Logan Chronicles: Official Discussion...

[CeeWulf]

This is the official thread here at the Galactic Senate for the upcoming audio production of:

The Logan Chronicles (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/swaudio)

You can read up on the story, the characters and cast over at the official website.

Scheduled release: Christmas

[CeeWulf]

Okay, well, as you may have guessed there's been a delay here. Work and such got in the way.

I'm presently getting the mix worked out. Half of it is done, just tweaking out the second portion.

I'm hoping to have everything completed before the end of January.

[Nathan Butler]

::Nathan cannot wait to premiere this one on Fanworks::

::Nathan says "a new series, weeeeeee"::

::Nathan is tired, but patient::

[CeeWulf]

Okay, I know you have all be waiting patiently for this to be released. Well, I am happy to announce that a trailer will be forthcoming. Things are progressing nicely on this project, and while I know it has taken longer than expected, I promise you that I am still working on it and you will be getting a small taste in the next few days.

Thanks.

[Nathan Butler]

Sweet. I can get that page rolling. Just have a few question marks for a bit like Smuggler's Run, right? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif

[Spacehunter24]

THE LOST PATROL sounds very interesting. I'll definitely be waiting for this one. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Nathan Butler]

I keep fighting not to read the short fanfic story it's based on.

I think there's a trailer coming our way soon, though. I hope it's before I go back to IN next weekend.

[Nathan Butler]

Michael, just to let you know: When I update today with the new Anthology episode, it's going to replace the Audio Dramas index. Since I had already changed those pages to account for the likelihood of having the LC trailer ready to launch this weekend or so, TLC isn't going to be on the bottom of that version of the page, while I wait to put the actual TLC area up once that trailer's ready.

Just didn't want you to think I forgot about ya. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[CeeWulf]

Well, ladies and gentlement, Star Wars: Myth & Magic (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars) happily announces the release of the trailer for our upcoming project - Logan Chronicles: Part I - The Lost Patrol.

You can download the trailer here: www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/swaudio (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/swaudio).

Listen and enjoy.

[keithabbott]

That trailer sure does grab your attention. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif Sound quality sounds superb.
Keith

[CeeWulf]

Thanks for the kind words, keith. I was really pleased with the trailer.

Just thought I'd drop an update here. We're getting closer and closer to completion with the Lost Patrol (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/swaudio). I've given up on deadlines, as they keep shifting, but I swear it will be near. I'm aiming for early March. Between writing assignments and my son, it gets a little hectic from time to time.

I also wanted to thank Nathan for the little mention about my website's (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars) recent modifications. I'm pretty happy with it, and felt it was necessary for several reasons - one being that certain sections, like the audio dramas department, were just a mess. We also now have a completely improved message board (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/forum), which I'm really happy with. So stop by and give it a once over, if you get the chance.

Well, that's all for now.

[CeeWulf]

After long consideration and debate, we have finally determined the official release date for "The Lost Patrol".

That date is:

April 1st!!

And, no, that ain't no joke.

[Keiran_Horn]

Holy CRAP. I just listened to the trailer and all I can say is...WOW. This is one kick-ass audio drama. I can't wait until release. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[CeeWulf]

Most kind.

[CeeWulf]

Well, Nathan won't be making the announcement until tomorrow, but I wanted to get the ball rolling by noting that Star Wars: Myth & Magic (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars) has finally completed its first audio production:

The Logan Chronicles: Part One - The Lost Patrol! (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/lcinfo/download.asp)

Listen, enjoy and discuss! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/grouphug.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/trooper.gif

[keithabbott]

I did get a chance to briefly listen to the 1st installment of the Logan Chronicles this morning before heading off to work, but I really didn't have the time to really give my full attention to it as much as I'd like to have since I was getting ready for work.

But from my initial listen I was able to come up with a few things...

The acting was a hodgepodge of really good and kinda iffy. I can't say exactly who I liked the most vs who I didn't yet, but I'll come back to that after I've had more time to listen to it.

There was one scream that I thought was pretty funny. It was very similar to the Wilhelm scream, but didn't have nearly have the same intensity. That's what made it funny, because it seemed like the scream was done in a manner to not blow the mic apart. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

The only thing that really kinda bugged me should definitely be considered interpretive. My personal opinion of the Tuskens is that they are not so blatent when it comes to gun warefare. There was one instance in the comics where I've seem them go all out, but in the movies they typically rely on stealth, meaning I'd imagine them to be much more like snipers as they are in Ep1 during the pod race. Meaning, if they aren't using their gaffy sticks I'd imagine they'd want to conceal where they are hiding so as to not draw any attention to where they are. Shooting randomly. The amount of gunfire seemed a bit much at times, but not all the time. When there was a lot of gunfire, it also usually distracted me from the dialogue. So it had a two-fold effect on me.

If you're looking for better footstep sound effects, let me know. The ones most everyone are using sound like they are straight out of the video games and those just don't sound all that great and they end up having way too much of a precise rhythm. I have a small catelogue of various walking files I can share depending on the environment.

There were only a few instances where I felt the dialogue could have been cleaner. I would strongly consider using a plugin like Noise Reduction 2.0 if you notice any dialogue with noise. It's a great tool.

One other suggestion regarding your initial opening dialogue...stand just a little closer to the mic so your sound is a bit richer.

Oh and remember when I mentioned I was a bit worried about the panning in the trailer? You're use of it wasn't as distracting as I anticipated, but if I had to make a suggestion, instead of totally going left or right channel for a pan, put maybe 20% of the volume in the left and 80% in the right or vice versa. That will hopefully make it more realistic and potentially less distracting. It shows also that the natural reverberation of sound goes in all directions not just one. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

More later...

Congrats Michael!
Keith

[CeeWulf]

So, I take it you didn't like it? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif

[keithabbott]

Didn't say that now. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif I haven't had a chance to really get into the story yet since yesterday, when I first heard it, I was so pre-occupied with getting ready for work. I didn't get the opportunity last night to re-listen to it and it may be a few more days since I'm heading out of town tonight.

But I will get to it again soon.
Keith

[CeeWulf]

Just wanted to let you all know that I've posted a new section to my Logan Chronicles (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/index.asp) section at Star Wars: Myth & Magic (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars).

It's a behind the scenes article on how the project was created. You can read the first part, PREPRODUCTION (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/lcinfo/bts.asp), now. It's an honest look at how and why I created the audio drama. Follow-up articles will be posted later in the week.

Thanks.

[Nathan Butler]

Very nice. I'll put up a news byte about the preproduction article when I get home on Wednesday.

[keithabbott]

Finally got a chance to listen again. It's hard to say too much about the story because it's only one part of a whole, but it's definitely a good start.

Here are a few more things I noticed that could help in the next installments:

The wind loop is obviously a loop because it's so short...I have some longer loops if need be. You might also try mixing various loops to make a longer one.

Considering the perspective is from TK328, I think a good idea would have been to increase the volume of the wind once his helmet was off and actually give some kind of effect that indicates he's trying to remove his helmet. This would have helped me understand what went on without him having to say it. Once his helmet is removed, the wind would be louder at that point.

I also noticed the dialogue has room echo in it. That's not good for outdoor environments. You might want to pick a room that has very little, if any, room echo. And be sure to use a pop filter if possible and get closer to the mic. That will help the dialogue sound more rich and vibrant. If your room still gives a bit of echo...try placing the mic near a wall so if it does reverberate back it's quicker which would give less of a hint of room echo. We had a slight problem with this in RoN so we had to experiment with mic placement.

Also, some of the transitions were awkward. Kinda fast like one sec they kill the farmer..next second they are placing explosives. I dunno...and the speeders didn't sound right spacially. Anotherwards, I was having a problem visualizing the scene cause the effects and dialogue weren't placed obviously enough. That means the pans, fades and levels were off at times. Hope that makes sense.

No matter, the concept so far is interesting to say the least. The day and life of a stormtrooper. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[CeeWulf]

I don't want to get too caught up in a reply, but I address many of the technical issues you mentioned in my behind the scenes commentary. I'll be adding part II tomorrow, so I'll get into some of the issues you raised.

But, basically, a lot of the stuff you raised are good but to me the story was more important. That doesn't mean I intentionally let the sound slip or anything, just that I did it to what I thought worked.

If I do the next one - which is still up in the air right now - it'll be much different. Chiefly because the story is very different. That's what really guides my choices. Story and character.

[keithabbott]

I can fully understand your position on not using narration. In RoN, we did something a little different by letting our story narrator actually be a character (Padme) and having her act out the narration within the storyline. But at the same time, we knew in our case that some of the action was just too difficult to understand without having the supporting narration used at the same time. It made for a difficult choice.

In fact, we had to entirely re-work our Red Beard/Amidala scene because the action involved was just too specific and almost effectless. When the characters described the action it just sounded too hokey. It's just that not all sound effects make sense on their own. And for the characters to contstantly have to say what they are doing..well..that can get terribly annoying to listen to.

So I understand the delima well and I understand your desire to make the story come first and have the characters be the action. I'm sure most all writers feel that way. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

It's no doubt that most people probably see me as technical minded producer, and that would be okay because I tried patterning my producing style after my perception of how George might approach it. However, the story is very important to me. And so is the acting.

But, as a listener I should point out that it was difficult to visualize your story. For example, I didn't have that problem with Second Strike. Nathan and his team did a good job making the audio look visual. I think it just comes down to your use of effects, fades, pans and supporting dialogue to create the entire environment. But where I found The Logan Chronicles better, was the less is more storyline. You let your characters do the action and the dialogue wasn't so long and explanatory (me and Nathan have definitely talked about this already style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif).

I could certainly understand your story, which is a good thing. I still think the concept is interesting, and you've laid down the tracks for what could be a very good series. So if your main point was to get the story across I believe you accomplished that.

Keith

[CeeWulf]

The second part of my behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Lost Patrol (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/) has been posted.

To read the new section, PRODUCTION, click here (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/swaudio/lc/lcinfo/bts.asp#ProductionI).

Enjoy.

[CeeWulf]

Learn the trials and tribulations of making a good crash effect work in Production II - Crash and Burn (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/swaudio/lc/lcinfo/bts.asp#ProductionII), the latest segment in our behind-the-scenes look at the
audio drama, The Logan Chronicles (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/).

Thanks.

[CeeWulf]

Just when you thought it was safe to visit the boards again, I return with yet another bit of news.

The tale behind the tale goes on, with Production III - Your Bantha or Your Life (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/starwars/swaudio/lc/lcinfo/bts.asp#ProductionIII), the newest diatribe that guides you through the making of our audio drama, The Logan Chronicles (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/).

[CeeWulf]

Well, our behind-the-scenes look at The Lost Patrol (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc) has finally concluded.

Read about the post production process (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/lcinfo/bts.asp#post) and my final thoughts (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/lcinfo/bts.asp#final) on the project.

Also, I'd just like to thank everyone who listened, and let you know that there is one last thing I'll be putting online regarding this project. And I promise, it will be a terrific addition.

Thanks.

[CeeWulf]

Okay, so, I'm obsessed.

I've just made the latest update to the Logan Chronicles (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/index.asp) audio drama. This time, you can see the tale's main character, Logan (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/pics/logan.asp), in a full color drawing!

Check it out and let me know what you think.

[CeeWulf]

Another new picture has been posted, this time of the rebellious stortrooper, Algar (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/pics/algar.asp).

[CeeWulf]

Just thought I'd make a note here that I'm about half way through my script for the follow up to The Lost Patrol. This sequel will be longer than the original, with a little more drama, but still plenty of action and suspense. It will also include a lot more people than the first.

[CeeWulf]

Just wanted to drop a note for all of those who care - I know there's one of you out there somewhere style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/happy.gif - that the script for part two of the Logan Chronicles is proceeding nicely. Slightly longer than anticipated, but progressing. I should have it completed by the end of this month, and casting will start in October.

Thanks.

[CeeWulf]

These have taken longer than I anticipated, but I finally have brought another character to life. This time it is of the character, Symon (http://www.sheridanrealm.com/StarWars/swaudio/lc/pics/symon.asp).

Thanks.

[Nathan Butler]

Michael: I put up a news byte about the sketches. I'm going to try to be better about that. I just sort of started to fall behind in bringing in news that I saw at work, rather than at home.

[leandar]

I thought I'd mention that I'm going to do my best to try and play the trailer in an upcoming SWAB episode. Don't know for sure when yet, but will not be too long. Hopefully that will expose you a little bit more.

[CeeWulf]

I appreciate the notice. Let me know how it turns out.

[CeeWulf]

Hello all,

Been a while since I posted - Geez, long time, my last one was in October! Too many things going on, I've had to put the upcoming Logan Chronicles on the back burner on several occasions, but the project is not dead and will be coming. The audio drama has had some fans, which has been great, and I'm really appreciative off all the good words you've shared with me via e-mail and on our site. The script is moving along, at a much slower pace than I originally thought, but it is progressing line by line. I'm finalizing the final sequence now, which has been a fun challenge. For those looking forward to this project, you're wait will be over soon. I swear.

Really. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

Thanks.