Has anyone ever done their own lightsaber duel?

Hey everyone! I've been watching fanfilms on youtube of people doing lightsaber duels/battles. I most certainly wanna give it a try but want to know what I am getting myself into before hand... I've read a little about it and I know the jist of what happens... You fight with sticks, you edit it in software (read terms of rotoscoping and stuff) and bam you've got your lightsaber... but I wanted to know if anyone has done their own?

El1te

A friend of mine and I have been talkin about it, but never actually got our hands on the equipment. I am also interested though. I have a couple links I will look for of places that sell the rotoscope equipment etc..hopefully we have someone on TDH that has been involved in a project like this...

yeah, that is what I was hoping to find. I know a lot of the movie editing and what not software needed, I have access to at school... I just wouldn't know how to use it... I'd like to know how to construct the sabers for the films as well.

El1te

If I remember correctly there's a guy (who I can't remember the name of) who provides ready-to-use lightsabre effects and more to use in Adobe Aftereffect CS4.

I'll see if I can dig up his website later.

the links that I was looking for are on my work computer, but these are cool:
http://www.saberkit.com/ "build your own, and they sell rotoscope parts"
http://www.parksabers.com/phaseblades.html "lightsabers with removable blades"
the other links I have have move of the photo equipment etc..

I thought that this might help: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films[1]. Originally, pre-recorded live-action film images were projected onto a frosted glass panel and re-drawn by an animator. This projection equipment is called a rotoscope, although this device has been replaced by computers in recent years. In the visual effects industry, the term rotoscoping refers to the technique of manually creating a matte for an element on a live-action plate so it may be composited over another background.

FREE rotoscoping software can be downloaded here: http://toonyphotos.com/

Here is a tutorial in Adobe Photoshop: http://www.darkskies.info/rotoscope.html

Here is a tutorial in Premiere: http://www.alienryderflex.com/rotoscope/

Here is a tutorial in FXhome EffectsLab Pro: http://www.kincharbamin.com/Adding-Saber-Glow.html


Personally, I would use Photoshop only because it's software that I already have. Hope this helps!

Here is a video that shows you how to build a Lightsaber from pluming parts, and use a Lightsaber preset for Adobe After Effects that makes rotoscoping a lot easier than the old fashion way...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSVjIUml50

And here are the links they mention in the video:

http://bigyellowbox.tripod.com/

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/light_sabers_v2/

That's the exact same ones I was thinking about!!! :-)

Great minds etc...etc... :-P

yea, those were the links I was gonna post from my work computer too! I agree with Lath Toth, everything is moving to digital. Im sure that is probably the best way to go these days. So Lath Toth: If you have the set up on your computer, can you show us a clip?

Man this makes me super excited.

I found this http://www.parksabers.com/doublehelix.html

I like the double sabers, but I also like the idea you can spilt it in half for 1 or 2... You get everything heh... Can those blades be switched out for "stunt blades" to do the fighting and then edited in PS or any software availabie?

El1te

I don't believe that park's can be switched out like that TehEl1te. His only come EL ready.

But either of these two: http://randomsabers.com/ or http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Default.aspx can be set up either way.

This http://randomsabers.com/saber.php?name=Cereberus is the link to the saber that I got from Random. Random also offers the carbon fiber blades for the stunt work. Some friends of mine and myself are putting together a fan film. Right now the only filming we've done are a couple of test scenes for doing the rotoscoping.

Dankenman, I would be happy to post it up for you guys once we've done a little editing.

I don't want to make fun of him. But the Star Wars kid will always be my favorite along with the many renditions of him in other features that others have made up! Such as Lord of the Rings & The Matrix! Gotta love it!

The newer parks phase sabers can be swapped out, but the El sabers cannot.
VERY COOL!

Wow thanks guys! Man i've got a lot to learn about these sabers... >_< I need to figure out which can be contact, what kinda blade i need for filming to put after affects in. It would be cool to have one that can swap out a lightup blade for just on the spot dueling, and then a different one for the movie making effect. I'll check those out Lath Toth!

El1te

Getting one do-it-all would be cool, but I think realistically you could have one that accepts a led blade, a sparring blade, or no blade. Then a different one with the rotoscope equipment. But with newer digital programs? I dont know what the best starting point is for that?

Yeah, I guess trying to kill 2 birds with 1 stone could cause problems... I guess I need to figure out what he best options for both is... I hear different terms for the blades that are lit, such as EL... there are even ones that pulse?

I would like to know exactly what the blade would have to be out of the be able to add the effects in a digital program.

El1te

Ok well, I looked up some sabers that light up on their own, and I found that the Hyperblade is a very good one.

Here are a few videos that show a variety of different brands of lightsabers together

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1y5E71XGQo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=codYL...eature=related

I'm really digging that Hyperblade...great lighting and sound... the only problem is, do they make a Darth Maul version? heh

I still don't know what kind of saber to get in order to add the effects digitally. >_<

El1te

Personally I think getting a Lightsaber that already lights up when you plan on rotoscoping the blade is kinda over kill.

My friend who is into all this stuff made his lightsaber out of a wooden dowel and the hilt of a toy lightsaber. Its very strong and if it breaks its no big loss.

Here is a clip we did (Hes filming, I am holding the lightsaber) just to test out his, at the time, new copy of aftereffects. Please keep in mind this is years old!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O_TEo57MsI

We've since done an actual movie with a better camera, but he never put it on youtube. Ryan and Dorkman we are not, but I still liked it .

Naw Fettsgerald, I think you missunderstood. that wasn't the plan lol. I was saying, have a saber that lights up for on the spot kind of duels, and another saber for the actual create a movie after effects (which would basically be a stick heh)

El1te

Originally Posted by TehEl1te

Naw Fettsgerald, I think you missunderstood. that wasn't the plan lol. I was saying, have a saber that lights up for on the spot kind of duels, and another saber for the actual create a movie after effects (which would basically be a stick heh)

El1te

Gotcha

You should post some more vids of your lightsaber stuff Fettsgerald. From what I saw, that editing looked good

El1te

I believe what was used in the actual SW movies by LucasArts was a Carbon Fiber blade in the handles and they rotoscoped over the carbon fiber. I picked mine up from Random Sabers for $12 a piece.

Yup! I read that not to long ago. Carbon fiber duelng rods. I did some research, and UltraSabers has a series called the E series, very basic design hilts that are made to be durable. You can get a double bladed saber, Luxeon LEDs, heavy dueling blade for $100, a single for $50. Not bad at all for those who are heavy practicers. I'm gonna pick myself up a red double People get these and then modify the hilts to look how the want since they are plain and easily moddable. Pretty cool I thought

El1te

here's my question, where do you get the foley sounds for the lightsabers?

You can use the MR sounds from there, Ultrasound 2.0, There is something called the Crystal Focus by Plecter Labs, I don't know much about it but I think you can put different sounds in and what not. Hyperdyne may have a soundboard as well too. I am not sure, I am still new to the whole Lightsaber hobby heh.

El1te

adobe after effects!