logo Sign In

Idea & Info: a Preservation of Alien Evolution doco? — Page 10

Author
Time
Post link
The beast is unleashed !

Here

I've received 8t88's Giger's Alien and so I'm all ready to get down with Appendix #2

Let me know what else we'd like to see alongside the above depending on which version we use:

Giger's Alien - Original: 1.71gb
Noise reducded version: 2.14gb

I also received the Alien3 Making of from the Facehugger Box: 1.58gb

Author
Time
Post link

Hey, folks. I am back with some news about my progress.

1. 8t88’s discs received some time ago. I did not send any message to you, I am sorry. I waited until I was ready to compare these with my own, you know. I made my first attempt to transfer a VHS to DVD in my friend’s flat last weekend. Here is what we got: I took two samples only with me – Making of A3 and Making of A4. Also we tried to copy few minutes from a NTSC tape he has. The results are really poor. We learned that we are not able to copy any NTSC tape at all – his Sony DVD recorder simply cannot write the signal even if it plays NTSC DVDs normally. Second, we cannot copy the A4 Making of because the tape is copy-protected and the recorder refuses to write the signal even if it understands it. However I still have the VCD I mentioned several times before and I think that the VCD picture is better anyway since it was probably made from LD. Also I am considering buying the 3 LD set that contains this documentary and thus the final decision is still open. The copy of A3 we made seems to be slightly better than 88t8’s – see the two samples (his – mine – his –mine), but the difference is really minor. My tape is probably better preserved, but, unfortunately, it shows some ugly drops like the one on Giger’s shirt (pic 4). What do you think? I have two or three pieces of this tape in my archive, so I can try to make another transfer from one of the others during our next session.

http://web.quick.cz/Triffid/workprint/MAKING_ALIEN_c3.jpg

http://web.quick.cz/Triffid/workprint/MAKING_ALIEN_c3m.jpg

http://web.quick.cz/Triffid/workprint/MAKING_ALIEN_c4.jpg

http://web.quick.cz/Triffid/workprint/MAKING_ALIEN_c4m.jpg

2. Meedermow – sorry, we had no time to copy the Italian movie, but I remember I promised it to you.
3. I received an answer from the company that made „J.Cameron and His Work“ doc. No chance to get it from them. Their representative wrote: „Hi Jiri, yes we did produce the ALIENS piece many years ago. We used to have a copy on VHS but I think even that has now disappeared. Fox certainly seem to have lost the master some time ago.“ But I still hope I can get it from the girl in London… we will see.
4. Suntech: Thank you for the description, it matches the Alien Saga version perfectly. Actually this „For over fifty years“ sentence is not the beginning of the PRESS PAK. There are approx 40 secs before it. Again, this is one of the basic problems of our compilation. Regardless of the copyright issue, I do not think we should use anything already available on Alien Saga. There is no point to do this. If we choose only some from the bonuses there, a real fan must still buy the original. And even if we grab all 10 bonuses from Saga, there is still the main hour-long documentary that cannot be added to the compilation. So why to do this? By the way, I have one surplus copy of Saga if somebody wants it.
5. I bought a DVD-R with a collection of A4 TV shots. Well, the quality is mostly poor, but it contains some interesting short interviews and TV ads. Basically I recommend some 8 shots out of the total of 25, the TRT of these eight can be just around 10 mins, no more. There is also the Sci-fi Channel Making of again, the picture is pretty clear, but it does something I never saw before – it vibrates somehow like when you hit a pinball table. It is a pity since my NTSC version is not so good.
6. Once again the Evolution issue: Thanks for your comments, Meedermow and Jonno. As I wrote already, I cannot understand how the words Appendix and Preservation „taste“ in your language. So if you guys feel they are OK, I have nothing against them. However I still disagree with the words Uncut and Full since they indirectly say that the Q version is cut and shortened. Can you simply write „original version“ or „TV version“? Meedermow wrote: „…version that I watched on UK television before I even heard the word "Quadrilogy". Of course you did not hear about AQ at that time. The misunderstanding here is my fault. When I wrote „Maybe they prepared the Quadrilogy version first and then they changed the conception to Kermode's version“ I only refer to the two different entities – I should call them versions A and B instead. It has nothing to do with the actual release of Quadrilogy. I know it was aired in 2001 several times (actually you can tell this from what the woman’s voice says during the ending credits, she announces the next Alien movie in a row and there are at least two versions of what she says). But there is still a chance that NG made two versions of Evolution (A and B) in 2001 and then choose one for the TV, leaving the second one in the archive, unused. The copyright in AQ version still says MMI. And even if they made the second edit from their original archive footage only AFTER Lauzirika’s team asked them to do this for AQ, it is still their child, a younger brother of the TV version and it is not abridged because you cannot get it by cutting down the TV version.
7. If you never heard of DVD Discoveries, it is a special low quantity DVD made in 2002 for people who wants to learn more about DVD creation process. It consists from several short docs, mainly interviews and commercials. Many people involved in this industry speak here, Lauzirika and Van Ling among others. I just got my copy. Cool stuff. Unlike Alien Saga, it is no must-have item for Alien fans, actually it is no must-have disc for any fan since all the videos are purely educational and the references to movies like SW, T2 and others are random and very short. But among others there is an interview with Sharpline Arts guys, the only one I ever saw. Well, there is none in AQ I think, am I right? TRT 20 mins. These two and Bob Burns talk about making of the A1 special edition LD for approx 3 mins and they basically repeat what they said here http://hometown.aol.com/scifitalk/page3.htm few years before. I do not think that it will be a copyright problem when we borrow this small part of it (i.e. edit our own ABRIDGED version) or maybe even the whole interview. Especially when the production company seems to be dead now (at least their web site is down for months). If you want to see it there, let me know.
8. Still no answer from the guy who offered the GA LD for copying in that forum. I do not expect to receive any.
9. Meedermow: Did you try to contact the author of the Archives? What did he say?
10. And back to 88t8. The second disc contains the GA documentary from his tape. It has no subtitles which is great. It is much more grainy than the version from the Archives, but it has significantly better colors. None of these is good either. It is a pity we cannot trace the LD somewhere…
11. After reading of the last posts once again, here is another comment for Meedermow: I love your menus on both Archives and the demo menu you sent to me. If I wrote „I am definitely against any touches into this our first disc, i.e. adding any other footage or menus. It is great exactly as it is now.“ I did not mean that I do not like menus! I consider menus to be an important part of any original DVD and sometimes I even make a decision whether to buy a new DVD or not (a new DVD edition of a movie I already have) on the fact whether I love the graphic of the new edition or not. That old sentence is ripped out of its context. I just wanted to say that Jonno’s AE needed no menu since it contained no other video than the main feature. Thus making a menu with only one PLAY button seemed to be a bit stupid to me. A disc with only one video should be self-running.

Well, that is all for today. Have a good time!
Author
Time
Post link
HE'S BACK !

Good to have you on the boards again

Lot's of progress made on the Appendix side of things, will keep you informed when I have more time: sometime next week I imagine at the moment ! Drop me a PM if you want Appendix #1 - some changes made to the text, quite minor - didn't have time to change everything to everone's taste - though the content will speak for itself !

Best,

meedermow
Author
Time
Post link
What do you think about this trailer?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=F6y71g_IFW0&search=Alien%20princess
Author
Time
Post link
Reading this thread gives me a headache.

If anyone needs something NTSC copied, i could do that. i also have something that disabled copy-protection.

happy to help.
Author
Time
Post link
Triffid, pleas turn on your PMs. I am interested in the Alien Saga DVD and would love to get that surplus copy.

I'm also interested in the "DVD Discoveries" DVD you mention, would you be willing to point me in the right direction to purchase it?

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

Author
Time
Post link
I did not turn my PMs off. Yesterday I received a message from Suntech and there was no problem with it. I will delete few old messages to make space.

I do not know where to buy the DVD Discoveries. I tried several sources during past three months and I bought it from a movie fan in the end. The DVD is probably a really low quantity pressing because of its special content. And as I already wrote, I believe that the company DVD Angle is out of business now. I can make a private copy for you for free. Most of the disc's content are commercials (with weblinks urging you to visit the respective companies' sites) anyway and I think nobody will complain about any copyright. The most funny part is a promotional video which tells you a story of making of a fictional DVD Hare and Tortoise. A movie of that name does not exist, but the company shot this commercial to show how good they are in doing such things.

Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: digitalfreaknyc
Reading this thread gives me a headache.


Heh... it is getting pretty dense...

We seem to be in need of a re-summary of contents - is there anything else en route or do we already have everything that we're likely to get?
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: digitalfreaknyc
Reading this thread gives me a headache.

If anyone needs something NTSC copied, i could do that. i also have something that disabled copy-protection.

Yes, guys, I know it is ridiculous. I am a novice with no equipment other than my PC. And since the PC cannot help me to copy tapes at the moment, I tried to do it that way. The friend I mentioned is not any video professional and he uses his DVD recorder just to record PAL TV signal, he never needed to play or copy NTSC tapes.


Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: triffid
Originally posted by: digitalfreaknyc
Reading this thread gives me a headache.

If anyone needs something NTSC copied, i could do that. i also have something that disabled copy-protection.

Yes, guys, I know it is ridiculous. I am a novice with no equipment other than my PC. And since the PC cannot help me to copy tapes at the moment, I tried to do it that way. The friend I mentioned is not any video professional and he uses his DVD recorder just to record PAL TV signal, he never needed to play or copy NTSC tapes.


so are you taking me up on my offer?
Author
Time
Post link
Did not see any Alien Evolution Docu DVD yet, what went wrong?

Bye,

Marco
Author
Time
Post link
Nothing went wrong from this end 8t88 - I sent you a copy last month.

It must have gotten lost - PM your address again and I'll get another one out to you.

digitalfreaknyc - now totally back, by all means if the offer is still there - I'm happy to take over seeding responsibilities
Author
Time
Post link
Meedermow,

Give me the details for the actual torrent and I'll up it tonight.
Author
Time
Post link
The torrent is now up.

http://www.myspleen.net/details.php?id=2744
Author
Time
Post link
That's absolutely great. Once again - thanks so much for the help digitalfreaknyc.
Author
Time
Post link
Hello everybody.

Today I sent two discs to Klokwerk (Saga and DVD Discoveries DVD-Rs) and four discs to Jonno. These include: 1. Making of A4 VCD (for consideration). 2. Sharpline Arts interview (guys who made A1 and A2 LD boxsets and then also Alien Legacy) from DVD Discoveries, 1:1 cut from the disc by “DVD Angle” company, I used DVD Shrink to make the cut. 3. Making A4 from Sci-fi Channel (for consideration, but I am sure tb1971’s version is better). 4. miscellaneous TV bits from Resurrection era.
Since I do not include any letter with the DVDs, here is a list of footage you could use. The rest is not important. The quality is unfortunately poor and maybe you choose not to use any part of this crazy mess at all.
0:01:36 ET on location in LA (2 separate bits)
0:07:25 Sci-fi Channel commercial announcing the Making of to be aired soon
0:07:56 trailer “No one… this year will”
0:09:10 Making of A4 again, this time in PAL, but the image is unstable (wrong TV signal?)
0:31:20 interview with LO, JPJ and SW at premiere (the channel’s logo is a 5 in circle)
0:38:05 E News at premiere
0:42:40 CNN Showbiz SW, WR interview (out of sync)
0:52:40 SKY review, int. SW, JPJ

I decided to make another transfer of Making of A3 VHS this Saturday and thus I am not sending the copy I made last time (because of the drops in the picture).

To DigitalfreakNYC: Thanks for the offer, but at this very moment there are no Alien related videotapes in NTSC I need to copy. Unless Jonno decides to close this project soon, there is still a chance that some tapes show up in the future.


Author
Time
Post link
Hi Triffid! That's some nice footage you're contributing to our Alien project. I've sent mine some time ago. Is there anyone else left to contribute with Alien stuff, or that's about it? It's so great to see how much rare stuff we managed to collect. I've actually had a short 1-2 minute Alien War promo, but sadly I lost it a while ago (it's mostly used for TV report I've included for the project anyway).
Author
Time
Post link
Triffid, I look forward to those 2 discs. Thank you very much.

As I've not had as much time as I'd like to spend around here, can somebody refresh me as to who I sent the music disc too and did it ever get to you?

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

Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: tb1971
I've actually had a short 1-2 minute Alien War promo, but sadly I lost it a while ago.
I am in touch with a guy who recorded his own 2 mins video in the exposition room attached to Trocadero (it shows the egg, Ripley's flamethrower and the rubber model of Dr Clemens's face). However, I am afraid he cannot send it to me in time. All these people tend to be slow, very slow. I cannot push anybody to work faster. I can just write a new message to them each two weeks to stay in touch and to get a short "Yes, I did not forget about you." from them. The items in question include the "Director and his Work", Making of Resurrection laserdisc, some (yet) unidentified Aliens documentary of unknown length, Resurrection EPK, maybe something else I cannot recall at this moment. I am still trying (unsuccessfully) to contact any former member from Get It Pictures team (they made the Sci-fi Channel thing). The editor Alain Gourrier answered to me, the others not. I think that we should not wait anymore. I will collect the videos in the course of maybe next few months, but definitely not weeks. Meedermow mentioned a new version of "Director and his Work" and he could ask the author of Archives for help. Ash595 wrote something about the Pepsi add, if I remember right. And that is all, I think.
Author
Time
Post link
a friend of mine has the pepsi Ad on VHS. He found the tape and must do the vob file in a couple of days. I am waiting for it.
Author
Time
Post link
Hey folks !

Things seem to be moving again

Evolution has had a great start on myspleen with over 50 downloads in a week - so there may be some potential new sources out there.

I'll start work on my "Director and his Work" contact and see if we can broker something - otherwise I'll take the lead from Jonno and will be ready with my newfound authoring skills !

Should anyone not have the Evolution final version yet, it's a pretty quick download on myspleen at the mo with a good ratio of seeders to leechers, otherwise get in touch. There's mini-hubs in the US and Europe ready to help as well

I personally think we should look to each film individually for the next discs and then maybe a curio disc with the Alien War, Speed of Fright footage etc. comprising the final disc.

Any thoughts ?

meedermow
Author
Time
Post link
triffid,

no offense but you should never use dvdshrink. it sucks and brings down the quality.
Author
Time
Post link
DVDshrink is a good tool to cut footage from a dvd, but you do not want to transcode your stuff with it. But since triffid only uses it for cutting out the part he wants to use i see no problem with it........
Author
Time
Post link
That's exactly what I thought. I just took the chapter 12 (or whichone it was) and cut it without any compression, i.e. 1:1. However what software do you recommend instead of DVDShrink?