Your Figures In Action! (with PICS!)

fenris

New member
Spassvogel said:
grail2.jpg

Awww... man! That pic reminded me how I lost Henry's Grail Diary... It's sooooo small!!!
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Dr. Gonzo said:
Ladies and gentlemen part one of Indiana Jones and the Rise of the Dead.
Enjoy.

http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?p=479422#post479422

This is absolutely delightful!! Well worth the wait.

I really do hope that the Raven community takes the time to watch and comment on this lovely film. It shows tremendous talent, creativity and enthusiasm.

On a technical level, there is so much to be admired here. The lighting, cinematography and dioramas are really terrific. The lighting is wonderfully evocative and adds a beautiful sense of atmosphere.

I was skeptical of the concept of making a film using action figures that wasn't stop motion. Given that you are literally holding the figures just out of camera range. Well, I think the effect COULD have been rather silly.

But you pull off a tricky technique. A few really cool shots like the gun going into the holster add quite a lot. Sure, some of the movements are a bit limited - the only one that really felt even slightly "off" was Sallah crawling out from the rubble. I think if you had cut that shot shorter by a hair it would have been better. A very minor quibble, though.

The direction is really great, again, especially given the limitations. I was delighted to see the green-screened close-ups in the car chase!! The first few shots of the chase were good, but I worried you wouldn't be able to get in too close to the action. And the - wow - suddenly we got the wonderful green screen work. Well done!

The voice work is generally very good. Indy's tone and inflections feel very Ford-esque to me. One minor complaint - there is a moment where Indy and Sallah are talking over each other and, for a few seconds, it seems as if Sallah has lost his British accent and sounds too much like Indy. It was hard to tell who was who - but that only lasted for a moment or two.

I do hope you can try to introduce some custom figures into the story later. The difference in scale between Indy and the Russian baddie character weren't too noticeable, given that the Ruskie was seated in the jeep, but it could be a minor issue down the line.

In terms of story and writing - it's a little early to tell too much. I'm wondering if this sequence is going to be a "stand alone" prologue segment like in the classic films or if you're just diving into the main story due to time considerations. Russians and Nazis working together in 1936? An intriguing idea, I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. The dialogue is all fine, though I had to smile at the "you've seen too much" bit. It may be a cliche, but it's a fun cliche and it adds just the right dose of old fashioned camp to the proceedings.

Anyway, thanks so much for posting this. I know you said it might be a "while" before you finished the first chapter, but this was worth the way. I anxiously await the next installment!

In the meantime, I encourage all Raveners to check out and leave some feedback for what must have been a major undertaking! Thanks for sharing, Gonzo!!!
 

Montana Smith

Active member
I loved it Dr. Gonzo! (y)

Lance said it all.

Indy was known for anachronisms, so a joint German-Russian operation prior to 1939 fits right in! ;) Same goes for the colourful Nazi Jeep!
 

lao che & sons

New member
Dr. Gonzo said:
Ladies and gentlemen part one of Indiana Jones and the Rise of the Dead.
Enjoy.

http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?p=479422#post479422

This is the fourth time I've commented on this film. Lance pretty much covered it all. I'm almost thinking that we're still in the intro and the real story hasn't started up yet. But Russians and Nazis is quite a big bang for just an opening. I guess only one person can tell us what's going to happen next: Dr. Gonzo, via part 2. This I beg of you Raveners: Watch the film.
 

vf wing

New member
EU, I LOVE those Power Team guys! As per your picture, they obviously lack sculpted detail when measured against certain other lines. But they really shine in the poseability department! With that swivel thigh, they are more poseable than the vast majority of SW and Indy figs, and are comparable with modern Joes!

I didn't even know there was a 3 3/4" Bond line!
 

Exulted Unicron

New member
vf wing said:
EU, I LOVE those Power Team guys! As per your picture, they obviously lack sculpted detail when measured against certain other lines. But they really shine in the poseability department! With that swivel thigh, they are more poseable than the vast majority of SW and Indy figs, and are comparable with modern Joes!

I didn't even know there was a 3 3/4" Bond line!

The Daniel Craig figure isn't Bond. Its The Golden Compass.
 

fenris

New member
Here's something I shot just for fun... Indy vs Plants & Zombies!!!

IMG_5369.jpg


IMG_5370.jpg


The peashooter and zombie are for my daughter... she asked me to make her a Plant vs Zombies figure.

The zombie isn't finished yet... as you can see, the head is done. The body is almost finished.
 
A few months ago, I made a little series of Flickr about some enemies that Indy could face in future adventures. None of these pictures technically have Indy in them, but I'd like to post them, if you'll indulge me.

The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones!

The Faust Brigade:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33194829@N08/4581944229/" title="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: The Faust Brigade by tymorg85, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4581944229_e705b05ba7.jpg" width="500" height="303" alt="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: The Faust Brigade" /></a>

"Following the death of Arnold Toht, Hitler named as the new head of the Third Reich Special Antiquities Collection his most trusted subordinate, codenamed ?Agent Faust.? Despite their best efforts, the U.S. Office of Strategic Services has been unable to uncover any information about Faust?s past, including his date and place of birth, his rank, and his real name. The only thing that can be confirmed is that he is the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany and that he has cheated death as many times as Indiana Jones himself. What no one knows is that Faust has made a terrible bargain in exchange for power, and that he has plans to usurp the Furher and install himself as the leader of the Axis Powers and, eventually, the world. Faust is surrounded at all times by the most highly trained and lethal soldiers in the German army (nicknamed ?The Faust Brigade?), and all officers, regardless of rank, must defer to Faust?s commands. The OSS has ordered Indiana Jones to track down any and all artifacts that could be of interest to Faust; as a result, the two have faced off in hotspots around the globe."

The Thuggee Reborn:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33194829@N08/4581949169/" title="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: The Thuggee Reborn! by tymorg85, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4581949169_e0953f7591.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: The Thuggee Reborn!" /></a>

"Born to a wealthy British plantation owner and an upper class Indian mother in Bombay, Robert Henning was raised and educated in Great Britain. Although he excelled in both academics and athletics, he was ostracized by his fellow students due to his heritage. After graduating from Oxford with a doctorate in engineering, Henning returned to India and changed his name to Aatish. His difficult life in England made him bitter and disdainful toward the West, and he sought out methods to expel the British from India. Unimpressed with the nonviolent methods of activists like Mahatmas Gandhi, Aatish found kindred spirits in the nearly extinct Thuggee cult. Aatish took control of the sect, which grew greatly under his leadership. Aatish organized attacks against British troops stationed in India, bringing him to the attention of the British military. Indiana Jones is contacted by his old friend, English Colonel James Blumburt, and asked to come to India and lend his expertise in combating the Thuggee. Once in country, Indy discovers from some locals that Aatish is searching for an ancient parchment containing the plans for the Brahmastra, an unstoppable weapon of the gods that completely annihilates everything in its path. Now Indy is in a race against time stop Aatish and the Thuggee from building and discharging the weapon against its intended target: England!"

Red Menace:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33194829@N08/4581955121/" title="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: Red Menace by tymorg85, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4581955121_054693b537.jpg" width="500" height="292" alt="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: Red Menace" /></a>

"As Joseph Stalin?s life draws to an end, his fear of death becomes unbearable. Believing that there is nothing beyond this earthly existence, the Soviet dictator frantically searches for methods to extend his life. Hearing old tales of a South American natural spring that restores youth and vitality, Stalin dispatches one of his most trusted officers, seasoned warrior Colonel Yuri Bechov, to track down the mythical Fountain of Youth. The presence of Soviet troops in South America draws the attention of the Central Intelligence Agency, who task Indiana Jones with finding the Fountain first. Indy has his own reasons for searching out the Fountain and accepts the assignment. But when he finds out that the head of the Soviet expedition is Bechov, his old ally from World War II, will he be able to complete the mission?"

The Disciples of Nehebkau:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33194829@N08/4581961091/" title="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: The Disciples of Nehebkau by tymorg85, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4581961091_fd06c0aae5.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="The Fearsome Foes of Indiana Jones: The Disciples of Nehebkau" /></a>

"For centuries, the cult of Nehebkau ? the Egyptian snake god and the guardian of the Underworld ? remained hidden from view. But as the conflict brews across the globe, cult leader Amum al-Kari decides that it is time to make their existence known. The goal of the cult of Nehebkua is to locate the Book of the Dead; with it, they can raise an undead army with which they can take over the world. Through his contacts in the Cairo underworld, Indy?s old friend Sallah el-Kahir learns of the cult and their mission. He contacts Indy and together, they must prevent the Book of the Dead from falling into the hands of the cult?and the Nazis."

If you made it through all that, thanks for reading!
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Great pictures and some AMAZINGLY creative backstories you've created!

Now let's see some action shots and, dare I say it, a photo story!!!
 
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