Sand Camel Productions

Eva Instrumental Extras Are Ready!

2007-06-03T12:20:00.001-07:00

The DVD is finally done and can now be torrented. Check out Demonoid to get it. I'll be out of town for the next two weeks, so if you need an invite code I won't be able to hook you up. This project has been a pain in the ass, but I am very happy to finally have completed it. Sand Camel may be very slow, but it always gets the job done.

Also included in the torrent are high quality artwork for the DVD case, as well as a cover for the DVD itself.

Two quick notes: First, the subtitles on the documentaries may or may not show up automatically. If they do not, just hit the subtitles button on your remote control and they will appear. Second, the final size ended up being 6 gigs. Pretty hefty, I know, but if you have a dual-layer burner, it shouldn't be a problem. If you don't, either split it, shrink it, or find someone who does. ;) Enjoy!

It's Baaaaack!

2007-06-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

In just a few days the long awaited Evangelion Instrumental Extras Special Features DVD (wow, that's a really long title) will return! It will be downloadable via torrent, and can be burned to a dvd and played on your standalone or computer player. This was supposed to be out roughly a year ago, but was delayed due to myriad problems. Well, it should soon be finished and ready to go. There have been a few minor alterations to the contents of the DVD, so here is a list of the changes:

Music Videos
"Damaged Rei-mix" replaced "Rei, Beyond Her Heart." The truth is I was never very happy with the "RBHH" because the quality wasn't that great, and the song was kind of boring. The new one is a huge improvement.

Gainax Omake
"Ayanami Raising Project with Asuka Langley" game opening replaced "Kodomo no Eva." The video quality for Kodomo was horrible. Besides, the extra footage from the game opening is very cool, and I figured everyone would want to see it. Also, the Genesis 0:0 documentaries now include English subtitles! This is the first time the documentaries have been translated!

Ad Campaign
The Shonen Ace commercial and "Raising Shinji Ikari" game commercial were both removed. The quality of each was quite bad, and neither featured anything really worthwhile. If you must see them they can be easily downloaded. I decided to use the additional space for the other features.

Parodies
This section now includes the remake of "I Think I'm a Clone Now" by Kaysow. It adds an additional 30 seconds of footage, and the video quality is crystal clear. A welcome addition.

The final disc clocks in at 5.6gigs. At first I was going to shrink it, but I decided to host the full size. That way, people with dual-layer burners can get the full quality, and those without can shrink it down with only a marginal loss in video quality. Or, they can split it into two discs. It's really the best way to do it.

Well, I hope everyone will enjoy this project. It should be fun, although it was a huge pain putting it all together. Stay tuned for updates!

Where's Mahoro?

2007-04-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've gotten a few questions lately about where to find the first volume of Limitless. Well, it had a pretty successful first run, but I only seeded it for two months. For those of you who didn't get a chance to check it out, please be patient. I will seed it again, along with volume two when that is finished. However, please be patient. Before volume two comes out, I have another project to unveil. This one is almost done, and it is something that has been in the works for a long time. Not a new project, but the resurrection of an old one. I wonder what it could be...

Limitless Vol 1 Ready!

2007-01-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

Well, after a million delays, the wait is finally over! You can now download the first chapter of Mahoromatic: Limitless. Just go to Demonoid to grab a copy. You can go there and do a search for Mahoromatic.

Disclaimer: “Mahoromatic: Limitless” is an unofficial, not-for-profit project, made in the spirit of fandom and intended for entertainment purposes only. Those in possession of this collection should also purchase the official retail DVDs.

UPDATE: If you somehow missed the artwork, here is a link for it: Click Here

Limitless Vol. 1 Trailer

2006-11-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

So it looks like I didn't get the subtitles finished over Thanksgiving break like I had hoped...my laptop is still down, and I have no other means to work on this project while away from home. I will definitely complete this sucker over Christmas break. In the meantime, I have uploaded a low-res trailer for your viewing pleasure: Click Here I have a higher resolution version I will most likely put on the actual dvd as a special feature since Vol. 1 will have space. Enjoy!

We've Got a Title and a Cover

2006-11-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've settled on Mahoromatic: Limitless. It's a reference to her limited lifespan (from the series) which has since been removed in my edit. I also spent the better part of the afternoon working up a cover to go along with the edit. It uses the same template as the Eva Extras cover, but that template is so good, how could I not want to use it again? ;) The release date is coming, I assure you, but first I have to get those darn subtitles finished...

Here is the description that appears on the back of the cover:

---Mahoromatic Automatic Maiden: Limitless Volume 1---

In the hidden war against the alien invaders of Saint, mankind
has been saved countless times by an android named Mahoro.
Out of gratitude for her deeds, the earth-defense force Vesper
offers Mahoro the chance to fulfill any dream she desires.
All she’s ever wanted was to live a normal life. So what’s an
android to do?

Enter Suguru, a young orphan with an extremely messy house,
who hires Mahoro on as a maid. Poor Suguru has no idea
about Mahoro`s past life, or her deep connection to him. But
he`s not one to complain as Mahoro moves in, causing
suspicion from his friends, and jealousy from his home-room
teacher. Now Suguru just has to deal with the fact that his
beautiful 19-year old maid is really a combat android!

---An Alternate Retelling...---

Mahoromatic: “Automatic Maiden” and its sequel “Something
More Beautiful” comprise a 27 episode anime TV series from
Gainax Studios. The original telling gave Mahoro a lifespan
that would end in 398 days. Although the series was dramatic,
fun, and lighthearted, it ultimately had a tragic and heart-
breaking ending. It’s conclusion is one of the most reviled in
all anime. Sand Camel Productions thought it was necessary to
re-edit this series to give it a proper finale, one that would
leave the viewer happy instead of disappointed. Some of the
edits that can be seen are: all references to Mahoro’s shortened
lifespan removed, Management removed, Ryuga remains the
final enemy. Enjoy this new version of Mahoromatic!

Mahoromatic Update

2006-10-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't had an opportunity to finalize those subtitles yet...school is really sucking the life out of me. But to appease those of you who have been asking questions, here is a list of the edits made to the first movie. It comprises episodes 1-7. The rationale for editing was to cut out any scene that was (a) redundant, (b) pointless, or (c) used just to fill in the running time.

All episodes:
-- Opening removed (except the first)
-- Eyecatch removed.
-- Closing removed. (except the last)

Ep 1
-- All references to Mahoro's shortened lifespan removed.

Ep 2
-- Miss Shikijo's explanation in the teacher's lounge removed.
-- Angry students becoming winded after chasing Suguru removed.

Ep 3
-- Weird bird scene removed.
-- Suguru's scene hanging out with Miyuki's family removed.
-- The family father thinking of Suguru as his own son removed.
-- Mahoro's inner reflection on the end of her life and Suguru possibly hating her removed.

Ep 4
-- Friends calling one another on the phone scene removed.
-- Human military removed, so now the Crab Robot is a part of Saint, and not a mere accident.

Ep 5
-- Beginning scene of Vesper discussing the previous episode against the crab robot removed.
-- All references to Mahoro's shortened lifespan removed.

Ep 6
-- All references to Mahoro's shortened lifespan removed.
-- Old men complementing Mahoro, and remarking how hot she looks removed.

Ep 7
-- Suguru's weirded out face looking at the sky removed.
-- Added title card "To Be Continued."

Run time: 2 hr. 10 min. 34 sec.

Mahoromatic Rebuild

2006-10-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

Coming soon! Another one of Gainax's often overlooked shows is Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden, and it's sequel Something More Beautiful. Personally, I found the shows to be amazing, EXCEPT the ending was completely terrible. I couldn't think of a worse way to end a series. It was almost as if they were intentionally trying to piss off the fans. Well, I've decided to create a rebuild of Mahoromatic in the form of films. The episodes have been spliced together into films to give a slightly different version of Mahoromatic. One that won't leave a bitter taste in your mouth at the end. Here's some of the things to expect:

1) All references to Mahoro's life span removed.
2) All references to Management removed.
3) Ryuga will remain Mahoro's final enemy.
4) Episode title, eyecatches, openings, closings removed (for obvious reasons).

The last thing I need is a proper title. I've been thinking about Rebuild, Reboot, Remix, etc. Can anyone come up with something else? Most likely this will be a series of three films in order to include most of the episodes, and get a richer, fuller understanding of the characters. Currently, the first film in the series has been edited completely, but so far there are no subtitles yet. I'll keep posting as more info comes along.

Updates

2006-08-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

I've got news from all over concerning the Special Features DVD. First, I received a fantastic remake of the "I Think I'm a Clone Now" parody music video. The original is preserved, in high quality video (finally), and there are an additional 30 seconds or so at the end. Second, I heard from my translator. The translation has been delayed until around September. Lastly, another Eva fan is sending me DVD-quality rips of the extended intro/outro in 5.1 surround sound!!! See everyone, I told you that the error on the initial release would end up being a good thing!

Shameless Self Promotion

2006-07-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION COWBOY BEBOP FANS!

With all the Evangelion projects I've been working on, it may be hard to believe, but it is not my favorite anime. My favorite is, in fact, Cowboy Bebop. The show that combines the perfect amount of action, humor, drama, great music, etc. etc. ad nauseum. Anyway, I've been reading a lot of fanfics lately and I was inspired. I thought that since I've watched Bebop maybe ten times now, I had a pretty good feel for the characters. So, please feel free to click to link to the right, or below, and read my story.

"The Next Sessions" takes place two years after the show ended. It follows Jet and Faye as they try to make it as bounty hunters in our crazy universe, and they do it without the support of Ed, Ein, or Spike. A lot of interesting things happen with these two polar opposites. Unlike the television series, though, this fanfic will have a continuous storyline. So, if you are a bebop fan, give it a try. I honestly think you may enjoy this one. Cowboy Bebop - The Next Sessions

Full Motion Menu

2006-07-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a little more info for ya. While waiting for materials to come in for the extras disc, I spent more time working on the "super secret project." I have finished the full-motion video that will play in the background of the DVD's menu. You can download a low-resolution version here. Enjoy!

Slowly But Surely

2006-07-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well, things are looking up and I thought I would keep everyone informed of my progress. I finally managed to find a translator for the documentaries, so I am majorly excited about that. Also, I found someone with extreme high resolution versions of the extended intro/outro video sequences in 5.1, which I didn't have before. Lastly, some people on EvaMonkey have been batting around the idea of remastering the "I Think I'm a Clone Now" video which until now has been very poor quality.

I mentioned on another forum I frequent that I'm almost glad that I had this disc error because all of a sudden everything for this project has gone right. Now it's just a matter of time waiting for the high-res files and the translation to finish.

I guess in the meantime I can go back to work on my super-secret Evangelion project that has been making me bang my head against the wall, because it's so difficult and time consuming.

P.S. The image above is a hint to figuring out what the super secret project is.

DVD Status Update

2006-07-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

OK people. So good news all around. I fixed the problem with the disc! Also, I found a translator for the documentary!! However, I am going to hold off on releasing it until the translation can be finished. It may be a while (I know I am really slow at this stuff) but it will be worth it in the long run.

Where's the DVD?

2006-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have some bad news, and.... well, bad news for you all. The torrent is down and the DVD had a serious flaw. I am not exactly a newbie at authoring DVDs, but this is the first one I ever did completely from the ground up. I was able to successfully burn myself a copy and it worked beautifully. I wish you all could have seen it. Then, the files I put out for torrent (which took 4 days to upload) did not work. Reports indicate the files are "encrypted" and would not burn to a Video DVD. Data DVD would work, and you could watch the videos as standalone, but the intent was to watch this as a DVD on your tv, not computer. So, I killed the torrent. I am going to get to the bottom of this "encrypted" bullshit and I promise you when I bring the DVD back, I'll include something extra to make the next download worth your while. And it'll download faster, too.

DVD Specs

2006-05-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been wondering about the quality of the DVD release, here are the specs.

Video:
Framerate = 29.97
Bitrate = approx. 8000 kbps

Audio:
Encode = MPEG Layer II
Type = Stereo
Rate = 192 kbps / 48 kHz

Other:
Length = approx. 2 hrs. 15 mins.
Size = approx. 4.36 gb

Some of you familiar with creating DVDs may be wondering how I was able to fit so much without losing quality. The answer is really deceptively simple. Most of the videos are short, probably averaging under three minutes. Those I was able to encode at a higher bitrate around 8500. Longer videos like the Genesis 0:0 documentaries were encoded at a lower bitrate around 7000. Since these documentaries are mostly static and don't have a lot of action you don't need to worry about a loss of picture quality. When it was all finished the data was actually too large to burn to a standard DVD. So, I used DVDShrink to compress the data. Fortunately, there was only a 5% compression, so the quality loss is not noticeable.

Finally Finished!

2006-05-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

It is finally finished! I just posted the torrent on Demonoid so start downloading it, Eva fans! Also, here is a preview of the cover art included in the torrent. This project took me a long time and a lot of hard work so I hope you all enjoy it.

Subtitles Piss Me Off

2006-04-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

There are no properly timed subtitles for Death(true)2 anywhere in existence on the internet. Therefore, I've been spending the past week (since the day I got the DVDs in the mail) working on a timed subtitle script. If you haven't seen Death(true)2 then you don't realize that this is a huge pain in the ass. Plastered throughout the movie are flashes of Japanese text that stay on screen for maybe a quarter of a second. This means I have had to use my subtitling program on a video speed of 20% in order to sync up the subs correctly. Even then they still go by too fast. So far I have gotten up to the end of Eva Unit 01's first battle. It looks like I have a long way to go before I reach the final scene of End of Evangelion. This is taking much longer than I had anticipated.

It Has Arrived!

2006-04-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, finally, my long awaited DTS Collector's Edition of the Evangelion movies has arrived in my mailbox, straight from Japan! In all honesty, it arrived a week ago and I only just now got around to updating the site. I am very excited because this is going to blow away the Manga Ent. domestic release. How? Well, firstly, it was part of the Renewal project, so it has cleaned up video, and it has a superb Japanese-created DTS sound mix supervised by Hideaki Anno himself. This is not the same upmixed DTS mix created by Manga Ent. I am extremely excited and can't wait to put these in my DVDs player. But first, I just have to make some subtitles...

Menu Screens

2006-04-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

These really took me forever to finally get to work. My intent was originally to have a full-motion menu, but in order to save space for content that idea was scrapped. Next, I wanted to include a moving cursor in the shape of the NERV logo. That, however, was beyond my ability. But, I did manage to come up with a trick that simulates a NERV logo cursor. Basically, there is a hidden image of the logo next to every menu option. Only when that option is selected will the logo be highlighted. It actually works pretty well. The menus were a pain in the ass as far as centering and formatting the text so everything will fit properly on the screen. Asuka's menu was the first I worked on and it probably went through five versions before I finally got it right. Well, enough jibber-jabber, here are the preliminary screen shots:

Death by Re-encode

2006-04-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

So over the last couple of days I have been encoding the completed files into a dvd-compatible format. Unfortunately, I came across two big problems, both of which arising from using DVD-Lab-Pro. First, the built-in audio encoder is crap. It makes the volume crackling and distorted. Second, it cannot have fullscreen files and anamorphic widescreen files on the same VTS. So, everything that was widescreen got stretched and distorted to fullscreen. That means I have to go back and re-encode the audio and video for all files! Man, what a huge waste of time. At least I learned a valuable lesson about creating dvd's.

Gainax Omake and Trailers

2006-04-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Both of these sections came together quickly. A large chunk of the official extras came off of the now out-of-print bonus disc that was sold with the Renewal box set. Other stuff just came from random searching across the net, as well as suggestions from other fans. I won't list all of the trailers and TV ads that are on the disc, but I will say that there are 15 items. Far more than the 3 included on the Death and Rebirth dvd release. As for the Gainax Omake, here is the list of features:

1) extended opening
2) extended closing
3) Eva 2 video game intro
4) Kodoma no Evangelion
5) karaoke opening
6) Genesis 0:0 documentaries/interviews
7) alternate live action EoE sequence
8) After the End subtitled radio drama

I'm Just A Poor Boy, Nobody Loves Me...

2006-04-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

...He's Just a Poor Boy From a Poor Family.

Sorry. It's just that I've been watching the Evangelion Opus music video over and over and the song is stuck in my head. The music videos section came together pretty quickly. Of course there are approximately 800 billion Evangelion music videos available online and I had to narrow them down and choose the best 6. It was a daunting task believe me. And I watched some crap videos, too. I think the final selection will please just about everyone. They hit a wide range of musical, emotional, and thematic content. Here is the final list:

1) Faithless
2) I Can Feel You
3) Engel
4) Closer to God 2
5) Rei, Beyond Her Heart
6) Evangelion Opus

That is the order in which they will appear on the DVD, and, yes, I did save the best one for last. Also, don't worry that I didn't include the names of the creators of these videos here on the page. Everyone will get their proper due on the actual DVD.

GEND0WN3D!!!!1

2006-04-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a listing of the videos that will be included in the parodies section of the extras dvd, in no particular order:

1) AMV Hell 2: Son of AMV Hell
2) Eva Bebop
3) Eva Mentos
4) NERV Evening News
5) The Life that is Misato
6) Symbolic Love Story
7) Spike Spencer's End of Series Outtakes
8) Gendo Son of God
9) I Think I'm a Clone Now

One the best loved fan parodies out there is Evangelion Redeath but apparently the creators do not wish to have their work shared online. It's too bad, because it would make a perfect addition to the collection, but I suppose that just leaves more room for other things.

Evangelion: Instrumental Extras

2006-04-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

A long time ago in the dark ages, before Eva Director's Cut, Renewal, or Platinum DVD's, Manga had announced their acquisition of the two Evangelion films. For EoE they had promised to include a plethora of special features, basically a compilation of extras that would be every Eva fan's wet dream. Sadly, and expectedly, they released a disc with not a single special feature (and no, I don't count trailers or a sub-par commentary as features). The other day, though, I had a brainstorm. I could create my own special features dvd. Actually, I have had this idea for longer, but it wasn't until recently that I acquired the DVD authoring capabilities to do so.

The DVD will be an actual DVD you can pop into your standalone player and watch, perhaps being most effective after having a finished watching the entire series and movies through from beginning to end.

The DVD will be divided into the following categories:
1) Music Videos (fan-made)
2) Gainax Omake (official extras, never released outside of Japan)
3) Ad Campaign (trailers and TV spots)
4) Parodies (fan-made)

This is going to be a really fun project and will bring a great deal of material to the very loyal and enthusiastic Eva fan community.

Obi-Wan Has Taught You Well

2006-04-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

I thought I would discuss the creation of The Chosen One a bit before moving on to other topics. As far as the new Ask Aak line, and the extended pod race, those were borrowed from another fan editor's version of Episode I. I had intended to make the same edits myself, but I figured why reinvent the wheel?

The rest of the stuff are my own cuts. Surprisingly, one of the most difficult scenes to edit was the underwater journey through the Naboo planet core. This is where the submarine gets attacked by a giant fish, the power shorts out, Jar Jar acts very annoying, and then they get attacked by two more giant fish. Interlaced between are scenes of the Trade Federation planning their invasion. Basically what I did was chop out part of Jar Jar's dialogue and move it to a different shot as the sub travels through the core and is attacked by one giant fish. Then, once they evade the fish I cut in a new shot of the submarine entering a tunnel, and ended the scene. Next, we see the Trade Federation discussing plans for invasion, and then move right on to the invasion, while skipping the next giant fish sequence. It is a little jerky, but works well enough. It was troublesome due to music bleeding from scene transitions and Lucas' stupid scene wipes every 30 seconds. Overall, the scene turned out well, and the remainder of the movie was easier to edit.

My favorite bit comes at the end of the film during the huge battle. In the original, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul fight and Obi-Wan gets knocked into the big hole in the floor. He hangs there and the scene cuts away. I decided it was pointless to leave Obi-Wan hanging there, because as we watch the other battles pan out we kind of forget about him, only to eventually go back and watch him kill Darth Maul in about 10 seconds. So, I rearranged the battle sequences so this scene plays out continuously. It works very well and you don't notice the edits.

Episode I: The Chosen One

2006-04-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Sometime back in the middle of February, I finished my very first official fan-edit. For years I have been disgusted with The Phantom Menace, just like everyone else in the world. After previewing a brilliant fan-edit by ADigitalMan, I set out to create my own version, titled The Chosen One. Since I undertook this project before the creation of the blog, here are the final details.

Shorter running time of 2 hours 7 minutes (approx. 6 minutes shorter)

Edits:
* No Midichlorians!
* Most of Jar-Jar's slapstick scenes have been removed or trimmed as much as possible
* Most of Anakin's childish behavior has been removed, notably his "Yipee!" lines
* Boss Nass' facial tics and spitting have been removed
* The underwater sequence has been shortened to include the Jedi only being attacked by one giant fish instead of three
* Jar Jar is not made a general
* The Gungan battle is trimmed to removed some of Jar Jar's antics
* Anakin's ship is not on autopilot as he goes into space, all of his actions are deliberate
* The battles between the Gungans/Droids, Padme's Guards/Trade Federation Leaders, and Anakin's Space Battle have been rearranged to create an uninterrupted final fight between Obi-Wan and Darth Maul
* New subtitles for the aliens

Restored Deleted Scenes:

* Dawn before the race
* Extended Lap 2 with music (borrowed from ADigitalMan's Episode I fan edit)
* Anakin fighting Greedo
* Probe Droid following Qui-Gon and Anakin out of town, and the earlier probe sequence was shifted here
* Ask Aak's line is now in Malastarian and subtitled to match his lines in Episode II ( also borrowed from ADigitalMan's Episode I fan edit)

Web Log Created

2006-04-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

The official web log for Sand Camel Productions is now online! This page was created during a bleary-eyed late night, while I was procastinating from my Medical Microbiology studies. The purpose is to document the ongoing progress of all Sand Camel productions, which are fan-made film edits, as well as tv and movie preservation projects. Stay tuned for updates...