logo Sign In

Info: The Making of The Empire Strikes Back (Michel Parbot) — Page 8

Author
Time
Darth Neo, it appears that the Clone Wars animated series is hitting in 2008 and the live action series in 2009. The years on yours seem to be a bit off.

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

Author
Time
I have just been experimenting with a program called 'File Juicer' which extracts text, video, audio, and picture files from larger packed files such as those found in 'Behind the Magic'.

Whilst searching through the text I came across this:

,"How did George Lucas derive R2-D2's name?","The name originated from the film term ""Reel 2, Dialogue 2.""","He simply repeated common phonetic sounds until he discovered one that he enjoyed.","He found the initials ""R2-D2"" on the back of a stereo system.","The license plate on his first car ended in ""R2D2.""","B. He simply repeated common phonetic sounds until he discovered one that he enjoyed.","In [The Making of the Empire Strikes Back], it is suggested that R2-D2's name was, in fact, derived from the film term ""Reel 2, Dialogue 2."" However, in [The Annotated Screenplays], Lucas corrected the tale and revealed that all of the characters' names were created phonetically to be pleasing to hear and easy to say.

Is this official word that 'The Making of the Empire strikes Back' was indeed released?

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Jambe Davdar
I have just been experimenting with a program called 'File Juicer' which extracts text, video, audio, and picture files from larger packed files such as those found in 'Behind the Magic'.

Whilst searching through the text I came across this:

,"How did George Lucas derive R2-D2's name?","The name originated from the film term ""Reel 2, Dialogue 2.""","He simply repeated common phonetic sounds until he discovered one that he enjoyed.","He found the initials ""R2-D2"" on the back of a stereo system.","The license plate on his first car ended in ""R2D2.""","B. He simply repeated common phonetic sounds until he discovered one that he enjoyed.","In [The Making of the Empire Strikes Back], it is suggested that R2-D2's name was, in fact, derived from the film term ""Reel 2, Dialogue 2."" However, in [The Annotated Screenplays], Lucas corrected the tale and revealed that all of the characters' names were created phonetically to be pleasing to hear and easy to say.

Is this official word that 'The Making of the Empire strikes Back' was indeed released?


Wasn't that referring to the book?

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Jambe Davdar
I have just been experimenting with a program called 'File Juicer' which extracts text, video, audio, and picture files from larger packed files such as those found in 'Behind the Magic'.

Whilst searching through the text I came across this:

,"How did George Lucas derive R2-D2's name?","The name originated from the film term ""Reel 2, Dialogue 2.""","He simply repeated common phonetic sounds until he discovered one that he enjoyed.","He found the initials ""R2-D2"" on the back of a stereo system.","The license plate on his first car ended in ""R2D2.""","B. He simply repeated common phonetic sounds until he discovered one that he enjoyed.","In [The Making of the Empire Strikes Back], it is suggested that R2-D2's name was, in fact, derived from the film term ""Reel 2, Dialogue 2."" However, in [The Annotated Screenplays], Lucas corrected the tale and revealed that all of the characters' names were created phonetically to be pleasing to hear and easy to say.

Is this official word that 'The Making of the Empire strikes Back' was indeed released?


I thought of that as well. But maybe they are refering to the book, Once Upon a Galaxy: A Journal of the Making of The Empire Strikes Back (Del Rey, 1980)
Author
Time
I did wonder that too. 'The Making of Empire' book is listed in the bibliography.

It does however back up this mention that I found:

dave_mil...@adobeforums.com
View profile
More options 6 Jul 2004, 20:16
There are two tales surrounding the creation of the name "R2-D2". The first, and oldest, story is that George Lucas was doing the editing on American Graffitti, and was a bit tired in the evening, so he tried to shorten his work by not calling for "Reel Two, Dialogue Two", but for "R2-D2". This version was narrated in the Making of The Empire Strikes Back. When the Annotated Screenplays came out however, Lucas personally corrected this story and said that all names in the movies were selected just to have phonetically pleasing and easy-to-speak names.
XD

Perhaps Darth Neo can confirm this for us.

Cheers
JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
I don't suppose this is as rare?

“I love Darth Editous and I’m not ashamed to admit it.” ~ADigitalMan

Author
Time
Originally posted by: boba feta
I don't suppose this is as rare?


The doco isn't rare but I must admit I've not seen it on Betamax before. Ahh, what a great format.

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
If it helps, here's the relevant 'origin of R2-D2' passage from the 'Making of Empire' book, in an interview between the author and Lucas himself:

George Lucas: "...And that's how the Wookiee came into being"
Alan Arnold: "Now let's take C-3PO and R2-D2."
GL: "It began with R2-D2. Walter Murch and I were mixing American Graffitti, and Walter wanted to make some changes ot one of the sound tracks. He needed the dialogue tracks for reel two and so he said "George, get me R2-D2" , meaning reel two, dialogue two, the second of several dialogue tracks. And I said, "That's a great name, Walter" and wrote it down in my notebook. When we finished on Graffitti I began writing Star Wars , but R2-D2 was still only a name. I wanted two robots in the film and wanted one to be sort of a human type, and the other to be more of a computer type. I also wanted there to be humour in the fact that they were very different in temperament, a sort of Abbott and Costello comedy team - one short and fat, the other tall and skinny. I don't know why, but from the start I thought of R2-D2 as being the msaller one, and then had to think up a name compatible with R2-D2. After playing around with a lot of letter and number combinations, I came up with C-3PO."
Page 224-225 'Once Upon a Galaxy: The Making of The Empire Stirkes Back' by Alan Arnold
Author
Time
Originally posted by: Jambe Davdar
Originally posted by: boba feta
I don't suppose this is as rare?


The doco isn't rare but I must admit I've not seen it on Betamax before. Ahh, what a great format.



I have classic creatures on betamax as well....what's better, betamax or laserdisc?

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Murch
Originally posted by: Jambe Davdar
Originally posted by: boba feta
I don't suppose this is as rare?


The doco isn't rare but I must admit I've not seen it on Betamax before. Ahh, what a great format.



I have classic creatures on betamax as well....what's better, betamax or laserdisc?


I have this and SPFX on Betamax. I never knew Classic Creatures was released commercially on Betamax.
Speaking of Betamax, there's a big announcement coming soon!
Author
Time
Originally posted by: baby hum


Speaking of Betamax, there's a big announcement coming soon!


They are re-releasing the Betamax format as the successor to Blu-Ray?

Author
Time
I would like to see these documentaries if someone could rip them off the betamax or make them available some way.


Author
Time
Originally posted by: Darth Neo
I am wondering if anyone has ever heard about another making of documentary about the empire strikes back. I have never come across any information about this program on the internet. As far as I know it was never released in any form.

The program was called "the making of the empire strikes back" and was made by Michel Parbot who also made SFPX: the empire strikes back. The only original copy that I know of resides in the private collection of Gary Kurtz. I own a third generation copy of this copy on video and I have tranferred it to DVD. At this time I am preparing a website about this program so I am looking for any information that I can get on this rare gem.

The program itself contains a lot of footage that I have never seen anywhere else. There are interviews with the cast in their costumes and it has a different emphasis than the SPFX program. This is much more about the shooting itself, a lot of finse stuff and a lot of Elstree Studio stuff. Any help is much appreciated.


I took one look at your post and yelled out, "DAMN!" Awesome work!
Author
Time
Thanks for the info. I just need to be patient and see what thewizard_7 deilivers!

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
My family in CA get their mail around 5pm local time. I will be fast asleep at that time, but hope to wake tomorrow morning to an email telling me that this gem has arrived. It will then be sent to a trusted USA-based member of this community for further action. If it turns out to SPFX I have plans for it to be launched hundreds of feet in the air and spread over a wide area.

JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
Originally posted by: Jambe DavdarIf it turns out to SPFX I have plans for it to be launched hundreds of feet in the air and spread over a wide area.

JD


Any chance i can release the footage of that?
Author
Time
That would make a sweet release. bh0025, maybe?
Author
Time
I'm serious. Let's destroy it and film it for an upcoming Easter Egg!
Author
Time
Or I may just microwave it - pretty!

I will not be asking for a refund. Who said I even paid the guy?

JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
This is getting exciting! Those preview-clips were unreal!

“Stargazing wizards, stare into the night,
Hurricanes and blizzards, here comes the final fight”

Author
Time
Bad news. Got this from my sister in CA this morning regarding the disc from thewizard_7:

"i am hanging my head........

says it is SPFX and has Hamill in a dodgy looking waistcoat in some theatre introducing it......



pooooooooopooooooooooooo"

I think I may have to call on my fireworks-expert friend Marky2004!

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
Thats to bad

Any chance of this SPFX being shared?

Cheers!

“Stargazing wizards, stare into the night,
Hurricanes and blizzards, here comes the final fight”

Author
Time
SPFX is already featured in a number of compilations. Rikter put a fine set of the Making of's together as did Rowman. The new EditDroid set has a new transfer on it as well. And honestly, if you have watched "Building Empire", you have already seen the best parts. SPFX was incredibly boring. This is why I would love a proper release of The Making of ESB. If it has Kersh talking, it has to be good.