Ryan vs. Dorkman
Encyclopedia
Ryan vs. Dorkman, often abbreviated by fans as RvD, is a series of Star Wars
fan film
s, created by Ryan Wieber
and Michael "Dorkman" Scott
, and first released to the internet on March 1, 2003.
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.
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 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 , the original RvD had surpassed 4.8 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 is on how they re-mastered and it is 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. The two can be seen fighting with lightsabres amongst the band playing, and the drummer seems to be playing with lightsabers instead of drumsticks.
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. 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, 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 , the official version on YouTube has over 5 million times views.
The film was entered into the 2008 Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge
, where it won Best Visual Effects.
On December 19, 2008, RvD2 was re-released in full HD on YouTube's new widescreen player. As of this new version had passed 500,000 views.
In August 2010, Time
magazine listed it as one of the Top 10 Star Wars fanfilms.
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...
fan film
Fan film
A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators. Fan filmmakers have traditionally been amateurs, but some of the more notable films have actually been produced by...
s, created by Ryan Wieber
Ryan Wieber
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...
and Michael "Dorkman" 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...
, and first released to the internet on March 1, 2003.
Ryan vs. Dorkman
Ryan vs. Dorkman was produced as an entry in a lightsaberLightsaber
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...
choreography competition hosted by TheForce.net
TheForce.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 escalates too far. The fight to the death will determine once and for all who is the most skilled with a saber.
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
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 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.
As of , the original RvD had surpassed 4.8 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 is on how they re-mastered and it is available on the site.
Both Ryan and 'Dorkman' were featured in the music video for 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...
's 2008 song 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,...
which included many other internet video stars. The two can be seen fighting with lightsabres amongst the band playing, and the drummer seems to be playing with lightsabers instead of drumsticks.
Ryan vs. Dorkman 2
After the sudden and tremendous surge 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, 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. 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 February 24, 2007 at the Wilshire Fine Arts Theatre in Los Angeles, 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 , the official version on YouTube has over 5 million times views.
The film was entered into the 2008 Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge
The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards is an annual contest put forth by Lucasfilm and AtomFilms to showcase and acknowledge the growing genre of fan films made by, for, and about fans of the Star Wars saga. The inaugural contest in 2002 was the first time Lucasfilm had officially sanctioned the...
, where it won Best Visual Effects.
On December 19, 2008, RvD2 was re-released in full HD on YouTube's new widescreen player. As of this new version had passed 500,000 views.
In August 2010, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine listed it as one of the Top 10 Star Wars fanfilms.