«What a great adventure! The script was humorous and delightful. Greenscreening was a surprise and high merited for the extra effort of editing! Joseph you always deliver high quality films! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by K4»

«WOW! It'realy cool! I like it. 99999999999999/5 stars)))»

«Funniest Machinima ever!
Soooo delightful sense of humor!
Very good FX post-production skills!
No wonder you win a price with that!
Thank you for that!
Wonna see more, many more!!»

«A lot of fun. Good one.»

«Loved it!»

«Really enjoyed this film. You should do more comedy Joseph, this was really funny! It had me giggling and laughing out loud several times. The special effects were really well done but I expect nothing less from your studio, perfection. Some of the special effects even topped your past work, it really felt like you were in the Star Wars universe.

Overall: 8/10= I wouldn't say it's your best work but it was very, very good and I really enjoyed it. Look forward to your next work (as always).»

«This was really a great movie, it makes me think differently about the star wars films and how much different it really is from the real world. Nice work with your acting and the cast did an excellent job.

The sequel will definitely be worth the wait,

EpicHeart»

«Wonderfully made, Joseph. It was entertaining, creative, hilarious, great voice actors, so much work has been put into this film and I can tell. Adding yourself in the film must have been fun to do.

Can't wait for part 2 good sir.

TPK
»

«Do I like Josephkw movies? Yes I sure do.



5 stars, CP»

«Every thing you would expect from Joseph. need i say more?»

«Nothing makes returning to TMU awesome like finding a new Josephkw film released, and as usual, you blew me away. A funny storyline, supported by eye-popping visuals, and as a Star wars fan I have to say that you totally nailed the atmosphere of the sets. The dog-walkers, the flying sequences, gunfights, it was all 100% believable and totally amazing.I really appreciated little visual touches like that dancing brown trashcan thing and the holographic screens. But the best part of the video was your own performance as the befuddled Star Wars fan just trying to find the convention. Your ironic detachment from the seriousness of the events and addled comments never failed to make me laugh. In fact, it really just took a funny face expression and I'm splitting my sides (love the ice cream scoop joke). The only thing I found weird was that the voice and mouth didn't quite match up perfectly; did you dub the voice? Anyways, small potatoes. The way you integrate the live-action footage with animation is a super cool experiment that I'm glad to see you developing at such a large-scale level, because the results are spectacular. Great usage of John William's music too. I am totally down for part 2!!!»

«very nice work bro. Had me rollin througout.»

«I'd watched this when you first premiered it and thought I'd posted comments but apparently I'm brain dead.

Wonderfully done and very nice attention to detail. I loved the blending you had going on between all the elements, and the dialogue was a lot of fun as well. Definitely a must watch!»

«Awesome, amazing, outstanding! First class all the way, video, sound, special effects. Professional quality, joy to watch. While I was viewing my wife poked her head in and giggled at the part with the banana. That says volumes because she really doesn't like these kind of videos (shows mainstream appeal). Can't wait for future parts. May the farce be with you.»

«ROFLMAO!!!!! Part chicken! Part man! Able to destroy an Imperial Walker with a banana peel! It's Joseph Kwon!

Absolutely brilliant! The greatest dream (and possibly worst nightmare) of any SciFi fan; to find out their passion is reality.

Terrific Keying. Absolute attention to detail.

Looks like you used TM and SW Battlefronts. Blended and rendered beautifully.»

«Desire, dedication, and discipline showcased here.

Nifty trick wth the live-action inserts. Loved that. Very fun.

Joe, I'm always a little bit surprised - no matter how many times I've seen you complete a project - at how hard you work. I can't imagine the hours, blood, sweat, and tears it takes to compile, compress, and produce an animated film of this magnitude, but I will say that it's damned impressive. 5 months? It shows.

Credit where it's due as well to your cast, modders (wow wow wow), sound designers, and crew. This stew is ultimately the sum of its parts, and it is quite delicious (and calls for seconds). You guys are all -wicked- talented.

Can't wait to be a bigger part of it all, Joe - another JosephKW project I can get my hooks into! They look great on a VO resume. »

«OK First off I have to say this was totally inspired! I wouldn't have thought to do live action with TM, I loved it! Nice chroma keying, and great laughs mixed through out the film. Especially love the banana scene. I'm interested to see where this will go next, Endor? Tatootine? This is going to be great!»

«That was really fun! Enjoyed seeing you acting and those special effects were awesome too. I could really feel this bright cold day... »

«What a great idea... you're a movie star! That took guts, skill and vision.
Some good gags in there too.
bravo!»

«Hi Joseph,

Great voices and special effects.

I was kind of hoping that you would have dressed up being in character and all.

I'm not the greatest fan for this type story line, but I think you did a good job.
I was kind of expecting you to reflect a full on blast with the shinny ice cream scooper and blind everyone in the walker.

Can't wait to see the rest of your story.

Over all I think it was great.

Hagen



»

«Absolutely LOVE this! You are a genius »

«BRILLIANT!»

«Hah! That was completabsolutely the most unexpected recruit ever!

Great job with the greenscreen, quality is flawless!
I had a great time watching this... very inspiring.
Can't wait to see the next episode!
Keep it up!


Rik»

«Simply brilliant! Great job fine Green screen work! Super!»

«damn, that was fun.»

«Great Work. Good humor, voices and some brilliant visual effects work. You managed to capture the 'feel' of a Star Wars movie without just directly copying this. I very much enjoyed this, despite not being a Star Wars fan but I am a fan of sci-fi and it manged to hit all those buttons.

One criticism is that the live action audio was slightly out of sync. Not a huge thing but live action actors are very noticeable when out of sync, However that's a very minor thing.

Looking forward to more »

«Fantastic film great blend of Live action and Machinima. The mods were outstanding and the sound design was great. Great start to this trilogy.»

«Excellent stuff. The one suggestion I can think of is of the shot at 10:11 to 10:17 of the Speeders exiting the cave would have been perfect if you had put yourself in the lower right corner watching them take off. It would have been a nice effect and you completely disappear for the first 2 1/2 minutes of the battle until the walker is almost upon you.

But even with that some excellent, fabulous stuff to watch and aspire too.»

«Lost for words.....OMG »

«Are you kidding me?? Joseph, that was seriously inspired and film-making, writing, post-production magic and last but not least ACTING!!. I love the character you have created here. IMHO it is a different one then your "The Console" persona. While in the same vein this performance exudes a higher level of cluelessness and just plain goofiness. I've always been a fan of self deprecating humor so this characterizaiton struck a chord with me. It's a bold and brave move to put your real self out there in such a way.

I haven't worked with The Movies in some time but I recall enough to know what you have achieved in putting together this video is quite remarkable. I found myself being drawn out of the story a few times to wonder how you had created what I'd just viewed. You didn't skimp or cut any corners with the "Walkers" scene. It was a quality action sequence in the middle of a camp comedy. And as for the comedy it was well conceived and brilliantly executed. I laughed out loud a number of times. I am really looking forward to the release of upcoming episodes.

Oh yeah...thanks for letting be a (very) small part of this production.»

«Awesome work joseph.
pretty funny.
cast did a great job.
nice editing and script.
great modding work and set design.
just amazing work. »

«Cool»

«Haven't seen anything like this before and it was fuuunnn!. That was one lethal icecream scoop you had there. Have to agree with Bezzer. You're a genius and mad as a box of frogs. Will definitely be looking for more of these when they pop up. Thanks for the laugh :-)»

«I love this. The effects were really impressive, and the whole film was so much fun! Makes me want to go back and watch the original trilogy! I am very happy to be a part of this project. Can't wait for the next parts!»

«I said it before and I'll say it again, you are a genuine genius.
From the story, dialog, editing, sound design to spfx, this is a masterpiece.

The pacing was perfect, the jokes got me in stitches. All those referenced lines (damn it I'm a taxidermist not a doctor, the bucket, the ice cream scooper) and you managed to include as someone else said, the oldest gag in the book. Bravado to say the least, and it worked.
I just can't wait to see what you have up your sleeves for Ep. 2 and 3»

«a very entertaining & funny movie, and you managed to squeese in the oldest visual gag in the world, nice one! »

«You sir, are a frickin' genious...mad as a box of frogs, but a genious nonetheless.
I really hope you go ahead with the 'making of' movie, because I would love to see how you pieced this thing together.

I've got after effects myself and I do use it occassionally, but never to this incredible high standard or effect.

The attention to detail here, right down to the icy breath, was second to none considering the mediums used.

Outstanding...and as Biggs said, roll on parts 2 and 3.»

«Hilarious!
Will you be making 3 prequels to this one? ;-)»

«I'm glad you enjoyed my latest--it makes all my efforts worth it. Thanks so much, you guys (and gal) are wonderful.

As for the hi-def, I make all my films in hi-res now, but when I post them on Vimeo or TMU, they become unplayably choppy. Thus I only upload lower-res versions (this one's 720 x 404--so not too bad). »

«Well that was certainly unexpected. I couldn't stop laughing. My wife wondered what the hell I was laughing at and I showed this to her and she couldn't help but laugh as well. Very well done movie Joseph. :-)»

«My only coplaint is that it isnt available in a higher resolution for full screen goodness. I bet that recruit could take down a baskin robbins single handedly. Funny and technically very well done.»

«that was hilarious - excellent composition JKW - the line about the chicken in buckets had me in stitches - the Bones homage - lol - the effects are very well done, the action scenes well choreographed and the 15 minutes really just flew by»

«A thoroughly entertaining 15 minutes.

I remember running around my garden or bedroom pretending I had been transported into the Star Wars universe and was helping the rebels overcome the Empire.
But enough about my immediate reaction to this film ...

The one moment in this piece that sums up all of Star Wars' fan-boys and fan-girls wish-fulfilment fantasies - is when the main character views a rebel Speeder being readied for action, then looks behind to see the Millenium Falcon!

I liked the idea of casting a live-action hero in, essentially, a cartoon environment. I wonder (most likely wrongly) if it was deliberate. Making fun of George Lucas' recent overuse of CGI, which populates real environments with cartoon characters.

The battle was superb - best battle scene involving "The Movies" footage I've ever watched, by a long way. Beautifully edited, and the key live action moments were integrated well. Stunning special effects. Not just the grand stuff, like the walkers, but the attention to detail - the puff of snow when a laser misses its target, for example. (and the smoke coming from the mouth of our hero when he talks in the cold Hoth environment).

I've always got a soft-spot for John Williams' music. It was used appropriately here to massive goose-bump-inducing effect! I would argue that Star Wars is a pretty poor pantomime that is only given gravitas by the infectious seriousness of Williams' music (watch the original 1977 trailer for Star Wars for proof of that). The, even more, ridiculous scenario behind this movie, yet again, gets taken into serious territory during the battle scene by Williams' terrific music.

Terrificly entertaining film!»

«I about crapped myself when I saw you walk out. Omg. You are hilarious and wonderful.»

«Forgo to to mention... I liked the "1138" nod, too =)»

«Very well done! The live-action addition not only took me by surprise, but also added to the experience and humor. Even outside of that, there were pretty impressive effects shown, especially during the Hoth fighting. There's still room for original humor in this franchise, and you've pulled it off!»

«lol wasnt expecting you actually to be in it as in real life but man that was an amazing film well done»

«Definitely a fun film, unexpected. Technically well done and made. The best Star Wars based The Movies/anymation I've seen in a while. »

«☆☆☆☆☆

Movie: Star Recruit

Director: Joseph Kwong

Runtime: 15min 01sec

Engine: The Movies

by Jakechief


Where shall I begin? I don't know where I should begin to describe this movie. 'Star Recruit' by Joseph Kwong is most likely the most engrossing, funny sci fi movie ever. Star Recruit is mainly about Joseph going to a Star Wars convention by ends up in the world of Star Wars. I was expecting a sci fi movie here, until Joseph arrived. The sets, the artwork on this movie is outstanding. He has the overlaying of the sets done perfectly. Joseph shows up within 2 minutes of the movie, and live action. His greenscreening was absolutely brilliant! It looked like he was in the movies game. Joseph seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing to get this movie done. It is not just this movie has one of the best visual effects ever on TMunderground, but that the editing is spot on. The cut from scene to scene, the way he made himself look like he was in the movies game, was astonishing. Joseph is one of those filmmakers who you have to feel bad about. He is one of those filmmakers who is so respected as a director that every movie he puts out, peoples expectations are almost too high to demand. But, somehow, somewhere, Joseph Kwong surpassed my expectations once again with this new movie. I also want to say that if you are not a Star Wars fan, and even if you hate it to the point you can't bare to watch it no more, just watch this movie for the visual effects and the comedy. The effects are outstanding, like I said. But what I did not mention was the writing as well. He uses humor the right way. Joseph does not seem like the type of guy that would make this type of movie, but now that he did, he did it right. Very smart by Joseph Kwong to make this movie. I highly recommend it to everyone. A

*FAVORITED*»

«Very very good, I hope this wins the Star Wars competition.
Excellent FX, loved the green screen work.

PART 2 AND 3 PLEASE!»

«I had an idea what to expect... but what I got was something completely different. And from that first moment I smiled all the way through. You've done a fantastic job on this Joseph! The effects were well done, the voice acting (and RL acting) was brilliant. A great start to this trilogy. Plus it's great to see a comedic character in a Star Wars movie who is funny and isn't insufferable like Jar-Jar Binks

I take may hat off to you good sir and may the force be with you!

★★★★★ - 5 Stars
*Added to Favourites»

«Brilliant technically and hilarious - but I have to say, for a guy who sounds sooooo serious, you really are a wack-job, aren't you....

»

«That was absolutely Stellar!!
Fantastic piece of work. Mind blowing stuff.
Really really good Joseph. Loved it.. The whole idea and production throughout.
Very clever !!! Wow!»

«You cheeky b*st*rd, you... lol VERY nice work, Sir. Even my wife enjoyed it... (especially the "bucket" references).

But who was that handsome, dashing, and well moustached individual on Hoth? Surely the star of the film...

Roll on parts ii & iii! !!!»

«I really enjoyed this first part. Continue your great job Joseph.»

«Well I wasn't expecting that! (Although in hindsight I should have).
Very nicely done indeed. Terrific compositing work. (bet you wish you'd worn a hat!)»

«awesomenessness, that was alot of blood, sweat and the force. A triumph to anyone who says the movies is dead for machinima. A perfect demonstation of combine animations sources. Keep your secrets joseph, keep the bar a mystery.»

«Thanks so much for the enthusiastic reception. I actually do plan to release a "Making of Star Recruit" documentary and blooper reel, but that will be right before I release part 2. In the meantime, please drop on by my on-gong production thread in the forums.»

«You do have amazing skill´s.What a work......i am speechless- »

«Very clever use of visuals and of literally putting yourself in the movie.

I wouldn't mind seeing a 'Making of Star Recruit' sometime »

«Oh lordy lord.... I could say soooo many things about this, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone else

Excellent work as always (no surprise there) with some spectacular effects and visuals... and certainly not what we were expecting, that's for sure!

I'm certainly not even going to mention the banana...

I certainly urge anyone to watch this somewhere quiet, with a beer in one hand and a bucket of popcorn in the other and settle down for 15mins of pure genius!

Bravo!»