Behind the scenes: Wrath of the Marshal

From Jalassociatecomics

Idea Formation

As this portion is being written (30/8/06), Wrath of the Marshal's preliminary filming has begun. But first, back to the idea formation.

A sequel or two had always been in the back of J and L's minds from the beginning, which was very long ago indeed. The plot began to take place in March, with possible ideas tossed out. The basic plan was to bring back the Marshal, presumed dead at the end of the first installment, and delve into his origins and ideals along the way. Two fledgeling Jedi would also star.

Many permutaions of this basic plot arose, but, since the two had gained considerable experience from their first outing, everything was alot more straightened out, with more time spent on planning. Conceptual shots were done as early as late February, laying the foundations for what was to come. Character design was done at around the same time: Lego minifigs pulled aprt and squeezed together again for all-new friends and foes, including the two main padawans and the mysterious Dark Acolytes (J and L's best minifig design effort to date).

The comic was planned to be a whole lot bigger and, hopefully, a whole lot better. Many more action sequences and stunts were planned, including a suspenseful opening space scene and a landspeeder chase on Tatooine. Luke's past would also be revisited with a flashback concerning a particular T-16 Skyhopper race.

Due to a more than hectic schooling schedule, filming and what-not was put off. A trip to the History page will so how far apart progress on this wiki was spread apart. Pity Singaporean schoolboys. In the meantime, the story progressed, and L had an idea of which scenes he'd want to see, while J arranged them in chronological order and began builing the sets (find out more in Building the Comic), though he knew they would not be used for a very long while.

The Process

J and L had wizened up to the whims of the digital camera, though this time, J's was employed. You'll notice most panels seem sharper, thanks to a cool super-macro function.

However, difficulties were still a-plenty in capturing part two on camera. As mentioned earlier, this is part two, so everything was twice as complicated, twice as complex--and hopefully twice as cool.

Techniques were expounded on from The Remnant Threat, including most special effects and shot details. Green screen is featured again, providing space backdrops for a number of scenes, including the dramatic opening and the... oops, I'm not supposed to say at this point. Sorry.

We've even gone into location shots, with Tatooine sequences that feature real sand. Plus, a new, easier to control fog effect was developed: shooting from behind the cover of a microwaveable plastic box, no doubt an aged one.

Plots and locations have expanded considerably. This time around, the planets Yavin, Hoth, Dagobah and Tatooine are featured, with the desert planet being the backdrop for some interesting plot developments, including the Grand Marshal's origins... plus what started it all.