Special Effects Update on the Official Site
POSTED BY: Novagrass
UPDATED: Saturday, June 15, 2002 17:14
VIEWED: 7453
PAGE 1 of 3
Just thought you guys might want to know... some special effects stuff was added to the spoilers section of the official site.
Why they were put in the spoilers section, I have no idea, but they are there.
The shots include one of the Serenity taking off from "Serenity" and another is of the animated logo (which is *very* cool).
--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--
... I guess it's a Joss thing...
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Thanks for the tip!
Nothings exceeds like excess.
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Oh gawd no. Those pods on the side. I looked at them in the previous shots and said, "Well, they look like jet engines, but they can't possibly be. The ships too unaerodynmic to fly with jet engines. Besides, where would they put the fuel? They must be something else, and they just look like jet engines." But no, there they are, obviously swiveling around VTOL-fashion.
http://users.chariot.net.au/~theburfs/URVTOL.html
OK, this is not a techie show. But Josh, can't you at least go through the motions (excuse the pun)?
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I'm not much of a tech head, but couldn't the jets just be for lift off/maneuvering and not neccesarily propulsion?
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Quote:
Originally posted by Jonwes:
I'm not much of a tech head, but couldn't the jets just be for lift off/maneuvering and not neccesarily propulsion?
Well of course. Jets don't even work in space -- no air for them to suck. By the same token, what I said about the Serenity not being aerodynmic doesn't apply in space.
But using jet engines to lift the ship out of the atmosphere doesn't make any sense. I guess I'm just not supposed to look for that kind of detail.
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Will attempt rationalization/apologia for Serenity tech observed so far. Given: Antigravity exists. Gravity may be manipulated. Implies: inertia may be manipulated.
Rotatable pods on sides may work by aiming some kind of gravity-repulsing effect (obverse of "tractor-beam"). Smoke present in FX shot represents exhaust of field generation mechanism, not main effect. Resemblance to jet engine coincidental.
Since intertia/weight of ship may be negated, aerodynamic lifting-body hull shape not required. This is mainly useful in minimizing drag caused by need to generate lift.
Last problem for use in air is friction. Not good for hull materials, but not implausible to think that materials can handle same.
"Hang On!": May just be figure of speech. Say this on phone a lot. No actual suspension required. Could also be there is lag when inertial dampening effect is first engaged, as it comes up to full effect.
***
Not planning to be bothered by any of this, personally. Much more interested in why flying than how.
***
Thus endeth this geek-out. 
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Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:
But using jet engines to lift the ship out of the atmosphere doesn't make any sense. I guess I'm just not supposed to look for that kind of detail.
The clip I saw uses the side engines to lift the ship off the ground - then the ship moves off along the ground. The engines swing up slowly whilst the ship is already moving off - implying that the main propulsion is the engine at the back.
I don't see any evidence yet to assume the side engines to lift the ship out of the atmosphere.
Shug
Her lips were saying 'No' but then I looked into her eyes
... and her eyes were saying 'read my lips'
- Niles Crane
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Quote:
Originally posted by Shuggie:
The clip I saw uses the side engines to lift the ship off the ground - then the ship moves off along the ground. The engines swing up slowly whilst the ship is already moving off - implying that the main propulsion is the engine at the back.
Then why do the engines swivel at all? If they're only used to lift the ship for that first few feet, they only need to face down.
And I say again where's the bleeding fuel tanks? Don't spin fancy theories about 24th century tech and new kinds of fuel. Those engines work by combining something with huge masses of air. Either that or the fans at the front of the engines are just decorations. So we have something that's like a jet engine in that it swallows a lot of air, but unlike a jet engine in that it doesn't combine the air with anything. Hard to imagine what kind of technology works that way.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:Quote:
Originally posted by Shuggie:
The clip I saw uses the side engines to lift the ship off the ground - then the ship moves off along the ground. The engines swing up slowly whilst the ship is already moving off - implying that the main propulsion is the engine at the back.
Then why do the engines swivel at all? If they're only used to lift the ship for that first few feet, they only need to face down.
I don't know - manoeuvrability?
Quote:
And I say again where's the bleeding fuel tanks? Don't spin fancy theories about 24th century tech and new kinds of fuel.
Other than the fact that it contradicts your argument - what reason can you give me to rule out a new fuel?
Quote:
Those engines work by combining something with huge masses of air. Either that or the fans at the front of the engines are just decorations. So we have something that's like a jet engine in that it swallows a lot of air, but unlike a jet engine in that it doesn't combine the air with anything. Hard to imagine what kind of technology works that way.
The fact is you're making a lot of assumptions. You're assuming there's no new fuel. You're assuming those are fans. You are assuming that it's a jet engine or similar to a jet engine. You're assuming that if you can't imagine a technology it can't exist.
These may or may not correct assumptions. I just think it's too early and we don't have enough information to make those guesses yet.
Shug
Her lips were saying 'No' but then I looked into her eyes
... and her eyes were saying 'read my lips'
- Niles Crane
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