Star Wars Episode III: Behind the Scenes Webcam

securitas writes "Soon Star Wars behind-the-scenes webcam goes live when shooting for Episode III begins in Australia. 'The webcam will be moved every day, shooting live for 12 hours and then replaying in a loop while the cast is sleeping.' Of course it's only free until next week when you will have to join StarWars.com's newly relaunched site to view the cam as part of a package of services that includes online chats, outtakes and deleted scenes." I'm not sure if it's worth $20, but it's worth something....

Comments

but they're wild!!!!

[sweeney37]

You thought all of your favorite Star Wars characters were wild before, but now they're even wilder!! Presenting Star Wars Gone Wild!!!

See what happens when the cameras shut off, but the webcam stays on!! Exposed!! Uncensored!!!

Natalie Portman, Jar Jar Binks, and George Lucas, like you've never seen them before!!

All this for $19.95, and if you order now you'll also get Lord of the Rings: Doggy Style!! See what happens when we sent Snoop Dogg out with the Hobbits, it's steamy!!!

Call NOW!!!

Mike

Re:but they're wild!!!!

[laughing_badger]

See what happens when the cameras shut off, but the webcam stays on!

FINALLY, the answer to who shoots first!

Re:but they're wild!!!!

[e2d2]

You laugh but I saw Star Wars: Episode II at an IMAX theatre. I got three words for you - twenty foot nipples.

What it's worth...

[EpsCylonB]

I'm not sure if it's worth $20, but it's worth something....

Ignoring ?

Just $20?

[Hogwash McFly]

News just in George Lucas has plans to introduce a special edition webcam for only 10 bucks more.

Re:Could you figure out the plot?

[Eric Ass Raymond]

That's unlikely since even the actors had hard time understanding the plot in Eps. I and II. Why? Because of the excessive use of blue/green/whatever screens during filming.

Will there be...

[Black Parrot]

Will there be an action figure for the guy who moves the webcam?

Re:Price?

[Timesprout]

Where do we subscribe to see you do this ?

12 hours?

[hackwrench]

They sleep for 12 hours? Wow!

Spend Your Money You Will, Yes.

[AnswerIs42]

Greed is the path to the dark side.

Re:Spend Your Money You Will, Yes.

[benwb]

Shouldn't that be "Path to the dark side, greed is"

Good Riddance

[AttillaTheNun]

As a fan since I saw A New Hope at the drive-in as a 6yr old, I have to say I'm disappointed at how George finds new lows in which to sink. Instead of embracing his incredibly huge and devoted fanbase, he has decided to milk it for all he can (once again). The Wachowski Bros. and Peter Jackson have left this sorry franchise in the dust anyhow (I haven't gone back to the special features disc from AOTC since I watched the 4-disc LOTR set and witnessed a cast and crew that was incredibly devoted to telling a compelling story first and using all the effects at their disposal to bring it to life). AOTC was a lame, convoluted story with wooden acting and nothing but effects that will simply not last the test of time. The original trilogy, even with it's relativley immature effects and puppets still outlasts the prequels, which will be mostly forgotten except for the most desparate fans (who will likely be paying for this site for years to come in hopes of yet another useless tidbit on how 99.9999% of the movie was digital.

I know, I know

[Monkeylaser]

It's somewhat flameish to just decry this as another whore for money from Lucas, but it seems that the star wars license has gone from something nearly sacred to the developement of geeks to just another schlocky blockbuster, only with more questionably wooden acting than most, and a more disturbingly loyal fanbase.

But paying for a webcam, and deleted scenes? C'mon now guys. When you've merchandised everything else in the movies already, watching the blue screen work that presumably these actors are going to be doing really doesn't sound like much fun to me.

A question posed to the other slashdot readers here. How many folks are just a little bit more disillusioned with one of our childhood geek heroes (Lucas) every time we see a news post about the prequel trilogy?

It's become something of a car-crash phenomenon for me. I just can't look away. But I will balk at paying 20 bucks. It leads one to wonder if this is a result of the nature of Hollywood, for creating larger, more expensive, less true to the original concept material, or if it's the nature of man as the director, when they start believing their own hype.

The Matrix, our new Sci-Fi trilogy?

[Mish]

It only fully hit home when discussing "The Matrix Reloaded" with a few friends a few weeks back, but "The Matrix" has a good chance at being "The New Star Wars".

If the Wachowski Brothers can pull off 'something special(TM)' with the third Matrix movie then it'll live on for quite a long time as a classic cult sci-fi/fantasy trilogy, something the latest set of Star Wars films show no sign of doing.

I (as did most of us) loved the original Star Wars films; I still watch them from time to time. I've watched the first Star Wars film (TPM) about three times and may never watch it again, it lacks something... the same unfortunately goes for the second, which has left me with no desire to be there on opening night for the third Star Wars film.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this will happen, maybe the third Matrix movie will fall flat on its face and fail to deliver, but its set up for a way better chance than what looks to amount to another shallow CG laden Star Wars movie, hell rewatching the older Star Wars movies recently I was surprised by how good the old spaceship models look when compared to the new CG versions.

I think the best quote I've ever seen about the whole "Star Wars vs. Matrix" situation was by a Matrix crew member who summed it up perfectly with:

On a basic level, though, "The Matrix" was simply good storytelling. "I've heard the 'Star Wars' people boast about shooting frames that are 97 percent digital, and lo and behold, the movies are soulless," says John Gaeta, visual-effects supervisor for all three "Matrix" movies. "They traded the whole idea of depth in filmmaking for this supertechnological hype. It helped us focus our own philosophy: the story drives everything."

I agree wholeheartedly.

will there

[teemu.s]

.. be any special edition of all the webcam material on dvds?

I think it's worth the money

[buckhead_buddy]

I'm not sure if it's worth $20, but it's worth something....

$20 would help pay my monthly internet access charges. So if I only have to watch for an hour each month, I'll take the money. Of course their checks need to come regularly and on-time.

Are We Idiots?

[WC as Kato]

...said Jim Ward, head of Lucas Online and vice president of Lucasfilm Ltd. "To our fans nothing is mundane; every morsel is savored and analyzed."

Raise your hand if you feel like you've just been called an idiot.

I Love The Haters

[blinder]

First off, anyone who pays attention (and I do NOT expect that here on /.) knows that I am NOT a "fanboy" as I was around when EP IV was released (the first time).

But I must say, whenever there is a story on /. about SW, all of the George Lucas haters just crawl out of the woodwork to expose the depths of their naked jelousy and dreadful envy in the most disgusting and pathetic manner: by hauling personal attacks on George Lucas.

Its truly pathetic. You are truly pathetic. George Lucas, in my estimation, is a genious. He has managed to pull bits and pieces of mythology and form it into a cohesive and compelling universe that has enchanted millions for nearly 30 years! Lets see any of you do that, you little twerps.

I loved EP I, can't get enough of EP II (I probably watch the DVD once or twice a month, including the bonus footage, I can't get enough of Ben Burt's documentary) and I am eagerly waiting for EP III, and I will, with a big huge smile on my face, happily pay for the new SW site. Why many of you cry? Because there is real value for me, because I can see the joy, creativity and genious behind this franchise, instead of just being consumed by jelousy and envy.

If you *hate* George Lucas so much, why do you spend so much time expressing that hatred? I was tempted to just let this topic go, follow my own advice and ignore the comments in this topic, but when I see some people calling GL names and conducting personal attacks... it sickened me. You people make me sick.

I understand *legitimate* criticism of work, especially in creative works, and I have some of my own regarding Star Wars, but what I have been reading here reads more like hate and not thoughtful criticism.

Re:I Love The Haters

[greenhide]

I'd also point out that true fans were hugely mistreated when the "Special Edition" versions of the original episodes came out.

They kept on saying, "You've seen these movies on a dinky TV for years! Now you get to see it full screen, as it was intended!"

And yeah, most of each movie were great. But then Lucas had to stick his big greasy fingers into our childhood memories. Most of these movies we knew by heart. And although the special editions weren't profoundly different, they *were* different in many ways. It might be as simple as removing the cute scene on Dagobah where R2 barfs out a slew of water and fish, or as extreme as turning the Xarlac into something out of Little Shop of Horrors. And yeah, some people complain about Greedo shooting first, but come on! That didn't really have any effect on the overall movie, oh -- except for the fact that now Han loses his whole outlaw persona.

The point is, it's clear that the one thing that saved Star Wars (and yes, it was Star Wars when it started out, not New Hope) was the simplicity and limitations on Lucas' special effects. Sometimes a tight budget makes a movie better -- just look at the Godfather, which barely was made, and where Coppola nearly was fired.

Re:I'm Boycott the next Star Wars

[lyonsden]

"or sold his sole"

Selling the bottom of his shoes? I know some fans worship the ground he walks on, but this is just ridiculous.

Re:Could you figure out the plot?

[giminy]

Plot. Hm. Let me take a guess. *Spoiler warning*.

Anakin has two kids with Amadala. She think he's repulsive in his mechanical suit though, and runs away. Anakin is heartbroken and becomes Vader. He and palpatine take over the empire. The rebellion forms. It gets mostly crushed somehow, before it even gets off the ground. Darkness ensues. Cue the lights and closing credits.

I haven't watched the last two though, so I could be wrong.

Can we...

[5strangers]

call in and vote off the characters we don't like?