The Official DUALITY Comments Thread

For those of you with the capabilities to put it onto Video CD:
The 480 version looks & Sounds even Greater on a TV & in Surround Sound.
It's well worth the time effort it takes to put it onto Video CD.
VCD will play on most DVD players.
No I'm sorry I will not put it onto VCD for anyone, but for those of you who can, it's easier
then you might think.
If you have Adobe Premiere & a CD Writer you can do it.
to find out how go to:
http://www.vcdhelper.com/

 

If only all of you other message posters could have seen Mark at Peet's cofee going thru his mental breakdowns.

It only took a new dual G4 and Cinema Display for him to finish this project....amazing!

-L

 

Lang?

 

as far as the fight scenes and the twirling of light sabers goes..you have to remember that not only is it a fight scene but entertainment..both guys were very sklled with the way they weilded their light sabers so it added to the scene.it's funny in a way that the people that are the biggest critics are the people that have no idea about what is really going on.sit back and enjoy the show..crew of two never hyped their film..it was the rest of you...

 

Thanks DarthWhoCares - you beat me to the punch - but please allow me to elaborate.

For all of you who were annoyed by the flashiness, spinning and twirling moves that were part of the weapons choreography of Duality, keep in mind, this is entertainment, not reality.

How about all the wire work in Crouching Tiger? Did that bother you too? Now we all know that mere mortals cannot jump 30 feet in the air or run across the tops of bamboo forests, and yet we could enjoy the fantasy and be swept up in the excitement these effects create.

Lord Rive and Darth Blight (Rive's apprentice in reality), both have competed nationally in weapons forms using the Bo staff, Dave for many years. They will be the first to tell you that the fancy spinning moves are the last things one would utilize in a life-or-death duel, but spectators, and more importantly, the judges at tournaments always are more impressed, and score higher, when those flashy moves are incorporated into the traditional forms.

The mastery of such moves shows a level of skill that can only be accomplished successfully after learning the basics and then adding years of daily practice along with a dash of showmanship. An experienced eye can recognize what has gone into achieving that skill level.

All the famous masters of art started with pencil and paper, learning the basics of perspective, shading, etc., before they stepped up to develop their own style, flair and interpretation. How boring it would be if they never took that extra step. Instead of becoming a master of the abstract, Picasso could have continued to produce near photo-realistic representations of his subjects instead of revealing his genius.

That is the difference between someone who is "trained" and someone who is an artist.

If you want reality, don't download something as fanciful as a Star Wars fan film. Go turn on your TV and watch a documentary or, better yet, a show like "Toughman" where you'll see two overweight guys who can't even punch straight, slugging it out and totally out of gas within 30 seconds. One punch to the gut and a guy will go down, unable to continue fighting. That's realism...and that's not very entertaining either.

 

Amen, musashi.

 

Here, here!! I thought it turned out wonderful, a pure delight to watch. Well Done guys!

For those who thought it disappointed them, well more fool you! They only release small teaser, and that teaser only showed that it would have a small plot line, it could have even been made into a full length film but it was nessercery.

George Lucas would be proud of you guys, you made it and advertise it exactly how he would, by hardly saying anything about it at all before release.

WELL DONE!!

 

I have to empathise with Happy Ninja somewhat on this one. I too had troubles downloading on my dial up ? my ISP times out after a couple of hours, then I have to start over. Worse still, my main PC has been returned to the shop I got it from, and my new one won?t arrive for a couple of weeks, so I only just managed to get it on my ageing Mac, which is hardly suited to playing movies. I even had to re-export the movie to a quarter size, just to get it to play smoothly. That being said, I was still able to enjoy this incredible film, though while watching I felt it was akin to watching Star Wars on video rather than at the cinema?

The first thing that hit me was the amazing quality of the CGI. Oh, wait, no ? the first thing that hit me was that there was no opening crawl. I can appreciate how such short films don?t usually need a crawl, but after seeing the excellent ?Question Of Faith? I began to wonder if more and more films will eschew the crawl, thinking they will be taken more seriously perhaps. I?ve always thought the crawl to be an integral part of a SW film, and in retrospect although Duality didn?t suffer by not having one, it might have been nice. It would have perhaps also set the scene better, particularly for those ppl who maybe aren?t big SW fans and don?t really realise why the characters are there, and what they were fighting for. I think it was Spielberg who related the story of Coppola telling Lucas that he didn?t realise who was who etc after seeing the rough cut of SW:ANH, and so Lucas invented the crawl for that very purpose, setting the scene very nicely. As I said, Duality didn?t really suffer from it, but it is interesting to note that (to me at least) Duel had a much clearer storyline than Duality. Maybe that?s the way I like my films ? good guys wear white, bad guys wear black ? but, simple though Duel was, it was a clear-cut story where one guy was defending himself. In Duality, much as I tried not to, I kept asking myself why they were actually fighting. I can see now, after reading other comments, what was going on, but in my opinion the story could have been developed more. Don?t let the running time sway you ? it?s possible to do a 3-act story in a single minute if you want, a filmmaker just has to choose how he wants to tell the story. I wasn?t expecting much in terms of plot, but it?s like many trivial criticisms regarding Duality ? small problems tend to stand out because the other aspects are nigh on perfect. Of course, Crew of Two deliberately decided to concentrate on the visual aspects of the film, and boy does it show!

The CGI is definitely Duality?s major strength. It?s one thing to successfully composite bluescreen footage (which was done very well) but it?s entirely another to design and render CGI that will complement and support the overall quality so well. We seem to have been spoilt over the last year or two with quality CGI but Duality does raise the standard once again. Just as ppl hope they can get ?Kronke Quality? sabre rotoscoping, we will no doubt see many ppl aspiring to reach ?Duality Quality? (that almost rhymes) CGI. Of great benefit to the CGI work was the quality of compression, which has let a number of films down in the past, but here everything is crisp and clear - every texture, reflection, anamorphic lens flares ? for us to relish. Not only that but the actual design of the various buildings is a joy to behold. As well as fitting a SW theme, the design was refreshingly original too. Some internal parts seemed almost organic (I?m reminded of HR Giger), whereas the external building has an art deco feel, inspired perhaps by the Emerald City from The Wizard of OZ. I?m further reminded of that film when Lord Rive first sees the projection of his master, 50ft or so high (suddenly the name ?Darth Oz? makes a lot more sense). When I first saw that scene in WoZ as a child I was quite scared. Unfortunately - not that Mark Thomas did a bad job or anything - but after seeing ?The Empire Strikes Backyard? I can?t take any character dressed like Emperor Palpatine ser

 

Woah... that's long. Saeed, you should be writing movie reviews for newspapers! I'm sure a job like that would pay good money aswell. Then you may be able to afford a decent 3d package I like the point you raised about Darth Oz. That's something I would never have thought of. It's funny, I couldn't help but laugh at Mark also. Probably due to TESBY aswell.

Your Mac sure sounds like a pile of junk. The fact that you had to reduce the movie to 1/4 of the size, and then hold down the frame advance button. It did sound quite funny though. Almost as funny as Co2's comment about Duality being made entirely using Macintosh computers.

 

A very good review Saeed. It seems that you had a closer look to the whole film. But there are several things I can't agree with you.

You talked about the 3-act story and that this is missing in the film. Yes there isn't a 3-Act story and Duality proved that it isn't necessary for a film to go after a structure. For me they the whole film is builded up from a slow beginning to a fast dramatic end. You can compared that with climbing up a mountain. You start in the sunny valley and end in the stormy top of the mountain.

Second. You mean that it was a little bit disappointed that the Lord Rive and Darth Blight were masked and that this fact makes it a little unlively. I think it doesn't matter when you don't see the face of an actor but then he must play the character with his body. And that was done very well. Remind of Lord Rive when the training droids (Sorry I have no idea what they called) appeared and he raised his head and his sight followed them when they moved. That was perfect. We don't see his face but with the move of his head we recognise that he is suprised. You can compare that to Boba Fetts nodding in ROTJ. This single nodding defined Fett til today and we didn't see his face as well.

So that was it and sorry for my bloody bad English.

 

One word, SUPERB!!!!!!!!

Absolutly THE best Fan Film I've seen in a long time.

The double-bladed lightsaber fight scence is jaw dropping. Even though Darth Maul looked cooler in the TPM, the dark warriors in this Fan Film fought with more intensity than in the TPM movie.

The only bad part of this film is that it had to end.

 

Ok, my thoughts:

THIS KICKED A**

We can all agree that the CGI RULED!! Its TPM quality and I dont think the picture quality is bad either. This was done by 2 ppl, lets not get too picky...geez!
CGI: A (
PICTURE QUALITY: A (look at it again!)
SOUND QUALITY: A (ehh...turn up ur speakers)
SOUND MIXING: A (perfect! no picking remember?)
CHEROGRAPHY: A- (perfect! i dont see u runnning on a wall)
PLOT: __(ehhh...like we said before, this fan film was NOT based on a plot and that was NOT their goal!)


OVERALL: O H MY GOD THIS RULED!! If ppl criticize the smallest things like "the guys hair had an insect in it for 1 frame" then thats just being a bastard. I would appriciate their 2 year's work!

Its fantastic, great job!

 

amazing... bloody amazing! that's all i can say... that and roll out the tutorials you promised.... the lightsabers actually looked better than most i have seen... we must know the secret...

Thayne

 

If DUALITY had an opening crawl I would have to ask Lord Rive to decapitate me. That would slow the film down tremendously...I can't agree with Saeed on that point. Duality seemed much too fast-paced and streamlined for something like that.

 

Thanks Mark. I promised Dave a glowing review, and I hope he likes it too.

Of course I loved the film, but I believe in qualifying and explaining my opinions rather than simply stating them.

Looking forward to future CO2 (isn't that Carbon Dioxide?) projects...

Oh, and Avene, I frame advanced the large version to appreciate the CGI, not the quarter size one... but yeah, that old machine isn't exactly 'Duality Quiality'...

- Saeed 'carbon monoxide' Sadiq

 

BUBBA: "Great review, Happy Ninja. And I meant Blight. He--under the helmet--looked confused before he fell to pieces. Not Rive. But nice review."

Thanks for the comments!

No need to appolgise, I was the one that got confused!

Oh well...

Is it just me, or does the location where the majority of the fight scene takes place, remind you of the "Cerebro" Location in X-Men?

 

Hey, you're right! Both were dark, and they both had wide pits at their center!

 

All of these Crew of Two logos. I wonder if Mark or Dave was attacked by a crescent as a child...

 

LOL!


Actually, that happened to me six years ago, when I was eight. Not funny to talk about.

 

In addition to the perpetual plethora of praise...

Congratulations to Dave and Mark on a job well done with great skill and expertise. Not only did you create a BEAUTIFUL work of art but you most definitely captured the true feeling of the Star Wars films.

You have my deepest respect and admiration.

I eagerly look forward to more...

 

AH MY EYES AHHHH!!

I just wanted to say I loved the film, why are you doing this to me?!?!!

AHH!!!!!!

 

Brilliant, guys. Absolutely brilliant!
Call me wierd, but:
*I COULD tell the difference between the two sith (because of the hood). Still, would have been easier if one was dressed in red.
*I thought it DID have a story, and showed great use of improvisation during a fight.

Pacing, camera work etc was all perfect. You guys make me want to take up doing CG. Where do I start?

 

Well, I didn't want to just add my comments to the already huge thread where they might get lost, but both Dave and Mark are apparently watching closely, so I'll make the comments as I see them. I guess I can go fairly chronologically...

First, I think it fit in well with the theme "Duality" to have two Sith fighting, each with lightsabers with two blades. However, like others, there is a point where like of realism supercedes entertainment. An occasional flourish is good, but remember that this IS intended to portray a life-or-death battle.

But nor do I agree with the necessity for "absolute realism." Jedi, Sith, and whatever the hell they were in "Crouching Tiger," are above realism, really. I mean, the nature of these basically super-humans is that they can do things we cannot. Obi-Wan flipping over Maul is a prime example. He didn't do that for no reason--he did that because the best way to kill an enemy is to get behind them. Of course, factor in the Force and you get Darth Maul's defensive capabilities.

What I think we need is something that logically WOULD be done, if it was possible that it COULD. Darth Maul did two butterfly kicks, both of which to catapult him out of the range of Obi-Wan's swinging blade, not just for show (if you look at some stills taken from other angles, Obi-Wan gets REALLY close to chop-chopping Maul off at the knees, both times). I think that people with the Force--especially Sith--would pull out all the nasty tricks they could think of as fast as they could. What would make the fights entertaining would be the opponent's response and likewise retaliation. LOOK like you're trying to end the fight as quickly as possible...just don't.

And you know, it IS okay to aim for the weapon sometimes. Strategically, it often makes more sense to get the opponent's weapon out of the way -- even out of his hands -- before you try to cut him down.

I must agree, however, with what has been said elsewhere -- the best fighting was when they just had one side apiece.

Now, as for other things, the one edit that bugged me was when Rive was chasing Blight down the hallway. Blight did a roll in the air, and in the next cut, he lands on his feet. I can't see that happening, considering how low Blight was in the roll. He should have hit the ground on his side.

The much-maligned story, I thought, was actually perfect for it, and well-done. A dark Jedi, his training complete, travels to Korriban to become a full-blown Sith. But first he has to kill the apprentice already in place--as a proof that he is worthy to stand as a Sith Lord. They're gonna go for each other, and each wants to kill the other. That's all there really is to it, and I can't imagine what more you'd want.

The CG was as flawless as I could possibly imagine. ILM quality stuff, and even better than I might have imagined. The saber effects definitely rivalled Clay -- though whether or not they surpassed them, I can't yet decide. It's a close call, but I think you may have beat it. The only thing is, it seemed the blades possibly should have been longer.

By the way, for everyone who uses Clay Kronke's "New World" as the example for lightsaber choreography, please allow me to point out that 97% of that was lifted directly from TPM itself and sparring sessions recorded on the "Insider's Guide" CD-ROM. Not that Clay didn't pull it off (and his more recent stuff has been of his own choreography), but it's hardly fair to compare Nick Gillard to any of us.

The choreography could have been faster. There were a few points when it seemed like anyone with common sense would have tried to take the offensive.

I liked the martial arts stuff--the kicks. Did you speed up the recoil on the kick victims? Because there's a very definite (and more realistic) "snapping" movement when a kick is landed.

I loved the flips on the landing platform. And when Rive gets the saber knocked out of his hand, I like the extra, subtle touch of the saber "rebounding" ever so slightly off of a platform edge that wasn't ever there.

By the