I haven't disappeared yet! However...

...I just wanted to set the record straight, so to speak..

Yes, in 2002 I started a thread asking if we welshies would be interested in starting a fanfilm. and, yes, it didn't really get off the ground.

But in my defence, the thread kind of went a little light-hearted and I think the enthusiasm for the idea kind of dissipated, not only mine, but the other contributors.

I read today that I was kinda to blame for starting it all off and not following it up. It made me a little upset, as I'm not a fly-by-night kinda bloke - as some of you may know I'm working on my own non-SW movie now, and my development and production phase is entering its tenth year - that's dedication for you!

But as regards the SW fanfilm, I was serious about it. But a number of factors came in to combat the idea :

1) Life got in the way - Cliche, but true. As most of us know, things like jobs, children and money all take priority over the things we'd like to do for fun.

2) My suggestions for the movie/story were met with a small but firm set of negative responses - 'this would be impossible to do..' etc., as opposed to 'Why don't we try this....?' - I'm no Stan Winston/ILM - I can't do it alone! And just because it might sound difficult to do, doesn't mean it is.

3) I'm not solely confined to The TFN forums - (In all honesty, it's a fiddly and awkward system to collaborate on), but I can be contacted freely via email and my website, so if I didn't pop in to keep the thread going, I'm sorry. But that doesn't mean I don't want to contribute or help out in any way..

So, in summary, I do apologise for starting the thread which died a feeble death, but the intention was genuine at the time.

I've helped many fanfilm makers out in recent years and plan on doing so with my artistic skills, prop making and voice work for a long time to come. It's highly unlikely any of us will ever be in the position of working on a bona fide SW movie in our lifetimes, so this is the next best thing.

Hope that I've cleared some of the misconceptions up, and as always, if anyone has the need for my help or advice, I'm happy to offer my services - but try email, as I'm rarely here to read PM's.

Cheers

Terry Cooper
www.terrycooper.co.uk

 

I can vouch for the awesomeness of Terry's artwork, as he very kindly did some characters for a fan film I was working on.

However, much like his first point above, the real world got in the way rather drastically and I had to shelve the project.

I recommend checking out his site when you can, you won't be disappointed with the artwork on there

Oh, Terry, how's The Streets Of Shayde doing, any more interest on it?

Whoa! Just saw the awesome "Usual Suspects" kind of lineup that you did of the EotF characters. That's quality mate!

 

just looked at u site and got to say wow there are good

 

Some really good work there. That Welsh dragon playing rugby would look great as part of the banner for the Welsh forum.

 

Man, you have to hate that real world, it gets in the way of all the fun things.

Anyway, some very nice work on your site

 

What is this "real world" that you speak of?

Pray tell, could I buy it off Amazon or Ebay? Or is it more something that you have to create yourself, like a model X-Wing??

 

go to a window look out side and u will see the real world and try not to be scared

 

No problem Terry, fanfilms are always tricky and yours wouldn't be the first to be put on the backburner. I myself have at least 3 different duels (one is star wars orientated) on the horizon but if and when they get done could be some time from now. All for example and test purposes really.

 

I know of a good video that is ideal for test purposes, but it's not good enough for you though is it.

Don't worry, I know it sucks.

Blame my dualing partner. He has all the grace and style of a drunken hippo on roller skates.

 

I was intending them to be tests that push the envelope, so to speak...

 

And what better way to "push the envelop" than to do a cracking job on a dual that sucks!

Any old bob with a effects programme can make an epic dual look passible, but the true test of a master renderer is being able to make a crappy dual look good!

Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

 

Rubbish

It's the other way around, you can't just throw effects at something in an attempt to make something bad look good. Besides which, the only real effect that could go in that clip was sabers, and i fear that wouldn't be enough to make it good (and was nigh impossible to rotoscope because of the awkward props)

And because SOMEONE in the clip on the saber ignition sequence was waving his bladeless hilt around like a feather-duster. Pretty damn hard to track if you're going to use prop removal for ignitions.

 

I'm not made of stone you know.

That hurt. You go to far sometimes.

 

Tell it like it is, man. Besides, you're the one who told me it was rubbish in the first place because it was just a test

 

Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to agree with me.

I was just being modest.

You were just being mean!!

I guess there is a way you could make it up to me though.......

It's still never to late to do a bit of rotoscoping.

 

Hahaha. Yes.

Maybe it's worth another look with the new method i came up with.

However, i can't even do that for a while; I lost everything off my computer in the week. 200,000 files gone. Haven't even reinstalled After Effects yet.

 

Awhh man, I hate it when that happens!

All that work and all those programmes gone!

I keep onyl trying to do that to the computers I use in work, but as of yet no joy.

It did happen to me once before, the hard drive died and I lost loads of stuff.

Hope you had some backups somewhere?

 

No backups as such, i went through a couple of methods to try and stop having to format, but none worked. Though, i've actually managed to recover some of my important files from the formatted drive, like After Effects project files and such. Left most of the music and video etc, can all be gotten again.

 

I really should make backups myself. There's loads of stuff on my hard drive that doesn't exist anywhere else!

If I lost it then there would be no way to get another copy.

We're talking Christmas videos, holiday videos and the like.

 

videos, hey welshdude? i get ya

 

HOW DARE YOU!

I would never make a video like that and put it on the net and charge $4.99 a viewing and go under the name of "Ding Aling".

The very thought.

 

if u say welsh but i seen it at lets just say that u are in to some hardcore stuff m8

 

Hey, you pays your $4.99, you takes your chance.

But don't tell me you didn't enjoy it. I mean come on, who doesn't love midgets dressed up as sheep?

 

um i did not pay i have ways of getting thing and not paying for it

plus it was what u were doing to the midgets just was