wm cheng

We saw the crew screening on Thursday and I must say it looked pretty freakin' great! (if I say so myself:-) There were a few glaring CGI elements that stood out, but on the whole, the physical effects will definitely make some hard-core gore effects people very happy. The overall tone of the movie is very straightforward and suspenseful which is a refreshing change of pace from recent modern "flash-cut in your face" movies. I felt it was nicely updated without it seeming modern. That being said, they did have to rewrite the ending in the alien spacecraft and that portion of the movie fell apart (which was the sets I concentrated on!) Most of it was edited out which was too bad. Plus the most awful glaring VFX effect was inside my set to hide something that was written out in the re-shoots. Anyways hope you guys like it.

Ok everyone... lets calm down a little - its just a trailer (don't you hate trailers that show you the whole movie?!) - its not the whole movie! Believe it or not, there are other scenes we shot that didn't make it into this trailer!! Yes, extraordinary lengths were taken to get period 80's set dressing - we had fun playing the 80's board games in the art department! No there are no iphones or ipads, but period computers with the monochrome green screen when appropriate. Yes the "a$$holes" (including myself) definitely took apart the JC film frame by frame and analyzed it where appropriate - but remember this is the Norwegian camp before the JC movie, there wasn't much established in the JC movie on the "other" camp. I can't disclose, but all I can say is that it dovetails quite nicely to the opening scene in the JC movie.

Sooo so dissappointed! I can't believe I waited all these years for this?! I would of just settled for an up-rezed version of AC5. Is it me or was the graphics quite poor - I was surprised it was a PS3 game. Miami looked totally flat, just a aerial photo pasted on and the ground cover in the helicopter missions looked awful. Too bad the AC5 flightstick & throttle doesn't work with this - the thumb controls totally lost me! Any plans on the full version being compatible with the flightstick & throttle (or putting those types of controllers out for the PS3)?

So did you try using the old AC5 stick combo with this demo? That's a deal-breaker for me - I can't do anything with my thumbs!

Will the new Ace Combat work with the old PS2 Ace Combat stick & throttle controllers?

They did a StarGate diorama there - so why not a Macross one!

Oh Good. Oh Crap! I'm glad that I didn't miss out on another one of these great books! Damn! I hope it comes true someday.

I guess this is the closest thing to off-topic, but this model absolutely blew me away! You have to look at the Youtube video of the moving and lit elements. Imagine if they did that for Macross city within SDF-1?! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383532/Knuffingen-Airport-German-builds-worlds-largest-model-airport.html

Hey does anyone know when this book above comes out? Is there a date?

Hey, how did you get the PE parts for the first release toy? I'd love to know and get a set for my toy or if anyone is willing to sell me a set.

Wow! How did you manage to get to buy just the PE part?! I'm looking for just the PE parts for the 1/3000 too - any suggestions on where to go? Please post pictures! Sorry I don't have much other hints on using PE parts that hasn't been mentioned here already. I usually brush paint the part it its to stand out from the rest of the body colour - otherwise I mask and airbrush once its already on the model.

Thanks so much for the heads up! Just ordered it - killed me not to the first time around, but at this sale, I just had to bite. Unfortunately though, their S&H seems a bit high (and you don't get an estimate until you purchase) - I got dinged $67cdn for EMS shipping (no other option) and I'll probably get dinged again when brokerage and customs & duty get me (the deal isn't turning out so much of a deal in the end!). Just a word of warning to Canadian customers. Hope its worth it!

Fantastic Newca! Thanks so much, just bought 2 sets of the bundle and another VF-25 & VF-19 - so glad you haven't forgotten about us 1/72 scalers! How about a flaps/spoiler set for the VF-1? Also what about 1/3000 scale Valkyries and launch arms for us early adopters of the SDF-1?!

You are the master now! My daughter now has taken up all my free time. Been able to satisfy my modelling bug lately on a few SciFi movies (Resident Evil, The Thing, Total Recall & Pacific Rim) by building 1:1 scale models for sets - but that takes up all my time now. Look for Macross design cues in the sets of those films! In fact, they just interviewed me on my latest set on Total Recall where they asked for my inspirations and I mentioned Shoji Kawamori and Macross. If you want to see me, I think its called "Hollywood Builders: constructing Total Recall" - 1 hr special probably sometime next year on DIY Network and Discovery Channel (my guess is close to when Total Recall comes out to theatre). It will probably be on the Total Recall DVD/BR special features. I hope after Pacific Rim I might get back to finish up painting that SDF-1 toy and it probably will be a few years before I get back into modelling again - for the time being, I'm just a model kit/box collector! Or whenever you get around to that 1/72 Hikaru and Mimay in the VT-1 with her helmut off - my VT-1 kit is waiting for your pilots! ;-) In the meantime, keep up the amazing work, I can live vicariously through you!

Thought you might be interested in this article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20082026-47/how-can-30-year-old-receivers-sound-better-than-new-ones/?tag=nl.e702

Awesome! Simply fantasic work Petar. Really realistic scheme - love the light weathering, just enough to give it some weight.

The trailer is finally up! http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-trailers/#/video/f749b83d-e1d0-4983-a918-a9c3914b03c0/ I think it looks pretty damn good... (if I may say so myself;-)

Fantastic! How long till they go on sale?

Fantastic, How about one last tiny addition/suggestion? What about the fold out step ladder from the forward fuselage to climb into the cockpit? Great work, can't wait till its on sale! Thanks for not forgetting about us 1/72 scalers!!

Unfortunately, Hollywood is now under the control of accountants! They are multiplying everywhere and has become the decision makers in the industry. In fact, every production that I've been on now, the accountants are the first to be in the office, before any art department, locations, ADs before anyone is even on the production, the accountants are there first and they are there last, even past when the production wraps up and everyone has left, they do forensic accounting to close up shop. Actually, they have grown from 4-5 accountants per show when I first started to the single largest department in the production! It's just wrong, there's no art to films anymore, it's just pure business and merchandizing. Movies are decided upon not based on content but pie charts and committees. In fact, demographics and target audiences are decided upon first, then a movie is crafted to satisfy those criterias now. Just look at Transformers 3 - 12 year old boys would love it! they will need their dads to take them to the theatres and probably drag them there again and again. According to the accountants, Transformers is a total success. Sad but true. Any good films out there today, would be a unlikely happenstance by-product of a financially successful venture. (gets off soapbox rant...)

Ah, thanks for clearing up. I just had a little heart attack that I missed one. Love these books!

Was there a VF-11 Master File book out that I missed? I thought I got all of them?! Is it still available? When did it come out?

Is there any site with a plot/film synopsis for those of us who don't speak Japanese and is trying to remain calm waiting for a subtitle file to come out?

Anything better than a 720mkv rip in 2ch stereo only? Perhaps a 1080p AC3 5.1? I guess there's no english subtitles on the BR-DVD though eh? $70cdn for a Japanese only BR is just too much at this time.

No, No, No... definitely not. Most decals are spot colour printed - meaning that they have solid colours representing the true colours that the design intends to be. Well, most reputable companies like Hasegawa, Tamiya or Cartograph. Screen printing whereby using a limited pallet of colours in dots/screening to simulate other colours is just a cheap way to give you the likeness of other colours without the true expense of paying for those inks to be printed. It's the difference between a photographic coffee table book and a colour photo in a newspaper! It just underscores to me that Bandai doesn't really pay that much attention to Macross models - if you look that closely, a whole world of problems open up! Just my humble opinion ;-) Did I mention how much I hate their MF decals?!