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Author	Topic: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
DaftMaul Title: Former TFN Fan Films Staff Registered: Feb '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 2:08am Subject: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS - Date Edited: 11/10/05 5:13pm (6 edits total) Edited By: DorkmanScott
	For the new and improved revision of this thread, please go here. Welcome to TheForce.Net’s Fan Films Forum. Let’s cut straight to the chase. You’re here because you have discovered that you (yes YOU) have within your grasp the ability to create a Star Wars-based film complete with compelling dialogue, exotic locales, and dynamic characters. That being said, you don’t really care about any of that. You just wanna know about the lightsabers. And while this thread has a great deal of that information, lets get real. You clicked this link because it said LIGHTSABER, and now you want to know. So let’s get to it: EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT LIGHTSABERS AND HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN UNAFRAID TO ASK Section I: The Effect How do I make lightsabers on a home video I’ve shot? Probably the #1 question on this board after “When is (fill in the blank) coming out?” i. Capturing Well, the first thing you need to be able to do is get your footage into your computer. If you have an analog camcorder (the kind with the big VHS tapes), you are going to need a capture card. These cards run anywhere from $150--$1200 depending on the model and how robust they are. If you have a DV or miniDV (DV = Digital Video) camera, you will need a Firewire port on your computer. Firewire is the trademark name of the Apple Computer corporation for the IEEE-1394 data transfer standard, also called i.Link by Sony; however, like “Xerox,” “Kleenex,” “Band-Aid” and a handful of other such terms, Firewire has come to be used almost universally as the generic term for the transfer standard. Apple Firewire and most desktop PCs use the 6-pin Firewire port standard; Sonys and many digital camcorders use a smaller, 4-pin standard. It is up to you to figure out what you have. If you do NOT have Firewire but DO have a digital camera, purchase a PCI Firewire card for your computer. With your capture card will likely be packaged capturing software. You will need to read the manuals to figure out how exactly they work to get footage onto your computer. Now the footage is on your computer and we can begin. ii. Rotoscoping and Tutorials There are many different methods for the creation of the lightsaber glow on a video file, most of which employ a process called rotoscoping. The rotoscope is a device, patented by animator Max Fleischer in 1917, to project live-action footage, one frame at a time, onto an animator’s drawing board; the style that resulted from this process became the trademark Fleischer Studios animation style. Like Kleenex and Firewire, “rotoscoping” has come to mean any frame-by-frame alteration to footage, although the actual rotoscope device has since been abandoned in favor of computer workstations. Don’t let the way it is used on this board convince you that it applies only to the creation of lightsabers. The most popular programs for this process on video are as follows: Adobe AfterEffects (AE): By far the most popular method to date in Adobe AfterEffects is the one developed by Ryan_W and Link64PD, which you can find here. A lesser-known, somewhat older tutorial by Maul316 can be found at this site. It requires the glow plugin in the AE production bundle, which not everyone is likely to have, but the first part that describes the mask-creation process is invaluable, as the method above has great glows, but skims over the roto process a little too fast for some people to understand. Also available is a tutorial by Crew of Two, makers of Duality. Their recipe requires Commotion, but a combination of these three methods should yield some impressive results. Adobe Photoshop (PS; in conjunction with Adobe Premiere): Although Photoshop was developed more for single images, it can work with filmstrip files (which can be exported only from AE or Premiere) or TIFF sequences (numbered sequences of frames in separate full-resolution files). One of the oldest tutorials available, and still getting good results, is the tutorial developed by Darel Finley, of Matrix Jedi fame. (NOTE: His tutorial shows the filmstrip running horizontally, but by default in most versions of Photoshop the filmstrip will be displayed vertically; 35mm instead of VistaVision. ) The tutorial that preceded his groundbreaking AE method, Ryan_W’s Photoshop tutorial (the second one down the page) was the first to use the Gaussian Blur/color balance method of creating a glow, and when used in conjunction with the aforementioned filmstrips or TIFF sequences, can create some formidable effects. Also a possibility is the Lightsaber Ignition Action (LIA+). Designed mainly for still frames, it is more difficult to get a good video clip of the effect with this method, though not impossible. Ulead MediaStudio Pro: Used by the original Saber Master, Clay Kronke, Ulead is a powerful editing package capable of producing stunning effects. Check out his tutorial, which is probably the closest thing possible to computerized rotoscoping. All these methods/tutorials expect a certain degree of familiarity with the program at hand, so make sure and at least skim the manual. Also, to fairly represent some of the various possibilities: AlamDV: While many dislike this program, the price is right for a fan filmmaker’s budget, and in the hands of a good artist some pretty nice results can come of it. Check out their site for more info. Shake: Here is a tutorial on this. Do I really have to do this thing frame-by-frame? Yes. If you want good results, there’s no way around it. Some of the abovementioned programs like AE and Commotion support keyframing, in which the computer calculates motion between frames, but often the very precise calculation does not match the less precise organic motion of the clip and requires adjustment. There have been talks of writing a computer program to identify a color in the scene and make it glow automatically, but this idea is fraught with practical issues. A fast-moving saber will blur a great deal, becoming more transparent and thus, essentially, almost a different color. There are a number of other problems as well that make this a nice dream, but an impractical one for good results. I don’t have enough money for these programs. What should I do? If you are a student, you can find academic discounts all over the web, at such sites as: Creation Engine Academic Superstore JourneyEd And others. What about the flashes when two lightsabers hit together? There is some confusion on this board as to what is the appropriate “reaction” for lightsabers to have when they come in contact with each other. Many people say “don’t use lens flares”, but that’s not completely accurate. More accurate would be, “Don’t use lens flares with artifacts”. A digital lens flare is made up of two parts: the bright flash, and those colored circles at funny positions. Those circles are artifacts, and they are designed to simulate the effect of a bright light bouncing around the lens array of a camera. These are bad for lightsaber clashes because they call far too much attention to themselves. If you can make the flash without the lens flares, that is best and most film-accurate. One option is to purchase Knoll Light Factory. Designed by John Knoll—who also designed Adobe Photoshop and worked as a visual effects supervisor on the two Star Wars prequels, it’s a safe bet that this is a good program. Available for download is also Knoll Light Factory LE, a version with less available features. A less expensive alternative is Axion Lens Flare 2.0, a Photoshop plugin. While not available for AE, it has a preset flare (sun1.ins) comparable to the canon Star Wars flashes, and is only $32 at the time of this writing. A lightsaber method can also be adjusted to create a two- or three-frame flash. What color should my lightsaber be? According to George Lucas, the only lightsaber colors that exist are green, blue, red, and by special request of Samuel L. Jackson, purple. However, the extended universe novels and comics, not to mention numerous fan films, support the viewpoint of “if you can dream it, you can have it.” So if you can figure out the logistics of a rainbow-gradient lightsaber (and, hopefully, a reason for such an atrocity), have at it. The decision of lightsaber color is really a personal one, and possibly one used to express something about the character. Obviously, Sith and red are practically synonymous. Red is an angry, aggressive, and color. There’s a reason Sith dress in black and have red lightsabers – they are unconscious cues to the audience about their personalities and mindsets. If you break this seemingly cliché but really very sensible rule of thumb, you should have a reason for it. To continue with a bit of color theory, blue is a calmer, more soothing color. Often nighttime on film is simulated with a blue filter on the image, as is a cold environment. Logically, one who uses blue would be unconsciously associated with calm, wisdom, and patience. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule; in the Star Wars world, very often blue is the color of an apprentice, like Obi-Wan in Episode I and Anakin in Episode II. Exar Kun also wielded a blue lightsaber, even after his turn to the dark side, highlighting the contrast between who he used to be and who he became. On the color wheel, green is the complement to red. As such, the strongest opponents to a Sith Lord are often shown wielding a green lightsaber. It is also a more vibrant, one might say “wild” color than blue. It lends a feeling of unpredictability as well: notice that Anakin in Episode II changed from a blue lightsaber to wielding a green one when he got more out on his own. While not his own decision, the filmmakers helped highlight his slide to uncontrollability. According to Owen Demers in Chapter 3 of Digital Texturing and Painting: “Violet [aka purple], the most exotic color, has long represented royalty…subliminally it can represent wealth, both monetarily and spiritually…it is mystical and meditative” [Demers 114]. I quote this because I could not better summarize the connotation it gave to the character of Mace Windu. Before choosing another color, I would suggest considering the character illumination (no pun intended) offered in these four basic colors. Most characters can be subtly enhanced quite well out of these seemingly limited but very well-chosen colors. Section II: The Prop How long are lightsabers? The average two-handed lightsaber is 11 to 12 inches long. Depending on possible different styles, such as a one-handed Chinese-influenced style, or a power-move kendo style, you may want a longer or shorter handle. Double-bladed lightsabers range from only slightly longer than a single-bladed lightsaber (Exar Kun, who built the first recorded double lightsaber, had one only about 14” long) to a longer handle which allows for greater control of the second blade (Darth Maul’s lightsaber was 22” long). The energy blade of a lightsaber is, according to novelizations, a meter long. (For the Imperialists, that’s a little over three feet.) However, the EU supports the idea that length and intensity of a lightsaber blade can be varied. In “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye”, Luke adjusts his lightsaber to act as a lockpick, complete with short, small blade emission. (Qui-Gon completely negated the necessity for any such trick with his Phantom Menace can opener trick.) On the other end of the extreme is the dual-phase lightsaber, used by Gantoris (one of Luke’s first students at the new Jedi Academy) and later, Kyle Katarn. The dual phase lightsaber is like a normal lightsaber, but the handle twists in such a way that realigns the lightsaber focusing crystals, causing the blade to double in length and, as a by-product, change color. To date, a dual-phase lightsaber has not been utilized in any film, fan or official. How do I make a lightsaber? In the official films, particularly the prequels, there are at least two sets of lightsabers fabricated. The ones seen hanging on the actors’ belts are referred to as beauty props. In the prequels, these are custom-machined from aluminum by qualified machinists. In the original trilogy (with the exception of Luke’s lightsaber in Return of the Jedi, which was machined), lightsabers were cobbled together from various found parts. Luke’s lightsaber in the first two films was made of the base of a Graflex 3-cell flash gun, a photography tool. A cheap solution at the time, nowadays you would be hard pressed to find one of these for less than $1000. The ones used in fight scenes are known as the stunt props. In the original trilogy, these were duplicates of the beauty props (though less refined and detailed) with lightweight carbon-fiber rods secured in them for fighting. In the prequels, the stunt sabers are resin duplicates of the beauty props with cores of 5/8” stainless steel rods that extend approximately 6 inches out of the emitter. Secured to these are 3/4” aluminum tubes, painted bright green or orange/red, depending on the background, and wrapped in heat-shrink to keep the paint from chipping off. Most fan films use anything available as a lightsaber prop. It depends on your budget and skills. Check out the Costuming and Props forum for more information (and do some looking before you post any questions there). The favorite of fan films is the _” wooden dowel. Sturdy, medium weight, and very cheap. Paint them bright colors and screw them into a plumbing tube and you’ve got yourself a stunt prop. A couple more sites for your lightsaber building needs: The Big Yellow Box: Showcasing eight custom designs (as of this writing), and tutorials for how to build them from things you can pick up at a hardware store (which earns them the name hardware, as opposed to machined, sabers), one of the most popular lightsaber-construction sites on the internet. Also an old favorite, the aptly named Build Your Own Lightsaber One I’m new to but seems to be fairly recently updated is Lightsaber Building Hints For more information, do a Google search for custom lightsaber or lightsaber construction. Theoretically, how do lightsabers work? Does it really matter? No. So don’t worry about it. But if you MUST know, check out STAR WARS: Lightsabres for a pretty comprehensive rundown. And if you want to go borderline-Trekkie, check out The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos. Everything from lightsabers to hyperdrive is (theoretically) analyzed. How should I design lightsabers? If you want a custom design, you should check out existing designs for information. Luukesabers has put together a fairly comprehensive collection of images of existing lightsabers used in the films and EU. Pretty high quality stuff, too. Also take a look at what others are doing. Some nice sites are Kal Joren’s Jedi Academy, and also Obi-Wan’s Jedi Academy (almost like late night TV, everyone’s running a school). Where can I buy a lightsaber? This is sticky. Parksabers is the most popular, and has some great designs. There is also Ravensmoon Replicas, with both Star Wars and traditional medieval weapons and garb available for purchase. For replicas of the movie props, none of the vendors can be directly linked to, for copyright reasons. Check out such sites as the Replica Props Forum and the previously mentioned Costuming and Props board for more information. Section III: The Fight How should I choreograph a lightsaber fight? Best idea is to get a professional martial artist, or someone with some weapons experience, to help you train with and properly utilize a sword and sword-like weapons. You should also understand that most fights are not just fights, but stories, with a beginning, middle, and end. Just as you would never fight someone just for the hell of it, your characters should never fight unless something is actually at stake. Also, concentrate on a style for each of your characters. Each person should have his or her own unique style that helps to further illuminate that person’s character, whether it be aggressive, reserved, or otherwise. For a great rundown on the psychology of the warrior and of swordfighting in general, check out Shimmering Sword by Nick Jamilla. Despite a few editorial issues you English majors out there may catch, the book is a great tool for understanding modern, ancient, and futuristic swordplay. Other Recommended Reading Since I know I’ve got your attention, do me a favor and consult the Newcomer’s Thread, and the Tutorials Thread before you ask any questions on the board. I can practically guarantee you the big question you have that you can’t imagine has ever been asked before, has been asked a hundred times and more, and answered completely somewhere in one of these threads. Just do a little digging before you decide to ask it again. The other members will appreciate it greatly. And remember: Google is your friend. Once again, welcome to the forum! I look forward to watching your film! Dorkman Scott -----signature----- DARK SKIES : http://www.darkskies.info STORM AHEAD : http://www.stormahead.com Europe 15.5 - U.S.A 12.5 Europe 12.5 - U.S.A 11.5 Europe 17.5 - U.S.A 10.5
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DaftMaul Title: Former TFN Fan Films Staff Registered: Feb '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 2:09am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS - Date Edited: 11/19/02 2:10am (1 edits total) Edited By: DaftMaul
	The above information was entirely created and provided by Dorkman Scott. This is a great reference guide, and a REALLY positive way to deal with the myriad of questions posted by people asking the same things. I will put it in the tutorial section soon. Nice one Dorkman -----signature----- DARK SKIES : http://www.darkskies.info STORM AHEAD : http://www.stormahead.com Europe 15.5 - U.S.A 12.5 Europe 12.5 - U.S.A 11.5 Europe 17.5 - U.S.A 10.5
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tumblemoster Registered: Dec '00	Date Posted: 11/19/02 2:41am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	Fantastic! I've always wanted to know how to do that! -tm -----signature----- TediousTumblemonster™©, The bane of TFN Superheroes everywhere... Professional Wire rigging and Stunt Coordination: http://www.tumblemonster.com http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1984394/
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PadawanNick Registered: Jun '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 2:57am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS - Date Edited: 11/19/02 2:59am (1 edits total) Edited By: PadawanNick
	Great jobs guys! Absolutely fantastic! Just a couple links to add... Software examples of glowing blades: To see the results several people achieved with various software, check out TFN's Saber Results page. Buying a saber: Don't forget about the licenced (and pricy) Master Replicas Fight Choreography: Thoughts Staged Combat (complete with video guides) Tumblemonster and LoganSaj Choreography Discussion Stage Combat 101 For additional ideas, check out Learning to Swordfight in the props forum. Have fun!
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JEDIBYKNIGHT Registered: Jan '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 4:46am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS - Date Edited: 11/19/02 4:48am (1 edits total) Edited By: JEDIBYKNIGHT
	Wow. I hadn't even noticed this one until I checked every thread. Nice addition.
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MasterZap Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 11/19/02 4:56am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	Nice Daft, only one problem. You phrased it "HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABRES" and that could be interpreted as a QUESTION. So the Newbies will still litter the forum with that question, thinking they are just adding one in the bunch. Forsure. Yeah. /Z -----signature----- mental ray Tips blog - http://www.mentalraytips.com ZapTroNic Visuals - http://www.ZapTroNic.com Oldschool Homepage - http://www.Master-Zap.com FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER - http://twitter.com/masterzap
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MaxVeers Title: TFN FanFilms Staff Manager Emeritus Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 11/19/02 8:57am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	Way to go, Scott (and Daft). This was a great idea. -----signature----- Kurt Luther TheForce.Net FanFilms http://www.theforce.net/fanfilms/
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Lone_Padawan Registered: Apr '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 9:48am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	I predict within a few months the entire forums will be made up of sticky topics. How to make 3d spaceships, how to do bluescreen etc So what if we have a perfectly good tutorials section- why would newbies want to read it... Ah well very good apart from the fact axogon is not mentioned. -----signature----- 5 exclamation marks. A sure sign of someone with their underwear on their head. Don't you brit's have a sense of humour? -We do if somethings funny sir. , your life does flash before your eyes before you die. The process is called living
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el_director Registered: Oct '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 10:19am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	I predict within a few months the entire forums will be made up of sticky topics. How to make 3d spaceships, how to do bluescreen etc So what if we have a perfectly good tutorials section- why would newbies want to read it... The way I see it, newbies (as we all once were) are always going to post first and search later. What are the mods supposed to do, kick them off for asking dumb questions? Of course they should look around for themselves, but they aren't and a solution is necessary! Great idea Daft, this is going to cut out at least 5% of all closed threads. -----signature----- "We're on a mission from God."-Elwood Blues Spoof Wars is now online. Download it! http://www.geocities.com/el_chancellor
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Sage_Halcyon Title: Former FanForce CR Enterprise, AL USA Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 11/19/02 10:20am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	This is PERFECT! Congrats to all who had a part. We really, really, really, really, needed this... Sage H. -----signature----- HMHFilms---"We think in Widescreen." Thank God Sage knows what he is talking about. --- beafet http://www.sabercomp.com Hooray violence! That's Hispanic temper for you folks. ---ObiJuan2080
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VoijaRisa Registered: Oct '02	Date Posted: 11/19/02 10:33am Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	Just as some further reference material I've got on my site. Constructing lightsabers Choreographing a Lightsaber Duel Links to many other costuming and props pages Hope that helps. -----signature----- "They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance." ~Terry Pratchett
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althegreat Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 11/19/02 1:31pm Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	Niiiiice! Unfortunately, it has come to late to stop me from posting my newbie threads. Oh yeah: Daft, under the section labeled Theoretically, how do sabers work? you need to fix your markup code for the link. Not that i read the whole thing, just skimmed. -----signature----- Live and learn and then don't get JVC cameras
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ultimateguy Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 11/19/02 1:38pm Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	"To date, a dual-phase lightsaber has not been utilized in any film, fan or official." Just to point something out, my fanfilm uses a dual-phase lightsaber. It will be out very soon. -----signature----- Did you know that the derivative of the inverse hyperbolic tangent of the sine of x is equal to the secant of x? Moleculo! The molecular man!
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Neszis Registered: May '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 2:46pm Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	Light...saber? ~Neszis~ -----signature----- http://www.plpfilms.com
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Oreckel Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 11/19/02 2:56pm Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS - Date Edited: 11/19/02 3:52pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Oreckel
	Dual-Phase Saber? What's that? Terriffic Daft, thank you. -----signature----- I think every young boy with serious aspirations should be entitled to a complimentary XL-2. Canon didn't agree with me, though. = = = = = = = = = = Personal homepage and online portfolio: http://www.allenellis.com
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DaftMaul Title: Former TFN Fan Films Staff Registered: Feb '01	Date Posted: 11/19/02 4:38pm Subject: RE: HOW TO MAKE LIGHTSABERS
	Thanks for the thankyous guys, but please understand I did absolutely nothing here, it was all Dorkman Scott's idea and hard work. My part? I copied and pasted his word file into a sticky topic:) -----signature----- DARK SKIES : http://www.darkskies.info STORM AHEAD : http://www.stormahead.com Europe 15.5 - U.S.A 12.5 Europe 12.5 - U.S.A 11.5 Europe 17.5 - U.S.A 10.5
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