TPM Yoda puppet now CGI???

[Ollie 1,066]

While watching some of the material on Disc 2 of ROTS I noticed a CGI Yoda sitting on the Jedi Council delivering a set of lines he gave Anakin in TPM about what fear leads to, hate anger suffering blah blah blah.

Anyhow I can't remember which doc it was because I was skipping thru but I don't remember him repeating those lines in AOTC or ROTS so maybe Lucas went back and removed the puppet.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

If Lucas touches TPM, he has raped my childhood.

[Ollie 1,066]

[deimos 0]

I posted this on the prequel trilogy Music Resource. Completely real.

As you see Neil, I learned.

[Romão 2,276]

This change has been know for quite some time. Anyway, the TPM puppet Yoda looked like crap.

[GoodMusician 56]

I knew something looked different...

wasn't it originally a puppet?

As far as a puppet looking like crap... it's kind of interesting... In the time of the original star wars, Jim Henson was in his prime and using a puppet was like... the technology of the time...

Today, we use CG...

I dunno...

Are they releasing TPM redone with Yoda all CG?

[Jeshopk 8]

That was exciting to see. I look forward to a rerelease of the Prequel Trilogy with some fixes of awkward shots. And I pray they give Williams a chance to redo all music where tracking occurs, with no input by Mr. Burtt (who'll then be retired from Lucasfilm). If they can do it for LOTR in a matter of months, it should be no problem. The only problem is that I doubt Lucas sees any problem with the tracking.

[Romão 2,276]

I never said the OT puppet loked like crap, which it didn't. But the puppet in TPM didn't even look like Yoda. And he looked strabic or something.

[MontyBurns 0]

Part of the genius of the original puppet was Stuart Freeborn’s design, Frank Oz and his team controlling it, Hamill’s (grossly underrated) ability to react to it and the cinematography which all aided just how lifelike the original Yoda was.

With Phantom Menace Freeborn had no hand in the design, and - as was genuinely the case with much of the prequel trilogy’s problems - there simply didn’t seem to be an effective unity between different production departments in making the visual elements of the latest three movies seem like they were part of one environment, and indeed a realistic environment (this seems more and more obvious as we went from Episode to Episode). Ironically I think Phantom Menace is perhaps the most visually consistent of the three prequels, but certainly in the case of Yoda the lighting and actual design of the puppet let it down terribly.

It’s for the best they’ve changed it to a CGI version for future releases of Episode I, but I still think that better yet would have been to have a superb puppet as we had over twenty years ago. It’s somewhat baffling to think they could not pull off such a thing that was even remotely close in quality to the original all these years later. That said, in Episode III especially there were some very nice subtle elements to the CG version like catches of light on the tips of his ears causing that realistic inner red glow, and also his ears would bob quite naturally as they would were someone’s hand inside a head controlling a puppet.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

i fully expect a cg yoda to debut in TPM sooner rather than later. didnt u guys know that Lucas instructed ILM to convert TPM's yoda into cg as practice for ROTS? that said, yeah, the TPM puppet was crap....never looked like Yoda

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sigh.

The pupper in TPM looked different because he was a few decades younger then the Yoda in TESB and ROTJ and had not been living in a swamp for many years.

It utterly amazes me how many people are to dumb to grasp this simple fact.

Yoda's appearance in TPM was far from that film's biggest problem.

[MontyBurns 0]

It utterly amazes me how many people are to dumb to grasp this simple fact.

Who's actually disputing that? The principal argument from a lot of people isn't generally over the fact that "it doesn’t look like the original" but more that it's merely an awful and misjudged design lacking in similar expert craftsmanship that went into the original.

[Justin 2]

Yoda's appearance in TPM was far from that film's biggest problem.

Indeed. It's interesting that this is the most important thing that Lucas felt needed to be changed in TPM.

The man is more concerned with continuity than quality.

Justin

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

IGN: Is it true you're going to digitize Yoda in Episode I to match the Yoda in the other two prequels?

Rob Coleman: We've already gone ahead and did that. We did that between Episode II and III. It was really an exercise to get the team back into the character. On Episode II, I was stressing about living up to what Frank had created. [...] we were learning about acting as animators. It was really exciting for me to have the team back again between Episode II and III. We used Episode I as a test-bed because we didn't know what was going to be in Episode III so we got the team back up to speed. We really honed our acting skills and, using that as a springboard, we moved right on to Episode III.

IGN: Frank what in your opinion is lost by the use of CGI?

Oz: What's lost is the physicality of the character. But, at the same time, the gain is so much because there is no way on God's Earth I could have done anything near to that terrific fight. There's a minimal loss compared to what you have gained. [...]

IGN: If you do replace the Yoda from Episode I, on one hand it's great, but on the other hand, you would be losing 50% of Frank's performance. How do you feel about that?

Coleman: I would actually disagree. We don't lose 50% of is performance because not only do we have his voice, but we also have what he did in that movie and that was our touchstone that we used precisely. All that you're really going to see if it ever comes to life is out computer-animated character doing exactly what he did on the day. It was not my desire to re-do what he did; it was really to focus the animators in on looking what he didn't do and just bring that over to the CGI world. It was a fantastic exercise for us to get a little bit into head, but very specifically into how Yoda moves and interacts with the actor.

IGN: Since Yoda was digitally replaced in the first one, is there any talk of doing the same with the original trilogy?

Coleman: No chance! That will never happened to it.

Full article here.

The digital Yoda in TPM was a practice for the animators working on Episode III. There is no mention of definite plans to release TPM with the digital Yoda in it. They didn't go into it trying to replace it to maintain continuity between the prequels or whatever - it was purely an exercise for the animators.

However, knowing Lucas, now that a digital version of the TPM performance exists, I would not be extremely surprised if a future release of TPM features a digital Yoda.

- Marc

[Luke Skywalker 1,805]

And if they did the same wit h ESB'a toda for EP II, i expect them to do the same to, regardless of them saying no...

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

Sigh.

The pupper in TPM looked different because he was a few decades younger then the Yoda in TESB and ROTJ and had not been living in a swamp for many years.

It utterly amazes me how many people are to dumb to grasp this simple fact.

far from it. i used to try and console myself that this was the fact. unfortunately, i could fool myself for only so long. the TPM puppet looked far more sickly and haggard than the OT ones, except for his clothes. no, it didnt look like a younger version of yoda, more like an imposter of the same species

[gkgyver 1,646]

If they ever replace the Yoda from the original trilogy with CGI, I'm sure Neil will fall into a coma right on the spot

[Sixers 0]

i always thought that the TPM Yoda puppet had sort of a female appearance to him, but did was a sucessful younger version of yoda

as for the movie, i didnt think that it was that bad

[Composer_Fan 2]

If they ever replace the Yoda from the original trilogy with CGI, I'm sure Neil will fall into a coma right on the spot   8O  

You know it's bound to happen. CGI is inevitable...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Neil doesn't care about TESB and ROTJ.

[Lurker 5]

Here's my rule. If it has Yoda or Jabba in it, it isn't Star Wars. That leaves just one movie, the original version of Star Wars.

Neil

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Uh... Neil, I thought you liked ESB.

[GoodMusician 56]

Actually... Jabba is in A New Hope... ;-)

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Actually... Jabba is in A New Hope... ;-)

He was in A New Hope, but he wasn't in Star Wars.

[GoodMusician 56]

you all complain and belittle too much...

[Orson 1]

I for one am glad they fixed Yoda. That puppet was absolutely pitiful.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Now if only someone would go ahead and colourise Citizen Kane. If Orson had had the technology at the time I'm sure he would have wanted to make it in colour. At the raleigh we could have thousands of digital people in the audience. Oh, and as the camera pulls back at the end we could have the Raiders March starting up for a few seconds as a final sort of clever in-joke.

[MrScratch 294]

If Orson had had the technology at the time I'm sure he would have wanted to make it in colour.

I know you're joking, but you bring up a good point. If given a choice, I'm sure Welles would have kept Kane in B&W. However, I can see him using color very effectively in The Magnificent Amersons.

Jeff

[MrScratch 294]

I for one am glad they fixed Yoda. That puppet was absolutely pitiful.

Agreed. I thought it looked horrible from the very first image I ever saw of it. Why would Yoda who is hundreds of years old look that different in a period of just thirty years. That's like a few months in people years.

Too bad they can't fix everything else about the movie...

Jeff

[Orson 1]

Now if only someone would go ahead and colourise Citizen Kane. If Orson had had the technology at the time I'm sure he would have wanted to make it in colour. At the raleigh we could have thousands of digital people in the audience. Oh, and as the camera pulls back at the end we could have the Raiders March starting up for a few seconds as a final sort of clever in-joke.

I'll tell you what I told Ted Turner... keep your damn crayolas away from my movie.

[Orson 1]

I for one am glad they fixed Yoda. That puppet was absolutely pitiful.

Agreed. I thought it looked horrible from the very first image I ever saw of it. Why would Yoda who is hundreds of years old look that different in a period of just thirty years. That's like a few months in people years.

Too bad they can't fix everything else about the movie...

Jeff

Exactly. While it may not fix the other flaws of the film, it at least it will hopefully do justice enough that I can actually sit through those council scenes without looking at a Yoda that looked half stoned. And I really hope that when they were doing those scenes, they removed this guy....

I can't concentrate on anything Qui Gon says when his head is bobbing back and forth behind.

[Lurker 5]

That image isn't showing up.

Neil

[Orson 1]

That's strange... it is for me.

[Jeshopk 8]

I know who you mean, Orson. The long necked alien who is doing a gentle sway of the head? I look at that every time as well. But I missed him in later episodes. He was rather eccentric, and it would have been interesting to see him decapitated in the arena.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Apparently, his name is Yarael Poof. He did not return in later episodes.

[Orson 1]

He was rather eccentric, and it would have been interesting to see him decapitated in the arena.

That would indeed have been interesting. I'm sure he would have gone out fast as I don't think he'd be at all intimidating whilst yielding a lightsabre.

[Orson 1]

Apparently, his name is Yarael Poof. He did not return in later episodes.

Wonder why my pic didn't work. Strange that I can view it but apparently no one else can. Anyway, that's him and what a name. Just like that and Poof... your head is gone.

[codanai 0]

I believe he was killed, most likely in the Clone Wars. He was one of TPM's BEST CHARACTERS!!!

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Orson, your pic is hosted by TriPod. TriPod doesn't allow hotlinking and blocks the image for us to see.

[Orson 1]

I didn't know that.. thanks for telling me.

[JWfangirl1992 18]

I am glad they changed Yoda in epi. II and III...if they didnt Yoda would never had been able to kick a$$!

[pat_burke 0]

I didn't know that.. thanks for telling me.

I could see it. But I can't see most people's avatars.

[Luke Skywalker 1,805]

Just like that and Poof... your head is gone.

You know, in the official site they showed a decapitated version of him in a behind the scenes photo. Since the head is CGI.

I think we all agree the TPM puppet doesnt look like yoda and is horrendous.

But i hope anyone denies that as a puppet its much better and realistic than the OT ones.

[Romão 2,276]

I believe he was killed, most likely in the Clone Wars.  He was one of TPM's BEST CHARACTERS!!!

Lucas has said that he removed him from the Jedi Council in AOTC because he was afraid people would mistake him with Kaminoans.

[Trent B 337]

I've known about this for quite a while. This was posted on the MF. I for one am glad they're changing Yoda in TPM. While I love the prequels every time I see that damn Yoda in TPM I just cringe. As someone stated before he does look like he's stoned especially when he bobs his head up and down. Hell he doesn't even close his eyes when he says, "Ah hard to see the Dark Side is."

But yes this is going to happen. This wasn't just wasn't meerly a test, that f-ing ugly puppet is going to get replaced.

[GoodMusician 56]

he looks more like the alien that comes out at the end of Close Encounters... and reaches out it's arms and stuff... lol

then again, Steven Speilburg's universe isn't that seperate from George Lucas... ET was in star wars... heh

[Romão 2,276]

And Yoda was in E.T

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

As was Boba Fett.

[Henry B 50]

No matter how bad that puppet was, it still looked better than the CG Yoda.

[Jeshopk 8]

ughh. Well, no. I mean, it might have fit into Warriors of Virtue or something. At least they "traced" yoda's old face with the CG version.