Podcast 17 Interview with Beyond Black Mesa (Short Half-life Film)

[Hectic Glenn]

You may recall a few weeks ago of the release of Beyond Black Mesa, a short Half-life film based around Adrian Shephard fighting against the combine. Well now is your opportunity to find out more about the film or ask the producers & actors your own questions![br]You can tune in live tomorrow (Saturday 5th) at 11PM CST / 12noon EST/ 5PM GMT via a shoutcast server provided by Halflife2.net! You can submit your questions to [email protected] to ask any of the cast taking part, including: Matt Hall (producer), Mat Powell (producer), Joy Gravel (actor), Nate Quarterman (composer) and Brian Curtin (director).[br]Join the P17 steam chat during the show for more discussion. A recording of the interview will also be available on Sunday. You can see the short film on the Beyond Black Mesa website, check it out now if you haven't already.[br]

 

[kineaesth]

I hope I can count on you to ask the tough questions, Glenn. We need you to cut through the hype, and break some balls over the bit where Adrian Shephard breakdances to his feet in order to have a fight with a Civil Protection officer who is carrying a katana

 

[Unfocused]

^What the man said.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I won't be on the show, however your point is completely up there with most (including my own). The interview won't be a big pat on the back, these questions will be brought up (as long as you guys submit them!) to ask why bizarre mechanics like that were added.

 

[kineaesth]

Then again it's not like this is a canon short film released by Valve; if it were then perhaps questions pertaining to the brutal and awkward manner in which the Half Life universe has been abused would be appropriate. Instead, perhaps the questions that could be asked could be along the lines of "why didn't you make a good short film?"

 

[Hectic Glenn]

You started off so well, well in my head you did. Finding some good in the world of torture you have to endure each day. But no, your point was that it isn't worth the megabytes it is written on to. Probably too harsh, probably tactless still...although I do appreciate you did your best to soften the blow. You just did it very badly.

 

[kineaesth]

It's a cold, harsh world - I'm just glad that someone, anyone, is listening, even for a second.

 

[MJ12]

I have a few questions:

1. Did you get Adrian's apparel from Hot Topic?

2.Did you make the Half Life zombies into regular zombies because you were too lazy to create headcrab zombie costumes? Don't lie to me and tell me you were trying to be creative, just say yes.

3. Why didn't Adrian throw the grenade at the combine in order to distract and disperse their group instead of dropping it on the ground where everyone could see it, like twenty feet away from where the actual combine are standing?

4. Why did the combine shoot the Asian kid, but knock out the girl and drag her to another building to be shot in the head? Like why would they do that? Wouldn't they just shoot her after they shot the Asian kid? Was there a point to dragging her to another spot so another combine could shoot her in the back of the head? It's not like they even took her to a Combine Commander or something to be interrogated.

5. When Adrian and his girlfriend escaped, why didn't they take some of those machine guns that the dead combine were carrying? Ah, you probably didn't need em... oh wait.. oh, guess you did need em

 

[Hectic Glenn]

So could I interpret that as you liking the kung fu katana stuff ZT?

 

[Chrash]

I feel kind of bad for the makers of beyond black mesa... the feedback I've seen for it comes from here and well, it hasn't been very positive

And yeah, what's up with the zombies?

 

[MJ12]

So could I interpret that as you liking the kung fu katana stuff ZT?

Hell yeah, that stuff was awesome. I was actually upset there wasn't a handstand break dance function in Opposing Force.

 

[YouKnow]

Still haven't seen Beyond Black Mesa.

 

[JUL3]

Go ahead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOrH5tfWorg

 

[YouKnow]

Great effects, nice music, decent acting. That's about all I can praise.

The action scenes were pretty cheesy and exaggerated. The headcrabless zombies were pretty weird, but I'd imagine that's a hard thing to pull off. The ultra high-tech stuff was also strange to see; there was a lot of non-canonical stuff that just bothered me. Also, bringing back Shepard seems kind of pointless, although I'm sure there's more to the story that I missed somewhere.

 

[Asknoone]

I feel kind of bad for the makers of beyond black mesa... the feedback I've seen for it comes from here and well, it hasn't been very positive ?

That's what happens when you release something to the public. There's no obligation to be "nice" for the sake of being, well, nice.

 

[Slug Advisor]

I feel kind of bad for the makers of beyond black mesa... the feedback I've seen for it comes from here and well, it hasn't been very positive

I guess that's what happens when you release a product that doesn't appeal to people. In fact, that's exactly what happens.

 

[Paulaner]

I feel kind of bad for the makers of beyond black mesa... the feedback I've seen for it comes from here and well, it hasn't been very positive

That's what happens when you deal with hard-core fans. Rule number one: leave Half-Life/Deus Ex/System Shock/Fallout alone, or you'll be crushed.

 

[McGooTheWise]

I feel kind of bad for the makers of beyond black mesa... the feedback I've seen for it comes from here and well, it hasn't been very positive

That's what happens when you bring back Shepard against Samon's wishes.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Well to be fair to the makers, the film was half-life inspired. It was not meant to be exclusively a half-life film. On the extremely tight budget they were on some sacrifices were made and some things altered for the fun of it. You may be surprised to hear the actor for Adrian is into break dancing!

Anyway the interview is up now and I enjoyed it - http://www.podcast17.com/interviews/audio/beyond-black-mesa/

 

[Barnz]

apparently someone is butthurt over a stupid, fan film.

http://www.planetphillip.com/posts/poll-question-210/

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Yeah a bit overboard there. While it is dangerous to venture into such an established and loved IP with the weight of getting it right, a fan made film should be allowed leeway for experimental, financial and ability restrictions. If Valve had produced this as being a Half-life film, I would cry.

It's a bit of a shame really because these guys put two years into the project, which is kind of a homage to Half-life. Their abilities in editing and producing it are far beyond anything most of us could do, producing a short-film in which they learned a great deal and enjoyed making it. I have a great deal of respect for what they made with their resources, and I hope they go on to do well in the future with their next project.

 

[Paulaner]

I have a great deal of respect for what they made with their resources, and I hope they go on to do well in the future with their next project.

^ This