TFA Graflex Research (That's a Graflex, right? Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)

Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

Handy Solo said:
They could be gathering angle, speed, etc. data for sound dubbing in post. A method like that could even allow the process to be automated with a computer program.
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I'd think this is much more likely than remotely activating the blade. They could be recording gyro and accelerometer data for motion capture reasons. They'll have to rotoscope the blade in post anyway, even if it's an FX blade, and that data would make it much easier.

Now that people are noticing it, I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the many touchups that they do to the movie before release - if the antenna is ever clearly visible in frame (rather than something like this dark, quick shot that fans have overanalyzed), it will probably be painted out later.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

Okay ... I shall say this only once ... again ... during a production such as STAR WARS there are multiple lightsabers made and used ... some will be the hero which can hang via a D-ring onto a beltclip and some are used for stunt performing and practise runs . . . I know for certain that for TFA at least 7 vintage G R A F L E X flashguns have been purchased . . . so eventhough in the storyline we are made to believe it's just one and the same lightsaber from ESB to TFA used by Luke and now handled by Finn ... it not always is the same prop we see in each scene it appears. I hope this will shed some light on production used props :)

Chaim
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

Exactly, we know for a fact the hero sabers are real graflex's. The stunt versions are machined tubes, and some or all likely have electronics in the hilt. I'm sticking with the idea of them having gyros and/or accelerometers for tracking motion, and possibly a lit blade for casting light. Those don't have a d-ring, but have antennas that are "close enough" to mimicking a d-ring for distant shots.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

I wonder if the stunt saber transmits gyroscopic data of it's movements for sound effects syncing.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

James Kenobi 1138 said:
I wonder if the stunt saber transmits gyroscopic data of it's movements for sound effects syncing.
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While a neat idea, it would be completely unnecessary. It's actually quite easy to sync up the proper lightsaber sound with the movement/action while editing. I know because I've done it. It's really not that difficult or time consuming and I would image that goes triple for those that do it for a living instead of once or twice.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

ARKM said:
While a neat idea, it would be completely unnecessary. It's actually quite easy to sync up the proper lightsaber sound with the movement/action while editing. I know because I've done it. It's really not that difficult or time consuming and I would image that goes triple for those that do it for a living instead of once or twice.
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I have to think it would be useful for rotoscoping the blade. Especially for a 3d presentation.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

This is what I was suggesting. It could automate the process and speed up or simplify post production.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

There have been attempts in the past to automate rotoscoping. There are several methods that can work but each require very special circumstances in the shot in order to actually work. This makes them very impractical over the traditional method. As such, I highly doubt that is what the (possible) antennae is for. I'm more inclined to believe the theory that it is for remote activation of a light-up blade than anything else.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

Blade activation is possible. I was suggesting it was for sending data to a computer to automate the sound.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

Interesting remembrances from Roger Christian:
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a28570/star-wars-roger-christian/
The laser sword was one of the most challenging props to find. Several
attempts at mock-ups made by John Steers' SFX department had been
rejected. I knew the laser sword or light saber had the potential to
become the symbol of Star Wars, like Excalibur was to King Arthur, so it
had to look the part. And the Prop Master Frank Bruton, who had to get
everything on trucks for Tunisia for the start of filming, was hounding
me, and nothing I had found to adapt was feeling right. One day at the
camera shop we rented equipment from, I asked the owner if he had any
spare parts somewhere. And he pointed to some boxes buried deep under
the shelves and there in the box were several Graflex flashgun handles.
They were perfect, heavy, and had a red button for firing the flash. I
could not believe my luck. I used rubber T-strip as a base, which I had
also used for the Stormtroopers' Stirling sub machine guns, and I pulled
out my superglue and stuck strips along the base to form a handle grip.
Then I had found some interesting bubble strip from an old calculator
LED strip and they fit perfectly into the grip where the Graflex
attached to the camera. I placed some chrome tape over the Graflex name
and voila.
Click to expand...
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

I can think of a few reasons the antenna might be for remote activating the light-up blade:

1.) It gives the director and the guys behind the camera complete control over when the blade activates during the shot. Maybe Abrams wants the blade to come on at just the right moment during a push-in? Done.

2.) It prevents the actor from having to covertly thumb the saber on/off. Look at John Boyega's hands during the shot in the trailer when the saber comes on. There's no movement whatsoever, same as with all the other movies. Plus if the control is off-screen, the actor could focus 100% on performance and not have to remember to turn their prop on.

3.) This is a prop that Boyega et al are going to be swinging around like crazy. With no actor-accessible switch on the prop, there's no risk they'll ruin a take by accidentally switching it off!
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

AnubisGuard said:
I can think of a few reasons the antenna might be for remote activating the light-up blade:

1.) It gives the director and the guys behind the camera complete control over when the blade activates during the shot. Maybe Abrams wants the blade to come on at just the right moment during a push-in? Done.

2.) It prevents the actor from having to covertly thumb the saber on/off. Look at John Boyega's hands during the shot in the trailer when the saber comes on. There's no movement whatsoever, same as with all the other movies. Plus if the control is off-screen, the actor could focus 100% on performance and not have to remember to turn their prop on.

3.) This is a prop that Boyega et al are going to be swinging around like crazy. With no actor-accessible switch on the prop, there's no risk they'll ruin a take by accidentally switching it off!
Click to expand...

I think you're right that you don't see the actors in the other movies, turning their sabers on or off by visible hand/finger movements... except for Luke in RotJ when fighting Vader. Twice during that fight it kind looks like that while holding it in both hands, he uses the left hand to turn it off. I'm not saying that this is for sure what he is doing, only that it kinda looks like maybe he is.

 
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Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

ARKM said:
I think you're right that you don't see the actors in the other movies, turning their sabers on or off by visible hand/finger movements... except for Luke in RotJ when fighting Vader. Twice during that fight it kind looks like that while holding it in both hands, he uses the left hand to turn it off. I'm not saying that this is for sure what he is doing, only that it kinda looks like maybe he is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RFYoZ7H67A
Click to expand...

Two circumstances I found to be the cause of turning ON/Off the saber remotely and I should of mention this before:

1st. Luke vs. Vader ESB: Darth Vader uses a fencing move to disarm Luke throwing the saber down the staircase, the saber turns of while in the air, my thought was that he had to keep pressing the circuit board to have the saber ON, in which this case if it´s no longer being pressed the saber would shut down.

2nd. Luke vs. Vader ROTJ: Luke uses the force to jump to the hanging level in the emperor´s throne room, Vader throws his lightsaber at Luke but the blade remains ON, then he picks the saber up and turns it back on, so in this case the blade remained ON longer than Luke´s saber on ESB.

Those are scenes that if are somehow repeated would need a light that you could turn ON/OFF when someone does not have the saber in their hands.
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

By the way, what lightsaber is that? looks like a Luke ROTJ with red blade :wacko

 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

It's the Vader stunt with the blade coming out of the wrong end. (As I recall, they had to paint the blade on that end because the prop was facing the wrong way at the frame where the pyrotechnics went off.)
 
Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

How do you know FOR CERTAIN that genuine Graflexs were purchased? Parks has done work with LFL in the past. It would be easier and cheaper to go the Parks route. Is there a trail that someone can backtrack or is it all he said/she said kindof thing?
 
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Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

There are some members who have contact to the member ***** who is known to some of us on the bay as *********.
And as I understood in the past, he claims to have sold some Graflexes and one MPP to LFL.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited because said member wishes to stay anonymous.
 
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Re: That's a Graflex, right (Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)?

The request from Lucasfilm's production team was specifically for genuine vintage G R A FL E X and MPP flashguns for Episode VII ... no reproductions!

Chaim
 
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