Ryan Wieber
Encyclopedia
Ryan Wieber is a compositor and amateur filmmaker, best known for his visual effects work in creating short Star Wars
-related films. His lightsaber duel Ryan vs. Dorkman
, which he co-created with Michael Scott
, has received considerable internet recognition, including reaching #2 in Google Video
's "Top 100" ranking in May 2006.
, 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, and fighting to the death with actual lightsabers.
Though fan-made lightsaber
duels were already commonplace on the internet at the time of its release, RvD gained attention due to the quality of the lightsaber
special effects, which some compared to the visual effects
created by Industrial Light and Magic
. It was also lauded for its careful and clear cinematography and its fight choreography, praised by some fans as being equal to or even surpassing the fighting showcased in actual franchise films.
In the spring of 2006, the short became a viral video after being posted on such websites as eBaumsworld, CollegeHumor
, and (arguably the biggest boost in its popularity and visibility) 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.
A version of the film uploaded to Google Video
also surpassed one million views.
The film's score was recorded with a 60 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. 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 in February 2007 at the Wilshire Fine Arts Theatre in Los Angeles
before being released on the internet on March 1, 2007. Because of the viral popularity of RvD and RvD2, Ryan and Michael were invited appear alongside many other internet celebrities in the music video Pork and Beans
by Weezer
.
Like RvD, RvB was created for one of the Lightsaber Choreography Competitions, in this case the third (LCC3), on TheForce.net/FanFilms.com forums. Originally released with few visual effects, including only those necessary for the choreography to make sense (such as masking the metal blades to create "ignitions" or "retractions"), it nevertheless won the competition.
After the competition, eighteen FanFilms.com forum members came together as a volunteer team and augmented the scene with full sound and visual effects. This team was headed by TheForce.net members David Adametz and Bryan Higgins, who had also submitted their own separate entries to LCC3.
His most notable contributions to primetime television effects work are on NBC
's Heroes
.
On September 8, 2007, Wieber won an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special" for his work as Lead Visual Effects Compositor on the project "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King • Battleground • TNT • Ostar Productions". The Creative Arts Emmys aired September 15, 2007.
On September 12, 2009, Wieber won his second Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series" for his work as Lead Visual Effects Compositor on NBC
's Heroes
, episodes "The Second Coming" and "The Butterfly Effect".
Due in part to recognition from Ryan vs. Dorkman, Wieber was offered a job at LucasArts
, where he worked from September 2003 to October 2004 in the visual effects department. During his employment, he worked on the video games Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
, and Star Wars: Republic Commando
.
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
-related films. His lightsaber duel Ryan vs. Dorkman
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...
, which he co-created with Michael Scott
Michael Scott (filmmaker)
Michael "Dorkman" Scott is a Los Angeles-based independent filmmaker, best known for his visual effects work in Star Wars-related films Ryan vs. Dorkman and its sequel Ryan vs. Dorkman 2 , which he co-created with Ryan Wieber...
, has received considerable internet recognition, including reaching #2 in Google Video
Google Video
Google Videos is a video search engine, and formerly a free video sharing website, from Google Inc. Before removing user-uploaded content, the service allowed selected videos to be remotely embedded on other websites and provided the necessary HTML code alongside the media, similar to YouTube...
's "Top 100" ranking in May 2006.
Ryan vs. Dorkman
Ryan vs. Dorkman (often abbreviated by fans as RvD) was first released to the internet on March 1, 2003. It was produced as an entry in a lightsaber choreography competition hosted by TheForce.netTheForce.Net
TheForce.Net is a Star Wars news site. It has material related the movies and associated games, publications, and other merchandise ....
, 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, and fighting to the death with actual lightsabers.
Though fan-made lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
duels were already commonplace on the internet at the time of its release, RvD gained attention due to the quality of the lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
special effects, which some compared to the visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
created by Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic is an Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and is owned by Lucasfilm. Lucas created the company when he discovered that the special effects department at 20th Century Fox was shut down after he was given...
. It was also lauded for its careful and clear cinematography and its fight choreography, praised by some fans as being equal to or even surpassing the fighting showcased in actual franchise films.
In the spring of 2006, the short became a viral video after being posted on such websites as eBaumsworld, CollegeHumor
CollegeHumor
CollegeHumor is a comedy website owned by InterActiveCorp and based in New York City. The site features daily original comedy videos and articles created by its in-house writing and production team, in addition to user-submitted videos, pictures, articles and links. In early 2009, CollegeHumor's...
, and (arguably the biggest boost in its popularity and visibility) the front page of YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
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.
A version of the film uploaded to Google Video
Google Video
Google Videos is a video search engine, and formerly a free video sharing website, from Google Inc. Before removing user-uploaded content, the service allowed selected videos to be remotely embedded on other websites and provided the necessary HTML code alongside the media, similar to YouTube...
also surpassed one million views.
Ryan vs Dorkman 2
After the sudden and tremendous resurgence in popularity of RvD, 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. They released a sneak peek of the film online in December 2006.The film's score was recorded with a 60 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. The film's creators solicited donations from fans in order to pay the musicians. M.B Gordy (lead percussionist from Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
) provided the percussion.
The film premiered in February 2007 at the Wilshire Fine Arts Theatre in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
before being released on the internet on March 1, 2007. Because of the viral popularity of RvD and RvD2, Ryan and Michael were invited appear alongside many other internet celebrities in the music video Pork and Beans
Pork and Beans (song)
"Pork and Beans" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on its 2008 album Weezer. It was released in digital form on April 24, 2008. The track debuted at number 19 on Billboards Modern Rock chart, and spent eleven weeks at number one. Critics generally liked the song,...
by Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
.
Ryan vs Brandon
Ryan vs Brandon (abbreviated as RvB by some) is another lightsaber project in the vein of Ryan vs Dorkman; in this case, however, Ryan's opponent is Brandon Flyte, another fan film effects artist.Like RvD, RvB was created for one of the Lightsaber Choreography Competitions, in this case the third (LCC3), on TheForce.net/FanFilms.com forums. Originally released with few visual effects, including only those necessary for the choreography to make sense (such as masking the metal blades to create "ignitions" or "retractions"), it nevertheless won the competition.
After the competition, eighteen FanFilms.com forum members came together as a volunteer team and augmented the scene with full sound and visual effects. This team was headed by TheForce.net members David Adametz and Bryan Higgins, who had also submitted their own separate entries to LCC3.
Alternate Lightsaber Duel
This video was an alternate version of the climactic duel between Count Dooku, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Attack of the Clones. Ryan plays Count Dooku, while Anakin and Obi-Wan are played by Collin Waledisch and Philip Watkins, respectively. Due to the budget and the outcome of the fight, Yoda is not featured in this fanfilm.The Formula
Ryan, along with Michael "Dorkman" Scott was a visual effects supervisor for the Star Wars fanfilm The Formula, directed by Chris Hanel and Steve Phelan. This was Wieber and Scott's first visual effects collaboration and led to them becoming friends.Ryan vs Brandon 2
"Ryan vs Brandon 2" is Ryan Wieber and Brandon Flyte's latest lightsaber project. It has been submitted into the sixth lightsaber competition, hosted by theforce.net and it came in 1st place. It currently has few effects, only a few sparks, speed adjustments, and blade retraction. As of October 23, 2009, all of the shots were assigned to a team of volunteers who worked on rotoscoping the lightsaber blades. By April 2010, they were all composited and delivered for color grading by roto supervisor Nathaniel Caauwe. Unlike the previous duel, RvB, Brandon's lightsaber will be red instead of green. The completed version has been announced and was released to YouTube on January 28, 2011.Professional career
Wieber currently works as a full-time compositor for Stargate Digital.His most notable contributions to primetime television effects work are on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
.
On September 8, 2007, Wieber won an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special" for his work as Lead Visual Effects Compositor on the project "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King • Battleground • TNT • Ostar Productions". The Creative Arts Emmys aired September 15, 2007.
On September 12, 2009, Wieber won his second Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series" for his work as Lead Visual Effects Compositor on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, episodes "The Second Coming" and "The Butterfly Effect".
Due in part to recognition from Ryan vs. Dorkman, Wieber was offered a job at LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
, where he worked from September 2003 to October 2004 in the visual effects department. During his employment, he worked on the video games Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (video game)
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is the official LucasArts 2005 video game based on the movie of the same name. It centers around Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as the Clone Wars come to an end. It was released on May 5, 2005, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance and...
, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a role playing video game released for the Xbox and Microsoft Windows. The Xbox version of this sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released on December 6, 2004, while the Windows version was released on February 8, 2005...
, and Star Wars: Republic Commando
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person shooter Star Wars video game, released in the US on March 1, 2005. It was developed and published by LucasArts for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox platforms. The game uses Epic Games' Unreal Engine...
.
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (video game)Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (video game)Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is the official LucasArts 2005 video game based on the movie of the same name. It centers around Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as the Clone Wars come to an end. It was released on May 5, 2005, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance and...
(2005) (effects artist) - Star Wars: Republic CommandoStar Wars: Republic CommandoStar Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person shooter Star Wars video game, released in the US on March 1, 2005. It was developed and published by LucasArts for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox platforms. The game uses Epic Games' Unreal Engine...
(2005) (effects artist) - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith LordsStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith LordsStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a role playing video game released for the Xbox and Microsoft Windows. The Xbox version of this sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released on December 6, 2004, while the Windows version was released on February 8, 2005...
(2004) (visual effects artist: cinematic cutscenes) - Heroes (NBC Television Series)Heroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
2006–2010 (Effects Artist)