Oldfan

Wow, I haven't checked into the forums for a few days and I had over 10 pages to catch up on. There were certainly some interesting topics going on.

Monroville, I agree with you 100% concerning the wildly vaying quality of CGI work in today's films. Funny, a couple of the examples you used are the same ones that come to my mind when discussing CGI and modelwork. Jurassic Park was a great example of how even early cgi, done right, has a place in film. I was amazed as well when I saw the behind-the-scenes shot of The Terminator truck miniature. It still looks real even today. I feel miniatures are the way to go with most effects, but cgi definitely has a place. There are some things that cannot be done without cgi, and that's when it should be used. I notice now when watching alot of 80's sci-fi, the thing that really stands out is the use of blue screens. So many shots look awful simply because it is so obvious that a blue-screen was used. So as much as I defend miniatures, I certainly recognize that old-school effects were far from perfect, just as cgi is also. But when done right, both have their own place in film. As has been said, I think that the effects houses do not yet know how to present their cgi models in a real-world environment. Miniatures have the benefit of real-world lighting and camera depth-of-field that cgi has to replicate artificially. Until that's done consistently, cgi will always look out of place.

Back on topic, I think that the lizards on Dagobah look fine as they are. Our rebel heroes sure look like us, I have no problem with believing that they have snakes and other creatures that very closely resemble ours. I loved what Ady did with the Cantina, it definitely added life to the scene. And Ady's enhancements to Yoda and the Tauntauns work wonders, because again it is adding life to something that doesn't really exist. But the snakes and lizards on Dagobah are actually alive, and thus do not need any work done on them to convince us that they are living creatures. Of course, that's just my opinion, but I think that should be the last thing Adywan looks at considering the huge amount of work ahead of him.

Can't wait to see the trailer!

seven said:

Serji-X Arrogantus said:

I'd have thought that the Fine Molds Falcon was way too small to get any real good shots of, there are people out there building Studio Scale Replicas of the Star Wars vehicles that are far more accurate than the Fine Molds model in terms of the surface detail etc...  Is it not worth asking on Replica Prop forums for a UK based modeller who might already have a bigger version built that you could use, I know there's the transport depending on how far away etc... but it might be worth a try !

While the Fine Molds Millennium Falcon is on the 'small' side, it is the best model you can get for the money. It has gotten great reviews from modelers on its attention to detail and ESB movie accuracy. It doesn't even compare to the cheaper Revell model. While it's Not 100% perfect, you wont find a better model for $200. Now, the Master Replica Studio Scale MF is much larger and would be great to use, however it isn't 100% accurate either, and $2000 is far less affordable. Not to mention the bigger your model, the bigger the set you have to build.

As far as borrowing models, (esp. from members of the RPF.com) it has been mentioned before, however Ady has expressed his concerns about accidentally breaking someone else's model and has so far turned down the option.

 

A couple links of the Fine Molds Falcon potential

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=39986

http://12-parsecs.blogspot.com/

 

You can really see the difference in size between the included dish and the "correct" size in the second link you posted. I am amazed that Adywan is taking on such a huge task as building this model on top of everything else he is doing with this project. I know what kind of time and patience it takes to build something like this. I built this http://www.starshipmodeler.com/1999/js_warp_eagle.htm years ago, and it was a nightmare due to the brittle parts (sure looks good though). Of course the Fine Molds will be different material, but just the thought of it containing over 800 parts makes my head spin. I can't wait to see how this comes out, but I get the feeling that we won't be seeing it anytime soon.

Cool shot, Ripplin. Was that taken from Airplane?

As far as the reflections in the cockpit go, while I think it looks interesting, I don't think it fits in with the spirit of the original trilogy. It would certainly be too busy, and besides that, I'd imagine that if the technology exists to create lightsabers, death stars and faster-than-light starships, I'm pretty sure they would have invented anti-glare cockpit windows to make it easier for pilots to see. Heck, we have that now.

I think a 720p mkv encoded in x264 would be very awesome. X264 mkv's play in either vlc or media player classic, as well as other media players, and would be a very simple and high-quality way to enjoy esb:r on a pc.

doubleofive said:

I know this is a work-in-progress, but going through it frame-by-frame (its so short, I'm justified!) I noticed that the falling walker doesn't move for the first frame.  I KNOW you're going to fix it, but I can't be too safe by not saying anything.

It's impossible to see in the full motion, I'm just having a great time flipping back and forth as everything moves but the walker defies all logic and stays perfectly still!

I played back that portion frame-by-frame just to see what you mean, and you are correct. The very first frame of that falling walker is the same as the following frame. While everything else is inmotion, the walker is just frozen in mid-air for those 2 frames. Then it falls. In motion it is virtually impossible to spot, but I see what you mean. I'm sure Ady is still tweaking these shots, though.

As far as the clip goes, WOW! I have nothing to complain about with this clip. I think it is a vast improvement over the original shot. To my eyes, there is nothing wrong with the mountains at all.

Not sure if it can be uploaded to the forum directly, but you can always upload it to megaupload or any of the other file sharing sites. Anybody in the forum can then grab it if they would like to.

I think I know the poster you mean. If it is the one I'm thinking of, it was awesome. It had a really cool image of the enterprise on 1 side in full color, and then the opposite side was the same image in 3D. The 3D was amazing, too. I really wish I still had it, but it got damaged years ago during a move.

Wow, Ady. The new screenshot looks amazing. I love this idea of posting a new screen each week. It whets the appetite without giving away entire scenes.

And Steamboy, that gif is just hilarious. Every time it loops I laugh again.

Shrinking a DVD9 to a DVD5 will definitely reduce the quality. If you're using something like DVDshrink, it will certainly hurt the video quality, because it is just transcoding the video, which is bad, but the quickest and easiest way to shrink a DVD9 to a DVD5. Try using something like DVDrebuilder (there's a free version and a paid version; the free version is pretty complete as is). It uses external encoders, which can become expensive, but I believe it comes with one built-in for starters. The difference between this and, say, dvdshrink, is that this actually re-encodes the video to fit on a DVD5, instead of just compressing it, so the quality can be dramatically better. Since I've used it, I've never looked back at DVD shrink for DVD9 conversions again. The downside is that encoding can take several hours, and setup can be a bit tricky if you're new at this, but there is a manual on the site, as well as plenty of online help.

Not sure why you couldn't burn to a DVD9 though, shouldn't be a problem. Could it be the burning software you're using?

dark_jedi said:

Taolar said:

One advantage to the warning screens is they protect the fan editor, at least in theory, by showing that he did not create the fan edit in order to make money off of it.

 

Still I disagree LOL,this will protect editors from no law suit if one comes,a little warning at the begining of a movie shared on the web is no protection at all from the Suits,did the warnings on the original DVD where it says in whole or in part scare you into not editing it?

once again sorry FF for getting sidetracked,this whole issue for me is just really funny.

I do agree that the warning is pretty much useless. I can understand the reasons why the faneditor may think that this could protect them, but in reality, I don't see how it would. While its true that there are those who profit off these fanedits on Ebay, the smart ones will just remove the warnings before making the copies, and even if they don't, they still make their money regardless. And I'm pretty sure that a small disclaimer will offer no protection against the lawyers should it ever end up going that far. Good intentions and lack of desire to profit doesn't seem to hold much weight when you're up against the big guys. I don't mind a custom logo, like Adywan had in his ANH:Revisited DVD, but a full paragraph of legal apologies and warnings are just a bother. Just my opinion.

Oso Blanco said:

Just a quick note to people who have problems with this DVD because it's NTSC: You can also use IfoEdit to change the settings from NTSC to PAL. This won't make the DVD PAL, but it will make your DVD-Player/TV-Set believe that it is.

This doesn't usually work for most dvd players. It can trick some players into reading the discs, but the results are often choppy video, if it works at all. It may be worth a try, but from what I've read about this in the past, it usually leads to disappointment, so don't try this expecting it to be a guaranteed fix.

Just in case this helps while you fix these issues, in regards to the anamorphic issue, I did use IFOedit to fix the 16:9 flag in the vts_02_0.IFO file (which is the movie itself), and also in the VIDEO_TS.IFO file. It just took a second. But, there wasn't anything I could do with the vts_01_0.IFO file (the menu screen and stills) because:

If I make no changes to vts_01_0.IFO, then the menu screens are not displayed properly on a 4:3 set, because of the anamorphic issue. All the menu screens are squished, including the "warp" transition, but the publicity stills are actually correct.

If I fix the 16:9 flag in that file, then the menus will be in the 16:9 aspect ratio (which is the ratio they are made for), as well as the "warp" transition, but then the publicity stills are displayed incorrectly (it seems the stills need to play as 4:3, not 16:9). I can't fix the menus without messing up the stills, because they are all contained on vts_01_0. So its a choice of either having the menus display incorrectly, or the stills display incorrectly. Ideally, the menus, stills, and the warp transition should all be done in 4:3, not 16:9, as most dvds are done. That way the menus can be displayed as 4:3 like normal dvds, and then the actual feature will be anamorphic 16:9.

Hope this makes some sense.

Wow! That actually startled me. Fantastic job with the Wampa, Ady. Also, I love what you did with the Tauntaun's eyes blinking. That little detail adds a lot of life. Looks very realistic.

The wobbly helmet thing bothers me, too. As you said, Monroville, the sound you hear when the helmet is lowered indicates that that helmet is on there to stay, so it really shouldn't be all wobbly just because of a breeze.

So many interesting ideas being discussed here lately. As far as Vader's meditation chamber, I definitely like the idea of an isolated hallway leading to his chamber, as it does seem to open up the scope of the ship, as well as isolating Vader even further, and appearing more intimidating. Also, I think it looks better without all the others outside peering in.

In regards to how Vader's helmet is lowered in the chamber, with the front faceplate apparently attached to the helmet as it is lowered, I always felt that the front piece is able to come off, but is not normally intended to. So when Luke tries to remove his helmet in ROTJ, he is sort of just trying to figure out how to remove it, and sees the clips that would release the front faceplate, and unlatches it, whereas maybe in Vader's meditation chamber the entire mask is normally removed as 1 piece. Just a thought.

Monroville, I really like your idea about the Taunton's eyes. Just the mock-ups you provided seem to add alot more life to them, and I hope Adywan considers it.

Interesting that you mention the swipe Vader takes at Luke in that scene, mumbles. I have always wondered about that scene. Like you, I'm not sure if he doesn't want to kill Luke, so misses on purpose to get him to fall, or if it is just bad choreography. Anybody else have anything on this?

Fantastic news! Can't wait to see it. I'm certain it will be worth the wait.

Wow, Adywan. This latest clip is a HUGE improvement over the original scene. I love how the ships jump to hyperspace, and the new look of the ion cannon blast is way better. Love the x-wing getting destroyed, also. Just the right amount of effects without making it overwhelming. I do agree with ImperialFighter in regards to the curvature of the planet, and also the window edges. Although I may have not have noticed the window edges without him pointing it out, I can definitely see what he is talking about now that I see it. And the planet's curvature does look a bit "off" in that first window. Boy, ImperialFighter has the eyes of a Hawk. Overall, an incredible improvement to the scene. I wasn't expecting another clip so soon. What a surprise!

Just wanted to say thank you to Sketchrob for the donations to Adywan. I'm certain that we all wished that we could help, but your generosity will be remembered as we are enjoying ESB:Revisited.

Adywan, very nice work with the latest clip. The news about Revisited being in 720p has got me even more excited about the project. Sorry you had to spoil the surprise, though. Glad to hear the project can continue.

professa said:

this is what i see when i look at the slug

i say dump it and go with the alien chestburster mouth if possible

 

That made my day! Hilarious.

Just my two cents, but I do agree that the slug could benefit from some work done to it. I always thought Leia's line was cheesy because it was obviously not a cave collapsing. I like the mock ups that are being made here as a demonstration, I think the teeth should definately look closer to the stalagmites in a real cave. The outside mockup by vaderios is very scary, and I love the look of it. I also think that speed is a factor, it should certainly move with a slower motion, and maybe some dust flying around when it comes out to snap at the Falcon. Bingowings, great job with the teeth.

Very much looking forward to seeing this completed. Can't wait to see it! I was just going to ask if you were going to include the vocal version of Ilia's theme on the DVD, but then I noticed at the top of this page that you will be. Great to hear.

Here's a screenshot from the trailer.

Ripplin said:

And this is all I can show, because who knows how far it went?:

Haha.

Seriously, is that just Mark and Carrie goofing around, or was it a proposed scene, or what?

I'm not sure, but on the Editdroid bonus disc 3, the 1979 teaser trailer #2 shows a different scene of them going for a smooch. It looks to be during the scene where she kisses him in front of Han and Chewie while he's recovering, but it's a totally different shot, as they are gazing longingly into each other's eyes as they move for the kiss. It freaked my girlfriend out when I showed her the trailer a while back. Kind of makes me wonder where Lucas was going with that idea.

Wow, Adywan. Just saw your latest clips of the Asteroid Field. Absolutely amazing work. The asteroid field really looks dangerous now. Love how the Ties are firing now, and they look fantastic in grey.

Ladyferry, regarding the pilot flying out, it looks like that was also there in the 2004 version if you watch the comparison clip.

I really didn't know you were already so deep into the effects work, Adywan. I can't wait to see what's next.