Could "Duel of the Fates" ever be used effectively in a film?

I've been thinking a lot about how cliché the song has become when it comes to fanfilms, and wanted some input on wether or not you think it could ever be used in a way that wasn't groan-inducing. I'm not going to use it in my film, but I suppose someone else could.

 

yay! first post!

Duel Of The Fates is a great track, but since its release, it has been used in a huge number of fanfilms, primarily when the big lightsaber duel occurs. it should still be used in fanfilms, just not as background music for a lightsaber battle. maybe use it to establish a mood or use parts of it as a theme, but please, for the love of God, not on a duel! at this point, its probably best used during end credits or for some perpiheral scene in the film...

 

The key word there is effectively. My answer is no. It's the biggest fanfilm cliche out there.

 

You could also re-mix it like they did with the speder-bike sceen in AotC or the last bit of the sword fight in Ep 19 of Clone Wars.

 

I guess it could be used effectively. It would have to be subtle, possible remixed like Covax said. As far as it being cliche, when I think fanfilm, I think "double-bladed purple lightesaber in the woods" but Knightquest did it without me even thinking twice-- so anything is possible.

...Wait Knightquest used Duel of Fates...

 

Double Bladed lightsabers - what's the problem?
Purple Lightsabers - Again... what's the problem?
In the Woods - It's the only 'timeless' place to shoot, but it is a cliche'

Duel of Fates - Plays in every bad fanfilm. The song is good, but it makes the audiance groan (and most likely click that 'off' X) imediately. Why do that to your film? If you work so hard the least you can do is come up with something else to play... it doesn't even have to be an origional idea! But using the worst idea, even beautifully implemented, is just sabatoge.

 

I agree with ya, WhisperingDeath, all the way up to this part ... But using the worst idea, even beautifully implemented, is just sabatoge.


True, "Duel of the Fates" is widely used and has been used poorly amongst several FanFilms in the past. woever, so has the Star Wars Opening Theme.


I think the music can still be used ... it's simply a matter of utilizing it skillfully and making it fit the action.
Gratuitously throwing it in there just to have it and/or thinking that it is the "definitive" lightsaber duel music, I agree, is not going to fly.


The motion picture industry is deluged with remake after remake, borrowed idea after borrowed idea.
The trick to taking a "use" idea and making it fresh is presenting it in a skillful/creative way.



Look at it this way ... Peter Jackson is currently in production of the FOURTH incarnation of KING KONG (that is, if you count tha abomination that is "King Kong Lives"). Does anyone have any doubt that Mr.Jackson's version will be nothing short of spectacular ???




JediTAC

 

I think that one film, "The Phantom Menace" used it very effectively. If it's used in the same or similar fashion it should be okay.

~Neszis~

 

Well, Duel of Fates was custome made for TPM, so it's going to work well. But it's no wonder why people use it in fanfilms, it's a pretty catchy tune.

 

I think it's a great song and the scene in Episode One is good, but I've seen it used and thought "Yeah, that's okay" and one that will not be named I thought "Oh god, you have totally destoryed the song".

If you use the song with the correct scene, it will work, if you don't then it will not work.

 

I think that Duel of the Fates (and other "themed" music, save the SW opening theme) should NOT be used in FanFilms, because it immediately makes people think of the song's original purpose...and sounds cheesy.

Even in AOTC (you've seen my other posts, I actually enjoyed the movie) when they played DotF with Anakin on the speederbike, I really wished they had chosen a different sound...I thought the choice of music was very cheesy, even in Canon movie.

I take the stance in FanFilms as well. Things like the "Emperor's Theme" or the "Imperial March", we mentally associate those things with the parts of Star Wars they were designed for...so I for one really find it cheesy when that music is played in a FanFilm for something totally different.

There is plenty of "generic" Star Wars music that can be implemented beautifully into a FanFilm score...but avoid the "Theme" tracks.

My $.02

 

Man, I'm glad we didn't use Duel of Fates in our movie. Originally, when concepts first came about, we planned to use it. But I knew of the reaction it would have received, so I used Battle of Hoth instead. And it worked. I think...

 

Or you could use it if it's a parody. Egg-zample: "The Formula" and the Trekkies at Excalibur Games.

 

I felt the only fan film to truly use Duel of the Fates in a new and creative way that I liked was Knightquest. Anything else was just bad.

 

nah, the rest aint bad, they just aren't as good as how kightquest did it. the reason everbody does it, is because it is a quick and esy way of setting up a fight. they know how to do it because they have done it so many times before. i'm might us it in my film as a gag. the only problem some people might not get it and moan about it.

 

As has been said, "effectively" is the operative word here.

The cliché isn't so much that it's used, per se, but that it's used to add emotion to an otherwise mediocre scene. There are very few people in the fan film world that can actually fight on screen with the skill and intensity seen in Ray Park and Ewan McGregor in TPM.

So, once a scene has been constructed, all too often Dual of the Fates is used in the hopes of invoking the intensity of the real scene into a sequence of mediocre, albeit rotoscoped, broom handle smacks.

If, on the other hand, the actual battle is already edited well and laced with it's own emotion and intensity and could actually be engaging with or without music, a Dual of the Fates underscore would likely build on that intensity and solidify the experience as being within the Star Wars universe.

Have fun.

 

"There are very few people in the fan film world that can actually fight on screen with the skill and intensity seen in Ray Park and Ewan McGregor in TPM."

And I am one of them (well, assuming I was not improvising, but had a practiced, choreographed fight. And fine, maybe not "skill" but the intensity and speed)

 

If Broken Allegince 2 was going to still be live action, they could have pulled it off, except they have access to their own music.

Same for the DKP crew and AQOF, the certainly have the skill to make it look good, but most others should steer clear of it.

 

Short Answer for People who don't want to read the whole thread: No.

....and No! Even if it's a good well done fight I would still stop the movie.

Friends don't let friends use Duel of the Fates in their fanfilms.

 

Too bad your post was at the end of the thread

 

It could be used effectively, but not any time soon.

Hopefully, everyone will get so freaking sick of it that it's forgotten, and in 20 years a single person uses it in an amazing sequence, and it takes it's place of glory once again.

 

IF the story really supported it and . . .
IF the choreography could support it and . . .
IF the audience would be receptive to its use . . .

Definately maybe.

 

If you use the song with the correct scene, it will work, if you don't then it will not work.

Had a situation like that once. Finished editing a really long hand to hand fight and I was going though different music. There was one track I loved, 'O Verona' from the Romeo+Juliette soundtrack, even my Dad was bugging me to add it in. I looked at my footage, exhuased from a marathon editing session (this was back in the days of using 2 VCRs) and I had to admit to myself that the fight just didn't deserve that music. Eventualy I'd like to create a fight scene that deserves that music. (Arguably I've written some, but no chance of seeing them on any screenas of yet). I ended up sticking with 'Struck by Lightning' from the Blade ST.