The future of this forum... (comments, ideas, suggestions wanted)

Hi All,

I've lurked here for ages, and contributed occasionally.

One of my pet hates is having forums that are merely "looked on" by mods to edit flaming, lock threads etc, but who don't have any assigned mod who is actively passionate about the forum in question.

This has been one of those forums.

So, I've decided to put my money where my mouth is and give this forum a go (as well as my usual Games Forum, which I will continue to moderate).

I have a few grand ideas, including holding a banner comp in a few months (as I see StarDude has mentioned in another thread) and asking for a handful of LucasFilm Projects icons, amongst other things.

I will formally take on modding this place in a month or so, but before that time I'm aiming to get the traffic here increased by getting things in order (making an index, amongst other things, and beginning a FAQ with your help, maybe some "resource threads" to good Indy news / gossip sites, Howard & Willow fansites etc).

My style of modding & running a forum is to get the forum members to participate in all aspects of the forum as much as possible - including banners, icons, FAQs, coming up with ideas for games - and especially in contributing to interesting discussion. Maybe there are some good, yet dead threads that deserve to be resurrected?

So, before I formally add this place to my resume, let's hear your ideas on what this place needs. Let's get a few things rolling so when activities (my modding, contests, calls for icons) here get mentioned in the Modsquad updates in the Comms forum, curious visitors don't see a forum where that last thread on page 1 is from August 12.

Feedback & suggestions are welcomed.

 

As an icon-maker and icon fan, I definitely agree on the icons thing... at least an Indiana Jones, an American Graffiti and a THX 1138.





Rick McCallum loves you!

 

I agree with the icons for some of these.

 

I'm going to unlock and up a few of the great threads that have been closed.

eg.
Does anyone remember Howard the Duck?

Indiana Jones: When History and Fiction Collide

If anyone wants any other old autolocked threads unlocked and upped (let's have a 10 reply minimum) PM me and I'll see what I can do.


I think we may all have to get together and define the scope of "LucasFilm projects". Old LFL subsidiaries such as Pixar are now separate from the Lucas Empire, and I'm unsure if discussion of movies in general that have ILM effects is appropriate - but the discussion of the effects themselves certainly are.

However, it's not like this is the time to restrict topics, we're hardly bursting at the seams here.

 

Good. Lets get this thing rolling. I especially look forward to the banner competition!

 

Good show! Banner competition ::rubs hands together:: Muwaha!

 

Question:

What constitutes a Lucasfilm project? There are 50+ films with some sort of Lucasfilm connection.

Does 'Punch-Drunk Love' have the same standing here as say 'The Goonies?'

 

Actually I was also going to post more or less the same question as EclipseSD. What about the lesser Lucas companies: Lucas Learning, Lucas Licensing for example? Even the more famous ones are barely mentioned here (LucasArts, Lucasfilm, Skywalker Sound, the THX group which spun off, and ILM).

And yes there are many other films not very well know but with Lucas connections like Kagemusha and quite a few others. Although I'm not sure it's 50+ Lucasfilm related films, I was thinking more like around 20. Unless you consider ILM projets as such (which is the only Punch Drunk Love connection, I don't remmber seeing Lucas or Lucasfilom on the credits), then you would have close to 200 projects alone without counting the commercials. Skywalker Sound has also a long list of credits.

If I have time maybe I'll try my hand at an icon or banner. I also have a slightly out of date FAQ about ILM.

If anything this shouldn't be called or just being a Lucasfilm forum but rather a Lucas Companies forum (Lucasfilm is just one facet of the whole empire).

 

Well, this is our forum. So let's discuss where we think the boundaries of on-topicness lie. And I'll also look through for some of the early posts by the mods who set this forum up to see what the definitions were back then.

As I said before, I don't think the plot of Pearl Harbour is on topic, though the ILM special efects are, as an example.

As for things like banner comps and icons, we shouldn't jump the gun. It's not my call on this - it's just my proposal at this stage.

It would be prudent for this forum to see a good jump in activity prior to me asking for a banner comp and icons. So don't get too impatient, I see banners and icons several months away. Let's work on discussion first & foremost. The other things will follow...

 

As far as old definitions of the scope of this forum; there's not much guidance.

Announcements: New board: Lucasfilm Projects

A new board has been added, Lucasfilm Projects. This board is to discuss LFL projects (obviously).

And the "welcome thread" here doesn't offer up any more;

Here's your new board! ;-)

I guess it's totally up to us where we draw the boundaries. I have some ideas, but I'd like to hear from others first...

 

If I had any suggestion it would be to change the name to Lucas Companies forum or projects. I'm being anal here but Lucasfilm is only in charge of doing movies which there are only 2 at the moment plus they are not directly overseeing all the other companies which operate more or less independently.

As far as discussing films you could sometimes discuss the story since for example sometimes the VFX are integral to it and viceversa. For example was the bomb drop in Pearl Harbor appropiate?

Anyway, maybe first we should have a FAQ in case new persons start jumping in. Just a thought.

 

Thanks for your input!

What would be the increased scope of "LucasCompanies Projects" over the present?

Can you please give us some examples?

>> Anyway, maybe first we should have a FAQ in case new persons start jumping in. Just a thought. <<

I intend making a FAQ and Index for this place, but I don't intend building the FAQ on my own.

What are the FAQ's round these parts? I would guess the big question is the boundaries of on-topicness here.

That's the first thing to sort out, IMO.

 

OK, here are my suggestions on how the boundaries of this forum could be defined. These are open for debate.

---

Main focus of this forum;

[b]LucasFilm[/b]

Movies [b]directed[/b] or [b](co-)written[/b] by [b]George Lucas[/b] and/or released by [b]LucasFilm[/b].

[i]Indiana Jones series, THX-1138, American Graffiti, Willow.[/i] These movies can have as many different threads as necessary to discuss various aspects of the movie, much like the AOTC forum can have as many different topics on [i]Attack of the Clones[/i] as people can think up.

Movies that are [b]produced[/b] by [b]Lucas[/b] / [b]published[/b] by [b]LucasFilm[/b]. These can have as many threads as deemed necessary, though each movie will have an "official" type general discussion thread (but not necessarily explicitely titled with the word "official"). Discussion encouraged to be posted within the "official" thread, but allowed in own thread if subject warrants it.

Includes [i]Radioland Murders, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, The Land Before Time, Labyrinth, Howard the Duck, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Captain Eo, Twice upon a Time, Body Heat[/i].

[b]ILM effects[/b]

Discussion of [b]Industrial Light & Magic[/b]'s contribution to films. There are about 200 movies that have had contributions by ILM, and a dozen or so in the works.

There's a great listing here; [link=http://www.ilmfan.com/credits/quick_list/filmography.php]www.ilmfan.com[/link]

There is [u]not room[/u] in this forum for a [i]general discussion[/i] thread on each of those projects - the [link=http://boards.theforce.net/board.asp?brd=10008]YJCC[/link] is better suited to that, but discussion centered on ILM's contribution to those films is fine.

I'm not going to close threads down if threads stray a little from the ILM contribution and into plot or whatever, but the main theme of the thread should be within the boundaries of the forum.

[b]THX, Pixar[/b]

While both THX and Pixar have been sold and are no longer part of the [b]Lucas Empire[/b] discussion of THX sound is fine. Pixar projects from the Lucas era are on topic too.

[b]LucasArts, LucasFilm Games[/b]

Discussion of LucasArts videogames is probably best off in the [link=http://boards.theforce.net/board.asp?brd=10005]Games Forum[/link]. General discussion of the company is fine here, and probably some latitude regarding videogame plots etc (is "Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis' [i]canon[/i]? :O :p) is OK.

[b]Other Lucas Affiliated projects[/b]

Edit: [b]LucasLearning, LucasFilmLicencing, Skywalker Sound[/b] - discussion of their activities are on-topic, though "Star Wars" specific threads on any of those affiliates would be better suited in an appropriate SW board.

What else is there? Let us know. Likely it's on topic here... :) [hr]


OK, that's my take on this place. How can we refine it to make this forum a more enjoyable / interesting place for all?

 

Yes that's what I meant, Lucasfilm is only the parent company and only in charge of producing films. The only two in schedule right now are Ep. 3 and Indy 4, but the past work has some very interesting pieces some barely known or remembered.

Pixar was spun off, but didn't Lucas still mantain part ownership of THX? (like 40% or something like that?).

As far as other companies some have barely any info or product to discuss them, like LucasLearning, and Lucas Licensing (which licenses the property for products from toys and action figures, the Pepsi deals, cereals, etc.). The only other major one is Skywalker Sound, which like ILM is one of the top post production and audio facilities for movies. Sometimes they work on close to 20 movies a year many times they get nominations for Best Sound or Sound Editing, like Pearl Harbor. Heck even some of the regulars at Skywalker Aound helped a bit in the sound for LOTR. I'm not a real audio expert but there are plenty of projects this guys do.

 

OK, so I've started culling the locked threads. What I'm doing on the first sweep is removing anything off topic, and anything with under 5 replies that is redundant or has little to no potential to be reopened for discussion.

I'm also removing most of the Ewoks threads, and all the general Star Wars threads that don't have some sort of relevant LFP angle (FX, sound etc).

Then I'll see what I have left and where there are double ups of topics (Young Indiana Jones, Indy DVDs, THX-1138, Howard etc) I'll pick the thread with the most/best replies to be the "official" thread, and delete the other.

Of course where there is separate discussion on different aspects of the same movie, the various topics will be allowed to stand.

Right now I'm of the opinion general Ewoks & Clone Wars Cartoon discussion is better in SW Misc and the AOTC forum etc.

However speculation & discussion of the animation techniques of the Clone Wars cartoon is fine here. -> So Star Wars discussion is OK if there's a "LucasFilm Projects" angle.

General SW discussion and Ep 7, 8, 9 topics will be redirected to the appropriate threads in other forums.

 

I like coming to this forum and will do my best to help make it a success. One suggestion I have is to change the forum title to "Lucas Related Topics (non Star Wars)", or something comparable. If people can't figure out to come here to talk about Indy or other stuff we talk about based on the board title, well....

I think having official topics would work, although don't be too broad. For example, I don't think there should be an "Indy IV" general thread when there can be multiple threads about concentrating on different issues. In fact, I see the posibility for these official Indy threads right now:
-Plot (Atlantis, fountain of youth, etc)
-Time Table
-Writer

However, something like Howard the Duck should probably be limited to one official thread unless people find the need to discuss the many different aspects of that film in depth.

Keep in mind that this board will probably see significant growth over the next few years as people start to wonder more and more about Lucas' postSW career and Indy IV.

 

For "historical" purposes, and simplicity, I think I'll leave the forum name as it is (banners are presently being made with the "LucasFilm Projects" moniker.

What we can do though, is to write a better description of the forum. Currently the "blurb" reads;

You can discuss other Lucasfilm projects here, ILM work, etc.. that are not directly SW, but do have the LFL connection.

I'll take suggestions as to better wording for that.

I'm seriously considering locking both the Ewok and Clone Wars threads here in the next few days (once I find a suitable thread on the same topic elsewhere, to redirect discussion to). They're obviously "Star Wars" themed, and are against this forum's policy.

Also I'm starting to put together a thread based on the format of the one in 3SA, entitled "JUST THE FACTS: Everything that is known about Indiana Jones IV".

We need to figure out our spoiler policy for Indy 4 too. What threads must be no-spoilers, what threads will be spoilers allowed, and how we'll mark them clearly.

I'm thinking I'll add a prefix to all the Indy 4 threads; either [Spoilers!] or [No Spoilers!].

I think we only need 2 spolier threads (for now, anyway)- the "JUST THE FACTS" one, and the general "Indy 4" one that will also be fine for posting rumours...

Any thoughts on these matters?

 

What about:

You can discuss other Lucas' companies projects here: ILM and Skywalker Sound work, non Star Wars Lucasfilm and LucasArts projects, etc.. anything not directly SW, but do have the Lucas or one of his comapanies connection.

A bit longer but we can shorten it.

 

"What we can do though, is to write a better description of the forum."

How about something short and snappy like:

"Where Star Wars ends... Lucasfilm Projects begin!"

"Lucasfilm Projects: Where THX-1138 is not an easter egg, but a film!"

"What do ILM, Skywalker Sound and Lucasfilm have in common? Lucasfilm Projects!"

"Indiana Jones and the related work of Lucas!"

I admit they don't describe the technical range of the forum, but they give a "feeling" for it!

I'd also like to see a "George's movies after Episode 3" Thread, perhaps with some quotes about other projects he's thought of over the years. I must admit I do not have the time personally to look into this, but I am sure someone has heard of some of his other interests in the past. I remember "Red Wings" being mentioned but I think that was cover for the development of the Prequels.

Anyway, I'm off to serach for "Young Indy" threads...

UKS

 

> I'd also like to see a "George's movies after Episode 3" Thread

Tried the index

Look under the heading "The Future of George Lucas and LucasFilm"

> Anyway, I'm off to serach for "Young Indy" threads...

Tried the index

Look under the heading "Young Indy Series"

 

How about this...

Discuss projects from the world of LucasFilm. Indiana Jones,Willow,Tucker,ILM,
THX, and others.

Plain and simple.

 

Will the Jurassic Park IV thread stay open?

 

Indexes..?

Pah! I laugh at indexes!


//Bookmarks the index.


UKS

 

> Will the Jurassic Park IV thread stay open?

I've deleted everything that was off-topic. I would like the Jurassic Park thread(s) to get themselves back on topic though (ie. the ILM contributions, rather than general plot discussion).

 

Up (to prevent autolocker kicking back in)