1 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: Get in touch with technology with text Stuff from dot Com. 2 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: Hey there, and welcome to text Stuff. I'm Jonathan Strickland, 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: and today we're going to listen to a good, old 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: classic episode of tech Stuff. This is prompted by the 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: fact that the trailer for Star Wars episode seven came 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: out from and set my mind on fire. I'm sure 7 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: I'm not the only person out there who feels this way. 8 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: I love Star Wars. I thought the prequels have killed 9 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: it for me, but this, this preview has me cautiously optimistic. 10 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: And we thought it might be fun to talk about 11 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,919 Speaker 1: the lightsaber and so I want to go back and 12 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: listen to this episode that Chris and I recorded way 13 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 1: back in April. This is going pretty far back there, 14 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: but we talked all about lightsabers. So check it out. 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: And then when the episodes over, I've got a little 16 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,959 Speaker 1: bit of an update and some information to tell you. 17 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: So we're gonna start off this podcast with a little tweet. 18 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: This listener tweet comes from Jacqueline Hyde, who says, got 19 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: a listener request for you how lightsabers work. The force 20 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: is strong with this one, so we are going to 21 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: talk about lightsabers. This is kind of an interesting subject 22 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: in the sense that really it belongs and stuff you 23 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: missed in history class because it did happen a long 24 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: time ago. Any galaxy far far away, Yeah, um or 25 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: technically it could be fan stuff, but they don't have 26 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: a podcast. So we're gonna tackle it before anyone can 27 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: grab it from our cold dead paddawan hands. As the 28 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: Jedi would say, niner niner, Yes, the Jedi would say that. 29 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: So of course we're talking about the civilized weapon from 30 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: a or the elegant weapon from a more civilized age. 31 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: The light Saber, as introduced to us through George Lucas's 32 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: brilliant work Star Wars A New Hope um or just 33 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: Star Wars. When it first came out in it was 34 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: not American Graffiti as many people think. No, no, there 35 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: was no cameo of the lightsaber in American graffiti, although 36 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: that would have made that movie that much more awesome. 37 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: So Lightsabers, of course, this is the weapon the Jedi use, 38 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: the the magic sword of the Star Wars series, and 39 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: in fact, when uh, most of the interviews I've seen 40 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: with Lucas, he just refers to it as a magic sword. 41 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: You know, it just it's that's what the purpose of 42 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: it is. It's just it happens to be called a lightsaber, 43 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: but it's a magic sword. So the problem with magic 44 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: is that there's not a whole lot to how it 45 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: works other than magic. You know, Yeah, you're just totally 46 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: getting into that early. I thought we were going to 47 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: go ahead and talk about how it works. All right, Well, 48 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: this has not stopped people from telling us how it works, 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: despite the fact that it's magic. So let's talk that. 50 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: There are people who will argue exactly how this works. 51 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: It's as a matter of fact, we have an article 52 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: on how it works. It's not cannon, and cannon is 53 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: important to me. But then again, and you know what 54 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: is canon jar jar binks. So let's just move on 55 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 1: into how lightsabers work. So a lightsaber is made up 56 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: of several different parts. You've got the handle, which is 57 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: pretty much where everything is, right, yeah, So the handle 58 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: has at the base of the handle, you've got the 59 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: power cell and it's a it was it diecium, yes, 60 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: the dietum crystal. All right, so you've got the diaction 61 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: power cell that's in the That's fine. You know what 62 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: if they correct us, if they take that time more 63 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: power to them uh diaction power cell is in the 64 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: middle of a power of vortex ring and a power 65 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: field conductor. Now where does all this power go? You've 66 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: you're generated. That's essentially like the battery of the lightsaber. 67 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: That's the very base. So and it's got a lot 68 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: of energy stored in it, lots and lots of energy. 69 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: Now where does this energy go once it starts to 70 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: emit from the power cell? It goes into the crystal 71 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: energy chamber right where you have your primary crystal. Now, 72 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: depending on whom you ask, this crystal may or may 73 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: not determine the color of the lightsabers blade. Now, some 74 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: would argue that the real determiner for the lightsaber color 75 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: is lies with the Jedi him or herself and the 76 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: force that that Jedi abuse the crystal. So in that case, 77 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: you could have any crystal and essentially have a lightsaber 78 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: of any color. It would all be up to the 79 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: individual Jedi. Others would argue, nay, tis not. So, the 80 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: lightsaber color is dependent entirely upon the color of the 81 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: crystal you select to focus this power. Um, I'm gonna 82 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: go with that one. So you know, of course, we 83 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: we also need to talk about how Jedi lightsabers are 84 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: different from Sith lightsabers because they are so the crystals 85 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: that Jedi use tend to be natural crystals. They're crystal 86 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: those found in caves throughout the galaxy um, and so 87 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: these crystals are they can take the power and create 88 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: the the the force of the I guess, the actual 89 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: lightsaber blade. It's the best way of putting it. Um. 90 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: And the Sith what they do is they'll they'll make 91 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,799 Speaker 1: a they'll make their own crystals, they'll create a forge, 92 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: and they'll build a synthetic crystal. And there's tend to 93 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: be red, yes, which is why you see Sith while 94 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: like like Darth Maul or Darth Vader or Darth Tyrannus 95 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: walking around with a big old red lightsaber, whereas Jedi 96 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: they tend to stick with blue and green, although other 97 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: colors are also available. Yes, so there are more that, 98 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: but there are there are more than one crystal though 99 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: the primary crystal is uh is just one part of that. 100 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: There are sex there are secondary and smaller crystals, and 101 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: it sort of depends on the Jedi who builds the lightsaber, 102 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: because the lightsaber is creating a lightsaber is part of 103 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: becoming a Jedi. Yes, it's actually the final step of 104 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: Jedi training according to a Darth Vader. Yes so. But 105 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: but what the additional crystals do is they actually help 106 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: focus the energy into a blade form, right right, So, 107 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: the energy coming from the power cell, once it passes 108 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: through the crystal, that's what gives it the the destructive 109 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: force that we see from lightsabers. The other crystals focus 110 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: that into the blade. Um and depending also on upon 111 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: whom you ask, they may also give the the lightsaber 112 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: other certain powers, like it may enhance certain certain aspects 113 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: of the lightsaber. For example, we know that lightsabers can 114 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: deflect blaster fire. Some of these crystals are apparently more 115 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: effective at deflecting blaster fire than others, and others may 116 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: be better at cutting through certain kinds of material. So 117 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: uh Now, other other scholars will argue that's not the case. 118 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: The just focuses the blade, doesn't imbue it with any 119 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: other powers. Um. Personally, I haven't had my hands on 120 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 1: the lightsaber in a really long time, so it's kind 121 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: of hard for me to tell you exactly what what 122 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: which ones are, right, and also I have only ever 123 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: really used one, So with that small sample size, it's 124 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: impossible to say yes. And and it's probably a good 125 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: time to point out that if you do have the 126 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: opportunity to use the lights I remember it's it's not 127 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: the kind of thing that you just want to play 128 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: around with because it can be a very very dangerous weapon. 129 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: It turns out serious damage when you can cut through, 130 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: you know, a foot of steel that it's not the 131 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: best thing to you know, swatterfly with no um. After 132 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: it goes through the christ the focusing crystal, it passes 133 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:44,679 Speaker 1: through the blade energy channel again further refines the blade 134 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: and directs it into a straight line that would emerge 135 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,239 Speaker 1: from the hilt um. And then at the very top 136 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: of your blade, you've got your your cycling field energizer's 137 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: your energy modulation circuits uh, and then you've got your 138 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: your controls. Your control adjust the power of the blade, 139 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: and it also adjust the length of the blade. So 140 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: even though we normally see lightsabers used at a at 141 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: a pretty standard length, most people have it at a 142 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: whenever they turn on their lightsaber, it's pretty much the 143 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: same length each time. Technically you can adjust that so 144 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: you can make it longer or shorter using the blade 145 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: length adjustment UM. And then there's a magnetic magnetic stabilizing 146 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: ring and a blade shroud emitter um at the very 147 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: top which helped control the blade so it doesn't just 148 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: zap out when you turn it on. UM. That's your 149 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 1: basic anatomy of your lightsaber hilt, all right. And then 150 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: Coston there's the activation matrix, which is the star Wars 151 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: term for the switch. I just I love that part there. 152 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: The handle is about thirty centimeters in length, so they're 153 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: not ridiculously long, right, UM, which is good to know. 154 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: It generates an arc wave energy field, and this is 155 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: why the blades actually have a stopping point. Yes, and 156 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: it has it. It produces sort of a gyroscopic effect 157 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: to which is why you have to be very careful 158 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: with it because you know it has it has a 159 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: pull to it if you will, right. But that also 160 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: makes it easier to use, because otherwise it would be 161 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: like swinging a flashlight around. There'll be no feedback from 162 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: swinging the handle, and it would make it much more 163 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: difficult to master a lightsaber if you didn't have that 164 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: gyroscopic effect when you started swinging it around. UM. So 165 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: the blade arc tip, that's the very end of the 166 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: lightsaber um and it's it's the arc emmitter is what's 167 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: keeping it from becoming like a blaster. Actually, lightsabers predate 168 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: blasters um before it was a more civilized age after all, 169 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: as it was, and you know, I guess civilized means 170 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: that you locked each other's limbs off, as opposed to 171 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: shooting each other from very far away. Uh. Never never 172 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,599 Speaker 1: bring a lightsaber to a blaster fight. Oh wait, no 173 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: you could do that. No, yeah, you can't do that 174 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: because yeah, alright, so let's let's talk about about that's 175 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: that's the basics of building your lightsaber um. Now, each 176 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: Jedi builds his or her own lightsaber as part of 177 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: their training. Uh, and they're gonna build it according to 178 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: their own particular fighting style. Now do you have you 179 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: heard about the different Jedi fighting styles? No? I haven't. 180 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: There are seven major forms of lightsaber styles. Yes, okay, 181 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: well why don't you? Why don't you tell this? All right, 182 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,839 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go into a little detail, but I'm just 183 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: gonna do this as a pretty high level thing. We 184 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: don't need to get into depth. This isn't Jedi fighting 185 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: style stuff. That's right. Yeah, that's another podcast that we're 186 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: starting next month. You start requesting now, um, next month 187 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: being April. I can't imagine when the first episode will 188 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: come out. So, so the the fighting styles, and you 189 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: can think of it kind of like martial arts styles. Um, 190 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: you know, not all martial arts styles are alike. Cut 191 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,959 Speaker 1: on Day is very different from jiu jitsu, which is 192 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: very different from a keto, which in turn is different 193 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: from hap keto. Um, they're they're drunk Jedi style. No, 194 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,959 Speaker 1: there's no drunken master Jedi style, although I hear Yoda 195 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 1: can get up to some way shenanigans on a Saturday unit. Uh. 196 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: The seven forms of lightsaber combat are actually listed as 197 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: you know, Form one, Form two, Form three. They each 198 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: have their own names, but I'm not even going to 199 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 1: try and pronounce them because they're all alien and I 200 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: don't have the capability. I don't actually know what the 201 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: pronunciation is for most of them. But if you hadn't 202 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: spilled your mini chlorine, you'd be fine, I know. In general, 203 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 1: Form one is the foundation. It is the basic form 204 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: of lightsaber combat. It's your basic strikes, your basic defenses. Um. 205 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: It teaches you how to view the body as a 206 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: series of targets like you think of you divide up 207 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: the body, like the head is a certain certain target, 208 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,079 Speaker 1: the arms, the torso, and you know, attacks are very 209 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 1: specific to each target. You know, different slashing techniques and 210 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: hacking techniques. So for one is kind of lightsaber combat 211 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: one oh one, everyone pretty much goes through that. Form 212 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: two is dueling. Now, this lightsaber combat really concentrates on 213 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: finesse blade control footwork. This is the kind of of 214 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: style that Colt Dooku slash Darth Tarrannis used. Now. That 215 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: is why his lightsaber handle actually has a curve at 216 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:25,679 Speaker 1: the end of it. It's so that he can hold 217 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: it kind of like a pistol grip. Gives him a 218 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: lot of control over the tip of the blade. And 219 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: that's just his style of dueling. Now, this was much 220 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: more popular before blasters came out because it was just 221 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: really meant for lightsaber to lightsaber combat. Once blasters came out, 222 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: people Jedi began to realize that the in order to 223 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: deflect these these blaster bolts, they would need to adapt 224 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: their fighting style. This is not the best style to 225 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: use if you're being shot at by stormtroopers, for example. 226 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 1: So uh, but that was Tarrannis is favorite form. Then 227 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: there's Form three, which is defensive, where you are trying 228 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: to reveal the least amount of target space on your body, 229 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: so it's really good for defending against blasters, that kind 230 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: of thing. Form four is an acrobatic style, lots of 231 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: flips and spins. You're using the force to boost your 232 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: your physical abilities, so you're you're depending more on uh 233 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: these acrobatics than on your blade at that point. So 234 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: Yoda uses that a lot. Um if you've seen him 235 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: fight Count Dooku, He's like a little queens and art. 236 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: And then uh Fom five that uses the deflective nature 237 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: of the lightsaber to reflect blaster fire. Um you you 238 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 1: use use strengthen your attacks, so it's a more brute 239 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: force kind of of approach. This is the style favored 240 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 1: by a certain Skywalker family. Both Anakin and Luke used 241 00:13:53,760 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: Form five. Form six combines elements of forms one through five. Um, 242 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: but it also teaches that you should be detached from emotion. 243 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: You should be using very calculating ways of moving. You 244 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: shouldn't let your emotions dictate what you're doing. Four and 245 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: seven is kind of the opposite, that's leveraging your emotion 246 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: into power and using that to fight your opponents. This 247 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: was what Darth maul Uh used with some reliance on 248 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: on on Form four as well the acrobatic style. Now, 249 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: of course he had a double bladed lightsaber, and those 250 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: don't work all that differently than a regular lightsaber. They're 251 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: just basically two lightsabers attached together at the hilt. So 252 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: there's there's four crystals instead of two, or a minimum 253 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: of four, because you have to have for you know, 254 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: two of the generator type and two of the focusing 255 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: type at minimum in order to create the two blades. 256 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: By the way, those focusing crystals are usually add again 257 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: crystals usually, but you can also find them on Dantweine 258 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: as well as many many other UH planets within these 259 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: Star Wars galaxy. Yes, until Senti Star comes after you 260 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: and you know calls you a coward. Right, I'm sorry, 261 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: I switched genres. Okay, you lost me. You lost me, seriously, 262 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: you never played Senti Star. I rarely played way way 263 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: way way back in the past, back when the Jedi 264 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: were um much more numerous. The color of your blade 265 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: also would indicate what what kind of Jedi you were. 266 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,119 Speaker 1: For example, if you had a blue blade. That signified 267 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: that you were a Jedi Guardian, and so you're much 268 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: more you know, kind of a physical. You would get 269 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: into the fights, you would you know, defend people with 270 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: your your prowess. Uh. Green would suggest that you were 271 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: a Jedi consular, and this would be someone who was 272 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:56,239 Speaker 1: much more thoughtful and kind of contemplative. And then um, 273 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: Yellow would indicate that you're a Jedi Sentinel, and that's 274 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: someone who kind of was in between the other two. 275 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: So so not as physical as the Guardians, but not 276 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: as brainy as the others either. So Yellow and Blue 277 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: dommate Green. This is true. I learned that somewhere should 278 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: we go into the other aspect of lightsabers. So you 279 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: mean we're actually gonna step outside of the realm of 280 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: Star Wars just look at the time and thinking that 281 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: maybe we should do that. That's pretty good idea, all right, 282 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: So that's within the Star Wars universe, of course, that's 283 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: how they supposedly work. And I should also add none 284 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: of that is cannon. And when I say cannon, I'm 285 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: talking about the stuff that Lucas himself has signed off 286 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: on as saying, yes, this is officially part of the 287 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: Star Wars history. Um, most of that is just the movies. Um. 288 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: To some extent, you could argue the books as well. 289 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: Some of those. Lucas has more or less said, yeah, 290 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: even though that didn't appear in the movie, that is 291 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: cannon as well, But he never goes into explaining the 292 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: blades in the movies. And so this is really other 293 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 1: people trying to um rhet coon really to explain why 294 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: this stuff works. Um, yeah, basically, and if you're unfamiliar 295 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: with the tournament cannon is uh like basically, they're written 296 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: instructions for how a a magical or you know, fantasy 297 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: or science fiction universe operates. It kind of helps you 298 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,439 Speaker 1: write the stories. And the Star Wars cannon sort of 299 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: came about after some of the stories had already been 300 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 1: in practice. So it's a little of the other universe. 301 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:29,200 Speaker 1: So if you were to read some of the comic 302 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,199 Speaker 1: books or some of the other books that have been 303 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: written in the Star Wars universe, you might notice that 304 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: they sometimes contradict what happened in later movies, and that's 305 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: because they're not canon, all right, So moving on to 306 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: how they actually created this effect, which is really which 307 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: is really fascinating too. I think right now now. First 308 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 1: of all, in a New Hope, the first film, they 309 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: hadn't originally considered animating or adding any light to these 310 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 1: at all. The original idea was that the lightsabers were 311 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 1: going to have There were these these uh I think 312 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:04,400 Speaker 1: it was three sided, three sided pole that came out 313 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: kind of a triangular pole, and each side was was 314 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: coated with a very reflective material, and they used a 315 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: lamp that was on the same side as the camera 316 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: and focus the light so that it would reflect off 317 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: of it be really shiny, and there was a motor 318 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: inside the handle that would direct the side to be 319 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: aligned properly for the camera. But the effect was not 320 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: as a zippy as Lucas wanted. So they started to 321 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: cast about and see if they could find some other 322 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,880 Speaker 1: way of making this magic sword seem really magical, and 323 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: they contacted an animator by the name of Nelson Shin. 324 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 1: Nelson Shin took a week and looked at this footage 325 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: that had been shot and used an effect called rhodoscoping. 326 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: The the technique and animation technique is actually a very 327 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: old technique. A lot of people and myself, including associated 328 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: with AHAs, take on video. I associate it with Ralph 329 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: Box She's um Lord of the Rings movie. Also, Wizards 330 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: was another movie he used it in. But it's it's 331 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: where you take live action footage and then you overlay 332 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: animation on top of it, sometimes replacing the live action 333 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: footage entirely, sometimes enhancing it, and in this case, it 334 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: was enhancing it. So what he did was he used 335 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: animation cells to create this this glowing blade effect on 336 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: top of the the actual physical rods that were in 337 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: the shots, and then uh using you know, synchronizing the 338 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: cells that he had created with the actual film, overlaying 339 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: the animated effect on it, creating a new print that 340 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: combined these two individual prints. And that's how you you know. 341 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: He sent that back to Lucas and said, well, here 342 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 1: you can try this and see if this works. Lucas 343 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 1: liked it. Um, they decided to go with that approach. 344 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: They refined it a little bit. They added some color 345 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 1: so you had different color blades because originally they were 346 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,360 Speaker 1: both white and uh, and that was the beginning of 347 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: the lightsaber effect. Now, in the first three films, which 348 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 1: four or five and six, UM, they use the rotoscoping 349 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: technique where they would essentially hand draw these things on cells. Um. Basically, 350 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:20,959 Speaker 1: what they do is they put that cell over the 351 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: original film and color it in and then but that's 352 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: not but that's not all of it, because that does 353 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 1: add some color to it. But from from there they 354 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: have to shoot more film with the cell and the 355 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: original and when they do that, they shoot it over 356 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: a black background and use a light diffuser over the lens. 357 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: They double exposed the shots and that that makes them 358 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: really pop. That makes that makes them look sort of 359 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: you know, gives them that sort of otherworldly effect. You know, 360 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: how bright they are in their shots. So kind of 361 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 1: sophisticated when you think about it, but very very time consuming. Right, Yes, 362 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 1: it took took a really long time. It took slightly 363 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,239 Speaker 1: less time by the time they got around to the 364 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 1: prequels episodes one, two, and three, because they could do 365 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: it all digitally, but somebody still has to go into 366 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: the computer and you're doing it, you're doing it all 367 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:15,919 Speaker 1: in computer as opposed to doing it on hand handmade cells. Um. So, 368 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: I mean it still takes time, it's just not quite 369 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: as time consuming, except for the fact that Lucas decided 370 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: to throw in about I don't know ten times as 371 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: many lightsaber battles in those first three movies as the 372 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 1: original trilogy combined. Um, the the actual hilts of the 373 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: lightsabers were made up of old camera flash battery packs 374 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: and other odds and ends, like stuff from hardware stores 375 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 1: like plumbing, um gaskets and things like that. Now, they 376 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: shot these movies in England, so they were raiding various 377 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: British hardware shops. So a lot of the materials that 378 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 1: they used to build the lightsaber handles are very hard 379 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: to find or sometimes impossible to find in the United States, 380 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: which is why it's kind of challenging to create a 381 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: model of those those first. Again, this is for the 382 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 1: first trilogy four or five and six. Um, it's hard 383 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: to make those faithfully just because it's hard to get 384 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,959 Speaker 1: those parts in the United States. Um. Now, for episodes one, two, 385 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 1: and three, those were all machined, so there's all like routed. 386 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: They designed them in the computer and then and then 387 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: made use a router to cut custom parts and then 388 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: assembled them. So it wasn't like they were just grabbing 389 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: whatever they could find and and sticking it together. Um. 390 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: They came up with the concept, and artists came up 391 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 1: with the concept and then they built it from scratch. 392 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: That was actually one of my questions, like, where'd the 393 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 1: Jedi going to machine these parts? And you know, do 394 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: they as electrical engineering part of their training. It's Dreadria. 395 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: It's in the CAD system, very very nice. A lot 396 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: of a lot of rascals in the CAD system. As 397 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: it turns out, I think Han Solo actually spent a 398 00:22:57,560 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: lot of time in the CAD system. It's funny because 399 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,239 Speaker 1: when I started doing the two of these, the two 400 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,959 Speaker 1: pieces of this, the fantasy part and the you know, 401 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: special effect, how do they make it happen? I started 402 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: thinking about that way, So who's actually making these? You 403 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: know because each one is different? Well that's one of 404 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: the things too that uh um and I think is 405 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: at least somewhat cannon, is that it's all sort of individualized, 406 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: you know to the Jedi. So I'm wondering if you know, 407 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: they have to go down to the shop, you know, 408 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: on the thirty fourth floor and go, yeah, I need 409 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: can you make the sort of the the arc tip 410 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 1: sort of in this shape? No? No, no, not exactly 411 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: like that? Yeah, yeah, uh you know it It's kind 412 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: of sad because when I look at the props from 413 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 1: the first trilogy, those look like things that have really 414 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 1: lived in that universe for a really long time. I mean, 415 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: the ships are all beat up, and even the Jedi, uh, 416 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: the Jedi are beat up. The jedire beat up pretty bad. 417 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:57,359 Speaker 1: But no, even the lightsabers look like they've been well used, 418 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: whereas the if you look at the prequels, every looks 419 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: like brand new and sparkly, and it's just a little 420 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: it doesn't feel to me. It almost feels like it's 421 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: two different universes. Well, you know they are like years 422 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: apart and on and thirty years. Come on, do you 423 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: really want to go down this road because we've been 424 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: recording for like twenty four minutes, I'm not gonna go 425 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: for another fifty probably conservative that would be only because 426 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: I'd have to stop and get a break to drink something. 427 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: So let's we So we talked about the fact that 428 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 1: you know, rotoscoping, either digitally or by hand, that replacing 429 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: frame by frame, these these rods, the physical things that 430 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: were in the shot, and you needed the physical rods 431 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 1: because you needed to be able to make contact when 432 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: you're doing lightsaber battles. Right now, that's a that's a 433 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 1: good point. The handles that they use in the movies 434 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: right now, are you know, plastic handles with aluminum rods, 435 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: and they're they're basically cylindrical and colored red, blue or green. 436 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: They actually had to wrap the aluminum rods in construction 437 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: paper because they were giving off too much dust when 438 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: they were colliding during the lightsaber battles. The original trilogy 439 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: used I think wooden owls. I don't think they used aluminum, 440 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: at least not in the first film. Yeah, I would 441 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,119 Speaker 1: imagine that would be a little hard on your wrists too, 442 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 1: because they're actually, you know, having a sword fight with 443 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: aluminum rods. And yeah, now therons are are thinner than 444 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: what you see on the screen. Um, they're not as 445 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: they're not as thick as as the lightsaber blade appears 446 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: to be. But yeah, they need that so that they 447 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:28,880 Speaker 1: can do these moves and and make it look convincing. 448 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: Otherwise you would have lightsabers passing through one another and 449 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: that would just not look right. So, um, so there 450 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,719 Speaker 1: is a physical object there that you are are concealing 451 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 1: with the the overlay. And before we get into how 452 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: you can do this yourself, I wanted to talk a 453 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: little bit about the sound effects. They were designed by 454 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: Ben Burt, who was he's a brilliant sound designer. Um. 455 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: Sound designers are I think of them kind of like 456 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 1: a very specific type of engineer. Sound designers are the 457 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,359 Speaker 1: kind of people who can walk into a room and 458 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: just take a second and think of a billion different 459 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:05,439 Speaker 1: ways to use the sounds that are naturally occurring in 460 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: that room. Most of us we walk into a room, 461 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: we'll hear a noise and then within a second we 462 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 1: are already ignoring it. It's just been incorporated into what 463 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: we think of as the background. But if you ever 464 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,359 Speaker 1: take a moment and really listen to your environment, you 465 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: start to pick things out as as they happen. Well, 466 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: he's one of those guys who can hear a noise 467 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: and immediately say, hey, uh, this would be great for 468 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. And when he was tasked with finding 469 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: a noise for the lightsaber, he actually says this was 470 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 1: the first sound he designed for Star Wars was the 471 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: noise of the lightsaber, and he did it with a 472 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 1: combination of two noises. One was from an old projector. 473 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: There was an old projector that would made this humming 474 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: noise as it ran, and if you ran two of 475 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: those projectors, you've got a good little harmonizing effect with 476 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: the hum and that's so that formed the basis of 477 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: the wow when you fire up your lightsaber. Um. The 478 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,239 Speaker 1: second was noise is that you would get if you 479 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: ran a microphone near a television. It would be this 480 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,680 Speaker 1: buzzing noise feedback. Yes, that that gives it the kind 481 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 1: of little crackle sound that you also hear. That's just 482 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: sort of uh, kind of a light sound underneath the thrumb. 483 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: And then whenever someone would wave a lightsaber, well, you 484 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: have to create the wow noise. The way he did 485 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: that was he would move a microphone past a speaker 486 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 1: that was playing that UM. The the the humming noise, 487 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: and the Doppler effect would take care of the rest. 488 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: So you're just moving a microphone around a speaker and 489 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: then it's translates into the womb womb when you're waving 490 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:45,879 Speaker 1: your lightsaber around. UM. Absolutely brilliant. One of the uh 491 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: you know, there's there was no going into a synthesizer 492 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: or going into a studio and trying to create this 493 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:53,960 Speaker 1: sound from scratch. He just found a practical way of 494 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 1: creating it. And uh, and it's one of those things 495 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 1: that is forever married with the Star Wars universe. You 496 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: hear that sound, you know immediately what you're listening to. Now, 497 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 1: let's say you want to do this yourself, it's quite possible. Well, 498 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: you have to spend all that fuel getting to the 499 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: other star system. You know, I don't mean building a 500 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: real one, I mean like creating the effect in a video. 501 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: So you can do this yourself with the right kind 502 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:23,919 Speaker 1: of software. And uh, there are a lot of different 503 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: video editing suites out there that have the effects that 504 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: you would need in order to create a lightsaber effect. Um, 505 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 1: most of them are like things like Adobe has several 506 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: There's even a tool that's called l S Maker, which 507 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: allows you to create a lightsaber effect pretty easily. In fact, 508 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: all you have to do is do two clicks and 509 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: you create the basis of a lightsaber effect for a 510 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: single frame of video, and then you can go in 511 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: and tweak the effects so that it looks exactly the 512 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: way you want it to. But again, you have to 513 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: do this frame by frame, so it's not like you 514 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: do two clicks and it magically turns something into a lightsaber. 515 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: You actually have to go through each frame and replace 516 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: the physical object with the lightsaber representation in order for 517 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: it to work properly. Yes, but YouTube is filled with 518 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: people who have done this successfully. Yes, yes, and some 519 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: not so successful, and some of them are pretty awful. 520 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: But uh, the same effect. You can use the same 521 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: sort of technology to create other effects besides the lightsaber effect. 522 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: It's just that's one of those that's pretty easy to 523 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 1: to apply because really you're talking about a straight line. 524 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: It's not that complicated. Um, it is time consuming though. 525 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: It can take hours and hours and hours to render 526 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: a video that would only last maybe thirty seconds, especially 527 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: if you have multiple blades on there. That can because 528 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: each blade is going to require a different layer in 529 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: your video, you know, So you're gonna if you have 530 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: like six Jedi out there and they all have lightsabers 531 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: at six layers of video right there in order for 532 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: you to have all the effects come together properly. Then 533 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: if you know, they clashed and you have to add 534 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,720 Speaker 1: the sparks and there's and you have to and it's 535 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 1: it can be challenging. I mean it's it's not it's 536 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: not something that you're gonna be able to whip out 537 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:11,960 Speaker 1: in an hour. It's gonna take a while, but it's 538 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: it's doable, all right. I hope you enjoyed that episode. 539 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: I had a great time with Chris recording that one. 540 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: So the update I promise. Well, first of all, it's 541 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: not about your broadsword lightsaber that was seen in the trailer. 542 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: Although my favorite theory so far is that the lightsaber 543 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: is so overpowered and jankie and it was made by 544 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 1: someone who was not actually trained as a Jedi, that 545 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: the the cross hilt is not truly a cross hilt. Instead, 546 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: it's vents that are venting off extra energy so that 547 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: the lightsaber doesn't explode. It's awesome fan made theory that 548 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: probably has no basis in reality, but it's also pretty cool. 549 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: I wanted to talk about a an actual experiment that 550 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: was done back in two thousand thirteen that showed how 551 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: light can somehow behave kind of like it does with lightsaber. 552 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: So if you know your you know your your light physics, 553 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 1: you know that photons don't normally interact with one another. 554 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,240 Speaker 1: That's why you can turn on two flashlights and pass 555 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: the beams against and through each other and there's no interaction. 556 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: There's no interference. They just passed right on through. Photons 557 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 1: normally don't mess with other photons. However, the some scientists 558 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: at the Harvard m I T Center for Ultra called Atoms, 559 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: which is the best name ever, discovered that if they 560 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: super cooled rubidium atoms a gas cloud of rubidium atoms 561 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,479 Speaker 1: too too as cold as they could possibly get it, 562 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: and then they passed a couple of photons through that 563 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: gas cloud, they would start to push and pull on 564 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: each other as if they were like lightsabers. They could 565 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: actually physically have this push pull relationship. Now, it all 566 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: has to do with a pretty weird concept called the 567 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: Rideberg blockade, which it states that if you excite an atom, 568 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: then you cannot excite nearby atoms to that same degree. 569 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: Is impossible to do that. So when a photon enters 570 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: this super cool cloud of rubidium, it excites one of 571 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 1: those atoms, and the other atoms around it can't be 572 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: excited more. And that's where you start getting this kind 573 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: of shoving behavior between the photons that the various press 574 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 1: releases talked about it being kind of like the way 575 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 1: atoms are arranged in a molecule. The photons actually clumped together, 576 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 1: so that's pretty awesome. Doesn't mean you can have a lightsaber. No, 577 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: it's not gonna be helpful for a lightsaber, but it 578 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: may end up one day helping us create quantum computers 579 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: that use the interactions between photons to help do these computations. Normally, again, 580 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:46,719 Speaker 1: we can't do that, or it might even lead us 581 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 1: to being able to create three dimensional objects physical three 582 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: dimensional objects with light sometime in the future. How that works? 583 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: You got me this point. The physics are way over 584 00:32:57,760 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: my head, but I thought it would be pretty cool 585 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: to talk about anyway. Let me know if you enjoyed 586 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 1: this look back. Maybe one day we'll do another episode 587 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: about lightsabers where we look into it again, especially given 588 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: the new movies coming out. If you have any suggestions 589 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: for future episodes of tech Stuff, let me know. Send 590 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 1: me an email. The addresses tech stuff at how stuff 591 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 1: works dot com, or drop me a line on Facebook, 592 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 1: Twitter or Tumbler. The handle it all three is tech 593 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: Stuff h s W and I'll talk to you again 594 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 1: really soon for more on this and basons of other topics. 595 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:42,400 Speaker 1: Does it have stuff works dot Com