Well folks, needless to say the Holden Caufield scoop/inquiry has provoked an awful lot of email. Most people chimed in with the equivalent of, "THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!" However, some chimed in with bits that confirmed the news/inquiry. The most common arguement against it all was the bit about how these are professionals making this film, of course the screen their dailies daily. Well I also heard that one of the ways Lucas planned on cutting down on cost was to not print the stock till the first cut was done. Insane? Yep, only time I've heard of this sort of thing has been on super independent films like EL MARIACHI. But then it sure would go a long ways to make a $200 million dollar film for $70 million like we heard about 8 months ago. Of course in April that budget went to $110 million. Why the extra $40 million? I don't know. But just one of many questions raised. Listen folks, I want this to be the film that leaves the theater reeking of urine smell because the entire audience empties their bladder on their seats. First up here is CAPTAIN MACHO'S defense, which follows most of the articulate speculation about how the blur factor could never happen....
Harry,
I'm here to chime in on Holden Caufield's report about the prequels being 40% out of focus during a screening to Fox Execs. It's complete and utter bullsh*t!
Harry, I am a filmmaker. I have recently written and directed my own low budget feature film (under 1 million dollars) where I couldn't afford film dailies made while shooting. Our processed exposed negative was transfered directly to 3/4" video and dumped into the AVID for editing. We never saw the film projected from a print until our first answer print came back from the lab. In a 105 minute film there was *ONE* shot that was slightly "soft." I tell you this so that I can perhaps explain to your readers why Holden Caulfields story could not POSSIBLY happen.
First, Lucas is a experienced filmmaker. Every first year film student knows that you must project you dailies to check focus, density, etc. (I didn't have the luxury but I didn't make the most anticipated movie in history!) If Lucas himself (as Director) didn't watch the footage then surely one of the members of his crack post-production team did. Don't forget, Lucas prides himself on being an editor!
Second, 40% of this film was not shot on the same camera let alone the same lens. They no doubt used dozens of cameras and hundreds of different lenses in making Episode One. Each time a lens is changed, an Assistant Camera operator checks for dust and particles. Between each set-up the AC checks the gate to make sure it's clean. There were dozens of AC's on Episode One and a problem as large as 40% is impossible to filter through so many people undetected. IMPOSSIBLE!
Thirdly, does anyone actually believe that Lucas or McCallum wouldn't bother to preview the footage themselves before screening for Fox execs? These are friggin' professionals people! Every frame of film has been examined, scrutinized, agonized over, digitized, double-checked, and triple-checked. They know they are making the most anticipated film in history and they don't want to disappoint.
My personal opinion is that someone has taken great offense to the "PLOT DOES MATTER" slam and is putting out some disinformation in retaliation. Don't buy it. The problem as described is impossible to execute and seems to have been described by someone who has no understanding of how films are made.
Rest easy geeks. The film be SHARP!
Call me Captain Macho
Ok, that was film educated experience talking, but no direct knowledge of the production itself. So it begins to set up the possibility of the problem existing, we had Mr Memory remember (no not in 39 steps) a similar incident that Lucas had happen a long time ago...
Whether or not the focus problem is true or not, it is extremely plausible. I seem to recall Mr. Lucas mentioning a simular problem on the original star Wars shoot, where the sand and wind from the Tunisian desert was so intense that it got in between between the lens and lens plate causing wacky focus problems to ensue. The sand was so small that they couldn't figure out what was doing it. Sounds like history repeating itself, although one has to wonder if they were stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.
Ok, so ya say he couldn't mess up again? Well according to Moriarty, this weird focus problem occurred at the tail end of INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. Well are they preparing to do more reshoots, yep. Of course Lucas said he'd be reshooting for a third time around the end of this summer at the very beginning of filming in that WIRED article, remember? Well, Gus over at his cool site tells me the following....
I saw your note on your page about the filming problems with the Star Wars prequel. I don't know anything about that, but one thing I can confirm is that
a) they are currently building sets in Tunisia and
b) they will be filming this summer.
We confirmed it with a local who worked on the crew and who will be working on the '98 set (worked last year on the '97 set). At the time we were there, it just seems like it couldn't be for Episode II (it's too early), so we concluded that it must be additional shots for Episode I. If there's truth to the rumor you heard, then maybe they're thinking about full blown reshoots which would require set construction.
Ok, so we've established that Lucas has had problems like this before and that reshooting, albeit scheduled long ago, is getting ready to take place. So what now? Well, now we find out about whether there are problems are not. Well a shadow told me this...
Regarding prequel problems.How do I put this,It's only half true is the best way to describe it I suppose, so let me explain.I am the friend of one of the camera maintence dudes up at fox and he did say that some of the film did have a focus problem and this is the reason for the re-shoots. However on a lighter note I can fully assure you that it was in no way near forty percent in fact he said it was only five to ten percent at the most.
Ok, down from 40% to 10% or 5%. But then a new optical problem arose it's ugly head when a Slippery Fella told me this. (btw he did establish his credentials, though I can't tell ya, because well he likes having his credentials)
They are indeed doing reshoots on Episode 1. Although some of the footage is unusable, its not because of a fuzzy camera. When they were not being used Lucas would move the large blue-screen backdrops off-frame. They discovered upon returning to the ranch and developing the film that the the blue-screen cast a blue reflection onto many of the actors and sets. The result: a lot of the footage looks too blue. I'm not sure why this can't be fixed with color correction - perhaps there are other blue screen elements within the shots - but most people seem to be chalking it up to a "rookie error" seeing as how Lucas hasn't directed in 20 years... nothing that will derail the film by any means, from what I've heard.
Hope this sets your mind somewhat at ease!
Well that is a strange one there, isn't it? So what to think now? Hmmm... I don't think that any of this means delays, if the problems do exist they'll just throw more money into the pot and get the problems fixed. Lucas knows how important it is to hit his deadline 'MAY 1999'! If... IF these problems exist, then hey, it just proves that he isn't unfallible. I don't think anything is wrong with saying things are not going PERFECTLY. After all what ever does? I mean I could of been saying 'could have' for a long time, but then I'm not perfect. Imperfections are wonderful, and they go to make a better story, heighten suspense and add character to all involved.
The only problems I would be worried about would be story and plot and character problems, but then we won't have the answers to that til May 25th, 1999...
