Where Do You Stand On Reconstructions?

[Si Hunt]

I just wondered what the general feeling was on PS towards telesnap reconstructions of missing episodes. Here's a few handy questions, in case you have a paragraph allergy.

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?
2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?
3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?
4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?
5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?
6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?
7. Have you ever had a go at making one?

Reconstructions - monumentally dull waste of space or saviour of a Doctor Who fans' life in the slipstream of the BBC's act of gigantic incompetance?

Si.

[Anthony Williams]

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?

We have copies of all the Loose Canon ones (with the exception of the recently leaked Wheel in Space), plus the Joint Venture versions of Web of Fear and Wheel in Space. That more or less means that we have recons for every missing episode - although we're always on the lookout for better quality versions of the earlier ones.

2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?

I think that they're brilliant. We really appreciate the effort that has been made to do these.

3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?

I would say that while they're not 100% necessary for my Who collection to be complete, they're the closest we're going to get to the original episodes, without them being found, obviously.

4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?

I really, really enjoyed LC's second version of The Myth Makers. It really drew me in

5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?

Absolutely - it's a shame that Dan Hall and the BBC have decided that they don't want to go down that route.

6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?

If the recon is done well, then yes. If it's a poor recon, then even the most fantastic stories can be utterly excrucitating!

7. Have you ever had a go at making one?

Nope!

[Dirk Gently]

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?
I have quite a few LC & JV ones. But I'm missing about 4. Every time I get a good guy doing the transfers he stops doing them.

2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?
I think they are well worth it.If people don't like the idea then they don't have to get them. But I feel they are.

3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?
Essential? No, nice to have, yes.

4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?
I love the Power of the Daleks LC one.

5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?
Absolutely. Consistent picture quality & on DVD would be excellent.

6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?
Yes. But in the main it's the sound quality that make or breaks a recon for me.

7. Have you ever had a go at making one?
No, I wouldn't know where to start.

[SiHart]

Where Do You Stand On Reconstructions?

In the cupboard under the stairs.

[Si Hunt]

There's a guy who's put recons of many of the stories up on Youtube. He's created them himself, although of course he's used great chunks of Loose Cannon stuff as you would (there's no point re-inventing the wheel).

His latest upload though, is a Facebook threat received from Ian Levine. Levine chastised him for "stealing" Loose Cannon's work and said he'd "personally contribute to Loose Cannon's legal fees to sue you for theft of intellectual copyright".

Although LC put lots of time and work into original sections of their recons, it's a bit rich given the whole things are built around material LC don't own the copyright to - the court case would be interesting, wouldn't it? Above all else, I think these things should be shared - they were intended to be shared after all.

Incidentally, I think LC are way, way, behind the times. Youtube is now chock full of creative projects based around existing Doctor Who footage - I don't think the recons are any different from that. And there are sweet old Loose Cannon, as far as we know, still refusing to share their recons in "digital format". Shall I send them another VHS video then? Well, I don't have anything to play it on. The world has changed, and I think everyone now accepts that things like recons can be shared on Youtube without anyone losing any money. They should set up a channel and put them all up. I can't see the BBC objecting, given the millions of other video editing projects there are on there; Youtube even lets you upload some copyrighted music in exchange for ads, so it's hard to see them objecting to a few telesnaps and an off-air tape recording.

Si.

[J.R. Southall]

Ah, but there's a legal reason for all of this, that might sound like splitting hairs, but is actually quite pertinent.

The Loose Cannon recons are copyrighted BBC material that, crucially, changes hands between fans. This is, whether there's money involved or not, a breach of copyright, and the only reason the BBC turns a blind eye is because they're not available in a digital format (hence the VHS tapes).

Once somebody posts Loose Cannon material on YouTube, then Loose Cannon are under threat of a BBC lawsuit.

So not only is the guy who posted the stuff on YouTube risking a potential lawsuit for Loose Cannon, he's also risking their operation being shut down permanently, and the end of the recon 'industry' altogether (insofar as material being shared between fans is concerned).

He probably thinks he's doing people a favour. He's really not.

[J.R. Southall]

As for my own personal stance on recons, I think they're an excellent way of gaining a better understanding of the original episodes. The only ones I own are a handful of stories a friend of mine made himself, very simply with only the telesnaps and the audio CDs (so they include narration rather than captions), and I've thoroughly enjoyed all the ones I've seen.

Getting into the more sophisticated ones has always been a case of time, money, wherewithal (and the lack of a VHS player) getting in the way, although I'd love to see more.

My favourites have been the later historicals, The Smugglers and The Highlanders, although I've enjoyed all the ones I've seen.

The use of images together with the soundtrack helps to concentrate your focus on what you're listening a lot better, and you come out of the experience with a deal more clarity about the original episodes, even if you've never 'seen' them.

For reasons I've gone into elsewhere, I much prefer the animated episodes to be honest, but I'd love the BBC to release the recons on DVD. It ain't gonna happen though...

Still, we can be fairly sure that The Ice Warriors and The Tenth Planet will join The Reign of Terror in being animated (regardless of what's been said elsewhere, can you really see them doing one and not the other?), and if they sell well enough, there's no reason the whole process can't continue to move forwards.

Perhaps we need a thread called "Where do you stand on animations?"

[SiHart]

Recons are OK, but generally I have to say I prefer the narrated soundtracks. I find the idea of recons better than actually sitting down to watch them. It's rather tedious seeing the same old photos being used and reused for minutes on end, and while, maybe it gives you a vague flavour of the stories, it's no substitute for the real thing, no matter how they try and dress them up with bits of CGI and fancy photo effects.

I admire the work that has been done, and I'm pleased that people get something out of them, but they don't quite cut it for me.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

I don't know if I have a paragraph phobia or not, but since you asked such nice questions I'll just use those...

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?

I own quite a lot, I got hold of them after I finally finished collecting the extant episodes and used them on my "big watch through". However, I don't think I'll ever watch most of them again.

2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?

Trying to make an as complete as possible version of the episode is very worthy in my opinion, but making CGI Yeti and Chumblies... next to zero worth in that.

3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?

Beggars can't be choosers really. A recon of an existing episode would be pointless, but that's not the issue.

4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?

The BBC releases have definitely been the best ones. As far as I know that only really includes The Tenth Planet episode 4 and The Power of the Daleks, but they are both by far the best I've seen. The Power of the Daleks in particular is very good.

5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?

Yes. In fact I think I just did

6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?

It depends on the recon in question really, but again, they do as good a job as they can be reasonably expected to do.

7. Have you ever had a go at making one?

Er. No.



My basic feeling on the matter is that just listening to the audios, although better in some ways, doesn't tell you what certain characters look like or what the sets looked like. Recons can help with that. So I very much like the ones that couple any existing telesnaps with the audio, where there actually is a new photo every 20 or 30 seconds, those ones are very definitely my favourite recons, but... the ones for stories where there are no telesnaps, which just use the same set photographs over and over, or photos of the correct actors from different things badly photoshopped in... no I don't like those at all. Or any attempt to do animated Daleks or actually try and re-make footage, well I find those a bit pointless and actually distracting. Although having said that, the animated Invasion episodes were pretty good.


Incidentally - I'd really like to see a release of all the existing telesnaps, maybe in a nice coffee table book format. I think I've talked about this before, but there doesn't seem to be a source to actually see them all. The photonovels on the BBC site don't feature the odd episodes, and the DWM prints of them didn't feature all the existing shots.

[Awesome Wells]

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?

No and no.

2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?

Honestly? A waste of time. But if other people enjoy them, they're harmless enough. Recon and let recon, I say.

3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?

I think they're more Doctor Who than not, but if I had any interest in collecting old Who stuff - which I don't; I haven't bought any of the DVDs and my dozen or so VHSs have been buried in a cupboard for many years - I think I'd be more than happy with the soundtracks only. But its a moot point because I'll never have a collection to complete - or not complete.

4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?

n/a

5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?

I think simply putting the existing soundtracks of missing episodes on the DVDs is more than sufficient. Or reanimating the corpses of the deceased actors and using them like giant marionettes to reenact the scenes cruelly deleted by the evil BBC,

6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?

I've never seen one so I can't comment with any authority.

7. Have you ever had a go at making one?

In the words of Partridge, "How and why?"

Basically, I'm not bovved and probably shouldn't have even wasted your time completing this questionnaire; but I'm ill and bored in bed - and anyway, to get a general feeling you need all sides of the telesnap, right?

[Si Hunt]

Once somebody posts Loose Cannon material on YouTube, then Loose Cannon are under threat of a BBC lawsuit.

But how? There must be a million mock Doctor Who title sequences and spoof regeneration sequences etc. on Youtube, they're all made of BBC copyrighted material. I don't see them being lawsuited. In fact, there are already hundreds of telesnap videos up there.

Si.

[Alex Me]

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?

I used to have almost a full set, but through them all away a few years back (along with all my old Doctor Who VHS).

2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?

They are very worthy. For most stories they are the closest we are ever going to get to a recovered version of the story, and give us a change to at least get some idea of what the story might of been like to watch.

3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?

Well it is proper Doctor Who, not too sure how you could argue otherwise. I would not say it essential for my collection (or I would not of thrown them away), but I'm not really a completist when it comes to Who.

4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?

Not really, unless you count the cartoon one on the BBC Invasion DVD.

5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?

Yes, I Love the Invasion, and Reign of Terror will probably be one of the few DVDs I try to get as soon as it comes out.

6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?
Yes, probably the closest we are going to get to the 'flavour' of the story in most cases.

7. Have you ever had a go at making one?
No

[Jason Thompson]

Shall I send them another VHS video then? Well, I don't have anything to play it on.

Loose Canon recons are available on DVD. I have them all on this format. The point is they are not cleaned up, HD, digital quality, but simply straight copies of the VHS masters.

I can't see the BBC objecting, given the millions of other video editing projects there are on there;

Copyright includes a 'fair use' policy. You can often get away with using small sections of things and the copyright holder will either turn a blind eye or the person using it can claim fair use (e.g. as part of a critical review, or a proof of concept for a new editing technique, etc.). Putting up whole episodes is a different kettle of fish entirely.

[Andrew Curnow]

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?
No, and therefore no.

2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?
I'm afraid I'm with Dave on this, I don't really see the point.

3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?
I don't have a complete collection, but I wouldn't consider a recon needed to fill the gaps even if I did. The episodes are lost, deal with it.

4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?
No.

5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?
Not a sentence I use often, but I have no opinion on this.

6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?
I just don't see how it can - or rather, the soundtrack does that, I don't see that a recon can realistically add to that.

7. Have you ever had a go at making one?
Probably not a great surprise, but... no!

[J.R. Southall]

But how? There must be a million mock Doctor Who title sequences and spoof regeneration sequences etc. on Youtube, they're all made of BBC copyrighted material. I don't see them being lawsuited. In fact, there are already hundreds of telesnap videos up there.

Si.

I would answer this ... but Jason already has!

(He's also mentioned the fact that people swap them on disc now - which they're not supposed to do, but that's just a fact of life!)

[Jason Thompson]

It is also still worth remembering that technically, for the reasons stated above, Loose Cannon (and anyone else who makes and distributes recons of missing Who episodes) is in breach of copyright. It is only because the BBC do turn a blind eye because no money is changing hands with them that we have them at all. They could shut down the whole thing if they wanted to and the law would back them up. I'd rather see Loose Cannon being cautious with ther work in terms of format and distribution than have the whole thing stopped.

[Paul Clement]

1. Do you own any reconstructions? Do you ever watch them?

I think I own all of the missing stories though LC or JV. I've watched most of them.

2. What are your views on the "worth" of such projects?

They're for the completist really. I own and watch them, but usually in small chunks as they do often feel like a bit of a chore to get through at times. Also, i found Power of the Daleks to be dull, and I'm sure that some of that was the recon not being a fitting substitute for the real thing for me.

3. Do you think that, if it don't move, it's no more Doctor Who than an episode of "Casualty" or do you consider a recon of each story to be essential for your collection to be complete?

It's somewhere in the middle. It's not the real thing, just the best thing that's available at the moment. I would far prefer animations than a recon.


4. Do you have any favourite recons, of the ones you've seen?

Web of Fear, it's a story I love so any extra enhancement to the audio only was a bonus.

5. Would you favour "official" BBC releases of recons?

Not really, no. I think Dan Hall was right to say after Invasion was released that the recons were no longer a sufficiently good enough replacement for the missing episodes.

6. Do you think a recon gives you a good "flavour" of the story?

More so than audio only, but not enough in most cases.

7. Have you ever had a go at making one?

No, I'll leave that to those who know how far better.

[J.R. Southall]

And speaking of recons and animations, David Busch (the chief animator) and I have another article in Starburst, this time about the Ian Levine-sponsored recreation of Mission to the Unknown.

If you're interested: http://www.starburstmagazine.com/fea...to-the-unknown