho Dayv Armchaireviews Notes on Suicide

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Were you able to get the work print and the HD capture of the aired version?

Have you watch and can you comment on the workprint?

Dr. M

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just say the word and i can get you the HD versions i have, i have not seen the .ts of them on newsgroups just the 720p x264 versions i have.
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Then you need to hook up with SegaFlip and get that 720p version too.

Dr. M

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Hmm, no movement here since April.

I just noticed that the official DVD release is set for the beginning of August.
I suppose it would make more sense to wait until then so you have a better source to work with.

http://www.amazon.com/Dresden-Files-Complete-First-Season/dp/B000QUEQ4U/

BUT!
According to TVShowsonDVD.com, the original unaired pilot will be included. (And there was much rejoicing.)
Let's just hope they finished the effects.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7335

Dr. M

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Anyone pick up this DVD set and can comment on the uncut pilot?

Did they finish the effects and all? What's the quality? Is some sort of fan edit still warranted?

Dr. M

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Anyone pick up this DVD set and can comment on the uncut pilot?

Did they finish the effects and all? What's the quality? Is some sort of fan edit still warranted?

Dr. M

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Huh, yeah. Don't know how that happened.

Dr. M

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Psycho_Dayv: It looks like it's back on you.

The Complete Season 1 DVD set does NOT contain the unaired pilot.
The DVDs have a couple episodes with an audio commentary and a few deleted scenes... that's it.

From TVShowsOnDVD.com:
I've received a few emails from people asking why the pilot episode wasn't included on the DVD set. Apparently the pilot was constructed from a few episodes, deleted scenes, and discarded material, and it wasn't a very strong piece for the DVDs, so it was left off. The decision to remove it from the set was made after the announcement.


We're going to need someone to re-construct this for us after all since Sci-Fi isn't going to.

Dr. M

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Hmmm, so here's the dealio.

Much of the workprint consists of missing effects, shots with big honkin' text saying "Temporary Effect", or "Insert Shot of Cell Phone In Snow", blue screens, and overdubs from people that aren't the actor (or the even the same gender).

Now I can replace as much as possible with final DVD footage but there are some differences.
For example, I love the workprint's title-ing for location/time. It's cool and dynamic. The final TV version is plain white text and look ugly.

Btw, for you Jim Butcher book fans, you'll be pleased to know that Bob is a skull! (Ok so he's a CGI animated firey skull a'la Ghostrider (For 5 seconds and then it's just missing effect shots the rest of the episode)).

Anyway, the opening shot is longer with music in the workprint. In the TV version it's quick, and there is a much more violent storm in progress.
Oh yeah, and the final version of the shot looks so much better.

The question is, am I reconstructing the episode or am I reconstructing the workprint?
If the latter, then I have to ditch final footage when it doesn't match.
If the former then I should replace scenes from the workprint when there are better/completed final analogs.

And that's confusing as well since some shots look like the effects are more animatic or slapped together looking. Also, and I don't know if it's a deliberate creative decision or not, but some shots have some oddly tweaked color timing and overblown brightness. It could be the nature of it being a workprint or it could be to convey mood.


I would like to keep the soundtrack from the workprint. It's an interesting collection (and a bit silly): The Cure (Burn), ELO (Strange Magic, of course), Chris Isaak (Shadows In A Mirror ("I'm watching somebody's heart break in two..."))...

Thoughts?
Is anyone still subscribed to this thread?

Workprint:

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9301/workki2.jpg

Final SFX:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3008/finalph0.jpg

Dr. M

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Thought you guys might want to know:

Good news for Canadian Dresden fans (and Dresden fans with Canadian
friends)! Space will broadcast the unaired 2-hour pilot, Storm Front, this
Saturday, January 5th, at 8 pm.

There is still no word on whether or when the uncut pilot will air in
the States.

On Space's Schedule: http://www.spacecast.com/tvschedule.aspx?date=1-5-2008

Source: Dresden Files Mailing list.

To contact me outside the forum, for trades and such my email address is my OT.com username @gmail.com

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They FINISHED it?!?!?!
Holy crap!!!!

Can anyone cap this?!?!?!

At least I only finished the effects shot for the opening.
I would have been more mad if I had gotten further.

More interesting is that the workprint is 65 minutes. That's 1-1/2 hours with commercials.
That means there's even more footage.

Dr. M

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Bump.
Can anyone rip? It's tonight.

Dr. M

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Well, I guess it's come and gone... and now I've heard from someone who was out of town, but would have gotten it for us.
If you all hear about another airing (especially Canada) please post it.

For information this was posted by Robert Wolfe at JimButcherOnline.com

Just to clear things up, the "unaired pilot" that finally aired on Space is a bit of a Frankenstein's monster. Here's a very rough chronology for clarity. Dates are approximate because I'm doing this from slightly foggy memory.

Dec 05: Original Pilot shot

Jan - Feb 06: Original Pilot edited

March 06: Original Pilot cut down by trailer house into @65 minute Presentation. Temp Bob voice added. Rough VFX added.

April 06: Some critics see Presentation. Presentation is also tested. Response is generally favorable, but there are concerns. SciFi wants additional changes.

August 06: Series greenlit. David Simkins brought in as Exec Producer. As the series gears up, SciFi gives notes on the Presentation, asks for a strategy to address their notes. David, working with Hans and I, comes up with an approach and pitches it to SciFi. Approach approved, but requires significant reshooting (to add Bob, etc). Hans and I write several additional scenes to fill out the pilot, mostly involving the backstory of Harry and his father. Some recutting of the pilot begins in Los Angeles.

Fall 06: Terrance is cast. Pre-production begins. Due to budget constraints, reshoots for the pilot are back-burnered. Also, to save money, Post Production is moved to Toronto. Versions of the Harry/Colm backstory are rewritten by David and incorporated into the script for "Birds of a Feather." Hans leaves the show to work on another pilot. I go to Toronto to supervise on the set and in post while David stays in Los Angeles to run the writing room. Production begins with "Rules of Engagement."

Late Fall/Early Winter 06: SciFi, given the choice between beginning the series with either Birds, Boone, Rules or the Pilot (which still has not been reshoot to fill out the entire two hours due to budget issues) chooses Birds. The decision is made to cut down the pilot to one-hour and air it later in the schedule.

Winter 06: A new editor is brought in to work with David and me to cut Pilot down to one-hour. Cuts are made both to fit the alloted time and to better incorporate the Pilot into a later slot series continuity. Some revoicing is done for continuity, including Jane McLean revoicing all of Ancient Mai's dialogue to given the shapeshifting character vocal continuity.

Jan 07: Series premiere. Contractually, Lionsgate is required to delivery a 2 hour version of the Pilot to many markets. Lionsgate asks for a 2 hour version to be cut. However, reshoots are ruled out due to budget. In order to accomplish a 2 hour version without reshooting, it is necessary to treat the 2 hour as "out of continuity." In other words, it is simply not possible to make the 2 hour "fit" into the series. The 2 hour will be treated as a stand alone movie. The new editor and I fill out the Presentation version of the pilot with additional material from the original shoot and from various episodes, reincorporating elements from the original Pilot and from the restructured version David proposed in August. The scenes originally intended for the restructured Pilot but later used for Birds and Bob are cut into the pilot along with various other elements from the series.

Feb 07: Terrance revoices Bob. All the actors, especially Paul, record additional voice material to help smooth out the story.

March 07: Two hour version finished. Additionally, the two hour version is cut so it can be aired as two 1 hr episodes. Lionsgate intends to include the 2 hr on the DVD release.

Summer 07: Series cancelled. DVD set comes out without 2 hr pilot. (Why? I still don't really know. Probably something contractual.)

Jan 08: 2 hour version of the pilot finally airs on Space in Canada as well as in other markets.

And there you go.


So technically the workprint was probably the closest to an 'original pilot' that this series ever got.

Dr. M

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For anyone still reading this thread:
I've been waiting a good long time on someone who has promised me a DVD cap of the Canadian broadcast.
Who knows how that'll turn out?

In the mean time for anyone interested, Mininova now lists 2 different torrents of the movie-pilot (one is about full resolution).
Search 'Dresden pilot'. (Yes I know technically it isn't the pilot, but what else should they call it?)

Dr. M

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Nothing like resurrecting an almost ten-year-old thread…

Doctor M said:
Much of the workprint consists of missing effects, shots with big honkin’ text saying “Temporary Effect”, or “Insert Shot of Cell Phone In Snow”, blue screens, and overdubs from people that aren’t the actor (or the even the same gender).
<snip>

The 2-hour recut film version of Storm Front (aired in Canada) is available on various torrent sites. I’m wondering, though, if anyone ever posted a copy of the 67-minute workprint mentioned above? It’s that I would dearly love to watch, as-is and not re-constructed…

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CharlieSummers2 said:

Nothing like resurrecting an almost ten-year-old thread…

Doctor M said:
Much of the workprint consists of missing effects, shots with big honkin’ text saying “Temporary Effect”, or “Insert Shot of Cell Phone In Snow”, blue screens, and overdubs from people that aren’t the actor (or the even the same gender).
<snip>

The 2-hour recut film version of Storm Front (aired in Canada) is available on various torrent sites. I’m wondering, though, if anyone ever posted a copy of the 67-minute workprint mentioned above? It’s that I would dearly love to watch, as-is and not re-constructed…

Check your PM

Dr. M

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Should anyone care, I was going thru some old USB-HD’s and stumbled across set of MKV’s of the full series (sans the original pilot)… 1920x1080 HD no less (looks really good). IIRC they were shown in the UK a few years back. I stretched and pitch corrected the audio down to 23.96, remuxed them so they are all the proper 43-44 minute length and no squeaky voices. Best as I can remember and from a quick scroll thru they are logo-free and full end credits. About 2.2gb per episode.

And I’ve yet to fine a good copy of either the SPACE airing or the work print 😦