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Mike Verta's s18 TY-J

Started by mverta, Nov 14, 2018, 12:03 am

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mverta

Jan 27, 2019, 08:16 am #60 Last Edit: Jan 27, 2019, 08:24 am by mverta
Quote from: Angelus Lupus on Jan 25, 2019, 06:26 pmBut seriously, it's a beautiful version, I'd love to hear the full theme in that style!


Ask and ye shall receive:


Rassilons Rod

Wow, that's incredible!

I'm getting vibes of the music from ST:TMP!!

Love it!!
In the cities in the streets there's a tension you can feel,
The breaking strain is fast approaching, guns and riots.
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins,
And the press get fed the scapegoats,
Public Enema Number One.

typeforte

Mike, that's absolutely brilliant.  And yes, kind of has a cinematic grandeur to it - especially with the hint of 'strings' that seemed swoon in and generate some extra lift and swell in key places (I didn't imagine the 'strings' did I?)

Really enjoyable.

TF.

Angelus Lupus

Quote from: rassilonsrod on Jan 27, 2019, 08:49 am
I'm getting vibes of the music from ST:TMP!!


Yes, I totally get that! The repeated two chords from around 15 seconds are very reminiscent of the ST:TMP overture. Mind you, there are certain, similar, recurring musical 'themes' or 'motifs' which just sound 'spacey' (and therefore sci-fi) that many composers have used - You only have to listen to Holst's Venus and Mars to hear the commonality/influence.

Two thumbs up!
A mixed-up non-conformist, trying to fit in.

mverta

Jan 27, 2019, 02:31 pm #64 Last Edit: Jan 27, 2019, 05:14 pm by mverta
Yep, Jerry used the same progression in TMP. That score was so good we're still talking about it 40 years later. I taught an entire Masterclass on Goldsmith's writing and that score was a highlight. Miss him!

Oh, and yes I did layer in a quick strings pass; you didn't imagine it. :)

bjones

Absolutely gorgeous arrangement, Mike. You never cease to amaze.

Bx

timewomble

It really is very beautiful. Thanks for posting it.

By the way, who does your camerawork? I'm guessing it's not your little Jawa.

mverta

Ha, no, but he's learning.  It's cinematographer Laura Beth Love behind the lens.   Thanks for the kind words, guys - glad you enjoy the arrangement.

mverta

This is not working.

The controls on the console are sparse and useless, but mine actually have to do things, and fit within a small space - 4"x6".

Getting this to feel right is very challenging.  I've ordered many vintage toggle switches and pushbuttons which match ones seen on the console, and that will help, but still, I can feel this isn't it.  The potentiometers especially are challenging - I've tried different knobs (knurled, chickenhead, etc.) and haven't found a good one yet.  Ditto the fader - that style and configuration doesn't actually show up on the console anywhere and it's too small for a quadrant fader or small lever.  Anyway, figured I'd post a failure - it's part of the process.

CP_Not_Working.jpg

Volpone

If it's any consolation, I feel that, while many people go to great lengths to create screen accurate consoles, there's a lot more variance and likelihood of building a custom console.  So why not go with an "inspired by" and capture the "feel" of the prop rather than strive for 100% accuracy (yeah, I know, look who I'm talkiing to. ;) )  Alternately, aren't there 2-3 panels that you really never see?  If you're really set on accuracy AND functionality, why not make the panels that would have faced the camera accurate and use the ones on the back side for your controls (while making their style match the "accurate" ones). 

If I'd gotten around to doing a control room, I wouldn't have gone for screen accuracy and the only controls that would have to do anything would be ones to operate the control room--lighting, sound effects, video, time rotor, door... 

But on my A-Team van, I'm definitely doing an "inspired by" interior.  Because the prime purpose is a practical machine for hauling motorcycles, moving, camping, and even, yes, hauling TARDIS building supplies.  Also, my dashboard is blue instead of grey and I don't feel like painting it.  Finally, there are relatively few photos of the "hero prop" interior and truth be told, it's horrible.  There's a kind of cupholder/change tray on the dash and they basically just stuck a telephone handset and cord on top of it for a "car phone."  Reel to reel tape player in a chintzy looking cabinet, etc. 

In conclusion, I think there's a greater acceptance for the interior of a TARDIS looking different--after all, that's the part of the TARDIS that changed the most in the series before Matt Smith and the idea that the TARDIS changes for the new regeneration.  Just do what works, because what you've got looks pretty cool.  (Yeah, I know.) 
"You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alters their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit the views, which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering."
-The Doctor,
"Face of Evil."

timewomble

Somehow I hadn't realised you were going to put a control panel inside it. 4x6" is certainly tight.

Some unsolicited out-there suggestions:
- Split the controls across several 4x6" panels?
- I know it's a s18 box, but perhaps you could do a s14 interior? All wood, with a control panel of illuminated buttons behind a hinged panel.
- Go super-retro and do a SIDRAT-style control panel? Downside being that it's much harder to make it actually do something, though not impossible (ceiling mounted camera watching the positions of the magnetic shapes).
- Mount a small, cheap tablet and have it showing a blocky late 70s/early 80s-style interface, which just happens to be touch-sensitive. You could easily swap that for different style UIs depending on your mood.

mverta

Jan 29, 2019, 06:22 pm #71 Last Edit: Jan 29, 2019, 06:23 pm by mverta
For various reasons, there's only one control panel, 4x6", located on one of the interior corner posts.  It serves the following functions and is not cosmetic:

CONTROL_PANEL_LAYOUT.jpg

All these functions can be controlled remotely from an app and remote control, but I wanted them to be available locally inside the box as well - it's just a question of getting the aesthetic right.  I haven't yet.  Some of it is that there are very few places on the s18 console which have this density of functions within those dimensions.  But it's doable; just need to keep at it.

fivefingeredstyre

I think the controls look pretty pretty spot-on when compared to the Season 18 console, Mike.

If you don't mind some feedback, perhaps make the base colour a darker grey and remove the side trims?

rtrtywerty_zpsoznltm8s.jpg

mverta

Yeah that's how I did it originally, actually. And I tried adding the trims and going for a different color for the surface to see if therein lies my aesthetic failures. But I'm still experimenting. I'll get it eventually.

mverta

Jan 30, 2019, 04:34 am #74 Last Edit: Jan 30, 2019, 08:46 am by mverta
Incidentally, this is the overview of what's going on electronics-wise:

TARDIS_OVERVIEW_1.jpg