Episode 1 - The 3D Menace.

It would be remiss of me to come home after watching The Phantom Menace and not put finger to key in order to tell you what I thought of it in the off-chance that at least three other people will read my words, so here are my thoughts.

Firstly, if you hate the prequel trilogy, episode 1, Jar Jar, post-conversion 3D, then don't go.

Definitely don't go if all you are going to do afterwards is wheel out the same tired old complaints that George Lucas has raped your childhood (in 3D), that he should stop fiddling with the work, that the film is a CG smorgasbord of crap, yadda yadda.
I'm terribly, terribly bored of listening to folks bitch about the film(s).

So, the lights dimmed, the 20th Century Fox Logo started, and I got a little choked up.
It's really hard to describe to someone who is not as immersed in this whole 'saga' as I am (and many more of my generation) the feeling you get from watching the films. Star Wars was a huge event in my life, I was 10 when the first one was released, and has been in my life ever since, influencing career choices, leading to marriage, creating circles of companionship I will treasure forever. In fact it is much like religion, but a lot easier to justify.

The Lucasfilm logo looked lovely in 3D, as did the opening crawl and the interior of the Councillor  ship being piloted by that girl from The Commitments. In fact, in general, the 3D wasn't too bad. On the sliding scale of post-converted 3D films, TPM was more Alice in Wonderland than Clash of the Titans. Of course, it was nowhere near as nice as a film actually filmed using 3D cameras, and I must admit that I was pulled out of the film on a couple of occasions (not hard to do) when some of the 3D effects didn't quite work, or worked too well.

The opening scenes on the Fed ship were very nice, as were the closing scenes of mayhem with lightsabers and other acts of nefarious doppelganging. However, scenes where the technique fell flat (pun intended) included all of the Naboo swamp/forest ones, as organic shapes really do not work as well as geometric ship and building interiors. Also, surprisingly, I found the podrace a little lackluster. There were too many 'fuzzy' shots of Anakin which felt like the whole process wasn't working, or the focus was on the wrong elements in the frame. Sadly, Bode and Feed (the announcer for those of you that are not as geeky as moi), was super-sharp and multi-layered - too multi-layered in my opinion. Take my word for it - check out the TV screens surrounding the announcer booth - there's some serious 1-dimensionality right there.

Having moaned a little bit, I really should add that Liam Neeson looks magnificent in 3D - it's as if the technique was developed just for ol' wolf-puncher.

Let's be honest here, TPM isn't the best film in the saga. It is the worst one by a long shot, and I really don't need to watch it in its entirety ever again. Of course I will, when my boy is old enough, but I'll probably doze off during the talky bits. However, the production design alone is worth it - I adore the look of the Naboo starfighters, the pilots' costumes,  the Queen's ship, the Bongo, Darth Maul and Sebulba. The sound design is pretty terrific (my silly cinema didn't have it cranked up enough for my liking) but, on the music front, this is not my favorite John Williams score, and I find the continuous music in the background a bit superfluous.

For some reason I was really aware of the pauses between dialogue - it really did need a bit of tightening up in the editing room - and only served to heighten the stiffness of the proceedings. In fact, for the first time it felt a little like watching a stage play, and the planes of scenery in each shot only reinforced this. Look out for this around Theed Palace, you'll see what I mean.

At the end of the day, I found myself sitting through the film, rather than enjoying the film, but with this one out the way we can look forward to the future releases. The space battle alone hinted at the wonders to come (it was very effective, by the way).

Should you go? If you love the saga with a passion, have a kid who hasn't seen it on the big screen, or you are a completist, then yes.
If none of the above, then no.

Hey, if it makes enough money, then we might get the TV show a bit sooner :)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope – The Musings of the Modern Yoot.

With the advent of the 3D re-release of The Phantom Menace looming in the near future, I have taken the opportunity to assist a bunch of lads ranging in age from 13 to 17 who have never seen any of the films in taking their first steps into a larger world.

And for world read galaxy; one that is far, far away.

This is not going to be a blog about the merit of re-releasing the films in 3D, nor is it taking a stance on the OT/PT debate, I am merely going to recount some (not all) of the comments made during and after the film by these ‘saga-newbies’.

I’ve decided to show them the films in ‘flashback’ order so that we don’t have to wait 5 or 6 years to watch the whole lot in 3D – so the order is IV, V, I, II, III, VI – this makes a lot of sense and preserves some of the more exciting reveals (although this is a moot point. Read on…)

Special Edition on DVD.
The film starts: Their eyes glaze over, so I read the crawl for them. “Was it called this when you saw it?” Me: “No. It was just Star Wars.”

The Star Destroyer reveal: Genuine shock and awe from the kids. This never gets old.

Stormtrooper attack: “Are those the bad guys?” “Darth Vader’s going to come in in a minute.” “Stormtroopers are pretty cool.”

3PO and R2 avoid the lasers: “How did they not get shot?” “This is dumb.”

R2 in the canyon: (At Jawas) “Who is that guy?” “Oh, there are more of them.” “They’re pretty scary.” “What do they look like?”

Droid sale: (At 3PO) “He’s pretty dumb.” “Why didn’t they buy R2?”

Twin Sun shot: “Two suns. That’s pretty cool.”

In Luke’s workshop: “Hey, that’s what your one says.” (I have a large R2 D2 that plays Leia’s message upon command).

Tusken attack: “Those guys are freaky.” Genuinely alarmed during attack scene.

Obi-Wan reveal: The kids were actually surprised at Ben’s revelation.

In Ben’s hut: “Lightsabers are pretty cool.”

Entering Mos Eisley: “They’re going to find Han Solo.” Laughter during the ‘spec-ed.’ addition of the droid who hits the little one and the jawas on the ronto. “What’s that (ronto) called?” (I tell them.) “How do you know that?” How indeed…

Cantina scene: Shock and delight at Ben’s arm slicing. “He’s cool!” Laughter “Look, no-one cares.” “17,000? That’s a lot!” (Despite not knowing what currency they were talking about.)

Shoot-out in docking bay: (At Stormtroopers) “They are useless!”

Remote training: “Why is his lightsaber green?”

Onboard the Death Star: General excitement during the rescue. Laughter at mouse-droid.

As Ben deactivates the tractor beam: “They’re going to fight here.” “I hope he doesn’t die.” For the most part, the kids were fairly quiet during this portion of the film.

Trash compactor: “Where did Luke go? That water isn’t deep; it only comes up to their knees! Is he lying down?”

Han chases the troopers: “This is dumb. There’s 10 of them and only one of him.” Lots of laughter at the “Close the blast doors! Open the blast doors, open the blast doors!” scene.

The shaft shoot-out: “Stormtroopers are useless.” I explain how they’re not clones anymore but sub-standard recruits. The kids shrug this off as the desperate excuse that it is.

`Ben and Vader duel: “Vader is Luke’s dad.” (So much for that surprise). I explained how they were old men, so their saber skills were different, a bit slower etc etc. “It’s still cool!” “Where did he go?” I tried to explain that Ben had merged with the Force. “So he can’t come back in another body? That sucks.” 

TIE Fighter battle: (as Han blows up the last fighter) “That was a massive explosion. What was on that ship?”

On the 4th moon of Yavin: “This looks like Earth.”

In the hanger: “Why are their ships so bad?” “Why can’t Luke have a better ship?” “(When Han says ‘May the Force be with you.’) You can see he doesn’t mean it. He doesn’t believe in it.”

The Death Star attack: “They’re all going to die.” “(As Wedge leaves) He’s going to get shot.” “Where is Vader going? The Death Star is gone.” “Is Ben in Luke’s head?”

The medal ceremony: “This is the end?”

Post-viewing comments: “That was pretty cool.” “You can tell it’s an old film.” “If they remade it now with better effects it would be awesome.” “In the next one, Darth Vader will tell Luke he is his dad.” Thanks, kid.

Next time - The Empire Strikes Back.

Behind the Fett

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You're welcome.

Harrison vs. The Empire!

Hello again,

Gosh, it's been a long time - sorry for the crafty delay but I have been busy with a new baby boy (Harrison Jaan Baker) and lots of animation work.

Anyhoo - excuses aside - I thought it might be fun to make a little Star Warsy something for Harry to play with, and due to his megalomaniacal nature, figured an Imperial craft would be perfect for his crib.

I wanted to make something without stitching - so this craft involves a popsicle stick, styrofoam ball, card, felt and non-toxic glue.

First, I rammed the stick through the ball. Ramming is fun.



Next, I cut out an appropriate sized piece of gray felt and wrapped it around the ball, gluing it down.



I ringed the front and back of the ball with a thin strip of felt to give it some strength and shape.



And then I glued rolls of felt around the 'arms' before sticking the tiny shapes of the window onto the front of the ball. I like to think there's a tiny felt TIE pilot in there who is now delighted that he can see where he is going.



I cut the hexagonal wing panels out of card and then glued more gray felt to the front and back of them.



And then I glued more black shapes to the wings to give them their distinctive pattern.



Finally, I glued the wings to the 'arms' (or 'struts' if you want to get technical) and there we have it, a finished TIE Fighter, ready for action.



Of course, it lasted for less than 12 parsecs before Harry singlehandly took on the Empire and flattened it.



Note to self: Stitching is good.

Hey, who said crafts were meant to last forever?

Until next time, cheerio!

Laugh it up!

Hello there, I'm back with another paper (and felt) craft for you to make with smaller children, or just for yourself!

How would you like to be able to send your best friend a Kowakian Monkey Lizard?



This card is based on the old 'peeping chick' card design with the moving beak that I'm sure we all made in school at one time!

There are a couple of tricky bits for younglings, but I am sure that with the guiding hand of their masters, this card should be quite straight-forward.

First of all, you will need a piece of white (or any other color) standard letter size card (I use 65lb card stock which can be printed on). You also need a peice of black card, the same weight, but cut a little smaller so that it is 2/8 inch smaller all the way round.



Next, fold the black card like a greeting card and measure 3 1/2 inches from the bottom of the spine - cut a 1 inch slit and fold the corners back and forth (see below)



Now open the black card and fold the 'mouth' inward - it should look like this.



Next, you need to draw and cut out your Salacious Crumb template - here is mine (along with the beak which you will need later)
Again, feel free to contact me if you want the PDF of this template - sadly I can't link them on this blog.



I drew this template onto paper and cut it out - note that I have left a diamond shape in the middle for his beak.



Next up, draw around the template onto some light brown felt and cut it out. You'll notice I had to do the neck separately - I was using an old felt scrap I found that wasn't quite big enough - thrifty, eh?





Using the beak template, cut the shape out of black card and glue the 'hook' sides together - see below.



Before you go any further, you need to place the black card on top of the white card and figure out how much of the inside of Salacious' mouth you are going to see. Draw a pencil outline of the interior, then draw the tongue, insides and (most importantly for comedy) his uvula.
In the pictures below, you can see my faint pencil outline, then the drawn details and finally the colored version. I used pencil crayons, but you could use anything - how about a piece of pink felt for a tongue?





Now you need to glue the beak onto the top part of the mouth, like so...



... and then glue the black card, complete with beak, onto the white card.



Now you are in the final stages! Hurrah!

Glue the felt Monkey Lizard head onto the black card, making sure the beak fits inside the gap just right (you might want to trim the edges of the felt for a snug fit).



Next, you want to add some eyes.You could use beads or buttons, or even those crazy googly eyes that you can buy - I'm trying to show how you can save money, so I made his eyes out of black card and white paper and glued them on - they look just as groovy I think!



The final touches include drawing on his smile and adding his hair. I went to a dollar store and found a toy monkey that had the perfect fur. The poor monkey sacrificed his tail to help me...

I stuck the fur on top and around his neck to add the finishing flourish.

And here he is!



You could personalise the front of the card to give to someone for a present, or add a quote, or even draw a picture on it - then, when your friend opens the card, they will get a Monkey Lizard surprise!

I hope you enjoy making these - I have a couple more cards based on this design coming soon - they are a little more difficult and ideal for older children.

See you later!

Mark of the Clones

I have a whole series of interesting paper crafts lined up for you, and thought I would start with a basic one that is easy to do, but looks great.

This would be ideal for younger children to make - it will help build confidence and get them interested in further paper crafts.

Bookmarks are a staple of simple classroom activities, and yet can be personalised enough to be great gifts, and quite frankly, who wouldn't want their books protected by the Grand Army of the Republic?

Firstly, I began by drawing the head and upper torso of a clone trooper. You'll notice that when I inked him in I changed some of the ratios, and only finished one side.


I could then scan this initial drawing and clean it up.


I then cloned (appropriately enough) the one half of the trooper, flipped him over and attached him together, filling in any missing bits.
(All done in Photoshop)


I then erased the features from the front, and drew the back of his head, plus the back plate. This ensured that the outline would be identical.


Next up, I attached the clones to standard bookmark templates, making them 7 inches tall and 2 inches wide.


I then used Photoshop to color in their helmets (although you could color them by hand if you wish).


I printed the bookmarks on thin, 65lb card stock and cut them out carefully. You'll notice I cut them out differently. I used small scissors and a steady hand to carefully cut out the red clone, but smaller children might want to use a simpler cutout shape, as with the blue clone.


Once the two halves were glued together, they looked really good and felt quite sturdy - good for a clone trooper.

And here they are being put to good use.


You might want to further protect your bookmarks with laminating film, and you could also add a personal message or a name to them - the galaxy's the limit!

Have fun!

** Feel free to contact me if you would like a PDF of the clone trooper bookmark templates**

Your Stars from a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Recent excavations on the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta by the prominent Republic archeologists, Grego Resh’Ulte and Mikelaur Senn, have unearthed a set of fascinating manuscripts that were apparently forged several millennia ago by ancient Hutt star-gazers and myth scholars.

Deep in the catacombs beneath the Great Blaggo Library of Bilbousa, a data crystal was recovered and its contents analyzed. According to Dr. Resh’Ulte, they indicate a primitive belief in the fates of sentient creatures being entwined in the movements of celestial bodies.

Thanks to modern decryption and restoration, the ‘gah gahharn’ can be translated into basic as ‘horoscope’ – and furthermore, the investigative team has readjusted the original dates to accommodate our modern calendar.

To determine your sign, pair the sign that encompasses your date of birth with your family standing. For example, a female only child, born on July 18th, would be an Ice Mynock. She could then refer to her reading and fortune. So if a male human, born on September 12th is the oldest child in a sibling group of four, he would be a Plasma Acklay.

Enjoy this whimsical remnant of the ancient Hutts!

Signs (equivalent to)

Jan 1 – Feb 5 – Tauntaun
Feb 6 – Mar 11 – Bantha
Mar 12 – Apr 17 – Colo claw fish
Apr 18 – May 23 – Wamp rat
May 24 – June 28 – Rancor
Jun 29 – Aug 3 – Mynock
Aug 4 – Sept 6 – Wampa
Sept 7 – Oct 13 – Acklay
Oct 14 – Nov 19 – Nerf
Nov 20 – Dec 31 – Krayt dragon

Elements
Female
1st or only child - Crystal
2nd or middle child - Ice
3rd or higher sibling - Silica

Male
1st or only child - Magma
2nd or middle child - Carbonite
3rd or higher sibling - Plasma


Below is a translation from the original Nal Huttese of the meanings behind the signs. Simply combine the two meanings to get an overview of your character and fortune.

Sign Definitions


Sign of the Tauntaun
You are hardy and loyal, able to travel great distances without complaint or fatigue. You like to be aware of your surroundings, and are quick to vocalize any concerns you have to those around you. Although generally a secretive person, it doesn’t take much for you to open up.



Sign of the Bantha
When you enter a room, everyone notices. You are larger than life, amiable and happy to help others. Your good nature takes precedence over everything, including your appearance, but you plod on regardless, single-mindedly pursuing your goals.



Sign of the Colo Claw Fish
Agile and lithe, you like to explore your surroundings in the hope that an unexpected opportunity might arise. When you see such an opportunity you seize it, and make the most of it, but beware of being so engrossed in your endeavors that you fail to spot the ‘bigger fish’.



Sign of the Wamp Rat
Happily independent, you like to socialize with others, but don’t enjoy being exploited by those who would further their own careers off your misfortune. You try to keep a low profile, appearing only to grab at life’s tantalizing scraps as and when they appear.



Sign of the Rancor
On first appearance you might seem to be overly gruff and constantly hungry for more out of life. However, when those close to you get to know you, they will discover a misunderstood person, always ready with outstretched hands, with one companion that cares deeply for you.



Sign of the Mynock
Somewhat of a fly-by-night, you are a highly social person, with a tendency to latch onto friends and possessions with great vigor. You are constantly on the search for new ways to get more energy, and will soar above others as you lay claim to your own domain.



Sign of the Wampa
You are normally a solitary person, easily disarmed by a cutting remark. You regard a good time as when friends unexpectedly drop in for dinner, but you have a short temper for those who hang around, and will soon voice your disdain through your chilly demeanor.



Sign of the Acklay
Standing head and shoulders among your peers, you command much respect. However, be careful that this respect is not born from fear of your reactions to confrontation. People soon discover that you will only take so much prodding before you snap back.



Sign of the Nerf
You are a happy and contented person, always ready to follow the herd in whichever direction they lead you. Individualism is not a high priority for you, but you do have an opinion when it comes daily decisions, preferring to chew things over before leaping to any decisions.



Sign of the Krayt Dragon
You are a powerful and secretive person, allowing your reputation to precede you in matters of daily business. You like to keep to yourself, working quietly and quickly to attain your goals, but if you are crossed, then you show no mercy to your enemies.

Elemental Definitions.

Crystal – The Crystal female is beautiful, yet this fair exterior masks a rigid soul. She is not easily swayed from her punctuality and clarity of vision, but given enough time, constant pressure from external forces could result in fracturing. She must choose her friends carefully.

Ice – The Ice female sparkles in societal gatherings, but takes a long time to warm up to strangers. When warmth is established between the Ice female and her partner, she will stick to her object of affection and can only be moved when the conversation becomes heated.

Silica – The Silica female is always on the move, shifting locations and alliances with each passing whim. She is a carefree spirit, constantly adapting and allowing outside forces to mold her into their desired shapes, but at the same time, if allowed, she will smother her partner in a close relationship.

Magma – The Magma male is a torrent of boiling emotions. He is convinced there can be only one true path to happiness and will tread it relentlessly. He needs to be constantly on the move, or else he becomes stuck in a rut and crusty. In a heated argument he can hold his own with anyone.

Carbonite – The Carbonite male is a true dichotomy. He is extremely protective of his possessions and relationships, and yet will not let anyone into his own psyche. In all matters he stands tall and inflexible, and yet will melt, revealing his inner self, if the right person comes along to push his buttons.

Plasma – The Plasma male is bright and intense in all aspects of his life, yet can be so enthusiastic that he burns himself out too quickly. He can find a way through most obstacles in life, although he usually leaves some scarring which reveals his movements. Although his actions are generally very fast, they are powerful enough to leave a lasting impression.

Enjoy!

Allow me to present, Taun We.

Imagine my delight when I discovered via Bonnie Burton that I had inspired someone with my Salacious Crumb doll.

Check out the result here!

Following that, I watched the video profile of Bonnie by Craftzine.com (watch it here) and in it she mentioned that she loves receiving crafty gifts.

Well, seeing as she has been kind enough to feature my handiwork on the Official Blog, and knowing that she would be at WonderCon, I decided to make a little something for her.

This won't be my usual step by step guide, as it was rather more spontaneous than usual, but hopefully you'll get an idea of my thought processes (if there are any).

My initial plan was to make a pencil topper, thinking that a Kaminoan was the perfect build for such a thin object. I drew a rough plan.



However, as I started to cut out pieces (approximating again, I'm so naughty), I got carried away, and Taun We developed into into a full-fledged doll.
Here are the pieces before assembly.



Basically, I started with the head and worked my way down, sewing panels together and then to each other, and stuffing the head, neck and upper torso with polyfil.

I made the two legs and attached them, hiding the seams with a belt, and filled them with acrylic beads for weight. I then sewed some joints into her knees.

The detailing was painted on using acrylic paint - black and silver, and by cutting out small details from gray felt.

When Taun We was finished, I made a label to attach to her, and utilized the initial sketch I had made.



And so here is the final cloner!



Bonnie sent me some cool pictures of Taun We, one shows her helping out at the 'You Can Draw Star Wars' panel at WonderCon



and one shows Taun We in a meditative moment. Probably thinking about all the poor clones she has sent out to serve the Republic.




Thanks for dropping by!

Photo credits: Last two - Bonnie Burton, all the rest - me.