Hard Light Productions Forums
General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Fozzy on September 22, 2007, 08:50:08 pm
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I was watching the final fantasy film the other day and i thought it would be great if there was an animated freespace film, the scp has developed beyond what anyone could have imagined and that gave birth to the freespace upgrade project who have the talent to make models for an animation.
I would like to write a script for an animated freespace film, with your help. which could be turned into an animated film. this could be a fun project which could be entered into small film festivals and would be somthing great to have on your CV when applying for jobs in the TV/Film industry.
Edit: i am not thinking of anything to big, about 20 mins long to start with
If this project takes off then it would be quite a few months before any animation could take place, the first thing we have to do is come up with a plot line (remember that even tho the film is set in the FS universe it will be marketed to people who have never played FS).
thinks that need sorting first:
1) alpha one needs a name. (i like "Aken Snipes", a good homage to FS).
2) good plot line that anyone can understand.
3) an idea for an eyecatching opening sequence.
4) what sort of film its going to be. comedy/Horror/Thriller/Action Adventure, etc....
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Why not shoot for just 5 mins first. Projects like this always take far more time and effort than predicted.
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FS movie would be more like a Horror, action, and shooting.
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Why not shoot for just 5 mins first. Projects like this always take far more time and effort than predicted.
true, ok what would the story line be.
i quite like the idea of somthing like this...
http://web.archive.org/web/20010208163221/www.interplay.com/freespace/stories/story1.html (http://web.archive.org/web/20010208163221/www.interplay.com/freespace/stories/story1.html)
thanks to goober for digging this story up and posting it in the Art forum.
it hasnt got that many models in it and it could be adapted so outsiders to the FS scene could understand it
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Why not shoot for just 5 mins first. Projects like this always take far more time and effort than predicted.
Yeah, I seem to remember seeing in the Sky Commander and the World of Tomorrow special features that the guy who made it started out doing it himself and after like 3 years and 6.5 minutes done. So even with more than one person helping, it's going to take some time.
Back on Topic, I think it should be s Sci-Fi/Action Combo. With maybe a dash of Horror added for taste.
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I'd be willing to lend my (limited) modeling skills to this endeavor if it looks like it could actually go anywhere. I can't make any guarantees as to quality or timeliness, but I could sure give a heck of a try.
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[totally off-topic]Which FF film were you watching? Spirits Within or Advent Children?[/totally off-topic]
Anyway: I think this would be quite interesting. Though I do agree with it taking forever: I had to do a ~5min. film for class, and it took forever to edit correctly... and that was with a professional-level program (the school provided one for the class), not some lesser stuff like Windows Movie Maker.
If you wanted to be lazy: you could just use the FS1 intro for an eye-catching opener... or would that be against the copyright laws?
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as the Film School Drop Out in residence, I'd be willing to help where i can.
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1) alpha one needs a name. (i like "Aken Snipes", a good homage to FS).
Alpha One doesn't need a name. It would be stupid. Alpha One is each player of FreeSpace 2. His name is English/German/Polish/Finnish/Italian/Greek/Latin[insert all nationalities] and Elvish.
Are the cutscenes of Wing Commander Saga created by the team? We can come out with something similar. :)
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We should try something simple first.
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I also think we can try to improve original FreeSpace 2 cutscenes. Bosch's ones seem simple and can be done, what do you think? :)
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I think this film is a good idea. But we need to test it first. A small 5 min. movie that will show us if we can do it.
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As I said, the WCS team came out with nice cutscenes. The community can create small cutscenes, I'm sure of it. :)
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I also think we can try to improve original FreeSpace 2 cutscenes. Bosch's ones seem simple and can be done, what do you think? :)
i think re-doing the FS animations will be a great idea, that way anyone who is intrested in animation can learn more about it before the short movie is made.
i took a look at pixars website, they use simple models in animation and then use somthing called "renderman" to render them, looks like a possibility...
https://renderman.pixar.com/products/whatsrenderman/index.htm (https://renderman.pixar.com/products/whatsrenderman/index.htm)
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1. Alpha1 doesn't need a name - it'll spoil a part of 'fun' from playing FreeSpace2 and watching the film .
2. The plot line ... I don't know about that .
3. FS1 intro ! j/k . But something similar would work .
4. I would advice horror-action-adventure and etc.
And at first I would also advice to make it about 5 min long . Part movie , part trailer . Maybe more people will become interested then and would be willing to help for the bigger film .
Just my idead . I don't know nothing about making films and etc. , though I edit videos in windows movie maker .
P.S. I'm watching this topic now :)
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How about making it not a film, but a kind of series released in 20 minute episodes, so it doesn't become a stagnant project (and even if it does we can see some of the stuff in it too).
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I can see great hopes, but nothing real. Is there something here able to create a FreeSpace based minifilm? :wtf:
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5 minutes itself is a stretch, but there is a possibility if people concentrate on it (which they probably won't and we'll all forget this thread existed :().
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Just contact the WCS team. If they can't create the film themselves, they can give us precious hints about importing models and stuff like that :)
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Just contact the WCS team. If they can't create the film themselves, they can give us precious hints about importing models and stuff like that :)
whats the WCS's link?
it defently wont hurt to ask what programmes they use and see what "hints" they could give us. I.E. tutorials on animating and links to animating resources.
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I hope this idea doesn't die like all the rest.
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whats the WCS's link?
it defently wont hurt to ask what programmes they use and see what "hints" they could give us. I.E. tutorials on animating and links to animating resources.
The project is hosted here on HLP, you don't need a link :)
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You can just use FS2 SCP to make the film, with the hud turned off u can easily grab shots from 3rd person, from memory its possible in SCP, which ive already done before, so all thats left is a storyline and it can be done, ill make a quick 2-5min one when i get back from work in 4 hrs :drevil:
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I just hope its truer to format than the Wing Commander Movie....
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Is maya the best programme for animating ?
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Maya is the best way to go... if you sell your soul for the software.
Blender is open source, hence free, and just as powerful for our purposes
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Alpha 1 needs a name for a full-length movie, not for a five minute short.
his name should be Aaron corc(k?)ova :nod:.
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How about Alpha 1?
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Well, he can't be called Alpha 1 when he's not in a fighter, but he should always be Alpha 1 in Alpha wing when in battle, etc, other wise it's not really FS2.
The battles viewed from space should be easy to make, but the people, Vasudans and Shivans would be difficult.
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the opening would have to be some kick ass clips of massive engagements, then either disolve with the destruction of Capella, or do the FS1 ship into monitor thingy.
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ok lets see if i can script 5 mins of film. gimme a few.
Edit: ok slightly more then 5, but here's an idea for a simple short film that sets up a continuing story line.
Freespace 2: Remnants
EXT. Capella Node, vega
Ships come streaming through the node, cruisers escorting civilian transports, fighters badly damaged from the fight. a squadron of fighters engage a few Shivan fighters and a few cruisers are looked in combat. (show dogfighting ships, cruisers blasting each other with beams) Pan from the node to the GTD Nereid, guarded by 4 wings of the 201st Vega's Spear, ARCHER wing on point.
Archer 2
Man we never get to see any action! those guys in the 51st always get the fun assignments.
Archer 1
This is an important mission, if the Nereid doesn't reach the node, we have a hole which the shivans can flow through...WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!
Camera Whips back to the node, which is glowing and pulsating. fire starts pouring through the active node, when suddenly a single PERSEUS fighter flies out (ALPHA 1). The Node then implodes on itself, destroying a few ships that are still too close. ALPHA 1 is seriously damaged.
EXt Vega 5
2 months later. Two wings are on patrol of Vega's outer planets. Alpha wing of the newly regrouped 70th Blue Lions and Archer wing of the 201st fly in formation checking out the gas giants many moons.
ARCHER 2
Nothing but dust chief.
Alpha 4
Yeah scanners are reading clear.
Alpha 1
Something doesn't feel right.
ARCHER 1
You always say that. I hate when you say that.
Archer 3
Sirs! Reading something abnormal about the 12th moon
ARCHER 1
SEE! Damn it, how are you always right! Vega 5 is only supposed to have 11 moons!
The moon comes into view, its large, but the shape is vaguely familiar...that of a Sathanas Juggernaut without its arms.
Alpha 2
oh ****....
So how does that sound? may seem short, but it would involve a ton of individual shots and pieces, cockpit and pilot models, and some voice work. plus the battle scene can always be stretched out and made more thrilling. gives us lots to work on in the now, somewhere to go in the future, and should make a nice little piece. i also think that instead of fleshing out an existing cutscene, its more interesting to show something that we know is going on in continuity, but isn't shown. can always add some things into the middle as well, but i didn't want to write a bunch of interior dialogue scenes that would involve a lot of additional work.
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Eh, try to do a simple one like recreating the last few minutes of 'A Sixth Wonder', where the Hawkwood is pumping its slash beams into Enif Station, then the Colossus jumps in and vapourizes it. Make sure to include the dialogue.
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... or that bit of official "fanfiction" that Goober posted in Hard Light Art. Then we'll only need one ship and a couple pilots.
Baby steps, people. I'd like to see this go somewhere and maybe even help out with it, but if our first step is already going to involve 5+ types of ships and battle scenes and so on, I don't think anything will ever get completed.
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Make a short prologue of 4lpha 1 in the nebula. The mission with the Aquitaine and Kappa wing. Follow Zeta 1 from the last set of fighters up to the Ravana.
The viewer is plunged into the (second?) wave of Shivan fighters. Two Maras or Manticores (Forget which it was) are left, and are soon shot down.
Exterior shot of Zeta 1 as it turns and continues to the nav point. After some dialog a wingman mutters about anomalous readings. A shape looms out of the darkness and glowing beam turrets charge up. As Zeta 1 is blasted by the beam the screen fades to white, and some text like "Random FreeSpace-esque Title" and "Hard-Light.net" appears, fading in and out. The credits are surmounted over rippling colors, and fade to black.
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Well... this might not help that much, but last year I made a Flash video about FreeSpace as my final project for a Digital Media class. The story wasn't based on canon FS or FS2; it was based on a campaign idea I've had for a while but have never been able to work on, involving an HOL resurgence in response to the construction of a Sol Knossos. The video itself, though, was a lot simpler than that-- it was just a giant battle in Antares between a bunch of Terran and Vasudan forces.
I'm guessing what I used for visuals wouldn't be of much help (screenshots of space and capital ships, and Fireworks-drawn fighters and weapons; the whole thing's basically in 2D), but the story in the video is fairly simple, and even non-FreeSpace fans (which were 25 of 26 others in that class) seem to be able to follow at least decently well. So yeah, my advice would be to start simple, both in story and in graphics, then work up from there.
If you want, I can try to post the Flash video here. It's not all that impressive and has some blatant flaws, but it was done in limited time... and I'm still proud of it. :D
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Yes. It would be interesting.
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Ahh, shoot, the file's way too big to attach. Hmm...
I guess I could try to get it hosted online or something. But yeah, sorry, I can't get it up right now.
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youtube? :nervous:
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One of the free file hosting sites, like DivShare ;)
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Meh, YouTube fails at flash, unfortunately. But DivShare worked (thanks for the tip!):
http://www.divshare.com/download/2221502-c64 (http://www.divshare.com/download/2221502-c64)
Enjoy, everyone...
(by the way, when the movie loads, click the "Launch" button at the bottom right to start it)
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Affirmative, we will download your target. (2nd time ;) )
Hmmm.....well, if someone could make that mission and record it as a movie, that would settle the actual battle part of a test movie, but we would still need some scenes inside the ships, or else it will be like watching some one playing FS2. If we used Blender, how would you implement the physics of the ships? I don't know much about Blender's animating capabilities yet, but I think battles would be easily made there to, if we can get the physics right.
Good work on your flash movie though - it was pretty interesting.
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I've got 3DS Max, and it has pretty good rendering, lighting etc capabilities. I believe that Maya has a better physics engine. Don't know about Blender, though.
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So who was going to write this?
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I have a slightly off-topic question. I there a way to record your missions and watch yourself from third pearson later? Also, if this movie makes any progress could the link be posted here please.
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You need a recording program such as GameCam (free) or Fraps (costs money). Press the "/", "*", and "." buttons on the numpad to change camera, in conjunction with flight controller (joystick, keyboard, mouse).
EDIT: Cool missile! :) :yes:
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Does this GameCam let me play from first-person and watch from 3rd, or maybe watch from a nearby capship :drevil:? Oh, and the thing was meant to be a lightsaber, but missile is just as cool. :D
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So is anything going to come of this?
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Does this GameCam let me play from first-person and watch from 3rd, or maybe watch from a nearby capship :drevil:? Oh, and the thing was meant to be a lightsaber, but missile is just as cool. :D
It isn't like Halo 3, it only captures what you see on screen.