New CGI shot in Raiders TV airings (images inside)

[ATMachine]

Not exactly game-related but as there's an Indy 4 thread here I think it qualifies.

Over on TheRaider.net's message boards a few days back someone posted that in a recent HD airing of Raiders of the Lost Ark on US TV, there was an all-new CGI shot during the truck chase sequence. Yesterday evening I taped a repeat showing and confirmed the original poster's claim.

In the original film, at one point Indy swerves the truck and knocks a Nazi troop car off a cliff to its doom far, far below. The shot was done with a rather fake-looking matte painting and models of the car and soldiers:











However, the shot as seen on TV features entirely redone CG scenery. Apologies that these are photos but my PC and TV aren't in the same room.













Also of interest is this text from the 1995 book, From Star Wars to Indiana Jones: The Best of the Lucasfilm Archives by Mark Cotta Vaz and Shinji Hata, describing the old version of the shot:

"One of the greatest chases ever filmed is the truck chase in which Indy pursues Nazis who are making their getaway with the Ark. The sequence intercut both live-action stunt work and ILM's visual effects magic. A key ILM shot had Indy drive a Nazi jeep off a cliff, an effect executed with a matte painting of the cliff's sheer drop in which opticals composited separate elements of a miniature jeep and puppets. Longtime ILMer John Ellis points to the shot as a signature example of Lucas's understanding of his audience, explaining that when Lucas viewed the shot in dailies he told his team to print it, despite a chorus of concerns that there was still work to be done--color timings, additional painting details, some work on the matte lines. But Lucas instinctively knew the shot couldn't be improved upon and that audiences would cheer it in the theaters."

Make of this what you will.

It's worth noting that the new DVD set doesn't have the new shot in Raiders, but you can bet money it'll be in any future HD re-releases.

[Udvarnoky]

Weird, especially considering Spielberg supposedly has an affinity for the fake-looking matte shots in retrospect. There was even a Crystal Skull interview in which he claimed that he entertained the notion of making the matte backgrounds in Indy4 look intentionally bad just to give it an 80s charm before deciding against it.

Ah well, at least we've got our current DVDs, unmolested. (Except for the cobra reflection, right?)

[s-island]

Oh, crap.

[neon_git]

I'm not awfully fussed about this to be honest with you. It doesn't look enormously different and it doesn't change the plot or the character development.

What does concern me is the Lucas' notion that people would be cheering in a theater. It says to me that he was way out of touch with audiences even back then.

[elTee]

I don't know, I think Lucas was right - who cared about that effects shot? I don't think it meant he thought the audience would literally stand up and applaud, just that they'd be so into the action of the scene that they'd be psyched when the truck went off the cliff. What I mean to say is, the effects shot doesn't affect your suspension of disbelief.

[Thrik]

I'm guessing it's something the vast majority of people will never notice (both the quality of the original shot and the fact it's been redone).

Classic ATMachine-level attention to detail thread, though! Always interesting to have these things pointed out. ;

[Gabez]

Huh! I liked the original. But no matter. I suppose they also wanted to match this shot with the previous shots (lighter colours, more vivid green, etc.)

I liked the original partly because it was a contrast, though. It seemed more unexpected!

[The Tingler]

Originally Posted by neon_git

What does concern me is the Lucas' notion that people would be cheering in a theater. It says to me that he was way out of touch with audiences even back then.

I've been in cinemas with people cheering! Transformers I think was the last one!

[elTee]

Heh when I saw The Two Towers a load of people at the back of the theatre actually started clapping at the end, it was hilarious.

[neon_git]

Originally Posted by The Tingler

I've been in cinemas with people cheering! Transformers I think was the last one!

I assume they were cheering when it ended right?

[daltysmilth]

Are we sure it was actually redone? It looks to me like it's the same shot recomposited to remove the matte line.

[ATMachine]

Oh, it's definitely redone. Look at the mountains on the left in the first image of each version - they're entirely different. Plus, when you see it in motion, the original painting is clearly flat, while in the new shot the cliff moves in 3D.

Here's a YouTube video contrasting them

[Jake]

Originally Posted by neon_git

What does concern me is the Lucas' notion that people would be cheering in a theater. It says to me that he was way out of touch with audiences even back then.

Whoops, except that he's right, this does happen during good moments in films like this. I imagine that the further back in film history you go, the more common it was, too.

[daltysmilth]

Originally Posted by ATMachine

Oh, it's definitely redone. Look at the mountains on the left in the first image of each version - they're entirely different. Plus, when you see it in motion, the original painting is clearly flat, while in the new shot the cliff moves in 3D.

Here's a YouTube video contrasting them

Well, I guess Trey Parker and Matt Stone really will have to redo "Cartman Gets An Anal Probe" with a CGI spaceship now.

[neon_git]

Originally Posted by Jake

Whoops, except that he's right, this does happen during good moments in films like this. I imagine that the further back in film history you go, the more common it was, too.

Well maybe it does happen then. I've never experienced myself and I guess I just assumed that that means it never happens at all. I should probably stop assuming things so much.

[diduz]

Right now I wish Lucas could take care of screenplays in the same obsessive way...