New found respect for all fan film makers

Me, my son and nephew have just finished shooting our first fan film. OH MY GOD ITS HARD!!!!

It may only be a lightsabre fight with the slightest of slight plots to back it back up but it took hours and hours to shoot it. We spent 3 days filming in various locations. We had no costumes, no actors no plot, no plans, We did it by the "quick, somebody's coming" school of thought. One dialogue scene we made up on the spot. It kept changing every time we shot it. So when it finally gets finished. (ie, lightsaber effects ) ) and after we have bribed the officials at TFN to host it, we hope that people can see how hard it is to do these things and the scale of dedication that all fanfilm makers have to constantly pull of cool films.

In conclusion and to get back to my original point, my hat goes off to anyone who has made a fanfilm, no matter how small and crappy it is. You had the drive and the determination to do it. I salute you all.

Bye for now

P.S - if anyone has any comments, please follow up!!

 

Well, thank you!

I dislike people who don't have respect for us anyways...

~Neszis~

 

Thank you very much!

Yeah... I just got a little taken back by how long NOW it's been since beginning shooting...

My brother just turned 19 last week... That means that since we've been shooting since he barely turned 14... It's now been 5 years!! OH MY GOD!! Isn't that crazy?! I was almost 20 when we started shooting... Now I'm 24.... Where has the time gone?

 

Keep on going. It'll be worth it in the end!!

edit: face

 

pad_mouth,

I'd like to use a face for how I am feeling right now, but they don't have one for a mentally unstable screwed up scatter brained loony man! HAHAH!! Just Kidding.

Actually our Trailer B is coming along EXCELLENT. It actually looks promising seeing it slowly coming together. Only 11 more days of shooting in a 2-3 month time span! WE'RE ALMOST THERE!!!!

 

What is your film about niemnum?
We dont have a trailer for our film. If we did it would probably be longer than the film. We are planning to do another film next year. One with a plot, actors and some degree of planning. All we need is a few good men( or women) how are enthusiastic about star wars.

Actually heres an open casting call for all fan film wannabes (or has beens) in the north west area of england.

Qualifications must include: the ability to sow, make quality costumes. Construction experience is a bonus as is fight choreography skills.
Contacts at ILM would be greatly appreciated as would funding. Lots of funding. Oh, and were going to need a few actors as well.
No writers please (we have that one covered)
All applicants must have own equipment (ie: lightsabers)

Getting back to the point. I cant wait to see your finished film and trailers numb.

Are you splitting it into a trilogy given that your brother phisically gets older??

 

Well... we already have had our first film out on the TFN boards. I tried hard to get TFN to host it, but they never responded to my multiple emails I wrote to them. I may have at the beginning of this one have the Xwing flying in like the TFN logo and as it does that have it shatter and under that it would say "NOT A TFN FANFILM" or something... I dunno...

If you'd like links to the first movie (which in its technical aspect is far below the new movie's production values) let me know. I thonk the new one will be immensely better.

thanks for your interest!

 

Hey pad mouth,
To paraphrase Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia: "...the trick is not minding that it's hard."
Since all fan filmmakers start out knowing from the beginning that we can't make a single solitary penny off our blood, sweat, and tears, we go out with our limited resources and shoot our dreams anyway simply for the love of the Star Wars universe.
I do feel your pain though. Probably the hardest thing about shooting Li'l Jedi was having to direct my little 5 year old nephew!
Follow through to the end. The satisfaction in having completed what you envisioned is more than worth the headache IMHO.
All the best. Hope to see your fan film in the near future!

DK

 

numb

please send me the link or post it here so that everyone can have a look. I'm sure it is not as bad as you think it is.

 

DarthKataarn

You had it better than me. You may have had to direct a 5 year old but I had an 11 year old and a 21 year old. I think I win. Its true about the blood, sweat and tears. The 21 year old had to stop filming for half a day because of pulled muscles and bad health. I personally think he made a big deal out of nothing. All he did was have a lightsabre fight for 3 days solid. The 11 year old kept losing interest every couple of minutes. At least a 5 year old would stay excited about the idea of making a star wars film!

 

At least a 5 year old would stay excited about the idea of making a star wars film!

No I think I'll give it to Darth as well. One five year old is a lot harder to direct than an 11 year old and a 21 year old. By that age they can respond to a bit of logic - a five year old can't, and gets bored way to quickly.

 

Daft,

Believe me when I say that the 2 people I worked with were much harder to work with than a five year old. I remember when my son was a 5 year old My argument is this. Young children get into character very easily. They live the part. As children get older, they think too much about who is watching, are they getting it right etc. When you get your kid to 21, believe me, a 5 year old looks great!!

On a similar note, Daft, the way you handled your kids in Dark Skies really impressed me. I thought it was a great film that was very well done.

 

Kids are different... my 5 1/2 year old (Darth Oscar in Kid Wars, red shirted guy) got totally into character. He always does. He *is* what he plays. Cameras don't exist. He Is.

Whereas Victor, 7 years, was constantly looking at camera, talking to camera, e.t.c. e.t.c. e.t.c. e.t.c... phew

And it was also completely un-planned... heck the robots had nothing to do with star wars at first... it was all Oscars idea to join the two

/Z

 

I had a 3 year old that cried when he didn't get enough screen time. The 7 and 9 year olds were way easier to work with.

On another note:

THE ULTIMATE FANFILM
THE ULTIMATE FANFILM
THE ULTIMATE FANFILM
THE ULTIMATE FANFILM
THE ULTIMATE FANFILM

Don't pull a GL and make us wait 20 years for the next installment.

 

I told all you film maker haters! You would all be sorry.