what is your favourite special effect from firefly? by Stubbs

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

what is your favourite special effect from firefly?

POSTED BY: STUBBS
UPDATED: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 18:45
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VIEWED: 5263
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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 7:14 AM

Throughout the short lived series there are a series of effects shots which are quite frankly stunning, especially for a t.v show. my favourite is in The Train Job when Serenity pops up behind Mal, Zoe and Jayne when they are stodd on the edge of the cliff. Thats a jaw dropping sequence.
Thats mine out of the way. What about yours?
You can choose any effects moment you want from the series, but entries concerning effects from the BDM are not allowd because that had a bigger budget. Just firefly if you will.

Possible choices-
>the aforementioned Train Job effect
>the silent destruction of the transport vessel in bushwhacked
>Serenity swooping over the train in the Train Job
>Serenity pulling a 'Crazy Ivan' in the pilot
>the crash of the alliance ship in the opening to the pilot
>Serenity approaching 'the net' in Our Mrs Reynolds

you can pick one from above or come up with your own choice. there are fourteen eps to choose from and this is a sci-fi show after all, so there must be one effects moment that really made you say 'wow!'. come on, share with us!

Fire away Browncoats!

can we vote on the whole killing people issue?

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 7:32 AM

SAB39

This is an unconventional choice (and I reserve the right to come back with a conventional one later

) but a special effects sequence that I find really powerful is the very beginning of Out of Gas. The silent shot of Serenity that lasts just long enough for you to realize "wait, something's wrong, all dark and she ain't moving..."

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 7:50 AM

RIVERSGUY

OK so this isn't from Firefly but Serenity but I find it one of my favourite scenes in the whole film.

When Mal and Zoe are discussing whether or not they should have left the guy behind during the raid, they pass out of the planets atmosphere into space and it all turns dark and goes practically silent except for Serenity's engine hum.

I find the fact that they portrayed space in a realistic way (as they did in the series) despite the outcry from those used to Lucas' space a credit to Joss and the whole film, which is why this scene gets my vote

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"The human body can be drained of blood in 8.6 seconds, given adequate vacuuming systems."

"Miranda"

The Original Grr Aggh boy

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 8:05 AM

THEDAVE

the first episode where they are running from the reaver ship, right after they do the crazy ivan. I like the viewpoint looking back with the engine in full burn, the panels shaking and vibrating, and the trail of flames leading back.

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 8:07 AM

PETALINE

Not as much a special effect but the lighting...the lighting effects are always AMAZING. Especially when Mal makes his "I aim to misbehave" speech. He has the bright angelic light around him.

"Sir, I think you have a problem with your brain being missing."

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 8:14 AM

DAVESHAYNE

The sequence that makes my jaw drop is the opening to Heart of Gold as the camera zooms in from orbit onto the frozen-dinner-pack brothel. Cool shot.

David

"A lot of people are asking me, you know, what exactly is Firefly? It's a tv show you morons!" - Joss Whedon

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 9:07 AM

JOSSISAGOD

It's a mix for me between Serenity herself in every shot of the series, and the "Cry-baby" in the opening of "Serenity" the Pilot episode.

JOSSIS(Most Definitely)AGOD

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 2:33 PM

USAGIVINDALOO

I have great, skin crawling affection for the Reaver ship in the first episode, ESPECIALLY the bit where it's actually chasing Serenity in atmo. That giant smoke trail behind it just made it that much more threatening and EVIL, as did the screaming noise it made as it flew (rather like the screaming over the radio in the BDM). Add to that the "real" camera work (lack of focus, jerky hand held motion) and I was biting my nails.

"This must be what going mad feels like."

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 2:58 PM

EARTHTHATWASWOLF

Hey all, I registered with the site just to respond to this thread hehe. In my opinion the best effect in Firefly (sadly altered in Serenity) was the total lack of effects, sound effects to be precise. Most of Firefly's space scenes are silent. As they should be, no sound in space and all that.

Don't get me wrong, sound effects are great in sci-fi show, but for me the lack thereof made Firefly stand out. Gave it an edge of realism, of believability that most space scenes lack. For me, the silent shots made Firefly's sci-fi side, truly great and somewhat unique. To use a terrible pun, it gave the space shots atmosphere.

I was a bit dissapointed when gunfire and engines were sounding in the film.

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 3:05 PM

WHOOPS

Hello to you EarthThatWasWolf:

For me i love the shiny special effect when the Reaver ship gets blown to nothing by the Alliance ship.(Bushwacked) Very visual and very shiny loved it.

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"Love. You can do all the math in the 'Verse, but you take a boat in the air you
don't love, she'll shake you off sure as a turnin' of worlds. Love keeps her in
the air when she oughtta fall down. Tells you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens.
Makes her a home." Mal

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 3:12 PM

DRACOS

I'm really tempted to second that call about the backwards facing shot in the pilot when Serenity is burning out of Witefall. I am instead though, going to go with any and all shots of the Alliance Cruisers from the show. I love those things, they're so cool looking and the way that they're built not only personifies what the Alliance is all about but what the show's design scheme is about.

Also, EarthThatWasWolf, welcome aboard. I'm going to have to disagree with you on the point you made. It's pretty well documented that since the big space-battle at the end of the film takes place in that debris cloud, that there could conceivably be sound, given the near atmospheric density of the material. It's kind of a bull-shit reason, but at least it is one and I for one can't recall any sound in space other than that sequence.

"Dont ask me silly questions.
I wont play silly games."

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 4:13 PM

DARKJESTER

My favorite shot in the BDM is the first reveal of the ship, and the "fly-around" just as she's entering atmo. I was at one of the early screenings last June, amd I swear I had to fight back tears, it was so beautiful. I still get chills down my spine every time I see it.

From the series, one of my favorite SFX scenes is the first "boost" in the pilot "Serenity", just after they activate the crybaby. I don't know why.

MAL "You only gotta scare him."
JAYNE "Pain is scary..."

http://www.fireflytalk.com - Big Damn Podcast

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 4:22 PM

JOHNBOY

Stubbs,
It's the silence. Silence in space - what a whacky idea!

For some reason it struck me most of all when Serenity pulled away from the skyplex early in "The Message", just as the police cutter was pulling in. Lot's of visuals - billboard ads, ships going every-which-way - and not a single sound. Nothin'. Not even background music.

Very different, and for someone brought up on all those other SciFi shows, more than a little unsettling.

Cheers,
Johnboy

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006 4:25 PM

REGINAROADIE

Once CGI shot that always amazed me was in BUSHWACKED, when the camera pulls back through the roof window as you see the Alliance troops tearing the kitchen apart and you see Simon and River in the space suits and the you see the camera pull back further and further until you see that Serenity is on it's belly attached to the bottom of the Dortmunder and how it dwarfs the tiny ship. It's a perfect blend of a practical shot and a CG shot.

Another effect shot I love is in ARIEL when Simon was moving the hologram of River's brain and realizing the extent of the damage that was done to her. I don't know if the CG animators were being particularily anal in this case, or if it was a new kind of CG technology being used or how Sean played the scene, but I got the sense that it was "real", y'know. Like it was actually happening.

As for mise en scene, the prologue in OBJECTS IN SPACE shocked me when I first saw it. For the longest time, we've only seen River objectively. But this was the first time when we're in her brain and we're seeing how she perceives the world around her. And after that, who's blame her for acting crazy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"There's only one "Return" ok, and it ain't "of the King", it's "of the Jedi."

"Maybe we should start calling your friend 'Padme' because he loves 'Mannequin Skywalker' so much, Right? (imitating robot) Danger...danger...my name is Anakin...my shitty acting is ruining saga."

Excerpt of internet teaser for CLERKS 2.T

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006 12:32 AM

ROLANDREYNOLDS

The first time we see Serenity proper when she's detaching from the wreck in the pilot, then of course, the 'Firefly boost' right after. The lighting, the guitar, and the sexiness of the ship in that very first sequence gets me every. time.

Alternatively, my least favorite effect comes from the BDM. Serenity's landing gear when they first land are decidedly different from the series, which were just simply extensions. The whole bug-like joint thing kind of put me off.

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006 3:27 PM

NUCLEARDAY

Looks like I agree with all the previous posters ;p My personal 3 faves are Serenity "rabbiting" from the Alliance cruiser in the pilot (think the music there has something to do with it too :), looking down at the contrail after pulling the Crazy Ivan, and the zoomdown in the opening of Heart of Gold.

Also, I'm a big fan of the special effects that don't draw overmuch attention to themselves. The best special effects, I think, are the ones you don't even think of as CGI. I like the little touches you see throughout. Mal flying through the hologram window in Trainjob. The electronic paper idea that you see with Badger in the pilot, and with Niska the first time in Trainjob.

________________________________________________
You can take my hope when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006 6:26 PM

NOSADSEVEN

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
Another effect shot I love is in ARIEL when Simon was moving the hologram of River's brain and realizing the extent of the damage that was done to her.

You know, that 'neural imager' scene bothers me when it shows her whole body because her feet don't match. Summer/River's feet have that ballerina point to them, but the image's feet are held at a more typical foot-angle.

My fave is also the 'rabitting' scene: the music, the lack of sound effects, the orange glowing whispy 'exhaust'...yeah. But I also really like the full burn in atmo while fleeing Whitefall. In fact, I like the way it contrasts so much with the rabitting scene.

As for the BDM, hated the buggy-legs in the BDM. It seemed so...Star-Wars-Prequely. Loved Serenity's cello intro and breaking atmo. Oh, and lets not forget Nathan smashing his face into the floor. Does it count as a special effect if he's actually doing it?

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Ain't. We. Just.

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006 6:45 PM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER

Quote:
Originally posted by nosadseven:
You know, that 'neural imager' scene bothers me when it shows her whole body because her feet don't match. Summer/River's feet have that ballerina point to them, but the image's feet are held at a more typical foot-angle.

Never really noticed the discrepancy, nosadseven....maybe that's kinda the point. I mean, maybe the Neural Imager projects a template based on a basic scan (gender, height, weight, age) and then adds the specific details from more complex scans. We never see a beam (that I recall) scanning River before the hologram popus up.

My favourite series effect? Kind of a toughie....sort of a toss up between the display screen of the Independent AA battery Mal uses to smoke the Alliance skiff in the opening gambit of Serenity and Serenity getting chased by the ARSEV in The Message. The former's just a small effect, but rahter cool to see; the latter just knocked my socks off for it's realistic styling and effects

BEB

Literature has shown us some of humanity's greatest achievements; history, some of our greatest failures -- Alun Lewis

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