The new video can be found here (no HD this time): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dUlSU0WvRI
New Sword Fighting blog entry can be found here:
http://www.myspace.com/ruben_films
New pics of the sword training can be found here:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=453082856&albumId=63068
Hey everyone, I finally finished up the pet project I've been working on for a while now. It's a live action Drizzt short that is up on YouTube surrounding the events from Streams of Silver (and somewhat The Halfling's Gem). Because of logistical limitations (locations, scheduling, special effects) not all of the events fit the books exactly. We did everything we could to at least keep it true to the spirit of the originals. Hope you enjoy!
Be sure to click "Watch in HD" below the video to see the high quality version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsO9qMdzsgM
EDIT:
I forgot to include a link to our production blog. If the video interests you, then be sure to check it out. The plan is to update the blog once a week.
http://www.myspace.com/ruben_films
But you know that was pretty darn good for being just a "project".
You need to get into directing
I really loved it.....any plans of making a DVD of it?
I think you guys have taken D&D to a real role-playing game....man wish I could play!
is there any more content coming out soon?
please keep me posted.
Are those the actual official replica blades, or are they customs, or just whatever happened to be at hand? Nice choreography work, regardless, although it would have been nice to see him actually beating the 'unbeatable' move. Costume work is awe-inspiring. And was there any sort of color grading done on Drizzt's eyes, or are those just really vibrant contacts?
Have to say, though... Bruenor's accent. Not even remotely how it's written. Also exceptionally hard to understand, and this is coming from someone who does accents for a living.
The swordfights are astounding. I've seen too many big-budget movies not even come close to the sweetness of those. You sir, have something that finally got me to quit lurking and actually post.
... and of course the opening scene with Drizzt and his panther emerging from the snow.
A spectacular piece of work, I have to say. Although those in-between-titles like "forbidden love" really stress how terribly emo Drizzt ist :P
Are those the actual official replica blades, or are they customs, or just whatever happened to be at hand?
Drizzt blades were the official replicas for the shots without combat. For the combat scenes we made custom duplicates from aircraft aluminum so no one would get killed :P
And was there any sort of color grading done on Drizzt's eyes, or are those just really vibrant contacts?
Most of it was just contacts, but the subtle glow that shows up in a couple scenes was done in post.
AMAZING!!!!
I really loved it.....any plans of making a DVD of it?
I think you guys have taken D&D to a real role-playing game....man wish I could play!
is there any more content coming out soon?
please keep me posted.
No DVDs. We can't make money off this so it will have to stay on YouTube.
And yes, more content will be coming soon. We have a few short scenes that we shot, but not sure how many of those we will release. Expect weekly updates.
Color me pleasantly surprised. Nice work.
No kidding. I was kinda expecting Star Wars Kid. :D
Where'd you get a panther?
srsly. Answer this one.
Very well done indeed. Keep it up.
That said, your girl is really unattractive. Like Helen Hunt got hit in the face a couple times. Your barbarian looks like a joke. He's an attractive guy, I guess, if I could judge such a thing, but he's...tiny, not to mention his acting (though I'd hesitate to call it that). The dwarf's beard is ridiculous, and his axe towards the end there looks really bad. Oh, and the scene of forbidden love when the chick and Drizzt vaguely look at each other for a second before turning away...that had to be intentionally comical.
However, for something without a Hollywood budget or casting directors or anything like that, its really well done. The backgrounds look nice, you got the panther to look real (so real people have not even considered it wasn't), the drow makeup was actually good and I was expecting to laugh at that. The fight choreography was surprisingly good (but you should cut down on the clangy sliding sound effect). Especially the barbarian fight. If you can get a big guy in that role, it'd look really cool with the materializing hammer and stuff.
Honestly, this looks even more well done than Pink 5 (which is awesome), but you're not doing a comedy, so you can't get away with campy stuff as easily (like that beard, or a small barbarian).
I never read anything about Drizzt beyond the fact that he was a twf ranger, so I had no idea what was going on.
That said, your girl is really unattractive. Like Helen Hunt got hit in the face a couple times. Your barbarian looks like a joke. He's an attractive guy, I guess, if I could judge such a thing, but he's...tiny, not to mention his acting (though I'd hesitate to call it that). The dwarf's beard is ridiculous, and his axe towards the end there looks really bad. Oh, and the scene of forbidden love when the chick and Drizzt vaguely look at each other for a second before turning away...that had to be intentionally comical.
However, for something without a Hollywood budget or casting directors or anything like that, its really well done. The backgrounds look nice, you got the panther to look real (so real people have not even considered it wasn't), the drow makeup was actually good and I was expecting to laugh at that. The fight choreography was surprisingly good (but you should cut down on the clangy sliding sound effect). Especially the barbarian fight. If you can get a big guy in that role, it'd look really cool with the materializing hammer and stuff.
Honestly, this looks even more well done than Pink 5 (which is awesome), but you're not doing a comedy, so you can't get away with campy stuff as easily (like that beard, or a small barbarian).
Ignore all of this guy's criticisms, particularly regarding that poor girl who is very pretty (as if pretty is all that matters anyway). And praise to the makeup artist. Impressive sword fighting too. Your barbarian is gorgeous but does need to work on his angry, a little though.
Jaw dropping work. You should all be very proud.
That said, your girl is really unattractive. Like Helen Hunt got hit in the face a couple times.
I thought she looked good.
There is some cheesiness to the whole thing, but most of it looked really well done. I particularly liked the open scene with the panther. Nice sword fighting too.
More importantly, however... WHERE DID YOU GET A PANTHER?!
The acting is where it falls apart I'm sorry to say, and the acting is rather key in a film. Go figure. ;) Overall I was reminded of my friends' last production of To Catch a Mouse, and believe me, that's not a good thing. ;) Everyone needs work. Not much else to say there. Wulfgar does need recasting, and not just because of how he delivers his lines.
The character is meant to be a mass of muscle and despite the actors’ decent appearance, he's no Wulfgar. Even if his acting were up to par, he simply does not fit the part from a physical perspective unfortunately. That said, we must come 'round full-circle to the point that this is a low-budget piece and face up the fact that finding well-acting body builders probably isn't easy when you've got money, never mind when you don't. Heh.
Bruenor is my only other target for criticism. The beard was too much, even for a dwarf. Tone even just that one thing down a bit and the difference would be dramatic. At the moment I'm sorry to say it borders on comical, which is clearly not the intent. The same goes for his axe in the one scene it's in. There is such a thing as too big, and that axe is it.
All of my pokings aside, the film was good all things considered. Kudos to you for your work and to everyone else who worked on the project. It's not perfect, but the heart-felt effort is there and that is beyond commendable.
Now to digress because I can't help it... despite what better judgement is telling me...
That said, your girl is really unattractive. Like Helen Hunt got hit in the face a couple times.
That's rude, uncalled for, and a terrible way to begin a critique. Some of what you said in the rest of your post actually had merit, but because you have the tact of a rock going through a window, you're hardly worth considering. Well done sir.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boy and Girls! I introduce you to the eight wonder of the world! The man, and that's using the term roughly who will never ever ever get any person, male or female to sleep with him. Watch and be amazed as he *****es about his poor lot in life and shoves malice into even the most happy of statement!
Equally uncalled for. mplindustries might lack eloquence and tact, but some of his comments actually held merit if you could sift through the s**t. You seem little better though, given that rather than make any attempt at a productive post you thought it'd be better to attack the guy on a personal level. Well done to you too.
Look folks, if you like the film then say you like it. If you have criticisms then state them. Do the latter with some tact and intelligence though, because whatever you may think of the short, there was real time & effort put into it, and no one who makes that effort deserves to be dumped on by rude people.
~Bizkit
Hope there will be more of this.
It's even better than the other two professional D&D movies.
I hope that your project won't be the next victim of a cease and desist letter from WotC
but you're not doing a comedy, so you can't get away with campy stuff as easily.
You know, some could argue that it's already based in campiness just by being about Drizzt....
srsly. Answer this one.
Okay, I'll bite.
Guenhwyvar is 600lbs, but real panthers are like 90-130lbs with a very... floppy way of moving. A real black panther would have been highly disappointing.
Instead we rotoscoped some stock footage of female lions, color corrected them to make them black. Even then it still looked like a black lion, so we took photos of panther eyes and noses from various angles and tracked them onto the lion's face.
The end result was a 600lb panther that fits the paintings of Guenhwyvar fairly well
The movie itself was good. The fight scenes were well choreographed, the visual effects were well done, and, for the most part, the acting was at least on the level of most Sci-Fi Original movies. Yeah, the beard was a bit much, and the subtitles (Forbidden Love) were also a bit much, but overall, it was well worth the time spent to watch it. If you had professional actors and a Hollywood budget to work with, I have no doubt you could turn out the next "Lord of the Rings" caliber blockbuster. For whatever reason, people love Drizzt, and they would flock to theaters to see him. Keep up the good work like this, and who knows? Hollywood might come knocking.
PROS:
-There were moments, like the drizzt/entreri swordfight, which made me remember the books, and I thank you for that. The swordfighting was great overall.
-The backdrops and the panther were awesome. Very convincing icy terrain etc. for a non-professional movie.
-Regis' acting was very good, as was Cattie-brie, Drizzt was mostly good.
-The actors took it seriously which is hard to find, and lends the film realness
-Outfits were mostly great
-hammer fighting was awesome as was sfx in general, considering there was no big budget
-Entreri's whole demeanour was very good, cunning/intense.
-managed to capture the feel of the intense moments mostly. you obviously have respect and knowledge of the series
-kudos to the actor who played the racist human, was he playing Roddy McGristle? He looked the part and played his short part well.
However here are my criticisms:
-the guy who plays Wulfgar does not suit the part, no offense to him. Its just his hairstyle, build, clothes, voice do not strike me as having wulfgar's robustness or complexity. He seems too teenagerish. Even when Wulfgar was young, I imagined him being bigger and more robust, as well as more intense and deep-voiced. The outfit Wulfgar is wearing at first looks a bit silly, it is a fur underpants thing. Perhaps a more complete fur outfit, with some chest pieces, belts, etc. I think you need someone who is naturally big and imposing, not just muscled.
-The fake beard on Bruenor looks strange.
- the last swordfight at the end between D and E was a little strange-looking., like they were standing still. In the books they dodge, jump etc. Once again I understand it would have been hard/dangerous to attempt to film that without a big budget.
-The actor who played Drizzt did well most of the time, and had similarities in appearance. But there were moments when he played up the whole anguished emotional thing too much, some moments of more subtle internal reflection would have been good; as well as less physical posing. In combat, Drizzt is not always brooding, he can be tactical and sharp-witted. He can also be witty and acerbic/dry in conversation, some more clips of Drizzt in moderate moods would have been nice. I am aware that during the Streams of Silver stage Drizzt had recently arrived on the surface and had major stresses and problems, but still…
Also, the actor's face is more feisty looking than I imagined Drizzt, and his nose is a bit larger. Again no offense. Also perhaps the face paint could be refined more.
Okay, I'll bite.
Guenhwyvar is 600lbs, but real panthers are like 90-130lbs with a very... floppy way of moving. A real black panther would have been highly disappointing.
Instead we rotoscoped some stock footage of female lions, color corrected them to make them black. Even then it still looked like a black lion, so we took photos of panther eyes and noses from various angles and tracked them onto the lion's face.
The end result was a 600lb panther that fits the paintings of Guenhwyvar fairly well
You know, I was waiting for the manliest answer ever of: "Oh him, I own him..."
We can all dream...
I thought Drizzt, Regis, and Entreri were fantastic. Cattie-Brie had no lines, the poor girl, and I can't decide if I liked the Pam Beasley (from the Office) vibe I got from her but that's not enough to critique her on. Bruenor was a little much. Too much beard, too much indecipherable accent (I think he slipped into Jamaican in one scene), and the axe was the only piece of editing that really jumped out as looking really fake. Wulfgar was a bit smaller and younger than I recall him being for this book, but it's pretty hard to find a 7 ft body builder when you don't have a large budget.
Yeah, it was a little campy in spots, but so is the source material. You could tell this was a labour of love and about as faithful a recreation as you could make. Well done! I am going to have to watch the rest of your videos as well now.
P.S- The panther was made even more awesome now that I know how much work went into it.
P.P.S- I just realized I watched the drizzt retrospective videos a while ago. I liked them too.
Also, the actor's face is more feisty looking than I imagined Drizzt, and his nose is a bit larger.
This is my favourite criticism ever.
In relation to the two D&D movies, it easily surpasses the first one (not hard to do) and ties with the second one (which had slightly better CGI, but the same quality in acting).
The fight scenes are coreographed well, the Wulfgar guy hasn't the body to go bare-chested (Wulfgar shouldn't do that at all. It's cold up there.).
And I didn't know Drow had glossy skin. But that might be the character sweating out his tackiness...
Okay, I'll bite.
Guenhwyvar is 600lbs, but real panthers are like 90-130lbs with a very... floppy way of moving. A real black panther would have been highly disappointing.
Instead we rotoscoped some stock footage of female lions, color corrected them to make them black. Even then it still looked like a black lion, so we took photos of panther eyes and noses from various angles and tracked them onto the lion's face.
The end result was a 600lb panther that fits the paintings of Guenhwyvar fairly well
Ha! I knew that was too large for an actual panther, but I had no idea what you did. This is brilliant and the panther did indeed look better than a real one would have. I'm very impressed.
Gwenhwyvar = Perfectly done, could clean up the look tiny bit though.
Drizzt = Actor did his part quite well, needs to be less glossy looking though.
Wulfgar = Actor could pass as Teen Wulfgar, but definitely need a bulkier actor for the rest.
Regis = Always loved that fat little halfling.
Breunor = Great acting, needs less beard(maybe a tighter braided beard) and the axe needs to look less sharp, it's a notched axe, and when I read through the books(almost all of them) it was always a notched axe(ie One notch for each enemy breunor has killed). Still Whatever CGI you're able to do looks awesome.
Cattie-brie = I hate to admit it but while she is unattractive to me, not saying that she's unattractive to others, the actress actually fits the tomboyish feminine fighter look of the character in the books.
Artemis Entreri = No complaints about him, best performance goes to him right now.
Scenery = I don't know what to say, the search for mithril hall was covered very well, I wonder if there are going to be scenes with other drow - you now those fights within mithril hall for the dwarves to take back the hall from the drow.
Nice job; considering its non-profit I'd say this is just about perfect. Looks quite professional.
No it doesn't. It's not even close to looking professional. But I don't think they where going for that considering all the limitations they faced. It's fun, and that's about it.
-I'll give them credit, that's a million times better than anything I'd ever be able to "produce", but still...
Although he is cute, Wulfgar needs a few pounds more of muscle on him, and certainly a different hairstyle. And maybe a traditional Viking hat - though I don't mean the Hollywood kind with horns.
But other than that, I'd give it 4 beholders for effort and style. :D
Other than that. Too bad there hadn't been a budget. It would have been neat to see a well done D&D movie for once.
It would be alot easier to get new people to play D&D if the movies weren't so terribad.
That said, she's lovely and that some people need to try and establish some sort of pretend status for themselves by saying they're not interested in a girl (who probably isn't interested in them either), doesn't stop everyone else thinking 'oh' when she appears. ;)
Now can we move on? This is a great piece of work on everyone's part!
Where'd you get a panther?
More importantly, however... WHERE DID YOU GET A PANTHER?!
I don't know about him, but I get mine from Alshain Weapons.
WHERE DID YOU GET THE PANTHER AND HOW DID YOU KEEP IT FROM EATING YOU?!
EDIT: nevermind.
Yeah, the beard was a bit much
Yes, the beard was not what we would have hoped for. Every decent beard we could find cost hundreds of dollars, so in the end we had to go with a $8 beard from a children's costume.
It needed to be severely chopped down, but it was so flimsy that we were afraid it would fall apart. In the end, we just had to be satisfied that it didn't look like one of those plastic 'Merlin' beards. (and it still basically fell apart after a few hours)
Okay, that's two now, and I find that just strange. I really don't get the criticisms of Cattie-brie. To begin with, it's entirely juvenile and uncalled-for, but even beyond that, that girl is quite hot. I guess there's just no accounting for taste, but seriously people, that's one area where if you're not going to say something nice, don't say it. "She doesn't look like Cattie-brie" is fair. "She's wearing odd makeup / outfits" is fair. "Her facial expressions are wonky" is fair. (note: I don't believe any of those, just offering examples of what would be reasonable criticisms) "She's not my type" or worse is irrelevant and demeaning.
I don't know if this was a comment directed at my post or to earlier posts. All I was saying is that while I don't find her attractive, I DID find that she fit the part better than say Angelina Jolie would.
I wouldn't say my comment was in any way irrelevant or demeaning. This is mostly because I would have said the complete opposite if a more attractive woman was in that actresses place.
It was pretty funny though.
Still, they get an 'A' for effort - it was pretty slick.
I figured we could all use a little creativity around here for a change.
If we were talking about a girl doing underwear or makeup modeling, it might be relevant, but here, it's just a pointless (and sexist) slap in the face sort of comment.
Don’t take offense at the following post, as the movie was better than anything I or most people could do.ShowThis movie was very good considering it was done without a budget, by non-professionals working in their spare time. I appreciate the massive effort put in. I enjoyed watching it. A lot of my complaints may be about things that were impossible to achieve for people without a big budget, but as a fellow Drizzt fan I think I owe you an honest appraisal.
PROS:
-There were moments, like the drizzt/entreri swordfight, which made me remember the books, and I thank you for that. The swordfighting was great overall.
-The backdrops and the panther were awesome. Very convincing icy terrain etc. for a non-professional movie.
-Regis' acting was very good, as was Cattie-brie, Drizzt was mostly good.
-The actors took it seriously which is hard to find, and lends the film realness
-Outfits were mostly great
-hammer fighting was awesome as was sfx in general, considering there was no big budget
-Entreri's whole demeanour was very good, cunning/intense.
-managed to capture the feel of the intense moments mostly. you obviously have respect and knowledge of the series
-kudos to the actor who played the racist human, was he playing Roddy McGristle? He looked the part and played his short part well.
However here are my criticisms:
-the guy who plays Wulfgar does not suit the part, no offense to him. Its just his hairstyle, build, clothes, voice do not strike me as having wulfgar's robustness or complexity. He seems too teenagerish. Even when Wulfgar was young, I imagined him being bigger and more robust, as well as more intense and deep-voiced. The outfit Wulfgar is wearing at first looks a bit silly, it is a fur underpants thing. Perhaps a more complete fur outfit, with some chest pieces, belts, etc. I think you need someone who is naturally big and imposing, not just muscled.
-The fake beard on Bruenor looks strange.
- the last swordfight at the end between D and E was a little strange-looking., like they were standing still. In the books they dodge, jump etc. Once again I understand it would have been hard/dangerous to attempt to film that without a big budget.
-The actor who played Drizzt did well most of the time, and had similarities in appearance. But there were moments when he played up the whole anguished emotional thing too much, some moments of more subtle internal reflection would have been good; as well as less physical posing. In combat, Drizzt is not always brooding, he can be tactical and sharp-witted. He can also be witty and acerbic/dry in conversation, some more clips of Drizzt in moderate moods would have been nice. I am aware that during the Streams of Silver stage Drizzt had recently arrived on the surface and had major stresses and problems, but still…
Also, the actor's face is more feisty looking than I imagined Drizzt, and his nose is a bit larger. Again no offense. Also perhaps the face paint could be refined more.
It was directed to your post and what came before you. Your comment was completely irrelevant and very demeaning. You "hate to admit" that the actress fit the part of Cattie-brie because "she is unattractive to [you]". Her attractiveness to you isn't even in question here, unless you feel that the primary obligation of an actress is to look attractive to you. If you don't, then you didn't need to say it at all; you risked offending the girl in question and the OP by making such a statement.
If we were talking about a girl doing underwear or makeup modeling, it might be relevant, but here, it's just a pointless (and sexist) slap in the face sort of comment.
No, what I hated to admit was that I didn't find her attractive. The rest of the statement had nothing to do with what I was hating to admit. I have yet to find a girl who is offended by me saying that she isn't attractive to me. If YOU found my comment demeaning or offensive in any way, then please ignore my presence.
Regardless of relevancy it is still something I look for in any actor or actress. They do have to have an onscreen presence, what I call attraction.
Just to settle this, I will ask the OP directly> Did I offend you or the actress playing Cattie-brie in any way with my comment?
Regardless, I'm going to drop it. It's not worth taking this good thread on a tangent to call out sexist commentary.
Yeah, I do realize that. All in all, it looks pretty good. It looks low budget/no budget, and it's still entertaining and kinda cool. I like how Wulfgar flung his hammer and clobbered that one guy with it and was smacking the others around. :D Now I want a magic warhammer!
Yeah, that part was kinda cool.
It was directed to your post and what came before you...Her attractiveness to you isn't even in question here, unless you feel that the primary obligation of an actress is to look attractive to you. If you don't, then you didn't need to say it at all; you risked offending the girl in question and the OP by making such a statement.
If we were talking about a girl doing underwear or makeup modeling, it might be relevant, but here, it's just a pointless (and sexist) slap in the face sort of comment.
First, I don't care if someone I think is unattractive knows it. If they are offended, then they should get some self-confidence, which they obviously already have some of if they appeared in a movie to begin with.
Obviously, any one opinion is irrelevant, but if the majority find here unattractive, it will hurt the movie. She is the love interest. If you cannot empathize with the main character's attraction to her, she will not be an effective love interest.
For the record, as an example I don't find Angelina Jolie attractive either, but I can at least sort of understand her appeal, and can suspend my disbelief enough to understand her as the love interest. Lots of unattractive people get married every day, but not in movies.
That said, I did actually praise this project for what it was, despite getting painted as a bad guy for having different taste (hey, I even admitted that the barbarian was probably an attractive guy). It had a low budget, and they did amazing stuff with it. Technically, I think it was really solid except for the dwarf's axe at the end. Even the costuming was mostly great except for the beard that they openly admit was bad. They can't really help the casting at this point, I'm sure, but in the future, maybe they can afford to do better. Criticism is not bad, you know. Criticism is required to reach perfection.
personally, I think she HAWT. :inlove: even if I didn't think that, though, it wouldn't matter one way or another.
Yes it would, because it would be harder to understand why Drizzt thought she was HAWT. Everyone is shallow, its ok. Don't let people convince you that you're a bad person for judging potential wives/husbands by appearance. Appearance gives thousands of subtle clues to someone's personality and interests, and even you don't know it, you're reading them subconsciously when you decide if someone is attractive or not.
Everyone knows Elves and similar Fey creatures are the asians of D&D
Not only she is beautiful, she also looks exatly as I would expect Cattie-brie to look like, it's a perfect match for Salvatore's descriptions of her appearance. I just missed a bit of the "dwarven-raised" element that should have been expressed in some way I still can't figure out. Maybe rougher body and facial expressions... I don't know...
Guen was nicely pulled off, but other than that the visuals are passable. I don't mean that in a bad way, especially for fan work, but I can't really afford to be more generous about it either considering the quality of some effects-heavy fanfilms. Everyone's a critic, but I would personally have used CGI touch-ups to better blend in Drizzt's makeup, than on a glow effect that to me only made the suspension of disbelief harder. I also wasn't fond of Bruenor's axe at all, it was a needless use of a CGI instead of an actual prop if I've ever seen one (and if it wasn't a visual effect I'd better get my eyes checked...)
Other than that, my biggest gripe is how everything looks straight out of laundry, especially obvious with Wulfgar. I don't actually mind him being that young, he was a teenager in the early books after all, but a little tint and dirt on him would've done wonders to give him more "street cred" as a barbarian.
Also concerning the actor choices for the roles, I'll presume you went with what you could get... which again is not meant in a bad way, just acknowledging the realities of a fan film. And if you the filmmakers simply had different expectations from a given character's look than me, well, I can respect that too.
Credit where it's due for the effort at any rate.
That said, this was pretty awesome. Far and away the best fan movie I've seen. Yeah, there were a few things that were a bit...off to me, though I can't think of a movie I can't say that about.
And the work on the panther really, really shows. That was just awesome.
Other than that, my biggest gripe is how everything looks straight out of laundry, especially obvious with Wulfgar.
Good call! That's one of those little details that makes a big difference!
Impressed by most of the characters gear.
The big cat is awsome.
Cattie-Brie and that assassin bloke looked like I think they should.
The drow-hating bloke had just the right level of acting for someone of his part (convincing, but doesn't take focus away from main characters).
Fights were good (I would have been seriously impressed if I didn't know so many people who can do that sort of stuff).
A few of the other characters (Wulfgar in particular) didn't seem quite up to the standard of others, but on something done by non-pros for fun, that's to be expected.
:: Drizzt looks at Cattie-Brie ::
:: Catie-Brie looks at Drizzt ::
Other than that, my biggest gripe is how everything looks straight out of laundry, especially obvious with Wulfgar.
I'm all for (and even highly encourage) critiques, but this one in particular baffles me. I can only assume that you didn't watch the HD version. The costumes were covered in mud and grass. Half the time they were drenched in sweat and they were full of holes and very thread bare. We even painted in lots of extra grime.
Wulfgar's wig was certainly too clean and pretty, so I can understand that. And the burlap on his costume was hard to keep dirty, but the firs were absolutely filthy (I'm talking really really dirty).
Catti-brie was a bit cleaner than the others (because she's the girl), but everyone else was dirty to the max. Some of the actors didn't want to put the costumes on because they were so fouled up. Bruenor's costume in particular was litterally stomped into the mud just before filming.
-Forbidden love...
:: Drizzt looks at Cattie-Brie ::
:: Catie-Brie looks at Drizzt ::
:heehee
In general, wow! I was super impressed. For amateur stuff that was crazy! The costumes and editing were pretty sophisticated, I thought.
-Forbidden love...
:: Drizzt looks at Cattie-Brie ::
:: Catie-Brie looks at Drizzt ::
Ugh. Yeah, that part really didn't do anything positive for me. It seemed.....bleh. Overdone? I really can't describe how I felt about that part, but I didn't like it. But the part where everyone was kicking ass was cool. I also like how they did Regis. Bruenor was kinda hit and miss for me.
I do agree that Wulfgar isn't perfectly cast, but I can't imagine how you could possibly do much better on a low budget. Outside of the WWE, it's hard to find people with Wulfgar's build.
What really killed the realism of it for me was the hideous low-quality armour on Bruenor. Is that plastic? Do you need help finding good armour? A dwarf in Bruenor's social position should have really nice armour. I'd be happy to help you find something better if you intend to continue this...
I can only assume that you didn't watch the HD version. The costumes were covered in mud and grass. Half the time they were drenched in sweat and they were full of holes and very thread bare. We even painted in lots of extra grime.
Huh. I did watch the HD version and afterwards recalled exactly one scene where anyone was dirty, namely the close-up on a guy with black mud on his face which left an impression because it was in such contrast to everything else. (Not sure if the guy was Enteri or the nameless drow-hater, I didn't notice they were two different people until at the end.)
I only posted my opinions on the first impression though so no doubt I did miss stuff. I'll be sure to take a closer look now that I know what to look for.
I only posted my opinions on the first impression though so no doubt I did miss stuff. I'll be sure to take a closer look now that I know what to look for.
If that's the impression you had, then that's the imprssion you had
Drizzt and Artemis probably had the dirtiest costumes of all. There were even discoulored black in places because they were so filthy.
So Traycor, how long did it take for Drizzt and Entreri to get the fight scenes right? Are you gonna put up any bloopers that show how they screwed up royally? I always love that kind of stuff.
No one involved in the production had ever even picked up a sword before, so it took a few months of training to learn stances, sword use, and of course learning to use both blades at the same time.
I forgot to include a link to our production blog. An upcoming blog entry will describe the sword training in detail. The plan is to update the blog once a week.
http://www.myspace.com/ruben_films
That was the lamest CENSORED CENSORED I ever CENSORED seen with a chicken CENSORED pot pie butt-CENSORED CENSORED!! And you expect me to swallow that CENSORED with a CENSORED and a CENSORED??!!
CENSORED! CENSORED! CENSORED!
CENSORED
Ok, Dookie, have your whiskey. Ok? Myrtyl told me to give it to you so you can take your nap without making a fuss.
And i prefer to think the "Forbidden Love" subtitled awkward moment was a piece of comedic genius. It stitched me up well and truly.
Reminded me a little of the awkward d&d moments where my group of 13 year old mates in high school would try to act out some kind of romantic story line.
Once again...fantastic stuff.
I love seeing stuff like this because it makes me wonder what these people could do if they were given an actual budget.
Jager? You're kidding, right?
Until my two wenches come back with my booze?
so when does this open?
When I lift the lid next time, dummy!
I'm all for (and even highly encourage) critiques, but this one in particular baffles me. I can only assume that you didn't watch the HD version. The costumes were covered in mud and grass.
Weird.
Having watched it again, I think I'm getting that impression because of Drizzt's white shoulder hide pieces. Again, I haven't read the book, so I can't vouch for his condition at that time, but I can only assume he would be fairly travel-worn. It's really the big white patches that the cleanliness stands out.
Also, I think the video may be slightly too bright, and the white is overpowering the dirt in those areas. :/
Anyway, minor, minor detail!
I'd say Cat was cast very well, very similiar to how I picture her. The Halfling and Assassin worked well too. The dwarf looked a little off with the beard. Wulfgar wasn't too pretty, but I've always pictured a stubble and dirtier/ragged hair. He was certainly ripped, but he looked way too small. Drizzt was good except for his makeup making his face look shiny.
I'd agree that the brightness/lighting or something was off..because everything did look too clean.
I haven't read any of the books but i am aware of them and vaguely-ish what they are about, but when that darabrian guy started kicking-ass with his magic hammer, that was pretty sweet!!
Yeah that hammer scene dropped together like a gem. Either editting technigues and software has come a long way or the lad making it is particularly gifted. I suspect its a bit of both.
I'm all for bashing WotC, but lets not go and blame them for stuff they had no control over, hmmm?
Reminds me of all the piss-poor Marvel movies that used to get made, when the DC ones rocked. Now, we have quite the opposite going on, so there is still some hope for FR/D&D to get 'good' again...
At least... in a movie...
Yeah that hammer scene dropped together like a gem. Either editting technigues and software has come a long way or the lad making it is particularly gifted. I suspect its a bit of both.
Thanks! Lots of different people put work into making that scene fall together. The guys did great on the stunts, the camera turned out fantastic, and the effects came together even when we found out we wouldn't be able to have a CGI hammer.
No one involved in the production had ever even picked up a sword before, so it took a few months of training to learn stances, sword use, and of course learning to use both blades at the same time.
As a martial artist, and someone with a lot of experience with weapons, that is impressive. I found the fight scenes to really be several steps above what you usually see in fan videos. Well done, really.
It looks like they had a better budget than the D&D movies actually made by Wizards.
That sure is the truth.........Wulfgar looks like a 12 year kid on steroids :P
They did good with the armor & weapons.
but....I still despise Drizzt. He is the Wolverine of the Realms.....
Are you CENSORED kidding me?!
That was the lamest CENSORED CENSORED I ever CENSORED seen with a chicken CENSORED pot pie butt-CENSORED CENSORED!! And you expect me to swallow that CENSORED with a CENSORED and a CENSORED??!!
CENSORED! CENSORED! CENSORED!
CENSORED
But you liked it, right? :D I can tell.
Okay, that's two now, and I find that just strange. I really don't get the criticisms of Cattie-brie. To begin with, it's entirely juvenile and uncalled-for, but even beyond that, that girl is quite hot. I guess there's just no accounting for taste, but seriously people, that's one area where if you're not going to say something nice, don't say it. "She doesn't look like Cattie-brie" is fair. "She's wearing odd makeup / outfits" is fair. "Her facial expressions are wonky" is fair. (note: I don't believe any of those, just offering examples of what would be reasonable criticisms) "She's not my type" or worse is irrelevant and demeaning.
I totally agree with you on this.
Aside from that, I had a lot of fun watching this little movie--thanks for sharing it with us.
I can tell actor who played Drizzt really threw himself into the role, to good effect.But you liked it, right? :D I can tell.
CENSORED you, you testicle CENSORED turtleneck shoplifter!!
You know damn well I thought is was CENSORED on a CENSORED rodent CENSORED with a hint of ten shades of ass!!
Retarded!!
CENSORED Retarded!
---
On a lighter note...
... how can any of you watch this and not want to CENSORED puke up CENSORED and surf on it like CENSORED CENSORED??!!
CENSORED!!
(sigh)
...
Alright, man. First thing, yes--technically, you did a fabulous job. Marveled the hell out of me so much that I thought Wizards had gone monkey drunk on us.
Second--what the CENSORED is wrong with you? Get a casting director!!
Regis? That guy looks like the middle aged banker I met with last week that was worried about his fraudulent taxes.
Breunor? I gave him a dollar the other day when he puked on my shoe and said he needed money for food.
Catabrie? She looks like a desperate housewife. And, no, she isn't part of the cast!!
Artemis? Yeah, that guy is CENSORED tone--just rip wire with muscles. How long could he actually swing those swords during filming?
Wulfgar? By Bejebuz'z CENSORED!! The largest hero in the books was the wee-man in the trailer! I could kick him in the shin with my ultra under powerful legs and have his ass whipping through the air like Neo in the Matrix.
And Drizzt?
Well, if he wasn't so sexy....
---
Again. Masterful with the technical aspects, but for the sake of Bejebuz!!
Get a casting director!!
Might I mention that I am available for that pile of dookie Gweh leaves behind in that second part. I am highly competent at playing such a part.:D
I love Drizzt
Uh-huh.
Two threads on the same topic. MT you tricky b@$t@rd!
Edit: I see that they are combined now.
I somehow missed it - we seem to have some 'heavy traffic' of late, and perhaps it had gotten pushed to page two at the same time I was looking for an existing thread.
Either way, this is some good stuff, and deserves double-recognition. :D
Might I mention that I am available for that pile of dookie Gweh leaves behind in that second part. I am highly competent at playing such a part.:D
I volunteer as well... and I have 'professional' experience.
Well... in as much as an 'A' in Drama Class counts as 'pay'...
Anyway... I do a mean 'Mad Russian'. :D
Maybe you can use me as an Ogre? I wouldn't need much makeup...
Hey everyone, I finally finished up the pet project I've been working on for a while now. It's a live action Drizzt short that is up on YouTube surrounding the events from Streams of Silver (and somewhat The Halfling's Gem). Because of logistical limitations (locations, scheduling, special effects) not all of the events fit the books exactly. We did everything we could to at least keep it true to the spirit of the originals. Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely loved it! :D
And I'd love to see more. I think I agree with others who weren't too sure about Wulfgar, but after watching in HD something occurred to me. It wasn't so much the actor as it was his wig (too pretty, I'm thinking) and his lack of a shirt in a cold clime. And although my impression was that he should be a bit burlier also, the eye was playing tricks here: the hammer was -very- large, and that contrasted against his wig and his mesomorph-type frame to make him seem teen-ish. Remove the hammer and push back the hair, as in the still frame for that actor in the credits, and he looks burlier. He also looked better when he was on the ship with Drizzt and had all his furs on. Anyway, just a thought... sometimes it's not so much the actor as the props and camera angle.
Everything else was terrific. I liked CattieBrie, but I thought she needed a line. Drizzt was an excellent choice, as was Entreri. Bruenor's beard did have a little costumy feel to it, but it wasn't terrible. Regis was cute.
And I'm interested in seeing the part with the riders of Nesme. :D
It was a very pleasant suprise. Something that I didn't truly appreciate until the second time I saw it was how the camera was handled. It was held strait, no shakiness, and obviously done by someone with some experience.
There were a few key problems, small, but easily fixable. Do not take any of these as an insult-I see that you have great talent in directing, so I just thought I'd give some tips.
--We'll start with Drizzt. May I first say that Guenywvar looks incredibly real, great job on that. Drizzt's makeup is great, except that the lips need work. They seem to pink and human like. Maybe make them purple or something. The wig, no offense, but it doesn't look real at all. For one thing it seems to poof out to much. Maybe get one slightly smaller. It is also much to white. Maybe get one slightly grayer, or my suggestion, just dirty up the white one with something that will make it look more real.
--Backrounds. Very good. Don't really have anything to say about them, except that they are well planned and precise.
--Entreri. Also very good, he is a talented actor and captures Entereri's role very well. Of course, a little more practice and a more serious mood is good for everybody and will help him hone those natural skills.
--Regis. I have to say, I hated this take on Regis completely. Use a different person. A slightly shorter, skinny person. Most of the newest art for Regis shows him as skinny and agile anyway.
--Bruneor. Take a lot of the beard and he'll be pretty good.
--Catti-brie. Very good, hot, but has to work on her acting. The "Forbidden Love," scene kind of threw off the movie.
--Wulfgar. I did not like the person playing as him. Somebody taller and more buff, with much more muscle on him. Dirty up aegis fang, so the weapon looks more real. Make Wulfgar look more dirty.
Otherwise, I loved it. Keep up the work, I hope you get more content out, because your a natural director.
Regis. I have to say, I hated this take on Regis completely. Use a different person. A slightly shorter, skinny person. Most of the newest art for Regis shows him as skinny and agile anyway.
My first thought on seeing him was "What's Mirt doing in a Drizzt story?" ...however, even if I prefer the slimmer halflings, the guy looks great in that costume and I think he really adds a period piece feel to the whole thing.
Thank you to those who have left amazing comments and constructive criticism about this production. It was an amazing experience! The whole crew did a wonderful job and worked very hard.
I would like to thank those who came to my defense when it came to my appearence. I do not take offense to those who do not find me attractive but please voice your opinion in a mature manner. My feelings are not hurt and I just wanted to let ya'll know that!
Just wanted to be able to tell all of you myself.
Thank you!!!
I even suggested somewhere that I wanted her in tighter pants. :D
I thought she was one of the few that were PERFECTLY cast (although all -aside from Wulfgar - were pretty good).
Tell Wulfy to 'bulk-up' before the real movie and he'll do alright. Maybe he could get in touch with some Baseball players...
Someone found her unattractive?
Yeah, I don't understand that either. Catti-Brie isn't supposed to be Sune, goddess of beauty, but she isn't unattractive either. She's more supposed to be the pretty girl next door. And this actress cast for Catti-Brie was excellent for the role. I'm not a guy, but I thought she was very attractive. Who really knows what guys think, though? I've seen many guys get intimidated by a pretty girl and then lash out for no reason... if they don't feel like they have a chance, some guys can be horribly mean.
I just wish she had some lines to say, rather than holding hands and having a moment of anguish. Hopefully we'll see more of her in future clips.
Someone found her unattractive?
I even suggested somewhere that I wanted her in tighter pants. :D
I thought she was one of the few that were PERFECTLY cast (although all -aside from Wulfgar - were pretty good).
Tell Wulfy to 'bulk-up' before the real movie and he'll do alright. Maybe he could get in touch with some Baseball players...
...and someone please get him a shirt.
--Regis. I have to say, I hated this take on Regis completely. Use a different person. A slightly shorter, skinny person. Most of the newest art for Regis shows him as skinny and agile anyway.
...However, the text of the novels has usually described him as pot-bellied.
...However, the text of the novels has usually described him as pot-bellied.
Definitely! Bruenor even called him "rumblebelly" because he wanted food all the time, like all good halflings.
I can't recall any art of a skinnier Regis as someone else suggested earlier, or any skinny halfling except for a few in 4E. I do recall at one point in the stories where Regis did lose a little weight and it shocked and startled him, though, as if his belly was a source of pride (and he intended on eating as soon as possible, hehe).Definitely! Bruenor even called him "rumblebelly" because he wanted food all the time, like all good halflings.
I can understand wanting Regis to look differently, but his weight is a key story point throughout the books. He's called "Rumblebelly" nearly as often as he's called by his real name.
Alexha Bonner, the girl who played Catti-brie, wanted me to post this for her:
Thank you to those who have left amazing comments and constructive criticism about this production. It was an amazing experience! The whole crew did a wonderful job and worked very hard.
I would like to thank those who came to my defense when it came to my appearence. I do not take offense to those who do not find me attractive but please voice your opinion in a mature manner. My feelings are not hurt and I just wanted to let ya'll know that!
Just wanted to be able to tell all of you myself.
Thank you!!!
Bejebuz beating a puppy—nobody has an issue with her appearance!!!
Yeah, I don't understand that either. Catti-Brie isn't supposed to be Sune, goddess of beauty, but she isn't unattractive either. She's more supposed to be the pretty girl next door. And this actress cast for Catti-Brie was excellent for the role. I'm not a guy, but I thought she was very attractive. Who really knows what guys think, though? I've seen many guys get intimidated by a pretty girl and then lash out for no reason... if they don't feel like they have a chance, some guys can be horribly mean.
I just wish she had some lines to say, rather than holding hands and having a moment of anguish. Hopefully we'll see more of her in future clips.
Bingo!
She has no personality! All I can see from that whole trailer is her “wounded” look in the whole “forbidden” love thing.
Come on!
BTW Therise--DO YOU EXIST?!
BTW Therise--DO YOU EXIST?!
I only come out to play when there are injustices to fight.
Or when I feel saucy. ;)
I can understand wanting Regis to look differently, but his weight is a key story point throughout the books. He's called "Rumblebelly" nearly as often as he's called by his real name.
Though in earlier novels he described as "rotund" as of late(3.5e) he's out and about and involved in a lot more action sequences. Imagine "Sam" from Lotr and that's Regis now.
Artemis? Yeah, that guy is CENSORED tone--just rip wire with muscles. How long could he actually swing those swords during filming?
6 hours or so at a time, temperature in the 90's with costume, leather armor, and a cloak. I'd say he held his own just fine.
I only come out to play when there are injustices to fight.
Or when I feel saucy. ;)
Sweet, sweet, Bejebuz. I love when you get saucy.
Though in earlier novels he described as "rotund" as of late(3.5e) he's out and about and involved in a lot more action sequences. Imagine "Sam" from Lotr and that's Regis now.
Uh...I don't see that, personally. I picture Regis as a tinier, far less stout type of guy.
6 hours or so at a time, temperature in the 90's with costume, leather armor, and a cloak. I'd say he held his own just fine.
You're a slave driver!!
Don't you care about your actors?!!
You're a slave driver!!
Don't you care about your actors?!!
We were hoping to collect life insurance if he croaked during production, but alas...
We were hoping to collect life insurance if he croaked during production, but alas...
Hmmm...maybe a casting director isn't needed. Just more tropical heat and a heart attack.
Hey! As my company is about to go under and I am about to lose my job, can I just join your crew and unintentionally murder people to replenish the retirement fund I've now lost?
New Sword Fighting blog entry can be found here:
http://www.myspace.com/ruben_films
New photos of the training can be found here:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=453082856&albumId=63068
Enjoy!
How am I supposed to get all hot and sweaty without watchin' it?
Seriously. The endless amounts of praise for this makes me want to watch it sooo friggin' bad.
Want to watch! Videos set to private! Gah!
Seriously. The endless amounts of praise for this makes me want to watch it sooo friggin' bad.
Whoops!
Alexha Bonner, the girl who played Catti-brie, wanted me to post this for her:
Thank you to those who have left amazing comments and constructive criticism about this production. It was an amazing experience! The whole crew did a wonderful job and worked very hard.
I would like to thank those who came to my defense when it came to my appearence. I do not take offense to those who do not find me attractive but please voice your opinion in a mature manner. My feelings are not hurt and I just wanted to let ya'll know that!
Just wanted to be able to tell all of you myself.
Thank you!!!
I, FTR, never had an issue with your appearance Miss Bonner and If you could get more speaking parts(and I know there are plenty in the books where Cattie does say something) I would love it.
And I must say, this thread certainly bounced ahead since my last post.
The new video was short...great scene choice though.
I thought it was kind of funny that the actor playing Drizzt obviously weighed less than the actor playing Artemis. Artemis just kind of walked into Drizzt and pushed him back pretty easily, while at the end when Drizzt tries to push past Artemis, he bounces back.
Saw that, too. But I will give Drizzt some props. When he and Artemis got into that high school stare down, it was Artemis that blinked like a punk.
I, FTR, never had an issue with your appearance Miss Bonner and If you could get more speaking parts(and I know there are plenty in the books where Cattie does say something) I would love it.
And I must say, this thread certainly bounced ahead since my last post.
The new video was short...great scene choice though.
Hi folks...
<<<<< Director
Alexah certianly did have speaking scenes but we just haven't shown them yet. We are planing on releasing the scenes that she did have in our weekly updates. So keep an eye out for them.
I want to thank everyone for your support and comments. It is a great pleasure to be able to share this with everyone.
P.S. Who let youy out of the editing cage Traycor. You're suppose to be working on the next vid. Oh, the video card went out so you need to MacGyver the comp and have the vid ready by Monday
<<<<< Director
Alexah certianly did have speaking scenes but we just haven't shown them yet. We are planing on releasing the scenes that she did have in our weekly updates. So keep an eye out for them.
Then get to it, poopy-butt and stop CENSORED around!!
P.S. Who let youy out of the editing cage Traycor. You're suppose to be working on the next vid. Oh, the video card went out so you need to MacGyver the comp and have the vid ready by Monday
really sucks when a Vid card craps out.
Overall, well done for a fan production.
Spots that need improvement:
Drizzt's lips don't look quite right. Perhaps a digital retouch is needed? I think it's the pink on the inside of his mouth/lips when he talks that does it... Heh, feed him a fistful of blueberries before shooting. :P
Cloaks in the fight scenes need to be lighter so that that they move a bit more fluidly. Perhaps omit them altogether and edit them in somehow (digital or rotoscope)?
Wulfgar: actor is just too small, though he looked more impressive in the still at the end. Hammer head looked too plastic.
Regis: Never actually got the impression he was a halfling. (Check out the director commentaries in the LotR trilogy for some ideas on how to fake it. A lot of them are no or low cost.)
Bruenor: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was up with that axe?
Costumes: The beard looked too full and the "hairs" didn't look wiry enough to be beard hair. Some parts of the costumes in front of the shoulders (like mantles on Drizzt and Wulfgar) don't seem to flex enough, as if the material isn't broken in yet. Drizzt's makeup seemed a little to... shiny, I guess would be the word I seek. Also, Drizzt's wig didn't seem to flow with movement well. Even if dirty, some of those costumes looked kind of new. This may hurt a little, but tear and patch them. I know no one wants to trash a decent shirt, but I think little details like that will shine through if done right. (Same goes for Entreri's armor, but that looks like truly expensive stuff; I'm not about to suggest abusing that for a fan film.)
Editing: The "Forbidden Love" clip was a little too long. Instead of looking awkward (which it should have), it looked like the actors were just standing around. Maybe if she'd started walking away? On fight scenes, I've read before that a good way to make a swing look particularly nasty is to clip a couple frames out of it. Just throwing that last one out there.
The scene on the hilltop with Drizzt and Entreri going at it? The blade work was great. The foot work was almost non-existent. These are warriors who move a great deal as they fight, we shouldn't see them doing that often. And in that short a video, probably not at all.
Its a good fan-video. Better than one would normally expect. I can tell a lot of time and effort went into it. And I'm certain future efforts will be even better.
Keep it up.
Your practice of pulling posts based on time and date is CENSORED retarded.
I'm a nimwit, but I do occasionally have some intelligent CENSORED to say.
i really do believe that you guys could do better keep up with it.
this may be a little off topic from the video but but have any of you guys seen hellboy 2. I think that if the made the prince's skin black and gave him two scimitars he would make the perfect drizzt if they make a movie. he had the right build and he was quite graceful.:D
all hail the 
baby!
:P
Come on!!!