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Collecting => Customs => Photonovels and Movies => Topic started by: CHEWIE on October 7, 2005, 06:24 PM

Title: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 7, 2005, 06:24 PM
(http://chewie34.250free.com/E0.jpg)





(http://chewie34.250free.com/E1.jpg)

Over two months have passed since Rykrof Enloe has seen his family.  Thought to be dead by the leaders of the Republic and by his closest friends, no rescue attempt has been made.  As the war continues, a lone Federation Battleship looms over the planet as the Confederacy continues to hunt any Republic survivors.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E2.jpg)

Taking refuge in an abandoned Badoo Corba terrorist base, Rykrof and his team search the complex for supplies.  Taking shifts, at all times a lone guard stands outside to watch for approaching droids.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E3.jpg)

Hoping to find a ship inside the complex, Rykrof and TK-42 have searched the entire base but come up empty handed. 




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E4.jpg)

During his stay, Rykrof has found one working terminal, and viewed hundreds of recordings; including a transmission to evacuate the complex sent by the new leader of the Badoo Corba, Troffar the Terrible, immediately prior to the Republic’s arrival in the Dathomir system.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E5.jpg)

He has also had the chance to become acquainted with Freelo, a freelance archaeologist who had been contracted by the Separatists to help coordinate an excavation on Rhen Var.  Although the Mon Calamari had considered working for the Confederacy, Rykrof has learned that his new acquaintance is no enemy of the Republic, and had preferred to stay out of the war.  Rykrof has enjoyed the company of the stranded alien, who is now willing to help the Republic if he can ever get off the planet.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E6.jpg)

After another day of endless research, Rykrof comes across a startling discovery – the secret identities and coordinates of dozens of Badoo Corba terror cells throughout the galaxy, including the underground of the Republic capitol of Coruscant.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E7.jpg)

Amazed at his find, Rykrof quickly saves the data onto two separate security locked data cylinders.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E8.jpg)

Knowing his chances of survival are slim, he entrusts the second data cylinder to Freelo. 

“If only one of us makes it out of here, this information must get to the Republic.  Chancellor Palpatine will know how to retrieve the data,” Rykrof says.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E9.jpg)

With this priceless information in their possession, Rykrof speaks with his troops and the decision is made to leave the complex.  They must find a way off the planet soon – and if the base is discovered by the droid army with them inside it, they will have no way out. 

“We’ve stayed here long enough,” Rykrof says.  “It looks like our only option is to find Freelo’s ship and see if we can make the necessary repairs.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E10.jpg)

Meanwhile, in the Daabul system, Count Dooku makes contact with his master, Darth Sidious.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E11.jpg)

“The Force is with us, Master Sidious,” Dooku says as he greets the Dark Lord of the Sith.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E12.jpg)

“Yes, the war is going as planned.  Neither side has struck a distinct advantage,” Sidious says.  “What of the progress on Dathomir?  Has the Republic strike team been eliminated?”

“They surely must be dead by now.  Commander Ventress has found no trace of further survivors or encountered the witch to my knowledge.  However, I have sent General Snodd to accompany her.  The two of them will ensure that the strike team is indeed dead,” Dooku replies.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E13.jpg)

“Time is of the essence.  She is too valuable to be chasing down ordinary troops for this long.  But within her burns a blatant weakness.  Her aggression gives her strength, but she underestimates her enemies …like my former apprentice,” Sidious hisses. 




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E14.jpg)

 “Inform her that her time allotted to find proof of their death is nearing an end.  Then we will see how she fares against a more suitable adversary …Anakin Skywalker.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E15.jpg)

“It will be done, my Master,” Dooku replies.  “Commander Enloe surely must be dead by now.  If he is not, in due time he will meet his destiny.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E16.jpg)

Meanwhile, back on Dathomir, Nemoidian General Snodd searches new areas far from the original crash site of the Republic strike team…




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E17.jpg)

…and finds evidence that the team has survived longer than originally thought. 

“This helmet has not been sitting here for long.  Possibly two weeks at most,” he says to himself.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E18.jpg)

As the general continues to investigate the area surrounding the helmet, several droids from his unit continue to march west.



(http://chewie34.250free.com/E20.jpg)

Suddenly, a laser blast strikes the lead droid.



(http://chewie34.250free.com/E19.jpg)

And the surviving Republic troops continue to fire upon the Battle Droids.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E21.jpg)

Caught off guard, the droids begin to fall back as Rykrof's team advances.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E22.jpg)

Hearing the laser blasts, General Snodd approaches the scene of the battle.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E23.jpg)

“It’s them,” he shouts.  “Kill them!”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E24.jpg)

“Sir, there’s more of them approaching,” TK-42 says.  “I request we fall back.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E25.jpg)

As the Republic troops retreat, General Snodd contacts Commander Ventress. 

“I’ve found them!  Three Republic troopers and a Mon Calamari …heading southeast at coordinates two-zero-six-point-three-three-eight!”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E26.jpg)

Rykrof and his group quickly disperse into the wilderness.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E27.jpg)

After over 20 minutes of running for their lives, Rykrof and Freelo slow down, only to find they have become separated from the other two troops.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E28.jpg)

“Damn!  How did that happen?” Rykrof yells to himself.  “Hey, what the hell are you looking at?"

“There is someone behind you,” Freelo then says.

“Hands up,” a rough voice says. 




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E29.jpg)

As Rykrof turns around, he finds himself starting into the barrel of a D-11 blaster.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E30.jpg)

Suddenly another man appears, this one behind them. 

“Never seen a clone trooper look like you before,” the man says.  I thought you were all the same.” 

“Commander Rykrof Enloe, of the Grand Army of the Republic,” Rykrof says.  “And who might you be?”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E31.jpg)

“Cusiro’s the name.  Traedon Cusiro.  And if the Mon Calamari hadn’t dropped his blaster, I reckon Briss would have shot him dead in the head.  He’s never liked aliens.”

“How thoughtful of him,” Rykrof replies.

“We’re from Correlia.  Trying to get off this sewage dump for a while now.  Droids have attacked us too, so I guess that puts us on the same side,” he says. 




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E32.jpg)

Meanwhile, Asajj Ventress looks upon the corpse of a rancor, who was foolish enough to think she was its next meal.  “Pitiful creature,” she laughs to herself.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E33.jpg)

After relishing in her kill, Ventress approaches General Snodd. 

“So, there are indeed survivors.  But I see you let them escape,” she hisses.

“They cannot run for long,” Snodd counters.





(http://chewie34.250free.com/E34.jpg)

"My droids have found where they were hiding as well.  They were kept up in a Badoo Corba complex.  We will keep a squad of droids there in case they return.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E35.jpg)

Finally having new progress to report, Ventress contacts her master.  “My Lord, we have found them.  It will not be long before they are dealt with.”

“I hope not, Commander.  You have but 48 hours to complete your mission,” Dooku replies.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E36.jpg)

“They will be dead in half that time.  Master… I have felt a presence on this planet.  Of one that is strong with the Force.  But it is not the sensation of a Jedi,” she says.

“Your feelings serve you well, Asajj.  If it is your fate, you will encounter this presence,” Dooku says.  “If you survive, your power will grow to levels you cannot possibly imagine.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E37.jpg)

Meanwhile, Rykrof’s separated troops discuss their situation.

“Our primary objective is to see to it that the commander survives.  Our lives are not important,” TK-42 says.

“Agreed,” the other trooper replies.  “He needs to get that information to the chancellor.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E38.jpg)

Miles away, Rykrof, Freelo, Cusiro and Briss set camp for the night.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E39.jpg)

Although uncomfortable trusting these new men, Rykrof feels he has no choice.  Any help is better than no help.  He must concentrate on finding a way to deliver the data cylinder to the Republic. Although the Badoo Corba escaped and he has failed in his primary mission, he takes comfort knowing this information could save lives.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E40.jpg)

“So how did you end up out here,” Rykrof asks, breaking the awkward silence. 

“Shot down by the Separatists actually,” Cusiro says.  “Smuggling supplies to Ithor.  Once we crashed though, the real hell began.  Ran into some sort of witch down here.  Killed most of my men.  Briss here actually escaped from her.  Doesn’t like to talk about it though.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E41.jpg)

“Witch?”  Freelo asks.  “I encountered a creature in the woods unlike any I have ever seen.  Only in folk lore have I heard of such an abomination.  But what I saw after arriving here is true.  Such things do exist.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E42.jpg)

Intrigued by what he is hearing, Rykrof allows the others to discuss what they have seen.




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E43.jpg)

“She may have been once a Nightsister.  A user of the Force …evil as hell.  I’ve heard stories about them,” Cusiro whispers.  “Siriadne is her name.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E44.jpg)

“From what Briss said, she’s a living demon …a cannibal.  She never sleeps… her obsession with flesh is her curse.”




(http://chewie34.250free.com/E45.jpg)

“She is the curse of Dathomir…”




 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: ThePerennial on October 7, 2005, 06:58 PM
Oh, This is getting really, REALLY good! And just in time for Hallowe'en, too!



    This was a great chapter, Chewie. If I ever get to finishing up or even starting my photonovel, I hope it's as half as good as yours. I'm bad at photonovel reviews, but I do know what I like, and I like this chapter!
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Jediknight760071 on October 7, 2005, 07:19 PM
Eek! That's pretty eerie...I hope Rykrof doesn't meet up with her. :o
Freelo is a great character...I love sidekicks. Tylin before, now Freelo. Hope everything goes well in the next one.
I'm amazed you finished this so fast, with all the new computer add ins you're incorporating into your photonovels. Great job. Good luck and stay healthy next time! ;)
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Darth Delicious on October 7, 2005, 07:31 PM
Another solid chapter, Chewie. Very well done. Impressive...MOST impressive.

I'll have a more detailed analysis later... but fix the typo in the crawl before I do, okay?   ;)

-DD
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Ner_vod on October 7, 2005, 07:40 PM
OK, this story's on the borderline of EEEEVIL! j/k. Great chapter. Since Halloween's coming up, good timing! ;)
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 7, 2005, 07:45 PM
Corrected that typo... it was the word "power" that should have read "powerful" - correct?  If not, then there were two mistakes in the opening crawl.   :-[

Thanks for the kind words guys.  This one was fun to do... can't wait until I can start the next one...

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Diddly on October 7, 2005, 08:31 PM
Wow, this was really fun! The plot thickens...

Still not digging the photoshopped Dooku pics for some reason. Everything else looks great! I hope those troopers reunite with Rykrof. I also like how you keep adding stranded people there. Kinda feels like Lost to me (even though I've never watched that show :P). I still can't get over how great your weathering is on the survivors!

Keep up the good work! Can't wait to see Siriadne in action!
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Famine on October 7, 2005, 10:34 PM
Wow. That was pretty cool. I agree with what the others said about the photoshopped Dooku, and Maul. You've done better than that Justin.  ;) I'll let it slide because you were sick. ;)

Kevin
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 7, 2005, 10:49 PM
I assume you mean the holo effects for Dooku.  I wasn't happy with how those turned out either.  I don't know why, but I just couldn't get the desired effect on those (and a couple other effects shots).  I guess now I'm going to have more criticism on such things since I've been doing these for so long now.   ;)

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Diddly on October 7, 2005, 10:54 PM
I was talking about the head on shot of Dooku when he was talking to Sidious. I like the holo effect. :)
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 7, 2005, 10:58 PM
Oh, ok - I see what you mean.  Originally when I had shot the pic, I was getting a horrible flash there.  So I used another pic I had of his head then added it on.  It kind of has a fuzzy edge to it, and for that I apologize. 

Any other shots that didn't turn out so well?  What did you think of the camp fire scene?  I did that one last night.

I like how you mentioned about adding in more stranded people there.  I was afraid some people wouldn't like that.

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Famine on October 7, 2005, 11:05 PM
Maybe they'll start doing the numbers too, and find a hatch. ;D

Kevin
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: jedistyle on October 7, 2005, 11:28 PM
Nice work as usual Chewie!!! There was alot of ground covered in this chapter and it moved the story along really well.

- I liked that the group of survivors left the compound and had contact with the enemy, the fact that they got split up is very cool, I'd be surprised if Rykof ever see's the other 2 troops again.

- Freelo was a cool addition to the group, the minor supporting charecters always make the story, and it was very cool when the pair ran into the stranded smugglers, I didn't see that coming!

- Ventress will have her handsful with the witch and Skywalker, i can't wait to see those fight scenes.

- I really liked the first shot of the whitch, nice use of the rots Kit Fitso body, really makes her look like she used to be a Jedi. It would be cool, when which ever charecter runs into her first, comes up on her as shes eating on a dead clone tropper!

- The camp fire scene looked really good, the camp fire looked like an actual part of the scene, nice work.

Thanks for posting another chapter Chewie, especialy so quick. As always great work and keep them coming. Your dio-stories inspire me to do my own, and hopefully i'll be able to one day. thanks again, feel better! ;D

erik
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 7, 2005, 11:43 PM
Jedistyle, that's the kind of review that I really appreciate, and another reason why the crowd is so good here.  When you work hard at something, the people here seem tp recognize that and make you glad you spent so much time on a project like this.  Even if there's anything about it that you thought was out of place or stupid, you can feel free to mention it.   If you ever get into making photonovels Jedistyle, I am looking forward to seeing what you create.

I'm especially glad that you liked the campfire scene.  That seemed to make it a lot more realistic to me, and made me think of playing the Star Wars Galaxies game (which I only played for a couple weeks when it first came out).

The witch, Siriadne was kinda fun to show a little more.  I apologize that I have only shown her at the end of the past two stories.  I could have jumped in and shown more of her in the action, but I thought it might be best to let this Dathomir plot play itself out and not to rush it.

As for splitting the group up some, I think that made it a little unpredictable, especially with introducing Traedon and Briss.  I struggled with whether or not to introduce them yet, or even have them in the Dathomir series at all.  Then when I thought of the campfire, I figured it might work.

Anyways, #16 will be titled "Curse of Dathomir" but I don't plan on starting that one for a couple weeks.  I need some time off from these!

 :P

Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Jediknight760071 on October 8, 2005, 04:39 AM
I liked the campfire...a lot. It was a really cool effect. If you'd said anything about fire earlier, I'd have expected a stereotypical blaze, but this one was quite the opposite.  :)
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Quazar on October 8, 2005, 11:57 AM
Hey, Chewie.  Nice work as always.

However, in my opinion, this is a good, but not a great chapter.  Everything looks fantastic, as always, but there isn't a tremendous amount of story here.  At the end, we're still basically at the same place we were at the end of the last one.

Still, the shots of the witch are creepy as hell.  The campfire scenes were very cool, but the Corellian guys don't seem to have much of a point.  At least not yet...

On the plus side, this chapter has made me even more eager for the next one!  The sets, by the way, are amazing, especially the old Badoo Corba base.

And the discovery of the secret files adds great urgency to the story, so that notion was brilliant.  But why would Palpatine know how to unlock the code?  Is he a computer genius all of a sudden?

anyway, more detailed comments to follow.  Despite my criticisms, these are always a blast to read and this was no exception.  Thanks for your efforts!!
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 8, 2005, 12:11 PM
Lance, this story was more of a "filler" to get to the the climax of the Dathomir plot.  So you are right, not a ton of action happened in it, and they are still in a similar situation as at the end of the last story.  I wanted to make this a long story, and I hope I'm not making it too long in doing that.

The witch will be part of a confrontation in the next chapter.  So will Asajj, and some other characters as well that were not in this chapter.

The discovery of the files gives urgency to Rykrof getting off the planet, and Asajj has urgency from Dooku now to complete her mission.  Also, General Snodd was introduced, as was Traedon and Briss.  Their main reason for inclusion at this point was to inform Rykrof more of the witch.  I didn't want to just throw her into it.  I am trying to build her character more before doing so.

As for the cylinder codes, yes there are secret codes that only Palpatine and elite members of the military know.  Rykrof sealed the data with the "password" if you will.  It isn't supposed to imply that Palpatine is a computer tech.

Thanks for the detailed analysis.  It makes me look ever more forward to making chapter #16.  I wish I could start on it this weekend, but can't.

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Reid on October 8, 2005, 10:04 PM
Great chapter. As a certain Sith Lord would say, "Impressive. Most impressive." That Sith Witch is gonna give me nightmares for weeks now all because of YOU. JK.
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Quazar on October 9, 2005, 07:11 AM
Hey, Chewie....

After the great and ominous scene where Freelo mentions the witch, I didn't think she needed more of an introduction from the two new characters.  As I said earlier, those guys don't seem to have much of an organic function in the story just yet.

You sufficiently built up the witch already, no real need for them to re-hash it.

And then you get into plausibility issues just a bit - it seems almost a little too coincidental that Rykrof and Freelo AND these other guys all crashed on this fairly remote world all around the same time.

I really liked General Snodd, I was glad to see him included, but, as I've said in the past, I wish you would focus almost exclusively on these original villains and not as much on established characters who are so much more powerful than Rykrof.

Because Dooku and Ventriss are so powerful, we know they won't confront Rykrof directly in a fair fight, otherwise he'd lose immediately.  But obviously we have no idea what will happen with Snodd, so there's more suspense and mystery there.

I also think it's just a bit of a stretch that Dooku would "waste" Asajj Ventress, an extremely powerful ally, on the relatively mundane task of killing Rykrof.  Yes, I understand that he's become very important, but surely Dooku doesn't need to use a powerful Force user to handle a simple soldier, especially since she has been tied up for literally two months looking for him without success.

Given that span of time, I also kinda wished you put just one or two quick "day in the life shots", showing how Rykrof and his team are actually surviving - like possibly foraging for food or at least spying on the separatists in order to stay one step ahead of them.  It almost seems like too much of a stretch to buy that they've been in the Badoo Corba base undetected for that long (I know they weren't there the entire time, but they have been there a while, it seems.)

Anyway, I hope these comments aren't too nitpicky.  This is a great series and I'm very excited about the next chapter.

I also enjoyed seeing very much the "making of" shots you posted in other threads.

A few questions - where do you get the images you use like the ground, swamp, water, mountains, etc.

Also, could you please post a picture of the "base" unaltered and unmodified.  I'd love to try to find one of those if possible. 

As always, can't wait for the next installment!

Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 9, 2005, 02:28 PM
Thanks for the comments Lance.  I appreciate your questions and advice.  I'm still not an expert on these by any means.

Witch - The reason I showed a bit more of her was to establish a bit more how disgusting she is, that she is a cannibal and I felt that if I left her out of this chapter, a lot of people would be wondering why.  It seems like she has been the most popular part of the Dathomir story, and she's only appeared in three pics so far over the last two stories.

Dooku - I disagree somewhat on not showing main characters.  They are such an integral part of the Clone Wars and the Sith are the ones behind the entire war itself.  I do like to continue to create original characters however like you mentioned.

Ventress - I've tried to show in the series in the discussions mainly between Dooku and Palpatine that the main reason she has been sent there is to see if she confronts the witch on the planet, as it is a test for her in her preparation for a confrontation with Anakin Skywalker.  On the surface, her mission is to find Rykrof and kill him and any Republic survivors.  But the underlying motives of Dooku are for her to confront the witch.  He is hoping to see how Ventress deals with this situation.  So in that sense she is not a "waste" - her real mission is to encounter the witch - but she does not know that was her real mission.  Dooku is manipulating her just as he does with so many others.

Thanks for all of the advice.  It does help me in the storyline very much, and check back in my regular customs thread soon for pics of that base.

 :P

Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Reid on October 9, 2005, 08:18 PM
I like how you made the Witch a cannibal. We don't hear much about cannabbalism in SW so this was very cool to see. She reminds me of Leatherface from TCM. ;D
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Reid on October 9, 2005, 09:47 PM
What was the final fate of those two Clone Troopers? Please don't say they're dead... :-\ :'( :'(
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Ryan on October 9, 2005, 09:48 PM
What was the final fate of those two Clone Troopers? Please don't say they're dead... :-\ :'( :'(

Just wait until #16.
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 10, 2005, 01:19 AM
Yep, their fate and the future of several characters in the story will continue to be revealed in #16.  I really hope I can make everyone happy with the next chapter, as I've had some differnet ideas in my head as well as PM's and emails on different ideas everyone has.  Seems like everyone has a different direction they think it should go, so I'm caught somewhere in the middle.  Ultimately, I'll probably go with the feeling I've had all along for the Dathomir plot.  An utter disaster (which has already happened) and a huge battle (which hasn't happened yet) and Rykrof is already in hot water for not following orders in going straight to Dathomir in #13 - Seeds of Betrayal.  Maybe that data cylinder he has can help save his tail if he gets off the planet in one piece.

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: jedipurge on October 11, 2005, 06:29 PM
a more indepth critique later, but i just finished reading it.  AWESOME.  love the shot of Ventress over her kill, the quick flashback of Maul was a good touch, and the campfire was strickingly realistic looking.  very very impressive stuff.  more later.
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Famine on October 12, 2005, 11:57 PM
and the campfire was strickingly realistic looking. 

Thats because Justin set a small fire on his "set" shelf in his Star Wars room. His wife was so furious she made him sleep in the garage for a week. I'm not sure if he's allowed near the stove yet or not. :-\


Kevin
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: jedipurge on October 20, 2005, 03:55 PM
okay chewie here's my 2 cents:  i love all the background stuff, i always try to notice that stuff because to my they give the photo's that much more of a feeling of reality.  for instance the pic of rykrof at the terminal with the laptop thing on the crate, or the pic of rykrof and gang walking through the base the gonk droid laying on his side like he was abandon there in a rush, and all the crate stacked all over the place, where do you get those by the way?  the story was very good definatley makes me look forward too the next chapter.  i not really big on the dooku head throws it off to me.  what's with us guys with the need to poke at the fire with a stick anyway is it like bred into us or something, another good touch gives it more realism instead of them all just sitting there.  in the pic of TK-42 and rykrof talking what is that small crane looking thing you have there in back of them?  is that a driodeka blaster at the end?  recipe?  good touch with the blood on the nightsisters mouth.  painted or effect?  either way she gets more and more scarier.  once again great addition to the story
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Matt_Fury on October 22, 2005, 08:13 PM
Another great episode Chewie.  I am really enjoying the plot which is the main reason your photonovel is so great.

Kind of a shame the pic of Dooku was messed up and you had to photoshop a head into it, that was very distracting.  Other than that, I thought the effects were great, especially the backgrounds....you have a real talent for creating the settings.
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 23, 2005, 11:10 PM
Jedipurge -

Thanks for all of the comments/feedback.  I'll try and answer your questions -

For the background stuff, I think that's so important to add into these, so we think alike.  It just adds a sense of realism, which is hard to do with toys!  Also sometimes I add in a digital prop too, like some of the vegetation on the planet.

Those boxes actually game from one of those SAGA accessory sets (the Hoth set I think) and I actually resized a few of them on the screen to add variety.

The Dooku head, I didn't think it was that big of a distraction or I would have changed the pic.  It turned out to be a frustration because the pic I took, his face kept getting washed out by the glare.  So I had to do something, but it didn't turn out too well I guess.  I'm surprised I guess that so many people have commented on it here and at a couple other places too!  Guess though if that many people think so, then I did that pic wrong and it didn't do the story justice.  I was afraid I'd get blasted by my crappy hologram effects actually but that didn't happen.

For the fire scene, yeah I thought it worked out nicely having Rykrof poke around the fire with the stick.  I always do that a lot when I go camping, so I guess he does too.   :)

The small crane is a combination of one of those turrets on Hoth, and a Droideka arm like you said.  I made that about 4 or 5 years ago actually, and just now it shows up in a scene.  Good eye!

Blood on the witch, a little painted, but mostly digital effect.  The next story will be absolutely GORY so no little kids should see it.  Rated PG13 maybe?     :-\


Matt_Fury -

Yeah again, sorry about the Dooku pic.  I screwed that up badly. 

The plot, like you said is what keeps me interested in the story.  It makes myself wonder, how would I handle the situations he is in?  How can I keep the story interesting, but not go overboard with it?  And the main events in Star Wars, how can I tie them into the series without interfering with them? 

Story #16 has officially begun though!  The next two days I should have all the photography taken.  Then I'll need about a week for the effects and changes to the script.  Maybe by Halloween... in fact, that's when I think it should debut.

 :P 
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Mister Skeezler on October 24, 2005, 11:24 AM
AWESOME!!!  :o

Your effects are getting better and better, and the story is becoming more and more epic CHEWIE!

I love that Mon Cal guy. Its great to see customs used in the story, so its not just a story about the figures that Hasbro releases. You've created a very populated universe in your storytelling, and that makes the story so much more interesting.

Keep up the great work!!!
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: jedipurge on October 24, 2005, 03:06 PM
chewie can you post a pic of the witch i know it was somewhere in one of your threads.  i was looking at the poster you made in your customs thread and it looks really killer-pun intended-and if i'm not mistaken it's a fisto body correct?  now as you may know from other comments i've made about her it was love at first sight, she is just a super freak super freaky.  so i hope you go into her backstory somewhere down the line, like why exactly does she have jedi robes did she kill one and stole the clothes, and is it actually a she? anyway super great job like i said customs are a given that they'll be awesome coming from you and your effects and story telling get better and better every time.
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 24, 2005, 03:21 PM
Lando - Thanks buddy.  After all these years of chatting online together since the old yakface days (over 6 years now!) it's always good to still hear from you.  I do try and throw in a lot of original characters like you said; I think it adds a lot to the story. 

Jedipurge - I need to look around and see where I have a good pic of her.  Right now, all I have is this to show -

(http://chewie34.250free.com/E44.jpg)

She is pretty freaky looking, and I don't want to give away what happens in #16, but I think you will learn more about her in the future.  She was never a Jedi though, her clothes are just a simple look that many Jedi and normal citizens wear.  Not that she's "normal" but you know what I mean.   ;)  And yes it's a female, and a nasty one at that. 

I wonder though, how far I can go with showing the sick side of her without crossing any line of what's acceptable and what's not??

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: jedipurge on October 24, 2005, 06:37 PM
i say make a pg version and r version i'd love to see how truly gross she is.  maybe as i don't know like a joke pic or blooper whatever you want to call it,  cut off a finger to a figure and have it like it got stuck between her teeth.  there seems to be an offly big gap there.  just a thought.
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 25, 2005, 05:06 PM
Make two versions?  Hmmm... that would be a lot of extra work, but I see what you're saying.  I will try and make her gross, but nothing over the top.  It will be PG for sure, and maybe borderline R rated.  But that will only be because of the gore, nothing will be "real" and there won't be nudity/cussing or anything like that.  Just some graphic material.  Twisted stuff.

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Famine on October 25, 2005, 06:18 PM
Don't go changing your artistic veiw, just cause it's not the 'norm'.

Or you'll wind up living in A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!! ;)

Kevin
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: ThePerennial on October 30, 2005, 12:27 PM
Famine, you are the king of motivational speaking :p
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on October 30, 2005, 04:01 PM
#16 is done.  Just have to upload it...

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Gregorbian on February 15, 2006, 10:22 PM
Great work yet again!  These stories are consistently engaging and the quality of each picture is amazing. 

I love that Commander Snodd custom, he looks perfect as a Neimoidian Commander.  Very arrogant, yet not as prissy as Nute Gunray. 

The only thing that didn't really work for me were the uniforms on the Correlians.  It might be just because I'm so used to seeing Han in his vest and bloodstriped pants. 

I really enjoy seeing your skills in terms of editing/special effects/photo composition improve with every chapter.  Great job CHEWIE!
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: CHEWIE on February 17, 2006, 11:43 AM
Thanks Greg.  On the uniforms for the Correlians, those weren't really meant to be military uniforms, but rather casual wear.  But they don't really have the Han Solo look either.

Snodd is a character that I like and he'll return in the series eventually.

And thanks on the comments on they seem to be improving technically; seems like on each one I learn something new.  Still a long ways to go though.

 :P
Title: Re: RE#15 - Edge of Death
Post by: Deanna Rash on November 26, 2006, 04:27 PM
 ;DBest one yet!But I got a lot to look at!Great job!Ilove the effects too!