Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Pre-release)

[JD]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Yes indeed, but the CG Stunt droid was being used in ROTS for normal shots also, this meant that George could place R2 anywhere in post production.....ummm....laziness

Yes, it's much easier to use a CG Artoo than a real Artoo, really lazy and much cheaper. :facepalm

I'm not sure what your reply has to do with the original comments. Other than taking potshots at Lucas and/or CG.

 

[gizmo]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

For me I don't see making the new trilogy feel like Star Wars or the OT as rocket science. The main problem is they tried hard to make the PT completely different from the OT design wise and that was thier biggest downfall.

Ben

 

[Jaitea]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Yes, it's much easier to use a CG Artoo than a real Artoo, really lazy and much cheaper. :facepalm

I'm not sure what your reply has to do with the original comments. Other than taking potshots at Lucas and/or CG.

No pot shots taken......get out of bed on the wrong side this morning?

J

 

[Bryancd]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

There's always been a practical Artoo, even the films with a digital droid had the physical thing along with it.

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTkwMjEyMDcwNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzAyNjI4NA@@._V1._SX640_SY450_.jpg

Yeah, I am aware of that but the use if the CG R2 became much more prevalent by the time of ROTS and JJ could very easy at this point go 100% CG R2 if he was so inclined but has chosen not to, at least entirely.

 

[niennumb1]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

probably because someone with common sense there decided that practical works just fine and just because they can use CG doesn't meant they should.

 

[Solo4114]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

probably because someone with common sense there decided that practical works just fine and just because they can use CG doesn't meant they should.

Let's hope we see more of that. CG can be great in certain circumstances and for certain types of things (better for mechanicals than organics), but CG is not a panacea, and frankly I find that well made, well-lit practical f/x looks more real.

 

[JD]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

No pot shots taken......get out of bed on the wrong side this morning?

If you're going to accuse George Lucas of "laziness" as you did, then it is pot shot. A criticism made without careful thought and aimed at a handy target for attack - implying that it's easier for Lucas to insert something digitally rather than include the actual thing is just not correct. Now, if might it be "lazy" to insert a digital Artoo than reshoot an entire scene because Lucas decided he wanted Artoo in a different position - perhaps, but the logistics and George's whims are different things and neither are really "lazy."

Yeah, I am aware of that but the use if the CG R2 became much more prevalent by the time of ROTS and JJ could very easy at this point go 100% CG R2 if he was so inclined but has chosen not to, at least entirely.

Sigh. Your original statement: "And nice to see them get back to a practical effect R2. A very good start" indicates the opposite. All three prequels had digital Artoo's and you can bet JJ's will too.

 

[Bryancd]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I wasn't attempting to indicate that at all but can understand the confusion. Sigh . Regardless, although he certainly will likely utilize CGI, it's entirely possible that R2 could be realized only as a practical effect as I don't see JJ taking so many liberties with R2's abilities. At least I hope not.

 

[Riceball]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Let's hope we see more of that. CG can be great in certain circumstances and for certain types of things (better for mechanicals than organics), but CG is not a panacea, and frankly I find that well made, well-lit practical f/x looks more real.

Let's hope we see more of that. CG can be great in certain circumstances and for certain types of things (better for mechanicals than organics), but CG is not a panacea, and frankly I find that well made, well-lit practical f/x looks more real.

I think that's a very broad generalization, well done CG can be every bit as good as practical effects and bad practical effects are every bit as bad as bad CG. The other thing to remember is that some of the things that we like to complain about Lucas doing like digital sets isn't really all that different from what he did in the OT just on a bigger scale, back when he did the OT there was a lot of use of matte painting to extend sets and, in some cases, largely replace sets. Granted that back then there were no sets that were nothing but green screen but if you look at the old ILM book that details their history from start to the very early CG days you'll see that a lot of sets from both the OT & Indy were largely matte paintings.

To me the weak spot in all effects work, both practical & CG, is in compositing, a bad comp job ruins everything. Most CG isn't really all that bad, the reason why it sometimes seem to look bad is because of the poor compositing job done, there's no drop shadow, the lighting doesn't match, etc. Star Wars got away with it because most of the comp work was done in the space scenes with few to no live action plates to match but look "The Last Crusade" and think how lousy the comp job in that fighter plane sequence and that was all practical, pre-CG.

 

[Jaitea]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

If you're going to accuse George Lucas of "laziness" as you did, then it is pot shot. A criticism made without careful thought and aimed at a handy target for attack - implying that it's easier for Lucas to insert something digitally rather than include the actual thing is just not correct. Now, if might it be "lazy" to insert a digital Artoo than reshoot an entire scene because Lucas decided he wanted Artoo in a different position - perhaps, but the logistics and George's whims are different things and neither are really "lazy."

Sigh. Your original statement: "And nice to see them get back to a practical effect R2. A very good start" indicates the opposite. All three prequels had digital Artoo's and you can bet JJ's will too.

LOL

J

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I still think that the current film crew will do the same as Lucas did. I think Lucas may have gone for CG because it was easier a lot of the time, but it still will come down to cost. If a scene is easier to do CGI than a model or set, they will go CGI. I have no problem if they do some scenes with R2 as CG. It's obviously easier to have him fly (if they did that again), or even go up/down stairs as a CG R2. It's easy for them, ahead of time, to make claims of going back to how the OT was filmed, but it's another thing to have to deal with the problems they had (malfunctioning droids for one). I'm guessing time/cost will be the ultimate deciding factor on how they do things.

 

[Paul Andrew]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I'm guessing time/cost will be the ultimate deciding factor on how they do things.

That's usually what it all comes down to anyway, right?

 

[Bryancd]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I still think that the current film crew will do the same as Lucas did. I think Lucas may have gone for CG because it was easier a lot of the time, but it still will come down to cost. If a scene is easier to do CGI than a model or set, they will go CGI. I have no problem if they do some scenes with R2 as CG. It's obviously easier to have him fly (if they did that again), or even go up/down stairs as a CG R2. It's easy for them, ahead of time, to make claims of going back to how the OT was filmed, but it's another thing to have to deal with the problems they had (malfunctioning droids for one). I'm guessing time/cost will be the ultimate deciding factor on how they do things.

For sure, but in regards to what we are sort of saying about R2, GL used a CGI R2 too realize a vision of R2 as action hero, flying around and such. So he went all in, so to speak. One could hope/speculate that JJ will demonstrate a modicum of restraint in regards to the "character" to be more inline with the OT which would lead us to a practical R2.

 

[robn1]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

That's usually what it all comes down to anyway, right?

I think it's more of a fad. CGI was the latest and "greatest" thing, so Hollyweird went all in on it. They pushed the new buzz word tech, and it was used in films that would have been better served by practical effects. Lucas was the worst offender, he wouldn't even allow a study model to be made for the clonetroopers even though the CGI artists asked for one. Yes the PT had a LOT of models, more than the OT. But there was a LOT of CGI effects that should have been practical.

 

[seelsa73]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Lucas was the worst offender

And the first.

 

[rodneyfaile]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Just my opinion, but it seems Lucas wanted to reach a point where an entire movie could be made in photo realistic cgi and eliminate everything practical, sets and even actors.
Ironic considering all those things are what people love most about the original Star Wars.

 

[robstyle]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

technology has moved forward at an unthought of speed compared to where we were when the OT was made. Builders did a damn fine job on the OG R2, so damn good the thing still exists and was used in the PT. They had a short time frame to make that droid do what was needed where the R2 builders have had the decades since to perfect it based on present technology.
The same goes with the new films. Its just a question of time vs money from here on out.

 

[The Terminator]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Just my opinion, but it seems Lucas wanted to reach a point where an entire movie could be made in photo realistic cgi and eliminate everything practical, sets and even actors.
Ironic considering all those things are what people love most about the original Star Wars.

I thought for sure we would eventually remake the whole OT using performance capture technology, but then he went and sold the whole franchise :wacko

 

[Darth Lars]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

Hmm... I think that Lucasfilm using R2 Builders' (and the RL and 501'st like they did for the Star Tours II) could give people (who don' t know better) the impression that they are a bit cheap ...

 

[robstyle]

Re: Star Wars Episode VII

I get that was a joke but before some hard head chimes in that doesnt comprehend that, its not "cheap" its smart. You dont just hire any yahoo off the street to run a bank teller window or tune up a city bus. You hire the people with knowledge and understanding with prior experience. They have done this for many years hiring people as actual suit performers, film and tv work and private functions. Its good to see they are doing the same now.