NCS Credits - Director Missing from 3 Episodes
Moderator: Spectrum Strike Force
The CGI was amazing throughout the series, I remember when I first saw IoD and just sat there thinking 'wow'. I still do!! You guys have made it look so effortless.
I wish there had been a more detailed 'making of' on the DVD, following part of an episode right through from start to finish, so we could see the 'layers' being put together.
Can you tell us roughly how long it took to make a completed episode?
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Chris C
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Chris C wrote:I wish there had been a more detailed 'making of' on the DVD, following part of an episode right through from start to finish, so we could see the 'layers' being put together.
I'm really really hoping that they've got something like this on the Series 2 boxset, if it ever appears.
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steviep
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Captain scarlet the MOVIE! Bring it on!! that what I say. Live action would be great as long as the core basis of the film is captain scarlet. Not say... his little brother and his buddies steal a spectrum shuttle and fly it to a new universe where the mysterons come from and ... make friends with them!!!
Ha, just realised what you wrote there Dom. Sorry, bit slow on the uptake. Did you not completely enjoy the new Thunderbirds M m m (sorry can't quite seem to spit it out) then....?!
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Chris C
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I don't have a clue about what will be on the season 2 DVD.
I expect you all know this already but I did a lengthy interview with Chris Bentley in FAB52 with a number of photos of the designs I did for the show.
There will be more to the interview some time soon maybe in FAB54. Must say that the FAB fanzine is beautifully printed. The best reproductions of my art work I have ever seen in a publication.
Hope you are all well
Dom
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Dom Lavery
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Personally speaking I'm very unlikely to see those FAB magazines, so here's hoping Chris Bentley decides to write a comprehensive book on NCS and includes some of that artwork!
Good luck with whatever project you are working on next.
Chris
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Chris C
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I sent off my application to join Fanderson about 3 weeks ago and so I am looking forward to seeing the article about your work in issue 52. In the meantime, here are some more questions!
1 Which is your favourite episode of NCS where you are the director and why? Also which are your favourite David Lane and Mark Woollard episodes?
2 I think that the scene in Trap For A Rhino where Cadet Johnson is driving hell for leather in the Rhino to try and blow up the reactor is the best piece of sustained action in all 26 episodes. Which is your favourite action sequence?
3 In my view, lighting is one of the great triumphs of this series. I found myself looking out of the train window this morning admiring the freezing white fog hovering above the green fields with a backdrop of damsen and purple clouds! Which is your favourite scene for lighting effects?
4 I understand that it was necessary to go back and rework about 20 scenes in Instrument of Destruction (parts 1 and 2) so that they would be consistent with advances made while creating later episodes. I guess this may be things like consistency of facial features and so forth. Can you tell us anything about the changes that were made?
5 Were you involved with the development of the projected Corgi die-cast toy models for NCS? Do you know which will be produced?
6 How soon do you think it will be before a decision is made on 'Lightspeed' and how soon after that would you hope to be on board to design the craft if it got the 'green light'?
7 Are there any plot holes or CGI mistakes that you are aware of in your episodes of NCS, especially ones that are amusing? Can you tell us about any of them?
8 "In Mercury Falling, Aegis (Andrew Morgan) told us that the 3 photos were of Ron Thornton - CGI Producer, Harvey Randhawa - Lighting and Josh Simmonds - Blue Team CGI Director. Why were these 3 chosen - did you draw lots?"
9 Finally, is there a picture or character in NCS based on Gerry, himself? In Terrahawks, there is a "Wanted Dead or Alive" poster in the episode "Runaway". In another series, I forget which, there is a newspaper headline which says "Gerry Anderson to Receive Knighthood". I guess there were no repeats, videos or pause buttons in those days!
Merry Christmas!
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Father Unwin
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7 Are there any plot holes or CGI mistakes that you are aware of in your episodes of NCS, especially ones that are amusing? Can you tell us about any of them?
Now you come to mention it, I'd be really interested to know how in Proteus (I know it wasn't one of yours Dom) Leut. Green's Spectratech was only on her belt for the scene she needed it in, and how an extra spectrum gun could suddenly materialize on the bed Colonel White was lying on just when she needed that too...!!
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Chris C
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Chris C wrote:7 Are there any plot holes or CGI mistakes that you are aware of in your episodes of NCS, especially ones that are amusing? Can you tell us about any of them?
Now you come to mention it, I'd be really interested to know how in Proteus (I know it wasn't one of yours Dom) Leut. Green's Spectratech was only on her belt for the scene she needed it in, and how an extra spectrum gun could suddenly materialize on the bed Colonel White was lying on just when she needed that too...!!
Ditto Destiny's gun in IOD part 2...
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steviep
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Sorry for the delay in replying, but work and Christmas have held me up and left my brain a bit squishy. Here are your questions with replies. Hope they are ok.
1 Which is your favorite episode of NCS where you are the director and why? Also which are your favorite David Lane and Mark Woollard episodes?
MMM now let me think. There are elements of many episodes that I think went well, however, over all, I liked Enigma as it was a more ‘out there’ episode and Rat trap because it was the first one of mine to really work well as our teams settled down.
Best David episode for me was … Best of enemies. It was a great character piece. Also Instrument 1 and 2. This is because Dave was working almost blind at the very beginning. We all were, as none of us had done a show of this kind before. He fought hard to get to grips and iron out as many problems as he could.
Marks best for me was probably, touch of the reaper. Great pace, action and just scary enough. Both Mark and Dave did a great job. I have known Mark wollard for quite a few years now as we have worked on a number of films together. He is great to work with and very funny.
2 I think that the scene in Trap For A Rhino where Cadet Johnson is driving hell for leather in the Rhino to try and blow up the reactor is the best piece of sustained action in all 26 episodes. Which is your favorite action sequence?
Thanks for your kind words on the Trap for a rhino scene! That scene was particular mad, and caused a lot of headaches. Can’t say I have a favourite action sequence. Many of the dogfights were well executed. The one’s from virus and fallen angels spring to mind. Must say I loved the end of Contact when the albatross scooped up the bomb in its holding bay. VERY well animated and directed. I think that considering the length of the time available to do an action sequence and the schedule to complete it, the indestructible team did well. Remember 90 or so% of the show was achieved in house (A few scenes were done by a great cg company called Fuzzy Goat). That means everything from story boarding, designing, character and hard surface building, texturing, rigging, motion capturing, camera setting, animation, lighting, rendering, visual fx, comping, editing…gosh it still amazes me. Voices were recorded at a studio down the road from Pinewood and the fantastic sound was done in pinewood by Real sound. The final mix was also done in pinewood. I fear I have wavered off slightly from your question…sorry.
(But look at the answer to question 8 for a possible Doms best sequence)
3 In my view, lighting is one of the great triumphs of this series. I found myself looking out of the train window this morning admiring the freezing white fog hovering above the green fields with a backdrop of damsen and purple clouds! Which is your favourite scene for lighting effects?
Again, one scene does not spring to my (fogged by Xmas) mind. Syrtis and Rat trap had some nice martion lighting as did the Elysium base. The swamp in shapeshifter was also good. I think as you have said, lighting was on the whole very well done. It is infact VERY hard to get it right. As the show went on and the teams settled down, The overall quality of the lighting went up.
4 I understand that it was necessary to go back and rework about 20 scenes in Instrument of Destruction (parts 1 and 2) so that they would be consistent with advances made while creating later episodes. I guess this may be things like consistency of facial features and so forth. Can you tell us anything about the changes that were made?
If I remember correctly the main changes were Scarlet's face and hair. In the early days we used a system called ‘sasquatch’ that can create very real looking hair, but we found it to be a real pain in the **** and went back to polygon hair.
5 Were you involved with the development of the projected Corgi die-cast toy models for NCS? Do you know which will be produced?
No, sorry.
6 How soon do you think it will be before a decision is made on 'Lightspeed' and how soon after that would you hope to be on board to design the craft if it got the 'green light'?
Watch this space.
In fact, I have already done some of the hard ware for the show. It’s BIG!!!
7 Are there any plot holes or CGI mistakes that you are aware of in your episodes of NCS, especially ones that are amusing? Can you tell us about any of them?
mmm… maybe some other time.
8 "In Mercury Falling, Aegis (Andrew Morgan) told us that the 3 photos were of Ron Thornton - CGI Producer, Harvey Randhawa - Lighting and Josh Simmonds - Blue Team CGI Director. Why were these 3 chosen - did you draw lots?"
Those guys liked to spring a few surprises on the directors. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. I think Josh, the team leader, chose the faces. He was personally responsible for the most excellent space shots of the Mercury shuttle moving into orbit. The whole launch sequence for the shuttle really floated by boat! Just wished you guys could have heard it blast through the sound barrier on the rail.
9 Finally, is there a picture or character in NCS based on Gerry, himself? In Terrahawks, there is a "Wanted Dead or Alive" poster in the episode "Runaway". In another series, I forget which, there is a newspaper headline which says "Gerry Anderson to Receive Knighthood". I guess there were no repeats, videos or pause buttons in those days!
Sorry but no. We did think about it but it never happened…or did it???
Thanks again for your interest in the show and may you ALL have a splendid happy and healthy 2006.
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Dom Lavery
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Thank you very much for such a fantastic response to my questions. You are obviously somebody who goes the extra mile and I am very grateful to you. My appetite for Lightspeed is nicely whetted too!
Thanks and a Happy New Year
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Father Unwin
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