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Post by ArchdukeOfNaboo on Jan 31, 2020 2:26:54 GMT
From Naboo News:
The following document (p7-32) catalogues interviews & updates on the series from 2005 to the acquisition, with mostly Pablo Hidalgo Tweets for the period since (p33-52). This a very similar idea to what mikeximus has been attempting for Lucas' planned sequel trilogy on this thread. It's not available for download, right-clicking has been disabled, but do take a look anyway:
A lot of these interviews come from Rick McCallum, and here is one from January, 2012 with IGN:
Another one with IGN and Rick from May, 2012 here:
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rayo1
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Post by rayo1 on Jan 31, 2020 4:06:55 GMT
Would have been so cool to see, but the budget they were asking for was insane. $5 million per episode?!
Lucas, why?!
Though technically speaking, doing it now would be more financially possible for something like Disney+.
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Post by stampidhd280pro on Jan 31, 2020 6:46:34 GMT
I know it's just test footage but that looks pretty awful to me. Frankly, I think the surface of Coruscant location was overused between AOTC and TCW. Especially since it's based on Bladerunner.
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Post by Ingram on Jan 31, 2020 9:53:12 GMT
Huh. Lucas once again pushing the available technology to, how shall we say, eccentric results. Yes, by this point James Cameron had since completed Avatar using a similar real-time 3D camera system, but that was for a single feature film with years of pre-production and with over $230 million for its budget. Here, Lucas was attempting a serialized format at an experimental cost and seeing what could be done with a comparably 'quick-and-dirty' style of principle photography. Even Disney's The Mandalorian often sufferes, in my opinion, from an at once overproduced gloss and tedious narrative pace that postures a long(winded)-form story arc amounting to but a handful of generic tropes and sentiments. The show is fine, I guess. Sustainable enough. But it's also taxed with all the usual modishness in dramatic presentation akin to every other thousand cable/streaming shows.
By contrast, there's something exciting suggested here, the footage in question. Something a little more unruly, off-kilter, even artless, yet also teeming with world-building immersion and B-serial calamity that lies at the heart of Star Wars. Lacking, at least from what we're privy to, is the regal poise of the Prequels which is only fitting given how this wasn't meant to deal in saga opera but rather revel in the crude thrills of back ally skullduggery per a Star Wars universe.
And I'd beg to differ that Coruscant is simply Blade Runner; for one, it has not the dystopia atmosphere/intent of Ridley Scott's vision and moreover, like everything else from these movies, it was pretty much an alchemy of countless vintage pop-art depictions of spiraling future cities.
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Post by Alexrd on Jan 31, 2020 10:27:30 GMT
Coruscant, the city planet, is no Blade Runner. It preceded it. One can even see it in old McQuarrie concept art, when it was still known by its old name, Had Abbadon.  As for the test footage, Lucas' vision and boldness invariably comes through. He thinks big, out of the box. And fights his way through to make it a reality. I'm a firm believer that had Lucas waited a couple more years (the streaming boom happened right after), he would be able to produce it. Alas, it wasn'e fated to be made under his vision... |
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Post by Cryogenic on Jan 31, 2020 12:24:07 GMT
Interesting. But the footage is too crude and sparse to draw any real conclusions from. I do, however, dig the speeder/car, and the women. You can tell it's a George Lucas production with sexy cars and sexy women. By contrast, there's something exciting suggested here, the footage in question. Something a little more unruly, off-kilter, even artless, yet also teeming with world-building immersion and B-serial calamity that lies at the heart of Star Wars. Lacking, at least from what we're privy to, is the regal poise of the Prequels which is only fitting given how this wasn't meant to deal in saga opera but rather revel in the crude thrills of back ally skullduggery per a Star Wars universe. Cogent reading -- as usual. But isn't that another way of saying "crude"? How crude! The footage is a little on the rough/shoddy side. And the dialogue is typical Lucas blandness. In the worst way. I think, based on this clip alone, I really miss the "regal poise" you mention of the prequels. Plus, these days, things have advanced so fast, Star Wars fans are now indulging themselves and making extremely polished YouTube fan films. The lines between pro, semi-pro, and rank amateur are starting to blur. Moreover, the fetid "underworld" vibe was nicely captured at the start of "Rogue One" (scene on the "Ring Of Kafrene"). Seeing it here almost feels... cliched? I suppose a lot can happen in the -- what? -- six years between this footage being shot and assembled and the release of the much-liked Gareth Edwards film. I wouldn't chomp down on stampid for suggesting it's too similar to "Blade Runner". If you've played the Westwood Studios computer game, the look of the footage is highly similar. Beyond basic technical/aesthetic considerations: It seems that Lucas still had a lot of Star Wars to get out of his system. The murky, "Blade Runner"-esque streets and that whole cyberpunk vibe. Flying cars. The criminal underworld element. Holograms. Sneaking around. Secret contacts. Femme fatales. I think this footage confirms he was in his element (his "Fifth Element") making AOTC. He could barely show 1/100th of what he might have liked to. I mean, the opening Coruscant passage of AOTC is basically the man discovering fire: there he is, massively expanding his universe, his world, and discovering new visual, tonal, and editorial truths through digital filmmaking for the first time. He obviously got inspired and wanted to really get stuck in and flesh out his galaxy in a whole new way. And again, those hot women... On another note: The foley work in that clip had me smiling. Retracked prequel music and Wilhelm scream aside, there's a horn/siren sound somewhere in there that sounds just like the effect used for the flying police transports on Canto Bight in TLJ. The sound is very distinct and occurs just after the film cuts back there following Poe's line: "Finn... Rose... Where are you guys?" Or maybe I'm imagining it and they aren't entirely alike. The people that have replaced Lucas are extracting new meaning and building new structures in his sandbox. This clip is a reminder that it isn't all bad. They're actually doing some neat things. And the prequels remain unique. |
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Post by Alexrd on Jan 31, 2020 12:43:03 GMT
Retracked prequel music and Wilhelm scream aside, there's a horn/siren sound somewhere in there that sounds just like the effect used for the flying police transports on Canto Bight in TLJ. Which came from The Clone Wars and had been used since 2009, IIRC. I guess the siren came from this Underworld test footage and was then used in The Clone Wars. Or vice versa. This video is from 2009 too, right? |
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Post by Cryogenic on Jan 31, 2020 13:05:28 GMT
Retracked prequel music and Wilhelm scream aside, there's a horn/siren sound somewhere in there that sounds just like the effect used for the flying police transports on Canto Bight in TLJ. Which came from The Clone Wars and had been used since 2009, IIRC. I guess the siren came from this Underworld test footage and was then used in The Clone Wars. Or vice versa. This video is from 2009 too, right? I was assuming 2010, but possibly the year before. Didn't know it found its way into "The Clone Wars". Still haven't seen the show. Makes sense. |
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Post by Cryogenic on Jan 31, 2020 18:50:15 GMT
On another note... Coruscant, the city planet, is no Blade Runner. It preceded it. One can even see it in old McQuarrie concept art, when it was still known by its old name, Had Abbadon. The inarguable authority of a McQuarrie original! It's interesting how those spheres/bubbles made their way into the opera scene in ROTS. Well, a large, watery version of them, anyway. |
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Post by Ingram on Jan 31, 2020 19:38:30 GMT
Interesting. But the footage is too crude and sparse to draw any real conclusions from. I do, however, dig the speeder/car, and the women. You can tell it's a George Lucas production with sexy cars and sexy women. By contrast, there's something exciting suggested here, the footage in question. Something a little more unruly, off-kilter, even artless, yet also teeming with world-building immersion and B-serial calamity that lies at the heart of Star Wars. Lacking, at least from what we're privy to, is the regal poise of the Prequels which is only fitting given how this wasn't meant to deal in saga opera but rather revel in the crude thrills of back ally skullduggery per a Star Wars universe. Cogent reading -- as usual. But isn't that another way of saying "crude"? How crude! The footage is a little on the rough/shoddy side. And the dialogue is typical Lucas blandness. In the worst way. To be fair, it isn't even dialogue per se, just some ADR temp tracks (much like the music) thrown in to round out the timing of the scene. I think, based on this clip alone, I really miss the "regal poise" you mention of the prequels. Plus, these days, things have advanced so fast, Star Wars fans are now indulging themselves and making extremely polished YouTube fan films. The lines between pro, semi-pro, and rank amateur are starting to blur. That's kinda my point though: how this evokes the quality(?) of an independent production in relative scale, which I suppose it technically was. Moreover, the fetid "underworld" vibe was nicely captured at the start of "Rogue One" (scene on the "Ring Of Kafrene"). Seeing it here almost feels... cliched? I suppose a lot can happen in the -- what? -- six years between this footage being shot and assembled and the release of the much-liked Gareth Edwards film. I'd be interested to know who was helming this scene on set. As a series, I could easily see Lucas bringing in upstart technical filmmakers circa 2010 for individual episodes like Edwards or Joseph Kosinski, along with maybe an occasional "celebrity" director like, say, Robert Rodriguez. |
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Post by Cryogenic on Jan 31, 2020 20:01:11 GMT
Interesting. But the footage is too crude and sparse to draw any real conclusions from. I do, however, dig the speeder/car, and the women. You can tell it's a George Lucas production with sexy cars and sexy women. Cogent reading -- as usual. But isn't that another way of saying "crude"? How crude! The footage is a little on the rough/shoddy side. And the dialogue is typical Lucas blandness. In the worst way. To be fair, it isn't even dialogue per se, just some ADR temp tracks (much like the music) thrown in to round out the timing of the scene. Sorry, Ingz, ol' boy. I can't hear what you're saying. I'm just totally digging that far-out sci-fi chrome-mirrored car. Look at that thing. Lucas just had to watch "Blade Runner" and tell himself, "I can do better". But yes, of course -- your instincts are on the mark, and you're probably right, as ever. That's sort of what I was alluding to when I said the footage is too sparse and basic to draw big conclusions from. Be careful, in the words of Jerry Ehman, from drawing vast conclusions from half-vast data. True. This would have been on the bleeding edge in 2010. Exactly where George Lucas likes his productions to be. Yes. That may well have happened. Maybe some old stalwarts, too, like John Knoll and Roger Christian. The upstarts and the stalwarts. STARTS WARTS. I'm so sorry. |
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Post by Subtext Mining on Jan 31, 2020 20:27:26 GMT
McQuarrie's Plaza was also used to great effect in an episode of The Clone Wars.
(Sorry, the only clip I could find was this soundtrack).
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Post by stampidhd280pro on Jan 31, 2020 21:32:03 GMT
Coruscant, the city planet, is no Blade Runner. It preceded it. One can even see it in old McQuarrie concept art, when it was still known by its old name, Had Abbadon. As for the test footage, Lucas' vision and boldness invariably comes through. He thinks big, out of the box. And fights his way through to make it a reality. I'm a firm believer that had Lucas waited a couple more years (the streaming boom happened right after), he would be able to produce it. Alas, it wasn'e fated to be made under his vision... I had the Ralph McQuarrie Illustrated Star Wars book as a kid in the 90s, so I'm very familiar with the Imperial City, but by the time we got to really see life on Coruscant in AOTC, it was basically Blade Runner with less grime. Fewer Asians. Faster, more intense. |
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Post by Pyrogenic on Jan 31, 2020 23:02:21 GMT
This reminds me of...
Also, I feel like a lot of film productions overlook (either intentionally or unintentionally) that once one has a huge VFX workload and budget, one can make ANYTHING appear for practically the same cost (same budget per minute of screen time), so...why not make things crazy extravagant? I remember hearing that from Robert Zemeckis' CGI pseudo-trilogy of The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol. Literally a million dollars per minute no matter what was being rendered or something like that.
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Post by stampidhd280pro on Jan 31, 2020 23:39:55 GMT
This reminds me of... Also, I feel like a lot of film productions overlook (either intentionally or unintentionally) that once one has a huge VFX workload and budget, one can make ANYTHING appear for practically the same cost (same budget per minute of screen time), so...why not make things crazy extravagant? I remember hearing that from Robert Zemeckis' CGI pseudo-trilogy of The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol. Literally a million dollars per minute no matter what was being rendered or something like that. The one on the left looks like Billy Eyelash. |
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rayo1
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Post by rayo1 on Feb 1, 2020 3:08:36 GMT
This reminds me of... Also, I feel like a lot of film productions overlook (either intentionally or unintentionally) that once one has a huge VFX workload and budget, one can make ANYTHING appear for practically the same cost (same budget per minute of screen time), so...why not make things crazy extravagant? I remember hearing that from Robert Zemeckis' CGI pseudo-trilogy of The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol. Literally a million dollars per minute no matter what was being rendered or something like that. Oh mah god, I LOVE Valerian. Such a cool movie. It actually ended up inspiring a sci-fi story I wrote. |
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Post by Ingram on Feb 1, 2020 5:16:32 GMT
To be fair, it isn't even dialogue per se, just some ADR temp tracks (much like the music) thrown in to round out the timing of the scene. Sorry, Ingz... That's a first. Vaguely connotes Indy, Inca and Aztec ...and Egon Spangler. Yes, John Knoll in the director's chair for Star Wars. He practically deserves it at this point, especially since he all but held a "Lucas-like" position of sorts for Rogue One. Roger Christian? I dunno. That's a borderline persona non grata issue right there. Though, Black Angel is a pretty cool little gem of the fantasy genre history. So maybe. And rayo1 - I'm with you on Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Sort of. It is for Luc Besson and The Fifth Element what the Prequels were for Lucas and the OT. The only real tax for me is that its two leads don't come anywhere close to the charisma of '90s Milla opposite '90s Bruce. But as a visual extravaganza, it's quite delectable. |
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Post by Cryogenic on Feb 1, 2020 11:44:28 GMT
That's a first. Vaguely connotes Indy, Inca and Aztec ...and Egon Spangler. Raindrops on roses And whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with str ingz
These are a few of my favorite th ingzThe Thingram? Monsters Ingz? The Ingzredibles? Teenage Mutant Ingram Turtles? Lost Ingz Translation? Sleepless Ingz Seattle? Ingzlorious Basterds? Lord Of The Ingz? The Ingram Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain? Okay, I've gone a bit far with it, now... Truth be told, Indy references aside, your name strangely resonates for me. My form tutor at secondary school was called Mister Ingram. He was also one of my science teachers. Physics. One of the best. I cited Christian because he directed second unit on Episode I. Remember: He's also the guy that helmed "Battlefield Earth". Knoll has to be considered a shoo-in at this point. He has surely proved his stripes over the years, and yes, "Rogue One"... Mister Knoll, take a bow. It's such a colourful/fecund/goofy-looking movie. Star Wars seems very grounded by comparison. Especially the Disney movies. They could have gone all-out insane, but they strove to be all cupboard-bound and totem-obsessed instead. |
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Post by ladyfromplanetx on Feb 23, 2020 7:01:03 GMT
Hmmm, that woman seemed a little too sexy even by SW standards with her stiletto heels. I'm guessing she's just undercover but not even Padme or Mara wore spiked heels and spoke in such a breathy voice when they went undercover. Still, it's only a snippet of what could have been and we can't judge completely until we see the final product - which of course never saw the light of day. *sigh*
I think television was the direction Lucas wanted to take Star Wars.
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Post by Cryogenic on Nov 11, 2020 5:31:43 GMT
Hmmm, that woman seemed a little too sexy even by SW standards with her stiletto heels. I'm guessing she's just undercover but not even Padme or Mara wore spiked heels and spoke in such a breathy voice when they went undercover. Still, it's only a snippet of what could have been and we can't judge completely until we see the final product - which of course never saw the light of day. *sigh* I think television was the direction Lucas wanted to take Star Wars.I was compelled to take a second look at this thread after new information pertaining to Lucas' sequel trilogy just emerged. Very interesting observation there. I started to think the same thing a few years ago. He seemed to have a blast overseeing TCW, and if you look at the prequels, or AOTC and ROTS, both those films have a significant volume of cut material; especially material pertaining to Padme and Palpatine and the formation of the Rebellion. Star Wars seemed to be leaning in more of a mini-series direction as Lucas made his way through the PT. When I noticed this, I definitely started to have the sense that Lucas was beginning to consider the short-form constraints of cinema too narrow for the sprawling story he had begun to tell. Especially once streaming platforms started getting big. In a way -- dare I say? -- Star Wars had started to outgrow its relatively basic "Flash Gordon" origins. From a series Lucas originally claimed was designed to make people feel good in 1977, to something rooted in more of a complex critique of politics and greed and the nature of personhood by the time Lucas really started building out his fantasy world in the PT ( in one interview in 2005, Lucas deemed the PT "a character study and an exhibition piece about politics"). Even the teaser poster for Episode I, with lonely child Anakin being menaced by his own shadow, transforming into Vader, is a good deal more poignant and self-serious ("arty") than any of the previous poster work had been. I think film critic Richard Brody captured this latent tension in a passing comment he made in his review of "The Last Jedi" in 2016: Likewise, Jim Windolf, writing back in 2005, commented that the PT was notably more sprawling and novel-esque than the relatively humble and unassuming OT that spawned it: And while the prestigious Academy Award has always personally eluded him, Lucas won the small-screen equivalent by scoring an Emmy Award for TCW in 2013: www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22934483The video is worth watching for his comments. He clearly sees television as the future for extensive, off-the-wall storytelling, and a little bit of shade is thrown at the film industry, too. And in another telling moment that same year, both Lucas and his filmmaking comrade Steven Spielberg predicted the implosion of the existing blockbuster paradigm: BTW: Those interested in a good conspiracy angle may like to note the comments directly above were made in June 2013. Lucas' frustration with the samey-ness of big-budget cinema is no doubt real, but they may also have been the first sign of him publicly expressing annoyance at Disney. It seems to have been around the summer of 2013 that Lucas had made a relatively clean break with Disney/Lucasfilm, and it was around right around then that the Sequel Trilogy began heading in a markedly different direction (to what he had originally intended). |
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