Mega Zeph Video

Not sure who filmed it, but here is a decent video of the CCI woodie, Mega Zeph at Six Flags New Orleans.

http://s20.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0I5C ... 1SI6EY10AQ

Thats actually a really good video. For some reason Ive always loved static shots that dont move. It gives a better feel of a ride plus an illusion of you actually standing there watching it.

Nice find.



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Right now they are over in Europe and hes got two new onrides: Thundercoaster and Balder - both MOUNTED onrides, they are amazing.

Ohhh, I didn't notice he uploaded Balder!

I cant get into the Intamin woodies, even if they produce monster airtime. Thundercoaster looks far superior, at least theres laterals.

For a steel coaster, Balder looks impressive (yes, I said steel).

Just watched it. It does look a bit too smooth for a woodie. Those hills do look like tons of fun though.

Yea, the hills look amazing. Its like SROS on roids. (Steroids, not hemroids ) But its just a condensed steel hyper is all.

Not that what it does it doesnt do brilliantly from all reports Ive seen and read, but it shouldnt be called a wooden coaster

[coolbeans326]

they did some of thier static shots wrong. Like the one where you see a train go by, then a second later it appears on a different piece of track, even though it would take a minute to get there! They should have put in a cross fade, so what it does it makes the transition smoother by placing any changes in the background, and smoothing it out, instead of having the jerk like that, its undetectable when you do it that way.

You're focusing too much on the little things and not enough on the coaster....

So you are saying that because they didnt follow the order of the train its wrong?

Is there some unwritten rule that states you cant show scenes out of order or something? Or am I missing something else?

I find soft fades, especially alot of them, to be redudant and unprofessional. Simple cuts, while harder, are much more effective.

People use far too much transitions when they edit movie. I only make them when I want to create some sort of effect, and that is pretty rare.

The Thundercoaster and Balder videos are great, but I think the lens i use is a bit to wide. It doesn't realy give a good impression of the stepness of the drops. But that's just me complaining.

I don't see how you can say that it isn't a wooden. I thought the main criteria for a woodie was the material it was made of, not if it is heartlined and smooth. Anyways it's bether than most coasters out there, wood or steel. Definiatly one of my favourit rides.

Thundercoaster is also a great ride. I had the pleasure of riding it in its first season, and the ride was absolutely amazing. The airtime on that second drop was unbeliveable. It was designed use 55seconds from lift too brakes. But it ran on 52, 50 on rainy days. The airtime was incredible. Too bad it has gotten rough. Now it use about 58 seconds. And that's a pretty big difference. I realy hope they will get new trains and restore it to its former glory.

Hopefully Robb will uppload his pov from LiseBergs banan too. Another amazing ride, and definiatly one of the very best Swartskopf rides in the world.

Well, the actual criteria for a wooden coaster is the 8-layer wooden tracks it rides on.

But look, because of its pre-fabricated track, it doesnt even have that:
http://www.orlandofun.de/bilder/balder/ ... 80x580.jpg
http://www.orlandofun.de/bilder/balder/ ... 05x580.jpg


Heres 8 (Top 2 are hidden)
http://www.coastersandmore.com/pic/www/mw37g.jpg

Plus the trains are just steel trains modified to run on the flat rails. Those lap bars are good but I still prefer PTC trains over Intamin trains anyday.


As you said, its still most likly one of the greatest rides out there it just isnt a true wooden coaster in ANY sense aside from being about airtime.

Yeah it doesn't have the 8-layer type of track, but its still made of wood. It's a different type of track, but its still made of wood. I can see why you don't think its a woodie, but for me that's just ridiculous. Its just a new way to creat woodies.

I haven't tried any PTC trains yet, but those Intamin trains are pretty good. They could have some more space, but they are pretty good. The Thundercoaster trains was great in the beginning, but now its too rough.

The definition of a wood coaster states that a metal rail has to sit on top of a wood laminate it doesn't state that there has to be 8 of them!, BALDER IS A WOODIE It's just that Intamin have found a better way to build them!

[gouldy]

Real, its made of wood ....... its a woodie. I mean, I'm no expert, but it looks pretty wooden to me

Its a steel coaster made with wood. Thats not a woodie!

It looks like one of the best Intamin hypers out there in my opinion. But it has absolutely no characteristics of a wooden coaster.

Except the WOODEN tangle of supports.

[coolbeans326]

Originally posted by Real

So you are saying that because they didnt follow the order of the train its wrong?

Is there some unwritten rule that states you cant show scenes out of order or something? Or am I missing something else?

I find soft fades, especially alot of them, to be redudant and unprofessional. Simple cuts, while harder, are much more effective.

I don't know where you got the idea. I'm talking about how they have the train, and then a second later, it comes by another piece of track, right next to it. I was pointing out that it looks a lot better when you put a fade in for stuff like that because it smooths it out, and looks better, and you don't get any frame choppyness, its just smooth, and looks undectable. You people go crazy over every bit of criticism, sure I enjoyed the video, a little long, though, but it was cool.
- if you download one of the latest videos I made, there is an example of what I am talking about. I did the same exact thing, as they did, except I put a fade inbetween to to times to smooth out any camera jerks, and changes in the sky, and unless your looking for it, you can't see the fade at all.
-edit- I making something now to demonstrate exactly what I'm talking about.

Tell me an exact time this happens in that video using the time code, still doesnt make sense.

You were the one originally going crazy over his editing, not us. Please, dont start that again. None of us said anything concerning his editing. Take credit for what you said, dont pawn it off on someone else. Im not out to make you a bad guy, so far I dont even understand what you are saying - dont be so defensive.

Is Gemini a wooden coaster? No. Balder is more wooden than Gemini, sure, but it's still not a woodie in the classic sense. But yeah, it still looks completely amazing, but can you imagine that thing with some PTCs with buzzbars instead of those staplers.

Anyway, to get back on topic, I just watched the Mega Zeph vid, and I must say that whoever made this did a great job. A ton of great footage, with some great editing, IMO. And those air hills on that back run look just awesome. You really can see how there are basically no lead-ins to those long hills. Too bad about those trains, though...

Originally posted by McFly

Is Gemini a wooden coaster? No. Balder is more wooden than Gemini, sure, but it's still not a woodie in the classic sense. But yeah, it still looks completely amazing, but can you imagine that thing with some PTCs with buzzbars instead of those staplers.

Gemini isnt even in the same league, it runs on tubular rails, complete difference.

This thing is like in its own class. It doesnt have any true characteristics of wood, right down the definition.


As for the staplers? They dont staple if you dont pull down all the way. Ive gotten up to 2-3 inches of room on Dragster and MF and if you hold the bar up with your knee in high G areas, its fine. Its actually not totally easy for those bars to just fall down.

TRUE stapler bars = Magnum. I hate those.