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Hosted Projects - Standalone => Diaspora => Topic started by: On_Your_Six on February 05, 2009, 07:43:14 pm

Title: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 05, 2009, 07:43:14 pm
Another article courtesy of io9 (great site, I would actually love to see a column about this mod on their site) reports that the pilot for Caprica will be available on DVD in April, which is a huge advance in the screening as the series is not set to start airing until 2010.  Should be interesting to see how well this pilot sets the stage for this (what I suspect) will be more of a character driven drama with even less sci-fi influence than BSG.  Looking forward to it all the same.

Full Article: http://io9.com/5147547/caprica-comes-to-dvd-early-allowing-you-to-influence-cylon-evolution
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Angreifer on February 05, 2009, 10:51:05 pm
Very cool. I'm anxiously looking forward to Caprica, and praying that it doesn't disappoint. But with Reimer, Moore, and Eick, I feel safe in getting my hopes up.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 07, 2009, 11:43:36 am
Even less sci-fi influence than BSG?

Spoiler:
Less for a show which is supposed to be about building sentient robots?

Does not computer.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: David cgc on February 08, 2009, 01:59:02 pm
I think they mean "no spaceships."
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 08, 2009, 04:59:03 pm
Precisely, David...  At least not until later on in the series ( No clue how many seasons they've been slated for) when the Cylon War begins to break out.

Suffice it to say though, the latest revelations in BSG are going to make things interesting.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 09, 2009, 01:28:46 am
No spaceships on the Twelve Colonies?

Which incidentally, are on twelve different worlds?

They've got to have them like airplanes at the very least.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 09, 2009, 01:37:14 am
Being much too literal, Narvi.

Basically it won't 'feel' like a science fiction show.  It will probably be centered around drama, even moreso than BSG, given the setting.

Certainly there will be scenes of space travel, but most likely as segways into other scenes, it won't so much be the setting of space battles and what have you that people associate with sci-fi.

Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: David cgc on February 09, 2009, 04:58:21 am
They've got to have them like airplanes at the very least.

Sure. But you'll see an airplane on your average cop or hospital show, what, once a year, tops? You certainly won't spend every episode on one, shooting down bad guys in an action-adventure idiom.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 09, 2009, 05:28:25 am
They've got to have them like airplanes at the very least.

Sure. But you'll see an airplane on your average cop or hospital show, what, once a year, tops? You certainly won't spend every episode on one, shooting down bad guys in an action-adventure idiom.

Oh, true. It just irritates me when people assume that "sci-fi influences = space battles". Gee, the implications of artificial sentience on human culture has no sci-fi roots at all!

This is what sci-fi is about.

Anyway, Cylons are going to be war-machines. A major part of war in BSG is in space. We're going to have space-stations and in-space development too, hopefully. I hope they don't overdo the contemporary angle; it wouldn't be very interesting if it was basically just an American city WITH ROBOTS.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Furyofaseraph on February 09, 2009, 08:17:31 am
I am curious of the aesthetic they are going to go for? what kind of art design, set design, architecture, etc.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 09, 2009, 06:11:14 pm
Well, there are some promotional photos floating around the net.  Kind of look retro 50's with I'm sure a futuristic take.  I imagine some of the set pieces will remind folks (I'm thinking the interior of the Courthouse Joseph Adama works at most prominently) will be a throwback to the Tyrell Corporation Headquarters Bladerunner).

(http://www.daemonstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/caprica1.jpg)


Actually, here's the trailer for your viewing pleasure: http://www.sidereel.com/Caprica

Looks like a series with lots of promise.  I do hope they continue the series into the Cylon war, although I suppose that could be the time to launch into a new series.

Fixing a fail
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: David cgc on February 09, 2009, 08:00:40 pm
It is pretty Noir and 1940s-50s, which makes sense. The Viper Mark IIs, with their analogue gauges and slide-open canopies, always had a bit of a World War II vibe as far as I was concerned.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: IceFire on February 09, 2009, 08:33:58 pm
It is pretty Noir and 1940s-50s, which makes sense. The Viper Mark IIs, with their analogue gauges and slide-open canopies, always had a bit of a World War II vibe as far as I was concerned.
Definitely...I'd actually say more of a 50s vibe.  They look like something inspired by the beginnings of the jet age.  The comment is still appropriate because the two are quite similar in style.  More radical jumps in the 60s and then there is the modern era of aviation.  The Mark VIIIs are definitely more inspired by modern jet fighters like the Sukhoi's and the F-22/F-35.  Its kind of like an a F-100 Super Sabre flying next to a F-22 or a Mig-17 flying next to a Su-35.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: StarSlayer on February 09, 2009, 08:48:28 pm
Depending on how they play it in Caprica, the MKII might be very retrograde compared to the level of Colonial tech prior to the outbreak of war.  When the Cylons rebel against their masters basically the entire Colonial military and industry conceivably gets turned against humanity.  Fighting an enemy based on AI the Colonials had to look backward for their salvation and pretty much start from scratch again to build a military machine capable of defending them against their own creations.

So while its is very possible Caprica will have a sorta retro 50's vibe it's also possible that they were very technologically advanced at the outbreak of the 1st Cylon War and what we seen in BSG is the result of them having to start over again.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Angreifer on February 09, 2009, 09:14:15 pm
From what I understand, Caprica doesn't just take place before the war; it takes place before the Cylons were even created. Therefore, if we even see any of the Colonial military (which I don't think will play a prominent role in this series), it very well could be mostly human with old-school Vipers, or something even before the Viper. But, again, I don't think the military is going to play a role other than as the potential client interested in artificial intelligence as a weapon.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 09, 2009, 10:12:45 pm
Quote
From what I understand, Caprica doesn't just take place before the war; it takes place before the Cylons were even created.

Ah see, this is where it gets interesting.  Considering the revelations in the last couple of episodes of BSG, this isn't necessarily an easy assumption to make.

Beyond that, there are quite a few allusions made to various conflicts that occurred in the 12 Colonies even before the Cylon war, particularly one concerning the Geminese (fanatical devotees to the scriptures).  I almost wonder if the creation of the prototype A.I. might be something that could start another of those conflicts.

There's a lot of interesting places this can go.

What we do know about the Colonial military is that the Battlestar classes were developed as a result of the Cylon war, so I don't think we'll be seeing those.

Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: TESLA on February 10, 2009, 10:52:18 am
They've got to have them like airplanes at the very least.

Sure. But you'll see an airplane on your average cop or hospital show, what, once a year, tops? You certainly won't spend every episode on one, shooting down bad guys in an action-adventure idiom.

Oh, true. It just irritates me when people assume that "sci-fi influences = space battles". Gee, the implications of artificial sentience on human culture has no sci-fi roots at all!

This is what sci-fi is about.

Anyway, Cylons are going to be war-machines. A major part of war in BSG is in space. We're going to have space-stations and in-space development too, hopefully. I hope they don't overdo the contemporary angle; it wouldn't be very interesting if it was basically just an American city WITH ROBOTS.


Wouldnt want the show to turn into something like that film: AI by Steven Speilberg
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: SpardaSon21 on February 11, 2009, 12:58:12 am
Quote
From what I understand, Caprica doesn't just take place before the war; it takes place before the Cylons were even created.

Ah see, this is where it gets interesting.  Considering the revelations in the last couple of episodes of BSG, this isn't necessarily an easy assumption to make.

Beyond that, there are quite a few allusions made to various conflicts that occurred in the 12 Colonies even before the Cylon war, particularly one concerning the Geminese (fanatical devotees to the scriptures).  I almost wonder if the creation of the prototype A.I. might be something that could start another of those conflicts.

There's a lot of interesting places this can go.

What we do know about the Colonial military is that the Battlestar classes were developed as a result of the Cylon war, so I don't think we'll be seeing those.



Don't forget the Sagittarons.  Remember, Sagittaron was exploited by the other colonies for a while.  While Zarek's actions take place somewhat prior to BSG, I think there would be some exploitation/resistance during Caprica.  Perhaps Tom Zarek Sr. could be included in Caprica somehow.  Possibly he took a much more mellow approach to Sagittaron's exploitation and his son didn't like the results.  Who knows?
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 11, 2009, 02:54:07 am
They've got to have them like airplanes at the very least.

Sure. But you'll see an airplane on your average cop or hospital show, what, once a year, tops? You certainly won't spend every episode on one, shooting down bad guys in an action-adventure idiom.

Oh, true. It just irritates me when people assume that "sci-fi influences = space battles". Gee, the implications of artificial sentience on human culture has no sci-fi roots at all!

This is what sci-fi is about.

Anyway, Cylons are going to be war-machines. A major part of war in BSG is in space. We're going to have space-stations and in-space development too, hopefully. I hope they don't overdo the contemporary angle; it wouldn't be very interesting if it was basically just an American city WITH ROBOTS.


Wouldnt want the show to turn into something like that film: AI by Steven Speilberg

Er, yes, yes we would.

It's part of the basic premise.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Flipside on February 11, 2009, 02:58:57 am
But with none of that pussy 'One last day with mommy' stuff in it.

Personally, I want spaceships, and big explosions, and toasters having their warranties invalidated with a 50 calibre machine gun, but maybe that's just me ;) Maybe I'm just too old school ;)
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Reprobator on February 11, 2009, 03:31:34 am
well i agree with you.
Something disturb me about the sci-fi's channel speach about caprica :

Claiming that Caprica is good cause this have no spaceship to scare potential viewer is quite weird for a Sci-fi named channel.  :wtf:

Sci-fi series do not necessary need spaceships but that kind of speech from a specialised tv channel is quite strange  :nervous:

Maybe they would change their name to drama channel  :P

My 2 cents is that they should stop after galactica serie.

And begin to look for a whole new universe to create or to adapt  (as i said already somewhere a warhammer 40k based series, if done artisticly well could be something quite interesting to see )

I'll give a chance to caprica but i remain quite sceptic!
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 11, 2009, 03:40:29 am
well i agree with you.
Something disturb me about the sci-fi's channel speach about caprica :

Claiming that Caprica is good cause this have no spaceship to scare potential viewer is quite weird for a Sci-fi named channel.  :wtf:

Sci-fi series do not necessary need spaceships but that kind of speech from a specialised tv channel is quite strange  :nervous:

Maybe they would change their name to drama channel  :P

My 2 cents is that they should stop after galactica serie.

And begin to look for a whole new universe to create or to adapt  (as i said already somewhere a warhammer 40k based series, if done artisticly well could be something quite interesting to see )

I'll give a chance to caprica but i remain quite sceptic!

Sci-Fi has watered down quite considerably in recent years.

They air wrestling. What do you expect?

And a Warhammer series wouldn't work at all. Too GRIMDARK and expensive.

But with none of that pussy 'One last day with mommy' stuff in it.

Personally, I want spaceships, and big explosions, and toasters having their warranties invalidated with a 50 calibre machine gun, but maybe that's just me ;) Maybe I'm just too old school ;)

The show apparently has
Spoiler:
humanoid Cylons
in it, so don't bank on it.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Flipside on February 11, 2009, 04:20:35 am
Thing is, I grew up with Buck Rogers, BSG TOS etc, there seems to be a vast deficit of shows where humans just go out and blow up Aliens in big whoop-de-doo of Pro-Human propaganda. and special effects.

Yes, it's clichéd, and doesn't appeal to the modern 'Dark' style of program creation that seems to be all the vogue these days, but, by God, it was fun ;)

Just sometimes, I want to watch a program and not feel like putting a gun to my own head.

Edit: I suppose it's the 'Alpha 1' effect, there are times when it's good to say 'screw the retrospective philosophy and fire up the lasers.'
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 11, 2009, 04:28:46 am
In all fairness, I think this show could be exceptionally brilliant if they come at it as a sort of tribute to Bladerunner, like basically a Bladerunner: The Series, except they don't have to live up to quite those standards.

I can see how the naysayers here may fear for the first season or so, but once the show really starts picking up, it could be incredible.

There are still sci-fi shows that do cater to the fun (Flash Gordon), but unfortunately as recent history has shown, the fun blow stuff up sci-fi shows just haven't been able to maintain (for whatever reason, and outside of Stargate:SG1, actually as much as I hate to say it, could be a result of SG1's long run).  Farscape, cancelled, Firefly, cancelled, etc.

We just have to wait it out a bit I think before people start appreciating those types of shows again, and it will happen.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Flipside on February 11, 2009, 04:33:15 am
Problem is, a lot of producers can't resist kicking humanity in the teeth while they are at it, look at the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. In the original it had an absolutely brilliant premise:

(Spoilered because some people may not have seen the remake)

Spoiler:
That mankind was free to blow itself up if it wanted, but if it took violence outside to other planets then Robots would kick their arses

However in the new movie:

Spoiler:
Humanity has all it's technology removed, which makes no sense, because all it means is that all the humanitarian progress we made since the Industrial revolution would be lost, and the years of superstition and fear would have to be lived all over again, and they'd just have to come back 200 years later and do it all over again

So even something which was supposed to be a philosophical statement got bastardised to make it 'darker'.

Edit: Oddly enough, if psychology holds true, then the current recession will most likely breed a more 'feelgood' type of movie.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 11, 2009, 04:47:21 am
Well, at some point you have to seperate the viewer from the audience, and give their intelligence and taste some credit.

Doesn't matter that TDTESS was a "darker" movie, which for some reason producers and execs have associated with "better" it absolutely and completely sucked.  Which is where the necessity for (from the producers and exec's point of view really needs to come in) seperating the viewer from the audience comes through.

You can't just set a certain tone and expect that to carry a bad screenplay.  But if you take a good screenplay and add whatever tone you like to it (and really, a lot of films/ television programs could be spun either way), it can still be successful.

Eg.  Two of my favourite episodes of the new BSG are seemingly lighthearted and even downright funny.  Six Degrees of Seperation and Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down.  While the tone is still as dark as the rest of the series, they were still completely enjoyable episodes as humourous and lighthearted.

In the end, it's up to the producers to give the viewer some credit and the viewer to give the program a chance.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Flipside on February 11, 2009, 04:51:55 am
Well, I'm not writing off the series as a failure before I even watch it, that wouldn't be fair, but I do feel it would be nice to have a few more shows where you get the same kind of sensation you got from things like Babylon 5, even when most of the humans were the bad guys, you still got the feeling that 'good' was being done, not simply a different kind of evil :)
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 11, 2009, 04:56:49 am
Well, see that's where I would go back and (grudgingly) have to kind of blame SG1 for ushering out those kind of quality sci-fi series.  10 years is a long run for that kind of show, and it dominated the market for the type of sci-fi programs you're looking for (hence the failure of other notables like Firefly and Farscape which ran along side it, and then also the Star Trek series' on top of that), it just ended up being an over-saturated market and a different take on the programming had to be introduced.

Like I said, the days of those shows aren't over, I just think it turned out (consciously or not) that we needed a break from that kind of programming.

It will be a great thing when such shows return and it will be a refreshing change, those are just the cycles of television programming.  Ahh fickle audiences. hehe
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Flipside on February 11, 2009, 05:02:59 am
Agreed, there probably was a saturation of that kind of thing, Star Trek & SG both lasted several seasons beyond the point where they should have called it a day, there's only so much milk in any cash-cow.

Ironically enough, it was probably a good thing that Legend of the Rangers was so dire in places, otherwise we'd all be sick of Babylon 5 spin-offs by now as well. The only reason Dr Who gets away with it is the ability to seamlessly change the Doctor by regenerating him.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 11, 2009, 05:27:57 am
Thing is, I grew up with Buck Rogers, BSG TOS etc, there seems to be a vast deficit of shows where humans just go out and blow up Aliens in big whoop-de-doo of Pro-Human propaganda. and special effects.

Yes, it's clichéd, and doesn't appeal to the modern 'Dark' style of program creation that seems to be all the vogue these days, but, by God, it was fun ;)

Just sometimes, I want to watch a program and not feel like putting a gun to my own head.

Edit: I suppose it's the 'Alpha 1' effect, there are times when it's good to say 'screw the retrospective philosophy and fire up the lasers.'

You should check out the new Clone Wars show if you want fun blowing up of stuff.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: karajorma on February 11, 2009, 05:54:26 am
I haven't seen the movie yet and

Quote
I prefer to let George Lucas disappoint me in the order he intended
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 11, 2009, 07:07:11 am
I haven't seen the movie yet and

Quote
I prefer to let George Lucas disappoint me in the order he intended


The movie is standalone. You don't have to watch it to enjoy the show, though it does introduce a few characters.

As a movie, it's not very good either. As a hour-long pilot episode, it's okay, but it's still inferior to the series proper.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: IceFire on February 13, 2009, 05:11:50 pm
If you want stuff blowing up thats what Transformers and Transformers 2 are all about.  I really liked both BTW...they aren't dark, complex, or anything of the sort.  You have good guys, bad guys, and a few shades of grey but those shades don't really matter too much.

I think I may enjoy Caprica if it pans out well...but its good to have the sophisticated, dark, and complex along with your popcorn action flick.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 13, 2009, 09:52:33 pm
Well IceFire, thing is, there currently is no Sci-Fi -series- running that Flip was talking about.  It would be nice to have a series to flip over to that's a lot more lighthearted and more about fun than what we currently have.  Pretty much all we have right now is Flash Gordon and that series is still trying to find a niche (in my opinion).

Movies are great and all, but you don't find yourself looking forward to a new episode the very next week, takes years for the next installation, usually.



Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 13, 2009, 11:17:48 pm
But Clone Wars is a series. And it's lots of fun.

In one episode a pair of astromech droids beat each other up. It's adorable.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: On_Your_Six on February 14, 2009, 09:54:30 am
hehe, I wasn't referring to your post, but since you bring that up.  Thing about Clone Wars is it can't decide what it wants to be (or more importantly who it wants to appeal to).  That's a fatal flaw in my eyes, as one episode it's completely appealing to kids, but then, in other episodes you have characters dispatching other characters in some surprisingly violent ways.  It's just too stretched out.

I'd be happy with the show if it was just completely the space battles, that's really the only reason I watch it (haven't been impressed with anything to do with lightsabers).

The good thing (bad maybe?) about the show is it's down for several hundred episodes, so perhaps it will mature into it's own and become something consistent and enjoyable.  Until then....  M'eh.
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: StarSlayer on February 15, 2009, 11:51:23 am
But Clone Wars is a series. And it's lots of fun.

In one episode a pair of astromech droids beat each other up. It's adorable.

This statement is a microcosm for the awful pillaging of the franchise that has occurred.  I don't want the franchise dumb downed for 4 year olds so they can sell toys.  Quite frankly you would think what a bad reaction the ewoks got in an otherwise great RotJ might have clued Lucasfilm in.  Unfortunately they went full on kiddie in order to make money on the merch, which completely ruined the series.  That's not to say they needed to make it as dark as a Edgar Alan Poe story but the original trilogy was great in that it appealed to all ages without whoring itself to a particular one.

And while Axem probably wouldn't mind annexing Diaspora into FotG we are journeying precariously into another mod's turf :P
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Snagger on February 18, 2009, 07:52:33 am
Well, I think it looks very interesting.  Bill Adama seems to have lost a sister when young, and that sister appears from the trailer to have been replaced by a mechanical copy - a humanoid Cylon.  The fact that Dr Graystone's (or was it Grayson?) first name is Daniel seems more than a little coincidental, and the last voice in the teaser sounded a lot like Lucy Lawless to me.  Recent revalations in BSG 4.5 seem to have a lot of mirrors here...
Title: Re: Caprica Pilot Advance Viewing on DVD in April
Post by: Narvi on February 18, 2009, 08:05:11 am
But Clone Wars is a series. And it's lots of fun.

In one episode a pair of astromech droids beat each other up. It's adorable.

This statement is a microcosm for the awful pillaging of the franchise that has occurred.  I don't want the franchise dumb downed for 4 year olds so they can sell toys.  Quite frankly you would think what a bad reaction the ewoks got in an otherwise great RotJ might have clued Lucasfilm in.  Unfortunately they went full on kiddie in order to make money on the merch, which completely ruined the series.  That's not to say they needed to make it as dark as a Edgar Alan Poe story but the original trilogy was great in that it appealed to all ages without whoring itself to a particular one.

And while Axem probably wouldn't mind annexing Diaspora into FotG we are journeying precariously into another mod's turf :P

The droids were trying to murder each other, you know. Just because it was adorable doesn't mean it wasn't to the death.