PT Prequel Trilogy Storyboards Unearthed

http://io9.com/storyboards-reveal-the-amazing-star-wars-prequel-you-ne-510134498

idk if a thread about this already exists but I couldn't find one. Anyway, here's what I liked about the Phantom Menace storyboards:

Obi-Wan's look and Qui-Gon's look (much, much cooler!!)
The fact that they were closer in age.
Qui-Gon having to watch Obi-Wan get beat up by Maul.
Anakin being more charismatic and seemingly slightly older.
The way Gunray and his second-in-command look.
The birds that were poisoned with the gas so that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could realize that there was poison gas in the room in a way that made sense.

What I didn't like:

Jar-Jar Binks getting bloated underwater...and the fact that he was there to begin with.

 

These have not been unearthed....

 

Awesome find.

Might merge this with the Original Outline thread...

 

I was always under the impression that Qui-Gon was originally invisioned as an older Jedi. I believe it was when Liam Neeson was cast that they changed the character to fit around him. These storyboards are probably early visions of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon.

The birds were originally filmed (I remember them from the Visual Dictionary as a kid), but it was better that the Jedi sensing the gas was less coincidence and the result of their own instincts.

As we all know, the Neimoidians' original design was re-used with the Geonosians, so no regrets there. I'm glad they waited until they had the technology to make them believable as opposed to quickly throwing them into Phantom.

Didn't like Jar-Jar being all puffy either. Isn't he supposed to be an amphibious creature? Besides the CGI might be a little too revealing in that scene.

The additional fight scenes were cool, but I think the final result that we have is perfection.

 

Storyboards are always going to be different. Ralph McQuarrie's original concept sketches didn't exactly look like the final product, so outlines for the story won't either.

But I don't mind how the actual thing came out.

 

Let me be the first to say it: I’m intrigued by the premise of an inflatable Jar Jar.


*rubs chin* ...intriguing.

 

More so than "the prequel we never saw," those storyboards strike me as capturing an essence that was very much retained with the finished product. Confirms my belief that the space between CG and bare bones/practical creation isn't some vast disconnect.

 

Yeah, there's a lot of storyboards for ANH which really don't look anything like the finished film. Joe Johnston's stuff is the closest match, but others like Dean Tavoularis were wildly going in their own direction. Lots of experimentation in the pre-visualization, before things get hammered out then, as now.

 

That's a cockatiel under all that other crap

 

I'm going to be the first here to repeat what was said in the link: QUI GON HAS A MOHAWK. Just based on that piece of information alone, i love it. I'm picturing Liam Neeson dressed in cooler clothes running around with a mohawk being a giant badass.

Some of the other ideas were interesting - I actually kinda liked the fact that they wanted a bit of violence in AOTC with Anakin, and Padme's actions as well. I think it gives the saga a bit less of a "kiddy" feel and more of a serious tone, which is not a negative in my books.

 

I have an illustrated book from 1999 with the TPM script (released before the movie itself, weirdly enough). A lot of these images can be seen in there. Still, looks a decent book. Will probably pick a copy up.