Episode 2-"Delta Bishop" is Live!

Release Date: December 28th, 2007
Length: 8.11 min
Resolution: 620x480

Description: While Captain Essec prepares for his mission, two Spartans of the 508th Brigade stumble upon something ancient on the planet of Thermopylae...

Youtube

*NOTE: Bear with me as I set up the other compressed versions and mirrors!

Enjoy and Happy Holidays from all of us here at Dispatch Films!

Prophecy Update of December 22nd

Prophecy Update of December 22nd



It has been a pretty eventful week again for us. More editing goodness, more script, more... Pirating?!?

Yes, there has been some pirating going on around here this holiday. I will not mention any names, but just for the record, if you decide to post ANY of our media content anywhere, whether it be Youtube or even just on HaloGrid, please, give credit where credit is due. That is all I am saying.

I apologize for not putting up an update last week, but many of us have been busy with exams and courses as we finally got to our much deserved Winter break and holiday (Santa FTW!). We here at Dispatch Films would like to wish you all a very merry Christmahanakwanza (thank you political check). Now, many of you have been asking...

Where the HONK is Episode 2 brah?!?

Let's just say, she's on her way... All I am saying is, stay tuned for a very nice holiday present from us this week...

To close this generally small update, I have included four screenshots from the upcoming episode, Delta Bishop.






Enjoy and until next time, Happy Holidays!

Episode 1-"The Threshold of War" is Live!

The wait is over! Dispatch Films proudly presents the remake of Prophecy!

Release Date: December 7th, 2007
Length: 11.22 min
Resolution: 640x480

Description: 3 days earlier... The Brotherhood of Zealots handpick the elite captain, Essec to embark on an expedition to inspect an abrupt anomaly that has blossomed in an outlying system. The fight for Thermopylae and the survival of humanity has begun!

Quicktime (Compressed) :/ 66.5mb
Youtube: Part 1
Youtube: Part 2

*NOTE: Bear with me as I try to get the episode compressed and converted into other formats.

Prophecy Update of December 1st

Well, today would have been the release of Episode 1, but its not. Good for me, bad for you! Razz However, I can tell you, that EPISODE 1 IS COMPLETE! WOOT!

Why don't you release it today then?

Simple, because I have to run the episode through the team for review. Good things come to those who wait. As planned, Episode 1 (which is currently at a whopping 11 minutes and 5 seconds in length!) will be released Friday, December 7th. There has been much confusion over our teasers since we put 07.12.07 in the end of each of them. No, we are not releasing on July 12th, 2007. So, with that out of the way, onto the other schtuff!

ANOTHER TEASER!



Created and submitted by A Paramedic

'Several months back, LT1 asked me to record some lines for what was then supposed to be for the ep2 trailer (H2 version). With the release of H3, the original idea was dropped. While LT1 is still considering the use of the original lines, I decided to toss something together using clips from the Hope trailer [as well as other footage], adding the lines and a snippet from a song I am trying to get usage rights for.'


And here is part four of the Prophecy teasers, leading up to the series premiere this December 7th!

Quicktime :/27.7mb
WMV :/30mb
Youtube

On the front, Episode 2 has been moving progressively well. Most of Episode 2's editing is completed and all that awaits are a few lines from our actors. After Episode 1's release, we hope to continue to release episodes on a weekly basis (maybe every two weeks, who knows?).

Speaking of voice acting, you can never get too much of it. We could use some voice talent, especially a female one. So, if you have what it takes, stop by and drop an audition at my mailbox (Lordstemplar1@aol.com). Be sure to also drop by the Characters subforum to see what is available from our cast list.

Well, I'll let you enjoy yet another fine teaser. ONLY LESS THAN ONE MORE WEEK GUYS! Hang in there! Until next Friday, D-Day, H-Hour! Peace out!

Prophecy Update of November 24th

This is an update to say that a new teaser/trailer for prophecy is out by Dispatch Films. It is named “Sands”, and Is made along with another full length trailer and a teaser, which are currently in production as we speak.

Watch from youtube HERE
Or watch the WMV file HERE :/41mb

There is a bit of bad news and good news. I think we should start off with the bad news. Well, the release date has been pushed back to 07.12.07 (That's December 7th, 2007 to avoid misconceptions). The good news is that the reason why it is being pushed back, is to made the CGI scenes and other elements of the epidsode a lot better to watch, and to frankly, make it even more awesome then it is already looking!

Some of the members of Dispatch Films are taking a vacation at the moment, which means we will not be able to shoot episode two until they are back. But, that gives us a lot more time to write up future episodes!

As an additional piece of news, you can download the Prophecy screensaver for Windows XP, HERE

Expect to see a trailer and at least two more teasers as we are getting closer to the release date of Episode 1! Keep posting on the Forums guys!

Prophecy Update of November 17th

Just a quick and fast update this week. Episode 1 is reaching its final stages on editing, I myself am polishing up the opening credits for the episode, giving it a nice, cinematic look and feel. Everything looks great and the voice acting is top-notch.

Besides editing, I was able to get a lot of notes done on the series, reaching Episode 8 so far. I am shooting for at least 10 for this installment alone, each episode coming in anywhere between 6-8 minutes long (with the exception of episode 1, which may come in anywhere between 9-13 minutes in length, uncut at least).

Saw some awesome CGI shots from our animations director, and it looks absolutely amazing. Nabsuh is really improving and making this series the best he can.

That's about it for now, our camera man, AoD Deadite, is on a well-deserved vacation and won't be back until the 26th, so episode 2 production won't begin until then. Until next week folks, hopefully you can get that video treat I promised as well. Peace out!

Prophecy Update of November 3rd

Another long, tough week for us at Dispatch Films. Loads of filming, editing, and voice acting done this week. I myself must have logged at least 18 hours of editing in total for the new episode itself, which by the way, is now at 33% completion. Just to pump you guys up, the entire first four minutes of the first episode is pure action and spectacular drama. Believe it or not, we are actually ahead of schedule. Shocked

Many thanks go to AoD Deadite, Fireandice31 and loads of others who helped out this week. Aod Deadite, our cameraman, has literally been working his HONK! off this week, but the rewards have been very satisfactory. The crew must have done at least five retakes of each scene, just to nail it perfectly. After all, that is what we want, a perfect story.

Last week's update hauled in a lot of attention and awesome feedback. I am very glad that everyone enjoyed the "Hope" teaser that we modeled after Halo 3's "Believe" commercials. The day after it released, the forums received its highest number of users at the same time. 28 users on October 28th! Pretty freaky.

Now, many of you have asked, will Prophecy retain its original story? Or is it going to be a whole different plot? Well, yes, and no. You will just have to wait and see. With only 3 weeks and 6 days remaining, Episode 1: The Threshold of War, will be making its December release as planned. Who knows? We may just surprise you with an early release or another video treat. Wink

For those of you doubting us out there, here are a couple of screenshots of a few finalized scenes from Episode 1.

Two For One Special!

As you can see, the official site for the 508th Brigade series/ clan, as well as another cafe for the Halo community, has officially gone live! Many thanks to Qwait, one of our respected members and webmasters, for helping us set up the new forums. If there are any bugs or glitches with the new system, please email any of the staff or post your complaint under the Aid Department forum.

Prophecy Update of October 13th

Well, things have been pretty eventful for us at the front. Our first filming sessions have been completed and we are actually getting stuff done. I set up a new skin for the Dispatch Films Forum as well, so be sure to check that out. Bear with us as we set up a brand new, more efficient website for the series. Qwait, one of our webmasters, should receive our applause as he works on a new php bulletin site for the Prophecy project and the coming 508th installments. The new site should be completed within the week, just in time for the next update. I myself look forward to the new design as we switch over to php boards similar to Halogrid's and Praetoria Guard's. We have loads more to come guys! The next few weeks are gonna be big for the community especially. HINT HINT

That's about it for this week, I will close this update with another Prophecy Wallpaper I designed. This bad boy is entitled "Harbinger" and it is definitely riddled with some symbolism and teaser bits. Enjoy, and peace out until next week!

Update of October 6th

Prophecy Update of October 6th











Surprise! We're still in business (GASP!), and boy, have we got some news for you! It has been nearly three months since our last update... Wow, three months of nothingness!

Well, first order of business. It is a pleasure to announce that Prophecy has been moved to Halo 3's game engine! WOOT! What does this mean? It means that not only will Prophecy look sexier, but production rates are 300% greater than what they used to be last summer. Our cameraman, fireandice31 will be one of our leading producers over the next few weeks as we near our deadline for release. Bringing us to our next piece of news...

OFFICIAL PROPHECY RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 1st 2007

"Oh come on Lords! We've been waiting long enough! Now we have to wait two more months?!?"

Answer: Yes.

Since we have moved to Halo 3, that means the dynamics have changed dramatically. Script has been refitted to adapt to Halo 3's levels (that means no more Backwash folks :( ), and I must say, the script is a lot better than it was for Halo 2. I will not spill any details, but you will have to stay tuned for more to come.

We have been working on character developments this entire week, and I am very proud to announce our newest bad guy unto the stage, Tarcaand!

*As you can see, he is sporting some of my new composition incorporated into Prophecy's storyline. Also note, character specs are not yet finalized, so there is a good chance of his appearance to change.














Well that is about it for now. More content to come soon guys! I'll end this update with a new Prophecy wallpaper for you guys. Until next time, Peace.

Weekly Update of July 13th

Prophecy Weekly Update of July 13th











It's Friday the 13th and as lukems over at Bungie Studios put it, "somewhere on cable tonight Jason Vorhees will go on several Running Riots". Beautifully put, but most importantly, you guys have been deprived of several updates! Well, we at Dispatch Films just got back from some well earned vacation. Now, its back to work.

Probably the biggest highlight of this update is the fact we finally got our own domain for our installments. Visit my newly created portal here. To set things straight, we have been hard at work with filming, editing and parties er um, work... You can expect the finished trailer to make its appearance two weeks from now. Shortly following that release, Episode 2 will be making its public appearance. We are trying to break from the monthly wait between our episodes (it is very hard to push a project you are not even present on the shooting sites). So, a brief outline of events to come.

July 27th-"Blossoming Saga" Trailer; August 3rd-Episode 2 ; August 17th-Episode 3

That is to put to rest any and all rumors out there. If there is going to be a change in our schedule, it will be for the better. The idea is to get the plot out before Halo 3 hits shelves. So, expect the episodes to be released on a weekly basis after episode 2.

Now, a couple months back, one of our staff members, a paramedic, had submitted a snippet that was supposed to serve as an inside joke for the staff. It was a great concept that he shared with us all. Well, it was a big surprise for him when I told everyone that I would actually publish it. Here was his response on the subject:

"Ha! My first starring role!! I'm speechless..."

A man of few words. Other than that, it has been a big week for Halo fans as Bungie released an E3 Campaign trailer as well as a Live Action trailer. Bungie has informed the public that Neill Blomkamp, the original director for the Halo movie, will be releasing a Halo 3 Live Action miniseries throughout the Summer. So, it is already going to be a pretty eventful Summer for all of us, I am sure of that.

To wrap it all up, I present to you a quick screenshot of my multitasking and the quick snippet Essec's Orders. Enjoy and see ya next week!



Essec's Orders
Description: Essec has a tall order that only the select can complete. To accept this task, is to except full responsibilities of its outcome.

Quicktime (8.9 MB)
Youtube

Weekly Update of June 10th

Prophecy Weekly Update of June 10th











Well, the Halo 3 beta is finally ending, which means I finally get my crew and friends back (THANK GOD). So, in short, nothing to report production wise. However, there has been much debate over whether or not using Halo 3 to "remaster" Prophecy. So far, it would be awesome to do that if Bungie has a Backwash map in Halo 3 (doubt it).Although Halo 3 has the more advanced engine, it would definitely bring a broader story to our series, but so far, it looks like Prophecy is stuck to Halo 2.

Probably the biggest piece of news in this week's update is the birth of a new film industry, Dispatch Films! That's right, we are no longer Apocalypse Films. Why the new name? Simply put, although Apocalypse Films was our original idea of an industry, Dispatch Films seems more appropriate for all our projects (and the company/ domain name for "Apocalypse" was taken :P).


Check out that sexy logo!

Other than that, this week is filled with art and another interview. This time, Irish sensation StankFingers himself delivers his thoughts to several fan-produced and staff-produced questions.

StankFingers
What duties are you responsible for in the “Prophecy” project?
A: I contribute to multiple facets of the “Prophecy” project, namely as a voice actor and adviser. I try to view the project with a critical eye so that I can offer my opinions and suggestions to Lordstemplar1 on things such as screenplay and cinematography. Even though I am not entirely sure what either of those terms involves, I’m pretty sure that’s what I deal with…

What character(s) do you play in the series?
A: I play the part of Corporal William Jaggers.

Do you enjoy your role as _____? Why so (describe character)?
A: Absolutely! Jaggers is a cool character to play. As you may have seen in Episode 1, he adds some comedy to the series. Jaggers is interested in asking out Sergeant Michelle Tara, and as Chase remarks, he doesn’t seem the type who has a chance at that. I like Jaggers having this more human side because it brings out the aspect of soldiers trying to carry on normally despite the overwhelming dangers of interstellar warfare. In addition to this little side story, Jaggers, like all Spartans and despite being a bit gullible, is one hell of a soldier.

Can you lend us some nifty details of what’s to come from “Prophecy”?
A: I can’t let you in on anything too specific. But I can tell you, with Lordstemplar1 as the project lead and with the help of Westviewisback, this series is gonna be freakin’ sweet.

With the coming of Halo 3, are you guys thinking of just waiting until the next generation, or possibly finish “Prophecy” before considering using Halo 3 as your newest engine?
A: Right now we are determining where we want to go from here. Of course, Halo 3’s engine is going to be much more powerful with many more options that will help develop the depth and reality of the story. We are definitely considering using the new engine to carry on “Prophecy,” but we must consider how much we would have to rework what we have accomplished so far. And of course, we must acknowledge that the transition would keep our fans waiting even longer for our next few releases. Stay tuned for our update on this matter.

Can we expect more talent from you in any other projects to come?
A: Definitely. Currently, I have been assisting Lordstemplar1 in developing another project of his that I will not discuss here. I am continuing my role as an adviser in addition to being a producer for this project. Lordstemplar1 has some great ideas and really knows what he is doing. More news on this project will come at a later date.

Well, aside from the interview, here's some nifty concept art I put together with Photoshop. Until next time!



-Lordstemplar1

Weekly Update of May 31st

An early update this week due to the fact I fly out tomorrow morning with several friends to NY. So, as you can see, I have remodeled the site some since I just got Adobe Photoshop CS2 the other day (and I absolutely love it!). Say hello to our new sponsor production team, Clearview Global! They're a new machinma clan that are really earning alot of publicity lately in the Halo community (you may be familiar with their recent works, including "An Ode to a Mongoose"). They are eager to help us out with Prophecy and are proud affiliates of Apocalyspe Films.

Seeing that last week's "monthly" update gave you two interviews, why not two more?

Blind Zombie 06
What duties are you responsible for in the “Prophecy” project?
A: I actually knew Lordstemplar1 before anyone else did through a friend’s webpage and several parties. Then from there the clan began known as the 508th brigade. Later, Lordstemplar1 decided to start the production on Prophecy, aside from our usual mischievous xbox live gaming. My role in this is playing one of the major villains in the series and occasionally brining coffee to Lordstemplar1.

Why Halo, why this?
A: Why not? Halo is the perfect game for making movies on war and such. Everyone knows Halo and if people are a fan of the game or not, people will still see our movie even.

What character(s) do you play in the series?
A: Like I said, I play the elite known as Cryptor, a major villain in the story. He’s the puppet master of the entire conflict. He has complete control over the Covenant Brotherhood as the "Leading Light", and moves every other character into motion like gamepieces through Zalestine.

Do you enjoy your role as _____? Why so (describe character)?
A: Of Course! Its awesome playing a villain in the Prophecy project, When Lordstemplar1 told me of a role in the project I was really psyched about it. Basically, my character can be related to the Sith lord in Star Wars. He’s the villain that doesn’t trust anyone and his only job is making sure that they will win no matter what the cost. The dynamics and plot twists are very complex, interesting and entertaining.

Can we expect any more from you guys besides “Prophecy”?
A: Yes, after the Prophecy I’m making a comedy series afterwards known as Recruits with Lordstemplar1, but I’m not going to spoil any details yet. Also, Lordstemplar1 and I are branching out and starting to create live action movies with several friends (not just really crappy low budget projects too!). Our mock production team, currently, is known as "Ninjas on Fire" Production, and our first movie will come under way this Summer hopefully.

Apocalypse Films Director/Executive Producer-Lordstemplar1
How did you come up with Prophecy?
A: Well, a bunch of us were drunk one night at this killer party… That’s part of the story, but a bunch of us sat down and formulated a basic plot using the original halo maps. When Halo 2 came out, we were eager to expand on the original script and exploit the better game engine to deliver the story of “Prophecy”.

How was the 508th brigade clan started?
A: We wanted to create a sort of “band of brothers” unit over xbl, which soon became a movie making unit, but 507th Brigade was taken, so 508th was just fine.

What character(s) do you play in the series?
A: My voice talents cover the roles of Brigadier General Mark Summers, Essec, and Sergeant Chase Ross. It gets tiring when I constantly have to change my pitch as I jump from human to alien races.

Which role do you enjoy most? Why so (describe character)?
A: I have to say, although my main character is Mark Summers (the Brigadier General of the 508th), I enjoy mostly playing my role of Essec. Essec’s character is your average underdog character. He has to continually prove himself to the Brotherhood in the hopes of actually becoming incorporated into the prestigious faction of the Covenant. Later, Essec begins to question the morality of the Brotherhood and debate their priorities…

When can we expect to see more episodes?
A: When we finish Episode 2! I can assure you, you are looking at about a solid 5 episodes right now (each about 10-12 minutes long). However, we are pushing as hard as we can to get the job done. You can expect more progress from us this Summer.

Ok, enough content and plot hints to keep you guys busy until next week's update. Stay tuned for next week, as we cover some last interviews with other members of the project and, hopefully, some more details on Episode 2 and the new trailer to come. Finally, Jack of Blades, one of our professional graphics artists, gave me some positive comments on my 1337 uber gfx skillz on photoshopping for the new banner you see here.

Weekly Update of May 26th

Should be renamed to "monthly" updates eh? Well, sorry for the long wait, I know its been killing all of our fans out there. I can tell you that we have been busy with not only this project, but with our lives and exams (I don't finish until Tuesday actually). So, onto the content!

As many of you already know, Mcdoogleh has been hard at work with our CG ends of our project. We are now picking up again on production on Episode 2, but you've heard that before right? Well, in this update we've decided to answer some questions (and provide some of our own) to share with the public. The following interviews may express each individual's opinions and are not endorsed by any means by Apocalyspe Films or Lordstemplar1.

Westviewisback

So, do you see “Prophecy” turning out to be a huge success such as titles like RVB and the Codex?
A: As long as we can keep our cameramen, I think Prophecy can be just as big as RVB or the Codex.

What motivations led you to pursue the machinima world along side your friends?
A: After I had watched the Codex, I realized that this would be a big challenge and a lot of fun.

What significant job do you have in all this?
A: According to Lordstemplar1 I am Assistant XBL Production Manager, which basically basically means, I do all the yelling and booting if people don’t like to listen.

What character(s) do you play in the series?
A: I play Lieutenant Colonel Wharton in Prophecy.

Do you enjoy your role as _____? Why so (describe character)?
A: I love my role because, I do. My character is based on a real soldier fighting in Iraq, so it’s my little way of saying thanks to our troops out there.

What other activities do you enjoy besides shooting film (and people) online?
A: Yelling at the people I shoot at and then calling them nub cakes. (Nub Cakes is a Registered slogan of LudicrousVision.)

When can we expect the long-awaited Episode 2?!?
A: You can expect Episode 2 before you hit the age of 74.


Animations Director-Mcdoogleh

What led you to join the conspiracy of “Prophecy”?
A: Conspiracy? What conspiracy? *Talks to his monkey* Oh right, I joined because I saw the first episode and fortunately for Lordstemplar I liked episode one, so I joined in.

What does your department do specifically?
A: I animate most of the CG parts for Prophecy, I.E the space parts.

How many hours/ minutes have you logged for the project thus far?
A: I think about a month and half. Right now, nearly have one CG scene ready to go, one that you will see soon, and one that I haven’t even started yet!

How long have you been animating?
A: I have been animating for about 3 months, starting with some simple ships then I got inspired by Major.Dump’s and Laird’s animation work and I decided I should learn to animate like that.

What is the hardest part of your job and why?
A: If the scene requested for the plot is complicated (Which it has been) I.E Space battles, explosions and stuff are the hardest part.

What kind of space battles can we expect from you and your talents?
A: I would probably expect something that you would enjoy, perhaps even look cool like many ships firing at each other and a CENSORED from CENSORED, but definitely, you can expect ALOT of slipspace and some action.

What would be your most favorite scene you will be rendering and why?
A: It would probably be either the space battle that I am doing or the CENSORED from CENSORED because I learned a lot from both of those scenes, in fact any Thermopylae scenes will be my favorite.

Well there you have it. Two interviews with two key producers from the epic project itself. Aside from this, I would also like to share some bad news... Final Cut Pro pulled a fast one on me and literally passed away (taking 90GB of my HD along with it). So, all my work on the Blossoming Saga Trailer as well as Episode 2 have been deleted. No worries though, I did keep a backup template on my iMovie HD 6 application, so all that needs to be redone is the trailer itself. That about covers it for this week. Stay tuned for next week for some new screenshots and two more interview specials. I will be closing this week's update with two pieces of concept art that I promised. One piece, entitled Earth's Defenders based solely on the Halo universe itself. The other, however, is a piece from the Prophecy universe, depicting the aftermath of a battle, with Lance Corporal Mitchell of the Rangers Divison, strolling through the post battle carnage (Update: A colored version will be posted soon). Until next time, peace out!

Weekly Update DELAYED!

WE'RE SORRY, WERE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMETHING HERE?














Pardon our dust but, the weekly update has been delayed one week. We're sorry for the inconvience. Check back next week!

Weekly Update of April 28th

Progress has been made this week! Both Episode 2 and the "Blossoming Saga" trailer are coming along smoothly. Now with more footage to work with, editing has now shifted priorities. Hopefully, the new trailer I have promised will be out sometime early May, and Episode 2 shortly thereafter. I have two nice pieces of concept art I wanted to prepare for this week's update, but my scanner wasn't too cooperative. I will try to put them up for the next update for you guys. There is some stuff for you guys to soak in however! Below are not one, not two, but THREE screencaps of scenes from the Prophecy saga itself. One being, in its Alpha stage, a cutscene of the UNSC Hammerhead BattleCruiser. This totally changes the proportions and scale of the storyline, as animation is now available through our new Animations Director, Mcdoogleh. As previously stated, the animation is in its Alpha build and we are still polishing things up for its release in the epic saga. That's just about it for now, stay tuned for next week's update as I (hopefully) release some wanted concept art and an interview with the team about the project and the journey we all have battled through to deliver this project to our fans.

Weekly Update of April 21st

Well things are moving slowly this week, I have begun script for Episode 3-"Foxholes and Cavalry". Production moves on ever slowly in the filming aspect as we try to wrap up the cool "Blossoming Saga" trailer I have been bragging about, not to mention that long-awaited Episode 2 that I have received threatening emails for. I assure you, it will come out when it is ready! The new Halo 2 maps (Tombstone and Desolation) have caught my attention as I try to find a way to incorporate then into the Prophecy universe. Not much of an update this week, but I assure you, the next updates should be BIG. Unless, of course, some giant man-squirrel bursts from some bush and I end up in the hospital... That would really put a damper on my weekend plans. Until next time then!

Weekly Update of April 13th

Welcome to the new blog for Prophecy! To commerate our "re-birth", we here, at Apocalypse Films will be releasing a new trailer to the saga's library. As for the progress of Episode 2-"Welcome Mat", the episode is nearing completion as the entire team is finishing up some shots on Coagulation and I polish up some new scenes with some other desired effects and renditions. Stay tuned for more updates to come! And it sure is good to be back!