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Post Notes: Part of the Coruscant Elite
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BAILY
Senior Member

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: Canada

Post Notes: Part of the Coruscant Elite

Short Description:

"What Episode III didn't need during principal photography was another scene set in Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's office. To be certain, momentous and seismic events unfold in the crimson-carpeted space, but in the interests of opening up the environs and exploring a new Coruscant locale, George Lucas transplanted a seven-minute dialogue scene into the Galaxies opera house."

The most important piece of info is the opera scene containing 7 minutes of dialog between Anakin and Palpatine.

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Nov 25th, 2004 01:48 AM

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Delta51VE
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Registered: Oct 2004
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Part of the Coruscant Elite
November 24, 2004

Note: The shoot described in this article occurred on Wednesday, November 17.
What Episode III didn't need during principal photography was another scene set in Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's office. To be certain, momentous and seismic events unfold in the crimson-carpeted space, but in the interests of opening up the environs and exploring a new Coruscant locale, George Lucas transplanted a seven-minute dialogue scene into the Galaxies opera house.

The versatility that digital technology affords him allowed for such a switch. The Art Department at Skywalker Ranch zapped over digital studies of what a Coruscant opera house would look like to Sydney, Australia. The Production Art Department then crafted a handful of theater chairs to be shot against bluescreen. Add Ian McDiarmid as the centerpiece of the scene, and you have one of Episode III's most compelling and eye-opening exchanges, one that I predict will become a source of endless fan debates regarding interpretation and implications.

But, there's still the matter of the environment. In the past few weeks, the digital and miniature architecture has come together to describe the opulent and gilded splendor of a storied entertainment venue. The scene is established with Anakin pulling up in his protractor-shaped speeder past a line of limousines, rushing up a staircase filled with Coruscant glitterati, tearing down a burnished hallway, and finally arriving at the Chancellor's executive box.

The time has come to populate the scene, and this sequence will be filled with extras that you may have seen elsewhere. Like a strange distortion of a management-mandated "casual Friday", many familiar ILMers are bedecked in the finest Coruscanti eveningwear. ILM Production Coordinator Katie Lynch says her character's name is "Statuetta Libertatta," while Model Shop Supervisor Brian Gernand uses the more descriptive if ultimately less dignified name of "Eggplant Parmesan." They, along with Associate Producer Lori Arnold (who is wearing chopsticks in her hair), kick off a long day of shooting on the ILM bluescreen stage to populate the Coruscant opera house.

Directing the CGO scene-backgrounds is VFX Director of Photography Carl Miller. Stage Manager Gabriel Hanley serves as his assistant director, communicating with and coordinating the talent on stage. When it comes time to shoot extras sitting in viewing boxes, Miller describes: "It's like a baseball game -- you don't watch just the game; you watch the people at the game." The extras crane their necks about to take in the view, lean in to gossip about who they see, or maybe stand up, and walk into the scene, as if they're late for the show. "Remember, it's a huge show, so wherever you look, you're seeing something," he offers.

"If you had asked me to do this a few years ago, I might have said no," says Visual Effects Producer Denise Ream, who wears a dark gown with teal trim and a large, squarish headdress. "But this is the last one, so how can you turn it down?"

She's part of an executive box adjacent to Palpatine's, forming the background seen over Anakin Skywalker's shoulder. The box is definitely VIP seating, if the roles of the ILMers involved are any indication. Joining Denise Ream in the box are VFX Producers Jill Brooks and Janet Lewin, Animation Director Rob Coleman, and Visual Effects Supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett. "Who's skippering the boat?" chides Michael Olague from the ILM stage crew as he adjusts the lighting for the scene. "It's rudderless!"

As architects of this particular venue, it's understandable that these people get good box seats. The "box" in this case is just two rows of seats, the back row elevated above the front row. Even the chairs are blue. "Why is everything painted blue?" asks Roger, feigning bewilderment. "You guys can keep the chairs afterwards if you want," someone suggests. John Knoll shoots that idea down. "It doesn't really go with our d�cor."

For Knoll, this isn't his only cameo in a Star Wars film. He's seen most visibly in Episode I, as an ill-fated Naboo starfighter pilot. For Episode III, this isn't his only part. He has taken over as the role of the fire ship pilot, replacing the footage shot in Sydney with a new take.

Likewise, Rob has had a cameo in Episode I as one of Jabba's Boonta Eve guests. A bust of Rob Coleman appears in the Jedi Archive library, and he of course as a Jedi Master named after him in Episode II.

"We decided that we were your guests, Rob," says John, describing what passes as motivation for their background roles. "And you sort of invited Roger, but you never really specified that you were paying for his ticket."

The large group of extras required today has been segmented into smaller clusters. This VIP group is "Group C" seated in "Box 4." Katie, Lori, and Brian were Group "D," seated in Box 5. Boxes 1, 2 and 3 have a mix of extras identified as Group A. Among them is Production Assistant Anthony Reyna, playing multiple roles as both human and a Mon Calamari.

Group E and F don't get box seats, but get to be ambulatory extras. They are shot as people milling about the entrance, the corridor, and trying to find their seats within the auditorium. I'm always amazed at the speed and accuracy of Carl Miller and his stage crew, throwing up powerful lamps and flags to essentially sculpt a scene's parameters with light. A fan of white lighting spreads out on the ground, casting long shadows behind the subject, framing them perfectly as if walking into a darkened amphitheater from a brighter hallway. This setup is captured by the HD camera, shrunk down appropriately, and layered into an animatic of the shot. Carl eyes it exactingly, instructing the stage crew to adjust the light or camera in minute increments.

The opera box chairs are taken offstage, and two are brought back, positioned underneath a "ceiling" of black flags to block light. A slight blue step is placed next to one of the chairs. It's a challenging exercise to mentally fill in the bluescreen gaps without any hints. Looking at the monitor, I see that this setup is meant to approximate a digital limousine. Seated "inside" are extras Pouchon Venerin and Lorelei David, both from ILM. The black flag ceiling blocks light from hitting them, thus creating a darkened interior for the speeder. The blue step represents the edge of the door frame that a person exiting a limousine would have to step over.

I tell Pouchon my theory that he may be extremely rich and powerful, if he can afford to show up this late to an opera this grand. But he's just one of many of this unparalleled Coruscant elite ... which of course begs the question, what am I doing here?

[continued]

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Nov 25th, 2004 03:54 AM

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Delta51VE
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Registered: Oct 2004
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Here's a piece of advice. If you think there's even the remotest chance that you may be cast as an extra in a movie that won't allow you to wear your eyeglasses, get fitted for contact lenses right away and get used to them, so you're not scrambling at the last minute.
The night before the shoot, I arranged an evening appointment at the "done-in-about-an-hour" vision place, to get fitted for my first-ever contacts. I explained to the doctor that I didn't need anything too fancy or permanent. I prefer wearing glasses, but I "had the chance to be an extra in a period film," so I needed to have some contact lenses right away. My particular astigmatism would ordinarily result in pricey lenses, but since he figured it was a one-time thing, I would do fine with 90% vision.

"This is your first time wearing these, so you'll want to ease into them a few hours at a time. It's not like you need these tomorrow," he said. I lied and agreed with him.

Now, I wouldn't recommend anyone do this. You're only supposed to start off with first time lenses, say, six hours at a time. But being a novice at putting them in, and not wanting to risk taking them out again, I put them on at home at the start of the day -- 5 a.m., even though I wasn't scheduled to shoot until 3 that afternoon.

There are many people to thank for the opportunity of playing an extra in Episode III, Lori Arnold and Gillian Libbert deserve special mention. It was Gillian who called me in for a fitting, measuring me and finding a green frock that fit me. It was a heavy green dress with a hoop-skirt hem and an upholstered finish that made me feel not unlike a 1970s sofa, shaped like a playing piece from the classic "Sorry" board-game. Just add a strange hat, and you're set. The pants and shoes were mine.

I had two shots. The first had me standing outside the auditorium in the hallway, talking with my fellow opera-lovers Katherine Farrar (ILM Production Assistant), Lars Jensvold (ILM Editorial) and David Gray (VFX Coordinator). Carl put me in charge of my little group. I led the conversation, and then motioned us to walk in when it was time to go catch the show. Everything shot today was MOS -- without sound -- allowing us extras to yammer away. "Have you heard anything about this show? It's supposed to be pretty good." "Well, we paid for our tickets, we might as well head in..." That kind of stuff.

My second shot was the "martini shot," old moviemaking jargon for the last shot of the day. The clock was ticking towards 7 p.m.. The directive was simple. I just had to walk a slightly curving line, delineated by three masking tape Xs on the floor. Walking forward, away from camera, I had to look over my left shoulder, at the graceful zero-gee ballet. Walking back towards camera, I would look over my right. I would be one of several opera guests wandering between aisles as the show started.

It's not backbreaking labor, but it still makes for a very long day and a test of stamina and patience. A breathy excitement affected while retelling the tale is one thing, but adrenaline cannot run for an entire 10-hour day. The end result was 32 performers, 14 scenes, and 19-20 camera positions. And a pair of really tired and cranky eyeballs.

But all worth it, of course. Like so much of my Episode III experience, I'm too far caught up in the details and machinery of the process to really soak in the significance of what I'm a part of. It only hits later that I've played a role -- albeit small -- in something that many people consider historic. And for that, I'd weather a dry eyeball or two.

But I don't want to get too ahead of myself, since I don't know just how many pixels tall I'll be, or even if I'll be visible at all. Besides, not even counting the ILM VIP box, there's a much more interesting cameo appearance in this scene, but I'll have to hold off on revealing who just yet.

For those keeping track:
Group A: CG Supervisors John Helms, Russell Earl, Craig Hammack, David Meny, and Hilmar Koch; Compositing Supervisors Eddie Pasquarello and Pat Tubach; VFX Coordinator Leigh Ann Fann; VFX Production Assistant Anthony Reyna.

Group B: VFX Coordinators Bill Tlusty, David Gray and Jessica Teach; VFX Production Assistants Brian Barlettani and Katherine Farrar; VFX Editorial Lars Svenhold; Internet Content Manager Pablo Hidalgo.

Group C: VFX Producers Denise Ream, Janet Lewin, Jill Brooks; VFX Supervisors John Knoll and Roger Guyett; Animation Director Rob Coleman.

Group D: Practical Model Supervisor Brian Gernand; VFX Coordinator Katie Lynch; VFX Associate Producer Lori Arnold.

Group E: VFX Production Assistants Anthony Reyna and Pouchon Venerin; Editorial Coordinator Sureena Mann; Assistant Editor Lorelei David

Group F: Editor Lars Jensvold; Technical Operations Supervisor Rob Bonstin; Sabre Supervisor Grady Cofer; Assistant Colorist Michael Parkinson; Production Manager Maria Brill.

CAPTIONS
Photo 1
The tubular green gentleman on the left behind Anakin will be replaced by an ILM VIP.

Photo 2
From left to right: Jill Brooks, Rob Coleman, Denise Ream, Roger Guyett, John Knoll and Janet Lewin.

Photo 3
The second-to-best seats in the house.

Photo 4
Okay, no laughing.
[I'm pretty sure that's Pablo himself]

http://ezshare.de/files-en/96677/20041124.zip.html

.

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Nov 25th, 2004 03:55 AM

BAILY
Senior Member

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: Canada

Thanks Delta51VE

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Nov 25th, 2004 03:55 AM

kimmeh
vixen

Registered: Nov 2004
Location: sweat & groove

At least we got SOMETHING before the holiday!!!!

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Nov 25th, 2004 05:12 AM

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HyperDream
Oh the hugemanitee!

Registered: Sep 2003
Location: the bad side of the moon

" 7 minutes of dialog between Anakin and Palpatine."

holy jesus, get to the fighting already. seven minutes! jez

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Nov 25th, 2004 07:10 AM

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CinematicESP
Senior Member

Registered: Jul 2004
Location: United States

Everything BUT this scene is fighting! You'll have plenty of action. Besides, I think this is where the disappearing Jedi thing is supposedly explained.

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Nov 25th, 2004 07:12 PM