EFX TIE Interceptor

[Jedi Dade]

Hey everyone,

I pop into these threads from time to time, mostly with factual information about our products, what they are, when they're coming or to answer specific questions when and where I can. I've never gotten involved in arguments, nor do I answer the often harsh criticisms some folks like to level against our company and our products.

I am personally friendly with a small handful of people on this board. We chat occasionally and they hear my views and opinions about some of the projects going on here. I have been asked my opinion about a certain Slave One project many times. Usually the question is related to how I feel about it when it is a subject which eFX plans to release.

My view has always been the same. I can't stop anyone from making and selling their own version, nor do I want to. Scratch building is where I started in modeling myself and it remains a passion for me. There are a huge number of talented and passionate folks here on this board whose work I admire and fortunately eFX been able to recruit some of them to help us. We all share that same passion.

eFX took a license with Lucasfilm and that grants us direct access to the models and photographic library in the archives. As a builder there is only so far you can go to get a shape right from orthographic photographs, even when they exist. Since eFX is lucky enough to scan, measure and photograph the original models (and in the case of Slave One have access to the original wooden plug used to form the body), it gives us a distinct advantage in accuracy and removes a lot of the guesswork from the equation.

Tim Ketzer, a modeler whose work I greatly admire, started building a Slave One many years ago that he was convinced, at the time, was accurate. When he found the shape wasn't as accurate as he at first thought he put it to one side and started over. If Tim had the plug or the scan data from the model he could have saved himself a great deal of guess work. Frank and Moe similarly built incredible replicas of the Falcon, but when they worked on the MR one they learned a lot more about the bird. You can't beat hands on.

Richard and Lee are immensely talented artists. There's no doubting that. I believe your model will reflect the high standard of your abilities and the enormous work they've put into it. I believe people will snatch your version up and love it. I also believe our Slave One will be incredible and worth the wait when we bring it to market. I hope folks will love ours and it'll sell out. Best of both worlds.

With regard to our choice of the TIE Interceptor as our next release... There are other subjects on the way that we haven't told you about yet . Given the economic climate we carefully selected smaller subjects which people can more readily afford. Slave One was to have been released this year but is a large and expensive model so we moved it out. Since we only tackle models we can reference in the archives Vader's TIE which was also a contender for this year is out on tour and so we were unable to scan. It will be released but ONLY when we can reference it.

As to the subjects we choose THESE are ultimately decided by our customers. We listen to what people want and try to give it to them, if at all possible.

Sorry for the long winded post.

Barry

Long winded Post... C'mon... Everytime you pipe in on these boards is an awesome look into the inner workings of a comapny that is suffering from the same affliction as the rest of us - Awesome Replicas! Its a GREAT thing to have you guys frequent these boards. Although I have had minor conversations with you in the past I doubt I'd be considered in the inner sanctum of the people you "hang with" on the boards so its ALWAYS welcome to hear your views and insights into what's coming up, why etc.

As for the Slave - the version that is being created here is an awesome piece of work. Is it 100% accurate? To that I'll reply -is any replica 100% accurate? No... but its darn close and really thats the best any of us in this hobby can hope for... even if it comes from eFX with laser scans of the original... Closer is the best we can really acheive.

All that being said, I'm extremely happy that a company with the same passion as "us" us making these replicas. And while they may not be "perfect' (a very relative term really) They are close... VERY close.

I'm also heartened to hear that you're going for slightly less expensive subjects... while I'd love a Slave - I honestly probably could not afford it at the moment... a good priced TIE, even if its not my favorite TIE is a great choice...

Jedi Dade - ending my own long winded post

 

[ralphee]

I have to ask the question, would folks here, really pay money for a Slave One, scanned from the ILM plugs?...do any of you even realise, how off those plugs and forms are?
Laser scanning, is all well and good, but its done the X wing no favors IMO, and to scan S1.....that'll be a hoot, as, unless its scanned, then completely idealised in making it a symmetrical shape,it will still be, totally innaccurate!
I reckon there are very few here, purists aside, that would really go for the wonky hulls of Slave, or the mis shaped form of the Rebel Transport for instance.

JD, you are right, no replica is 100% accurate...and eFX's S1, will be just as equal to the replicas we see here on this very board....i dont care how much hands on you have!

lee

 

[REL]

That's true, and it's something we discussed about ours. If one is going to make a truly accurate Slave, it has to be unsymmetrical and wonky, anything else and it's not accurate.

That's where ours is inaccurate, it's perfectly symmetrical.

 

[RKW]

You guys want some more cheese with that wine?

You must have an orchard full by now!

 

[REL]

You guys want some more cheese with that wine?

You must have an orchard full by now!

Hahaha, very creative. Congratulations on that witty drive by.

 

[mverta]

Sometimes I think it's awfully gracious of the official license holders not to call down the thunder on some of you guys, Fred-Barton style.


_Mike

 

[REL]

Sometimes I think it's awfully gracious of the official license holders not to call down the thunder on some of you guys, Fred-Barton style.


_Mike

Why? Because we took it personally when our work was insulted, deemed inaccurate because we don't have access to the original? Yet, their first studio scale offering is less accurate than a certain garage kit out there.

In all reality, it's pretty much impossible to make something 100% accurate to an original, so there's really no point in arguing about it or making claims that one is better than the other. Even the original builders probably couldn't replicate something they made 30 years ago again exactly.

Also, most of the licensed stuff is made from the knowledge of unlicensed garage kit makers.

And with all due respect; I've never seen you back down on this board when someone insults you, so don't expect that of others.

 

[mverta]

And with all due respect; I've never seen you back down on this board when someone insults you, so don't expect that of others.

I can only remember feeling legitimately insulted on this board once; I think you may be grossly overestimating the value I place on others' opinions.


That being said, there is nothing beyond face value to what I said - you guys like beating the hornet's nest, that's all, and it could so easily wind up poorly for you. Just an observation. Believe me, I understand the full scope of rationalizations given for just about everything on this forum.


_Mike

 

[REL]

Well if I'm shut down over comments on a message board by a licensed company; it will allow me to partake in my true calling, cake decorating.

So it's not all bad.

 

[mverta]

Was that supposed to be funny, because it was! I don't know why I found that so funny, but I dug it. Thaz great...


_Mike

 

[Master Boda]

I have to ask the question, would folks here, really pay money for a Slave One, scanned from the ILM plugs?..

lee

I would say no I would rather have a Slave 1 made by Rel that eFX.I know with the x-wing they took some liberty's,imo most custom anything's are almost more accurate they do it for the love and licensed do it for $$.That and I know GL does not want "thing's" to be accurate he's scared it might take away from the orginal.:rolleyes

 

[mverta]

That and I know GL does not want "thing's" to be accurate he's scared it might take away from the orginal.:rolleyes

You should stop repeating that bull****. There's not a microgram of truth to that statement. "I know..." ? You do not know this in any way, and it's not the case. Licensees have a billion things working against them when they do these projects, but LFL policing them to make sure they're not "too accurate" is absolutely not one of them. Let's put that to rest.


_Mike

 

[Master Boda]

It's not BS talk to people who worked on the ROTJ Luke saber they had to change some thing's that and I know some of it was because if insurence reason's there could not be sharp edges etc..Dude whatever think what you will.

 

[mverta]

.. ; T ; -' of insurance -'s - . , T

Sorry, kid. Had to.



_Mike

 

[RKW]

Where exactly are these public insults to the Slave 1 project posted?

Have you guys honestly never ridiculed another members work before in private?

 

[mverta]

They were upset because someone called their Slave 1 body inaccurate. Then they agreed it was inaccurate because they didn't have access to the original.

The "someone" was Barry from eFX, who then came to the thread and said he was the one who called their Slave 1 body inaccurate, because they didn't have access to the original. He was not insulting about it; in fact, quite the opposite. As a builder himself, he knows you can only go so far studying photographs.

But you will notice nobody's in disagreement here about the statement. Neither side argues the accuracy or inaccuracy. So what you're left with is the "offendees" saying, "Yes, it's inaccurate and we know it. We just don't like it when somebody actually says it. Unless it's us." (Apparently.)


I've not missed any pertinent facts that I'm aware of, so I've chalked this up to experience #1,629,853 on this forum where people shoot themselves in the foot because ego is more important than professionalism.

There are a disproportionally high percentage of legitimate experts in this hobby who have such odious personalities, nobody wants to work with them anyway. Who cares how much they know? Plenty of vendors would rather have inaccurate product than have to deal with the narcissism and petty behavior of a lot of people who would otherwise eat thier own testicles to work on these projects, and never will. And that's the fact, Jack.





_Mike

 

[REL]

No, it's the fact that someone says something is inaccurate because we don't have access to the original...then they themselves are unable to reproduce a replica accurately, even when they have access to said originals.

And so far I've yet to see any mass produced replica come close to what fans without access to original reference and props are able to produce.

It was the irony of it all that rubbed us the wrong way. Otherwise we wouldn't have thought a thing about it and none of this would have come to light, as all of us critique each other's work without any of these disputes showing themselves.

Now you may say we're whining, or complaining, or crying about it. But if someone has an original prop and the full access of the studio material saying a fan's work is wrong, and they can't do any better, then lets see how that would make you feel.

 

[mverta]

No, it's the fact that someone says something is inaccurate because we don't have access to the original...then they themselves are unable to reproduce a replica accurately, even when they have access to said originals.

Oh yes, the tragedy of it is so compelling. What's this? Like, you're upset on behalf of the common good?! Has nothing to do with the fact that you're doing a Slave 1? Are you kidding with this...?

Come on, man. Just stop. You've already said you were bitter because you asked for the inside reference and didn't get it, so let's stop pretending that's not the axe you're grinding. You're good model makers, you had the kit parts, you had the ability, you didn't have the access. They have the access and - before anything's been done, I might point out - you've already called their future product inaccurate, conveniently acknowledging or dismissing the realities of mass production as it suits you. If they'd shared the references and brought you on board, none of this would be happening, so you can stop with the Great Unrealized Potential bit.

The thing for you to be spending your energy on, I might humbly suggest, is examining why nobody wanted you on board the project in the first place. I get asked to help all the time, and do. Other "experts" get asked all the time, too. The ones who are good at the job, and good people. Fun people. Nice people to work with. Beyond being good at what they do, they don't pull these sorts of childish antics on forums.

Sorry, but that's the cold, stark, grim, brutal truth of it. You can choose to play it differently any time you like. There are lots of projects, vendors, and amazing opportunities coming down the line. The choice is: do I want to be the tiniest little king of "x" on the tiniest little corner of cyberspace in the universe, or do I want to put my hands on the Falcon, take measurements and photos of her, and have all the inside information I could possibly ask for?


I know what MY choice was....



_Mike

 

[REL]

I don't know why this has resorted to personal attacks, but all I can say is I have no interest in being king of a message board, or am I really bitter about any of it. I just thought the irony of it was annoying, to say the least.

I'm not the one that's complaining about the Slave, and I'm definitely not the one that fired the first shot.

As for not being asked to help on this project. What do I know about it? Nothing. I don't know anything about identifying kit parts, or the history of the ships themselves, so I don't see what possible help I could have provided them.

You mentioned experts, well I'm not one. I only provided the general labor in this project, based on everyone else's research.

I'm just the ditch digger of the operation, and those are a dime a dozen.

 

[mverta]

Oh, so humble. Come on, your work is phenomenal and everyone knows it. That's not the issue.


_Mike