Thrawn-trilogy trailer as a community project

[Samppu]

Hello guys!

I came up with a nice idea, let's see if it starts to fly or not... ;)

What I had in mind was to create an awesome Lego-animation trailer about the Thrawn-trilogy

(Heir to the Empire) that would be released slightly before the official Episode VII -movie in

celebration of the new Star Wars -movie.

The thing is that to make it to be awesome, all of the cutscenes should contain only MOCs.

Also it should have many frames per second to make a smooth appearance.

This apparently sounds very difficult and workful and so it is. Actually there is no one on the Earth

I guess that would have all the necessary MOCs for the effort.

So what I propose is to make this trailer as a team work.

There are many highly skilled builders that have made some fabulous scenes or vehicles of the Thrawn-trilogy already. And of course the ones that could still build one scene in due time, but not

all. If enough enthusiastic persons would agree to make this, all it would take would be to animate

a very short clip or two by each individual from the scene they have built. You know what they are like

in real trailers, something like less than 5 to 10 seconds maximum and cut to the next shot.

Of course, there are a couple of key persons that should put here some more effort.

- One would be the director (not me) that should have some experience on animating and leading projects. The director should also hold contact to the builders.

- Script writer. I can help with this, but in such a big community, maybe here is someone with some professional experience actually?

- A semi-professional editor would do good, too, because there should be some vehicles flying around.

Then we would need the MOC-builders. Luckily as I said we already have some and I know here are many super talented builders/animators so this shouldn't be impossible.

A couple of examples I know:

Thrawn's Command Room

http://www.eurobrick...howtopic=107447

Hyllyard in Myrkr

http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/402528

Cloning Chamber in Mount Tantiss

http://www.eurobrick...pic=101238&st=0

Vehicles: X-Wing, Imperial Shuttle, TIE-Interceptor, Speeder Bike, AT-ST, Probe Droid

http://www.brickshel...gi?f=543035&n=0

Vehicle: Y-Wing

http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=84780

So, what do you think? Do we have the necessary enthusiasm and are there persons for this project in this forum? If there is something you would like to do, make a post beneath and let's see if this

can actually work or not... ;D

Personally I can help to make contacts with the people. And I can also provide a busy supply of detailed MOC vehicles. Imperial Star Destroyer and AT-AT on the way as next.

-Samppu

Edited May 7, 2015 by Samppu
My eyes were hurting trying to read your formatting so I had to change it.

[Kuat Drive Yards]

Sounds cool! I'm downright awful at video editing, but I could make the Chimaera and Inexorable attacking a Golan over the unnamed shipyards in chapter 9, or somethin' of the sort.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Kuat Drive Yards

[Samppu]

Yep, a flash-like space battle scenery would be very welcome KuatDriveYards.

I could also build and animate two scenes: the one where Han and Lando are spying on Thrawn for the first time in Myrkr,

for I have that Imperial Shuttle and passing TIE-Interceptors already.

And the other could be the one/ones where Mara and Luke are travelling in Myrkr forest and confront the Scout Troopers.

-Samppu

[TLaabs]

As the MOC'er of the Thrawn Command Room, I absolutely LOVE this idea! Originally when I made my Thrawn MOC, I contemplated making a video of the introductory scene in Ch.1 where Pellaeon first enters the command room. I wanted to use some audio from the HTTE audiobook narrated by Marc Thompson, although I don't know how that may clash with any copyright issues (many people use the original TFA teaser audio to make Lego-recreations of that so idk) or if we'd have to use our own dialogue. Even the ability to use some music of sound effects would be nice.

Ultimately if we shoot for more of a teaser and not necessarily a mini-movie, I think we could definitely mash up some of the MOCs and compile a good bit of scenes, although I agree that more may need to be built. I just started listening to The Thrawn Trilogy on audiobook for the second time, and with this in mind I can pick out some particularly important events and go from there. I'm not the best at editing but I have some friends that I believe would be willing to help.

I say we start brainstorming and see what we can come up with!!

Also are we going to attempt to limit this to just HTTE or anything in The Thrawn Trilogy (TTT)? I can't recall if the Mount Tantiss facility was shown or just mentioned in HTTE. Obv it was a point of interest in The Last Command (TLC), and what about Dark Force Rising (DFR)? Its a phenomenal MOC and I think it should be in there even if we do stick to HTTE. The abbreviations will help too from here on out :)

[Lord Tyrus]

This is a great idea! Not sure if I can contribute, but I will watch this nonetheless!

[Samppu]

TLaabs, I am very happy to here that you share your interest. =)

Yes, the idea would be to make a teaser trailer instead of a minimovie. So that the most of the shots will

be mostly flash like visions of the events in the story, though we can have exceptions.

There are some details we must talk about when we have the builders and animators, but I'd say that

let's focus on HTTE. The cloning facility could nevertheless be implied if the creator Disco86 agrees with the project. E.g. when Thrawn says in the agreement with Joruus C'baoth that "and the one almost insignificant piece of technology" (sorry if I use wrong words here, I've read these in Finnish, though I have access to English ones) the camera could actually show the cloning facility.

Scenes I find important to make would be at least the following:

- Thrawn and Pellaeon in Thrawn's room/ISD command bridge (TLaabs)

- Leia and the Noghri, whatever place is fine, builder can choose. Kashyyyk would be the easiest to recognize. (needs a builder (; )

- Talon Karrde with Mara Jade in their base (needs a builder (; )

- Han Solo and Lando spying Thrawn meeting with Karrde (I can build this one)

- Luke and Mara in the Myrkr forest (I can build this one)

- Imperial Star Destroyer e.g. the opening where the shuttle arrives from the Obroa-skai (I think I can make this one, too)

- Flash of space battle, builder can choose which one, KuatDriveYards was interested in this one.

- That Hyllyard MOC would be fantastic, if the builder markus 1984 agrees.

- One of the most important scenes: Joruus C'baoth confronting Thrawn, Peallaeon and Rukh

(needs a builder (; )

- Rebel leadership in the council and somehow give a look of the new galaxy where the New Republic has risen into power. Mon Calamari Cruiser or other capital ships orbiting Coruscant could be impressive. (needs a builder (; )

- Borsk Fey'lya and the schisma between the rebel leaders. (needs a builder (; )

- Cloning facility if the builder Disco86 agrees

Other suggestions are also welcome, but here are some to start with.

What will happen next:

- Inform me here if you want to make any of the scenes above or some other scene not mentioned here.

- I will ask some persons to take the role of the director. If you are interested and find yourself qualified inform me here.

- If you want to take part in the script writing and you have "know-how" to do it, inform me again here. Something like 2-3 script writers would be optimal, I will be one. You can be script writer even if you don't build anything.

- Could you TLaabs take one or two movie like pictures from the Command room and edit a poster for the project

Let's put this thing to roll! (;

-Samppu

Edited May 7, 2015 by Samppu

[Kaitan]

Just a word of caution guys - There is a competition currently running for EU builds in Watto's Junkyard that includes the Thrawn trilogy books. It might be in your best interests to hold fire and see if any builds emerge that are suitable for your project? Even if builders there don't want to take part, it will still give you ideas about how other people see these scenes.

[Samppu]

Thank you for your word Kaitan, I'll take a look at there, too.

This planning, casting and script writing takes its own time anyway,

so starting with them at first.

Anyone willing to give a go for this trailer can of course share this for people

whom they think to be interested in Thrawn-trilogy animation.

-Samppu

[Kuat Drive Yards]

Since I'm already making the ISD's for the space battle, I could also do the opening scene over Obroa-Skai

[Samppu]

Yep, that would be super KDY.

Update of the scenes:

- Thrawn and Pellaeon in Thrawn's room/ISD command bridge (TLaabs)

- Leia and the Noghri, whatever place is fine, builder can choose. Kashyyyk would be the easiest to recognize. (needs a builder (; )

- Talon Karrde with Mara Jade in their base (needs a builder (; )

- Han Solo and Lando spying Thrawn meeting with Karrde - me (Samppu)

- Luke and Mara in the Myrkr forest - me (Samppu)

- Imperial Star Destroyer e.g. the opening where the shuttle arrives from the Obroa-skai - Kuat Drive Yards

- Flash of space battle, builder can choose which one - Kuat Drive Yards

- That Hyllyard scene - markus1984 who agreed

- One of the most important scenes: Joruus C'baoth confronting Thrawn, Peallaeon and Rukh

(needs a builder (; )

- Rebel leadership in the council and somehow give a look of the new galaxy where the New Republic has risen into power. Mon Calamari Cruiser or other capital ships orbiting Coruscant could be impressive. (needs a builder (; )

- Borsk Fey'lya and the schisma between the rebel leaders. (needs a builder (; )

- Cloning facility if the builder Disco86 agrees -> this one is already in pieces =(

-Samppu

[TLaabs]

I am willing to do the C'Baoth confrontation in the Wayland town square, as well as the Karrde/Mara at their base scene. Also I can brainstorm on the New Republic council scene, since I've been wanting to Bricklink a Mon Mothma fig.

As for the Leia and Khabarakh on Kashyyyk, that one is easy if we find a good Kashyyyk MOC that we can plug Leia and Khabarakh into. My only concern is how we will design Noghri figs, and of course keep continuity among differing figs between different builders. Also I think we should add parts of the scene with the mole miners drilling into starships in the Sluis Van shipyards, and cloaked TIEs coming out of the exploding empty freighter. Maybe Kuat could do this one as well?

Also if you do Luke & Mara in the forest, perhaps Mara putting Luke in his "prison cell" with R2 next door. I think these were just locked storage sheds.

Overall I think with these scenes we can really get a great trailer. Something very foreboding and dreadful. Honestly I would love to possibly storyboard this trailer, and maybe we can adjust some of these scenes - add or remove some - depending on time. I'd love to shoot for 2:30-3:00 long.

I will get to hunting on ideas for Noghri and Bothan fig possibilities as well!!

[Samppu]

Great!

If TLaabs makes the C'Baoth and Karrde with Mara scenes, there is not so many scenes left anymore and as TLaabs said, Kashyyyk shouldn't be too bad for

someone who has already built one and wants to contribute.

I can make Luke and Mara both at the prison door and confronting the Scout Troopers as a team. This somewhat depends what kind of red line we want to use

in the trailer.

I have many ideas for the script, too, so I say that TLaabs and I start brainstorming and writing the script.

I was thinking about two theme lines. First the idea of a new era where the New Republic rules and the beaten Empire has found a new, intelligent and powerful leader. The second theme line would be about the new kind of atmosphere in the new era where the difference between friends and foes is not as clear as it was during the Rebellion.

These theme lines should be depicted with selected scenes from the movie that proceed about in the same order as in the original book. E.g. the opening should be the New Republic Navy over Coruscant

that would be very powerful metaphor of a New Era rising even without any kind of text. The friend-or-foe theme line would be opened nevertheless already in the same scene when Leia walks the council corridors angry spitting the words (again, sorry if not word-for-word) "I don't understand why we should be so extremely polite for members that did not rise a finger during the war when we asked them to help us". This would be one metaphor of the friend-or-foe theme line.

The same idea of the new era and friend-or-foe -line would apply to the Imperial side, too.

This is just one way of creating the desired tension to the trailer, we must discuss options and choose the best one around which the script will be written.

Update of the scenes:

- Thrawn and Pellaeon in Thrawn's room/ISD command bridge (TLaabs)

- Leia and the Noghri, whatever place is fine, builder can choose. Kashyyyk would be the easiest to recognize. (needs a builder (; )

- Talon Karrde with Mara Jade in their base (TLaabs)

- Han Solo and Lando spying Thrawn meeting with Karrde - me (Samppu)

- Luke and Mara in the Myrkr forest - me (Samppu)

- Imperial Star Destroyer e.g. the opening where the shuttle arrives from the Obroa-skai - Kuat Drive Yards

- Flash of space battle, builder can choose which one - Kuat Drive Yards

- That Hyllyard scene - markus1984 who agreed

- One of the most important scenes: Joruus C'baoth confronting Thrawn, Peallaeon and Rukh

(TLaabs)

- Rebel leadership in the council and somehow give a look of the new galaxy where the New Republic has risen into power. Mon Calamari Cruiser or other capital ships orbiting Coruscant could be impressive. (needs a builder (; )

- Borsk Fey'lya and the schisma between the rebel leaders. (needs a builder (; )

- Cloning facility if the builder Disco86 agrees -> this one is already in pieces =(

I can watch if I can do anything about the opening scene for the New Republic. I could make a squadron of X-Wings to fly over a building. And if TLaabs could make the council scene from inside, we start to have an idea what scenes we can depict in the trailer.

What comes to the mole miners, I think it would be technically too difficult to animate them carving themselves into the capital ships, so I say we just leave them out. Space battle scene itself, I think, is enough to make the impression of the reborn fight between the New Republic and the Empire.

Or if they must be depicted, it should be done indirectly. Like Han saying "they did what?!" in a cockpit and then depicting a full squadron of TIEs coming towards.

Next will happen:

- I will be in contact with TLaabs and we start to write the sript.

- Let's make here a gallery of figures we are going to use. It is not a catastrophe if they have slightly different clothes with different builders, but at least the same face and hair. Nevertheless, my Luke and Mara shoud be equivalent to those of markus1984 cause they are kind of part of the same scene. Thrawn should also look the same in the scenes where he appears, actually mostly with TLaabs. I have him just in binoculars.

- Samppu

Edited May 11, 2015 by Samppu