Dark Blue World:

[hogfarmr]

LOL, np Otter. Was hoping i didnt just piss you off with all that smoke i was shooting at ya  .

-AKHog

[Xjazz]

I need to visit to the Prague/Czech some weekend with my bike.  Its only 360kms to north from here.

Xjazz

[Kirin]

 

Hi guys,
yesterday evening I was in cinema to see this movie.
I must say that the flying scenes are amazing but not very long. Most of massive air combat scenes comes from unused Battle of Britain movie. The old film was cleaned, retouched, recolored and special effects like smokes, tracers and hit debris were added. Also some brand new flight scenes were composed with computer created airplanes and models combined together. Further two real Spitfires Mk.I were used for flying scenes. Some of air combat scenes are the best I have ever seen (and I dare to say I have seen almost every air combat movie). Excellent shots through gunsights from airplanes attacking bombers and other fighters, with smoke tracers, hit debris and other effects. It looks amazing! Just like if you watch genuine WWII footage! I especially enjoyed the scene when two Spitfires attack fuel train in France (real train was blown up twice because of filming this scene). Through gunsight you see as first Spitfire opens fire on train, smoke tracers hit the ground, hit "sprites" are advancing into train cistern, explosion and camera flies through flame and debris. Amazing. Another similar shot from the second Spitfire attacking the locomotive. There are more similar realisticaly filmed dogfights. Very nice show! The sounds are great as well.
As I said the combat flying scenes are not very long but worth to see it. The movie is mainly about the story of two fellow pilots who escapes from occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, life in Czech squadron RAF, love story they experienced in England and the very, very sad destiny which waited for our war pilots after communistic plot in 1948 in our own country.
Maybe you know or not but our pilots who returned home from England (and other countries they served in) after WWII were arrested in jail by communists. Why? Communists hated anybody who had any experience from western democratic countries. They even arrested some soldiers and officers who served in Russian Red Army as well! Damned bastards! I say you, I have insuperable impulse to kick someone`s communist bellybutton every time I remember this! Sorry for this politics, but I cannot help myself. That bastards did a lot, lot, lot of evil in this country. And this sad destiny is also an important part of movie. I am not sure if the story is interesting enough for Americans and other nations (except Britishers, there performs several British actors and actress in movie and longer part of film is set in England) but it is must for us. Very emotional.

Some details about movie:
Cost - 220 000 000 Czech Crowns = cca 5 500 000 $ Most expensive movie in Czech history.
The movie was prepared and filmed 5 years.
The two main characters were wearing original flying leathernecks, gloves, badges and some other details used by real Czech fighter aces in England.
3D computer models were made with Softimage/3D and Alias Power Animator software and NURBS were used instead of polygon modelling.
Computer scenes were rendered on Mental Ray software.
Photoshop was used for textures.
Old Battle of Britain film shots were altered on Inferno software.
Smokes, tracers, hit debris and some other pyrotechnic effects were partially crated by particle system of Softimage and combined with real effects shot against blue screen.
Spent shels are real ones filmed against blue screen and motion blur effect was added.

I am sure Kuba "Czech-" will write you better and more detailed review when he gets chance to go back to AGW again.

Regards,

Czpetr
249 Squadron RAF =CHQ= Tangmere Wing

[Saintaw]

I just watched it for the 5 th time (still drooling), and I seriously HOPE this gets into the European theatres...

Saw

[Pepe]

Most likely it will. I remember seeing the trailer here in Spain.

Cheers,

Pepe

[Xjazz]

Thanks Kirin!

Very intresting post!

Xjazz

[~Caligula~]

WOW
I allways knew the czechs can make movies.
I hope it comes over to the US soon,I`m sick of the Hollywood cheez.

Hey Xjazz
En is magyar vagyok,csak most californiaban lakok.Mi a neved az AH -ban, xjazz?
Jo tudni hogy magyarok is vannak itt..


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[This message has been edited by ~Caligula~ (edited 05-18-2001).]

[Grayeagle]

'nurbs were used not polygons for modeling'

Umm.. 'nurbs' generate polygons when you render an image.. I can load a 'nurb' model into Rhino (or build it there) .. and get a poly count for rendering the scene, with nothing but 'nurbs' in it.. into the thousands for a very simple shape.

Tis just a display buzzword .. smoke and mirrors.
3dMax also does nurbs modeling .. same results.

I can't wait for the day when a 'nurbs' model that generates 100k or more polys can be imported into a game environment, and work well. -probably in the next few years by the way, as fast as video processing is getting

The reason is it makes very smooth transitions ..for high res displays. The wingroot fairing .. leading edges of wings, etc.

-GE (who is a 'professional' .. don't try this at home, folks!)
(KIDDING .. go ahead.. try it . . no really!)

[batdog]

OH MY GOD... can i buy a video and a how to speak Czec while you sleep tape...

xBAT

[Fatty]

bump for a friend to find.

[MadBirdCZ]

Hmm... The film is not bad   Here in Czech republic it is actually quite popular too... Well for comercial reasons they postponed the Pearl Harbour so Im affraid that Pearl Harbour will hit our cinemas during fall... But Dark Blue World is worth seeing... The truth is that the intense air fight scenes do not make the biggest part of the movie but they are VERY WELL done and I can recomend everyone to see it! You shouldn't be dissapointed...

 

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MBirdCZ
CO of Sudden Death Squadron