Jacen's Quest: Episode XXI, a new fan film

i am making my first fan film called, "Jacen's Quest." Jacen being Han and Leia's son from the New Jedi Order series, and The Young Jedi Knights series, and most of the expaneded universe books.
i have a few questions to make my production go smoothly: 1) is it legally acceptable to recieve grants for fan films? b/c i need a bunch of money for costumes and audio equipment and stuff for sets. or does recieving grants fall under the stipulation of "money can not be made on fan films?" speaking of sets: 2) does anyone know how make an interior of an X-wing set? or any web sites that can give me directions on how to make one.
-ryan ferrigan

 

How do you plan to go about getting a "grant" for a FanFilm?

Most of the time, grants are provided to people who will be performing some kind of service (i.e. research, education, charity, etc.). I'm not sure what kind of "grant" you would expect to get for making a FanFilm.

Can you provide a little more information?

 

For set construction, check HERE...

This is the TFN fanfilm tutorial section...lots of info, including set construction.

As for legalities...not sure about that one. If you're doing it as a student film project or something like that, perhaps it's possible but I seriously doubt it. That very well may cross the boundries. If not, more power to ya, and good luck...

--Kai

 

i'm sorry Tac, i guess i should have given more information. i talking filmmaking grants, and in case you haven't noticed, there are many out there. most require a script, which i have and am fine tuning, and a buget, which i am working on, and a list of cast and crew. basically "packaging" a film. perhaps i should ask another question: is it legal to send a fan film script to a script writting contest?
Thanks Tac for bringing to my attention that i was too vague and needed to elaborate.
p.s. does anyone know if there is going to be another SW fan film contest?
-Ryan

 

I don't know if it is illegal. You would have to look at the rules governing that particular contest. If they have anything in ther eabout submitting scripts based on copyrighted materials, then I would think that you cannot submit your FanFilm script.

As for the grants, same thing ... take a look at the rules for the particular grant. If there is nothing about copyrighted materials, then you should be okay. I would think that a lot of the "filmmaking grants" are out there to foster the development of future filmmakers . . . which is what you want to be, right? Inthatrespect, then you might be okay and might have a good shot at getting the grant.

GOOD LUCK ... let us know how things go.

 

off the subject a little now, but Tac asked. i do want to be a filmmaker someday, i'm actually going to transfer from The College of Lake County (IL) and go to Columbia College Chicago in the spring to study film. i'd better get back to proofing my script now.

the more, the merrier, especially people who can help with my film.
-Ryan

 

BTW i've already checked the TFN fan film tutorial on set building, which i have to admit is cool. i was just wondering if anyone had any knowlegde of site devoted to X-wing sets. thanks in advance.
-ryan

 

i will be doing a few blue screen shots, so if anyone knows where there are composites of x-wing interiors or can make one, i'd greatly appreciate it.
-ryan

 

...just a suggestion:

Drop the Episode XXI and leave it to just Jacen's Quest.

Just a suggestion...

 

I wholeheartedly agree with that suggestion.

 

I agree, Episode titles should be left to canon installments only. Also, for the love of Yoda, since you're using an established character (and one of my favorites), please keep Jacen true to his character. Keep him kind of the pacifistic Jedi he is, and PLEASE, don't put him in a simple duel movie set in the forest.

Also, the title "Jacen's Quest" kinda sounds like an NES game for some reason.

 

"the title "Jacen's Quest" kinda sounds like an NES game for some reason"




No offense but that's so true

Greg.

"An NES game fan"

 

Take the money and run!

 

Jacen is one of my favorite characters too.
here's a little taste of my movie. it's the first draft of the "opening crawl:"

Chapter XXI
The universe is safe, for once. The Jedi are once again the ultimate protectors of peace in the galaxy. The New Jedi Order, started by Luke Skywalker, has taken the responsibility with open arms after the Yuuhzan Vong threat to eradicate the Jedi almost a decade prior.

Luke Skywalker grows older in age and wiser in the Force. He has selected his nephew, Jacen Solo, as his successor and interim leader of the Jedi Council. Luke will take to the task of personally training his son, the 11 year-old, Ben Skywalker, to become the leader of the Jedi council when he reaches the age of twenty-two.

Jacen took the news of becoming interim Jedi Council leader with less excitement than Luke would have hoped. Jacen felt he could not take on this task; he still did not know what the true purpose of the Jedi were. He had spent more than fifteen years searching for the answer. The question had cost him his brother, Anikan.

On the day of his 30th birthday Jacen went to Corran Horn and asked him for the answer. Corran would not say, only to have him go to the planet Hoth to seek the answers. While Jacen sought his answers, Corran would look after the Council. Jacen fled Coruscant(?) with Jaina?s X-Wing and R2?

-ryan

 

Constructive Criticism:

Your opening crawl is WAY too long.
Each paragraph should be no more than two sentences - short and concise.

Check out the opening crawls from all of the Star Wars movies (the Lucas films).
You will see that each paragraph is usually one sentence, sometimes two.

 

All I can say is, if you're making Jacen 30, find an actor who looks like a 30 year old Jacen Solo.

 

aside from the TFN turorial, does anyone know where i could find some plans or other tutorials on making an interior of an x-wing set

-ryan

 

If you have experience with bluescreening, you can just find a black office chair or something and plop it down in front of a blue background. Key it out and put in a CG background. This is basically what you would have to do even if you had a real set in order to have a moving background, but this way you get it all done in one session and save money on lumber.

 

hey joesunrider do you know where i can find a CG model of the interior of an x-wing? i found interiors of the Falcon at Sci-fi 3-D, but no x-wing. if not i can always change it from an x-wing to the Falcon


-ryan

 

Um, I don't know where you can find one, but if you or someone you know has experience with a 3D program, just study the movies and the old PC game Rebel Assault for reference and make one.

 

Regarding the opening crawl:

The real movies (Lucas) have just under 20 lines of text, if I'm not mistaken. I also believe they are broken into 3 paragraphs, so about 5 to 7 lines per paragraph. If you use standard script formatting, the crawl should fit these criteria in the dialogue column. Since the dialogue is only 3 or 3.5 inches wide, the length comes out about right. This even works with the original crawls, it you tweak the column width to somewhere between 3 and 3.5 inches.

 

Hmm.. have you read Traitor yet?

Chris

 

Brian,

The guys from seed of darkness had very nice x-wing interior. Check their web site!

 

i have not read traitor yet. i am on Enemy lines II: Rebel Stand, but i do know the main plot of Traitor -only what the back of the book says.

 

A little OT but, did anyone read about the new New Jedi Order book? it's called Force Heretic 1: Remnant Here's the link to the first information about it from star wars.com
http://www.starwars.com/eu/news/2002/09/news20020911.html