Ryan vs. Dorkman
Ryan vs. Dorkman, often abbreviated by fans as RvD, is a series of Star Wars fan films, created by Ryan Wieber and Michael "Dorkman" Scott, and first released to the internet on March 1, 2003.
Ryan vs. Dorkman
| Ryan vs. Dorkman | |
|---|---|
| Directed by |
Michael Scott Ryan Wieber |
| Written by |
Ryan Wieber Michael Dorkman Scott |
| Starring |
Ryan Wieber Michael Dorkman Scott |
| Distributed by | TheForce.Net |
Release dates | March 1, 2003 |
| Language | English |
Ryan vs. Dorkman was produced as an entry in a lightsaber choreography competition hosted by TheForce.net, a prominent Star Wars fan site noted for its fan film-making community. According to the official TFN entry for the film, the backstory involves Ryan and Michael, or "Ryan_W" and "DorkmanScott" as they are known on TheForce.net's forums, meeting after their friendly online rivalry over who is the better saber artist escalates too far. The fight to the death will determine once and for all who is the most skilled with a saber.[1]
In mid-2006, the short became a viral video after being posted on such websites as eBaumsworld, CollegeHumor, and the front page of YouTube as a "Featured Video." The YouTube video officially surpassed one million views on January 30, 2007, along with tens of thousands of hits at other sites.
As of April 2016, the original RvD had surpassed 7 million views on YouTube. A version of the film uploaded to Google Video also surpassed two million views.
In early 2008 Wieber and Scott re-mastered "RvD" and made it available for download on the official site. The re-mastering involved removing the "greenish-yellow wash," re-doing some effects, fixing rotoscoping errors, reversing the effects from the de-interlacing (which gave diagonal lines a "jagged" look), re-framing certain cuts and upgrading the audio track from a loud mono track to a softer stereo track. A more detailed explanation of the remastering process is also available on the site.
Both Ryan and 'Dorkman' were featured in the music video for Weezer's 2008 song "Pork and Beans" which included many other internet video stars.[2]
Ryan vs. Dorkman 2
| Ryan vs. Dorkman 2 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Scott, Ryan Wieber |
| Written by |
Ryan Wieber Michael "Dorkman" Scott |
| Starring |
Ryan Wieber Michael "Dorkman" Scott |
| Music by |
Gordy Haab Kyle Newmaster |
Release dates | February 24, 2007 |
| Language | English |
Wieber and Scott announced in May 2006 that they would be producing a sequel. Ryan vs. Dorkman 2 (RvD2) was shot in Atlanta, Georgia in August 2006, and featured several technical improvements over the original RvD, such as the fact that it was shot in 24p high-definition, as opposed to the original's 30p standard definition. The lightsaber blades also interact with the environment in the form of sparks, burns and other effects which were not present in the original.
The film's score was recorded with a 57 piece orchestra at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. To accomplish this goal, film composers Gordy Haab and Kyle Newmaster donated their time and talents to the project.[3] The film's creators solicited donations from fans in order to pay the musicians. M.B Gordy (lead percussionist from Battlestar Galactica) provided the percussion.
The film premiered February 24, 2007 at the Wilshire Fine Arts Theatre in Los Angeles,[4] with a screening at the New York Comic Con the following day. The film was released on the internet on March 1, 2007, with a soundtrack DC release later that summer. As of April 2016, the official version on YouTube has over 1 million views.
The film was entered into the 2008 Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge, where it won Best Visual Effects.[5]
On December 19, 2008, RvD2 was re-released in full HD on YouTube's new widescreen player. As of April 2016 this new version had passed 1,000,000 views.
In August 2010, Time magazine listed it as one of the Top 10 Star Wars fanfilms.[6]
Ryan vs. Dorkman 3
In a behind the scenes video from Wieber and Scott, they commented on possible plans to do a Ryan vs. Dorkman 3 sometime in the future. No official timetable has been set, but Wieber and Scott claim that they will do it when they obtain more ideas on how they want the third battle to shape up. They have further stated that while they could make a third lightsaber battle now, it would basically be considered a "clone" of RvD2 with no real advancement in special effects and filmmaking.[7] In October, 2014, Michael Scott was injured by a car accident,[8] and as of December is still hospitalized,[9] though making progress. This leaves the fate of Ryan vs. Dorkman 3 unknown. Michael Scott has recovered from his injuries, but may never rehabilitate to his previous physical or mental condition.
References
- ↑ "TFN FanFilms - FX Projects - Ryan vs. Dorkman". Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ↑ "Weezer Gives Web Celeb Tribute in Vid". StarWars.com. May 23, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ↑ Schatanoff, David (February 27, 2007). "Kyle Newmaster and Gordy Haab – Composers – Star Wars Fanatics". The Alternakids. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ↑ Young, Clive (February 19, 2007). "Ryan Vs. Dorkman II Premieres Saturday". Fan Cinema Today. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ↑ "And the real winners are...". San Diego Union-Tribune. July 25, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ↑ "The Top 10 Star Wars Fan Films", Time, August 24, 2010, retrieved September 15, 2010
- ↑ "RvD2 - FAQs (Part 5)". May 31, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ↑ "VFX artist Michael Scott injured in car accident". October 3, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Support Dorkman Scott". Retrieved December 7, 2014.
External links
- Official home page
- Ryan vs. Dorkman at the Internet Movie Database
- Ryan vs. Dorkman 2 at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview with Ryan and Dorkman on Geekza.