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.: The XØ Project - Laserdisc on Steroids :. (SEE FIRST POST FOR UPDATES) (* unfinished project *) — Page 66

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We have been trying to get a hold of Laserman for a long time. We've sent emails to both him as well as his wife with no luck. I'm guessing they may not have internet access right now, so we are going to try snail mail.

Originally posted by: KnightmessengerI've been wondering, would it be alright to ask how each of you became so knowledgable about video technology and Star Wars in the first place? Were you familiar with all the different video releases like the Special Collection, Definitive Collection and Faces or was this gradually learned through trying to learn about improving upon previous laserdics transfers such as the Dr. Gonzo set? Did any of you take filmmaking classes in college? Or did one of your jobs deal with technical aspects of computers that would have taught you about script functions like avisynth? Or how Laserman acquired such advanced video hardware?
I'm just curious. If you feel any of those questions are too personal, you don't have (as if I could actually force you) to answer them.


I can't speak for the other guys, but for me, most of the things I now know about video and Star Wars video releases came from a lot of research when I first started thinking about doing my own transfer back in 2003. Back then, I really wasn't that knowledgeable about video editing, much less video cleanup or scripting. I spent days reading through threads at videohelp.com and the doom9 forums trying to figure out how other people were doing their analog video captures, cleaning them up, and transferring them to DVD. I did the same thing when I started getting into DVD authoring and making custom menus. I researched the specifics on how DVDs work and taught myself how to use Sonic Scenarist. My ROTS DVD is the fruit of all that research. I guess I've always had the mindset that I didn't want to do anything unless I did it the best way possible. So even now before I do anything I usually look around and see if the gurus over on doom9 have come up with anything new. More recently, I started going to film school in January of this year and I've learned a lot about the filmmaking process since then.

Laserman has worked in the industry for a long time. His knowledge comes from years of experience doing things some of us only dream about. He was able to borrow the Black Magic workstation from the studio he worked for.

My Projects:
[Holiday Special Hybrid DVD v2]
[X0 Project]
[Backstroke of the West DVD]
[ROTS Theatrical DVD]

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I've been away for just a little while, and it gives me a sick feeling in my stomach to hear that Laserman is still 'away sick'.

I really hope everything turns out all right for him, he's a very nice guy who was far kinder and more generous with his time and property than I ever expected anyone to be. (Especially to a nobody on these forums like me.)

Get well soon, Laserman. All other priorities rescinded.
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I also wish the best for Laserman. Although, I'm not a major contributor to the OT site, I have been a member of this site for sometime and really enjoy the community as a whole! I've learned a lot of things on this site, obtained some things that I was looking for, and also helped others obtain things they were looking for. I've looked forward to the X0 project since I first learned about it. Maybe we'll see it come to fruition one day, but first and foremost I wish Laserman and his family nothing but the best!
I don't know details of his illness... is there anything we can do to help (donations)?

--Rick
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Originally posted by: RickWJ324
I also wish the best for Laserman. Although, I'm not a major contributor to the OT site, I have been a member of this site for sometime and really enjoy the community as a whole! I've learned a lot of things on this site, obtained some things that I was looking for, and also helped others obtain things they were looking for. I've looked forward to the X0 project since I first learned about it. Maybe we'll see it come to fruition one day, but first and foremost I wish Laserman and his family nothing but the best!
I don't know details of his illness... is there anything we can do to help (donations)?

--Rick


http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=9&threadid=5057

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In the name of obsessive completism:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/HiLloyd/fakeccesb.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/HiLloyd/fakeccroj.jpg

And with them, obviously, my best wishes for Laserman.
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That ROTJ cover is great strangelove! That's probably my favorite shot in the whole movie- beautiful!
Great work on the others as well, and yours too Arnie.d! (I like yours with Luke in the flight suit best).

Regarding Criterion and the types of movies they typically release, it's true that they're associated with smaller, "artsy" films nowadays, but I think Criterion did a lot more mainstream-type movies back in their laserdisc days. I still have my criterion LD of Blade Runner (though not a blockbuster like SW was, it wasn't a "little" film either).

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Hey Arnie anyway to download those covers you made?I really love some of those-especially the Luke on Tatooine one!
Can we talk you into getting some ESB and ROTJ ones stuck together too?

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Originally posted by: vbangle
I gather the longer it is that we don't hear from Laserman the more serious his health issues were and still are.....for the X0 team, the OOT hopefuls, and his family....get well Laserman.
Yeah I think so too. I though he was going to the hospital for 6 weeks. So not having heard from him almost makes you fear the worst.

Originally posted by: bigbaddaddyvader
Hey Arnie anyway to download those covers you made?I really love some of those-especially the Luke on Tatooine one!
Can we talk you into getting some ESB and ROTJ ones stuck together too?

I deleted them It was just for fun, to see how it would look. But easy enough to remake them. I just put a picture on the front of a Criterion template. Didn't do anything to the backs yet. I think Strangelove covered Empire and Jedi pretty good. Were do you get this extended artwork from Strangelove, or do you join different pictures together yourself?
Fez: I am so excited about Star Whores.
Hyde: Fezzy, man, it's Star Wars.
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Originally posted by: Mielr

Regarding Criterion and the types of movies they typically release, it's true that they're associated with smaller, "artsy" films nowadays, but I think Criterion did a lot more mainstream-type movies back in their laserdisc days. I still have my criterion LD of Blade Runner (though not a blockbuster like SW was, it wasn't a "little" film either).


Back in the laserdisc days they were the only game in town doing special editions. They hit mainstream a bit more often back then (and even then tended to present versions of films not typically available or in ways not available otherwise-like letterboxing and directors cuts or original versions) but they were still primarily involved with classics and foreign films. Now, with DVD special editions being quite ubiquitous, Criterion has focused almost exclusively on more obscure classics and foreign films and eschewed blockbusters (with the maddening exception of the two Michael Bay films and perhaps a couple early releases before DVD special editions became the norm such as Silence of the Lambs and Spinal Tap). Considering all the good work that Criterion does in preserving and presenting obscure and overlooked masterpieces, it almost cheapens Criterion to be associated with one of the highest grossing mainstream blockbusters in history. As much as I love Star Wars, it doesn't belong with Bergman, Cocteau and Truffaut.

Don't get me wrong. I adore ArnieD's and Strangelove's covers. They are about as classy as I've ever seen and would be honored to have them as covers on my own personal copies, but the Criterion Collection appellation strikes me as twee fanboyishness (not that I don't delve into fanboyism, myself of course). I'd love to see the same covers without the affectation of putting Criterion on them.
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I think Criterion would absolutely make a restored OT release if they could get the rights away from Lucas.
(Although I've never been a fan of their video quality. They're really better at extras than anything else.)

But what IS important is not IF Criterion would make a Star Wars release... it's that these are NOT from Criterion.

You might as well call it an Anchor Bay release or Fox or even Disney for all it matters.
Criterion is a company name and nothing else. To attribute them to the work done by the X0 people is just plain pointless.

Dr. M

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Originally posted by: Arnie.d
Were do you get this extended artwork from Strangelove, or do you join different pictures together yourself?


They're 100% screencaps, manipulated in various ways. For Empire I stole a sky background from one of the snowspeeder shots and stretched it vertically, and the Jedi one is basically two images with their black levels adjusted to match.

As for the merits of the Criterion brand-- you've got to admit they have the best logo.
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somebody has to design some really cool X0 team dvd covers that really speak to the awesomeness and uniqueness of this project, and what sets it appart from the slipshod crappy gout of 2006 which had really shitty photoshopped covers like the 2004 release, yuck.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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Awesomeness and uniqueness?

What utter gumpf, you haven't even seen the thing yet idiot and stop turning this thread into dvd cover art, their's a dedicated thread for those.
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eros, the last thing anyone needs is you defending the X0 thread. Go away.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: Doctor M
I think Criterion would absolutely make a restored OT release if they could get the rights away from Lucas.
(Although I've never been a fan of their video quality. They're really better at extras than anything else.)

But what IS important is not IF Criterion would make a Star Wars release... it's that these are NOT from Criterion.

You might as well call it an Anchor Bay release or Fox or even Disney for all it matters.
Criterion is a company name and nothing else. To attribute them to the work done by the X0 people is just plain pointless.


Exactly. An ersatz "Criterion Collection Star Wars" is like serving pizza on "Royal Doulton china 'with the hand-painted Periwinkles...'" while at the same time diminishing the efforts put forward by the X0 crew.

As a side note, I don't think Criterion would do a Star Wars special edition, even if they could. Perhaps back in the laserdisc days but not now. Criterion fills a specific niche and is not just the ne plus ultra of film presentation. Here's a list of the Criterion Collection releases. Putting Star Wars in there is putting a square peg in a round hole. They aren't doing "Blade Runner" anymore.

As far as highjacking the thread, it's been well over a year since any updates. Pretty much the last 12 months have been a hijack. Other than hoping for the best for Laserman we might as well enjoy the thread.
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Originally posted by: caligulathegod
Exactly. An ersatz "Criterion Collection Star Wars" is like serving pizza on "Royal Doulton china 'with the hand-painted Periwinkles...'" while at the same time diminishing the efforts put forward by the X0 crew.

As a side note, I don't think Criterion would do a Star Wars special edition, even if they could. Perhaps back in the laserdisc days but not now. Criterion fills a specific niche and is not just the ne plus ultra of film presentation. Here's a list of the Criterion Collection releases. Putting Star Wars in there is putting a square peg in a round hole. They aren't doing "Blade Runner" anymore.
I'm sure Criterion would love the opportunity to release any title (of reasonable quality), especially one as important as Star Wars, if they could get the rights to it. It's always been my theory that they aren't all that choosy, it's just that big studios aren't willing to license out their films like they were back in the LD days. Heck, they've released movies like Armageddon, The Rock and Chasing Amy on DVD. And The Life Aquatic and The Royal Tenenbaums were already part of the Criterion Collection before they were even filmed.
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Criterion likes to release quirky films by well regarded directors whether they are in English or not. They're not all The Bicycle Thief, but they aren't Star Wars, either. Hell, they did Pink Flamingos! The Michael Bay films are acknowledged as out of character for the company (and I'm sure they had their reasons) but the other 400+ on the list still point to a pattern. Listing the films that seem out of character kind of goes along with what I was saying about the Criterion worship. They could release outright crap and it will still be obsessively collected like some supercilious Pokemon card because of the spine number. The mere fact it took so long for them to stop doing non-anamorphic laserdisc ports to DVD should be reason enough to be suspect of the high esteem in which they are held, regardless of their selection.

I really didn't plan on getting into a debate about Criterion. Criterion has their own agenda on what they choose to present and I'm not going to pretend to be privy to it. My whole point was just an offhand comment that it just seems pretentious to put "Criterion Collection" on the cover. I really liked the idea of putting "X0 Collection" in the exact same style and font, though. It's an acknowledgment of the respectful treatment being given the film while also paying homage to the work of the X0 team. They really are great covers. I especially like Strangelove's.

But you know what, they probably would do one, if only to pay for all the other obscure titles they do.
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The Criterion ESB cover is awesome.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Which will come out first, The XØ Project or the OOT in Hi-Def? Let the speculation now begin.
I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.
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How about the X0 in Hi Def?
Fez: I am so excited about Star Whores.
Hyde: Fezzy, man, it's Star Wars.
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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
The Criterion ESB cover is awesome.


Thanks! It's my favorite of the three.

And yeah, if anyone wants to dummy up a compatible X0 logo, go for it.
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MBJ wrote:
Zion is trying to make up a computing rig that'll do the same thing, but there's still some more components and programs that are needed.


What do you need, guys?
You have the raw captures from X0 right - but what about all the other sources that went into the total process?

Sounds like you might need to reset back a few steps...
Darth Lucas: I am altering the trilogy. Pray I don't alter it further.