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dan76

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Members
Join date
9-Sep-2013
Last activity
5-Mar-2019
Posts
60

Post History

Post
#1202714
Topic
TFA: A Gentle Restructure (Released)
Time

It’s strange because before TLJ I had no interest in watching TFA. I had no interest in it after watching TLJ either! But having watched TLJ The Fallen Knight edit (which I thought was fantastic for the most part) it put me in the mood to watch some other fan edits.

There is way less wrong with TFA anyhow, and TFA has an energy that is sorely missing from TLJ. Han and Leia worked really well in this cut, way better than any other previous watch - that might just be the particular mood I was in watching it - or maybe it was some subtle magic you applied? The extra scene with Leia helped a lot, and I thought they were both great, so Han’s death did have the desired effect.

I’d love to try one of my own, maybe to condense TFA and TLJ together. I’d cut that Scottish guy and the Rathtars, Finn leaving and as much Maz as possible. In the TLJ I’d be even more brutal than the Fallen Knight edit. Yoda would go for a start but I’d try and put Holdo in briefly early on in the film.

These fan edits are great, especially considering that these new Disney Star Wars films aren’t much more than big budget fan films themselves.

Post
#1202656
Topic
TFA: A Gentle Restructure (Released)
Time

I watched this edit last night. I haven’t read through the comments but here are my thoughts.

I think it works pretty well, This is the first time I had watched TFA for a year and I couldn’t remember too much from the original cut.

Specifically, adding the scene of Leia sending the girl to the other planet was good, as was the scene at
Maz’s castle with the Star Destroyer arriving rather than seeing the super weapon.

However, the problem comes with the placement of the Super weapon firing. The moment Han gets killed I did not want to be pulled away to nameless planets getting blown up. It weakens Han’s Death. Unfortunately I don’t see how much gravitas can be given to these planets. They mean nothing in the original cut and mean nothing here. It’s a shame because up until that moment the restructure was working great.

The impact of Han’s death should be played out with Chewey firing on Ren and all hell breaking loose, then cut to the destruction of the planets. Tricky because the music matches very well.

It’s a good edit, but rather than adding emphasis on the destruction of the Republic it just reduces the impact of Han dying.

Post
#878871
Topic
Suggestions for the New Forum
Time

I’ve just logged back in after a while away and obviously something has changed. I just want to say the new layout is awful. It looks like it’s been designed for children. In my account settings I’ve switched it back to the OT old skool setting but it make no difference.

What’s going on, is it going to stay like this? Navigation is a chore, it was fine before.

Post
#788178
Topic
Star Wars: Episode VII to be directed by J.J. Abrams **NON SPOILER THREAD**
Time

I'm steering clear of the spoiler thread from now on, so I thought I'd post this here.

Does anyone else think all this promo art looks appalling. It's Disney, so much money involved and yet the dreadful photoshoped posters that have been released for the toys etc just look really amateurish. It's school level photoshop skills going on here.

Also, the colours and the soft look of everything is reminding me of TPM. What's happened? Where's the quality? Getting a job in design is supposed to be difficult...

Post
#786349
Topic
Star Wars: Rogue One - * Non Spoiler Discussion Thread *
Time

If this is true it shows where their focus is. I mean, the fact that Cushing was a great actor means nothing. Rather than hire another great actor and ask the audience to go with it they just want something to look right. Fuck performance. What you will get is a computer operators approximation of a performance.

Fuck this shit. John Knoll is all over this film, it will be cgi heavy and suck ass.

Post
#785618
Topic
Drew Struzan? No thanks.
Time

One of the things I don't like about his work is that he clearly paints from photos and stills of the movie. The SE posters had weird inconsistencies in them.

Star Wars had Leia from Empire. With Empire he used a still of the Emperor from Jedi and had Darth Vader's Tie Fighter in the centre. For Jedi he reused the steps from the lightsaber duel in Empire... again. Why would he do this?

Technically he's good, but to me he's a bit conservative. The layouts are ok, especially compared to the TFA one just released. That Han Solo likeness is dodgy and the size, pose and positioning is terrible. I had hoped a newer artist would have been given a go - using traditional paint techniques etc. Struzan just ties the new film in with the SE's and Prequels.

Post
#785177
Topic
Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * <strong>SPOILER THREAD</strong> *
Time

Ryan McAvoy said:

dan76 said:

That's an awful poster, the layout would be ok but whats he got Han Solo doing there? He's shrunk, waving his gun around like an OAP. Oh, and its teal and orange. Great.

 I know right. Yuck. Teal and orange is sooooo 1977...

Yeah, it blue and orange but look at the layout, the energy. It's dynamic, mysterious, so much atmosphere. It recalls classic swashbuckling posters of old Hollywood. It also works in black and white.

The new poster is four characters, all roughly the same size just standing there (ok, Solo is acting up, angry at a bus driver or something).

Post
#784696
Topic
Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * <strong>SPOILER THREAD</strong> *
Time

I like those photos. Funny how having a set actually grey makes it look way more Star Wars than the blue tint they've added in the trailers. The whole teal and orange thing is a big fear of mine - modern colour grading sucks. It's a lost art, colourists need a hard slap.

On a related note I'm all for them shooting on film, but if every step of the post production process is digital it's going to look digital. The only advantage I can see is that film is virtually future proof in regards to 4k, 8k and whatever inevitably follows.

I haven't read the story stuff, got to stay clear of spoilers from now on.

Post
#782282
Topic
Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * <strong>SPOILER THREAD</strong> *
Time

DavidMerrick said:

I absolutely hope it doesn't look like Kershner would have shot it in the late '70s. The art of cinematography has come leaps and bounds since then...

 No it hasn't. 

But your right in that the film shouldn't be shot in a nostalgic way. It would be ok to have the occasional nod to Kurosawa though.

Post
#771737
Topic
Star Wars Episode VII, VIII, IX George Lucas original story outline, scripts, treatments or his ideas
Time

I thought Lucas had decided to make Episode 7 as a sweetener to sell the company, but when Disney became aware of it they said "no, it's ok, you don't have to make episode 7, here take our money, we will do it!" 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/01/12/george-lucas-strange-magic-movie/21624493/

Damn lucky - if he had directed another SW movie it might have killed it for good.

Post
#770145
Topic
Bonus Material You'd Like to See Released
Time

NeverarGreat said:

Akton said:

timdiggerm said:

dan76 said:

IG-88 fighting Boba Fett inside Slave 1 from Empire. Apparently they spent two days filming this.

 Wait, what? WHAT?

 I second that - WHAT?!

I read the Rinzler books cover to cover and I'm pretty damn sure I'd remember something like that if it were mentioned...

 Thirded. Where did you hear this?

 It's from an interview with Jeremy Bulloch years ago. I might have a copy of it somewhere, but off hand I can't remember which book / mag it was in.

From what I remember it was an interview done during the making of Empire and he just mentions that he's spent the last two days filming inside Slave 1 with  IG-88. I really stuck with me as obviously it's not in the film. My guess is IG-88 tries to steal Solo for himself. It might have been expanded upon in a comic at one time.

I'm on holiday at the moment but when I get home I'll have a look.

EDIT: actually it might have been an interview with Norm Reynolds... Fuck I can't remember. I read it years ago, I'm doubting the who and the where but it was said!

Post
#765368
Topic
Star Wars: Rogue One - * Non Spoiler Discussion Thread *
Time

I don't see why they wouldn't have Vader in this. He was after the plans so maybe he could have something to do with them being stolen in the first place.

As previously posted, the force isn't a big part of ANH, and at this point Vader is just a general giving orders etc. They could still have Vader and not turn it into some twirly lightsaber fest. He could just be an all evil tyrant. Bring it.

Post
#765312
Topic
Star Wars Battlefront
Time

I was set to finally pick up a PS4 for this, but no campaign has put the brakes on that. Also, the lack of any gameplay footage at this stage doesn't inspire confidence. I'm not a fan of Dice's games in general but I'm hoping they do something good with this. 

So far they've just shown themselves larking about at Lucasfilm and a graphics showreel. Big deal. 

Post
#747135
Topic
What would have made the prequels better in your opinion?
Time

The prequels should have started during the clone wars - which should've been going on for a number of years, with a much older Annakin - there were rumours of Gabriel Byrne taking the role. I thought Obi-wan and Annakin should've been in their 40's, as Alec Guiness looks about 70 in Star Wars.

They should've been epic war films, with the same Kurosawa influence running through them. Annakin should've been turned to the darkside because of the power he felt, not through a love story. The films should've had R2-D2 and C-3PO in them much like the ST, as servants who sometimes save the day and comment on things.

Complex political arguments could have still played a part, and the formation of the empire could've been shown in a much more dynamic way.

Jedi's should've been much cooler! Not a bunch of idiots running around twirling lightsabers - they're supposed to be Samurai after all. Definitely needed a Han Solo type character - could've been a woman, missed opportunity. The cynical character could've even been Annakin himself.

We all know that Annakin turns into Darth Vader, but it would have been great if it was somehow an unexpected turn of events that led to this - he takes a path that the audience would also choose. We know the ending, but getting there could have been really something amazing. Very tough to come up with that type of situation, but there you go.

Obviously they should've been looser, a few adlibs, more life in them. They should've been made for adults.

Post
#739179
Topic
Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * <strong>SPOILER THREAD</strong> *
Time

imperialscum said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

imperialscum said:

I really don't get why people put such a priority on non-CGI stuff...

It's called "personal preference". Does that finally answer your often asked question? 

Well obviously. My question was more in a sense "why would someone even have such a preference". :)

I mean hypothetically, OT with CGI would still be great while PT with real SFX would still be the same shit. That is my main point.

Because cgi always looks fake in that cgi way. Models can also look fake, but at least you have the charm of the model. You can't seriously be saying the OT would be just as good with cgi... can you?

Also, in the trailer I thought the shot of the Falcon was weak, it has the fake motion blurring that cgi never gets right - the image felt thin and light. 

I know the new film will have a lot if cgi, but at least sets gave been built and there's an effort to make things look more believable.