The Hexfield Screen

[trekker4747]

I've never been able to really tell, but is the Hexfield (in reality) just a portal to adjacent swing-set or was it a blue-screen (or other video projection) on which the "transmission" was edited into?

Sometimes it seems to me to be just an adjacent set inside of which those who're in the transmission are standing, but it at times to me it doesn't seem like the porportions are right for this to be the case and it's a video.

[Cerrita]

They were attached, with just a black mesh thing seperating the two sides when the iris was opened. There's a pic somewhere of Joel's departure in 512 where he's looking through the hexfield at the set, but I can't remember where to find it. Added proof is also from that same scene, where the "static" piles up along the hexfield frame and some floats into the bridge.

Bluescreening the door sequence was as hightech as they got.

[trekker4747]

I never noticed the "static" pilling up in the screen or making it into the bridge. (I did chuckle as it collected on Joel.)

That scene is what stuck out most in my mind on the idea of it being an attatched set but I was never really sure.

And, oh, sorry about the double post-browser hiccup/mental lapse.

[Roz]

trekker4747 said:

I never noticed the "static" pilling up in the screen or making it into the bridge. (I did chuckle as it collected on Joel.)

That scene is what stuck out most in my mind on the idea of it being an attatched set but I was never really sure.

And, oh, sorry about the double post-browser hiccup/mental lapse.

I just have to add that I LOVED that last sight of Joel as he was leaving. The "static" all over his legs, blowing out into the set, just a lovely, simple, Joelish kind of thing to do.

[vanhagar3000]

I always thought they should have used a blue screen, and used it to communicate with others to do more complicated shots and interaction with the mads. I think it would have been neat.

[krokodyle]

vanhagar3000 said:

I always thought they should have used a blue screen, and used it to communicate with others to do more complicated shots and interaction with the mads. I think it would have been neat.

I fear that if they did, watching those types of bluescreen effects now would add a very 'dated' look to the show (unless they pulled it off perfectly, which is hard). Just my opinion, but I bet they wanted to stay away from seeing something a'la Sid & Marty Krofft in the 70s.

However, the effect they used in The Movie worked quite well (Dr. F on the screen, even an angled shot). But then, that's using movie-studio big bucks, and not cable comedy television bucks, and it looks great).

[MonsterX]

I think that its pretty obviously a low tech attached set. For me that’s just a part of the shows charm.

[Mitchell]

krokodyle said:

I fear that if they did, watching those types of bluescreen effects now would add a very 'dated' look to the show (unless they pulled it off perfectly, which is hard).

Does the door sequence make it look dated?

[Captain Hygiene]

mitchell said:

krokodyle said:

I fear that if they did, watching those types of bluescreen effects now would add a very 'dated' look to the show (unless they pulled it off perfectly, which is hard).

Does the door sequence make it look dated?

Yep, but not in a bad way.

[fanliorel]

It looked dated the first time I ever saw it...just like the movies being watched behind those very doors. I thought it all went together nicely, and I still do.

[krokodyle]

Also, a couple other thoughts to consider:

They shot segments using (usually) one long take, and usually stationary. They (usually) would cut to an angled shot that had the viewscreen directly in the background, and zoomed in and out as needed. The zooms might have caused issues with a greenscreen effect.

By using a "live" viewscreen, they acted directly with each other, rather than act to a monitor (which would have been a videotaped performance), creating better interaction. For the most part, that meant that Trace and Kevin could not be "on-screen"...though they did it a couple times with a bit of slight-of-hand/puppet.

Of course, if they did utilize a taped segment interaction (meaning Joel/Mike interacted with the Mads on a single shot rather than via cuts), Trace and Kevin (or anybody, really) could have acted with themselves via the viewscreen. But I suspect the segments would have come off as stilted.

Then again, they did it in the MST movie and it worked, but it certainly was different feel than the t.v. show. Perhaps being on film, rather than videotape, has something to do with it?

[hugo]

krokodyle said:

Then again, they did it in the MST movie and it worked, but it certainly was different feel than the t.v. show. Perhaps being on film, rather than videotape, has something to do with it?

A true optical composite certainly looks better, but is way harder to set up, especially with any camera movements. (there is an hilarious panning shot on board the spaceship in This Island Earth that incely demonstrates how NOT to do it)

But the main advantage in the film, of course, is that they were able to use cuts, to make the conversations and interactions run together smoothly, something Cambot was never quite capable of.

[Captain Hygiene]

krokodyle said:

By using a "live" viewscreen, they acted directly with each other, rather than act to a monitor (which would have been a videotaped performance), creating better interaction. For the most part, that meant that Trace and Kevin could not be "on-screen"...though they did it a couple times with a bit of slight-of-hand/puppet.

I've noticed a slight awkwardness when puppet and actor were both onscreen at once, although Bill is the one I think of first, appearing as Krankor or Brain Guy alongside Crow. Just a slight "off-ness" between the puppet's motions and voice, when the actor adds his lines in later. That's why I'm a fan of the simple interaction provided by using another set for the Hexfield rather than a greenscreen.

[krokodyle]

captainhygiene said:

That's why I'm a fan of the simple interaction provided by using another set for the Hexfield rather than a greenscreen.

I totally agree. The timing just plain works better.

[gerswin]

cerrita said:

They were attached, with just a black mesh thing seperating the two sides when the iris was opened. There's a pic somewhere of Joel's departure in 512 where he's looking through the hexfield at the set, but I can't remember where to find it.

I would love to see that. Anyone have it?