St. Lou, MO Fan Film Thread v2.0

Changing things around:

Sith Master ? ?(anyone have a grandparent that likes SW?)
Skyrax ? Jeff (not a fan force member)
Jaran ? Jon
Rhyy ? Dudeman
Lannic Sarprin ? Randy
Callif ? Dajuan
Jedi ? Brian?
Jedi Master ? Yama?
Extras - Anyone else

Still looking for an old person.

 

I don't have permission to access you boards.

Sorry! The Fan section(Art, Films, Fiction, etc.)is the only section in the site that can't be viewed by guests. I'll switch the board over so that guests can view it, but only for a day or so. I'm still trying to get members on there that post.

Well, it looks like most parts are filled. Not sure if I could have a part anyways, I don't look like a Jedi at all... But, are you looking for a fight coordinator, someone to script out the lightsaber/weapon fights? I could do that probably. I just got done filming a fight scene I wrote out with someone in my english class, to go along with some project we were doing last night. It worked out pretty good, better than I thought. I'll see if maybe I can put the video online somewhere.. Do you know where I can do that? We will be editing the stuff tonight on the video.

 

So JCF, do you have camera experience? I think he still needs someone to help film as well. You could easily double team fights and camera.

Also, Jon, do you still need a mediation chamber? I had an idea for that. I still don't know how or where to do the other interior locations.

 

Faofa: If you need me to host a fight clip, contact me via AIM (SirJonofChees) and I'll put it on my site for awhile. And Dajuan's right. I do need a camera operator. The one we have for the Matrix film is great but he's not a St Louisan so he won't help with this project. It's very tricky to be able to move a camera smoothly and walk without all sorts of bumps but if you're interested, let me know.

Dajuan: Yes, we need a meditation chamber still. Other locations would be great if anyone can come up with them.

 

So JCF, do you have camera experience? I think he still needs someone to help film as well. You could easily double team fights and camera.

Hmm.. Well, I'm usually the one that isn't filming, but my dad works for Boeing in the media department, and he works around video cameras all the time, going on shoots, editing stuff with the Avid, etc. I'm sure that I have picked up on a few things. He could probably teach me a lot of stuff too. I have some good ideas for camera angles, well, I will once I read the script. **quickly downloads script**

Yes, it is pretty hard to move the camera without shaking. I seem to have that problem sometimes, especially if I am moving or nervous. I'm sure I could work on it though.

Oh, yeah, I did mention the Avid, didn't I? I'm pretty sure my dad would like to help out with editing and stuff, he knows the Avid like the back of his hand. I'll tell him what we're thinking up here, and see what he thinks.

OK, I printed out the script, and I will read it tonight!

 

I'm sure you've seen this before, but in case you haven't, here is the $14 steady cam so widely praised over at the fan films forum.

Steady Cam

I've yet to build one myself, but it looks great.

 

OK, I read the script last night, and I liked it a lot! Especially the ending.

Now, I'm gonna have to ask some questions here pertaining to fights...

This is what I got out of the script, and how many fights we will need and how they will proceed, and I was wondering if I had read the script ok.

Fight Scene #1: Practice sparring, blue vs. green saber, Padawans, including Rhyy and a Jedi that was not named. I'm guessing an extra? This will take place in the Jedi Academy.

Fight Scene #2: Quick duel between Skyrax, Rhyy, and Callif. Rhyy doesn't know what's coming, and is startled by Skyrax's actions. Callif duels with Skyrax, but dies by his villianous hand.

Fight Scene #3: Jaran vs. Lannic. Serious fight, should be fair in length, Jaran ends up victorious over Lannic, and kills him in a blind rage. Should be a fast, energetic duel, incorporating the anger that Jaran feels over Lannic.

Fight Scene #4: Skyrax vs. Jaran. The climatic duel, should be the longest fight scene in this film. Jaran starts off with the upper hand, a tad bit ego-driven along with hate-driven because he has killed a Jedi Master. Skyrax goes on offensive later on in the fight, after Jaran starts to wear down, and powers Jaran down. He disarms him, and Jaran's blade flies out of his hand.

I have already started to come up with ideas for Fight Scene 3. The first two should be easier than the last two...

Now I was going to ask how many of you have stage combat experience, or any sort of combat training. This info would help out with thinking the fights through. I might need to also teach some tuditorial stuff for stage combat, because this stuff isn't as easy as it looks. Footwork, attack sequence numbers, safety, etc. Eventually, the different parries and attacks become muscle memorization, and I want you guys to learn that stuff so you don't hesitate or miss a parry in your fight. I also want you guys to know this stuff so you can try to do some choreography on your own, do what you feel is right for you, because if I do all of the fight sequences and script them out, I don't know how you handle the sequences, and you might feel awkward and it might not become safe. I'm pretty sure you aren't all of the same heights, and you all probably move at different speeds, physically and mentally. That's why I think once you learn the moves and footwork, you could do it on your own with your partner in the fight and it would work out better. I would just supervise and input some more stuff into the fight that you would be writing out. If you didn't see previously, safety is the number one factor here.

Also, I would like to know interesting facts about the character that you are portraying, such as characteristics that make them different from other Jedi or Sith. Fight styles, personality, anything you want to incorporate into your character that I could incorporate into the fight sequence. This makes the fight better to watch from the audience standpoint.

Well, sorry for the long rant, but I want to know what you all think. Are you up for a stage combat workshop or two to learn the stuff you will need to know? I'm thinking over the summer, when I probably have time. Thanks for reading this long post!

EDIT: BTW, Jon, I won't need the webspace to host the film, the members of my group kind of acted up yesterday while we were filming and it just got messed up. They don't take the stuff seriously..

 

I'm sure you've seen this before, but in case you haven't, here is the $14 steady cam so widely praised over at the fan films forum.

I'd like to build a steady cam, but so far, we've just been using the tripod and it has a handle right next to the center of gravity that works really well.

JCF: Fight Scene #1: Practice sparring, blue vs. green saber, Padawans, including Rhyy and a Jedi that was not named. I'm guessing an extra? This will take place in the Jedi Academy.

You got it. It'll be an extra. I would have included him in the cast list but I'd just looked at speaking parts when I made that list. There's definate feel I want to the fight. It's supposed to be fairly clumsy with a lot of attacks that Rhyy starts into but pulls before they make contact when he realizes they won't work (typical newbie error). Hence the comment about the making the attacks flow like the force.

[/u]Fight Scene #2[/u]: Quick duel between Skyrax, Rhyy, and Callif. Rhyy doesn't know what's coming, and is startled by Skyrax's actions. Callif duels with Skyrax, but dies by his villianous hand.

I'm debating how I want to do this still. I think Skyrax should get the drop on one of them, killing them before the other has a chance to react. Visually it'd be more interesting to see a short fight with Callif (and I think Dajuan really wants some lightsaber action in there), but it makes more sense for Skyrax to kill the one that's actually a threat first. Normally a Sith wouldn't think twice about that, but Skyrax would know that if something happened to him it would mean the end of the Sith all together, so it's my bet he'd be taking things safe. Also, I've been thinking about a sequel to this where Rhyy lives (although badly hurt after falling off a cliff into a river) and later finds Jaran. That would mean that Rhyy would have to go first in the hastened attack so that Skyrax wouldn't really beat him up. Or he could always be force pushed off the cliff... Dunno yet.

Fight Scene #3: Jaran vs. Lannic. Serious fight, should be fair in length, Jaran ends up victorious over Lannic, and kills him in a blind rage. Should be a fast, energetic duel, incorporating the anger that Jaran feels over Lannic.

Right again. Lannic is playing defense here, caught off guard by Jaran's furious attack. But it should even up. Jaran's attacks should be hacking in motion (bringing out the contrast with what he told Rhyy earlier about smooth flowing motions). Lannic does everything in one long smooth motion. It shouldn't be faster than necessary. It's a fairly slow fight that's supposed to show what each character is feeling.

Fight Scene #4: Skyrax vs. Jaran. The climatic duel, should be the longest fight scene in this film. Jaran starts off with the upper hand, a tad bit ego-driven along with hate-driven because he has killed a Jedi Master. Skyrax goes on offensive later on in the fight, after Jaran starts to wear down, and powers Jaran down. He disarms him, and Jaran's blade flies out of his hand.

I'm thinking this one should be the fastest. Both are drawing on pure hatred to power their attacks. Jaran's is fury, while Skyrax's is the cold calculating type. Definately Jaran should be tossing in some ego there, after the initial attack. But you're right on everything in there.

As to all the fight choreography stuff: I've done stage combat before (both for theater and a good amount for this Matrix movie). In addition, I've been doing full contact swordfighting for 4 1/2 years now. So me and sticks are really well aquainted.

As far as the characters fighting styles:
Rhyy: Very choppy. Hasn't really learned to follow through on an attack.
Callif: Direct but graceful style. Everything flows, but in smaller arcs. Which is why he dies. She spends more time working on the flowing and not enough on the parrying.
Lannic: Again with the flowing, but it always flows right where it needs to so it's very small arcs.
Skyrax: What Rhyy would be if he followed through. Attacks will usually come i

 

Got bored this morning. Started designing a web page. Let me know what you think.

 

Site looks great. I told you my idea for the meditation chamber.

 

wow, this is gonna be awesome, i get to fight! i think i can fit that role pretty well with the movements and stuff. i havent done a film this seriously before so im not as familiar with all the choreography that you guys might be used to, but i can manage. i have done dueling before with some friends who do the ren faire, so i should be fine there.

btw, a sequel sounds great. i would be all in for that one as well

 

btw, I didn't say this in my earlier post, but I'm up for whatever part you want to give me. I have a little lightsaber choreography experience, and quite a bit of acting experience in high school

and also, I'm up for helping with whatever vfx shots I can

 

The site is looking pretty good so far. I can't wait to get going on this.

Jon, I'll take the above info into account. I have actually gotten started on writing out one of the fight scenes! I got bored during my computer apps class.

 

Bored in a compter class? Whatever could you mean?[/sarcasm]

 

LOL!

It would help if we learned something that I didn't know.

 

That's how I felt too. From what I'd heard it was pointless to try to take the waiver exam at my school because they intentionally make it harder than the class will actually be so you can't get out of taking the class unless you're a god with Mathematica (if you've never used this program, be happy), you can't pass and have to give them money to take the class.

 

ok, so about when are we going to begin filming? may?june?

 

Down boy.

Helps to think things through a bit before jumping right into filming. We need to get all the costumes finished, locations figured out, roles cast....

 

That translates as: We've still got a LOT of stuff to do before we get there. You (dudeman) and I still need to get together for costuming.

 

ok sorry, i was just curious

 

Well, it's a good thing I probably won't be acting, even though that would be ok, but I don't think I could get a costume in time for filming. I guess I could stick to fight choreography and filmwork.

 

With me as the costuming department there is no time worries. The thing I lack is funds. If anyone wants a costume let me know. I will have it done in time.

 

I think I got an idea for the Jedi settlement lightsaber practice room.

There's nothing that says that the practice area has to be inside. If we could find a cool looking courtyard or something that would work too.

And Brian, your pics changed....

 

hmmm, interesting
looks like someone else is trying to use my web space at school

I logged in and deleted the two files they overwrote mine with, but for some reason, one of the pictures won't go away.

Tabbee or Dajaun, could one of you delete that post for me?

 

Neither of the pictures are showing up for me now. That one may have still been in your tempory internet files and shown up even though it was no longer on the web.