The Imperial Shipyards

Imperial Creative Engineering => Graphic Fiction => Topic started by: hangarbay94 on September 25, 2012, 02:14:01 AM

Title: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: hangarbay94 on September 25, 2012, 02:14:01 AM
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Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Tamer on September 25, 2012, 04:44:36 AM
Wow is that gorgeous Jules. I would definitely say the cgi work is worth it!  I don't know how you tie in everything with this, but it is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Luke Sprywalker on September 25, 2012, 05:36:57 AM
Such an amazing chapter! I am stunned at the moment, this is a great story and so beautifuly illistrated. Man, I love this stuff Jules! Some great moments captured in this episode!
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: CloneCrazy on September 25, 2012, 06:29:01 AM
Excellent work my friend!!! I can only imagine how much time and effort this took you with the new CG rendering of the characters, it was truly worth it!!! Your stories and effects are always top notch!!! Thank you for this amazing work  0/
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: DocOutlands on September 25, 2012, 07:36:52 AM
GREAT WORK!!!
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: r1bb1t on September 25, 2012, 08:45:41 AM
Jules, Jules, Jules.... Wow! You have really outdone yourself, and considering your portfolio, that's saying a lot! I sincerely mean it when I say that your photonovel work deserves to be published, and distributed to a global market. Certainly there are several publishers affliated with Lucasfilm that could sell this with ease. I am not being complimentary here (that'll come later). I am being very serious. I could see this in comic shops and people eagerly anticipating release dates. In fact, I'll further say that this series should be adapted to an animated movie/series. I'd prefer both. Of course, you would head the direction of all of the various avenues that this is capable of pursuing. Now that the serious seriousness is over, compliment time....

I would mercilessly pistol whip an old invalid woman at her great granddaughter's wedding just to catch a glimpse of you creating these masterpieces. To hell with a Klondike bar, and what I'd do to get one. THAT"S what I'd do to see your genius mind at work. I would gladly give the royalties from my new adult film, soon to be released in select theaters and peep show booth shops, R1bb1ted For Her Pleasure II, to your favorite charity to see your creative process. I'm sure that Britain formally recognized you at an early age and classified you as 'Super Genius', and with that classification, I suspect you already receive endless perks throughout your everyday life, but if you ever offer tours to see you work, you can guarantee that I'll be running school buses off the road trying to get to my nearest airport.


Thanks so very much for sharing your gorgeously captivating work with us. Well worth the wait.
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Mando Assasin on September 25, 2012, 01:41:03 PM
AMAZING! I love it! :D
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Art deWhill on September 25, 2012, 10:26:13 PM
absolute professional work, excellent story-telling and exciting panels full of gorgeous angles/point-of-views and lighting.
Another masterpiece, Jules, you can be proud of. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: wraithnine on September 25, 2012, 10:28:05 PM
mate ! that was bloody awesome !!!!
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: hangarbay94 on September 26, 2012, 12:28:00 AM
Thanks guys! I always really enjoy and appreciate your feedback. R1 I played your comment on Siri while driving and I nearly crashed my car, I was in fits, I'll be sure to go knocking on Lucas Arts door!

Jules
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: jlw515 on September 26, 2012, 05:31:36 AM
Jules,

WOW, amazing job! I'll have to echo some of R1's comments (minus all the adult film stuff). I've been telling you from day one that your photonovel/graphic fiction deserves to printed in comic book form. If anyone has ever read your work as a flip book they will definitely see what I am talking about. I would like to take the compliments a step further and say that for your work you should be knighted "Sir Jules." In fact your username from now should be "Sir Jules!"

The CGI was just amazing in this chapter. It looked cleaner, crisper in this chapter than any other. The pace of the space battle and the urgency of Maya sitting helpless in her X-Wing were scripted perfectly! Then the flipped cliff-hanger ending was just great!!

Now, on to the really hard part for me and that is the critique. Sir Jules, I hope you understand this critique is probably more personal, but I was a little let down at the lack of action figures and custom figures. Don't get me wrong the CGI of the Ace, Maya, and all the others were just great; but as soon as I saw the CGI of the two lady pilots in their civilian type clothes, and then the CGI image of Ace's face I was just like, "Ah man, he's not customizing figures anymore for the photonovel." Again, not taking anything away from the amazing CGI work you did on this chapter, but knowing the roots of "photonovels" have been photographing action figures and toys and placing them in dioramas, CGI backgrounds, or real world settings; I personally would rather see action figures with some CGI work done to them (as you have done in the past) versus a totally CGI character. I've always loved the way you could take a Luke head and CGI a smile or a shout onto the face, or the same with the Hoth Rebel Trooper head.

Of course I may totally be in the minority - or in fact THE minority - concerning this. Again, not taking anything away from the CGI work you did (and this may be the direction you are going with the photonovel). And I understand there were still some action figures used in some scenes (like the comic pack Wedge figure); and I don't want to sound too critical, I just personally have always loved the fact that photonovels use action figures to tell the story. It's always interesting to see a new character and how the author of the photonovel created a custom of that character, or which stock Star Wars figure they used to represent a different character.

Again, Sir Jules hat's off on the amazing work that you do. The great thing about your photonovel is CGI or not, it's the story telling and suspense that makes series so good!

Jason

Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: hangarbay94 on September 26, 2012, 01:37:17 PM
Jason,

Please don't worry about me taking things the wrong way, on the contrary, a detailed critique is enjoyable to read as it shows that you have taken the time to look at my work seriously. I was in fact hoping you would comment on the cgi aspect and I was interested to read your perspective.

I think my work should fall into the Web-Comic genre rather than Photo-Novel and while I fully understand the custom and diorama aspect is of more interest to the community here and on Yakface and Rebelscum, I consider myself more a digital artist than a customiser, it's where my heart lies.

What interests me most about this project is the story, it allows me to explore what went on during the OT timeline outside of the movies and the fact that certain events have a direct effect on the outcome at the end of ROTJ. What the game didn't explore was the characters surrounding these events, you fly the missions and feel the tension sure, but you never really get to know the people. Using figures has worked fine up to now, but in order for me to convey thoughts and feelings I need to use faces with more expression. I also want to work on less formal scenes, and again, finding the right figures and customising them simply adds additional workload and cost to the project. 

I know that this change will put people off, but I am hoping that my passion, the quality, attention to detail and the story telling will win over in the end.

J
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: jlw515 on September 26, 2012, 04:01:10 PM
Sir Jules,

I've always said from the outset that you created your own genre of photonovels or graphic fiction. So, if CGI images are the direction that your photonovel is taking, then don't let anyone (including me) pressure you to do otherwise. I totally understand the reasoning behind using the CGI images of characters. I've just always loved the way you blended the action figures with CGI. In some prior chapters, the way you've filtered or CGIed away the articulation seams from action figures (which in a way has created a type of CGI body); I kind of figured you were headed to creating CGI characters.

Either way, whether custom action figures or CGI characters it does not make or break your amazing photonovel!!

By the way, would you be willing to tell what podcast you were listening to?

Jason
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: hangarbay94 on September 26, 2012, 04:17:23 PM
I really can't remember, I think it was a recent one of ours here. It was a conversation about favourite customisers and one of the guests commented that they loved my work, it just seemed  like there was a "but" at the end of their comment.

I might just be paranoid, but I know that most of the energy here goes on the custom forums and I've all but stopped customising for the moment.

Anyhow it's all yours and Chewie's fault for getting me into this  in the 1st place... It would be far simpler if I could just customise figures, I'd get far more feedback as well!  :)

 

 
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Clonehead on September 26, 2012, 08:06:20 PM
But,Jules, you are indeed following your passion and should be commended over and over again as this is truly amazing work. Sure, I was initially hooked on your splendid customs and how you integrated them into your brand of story telling but as you continue to mature, it's obvious that the story and flow of imagery, such splendid imagery, should be of the most importance.
I wouldn't change a thing unless in your mind it is to do the continuing impossible task of yet again improving it.
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: jlw515 on September 27, 2012, 05:40:16 AM
Sir Jules,

If I am partly to "blame" for your photonovel, then I take full responsibility for such an amazing work. I'm humbled to have been any sort of inspiration.

I wouldn't sweat the feedback, and I'm not sure that simply customizing would increase the feedback. Customizing is a strange hobby right now. I can create 5 to 7 new customs for my photonovel (as I did recently) and barely get any response. Not slamming YF by any means, but I ended up commenting on my own customs to try to stir a reaction, and I got one comment. I think the issue is that since my photonovel (and yours would fall into this same vein) is set during the timing of the OT and it is based upon established OT characters many customizers are just not intersted in seeing a new alien A-Wing pilot or Luke in a new outfit, etc. However, if you simply do a custom paint job on a Clone or mix-match parts from Boba & Jango Fett to get a new Mandalorian, then BAM it's feedback heaven. I may just start listing all of my updates as "NEW CLONE CUSTOM" or "NEW MANDALORIAN BOUNTY HUNTER CUSTOM" and see what happens. And so, because Justin's photonovel (although first set in the PT and now the intermediate period between trilogies) is a totally original story about a totally original character, I think he tends to generate more feedback than anyone else. Which I'm not taking anything away from Justin, he deserves all the props for his hard work; I just wish those who comment on one photonovel would at least make some comment of support for the rest. I've been guilty in the past of not reading or commenting on a photonovel because it deals with post ROTJ stuff or Clone Wars (which I'm not interested in at all), but I've tried hard this year to at least make some comment of support for any photonovel regardless of the storyline.

Jason


Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Tamer on September 28, 2012, 06:06:27 PM
Daggone Jules this new style just gets me more interested, as if that were possible.

I love the new cgi work.
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: DocOutlands on September 28, 2012, 06:57:01 PM
I have noticed the move in XWA towards more CGI and away from straight customs.  It didn't surprise me, nor did it offend/upset/offput me.  It really has moved into the story needing the visuals to support it, rather than the customs needing a story to tell.  XWA is simply *amazing* artistry and great fun to read.  It boggles my mind to think of how much work has to go into each frame we get.

Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: hangarbay94 on September 29, 2012, 02:33:31 AM
Guys, the support I get here is very appreciated, especially since posting a week ago this has only received 2 comments on RS and YF combined. I don't do it for the feedback however knowing that there are people out there who enjoy this work is the bonus that keeps me motivated, so thanks everyone..

Doc, in truth the really hard work is in writing the story. George Lucas ha been know to comment on the fact that he found the writing side of making Star Wars the hardest part and I know what he means. Making sure everything is historically correct, making the characters seem credible and developing the story around the game framework is very difficult, the art is the fun stuff. Introducing the CGI characters helps the writing as I am now able to add more expression, it also takes this piece of work squarely into the Graphic Novel genre.
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Tamer on September 29, 2012, 04:30:45 AM
Only 2 comments? I think anyone who has dabbled in either trying to write a story or done any graphics work can semi realize the work that went into this. Glad you found us Jules. And we so appreciate the exclusives and the great story too.
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: hangarbay94 on September 29, 2012, 05:22:17 AM
Dude, the feeling is mutual!

Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: jlw515 on September 29, 2012, 05:58:51 AM
Sir Jules,

I wasn't going to mention the feedback on other sites, but since you brought it up. I "washed my hands" of the photonovel section at RS over a year ago. I haven't even been in that forum to see what gets posted because I was so discouraged at the lack of feeback over the years. I'm just about there with the custom figures and dioramas sections too. A month or so ago I posted pics of new custom figures at YF and ISY and just chose not to even bother with RS. I know forum activity changes over the years. Years ago SSG use to be THE forum for news, customs, etc.; but I don't think I posted there in 2 or 3 years because it seems the forum has become a ghost town. I'm afraid a couple of other forums may be headed in that direction.

Thankfully, I, JLW515, was the FIRST and ONLY person to have commented on XWA over at YF. The thing that just bugs the crap out of me is when I go to YF to see if any new responses have been made and I can see that more people have viewed it (up to 39 views last time I checked), and still I'm the only person who responded??!! What the frickety frak is the problem??!! I would hope that at least the other photonovelist would make a comment. Ya know, each of us showing support for the other because we're all involved in the hobbie.

Like I've said before (see above post) is that the only thing I can think of is the genre of the photonovel. Being that XWA and "Vader's Quest" are both set in the OT, it may not appeal to younger fans. I, personally, am not interested in photonovels concerning Clone troopers, Mandalorians, cloned Emperors, but the two or three guys that are writing photonovels in this genre I at least try to make a comment about the photography, graphics, or something.

Anyway, hats off to ISY for the support of photonovels and customizers. It seems like everyday there is a new custom spotlight on the front page or there's a mention of a photonovel on Facebook.

Jason
Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: DocOutlands on September 29, 2012, 07:44:04 AM
Quote from: hangarbay94 on September 29, 2012, 02:33:31 AM
Doc, in truth the really hard work is in writing the story. George Lucas ha been know to comment on the fact that he found the writing side of making Star Wars the hardest part and I know what he means. Making sure everything is historically correct, making the characters seem credible and developing the story around the game framework is very difficult, the art is the fun stuff. Introducing the CGI characters helps the writing as I am now able to add more expression, it also takes this piece of work squarely into the Graphic Novel genre.

And see - to me, writing is a LOT easier than visual art!  I think if/when I start into the realm of "graphic fiction," I'll be following more of an "illustrated novel" path, where it is mostly writing with the occasional pic as eye-candy.  I'm *trying* to look at a Fixer story I started more thru the eyes of a graphic-novelist and *to me* the hardest part is paring down my words to only what can't be shown in a pic.  I try to write to the "show, don't tell" philosophy, so that helps - I aim my writing to paint mental pics in the reader's mind that can be staged in front of the camera.  And that whole "engagement of the senses" is very challenging for me to do visually - especially since I tend to have a very distinct mental image of what I want to show, and my customizing skills may not yet be up to it!

Title: Re: *NEW* X-WING ALLIANCE - Chapter 23 - Secret Weapons of the Empire
Post by: Kualan on September 30, 2012, 06:28:47 PM
I didn't think you could take your XWA series to an even further level of awesome, but you proved me wrong. This was mind-blowing with the new CGI elements. What software/process do you use to create CGI characters?

Amazing screenshots, amazing story, amazing renders. A truly epic piece of art.