Series Seven - Part Two Sonic Screwdriver

Started by Kingpin, Mar 18, 2013, 07:58 pm

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Kingpin

Mar 18, 2013, 07:58 pm Last Edit: Mar 05, 2014, 08:48 pm by Kingpin
The March 16th edition of The Jonathan Ross Show saw the host interviewing Matt Smith, and premiering a clip from the first episode of the second half of Series 7, The Bells of Saint John.

Watching the clip (linked below) I noticed something interesting... the light in the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver is now blue!  No doubt changed to match the Doctor's new TARDIS interior.

Sonic_zpsee40907d.jpg


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DoctorWho8

Still looks green to me.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

rob49152

I wonder if it would have different settings now? Like the 'red setting' that River talked about in Silence in the Library? Seeing as how time is running out that would make sense to me.

Hodge

That definitely looks like a light blue/cyan light.
Looks like the entire show has been getting new looks recently...

galacticprobe

Mar 19, 2013, 02:48 pm #4 Last Edit: Nov 13, 2015, 07:01 am by galacticprobe
Actually, if you go back to Series 6 and view some of those episodes (one being "The Doctor's Wife") there are times when the light from the Sonic also looks bluish, and sometimes almost "cool white" - that white with a bluish hue to it. (I haven't checked Series 5 for this yet.) So I think it's more a case of the filters used during the filming of whatever scene that makes the sonic's light look more blue than green than it is changing the actual color of the sonic's emitter tip. But we'll have to watch a few episodes to be certain of that (and the start if that is only 11 days away!).

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

DoctorWho8

One thing I noticed in the Christmas Special and in this clip was the sonic was never in it's extended mode.  It's staying in it's condensed mode.  That might change as the series airs, though.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

exleo

The reason for the changing colour during various scenes may well be, as Dino suggests, caused by the post production colour grading of the scenes.
Another logical theory is having to change the colour during any scenes that are using 'Green Screen' visual effects as the original sonic colour would just disappear and cause enormous problems and extra work for the vis FX people..... Simple solution, have a sonic with a different coloured bulb ;D

Kingpin

Except it isn't the LED/bulb that gives it the colour, but the transparent head on the end of the Sonic.

ThisJustinOnline

Depends on its use. Was bright white in his first few episodes too :P

galacticprobe

Mar 20, 2013, 03:52 am #9 Last Edit: Mar 20, 2013, 03:59 am by galacticprobe
Yeah, now that you mention it... In Series 5 it was bright white-looking in the star whale's mouth in "The Beast Below" and again going down the steps beneath Stonehenge in "The Pandorica Opens" (just to pick out two obvious ones that stick in my head; there might be more in Series 5 like that - and in Series 6 - but in spite of my efforts I can't remember all of those episodes ;)). Time to hit the DVDs and Netfilx again!

And exleo brought up a good point that never crossed my mind: the VFX and the green screen. For that they would need a different color than green for the light. And I'd almost bet that they have two versions of the sonic for just such occasions: one with the green emitter tip, and one with a bluish tip. (It would make sense to have both versions rather than having to change out the tips when the situation called for it.)

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

Kingpin

Seems it may indeed be down to the filtering, having watched tonight's episode.  We'll have to see how it appears in the next couple of episodes, but looks like it hasn't changed colour from green after all.

anakin starkiller

Here's a clip from next week's episode.  Anyone see what I do?
newsonic.jpg

Congrats CO owners on now having a screen accurate prop :)

DoctorWho8

How do you mean?  Do you think he's using a CO sonic?!
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

anakin starkiller

That's the co toy in the pic I posted

Kingpin

Could you elaborate for guys like me who don't know the visual differences?