main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

STAR WARS CHRONICLES: SEEDS OF DARKNESS

Discussion in 'Fan Films, Fan Audio & SciFi 3D' started by Azeem, Dec 1, 2001.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. JediTAC

    JediTAC Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2000
    The thing with the cloaking device . . . . . .


    I know that a clocking device is mentioned in one of the original trilogy movies - I think it's ESB ..... so the technology would have definitely been present. Just because Lucas chose not to SHOW it, doesn't mean that it wasn't around or couldn't be used.

    He probably didn't use it because "cloaking" was so prevalent in the Star Trek series and movies.

    Anyway ..... I didn't think that the cloaking technology took away from anything.
    In fact, it was a refreshing and original idea. :)
     
  2. DaftMaul

    DaftMaul Former TFN Fan Films Staff star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2001
    "No ship that small has a cloaking device"
    Star Destroyer Commander - ESB.

    Plus as Padawan Nick mentioned a few posts back the Sith Infiltrator is, according to StarWars.com, and I quote
    ...equipped with a terrifying technological wonder -- a full-effect cloaking device that gives invisibility upon command. An invisibility field is a formidable weapon, since it can defeat most security systems and make acts of theft, sabotage, and assassination all but unstoppable.


    And the Sith Infiltrator was obviously around before SOD. Cloaking technology is definately there folks, it just hasn't been used much.

    Icicle Studio - The cloaking-technology-in-fanfilm trailblazers ;)
     
  3. Somedude

    Somedude Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 25, 2001
    Hm.. then this cloacking ability is interesting in a way.

    If the Sith Infiltrator had cloacking ability (and some other ships mentioned), then it just shows you that the cultures in Star Wars got more guts then they are given credit for, otherwise, they'd all be running around with cloacking devices instead of having to fight.

    Just imagine what devistation the Star Destroyers would have caused if the rebels couldn't know where it was with a cloacking device. I guess the people in the Star Wars universe simply didn't consider cloacking to be of any value.

    About SOD: The cloacking though, if it is indeed possible in the StarWars universe, just added to the effect of coolness. Too bad "Red 1" didn't follow his eyes all the way..
     
  4. GarenLiLorian

    GarenLiLorian Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2001
    The EU explanation of cloaking technology is that it exists, but while you are cloaked, you can't use sensors, weapons or even look out the viewpoint. Therefor, the Sith Infiltrator and the shuttle in SoD make sense because a Jedi can pilot the ship while cloaked using the force, but for non Force sensitives, cloaking devices aren't worth the trouble. Admiral Thrawn used cloaking devices on asteroids and set them up around Coruscant as a blockade in the most brilliant usage of cloaking technology ever seen in the SW universe. That's the EU explanation, anyway.
     
  5. CountBakufu

    CountBakufu Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 10, 2001
    Well, I have watched SOD a couple of times and I really liked it. The things I would point out have already been mentioned a time or two.
    I made a VCD copy to play in my DVD player and played it for some Star Wars fans but who are not filmakers and they really enjoyed it only picking out a few things like the acting, the age of the emperer and Rotal, and the hair on the Darth Maul-like character. For those of you who can make VCD/DVD copies for viewing in their home I encourage it, especially if you have a broadcast color/color correction tool which made it good quality on a tv. I have done this for most of the fan films and my appreciation for these filmakers hardwork is doubled seeing them on a big TV with a home theater setup.
    I just wanted to say Kudos to the folks at Icicle. The fact that a filmaker gets their film completed and streaming on the interenet or even a copy to video tape is an accomplishment. For every completed fanfilm you'll have 10 that will stay in pre-production with maybe a few test shots.
     
  6. KadeBendu

    KadeBendu Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 11, 2001
    Someone mentioned earlier that major releases bring out the lurkers. Well, here I am....

    Most of the things I would say as a reviewer have already been addressed. I just wanted to give a hearty congratulations to Marty and Mazen and their crew for a job well done. I was thoroughly entertained, and the accolades you've received have been well-earned. Here's hoping to see more work from your team.

    Now, back to the shadows.... :)
     
  7. Jedi_Icicle

    Jedi_Icicle Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2001
    Aahhh...all the controversy!... ;)
    The cloaking and G-Force issue seems to have annoyed some people... :p Well here is the deal...those were artistic decisions. It just added to the excitement and suspense of the film.... :D

     
  8. EagleIFilms

    EagleIFilms Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 6, 2001
    Ice, you seem to not be getting the point. EU says that both cloaking and G-Forces are correct. And the films talk about cloaking.

    They may have been artistic descisions, but they were correct en toto.
     
  9. Jedi_Icicle

    Jedi_Icicle Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2001
    no,no...I get the point Eagle... What I am trying to say is wether they were correct or wrong it didn't really matter to us. We were going to do it this way either way. That's all! :)
     
  10. WinterRose

    WinterRose Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 6, 2001
    Okay. I'm not going to call Seeds of Darkness the best fanfilm ever made. That honour I reserve for KnightQuest. That said, Seeds of darkness is a damn good film. I'd certainly put it up in the top 5.

    I have to say I was mostly impressed by the space battle. In that respect, I liked what I saw more than Knightquest. It had the feel I get when I'm in a particularly horrific mission in X-Wing Alliance. You know the feeling. The one where two ISD's make the scene and what's left of your flight wing has NO reinforcemtns in the offing and they've just launched two wings of interceptors at you and a wing of bombers at your capitol ships and you really wish you had TIME to defend your base-ship if those 4 or 5 pesky TIE Interceptors would get off your six and... Well, you get the idea. The fact that it wasn't just fighters flying about was a wonderful thing to see. It was great to see evolving mission objectives happening as the story unfolded.

    Who didn't cover their eyes and go 'Frag me gently..." when the two squads of incoms actually flew AT the ISD's?

    Besides that, the editing between the battle in orbit and the saber-ness on the ground was a breath straight out of the old movies. Jump-cutting between action scene after action scene. Keeping up the fast pace!

    It was also refreshing to hear music that wasn't just the same ol same ol Williams incidentals. Hearing the music was a treat! Was it composed for the film? If not, where did it come from? It was good!

    In defense of Icicle's use of cloaking... Cloaks DO exist in Star Wars, folks. They are canon. Reference Episode 5:

    Captain Needa: "Track them!"
    Bridge Officer: "Captain Needa, the ship no longer appears on our scopes!"
    Captain Needa: "Impossible. No ship that small has a cloaking device!"

    I did like the sets involved. And yeah, I guess sets are hard to find, but we need a new kind of location folks. It's getting to the degree that most saber battles are happening in the Evil Dead's woods. That's one thing I appreciated in Knightquest. They were in the woods, true. But they were also in THE MOUNTAINS. Of course I gripe a little bit now, wait til I try to look for locations for the Teepo film I'm trying to script. I may be a little luckier than most when it comes to that. North Carolina is being picked up by filmmakers for choice of locations. The only thing we seem to lack here is desert terrain. Otherwise, the only other thing we lack is arctic terrain. But who does apart from Alaska?

    As to the acting, I think it was better than most folks with no acting experience. I was thinking only today where I might get people that were willing to donate time to the Teepo project? Or even people that fit my idea of the characters? Much as I like the idea of being one of the main characters, I'm also not what you'd think of as lead character type. (5'6' and 180 pounds.) I can act, but I need to find people that I'd be satisfied with acting-wise as well. (Yes as a matter of fact. I can. Nothing wrong with tooting your own horn. Who else will?)

    Actually if you follow the plot put forward by X-Wing (Lucasarts, 1993 or 1994.), Bombers very much WERE around pre ANH. But why would we have seen them in that movie? Nothing was getting bombed. We needed fast attack craft. There were no capitol ships to be attacked with bombers at Yavin. They were going to be destroyed in one swift stroke. Check what the fighter compliment of an imperial class Star Destroyer is. You WILL find bombers. Agree about the interceptors tho, which were Sienar Fleet Systems innovations based on Lord Vader's custom designed craft. ISD's were around pre ANH and during. And the Calamari were among the first races to openly challenge the empire. Mon Cal cruisers were pleasure vessels converted to battleships in the Mon Cal shipyards. So they were likely around as well. Ties DO shoot that fast. Not in the game TIE Fighter (I wish) but they certainly did over the Death Star at Yavin.

    And the argument from Lucasarts is that yes you
     
  11. Bustadanut

    Bustadanut Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2001
    Umm OK, Does anybody else see this a piece of ****, I mean c'mon the special FX were cool, whoopdy do!! So what..this is supposed to be a film, a piece of art, this movie is just a hooky, poorly shot, and edited piece of crap. OK you guys worked hard on it. BIG DEAL, next time work harder, you claim this movie is an FX Project?? then why bring it out at all? If you consider it not to be up to Scratch then why the hell did you realize it. Yea nice Acting, what the hell was that??? it was like watching a really bad after school special. Master Rotal was probably the worst actor I have ever heard...where the hell is he from anyway? what's up with the accent? And how old is he? Master? hmm..Ok Rebel pilots, looked like they were bouncing on trampolines take the quarters outta the vibrating bed. OK 1980 what? what the hell is up with the makeup? And the acting--I have heard better in a Flintstones Chewable Vitamin commercial
    you guys did a really good Job on CGI and the music, I must give credit where credit is do, but the rest is just plain Lame!!! If you were to ever ever EVER put this movie on any type of cable or movie screen it bomb so terribly that you'd wish you never made it. You may think that I am being nasty. I'm am not, I am giving patronage to the fairness doctrine, showing my opposing view point. The emperor was about what 25? I downloaded this movie hoping for something cool to come from fans, that actually was going to be a real movie. No dice, back to the whole movie thing, film school would have given this a D on all merits except SFX. remember what a Film is supposed to be: PLOT, for one, and the other Acting, these two make up the experience, just look at Clerks shot with a tiny budget and look at what kind of movie it turned out to be, a great one. there are many examples of fine movies shot with no budget, I am sure you are aware of the IFC or Sundance channel check them out in the future, your SFX were free you did them yourself and they were good right, well next time add to it with something more believable
    that is all

    PS. What's up with the lines?? the girls will love you, and nice ponytail on the piliot and one more I like that car in the background. two whole years to make, obviously
     
  12. Somedude

    Somedude Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 25, 2001
    Bustadunt - you're an idiot.

    Sorry, if anyone else thinks different, but I just HAD to reply to THIS morons message.



    I think you've seen too many PAYED movies on screen to realise that projects such as SOD, KnightQuest and all the FAN films were made FREE of charge!! You didn't pay a single cent to see it, so why the heck are you moaning about? They put blood, sweat and probably a few tears throughout their own pockets just to give you a film which YOU don't even appriciate!

    I hate people like you who think that everything is so easly made, that when something happens in another places its boring. People like you don't realise that it takes months on end to even come CLOSE to makeing such projects! And you stupid, you just registered this month!
    Who are you to judge a FAN made movie just because YOU think it lacks a few things?!? I have't heard of any projects YOU made! And if you ever do any, everyone here will probably make sure that they get the worst reviews, and the WORST possible treatment! (sick'em JediTAC!)

    If you ever stoped for a single minute to consider the work that has to be put into one of these projects to make anything happen, you would realise that ANY finished project is a marvel on it's own - no matter WHAT it has in it!

    I am really furious about this person and he ticks me off so bad!!!!! AHHH Somebody kick him out of here.
     
  13. DaftMaul

    DaftMaul Former TFN Fan Films Staff star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2001
    I say congratulations Icicle Studios, you haven't really 'arrived' until you have a really bad flame, and judging by the comments just made, you have just arrived :)

    I still get emails from a guy that wants me to go to hell and die for making Dark Skies :_|

    People are entitled to their views, this was a VERY extreme opinion, obviously not supported by anyone else here, so let's try not to start a flame war here, especially when it's from a guy who has only one post to his name.
     
  14. Zayn

    Zayn Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 1999
    omg it's a sock also... I never take anything seriously thats not signed... damn socks... never pay attention to them
     
  15. Somedude

    Somedude Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 25, 2001
    Ay.. sorry 'bout the big post.. I'm having one of "those" days and that numbnut's post was just too much to handle.
     
  16. JediTAC

    JediTAC Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2000
    Well, sock or not ... I simply cannot resist . . .
    (sorry Max and Daft)




    BUSTADANUT . . . . . . . YOU'RE A MORON !!!




    I think that pretty much sums all that up .... don't you. :D


     
  17. Janz_Walker

    Janz_Walker Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    How nice though. He made all the points that were made before... just not... in a.. constructive.. sort of way.

    How stupid, actually. The guy who's behind that sock could have said the same thing in a nicer tone with his original account and he wouldn't have gotten killed for it.
     
  18. Jedi_Icicle

    Jedi_Icicle Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2001
    [face_laugh] That's awesome! I was wondering when we would see such comments.... Like Daft said, every movies has had that kinda comments for it! Now we're officially part of the group! YAY!!!! :cool:

    And by the way...that's a real accent I have... I can't help it but at least I speak three different languages and you probably can barely speak english! :p (and the girls DO love it!... no pun intended! ;) )

    But thanks for taking the time and sharing your feelings with us!

    Maz

     
  19. EATATMUNDI

    EATATMUNDI Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2001
  20. DaftMaul

    DaftMaul Former TFN Fan Films Staff star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2001
    Jedi Icicle, I've just done an IP Check on Bastamunda and it turns out it's your Mum! Maybe you should phone her just to say 'Hi' I think she just wants attention :p
     
  21. Lone_Padawan

    Lone_Padawan Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2001
    From XWA tech docs on imperial shuttle... Bla bla bla - "It is rumored the Emperor has one with a cloaking device"
    Chaching.
    Jedi_Icicle- You played Rotal? Cool- Your a good saber fighter :) Nasty way he died... but taking out that sith lord... thats classic, and very original.
     
  22. icicle

    icicle Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2000
    Wow!!! I'm guessing that guy had too much coffee this morning! That was kinda funny! I guess you can't please everyone!
     
  23. DaftMaul

    DaftMaul Former TFN Fan Films Staff star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2001
    I just thought I'd add that my father watched Seeds of Darkness today (after I showed him how to get Part One to work without crashing his machine!) and he thought it was great.

    A few random quotes:

    "Technically, that is the best one I've seen"

    "I actually believed in all of the characters"

    "It was fun, it didn't take itself as seriously as some of the others"

    "Cor, that's an impressive battle" (especially when all of the tie fighters flew towards camera, and away, as in ROTJ.)

    So there you go, the fanfilm designed for all ages. :)
     
  24. Jedi_Icicle

    Jedi_Icicle Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 2, 2001
    LOL... That's funny Daft!

    We had a public showing of the movie today and showed it to a group of people are just your average person (what I would call the general public).... and despite the weak dialogue and weak acting :p , everyone was very entertained. Which is kinda cool cause that was our main purpose.... This was a good crowd to test it on because none of them are Star Wars "scholars" or technical gurus... they watched the movie without telling themselves... "hey look at the textures on those ships...or checkout the rotoscoping... or they should've used Maya instead" etc... People were chearing at the end and some of them said that they felt the same way when they watched ROTJ. It was a nice feeling! :)
    Some people actually thought we used actual models for our ships! [face_laugh]

    Well just thought I would share this with you guys!

    Thanks

    Maz
     
  25. icicle

    icicle Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2000
    Jedi_Icicle is being modest too. On December 5th we had our official release of the film and it premiered at a state of the the art digital theater at our local university. The theater is equipped with a 30ft wide screen and a THX certified audio system. The theater holds 150 people and we had a packed house that night, including much of the local media in our area.

    When the film was over everyone cheered and loved the movie. Nobody was critical of the acting or the models or the rotoscoping. It isn't really about that. It's about being entertained. And ultimately I think SOD is entertaining. If if only from seeing me bounce around in the cockpit like there are ants in my pants. :) Thats entertaining itself.

    By the way...the film looked great on the 30ft screen. I don't know if the theater had a line doubler or tripler but there was no sign of video artifacts that are usually associated with scaling an NTSC picture onto a big screen. The digital revolution is here for projection now too!
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.