PT Practical Effects in the Prequels- Sets, Pictures, Models, etc.

Hey, never said that others didn't get frustrated over green screen or reacting to nothing (although people have been acting to nothing since the 20s, people seem to act like this is new). Like you said, Ewan McGregor stated his frustration with it. However when guys like Warwick Davis (who was in exactly one scene in TPM surrounded by an actual background with people and puppets) and Anthony Daniels (who was surrounded by an actual set and actors in most of his scenes) start talking about going back to the old way of filming, you can't help but laugh. At some point you have to concede that they're just spouting off the same complaints the net nerds throw out there, despite visual evidence that their actual experience was different.

 

Hey, not just the 20's. The entire history of theatre could be considered acting to nothing.

 

Somebody get this damn Ewok a flying apparatus that really works, damn it! We need some verisimilitude in this movie! No reacting to nothing! Nevah!

 

I guess instead it has become a habit to bite the hand who has fed you in the past and who is the reason in the first place why you have become so famous within a group of fans around the world. Let's not also forget what Anthony Daniels said a couple of month ago about the PT and Lucas during the promotion of TFA, while at the premiere of TPM in 3D in 2012 he was praising the PT and had only kind words towards Lucas. And don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Anthony Daniels, he's my favorite actor in the entire saga and I can't see anyone else playing C3-PO.

But this ideological and false idea against Lucas and the PT has become very tiring and irritating. The only actor who seems to be cool and fair is Harrison Ford when he was asked who he prefered as a director in a Star Wars movie in Jimmy Kimmel Live (Lucas vs Abrams) and he simply answered that he respects Lucas and owns him a lot...

 

He also played Wald so he was in several others scenes that apparently he didn't notice anything around him like the Tunisian desert, the location sets and actual locations they used (some Lucas wanted to use for ANH but didn't get in) or the podracers props both in the desert and on set etc etc not to mention sets back in the UK (unless that was some double and not him).

So odd to say the least. He wasn't actually acting in the heavier green screen sets which still had the Coruscant sets. Possibly he visited but from a viewing standpoint the differences depending on any specific part of the movie wouldn't be all that distinguishable from one another.

No, just the media talking points they were told to use. The pattern is there from Bob Iger to Davis to virtually anyone connected with TFA. They all use the same basic talking points. They just as often went out of their way to talk about it.

The interviewers in both cases go down the same paths over and again. Talking about all the "practical effects" for TFA and the "CGI" for the PT.

Rarely will you hear the one talk about the other no matter how much of a part of the production they are. I mean who was talking about all the CGI for BB-8? It's only very quietly mentioned ever at all. If BB-8 was well over 50% CGI as opposed to the around a third they'll admit would it really be a surprise?

Not in the least.

 

Don't forget the practical mask and gloves he had to wear:

 

Ha, I never realized he played Wald. Makes his comments even stranger.

 

Been watching the ILM panel livestream and Doug Chiang is showing off miniatures and pictures from TPM and was saying how people remember it as a digital film but had the most model work done than any other film.

 

I missed Doug. Just started watching. I don't suppose they're gonna archive these on the internet somewhere so I can see the part I missed?

 

He was involved in the making of TFA apparently.

 

If you go to the live video you should be able to go back and watch any part of the stream from today.

 

Thanks. That worked.

 

So not only did Doug Chiang show all the models and miniatures that were in the Prequels, but John Knoll also pointed out that there was CG in A New Hope. What an amazing panel.

 

Gotta love this

http://screenrant.com/rogue-one-star-wars-celebration-making-of-video/

Many of the cast and crew, particularly Jones, praise the practical effects of Rogue One, with glimpses of the costuming, practical explosions, and various sets of the upcoming Star Wars anthology film also visible throughout the featurette. Additionally, bits of green (or, in this case, blue) screen are visible, while Alan Tudyk is also shown in his motion capture suit, so Rogue One will not be entirely produced with practical effects – as was the case with The Force Awakens as well.

ScreenRant is always good for a laugh!



Also note that once again the cast and crew are doing the "Let's do the (practical effects) Time Warp again."

 

The main reason why I don't pay any attention to ScreenRant...

 

Where can I watch it?

 

They finally put it on Youtube



About half way in Doug starts talking about miniatures. But the whole panel is really good for special effects talk.

 

Just rewatched it. I'm glad they put it up on YouTube. Now I can link it to people who don't believe me about the models/miniatures usage in TPM. ^_^

 

For added measure, you can link the part at 27:58 when Doug says: "Of all 7 films ILM made, Episode I had the most miniature photography. In fact, I am told by John Knoll that Episode I was probably the biggest miniature show of any ILM show, Star Wars or not."

Straight from the horse's mouth(s).

 

You can post it to Warwick after his recent statements regarding TPM above.

 

The Force Awakens presentation that follows Chang is about CGI effects. Really great CGI effects mind you, but CGI nonetheless. The contrast to Chang's presentation is really stark.. enjoyably so

 

Doug Chiang's presentation really caught my attention there, and further reminded me just how much practical fx (miniatures especially) that TPM had. Those miniatures were huge!

And watching that whole CGI focus the TFA section had me chuckling. TPM definitely has more practical than TFA. It's mostly just the battle droids and the gungans.

 

Unfortunately, people will keep saying: "The prequels were only a CGI fest, while TFA was a practical effect movie".

Popular beliefs are unfortunately always stronger than real facts...

 

It's really impressive when you think about it. They exploited the myth that the PT was 'all cg' (despite it containing the most models and miniatures in ILM history) to promote TFA as a practical effects movie (despite it actually having the most CG of any SW movie). Im not one to throw around the term "Orwellian" very often, but that is definitely some 1984 doublethink material lol

 

You know, I often think of TPM as the perfect culmination of film making through the 20th century. It came out in 1999, the final year, and seems to be a very definitive statement on the techniques of movie making.

From silent, black and white films, to full colour, music synchronisation, model effects, groundbreaking computer effects. It seems to sum up so many aspects of film making.

TPM is the endpoint of all of the endeavours of 20th century film.