Star Tours Film Quality SUCKS!

[Boingonut]

I have a question. If they went to Digital on ST then wouldn't the film be much crisper? If the film looked better than wouldn't it make the experience better? I would think that an image without scratches or anything would be 100% better on a ride where you are trying to trick the mind into believing you are really going through a giant ice crystal in a starspeeder.

Well yes and no. Yes because you would get rid of scratchs which is a good thing (if disney just kept on top of things you would never see the scratchs in the film). No because like I said before digital projetion does not have the depth of film. So you would lose the effect that the screen is a window into space since it would apper very flat even to someone who does not know the difference and I think that would ruin the effect the ride is trying to make.

Also it would be as easy as you think to convert the Star Tours simulators to digital. First they would have to put in digital projectors (duh) . Then they would have to find the original negative (which most likely belongs to Lucus and he sure as heck is not going to let disney have it). Then you would have to restore the negitive. That would be a frame by frame prossess in which you would color correct each frame and then you would erase any scratchs, 24 frames per second one frame at a time,(I've done it and it sucks) it would take about 3 months. Then you would have to talecine the film into a digital state (ie make it into a digital movie). You would also have to correct the frame rate of 24 frames per second into video which is 29.7/30 frames per second. This of couse requires you to add frames making the digital film less like the origanal. Then you would have to re-program the ride to the new digital system. All and all it would be just as easy to make a new film which is what I think needs to happen, but there is the little Lucas problem...

[DisneyFan25863]

Well yes and no. Yes because you would get rid of scratchs which is a good thing (if disney just kept on top of things you would never see the scratchs in the film). No because like I said before digital projetion does not have the depth of film. So you would lose the effect that the screen is a window into space since it would apper very flat even to someone who does not know the difference and I think that would ruin the effect the ride is trying to make.

Also it would be as easy as you think to convert the Star Tours simulators to digital. First they would have to put in digital projectors (duh) . Then they would have to find the original negative (which most likely belongs to Lucus and he sure as heck is not going to let disney have it). Then you would have to restore the negitive. That would be a frame by frame prossess in which you would color correct each frame and then you would erase any scratchs, 24 frames per second one frame at a time,(I've done it and it sucks) it would take about 3 months. Then you would have to talecine the film into a digital state (ie make it into a digital movie). You would also have to correct the frame rate of 24 frames per second into video which is 29.7/30 frames per second. This of couse requires you to add frames making the digital film less like the origanal. Then you would have to re-program the ride to the new digital system. All and all it would be just as easy to make a new film which is what I think needs to happen, but there is the little Lucas problem...

They could use the same system they used to turn the SW trilogy into digital...the quality of those movies is amazing. And I'm sure there are digital projection systems that can handle 24 fps, which would help with the film look.

[Boingonut]

Well I am not sure what system you are talking about when they restored Star Wars. I know that they resotored the trilogy in 1997 and as far as I know they used the system that I explained, I could be wrong though. And yes if they projected it digitaly at 24p it will look a bit of the look of the speed of the film, but remember it still runs at 29.7 fps since 24p is more of an effect then a actual frame rate and video almost always runs at that frame rate (29.7/30 fps). But 24p is relatively new and therefore not very trustworthy though. Most of the time someting has to be shoot in 24p to really make it work anyway. But that still would not fix the depth problem. If they made a new movie that is shoot on 24p on an HD camera since that is all Lucas works with now it would work really well, and yes even some of the depth issues could be taken care of with digital effects, kind of. So I think the only way to really fix it is to put a new movie in the ride.

But I like the film the way it is....

[Alchimedes]

The robot in Speeder #1 looked like he was from the Possum show In The Goofy Movie!! His visor and face looked like it is going to fall off. This hasn't changed since then. This was in november 2003, Month later didn't look any better.

[Ghostbuster626]

Their was a plan to upgrade Star Tours when Episode 1 came out based on the pod race sequence from that movie and use technology that was developed for that "Stormchaser" ride at Tokyo Disneyseas. They even went as far as redoing the giftshop at the WDW MGM star tours to look like a tatooine trading outpost and even sell pins that read "Star Tours: Tatooine Express" with red and gold coloring instead of the traditional blue/grey/white (These are still available btw). From what I understand Lucas and Eisner had a falling out and that put the project on hold. At this point we can only hope that by the time Lucas is done with Episode III Disneyt can mend fences with him and get this project approved.

[captveg]

Well I am not sure what system you are talking about when they restored Star Wars. I know that they resotored the trilogy in 1997 and as far as I know they used the system that I explained, I could be wrong though.

I think he's referring to the digital cleanup that LDI (Lowry Digital Images) did for the DVD release. You can read about it HERE

[Disneyfreak]

I go to the Irvine Spectrum and 90 percent of the theaters are digital video.

[E-ticket]

E-Ticket's plan for rennovating Star Tours:

1. Re-do the video with CGI instead of the old miniature models (This only bothers me when you get really close to the X-wings in formation... they look so fake!)

2. Make sure that every simulator is synch'ed up properly

3. Have unique destinations for each of the simulators... 1 trip to Endor, 1 trip to Coruscant, 1 trip to Tatooine, 1 trip to Hoth, and maybe even skim the surface of most of these planets.

4. Have SW characters patrol the area in & around the attraction (hooray for Wookiees!)

5. Re-do the flight attendant greeting video (does anybody besides me think that lady looks a bit like a teapot?)

6. Take down the Energizer posters at the exit!

7. Keep the bad edit in the comets part. I used to hate this, but it grew on me over time.

8. Make the queue more interactive. It would be great if those weird orange lights would blink and make sounds when people passed through them.

[Cuzco-topia]

E-Ticket's plan for rennovating Star Tours:

1. Re-do the video with CGI instead of the old miniature models (This only bothers me when you get really close to the X-wings in formation... they look so fake!)

2. Make sure that every simulator is synch'ed up properly

3. Have unique destinations for each of the simulators... 1 trip to Endor, 1 trip to Coruscant, 1 trip to Tatooine, 1 trip to Hoth, and maybe even skim the surface of most of these planets.

4. Have SW characters patrol the area in & around the attraction (hooray for Wookiees!)

5. Re-do the flight attendant greeting video (does anybody besides me think that lady looks a bit like a teapot?)

6. Take down the Energizer posters at the exit!

7. Keep the bad edit in the comets part. I used to hate this, but it grew on me over time.

8. Make the queue more interactive. It would be great if those weird orange lights would blink and make sounds when people passed through them.

Yeah for the Teapot Lady!!!

[captveg]

1. Re-do the video with CGI instead of the old miniature models (This only bothers me when you get really close to the X-wings in formation... they look so fake!)

This is not a problem with the models but rather the composition with the background. People don't realize that models are still used heavily in the Prequel Trilogy SW films. Those Naboo fighters in Phantom Menace? Models.

[E-ticket]

This is not a problem with the models but rather the composition with the background. People don't realize that models are still used heavily in the Prequel Trilogy SW films. Those Naboo fighters in Phantom Menace? Models.

Hmm... they had me fooled. Thanks for that information!

Models or not, I just want them to look better than they do.

[pjdonnell]

E-Ticket's plan for rennovating Star Tours:
5. Re-do the flight attendant greeting video (does anybody besides me think that lady looks a bit like a teapot?)

My brother and I crack up every time as we watch her "eyebrow dance!"

[Boingonut]

I go to the Irvine Spectrum and 90 percent of the theaters are digital video.

I've been there, they have ONE 8 story IMAX which has 70mm and has some digital presantions every once in a while, the rest of the theaters are 35mm film with digital sound like every other nice theater in the United States.

[DisneyFan25863]

E-Ticket's plan for rennovating Star Tours:


5. Re-do the flight attendant greeting video (does anybody besides me think that lady looks a bit like a teapot?)

She looks like Condoleezza Rice to me.



And, again, while you may prefer the look of film, to the average guest, they would rather not see the scratches and pops on the film. And if Disney replaces the film, it would only get messed up again. Digital is the way to go.

[pjdonnell]

I've been there, they have ONE 8 story IMAX which has 70mm and has some digital presantions every once in a while, the rest of the theaters are 35mm film with digital sound like every other nice theater in the United States.

Umm, when Star Wars Episode II came out, the Edward's Irvine Spectrum was one of the few places where you could see a digital projection of the film. I know, I stood in line for it. So yes, they do have at least one regular theater there with a digital projector.