SerenityMovie.net

[Lemming]

The word is "fanwank"

Of course, few of these weapons make make much sense in real world terms despite being often built around existing guns, but as fans of just about any genre show you could name, we feel *compelled* to come up with explanations for absolutely *everything* that appears on screen as though it was *actually real* (which is kinda daft if you think about it)

What can I say...it's a disease

(The whole Speculation segment series on The Signal is nothing more than an extended exercise in this fine fanninsh onanistic tradition.
Everyone does it, secretly enjoys it, it's habit forming and can eventually make you go blind

Interesting, I didn't know Karl had parted ways with QMx. I'll have to ask Andy about that next time I speak to him. Hopefully an amicable departure. He's an extremely gifted prop maker (professional - it's what he does - in fact that may be the reason he left QMx, to go make the "real" things) - you two would get on like a house on fire

Nick
(and that was total speculation on my part....see, we can't help it!)
_________________

[pennausamike]

[Loire]

Wow, didnt expect to invoke this sort of discussion.
A rail/ gauss gun? My deity, I dont think so. I would be happy thinking
that a trigger system was replaced with electronics,
to cover the sound they make.
L

[pennausamike]

Proof once again that I have TOO many projects.



Yes, that is a three foot long, HO scale, fiberglass Firefly.

Which is no longer a project, because I sold it to finance the 2011 BCB trip.







After I sold my 3 foot Firefly to finance a trip I didn't take

I bought this 15 inch replacement.



And honestly, it will be easier to build and display than the larger one.
Also, notice I still have just as many projects!

Mike

[Loire]

Wow, thats one big ass firefly! Where are ya gonna put it?
Suppose some (insert ALOT) of browncoats would love one.
What ya gonna do with it Mike? Give, Keep, or aution to charity!
Or you could make it into a Series 3 Cerberus type gunship, that would be pretty shiny.
As always lookin forward to the updates.

L
PS. Is this the only thread people talk in here anymore?

[Lemming]

Alas, that's mostly a yes to that.

OT: it's quite strange how several of the forums have declined in the last year or so. We expected there to be some drop off here when The Signal moved all it's active posting to our own forums (which tick over nicely enough, but there's rarely more than a dozen posts a day if that).
The Universal HD board seemed to dry up once FF wasn't being shown - dropping from a very dynamic and active place to just about dead. The UK forum also seemed to dry up a couple of years ago for some unknown reason (I suspect bloody Facebook maybe partly to blame)
Fireflyfans.net is still pretty active and Whedonesque of course has it's own small group of overactive commenters (the less said about the recent HNBF nonsense the better) and there are other places I don't have time to look at I'm sure.

I'm just as guilty of not posting here as anyone, but I do still keep tabs

Nick
_________________

[pennausamike]

A prop for "Fool Me Twice" that is still in-process.
This is the handgun for the main "villain".



The operating system is super compressed air housed in the magazine,
with the projectiles, that removes like a conventional pistol magazine.
So, it is flashy and out-sized in proportion to it's lower hitting power,
kinda like my blustery antagonist.

In real-life, it is lotsa leftover flotsam-and-jetsom.
The main body is an old paint gun, the barrel is from my first Zoe carbine replica,
the rear sight is a Chicago air fitting clamp and everything else is machined out of scrap aluminum.

The incomplete-ness of this prop project is one more indicator of my ramped-up real-life interference in my hobbies.


Far as the overall slowness of the boards, well, let's face it;
first there is no new content
(and the comic books and fan-films don't seem to be filling the void)
so only the hardcore fans are left.
And, in the absence of new content, for many folks, all the topics have been discussed to death.

This board is pretty mild mannered, but many of the more active boards are populated by argumentative types who drive off the "normal" folks.

Also, it seems most folks are ONLY interested in the show, without looking beyond that.
Like I wrote in my Firefly Fan Films column; http://www.fanfilmfollies.com/featured/firefly-fan-films-on-fan-film-follies
There are many other Firefly ‘verse stories to tell.
Story arcs exploring the reach and machinations of Blue Sun,
tales of Companions and politics, dissatisfactions within the Alliance;
the Firefly ‘verse is rich with story ideas beyond a simple “peril-of-the-week-for-the-crew”.

Stories about cops and robbers and Companions and politics and business could be fodder for discussion, but few seem interested.

Mike

[BrownCoat1]

Looking good Mike!
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[Loire]

Nice work Mike.. Im sure I speak for everyone in that we wish we had your machine working skills!
Btw, you never said what you'll do with ther resin 3' firefly.. Eager to know over here..
L

[pennausamike]

[pennausamike]

Making a little forward progress on my next project.
I've had a static version of this prop for a long time, but it is just very unsatisfying.
I'm not too sure about the internal mechanism,
and I realized I drew the return position ramps on the release mechanism in the wrong plane.
The other area for concern is that the extended springs will collapse back to compressed position without kinking.
A lot of these types of problems would be easier to solve if there was more internal space to work with.
But if it works....it'll be so cool.



Springs proved to be unusable, I have new ones on order.
But, I'm still on track to have a working Blue Hands Neural Bleeder.
Well, working like pops open, not working like makes people bleed out!

[BrownCoat1]

Shiny! Can't wait to see the finished product. Make a great addition to the collection.
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[pennausamike]

The springs came in, I drilled the bodies to accept them,
and they work as hoped for!
So, the project is back where it was a week ago.
Barely a hiccup, when I was expecting far worse.



The next step is to finalize sizes for the release mechanism.
It will basically be a slim, rectangular release button in the center
that holds the little blocks back.

There is still a lot of work to go,
(release mechanism, top cover, paint, fitting and final assembly).

[BrownCoat1]

Coming along nicely!
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[pennausamike]

Latest update on the neural bleeder death thingies.

At this point they are about two-thirds done and the release mechanism works.
In the first pic they are shown with the rods captured closed:



and in the second pic the mock up is popped open
while the cover-off version shows how the rods slide past the release catch.



In the third pic you can see all but two of the parts, and some hardware.
I still have to make an escutcheon plate for the release button
and there is a black plastic end piece that will go over the socket head cap screw on the one end.
The bodies still need to be drilled and tapped for the cover plate
and there is a fair amount of hand filing and deburring work to do.



I expect to finish this project by mid-July.

Mike

[BrownCoat1]

Shiny!

Wish I had the talent to put one of those together. Make a great prop for my Hands of Blue costume.
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[pennausamike]

And sometimes something comes along that is too good to pass up.
Although I'm trying to not take on any new projects,
when a Firefly collector/builder offered these castings,
I couldn't say "no".



And after machining a few replacement parts:



From the new Firefly: Still Flying volume, this is a replica of the hideout pistol Jayne was so industriously taping to his stomach.



I'll finish my 2X2 HOB death thingies first, but this will be a July/August project, along with finally finishing my Sidkit Mal pistol.

Mike

[BrownCoat1]

Shiny!

You're right Mike, how could you say "no"?
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[pennausamike]

More progress:

All the pieces are made; note: that's MADE, NOT finished.



I have to drill and tap the bodies and cover plates so they can be bolted together.



After that will be some fine tuning.
I need to ream the holes for the acrylic rods.
The drill was too inconsistent and some of the end caps and sliding blocks won't press on the rods.
Overall, some final fit and finish is required.



The final steps will be to paint the bodies in krinkle-finish black, assemble, and send to their new homes.



I'm debating whether to serial number them;
something like 1-8 through 8-8 or 108 through 808.

Still on track for a mid-July finish.

Mike

[BrownCoat1]

Looking great Mike!
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[pennausamike]

New family portrait.



Although it just looks like a little putty and, VIOLA!, they're done; there's a lot more involved than that.
The green one to the left is a badly damaged, poorly molded production piece that had been relegated to paint tests,
and the gray one on the right is a Golden Armor made helmet with spikey, blown-in fiberglass sticking out all over the inside.
I completely sealed and refinished the GA helmet,
and I had to saw cut the green one to lay new mat on the inside to correct it, as well as rebuilding external features on both.



Ohhh, yeahhhh, NOW I remember why I put off finishing them....



I'm finishing these up for inclusion in the new Firefly Fan Film, "First Meeting".

Lower quality pic, but the work is further along:



Mike

[pennausamike]

I finished all the machine work on the HOB Neural Bleeders.



These little piles of parts just somehow don't convey the hours spent making them.
Also, the few modifications I made have taken their toll on the fit of the moving parts.
Tiny burrs from a change here and there means that the slides barely slide.
You can't see in the picture, but I've numbered the parts,
so now begins the process of fitting each one individually.
I assembled one.
It barely moved; but an hour's work and it ejected the unattached blue rod right out of the slide.
(Which was really funny, 'til I realized it went into a pile of "stuff" and now I can't find it!)

So, I'm looking at about two more weeks to get these all deburred, fitted, painted and assembled.

Mike

[BrownCoat1]

Sorry you are running into issues with the bleeders due to your mods. I can't imagine how much time you must have put into these, but your handiwork is amazing. I am always amazed at your attention to detail on your creations.
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[pennausamike]

OK, I admit it; I haven't gotten a thing done on the Blue Hands Neural Bleeders.
Distractions? Yeah, I got distractions......
I've been distracted by a number of things, including:



a leaky radiator in my 2001 black Cadillac.
275 horsepower, 300lb/ft of torque, 20 miles per gallon, Bose 10 speaker stereo;
I love to drive this car, but it is a NIGHTMARE to work on!

But, like the guitar, this is only a detour.
I'll be back on more Firefly projects soon-enough!

Mike

[BrownCoat1]

Sorry to hear about the radiator Mike.
_________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

[pennausamike]

Because I'm taking some of my prop collection to the 2011 Browncoat Ball Prop Museum,
I want to have some nice displays finished.

Two that I'm working on, when I can, are for Jayne and Zoe.
The Zoe display will be a case for her three main weapons,
the Firefly Mare's Leg,
the BDM Serenity Mare's Leg
and the Firefly pistol she carried in the cross-draw holster.
This pic shows the foam "nest" I made, now I need to find matching brown fur to upholster it.



For Jayne, I'm building a rather large shadowbox to display his Firefly and BDM Serenity weapons, patches and a few pertinent pictures.
This will be stained in a near clear to show off the light wood,
and I'll use aluminum posts for the weapons and aluminum push-pins to hold the patches and pictures.
The MP5K is just a place holder,
I'll be building a more accurate one for Jayne's, "Let's be bad guys", rig.



Anything I don't finish I'll take along anyway, because I think in replica prop making,
the process is as much about the hobby as the finished product.

Mike

[pennausamike]

OK, I'm not making it to the 2011 BCB any more,
but I did get a boatload of work done in the meanwhile.

The Jayne shadow box display is coming along nicely.
I built the main box with a machined groove to glue the panels in
and a machined groove for a removable (lifts up and out the top) Plexiglas front.



I finished the Zoe travel case by sewing two pieces of the original fur together.
I couldn't find a close match, so I had to c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y strip the original fur off an interior panel.
I can see the seam, but it isn't real noticeable unless you know to look for it.



I also happened into a Rance Burgess laser kit (from "Heart of Gold").
The original hero prop is available for about eight grand,
but my budget was about $7,850 less than that, so I'm building this really nice static display model.



The kit was cast off the rubber stunt prop so I had to machine out the gap in the handle, I drilled out the barrels,
and I drilled and filed out the (supposed to be) open areas around the barrels.
I also machined a stainless tube for the "check battery" tube and machined aluminum end caps.



Finally, I tried to finish my Mal pistol,
but I'm rather ambivalent about the "final" result.



The weathering wouldn't have been bad for a 1/32nd scale model airplane,
but as I'm sure ya'll have noticed,
the Mal pistol isn't a 1/32nd scale model airplane.....sigh.
So, I see this sitting for another few months/longer 'til I feel like taking another stab at it.



On the plus side, the overall presentation is what I wanted, the real walnut grips look really nice in person,
the finish is painted so it's fix-able, and the value is there for a metal Mal.
The pistol, two spare mags, case, cleaning tools, ship's papers, St. Lucy's ID and 'verse money
STILL represents only about a $650 dollar investment.
And of course, a WHOLE lotta hours making everything.
But that had value, too!



As a final note, I'm really pleased with how the cleaning and disassembly tools came out.
This was an idea that just popped out of the fact that I had some black walnut laying around;
sort of a, "I wonder what-if?" moment.
The tools all fit the various screws (tho' nothing comes apart),
and the cleaning tools would really work,
if there was anything to clean.



So, even though it isn't quite finished, my Mal pistol has been a pretty satisfying project.

Mike

[pennausamike]

Firefly/Serenity Collectors' Corner: The video



If you are going to have a Firefly and Serenity collection, it all starts here; the DVD's.
First would be the four disc set in the slipcase.
I recommend this version over the less expensive set currently available at Walmart for $19.95.
The less expensive set is four discs in a single case.
I just prefer the more expensive packaging,
in part because there is more info on the individual case sleeves,
in part because such a noteworthy show deserves the better presentation,
but mostly I have a sense of warm nostalgia at handling the DVD box set that shocked the execs who canceled such an "unpopular" show.

The second required viewing item is the Serenity Collectors Edition.
It is the black box next to the Firefly slipcase.
The Collectors Edition has all the special features of the original release of Serenity (top of the picture)
plus most of the features of the Australian release (middle of the second row).

I actually bought a region-free DVD player to watch the Australian version of Serenity.
The special features included a few things not on the original US Serenity release
and also a Q&A with Joss Whedon at FOX Studios in Sydney Australia
that has STILL not been released anywhere else.

The DVD at the top-row-right is the "Done The Impossible- A Fans' Tale of Firefly & Serenity".
Brought to you some uber Firefly/Serenity fans (including the creator of this website)
DTI is an excellent overview of the brightest hour of Browncoat fandom.
The early "save Firefly" movement, the guerrilla marketing campaign,
the creator, cast and crew refusing to give up, the interaction between fans and filmmakers,
everything leading up to the green light for the BDM Serenity;
are encapsulated in this well-made documentary.
I came kinda late to the party (January 2006 after seeing BDM Serenity on DVD)
so DTI is my link to the most optimistic days of the fandom.

The DVD under DTI is a collection of panels filmed at a handful of conventions.
Sadly, the sound is so bad, these things are nearly unwatchable.
Sitting quietly, it is barely possible to make out kinda-sorta most of what is said.
I put the best of these on at a shindig once, but I could tell I was making folks strain too hard to follow for this to be fun.
Only for the most hard-core collector.

Finally, on the far right is a Joss Whedon interview on "the Write Environment" hosted by Jeffrey Berman DVD.


more info to follow

[pennausamike]

Firefly/Serenity Collectors' Corner: The Music



So___Many___Words___

The music of Firefly was every bit as unique as every other aspect of the show.
Greg Edmonson scored Firefly in an amazing blend of American country-western with an international twist.
The Firefly sound was very organic, always sounding as if it could be played on those backwater worlds
where folks were left with nothing but a few blankets and a herd...
...and some simple stringed instruments.
Although Greg used some electronic tonalities in some of the "battle" music,
it was things like the juxtaposition of his homespun guitar chords over a space ship lighting the afterburners
that helped the future world of the 'verse feel comfortable and at home in our early 21st century hearts.

John Williams popularized the idea of writing musical themes for characters in Star Wars,
but Greg Edmonson has said he wrote to capture the emotion of a scene rather than try to write character themes.
Even the oboe piece that has come to be thought of as Jubal Early's theme
was written to capture the mood of this really bad man sneaking aboard Serenity.
From the energetic hoe down song backing the spaceball game opening of "Bushwacked",
to the weeping funeral song of "The Message",
I can't recall an out of place note in the Firefly 'verse.
The soundtrack album captures much of that wide range of musical style
(tho' the absence of the Persephone docks music, "The Hero of Canton", and the "Our Mrs. Reynolds" river intro music is sorely felt).
The only problem with listening to a TV soundtrack album is that the musical pieces are barely more than snippets.
The Firefly album is essentially 44 pieces of music broken up into 25 tracks.
And even at that, I rearranged the song order to try to make the music "flow" a little more to my liking.
Snippets or no, this album still triggers emotional responses straight out of the show,
and listening is like carrying a little bit of the show where ever you take your CD or MP3 player.

Top left is the Firefly music book.
It's filled with a bunch of notes that, frankly, mean nothing to me,
but I bought it because of my love for the music that Greg Edmonson created for Firefly,
and a hope, however fleeting and unlikely, that I might someday be able to make use of it.

Below the music book is the Firefly soundtrack album, which also includes the show's theme,
written by Joss Whedon and performed by Sonny Rhoades.
I have to admit, the first time I heard the Ballad of Serenity, I thought it was a little goofy.
About four episodes in I realized how perfectly it captured the Firefly vibe,
and at some point before I finished watching the series for the first time,
I found myself singing along.

To the right of the Firefly soundtrack album is the BDM Serenity soundtrack.
Yeah, uh, well; it's a really good MOVIE soundtrack, but....
like many of the changes made to BDM Serenity from the TV show, Firefly,
it feels too much like an attempt to appeal to a mainstream audience.
BDM Serenity's soundtrack is-just-so-much-BIGGER.
In the liner notes, Joss Whedon waxes enthusiastic about composer David Newman's talent.
And everything he says is true: Newman "got" the "western" thing
(our first view of Serenity breaking atmo to a banjo is a very "Firefly" moment)
and he crafted a very solid movie score.
But at times, BDM Serenity's score almost feels cliche.
The characters had themes
(tho' River's slightly out of tune piano theme does capture her slightly out of tune character)
and where Firefly felt very organic, BDM Serenity feels very "Alliance",
that is to say the music better represented the resources of the Core planets
than the Rim worlds the audience is asked to identify with.
Much of the big battle music feels very, "been-there-done-that" up to and including a number of (seems like)
note by note, sound by sound lifts from the Road Warrior and Star Wars soundtracks.
Missing is the very cool electronic music that so well fits Serenity docking at the Beaumonde shipyard.

Most Firefly fans seem to feel that the scoring nod should have gone to Greg Edmonson.
Artistically I agree.
Commercially, I can see the David Newman score for a blockbuster summer release,
but when Universal decided on a, "nobody but Browncoats will see this movie" Fall release;
well aw shoot, they might as well have let Greg score the thing with that "Wow, never heard that before" touch of his.

Above the BDM Serenity soundtrack are the CD's
"On The Drift" from the Bedlam Bards and the
"Done The Impossible" soundtrack.
These albums are a mixture of songs that fit IN the 'verse,
and songs ABOUT the show and fandom.
I'm not personally into folk music or Filk, but like Greg Edmonson's Firefly music,
many of the songs transcend a pidgeonhole genre and work as the eclectic mix that defines the Firefly 'verse.
And some are just fun Browncoat anthems, good for singin' along, if'n ya can remember all the words.

And finally, I beg a little indulgence, (assuming your eyeballs haven't already rolled back into your skull from so___many___words).
Part of my love of the Firefly 'verse is that I could pack my bags and move there.
When I build the props highlighted in this collection thread or listen to the music from the show,
there is a sense of at least peripherally inhabiting that fictional world.
And if I'm going somewhere, I'm not leaving my Led Zeppelin behind.
Led Zeppelin isn't totally out of place in the 'verse, because the band traveled the world
and brought back Eastern tonalities, phrasing and instruments, and incorporated them into their rock sound.

So, the green album in the upper right is "Kashmir: Symphonic Led Zeppelin" played by The London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Arranged by Jaz Coleman, the mix is so Eastern, I believe parts of it could be literally used as backing for the Firefly show.



more info to follow

[pennausamike]

Firefly/Serenity Collectors' Corner: The Companion Volumes

Alright, if the Firefly DVD boxed set and the Serenity Collectors Edition DVD's
are the obvious ESSENTIAL Firefly/Serenity purchase,
I'd tend to place all four of the Companion volumes as a close second.



These books contain the scripts for all the episodes and the movie,
plus a wealth of info on the fictional Firefly/Serenity 'verse,
and the behind the scenes people, props, sets and wardrobe that made the 'verse come alive.

The majority of Firefly props were rescued from obscurity or worse by English film industry professional, Karl Derrick.
Although he is currently selling off the collection, it is featured prominently in the companion volumes
and on Karl's Firefly Archive website:
http://www.fireflyarchive.com/index.html

Firefly Companion Vol. I contains the scripts for:
Serenity
The Train Job
Bushwacked
Shindig
Safe
Our Mrs. Reynolds

Firefly Companion Vol. II contains the scripts for:
Jaynestown
Out Of Gas
Ariel
War Stories
Trash
The Message
Heart Of Gold
Objects In Space







more info to follow