Danny Wagner always looks like he’s just going to explode with the sheer Joy of having done all the stuff he did and because he is so detailed in the exact models he made I can go back and watch the movie and go “I know who did that one!”. Great interview. Thanks for sharing 😎 (And I think the names being listed at the start of each clip is a recent addition… thanks for that too. It’s a small touch but helps keep track of all these amazing people)
@@robd1329 Part of the problem is Lucas hushed up the fact they used miniatures because CGI was the "cool" modern way of making movie effects. He felt model work was too old fashioned to hype. Then, he used crappy early HD cameras for parts 2 and 3 making the image look digital. Especially now with 4K and 8K cameras.
@@robd1329 ‘Tis the cost of being a pioneer. The sooner out of the gate, the quicker you are to date. Compare how ropey the blue screen work is in _The Ten Commandments_ (1956) to the blue screen work in _Star Wars_ (1977).
What Fon Davis says is quite interesting (and something that I've always suspected) that, when all is accounted for, CGI can actually be MORE expensive than practical effects.
Really appreciate the comment at the end. To paraphrase: that the free rain given to filmmakers to not “lock in” or make a concrete decision about what is really needed for any given VFX shot can be a detriment to both the budget and the sanity of the crew. At least, that was my take
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience with us. It is so interesting to listen to you guys. I know, i am writing this all the time. Keep up the good work.
live action scenes were shot on location in tunisia, italy and other countries... interiors were probably shot in australia and pinewood studios in england... set extensions (bg) and establishing shots were mostly miniatures... end battle scenes in naboo fields were live action shots with mostly cgi gungans and droids... ATT shots were mostly miniatures...
CGI and VFX are "TOOLS" not "Solutions" Miniatures are something id just love to use in films, but with no credits to my name, it may be a very long time till i get a budget to use miniature teams, model makers rock! And it ALWAYS looks better then CGI
I think the main reason is the cinematography. Not so much on the first one, which mostly shot on film (barring a shot or two) but the next two prequels were filmed with 1080p video cameras. Even now, but back then especially, it makes a difference. Things seem more ‘plastic’ on digital video compared to film. To me, at least! (The prequels have been upscaled and ‘processed’ a lot more for subsequent re-releases.) But there a lot of CG in those films, including digital characters, and perhaps more blue screen and less emphasis on practical sets. As one of the interviewees says, Lucas was very interested in pushing the technology and had to be persuaded a little to use tried-and-true methods as well.
I didn't interview anyone from that film. It would be very interesting to hear stories about those miniatures. Hopefully someone else does an interview sometime soon.
concerning vfx, my only real problem with the prequels is the compositing in episode 1 starting in the podracing hangars up until the end of the podrace... other than those scenes, everything else is perfect...
The biggest detriment to these films isn't that they used CGI or its quality. It's that they rarely used any real sets for the actors. They had a real hard time acting with these blue screens and George's lack of direction. Add to that the oftentimes bad compositing job and full-CG backgrounds plus a sub-par story and you get what we got.
Yeah, but this isn't a film review channel. Not all films here are great or terrible. It's about the miniature work done by the model makers, which was fantastic.
Your own practical sound and lighting are really good in these interviews. It's basic but do you look back and think you would now put the camera on a small radius dolly say just moving it left to right or anything like that? Did you use light stands? Is this miniDV or some other format? Thanks.
Just a small Canon HD camera shooting 24p on a tripod. The main idea is a casual interview just sitting together and chatting. No lights. No dollies. Just the stories and some photos like a slide show to go with it. Simple. I avoided the MTV over-edited crazy style...
@@piercefilm Oh, thank goodness you avoided the over-edited, shaky-cam style which is distracting. We really appreciate it. The background photos too. The videos are real treasures that have opened up the "sense of scale." Thanks for all the info.
Once more, in a series of films I have a lot of issues with... The VFX and miniature work here is none of them. They look great. It's the storytelling that fumbled repeatedly for me when I watched them. I can see what George wanted it to be. But he kind of doesn't know how he could get there. And all the people around him did everything they could along the directions they had. I am still very curious how things could have turned out if he went in as more of a producer like he did on ep 5 and 6.
@@MediaLoverChris02 even the artists who worked on those films werent convinced they were"realistic"... they said they were just artifacts moving in space, and i understood that... but you're probably just talking about the actual movies and not the effects itself... and it's very ignorant to even compare the 2 eras as if they are different from each other or as if one is better... you should probably work in the VFX industry first to actually understand the thought process in making these effects before you start pointing out who's talented or not... clearly an ignorant comment from someone who doesn't understand the creativity of the people behind these films...
The fact is your not supposed to tell if something is a model in a movie. In the old days pre-CGI if something looked like it was obviously a model in a movie then they shot it wrong.
All this beautiful work for Episode 2 and 3 of Star Wars and it was coated with CGI to make it look like a fake cartoon to match the rest of the movie's bad CGI. What a shame. (Yes, even at the time of release, episode 2 and 3 had garbage CGI,) but at least they didn't cover all the models in a CGI blanket for Episode 1, it shows.
parts 2 and 3 were shot with HD cameras mostly, giving the models a "digital" look. Also, if you add many CGI elements over a miniature shot it will tend to look more digital like if you photoshop an old photo it will look glossier and unreal.
I think a lot of digital post processed effects like dust and bloom made us all believe these these objects were all cg. With different lighting and less post effects it could have worked in Ep 2 & 3’s favour.
The point is, he died trying(!) The machine could continue on and changed everything for the future. Man vs. technology. Practical vs. CGI. Doesn't matter who won the race...
![เปิดใจ "อาจารย์เบียร์ คนตื่นธรรม" อดีตเคยสุดทุกทาง ถ้าใช้หนี้หมดไปบวชแน่ l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IxeE0xVhy08/mqdefault.jpg)
Danny Wagner has to be the most valuable person on a film. He does everything and does it all perfectly!
Danny Wagner always looks like he’s just going to explode with the sheer Joy of having done all the stuff he did and because he is so detailed in the exact models he made I can go back and watch the movie and go “I know who did that one!”.
Great interview. Thanks for sharing 😎
(And I think the names being listed at the start of each clip is a recent addition… thanks for that too. It’s a small touch but helps keep track of all these amazing people)
Lol, I don't think he breathed the entire interview. 😂
@@pat7937 i was worried he was going to pass out
This is a great clip! I didn't realize how miniature heavy the Prequels were!
Thank you for sharing this.
Why did this movie feel so fake??? Thought it was 100% cgi. Even Palpatines office looked fake
@@robd1329 Part of the problem is Lucas hushed up the fact they used miniatures because CGI was the "cool" modern way of making movie effects. He felt model work was too old fashioned to hype. Then, he used crappy early HD cameras for parts 2 and 3 making the image look digital. Especially now with 4K and 8K cameras.
@@piercefilm uhhhh
@@robd1329 ‘Tis the cost of being a pioneer. The sooner out of the gate, the quicker you are to date.
Compare how ropey the blue screen work is in _The Ten Commandments_ (1956) to the blue screen work in _Star Wars_ (1977).
@@piercefilm sad thing is. Just two years after the third film premiered, so did the Red One.
It's kickass how enthusiastic Danny Wagner is about everything he's gotten to do
What Fon Davis says is quite interesting (and something that I've always suspected) that, when all is accounted for, CGI can actually be MORE expensive than practical effects.
I knew some models were made for the prequels but not this much. Amazing to see!
I thought the whole movie was CGI. This is news to me that they used models
I don't know how but listening to this is very comforting to me.. thanks for the uploads. I enjoy each one.
I had no idea models were used in so many key shots/scenes....Thanks for sharing!!!
I didnt even know the prequels had miniatures, I always thought it was just all CGI everywhere
Same. Really cool to see the behind the scenes.
I'm still baffled how they made it look all sterile with models?
Papatines office was obvious fake!
very ignorant comment from someone not working on the vfx industry...
Thought the prequels were mostly CGI. Amazing to see these models. George Lucus had the creative idea but these are the people that made it reality.
Really appreciate the comment at the end. To paraphrase: that the free rain given to filmmakers to not “lock in” or make a concrete decision about what is really needed for any given VFX shot can be a detriment to both the budget and the sanity of the crew. At least, that was my take
Wow, what an Excellent segment!!
Great serie. Love it!
Yes, the angry RLM-inspired mob who screamed: "it's all CGI" and attacked anybody who dared to say something else actually lied.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience with us. It is so interesting to listen to you guys. I know, i am writing this all the time. Keep up the good work.
Amazing. Would love to see who's working on a show like Andor and what's practical because it looks great
*WOW! I thought they were real places in Africa or Australia but they were all models!* 😳
live action scenes were shot on location in tunisia, italy and other countries... interiors were probably shot in australia and pinewood studios in england... set extensions (bg) and establishing shots were mostly miniatures... end battle scenes in naboo fields were live action shots with mostly cgi gungans and droids... ATT shots were mostly miniatures...
CGI and VFX are "TOOLS" not "Solutions"
Miniatures are something id just love to use in films, but with no credits to my name, it may be a very long time till i get a budget to use miniature teams, model makers rock! And it ALWAYS looks better then CGI
Holy cow. For whatever reason I thought those SW episodes were all CG.
Same here. The movie felt so fake. This is news to me!
I think the main reason is the cinematography. Not so much on the first one, which mostly shot on film (barring a shot or two) but the next two prequels were filmed with 1080p video cameras. Even now, but back then especially, it makes a difference. Things seem more ‘plastic’ on digital video compared to film. To me, at least! (The prequels have been upscaled and ‘processed’ a lot more for subsequent re-releases.)
But there a lot of CG in those films, including digital characters, and perhaps more blue screen and less emphasis on practical sets. As one of the interviewees says, Lucas was very interested in pushing the technology and had to be persuaded a little to use tried-and-true methods as well.
What Brand of paint and Brushes you use to do your own Hobby Projects
I'd love to see what you got in your documentary on The Black Hole! The USS Cygnus is a mesmerizing ship!
I didn't interview anyone from that film. It would be very interesting to hear stories about those miniatures. Hopefully someone else does an interview sometime soon.
0:06 Grant Imahara RIP
very cool
concerning vfx, my only real problem with the prequels is the compositing in episode 1 starting in the podracing hangars up until the end of the podrace... other than those scenes, everything else is perfect...
I still say that you can tell if it's CG or if it's a physical model...but that's my opinion...stay safe!
The biggest detriment to these films isn't that they used CGI or its quality. It's that they rarely used any real sets for the actors. They had a real hard time acting with these blue screens and George's lack of direction. Add to that the oftentimes bad compositing job and full-CG backgrounds plus a sub-par story and you get what we got.
Yeah, but this isn't a film review channel. Not all films here are great or terrible. It's about the miniature work done by the model makers, which was fantastic.
@@piercefilm agreed, love your work btw.
Your own practical sound and lighting are really good in these interviews. It's basic but do you look back and think you would now put the camera on a small radius dolly say just moving it left to right or anything like that? Did you use light stands? Is this miniDV or some other format? Thanks.
Just a small Canon HD camera shooting 24p on a tripod. The main idea is a casual interview just sitting together and chatting. No lights. No dollies. Just the stories and some photos like a slide show to go with it. Simple. I avoided the MTV over-edited crazy style...
@@piercefilm Oh, thank goodness you avoided the over-edited, shaky-cam style which is distracting. We really appreciate it. The background photos too. The videos are real treasures that have opened up the "sense of scale." Thanks for all the info.
I wish they’d worked on the screenplays as hard as they worked on the models.
9:33 Grant and Tori
Once more, in a series of films I have a lot of issues with... The VFX and miniature work here is none of them.
They look great. It's the storytelling that fumbled repeatedly for me when I watched them. I can see what George wanted it to be. But he kind of doesn't know how he could get there. And all the people around him did everything they could along the directions they had.
I am still very curious how things could have turned out if he went in as more of a producer like he did on ep 5 and 6.
The problem with the prequels is that they made those wonderful models an artwork look like they were CGI even if they werent.
And after all that the original STAR WARS is far better. A work of art by talented people.
very ignorant comment from someone not working on the vfx industry...
@@greggybada VFX are only there to do the bits they can't do for real.
@@MediaLoverChris02 even the artists who worked on those films werent convinced they were"realistic"... they said they were just artifacts moving in space, and i understood that... but you're probably just talking about the actual movies and not the effects itself... and it's very ignorant to even compare the 2 eras as if they are different from each other or as if one is better... you should probably work in the VFX industry first to actually understand the thought process in making these effects before you start pointing out who's talented or not... clearly an ignorant comment from someone who doesn't understand the creativity of the people behind these films...
👍👍
The fact is your not supposed to tell if something is a model in a movie. In the old days pre-CGI if something looked like it was obviously a model in a movie then they shot it wrong.
The water planet is Kimino...OH WHO CARES!
👍👍👍👍👍❤️🤘
Can you imagine these great artists putting sooo much time and effort into the movie and the story and script are awful
That could be said for 80% of movies out there...
Prequels still told a better story than the sequels in my opinion. Keyword being opinion.
All this beautiful work for Episode 2 and 3 of Star Wars and it was coated with CGI to make it look like a fake cartoon to match the rest of the movie's bad CGI. What a shame.
(Yes, even at the time of release, episode 2 and 3 had garbage CGI,) but at least they didn't cover all the models in a CGI blanket for Episode 1, it shows.
How did they manage to make all these practical miniatures look like terrible CGI?!
parts 2 and 3 were shot with HD cameras mostly, giving the models a "digital" look. Also, if you add many CGI elements over a miniature shot it will tend to look more digital like if you photoshop an old photo it will look glossier and unreal.
I think a lot of digital post processed effects like dust and bloom made us all believe these these objects were all cg. With different lighting and less post effects it could have worked in Ep 2 & 3’s favour.
I think Lorne Peterson needs a John Henry refresher. John Henry WON and then died. The machine didn’t continue on…
The point is, he died trying(!) The machine could continue on and changed everything for the future. Man vs. technology. Practical vs. CGI. Doesn't matter who won the race...
@@piercefilm I know, I know! The point is still made perfectly fine with what he says but I was just being pedantic about the story details.
I thought all the sith was cgi.
Shame. All that money and talent wasted....