1. Due to the increased amount of spam bots on the forum, we are strengthening our defenses. You may experience a CAPTCHA challenge from time to time.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Notification emails are working properly again. Please check your email spam folder and if you see any emails from the Cantina there, make sure to mark them as "Not Spam". This will help a lot to whitelist the emails and to stop them going to spam.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. IMPORTANT! To be able to create new threads and rate posts, you need to have at least 30 posts in The Cantina.
    Dismiss Notice
  4. Before posting a new thread, check the list with similar threads that will appear when you start typing the thread's title.
    Dismiss Notice

Real Sets & Practical Effects in the Prequels

Discussion in 'Prequel Trilogy' started by tm0910196, Sep 17, 2016.

  1. tm0910196

    tm0910196 Guest

    Credits:
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Greetings, my dear ladies and gents.

    The prequel trilogy gets a lot of flack for being so green-and-blue-screen-laden, and the new emphasis on sets and practical effects in the new films has set up a sort of "war" between the two ways of doing things.

    The Phantom Menace obviously used a lot of sets / practical work, but as things went on, the extent of CGI progressed as technology allowed. If you watch behind the scenes stuff for Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, you can see that green screen and blue screen is everywhere. The actors and crew are happy to admit it. Which leads to my question...

    Can we make a list of the practical effects and real-world sets used in Episodes II and III? I think it might be interesting to know how these movies were put together. Off the top of my head, I know the following were "real":

    • most exterior platforms and building interiors on Coruscant (e.g., Jedi Council chamber, Padme's apartment, Zam's speeder/preparation area, street of Coruscant)
    • Dex's Diner
    • The interior of Kamino, along with the landing platform
    • Naboo and Tatooine (on-location filming)
    • The entry to the droid factory and the conveyor belt
    • The hanger on Geonosis
    • Padme's ship
    • A good deal of the Invisible Hand
    • The landing platforms in Ep. III
    • The Chancellor's office
    • Much of Mustafar, including the Separatists' area and the lava bank
    • The rehab/birthing facilities
    • The Tantive IV
    Sounds like a lot, but surely that isn't all. Similarly, I imagine not all the special effects were CGI (particularly thinking Eps. 2 and 3). So, anybody and everybody, can we compile something more comprehensive? :)
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Great Post Great Post x 1
  2. NinjaRen

    NinjaRen Supreme Leader

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2015
    Posts:
    4,931
    Likes Received:
    103,282
    Trophy Points:
    171,517
    Credits:
    56,746
    Ratings:
    +111,959 / 176 / -32
    The prequels had many stunning miniatures:

    practicakEffects_32.jpg image6.jpg
    practicakEffects_19.jpg image5.jpg
    practicakEffects_31.jpg

    Of course there were also sets without green-/bluescreen:
    tnm6ixvo.jpg

    br2bef27.jpg
    zpyp6mwx.jpg

    But don't forget the OT also used bluescreens:
    6.jpg
     
    • Great Post Great Post x 5
    • Like Like x 2
    • Informative Informative x 1
  3. tm0910196

    tm0910196 Guest

    Credits:
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Excellent. This is exactly the type of stuff I'm hoping we can put together. :) I didn't know the Jedi Temple and pod-racing stadium were miniatures!
     
    • Like Like x 3
    • Friendly Friendly x 2
  4. NinjaRen

    NinjaRen Supreme Leader

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2015
    Posts:
    4,931
    Likes Received:
    103,282
    Trophy Points:
    171,517
    Credits:
    56,746
    Ratings:
    +111,959 / 176 / -32
    Me neither. It's simply amazing to compare these miniatures to the actual movies.

    tat1.jpg tat3.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Great Post Great Post x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
  5. GingerByte

    GingerByte Guest

    Credits:
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    • Informative Informative x 3
  6. AstromechRecords

    AstromechRecords Jedi General

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Posts:
    16,794
    Likes Received:
    15,181
    Trophy Points:
    149,777
    Credits:
    20,163
    Ratings:
    +26,536 / 845 / -253
    • Like Like x 2
  7. Messi

    Messi G.O.A.T.

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2015
    Posts:
    3,255
    Likes Received:
    8,566
    Trophy Points:
    87,567
    Credits:
    13,186
    Ratings:
    +10,962 / 197 / -29
    There are a lot of cools sets. Unfotunately the sets do not make the movies better. So much effort to create fantastic worlds and the movies didnt work well. The miniatures of TPM are my favorites, specially the trade federation hangar.
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Friendly Friendly x 1
  8. AstromechRecords

    AstromechRecords Jedi General

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Posts:
    16,794
    Likes Received:
    15,181
    Trophy Points:
    149,777
    Credits:
    20,163
    Ratings:
    +26,536 / 845 / -253
    I lvoe this quote on that forum:

    "
    I don't care about how dated they are myself. As I said that happens to all VFX but my point is the perception of what is and isn't is the key thing.

    If anyone gets a chance on the Criterion Godzilla release there is a commentary on the US Godzilla by David Kalat where he really gives an excellent overview of how the perception of effects works.

    One point he talks about is how for some Toho film (not Godzilla) that was done in the 70's and they used a US company to do the VFX but when they got them back the director threw them out because they were too realistic for him so they made ones less realistic but what he wanted for the story. He also points out that for various Godzilla films the directors specifically did what looks to us now as really dated with models and miniatures but that was the look they wanted. It was meant to be fantasy and they delivered on that.

    Visuals don't have to be realistic each time though what is realistic for Star Wars is just odd in the first place as opposed to something that is on Earth.

    If anyone feels that the VFX of the PT have dated fine but don't turn around and say the OT is "timeless" because it isn't. The PT is evidently far far ahead so if they PT is dated then the OT is truly ancient.

    Then as you point out some people will pull out this character argument. That is fine as a specific individual thing as long as they realize that is for them alone and is totally subjective and not at all objective.

    As I've said though the bogus arguments pulled out by people is for blasting how dated the CG is for this shot or this shot and I point out to them that there is either no CG there or it's only the enhanced elements while the rest is a set, model, miniature, matte painting or whatever.

    They perceive it as CG because they think that is the way it was done and not for any other reason then that is what they've been told. I find it interesting though of how many people don't really realize how even the OT was made. If they knew how much actual animation was in the films they might be puzzled because it's not really talked about much unlike how for the PT the CG was really talked up so that many perceived that was most of the VFX."
     
    • Wise Wise x 3
    • Like Like x 1
  9. 2K-D2

    2K-D2 Clone Trooper

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2016
    Posts:
    160
    Likes Received:
    78
    Trophy Points:
    77
    Credits:
    552
    Ratings:
    +144 / 49 / -29
    This is old news, but confronting crazy "lol it was all CGI and greenblue and CGI sucks it's not real lololol" lunatics with this hasn't lost its entertainment value so far.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Wise Wise x 1
  10. AstromechRecords

    AstromechRecords Jedi General

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Posts:
    16,794
    Likes Received:
    15,181
    Trophy Points:
    149,777
    Credits:
    20,163
    Ratings:
    +26,536 / 845 / -253
    I think its gotten a lot older because even the simplest movies and tv comedies have blue screen:

    So people shouldn't say something just JUST because it's an effects laden movie like star wars .
     
    • Wise Wise x 1
  11. Onid Bonazzo

    Onid Bonazzo Force Sensitive

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2017
    Posts:
    145
    Likes Received:
    2,460
    Trophy Points:
    11,417
    Credits:
    2,739
    Ratings:
    +2,537 / 1 / -0
    Who doesn't love practical effects???

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    (boba fett)
     
    • Great Post Great Post x 4
  12. Lock_S_Foils

    Lock_S_Foils Red Leader

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2017
    Posts:
    3,507
    Likes Received:
    77,629
    Trophy Points:
    176,657
    Credits:
    57,780
    Ratings:
    +82,694 / 49 / -43
    Wow! @Onid Bonazzo , tremendous pictures thanks for sharing! I agree totally, practical effects on set, done well, are what set SW apart. What really resonated with me about R1 was when Gareth Edwards was talking about his vision for the Yavin-4 base/hangar scenes and a couple of his folks were talking green screen and CGI......he cut them off immediately and said "No....we are building a hangar".....
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
  13. Onid Bonazzo

    Onid Bonazzo Force Sensitive

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2017
    Posts:
    145
    Likes Received:
    2,460
    Trophy Points:
    11,417
    Credits:
    2,739
    Ratings:
    +2,537 / 1 / -0
    See, THATS how you direct a Star Wars film! I'm not too big on films that are completely CGI. Avatar seems to be the only one that can watch that overly used CGI. Without practical effects, there is a lacking sense of realism but blue and green screen methods are acceptable in many instances. In my opinion, AOTC's use of blue and green screens weren't exactly fluent enough and a little too obviously fake wheb they tried to pull of certain action scenes with crazy environments. Maybe it's due to the technological skill at the time. Episode one used a great balance of both strategies, as you can see.

    (boba fett)
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. Talon Karrde

    Talon Karrde Rebel Official

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2015
    Posts:
    969
    Likes Received:
    1,706
    Trophy Points:
    7,592
    Credits:
    4,016
    Ratings:
    +2,490 / 69 / -31
    It's awesome stuff. It really is. And the men and women who did this never really got their accolades.
    I didn't see a picture of mauls bike. When you look at that thing up close, you see how beat up it is.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. CTrent29

    CTrent29 Rebel Official

    Joined:
    Dec 25, 2015
    Posts:
    1,503
    Likes Received:
    1,511
    Trophy Points:
    6,192
    Credits:
    2,608
    Ratings:
    +2,411 / 394 / -178

    They probably never received their accolades, because too many critics and moviegoers were busy accusing the movies of using only CGI.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Wise Wise x 1
  16. AstromechRecords

    AstromechRecords Jedi General

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Posts:
    16,794
    Likes Received:
    15,181
    Trophy Points:
    149,777
    Credits:
    20,163
    Ratings:
    +26,536 / 845 / -253
    they've all been nominated for visual effects except for ROTS, which was nominated for only make-up (weirdly) but never won anything
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. Pawek_13

    Pawek_13 Jedi General

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2016
    Posts:
    3,384
    Likes Received:
    15,618
    Trophy Points:
    144,707
    Credits:
    15,355
    Ratings:
    +20,518 / 72 / -32
    Probably for Palpie's prune face and Anakin's post-Mustafar burnt corpse - that was also a practical make-up effect.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  18. AstromechRecords

    AstromechRecords Jedi General

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Posts:
    16,794
    Likes Received:
    15,181
    Trophy Points:
    149,777
    Credits:
    20,163
    Ratings:
    +26,536 / 845 / -253
    true, visual effects also applies to practical effects but the oscars usually seperate it.
     
  19. Talon Karrde

    Talon Karrde Rebel Official

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2015
    Posts:
    969
    Likes Received:
    1,706
    Trophy Points:
    7,592
    Credits:
    4,016
    Ratings:
    +2,490 / 69 / -31
    Your 100% correct. But that was the illusion that was sold to the public. By LFL.. by George Lucas.. by Rick McCallum. Especially after Episode 1.
    Now, back in high school, late 90s I was exposed to early cgi tools, specifically Bryce. Now Bryce is a primarily a terrain modeler. So when I saw places like Kamino and Geonisis I bought the myth that this was all cgi.. because I could see a skilled artisan making these locales in Bryce.. I really could. And the documentary on AotC.. From Puppets to Pixels. Even today the pfx doc on the prequels is slammed by the ban hammers of YT.
    So, as you may know I left the fandom after Clones.. I just lost heart. I come back 12 years later to all these complaints about the cgi in the prequels. And I'm thinking to myself why? Mustafar Utapau etc they all look great.. Then I found these pictures on a sticky over on the JC forums.. Oh.. oh my.. THAT wasn't cgi!? Utapau is a miniature!?
    And then I could see the actual cgi of the prequels. I understood what the problems actually were. And then I got very pissed off with George Lucas.:mad:
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
  20. AstromechRecords

    AstromechRecords Jedi General

    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2015
    Posts:
    16,794
    Likes Received:
    15,181
    Trophy Points:
    149,777
    Credits:
    20,163
    Ratings:
    +26,536 / 845 / -253
    I've said this before but the cgi thing goes both ways: it allowed GL ago fulfill his true vision but as a twisty the prequels were used as a test bed for groundbreaking technology that made everything we've seen in the intervening years possible
    .
     
    • Great Post Great Post x 1
Loading...

Share This Page