Marvel Recreation Universe Part 3 (Behind the Scenes)

Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 16: Ant-Man and the Wasp

Mru exists because of Star Wars.

Specifically,

Star wars Episodes 1-3
(1999 - 2005)

Star wars the Clone wars Seasons 1-6
(2008 - 2014)

Indiana Jones Trilogy
(1981 - 1989)

These Films and show inspired my Filmmaking and wanting do something similar in scale, and special effects lead us to Mru.

We made Mru based on many of the same principals from Films 40-20 years old.

The Star Wars books, movies, and video-games from the early 2000's is where I come from as a Filmmaker.

The principal is this: If you recreate scenes from movies that you love, you will want it to be perfect, and never release it. You will also pick sequences that deeply resonate with you, but have 0 effect on your audience or the entertainment factor.

There is a high level of expectation recreating scenes from well known films, the last thing we needed in the editing room is a strong emotional attachment to the material as well.

Marvel gave us a gray area to work with, Movies that I greatly enjoy but don't have a strong emotional connection to. It enabled us to release SR'S that I wasn't 100% happy with but had done all I knew how to do, without being too hard on myself.

Mru was partly about practicing and pushing the SR'S until we had a Scene Recreation of High quality good enough to advertise our self with, and Marvel Films gave us the perfect foundation to train on.

It's one of the reasons I believe Mru works well. We were able to help push actors out of their fears of living up these characters because I myself did not care as much about the Heroes as they did.

Jon is the only one who knew I am a Star Wars fanatic, and I told him at the end of the final day we filmed together.


I brought the vision to the project, and we relied on the actors, cosplayers, and the VFX Artists we worked with on our Endgame SR, to bring the love of Marvel to the Production.

Link:

 
Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 17: Captain Marvel

Carol Danvers proved to be on of the most sought after roles in Mru. Two minutes after sending the SR pitch message, two Actresses responded immediately, with the answer yes, 10 seconds apart from each other.

Rebecca Tremblay replied first, so she received the role of Captain Marvel.

It turned out best for our Production, as Rebecca's husband plays Nick Fury in this SR. Finding an actor for Nick Fury proved more challenging than we initially anticipated, and Rebecca helped give us both roles for this Scene Recreation.

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Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 18 Avengers Endgame

Our Avengers Endgame Scene Recreations proved to be one of the most exhilarating experiences across Mru.

When the Cosplayers footage starting coming in, the question become how many characters can we get in this SR before our deadline?

1. We now have a Thor Cosplayer, and Star-Lord Cosplayer for this SR, but can we get a Winter Soldier Cosplayer in this Recreation?

2. A Winter Soldier Cosplayer joined our Production, but what about a Doctor Strange Cosplayer?

3. Etc. Until we ran out of time, and the set deadline for the footage arrived.

Some Cosplayers were unable to record their material in time before the final day, so they sent pictures instead.

The Iron Man snap SR, Deadpool scene, Avengers assemble SR, and Far from Home SR are my favorite sequences from Mru.

Recruiting a Deadpool Cosplayer and Deadpool Voice Actor was interesting, as due to time constraints, we contacted them both at the same time.

When we talked to our DP Cosplayer we did not have a DP Voice Actor locked into our Production yet, and when we discussed the role with potential Voice Actors we we did not have the footage from our Deadpool Cosplayer yet.

If we received only the material from one or the other, it would have put the Deadpool scene in Jeopardy.

Both aspects of this character needed to come together in order for this sequence to work.

Thankfully, our Deadpool Cosplayer Gaming Cosplayer, read between the lines and knew the situation we were in, so he voiced Deadpool himself just in case something went wrong with our search for Deadpool Voice Actors.

Graciously, Our Deadpool Voice Actor Jack, joined this Scene Recreation and gave us incredible performance, complimenting Freddy's DP Cosplay.

Our Cosplayers, Actors, (VFX Artists, for our Endgame Scene Recreations) and voice actor from around the world contributed to our Scene Recreations (Ant-Man and the Wasp - Far from Home) for free.



Link:

 
Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 18 Avengers Endgame

Our Avengers Endgame Scene Recreations proved to be one of the most exhilarating experiences across Mru.

When the Cosplayers footage starting coming in, the question become how many characters can we get in this SR before our deadline?

1. We now have a Thor Cosplayer, and Star-Lord Cosplayer for this SR, but can we get a Winter Soldier Cosplayer in this Recreation?

2. A Winter Soldier Cosplayer joined our Production, but what about a Doctor Strange Cosplayer?

3. Etc. Until we ran out of time, and the set deadline for the footage arrived.

Some Cosplayers were unable to record their material in time before the final day, so they sent pictures instead.

The Iron Man snap SR, Deadpool scene, Avengers assemble SR, and Far from Home SR are my favorite sequences from Mru.

Recruiting a Deadpool Cosplayer and Deadpool Voice Actor was interesting, as due to time constraints, we contacted them both at the same time.

When we talked to our DP Cosplayer we did not have a DP Voice Actor locked into our Production yet, and when we discussed the role with potential Voice Actors we we did not have the footage from our Deadpool Cosplayer yet.

If we received only the material from one or the other, it would have put the Deadpool scene in Jeopardy.

Both aspects of this character needed to come together in order for this sequence to work.

Thankfully, our Deadpool Cosplayer Gaming Cosplayer, read between the lines and knew the situation we were in, so he voiced Deadpool himself just in case something went wrong with our search for Deadpool Voice Actors.

Graciously, Our Deadpool Voice Actor Jack, joined this Scene Recreation and gave us incredible performance, complimenting Freddy's DP Cosplay.

Our Cosplayers, Actors, (VFX Artists, for our Endgame Scene Recreations) and voice actor from around the world contributed to our Scene Recreations (Ant-Man and the Wasp - Far from Home) for free.



Link:

So many people worked on MRU with so many costumes from so many locations. Probably one of the biggest indie projects that I saw until now.
 
Dustin, you already know I am a fan of MRU. I am so happy to watch the BTS videos and I feel so sad thinking that I will soon have no videos to watch. If you get to direct one of the Marvel movies, post a selfie somewhere on the forums. :D You inspire me!
 
So many people worked on MRU with so many costumes from so many locations. Probably one of the biggest indie projects that I saw until now.
Thank you, Anong. Many of our Ohio Filmmaking Colleagues created local films intended for Ohio Audiences.

I did not want to go that route.

With Mru from the begining, I wanted to work with professionals from around the world and have our film impact people on a global scale.
 
Dustin, you already know I am a fan of MRU. I am so happy to watch the BTS videos and I feel so sad thinking that I will soon have no videos to watch. If you get to direct one of the Marvel movies, post a selfie somewhere on the forums. :D You inspire me!
Thank you, Emily.

As Vision said in Age of Ultron: A thing is not beautiful because it lasts. Mru ending, makes it special.

For those interested, I do have a personal Instagram account that people can follow. I do not post very often, however I will be posting small updates about new projects here and there.

Link:

https://www.instagram.com/dustinjohnsonfilm8015/?hl=en

When we are directing a Marvel movie, I will! 😀
 
Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 19 Far from Home

This is the final episode in our Mru BTS Video Series.

This Scene Recreation is interesting, as it is one of the very few SR's that features all the footage we filmed of Jon at our Studio for the sequence.

All the SR footage for the base of our Film at our Studio, (Iron Man 3 - Far from Home) we recorded them to be 40 seconds long each and then cut in Post-Production to what duration worked best per SR.

Even the Avengers Endgame SR had some Cosplayer footage taken out, as we ran out of time to recruit more Vfx Artists before the Set-Deadline.

The Original Master of Scene Recreations and the man who inspired our Recreations, Dustin McLean guest starred as Mysterio for our final episode.

Dustin mentored us after our Battle for New York SR was released and gave us some insightful advice that helped improve our Scene Recreations to follow.

( His guidance is one of the reasons most of our SR'S are 10-15 seconds long, and his tips helped Mru become a much better Production.)

When our Cosplayer's started joining the Production, I felt our Scene Recreations were good enough, and reached out to him for a Cameo.

It was an honor to work with Dustin, and a dream come true. From the very beginning of Mru, I always wanted Dustin in one of our Scene Recreations.

Dustin usually plays Iron Man or an iconic hero in his Trailer Recreations, so it was thrilling to see him take on the villain role of Quentin Beck.

This was Jon's final SR. As a thank you for being the only actor to stick with the Film from Scene 1, all the way to the end, I gave him the Spider-Man Suit and E.D.I.TH glasses prop after filming.

Link:

 
BTS has come a long way since I have last followed this thread. I started watching one of the videos then I went back and watched all of the ones that I missed.
Thank you, Charlote. We tried a variety of different techniques and styles across the BTS Episodes. A Big improvement happened when the decision was made for me to discuss the SR'S in front of a Mike off-camera, instead of away from the Mike on camera.

It provided a much more engaging audio experience for the audience.
 
Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 20 Director's Commentary

Are you ready... for one last ride?

The Mru BTS Series has returned for one concluding finale.


The MRU Behind the Scenes Series was finished using a Back-up P.C, , I was limited at what it could handle, and had to cancel some per-planned and recorded episodes in our BTS Video Series.


Thankfully, due to a P.C upgrade, I was able to go back and conclude these missing episodes.


These episodes are designed to be a more solid and satisfying conclusion to our BTS Video series, that was originally canceled in the past.

In the Audio Commentary I break down every single scene from my film, The Marvel Recreation Universe Movie as you watch them.

It reveals new Behind the Scenes insights that have never been revealed before in video form, and answers many questions viewers may have after watching the BTS Episodes.

The Battle for New York SR did not feature in it's own BTS episode, this is the reason for it.

That Sequence is too long in length to explain in detail every shot, so instead I discuss it here for 5 minutes straight in this Audio Commentary, along with our Guardians of the Galaxy 1 Opening Scene SR.

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It's fantastic to see the MRU BTS Series making a triumphant return! The added insight and commentary on scenes from "The Marvel Recreation Universe Movie" will surely enhance the viewing experience. Thank you, Dustin, for this exciting finale and the opportunity to delve deeper into the creative process. 🎬🎥
 
It's fantastic to see the MRU BTS Series making a triumphant return! The added insight and commentary on scenes from "The Marvel Recreation Universe Movie" will surely enhance the viewing experience. Thank you, Dustin, for this exciting finale and the opportunity to delve deeper into the creative process. 🎬🎥
Thank you, Maura! it is great to be back! No problem, It's great to see these once-canceled episodes now become apart of the series again. I'll be posting a new episodes the 1st of every month leading up to the Big finale dropping on December 1st, 2023, along with some bonus videos in-between. 📽️
 
Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 21 Side by Side Comparisons Scene Recreations Mcu Phase 2

A Scene Recreation is only as good as it's Comparison video.

This Comparison Video shows all the details, camera angles, and visual effects recreated side by side with the original scenes.

When Creating the Scene Recreations, the goal was details in the simple. (Pick the 5-3 most important effects/details and recreate those in high detail. Leaving, the other elements out of the SR'S.

This made editing the Scene Recreations manageable, and the workflow possible to complete within the time frame.

The First two SR'S in this video are interesting, because I edited them the way they are because of how they were filmed.

I made some mistakes during the Principal Photography part of these SR's.

The Iron Man 3 Scene Recreation originally had more dialogue and between the thugs as well as myself playing the 2nd henchmen, beside Jon.

When it came to editing, all the footage filmed on the left side of the set turned out great lighting wise, and all the footage we filmed on the right side of the set turned out poorly.

This forced me to cut out all the talking back in forth with Iron Man and the goons and just keep his final line and escape, it also cut my character from the SR.

Likewise, the reason the Thor the Dark World Scene Recreation is so short, is due to lighting conditions:

When me and Jon filmed the material of Cap without his helmet in our new Studio set-up for this scene, the white balance changed in camera. This in turn made it more difficult to key him out of the Green Screen, and is why this Scene Recreation is shorter then all of the others.

(Later I found out, if you didn't film the SR'S with a little bit of a white wall in camera alongside the Green/Blue Screen and covered the entire shot with the Green Screen the camera lost white balance and turned everything yellow.) (Especially when filming faces.)

This issue was fixed, for the rest of the production, moving forward after that, by including some white wall in each shot.)


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Thanks for sharing your behind-the-scenes insights on the Marvel Recreation Universe! It's really interesting to hear about the challenges and creative decisions you faced during the production of these scene recreations. It's clear that you put a lot of effort into capturing the essence of the original scenes, and your commitment to improving the quality as you go along is commendable.

Mistakes are a part of the learning process, and it's great to see how you adapted and found solutions to issues like lighting and green screen problems. Your dedication to making improvements moving forward is a testament to your passion for this project.

Keep up the fantastic work, Dustin!!
 
Thank you, Maura! These Scene Recreations tested a lot of new techniques and brought many new creative challenges with each Scene Recreation.

One of the most unique things about recreating scenes from the Infinity Saga is how different each film is from the previous one. This Made the Scene Recreations fresh, and exciting to work on, and also brought new unexpected situations with every SR.

Rarely could the same answer be used for different style SR's, and it's why every SR me and Jon treated as if they we're individual episodes in a Tv-Show Season.

It was easier to think about the scenes as a Series instead of a film, because of the varying aesthetics and characters.

The actors I worked with, we're excellent problem solvers and would handle difficulties in the production with a great deal of cheer.

It was an experimental film, everyone involved realized it, and adapted quickly with whatever problems arose.

Jake, had to jump from the mindset of Thor in Thor the Dark World all the way to the different version of Thor in Thor Ragnarok in a matter of minutes and pull off a believable performance, Jon played two different characters interacting with each other in the same day.

Brian imagined the Blue Screen was a planet in a galaxy from a film he had never seen, and convincingly reenacted Kurt Russel's performance.

There are countless more people who contributed in dozens of ways to Make Mru what it became.

There is a saying the secret to being a great Director is to hire Great Actors, and I had the best group I could ask for.

Without them, Mru would not have turned out the way it did
 
Marvel Recreation Universe BTS Episode 22 Side by Side Comparisons Scene Recreations Mcu Phase 3 (Part 1)

There we're 0 rehearsals for Mru. I sent lines to a few actors to memorize before coming to set, but that was all.

Everything filmed at my Studio for Mru was filmed very quickly. For example, Me and Jake Kaufman (Our Thor Actor) filmed all his scenes as Thor interior Blue Screen Studio/ exterior, and Behind the Scenes interview questions in the time I had available from him: 2 hours.

For maximum efficiency, everything had to be planned to perfection.

I edited and cut the original reference scenes that way every single shot with Thor in the scene was spliced together in order by camera set-up, (all shots with the characters, head to waist, are filmed first, and then we flipped the Blue Screen and camera vertical and filmed all shots required for the character head to toe.)

How many minutes it would take to film each scene with Jake was calculated as well, and I had a clock on a table that we could both see as we filmed.

Moving at that fast of a speed also helped the actors stay focused and in the moment at all times. They did not have time to be concerned about weight of living up to these iconic characters, or how silly it felt filming in front of a Blue Screen and yelling at the wall. Instead it kept everybody in the moment, and the energy of the sequence.

After completing recording for a couple of Scene Recreations, you start to build a rhythm with the actor and we we would both feel the progress we we're making, shot after shot.

2 hours exact, me and Jake finished filming everything, and he was out the door driving away from the Studio.

I had more time with Jon, (Captain America and Spider-Man) when he came to film all the Blue/Green Screen shots I needed for the Scene Recreations (Age of Ultron - Far from Home.)

But there was much more to do then with Jake, and we still filmed at a rapid time frame.

Link:

 

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