"PROFESSIONAL FANFILMS" - A Debate Revisited

When I look at the Fan Film Legality-thread, I can't help thinking that there is a somewhat insane imbalance between "making fanfilms professionally" on the one hand and just being beared by the copyright holders on the other hand.

What does this mean to the filmmakers themselves? They put months of their lives into a work they don't even have the right to do/publish/etc.! *Illegal*, as Azeem stated in the legality-thread.
If fanfilmmakers don't stick to what Rive said before ("It should be about having fun"), they will encounter the point where they are very disappointed (see Atomfilm contest). Everybody should be aware of that issue *before* he starts working on his fanfilm (is psychological aid for fanfilmmakers covered in the tutorials? ;-)

If I do creative work, I don't want it to be just tolerated. That consideration is one of the reasons why I decided that I will never spend much time on a bigger fanfilm production.
But please don't get me wrong: If anybody decides to make a fanfilm anyway, I love him for that!

 

I have been watching fan films for about two years. I don't plan to make one, I am a spectator. Yes, people at work think I'm insane to be watching hours of these on my laptop.

1. Do you think there is really such a thing as a "Professional FanFilm?" If so, what is the difference between these so called "professional FanFilms" and your average-guy FanFilm?

If your day job and your education are not related to production, you're an amateur. If your education is related (and you could make money with it), or you're an intern in a studio, you're semi-pro. A pro is obvious: production is your day job.

2. Do you think that there should be some kind of official distinction in the production values of FanFilms, in terms of how they are showcased and/or promoted?

Point by example :
There was a site called FanFilmXChange. It allowed me to get a good guide to a list of films. Basically, what I want to know is if it's done by a pro-level crew like BA, or if it's a few kids in their backyards. I like both kinds, but I like to know in advance what it's going to be.

FFX also gave a 1 to 5 rating to films. I believe such a global determination of quality should not be done, it's not a commercial product, or a competition.

I think it is important instead just to know the age & background of the film makers. To explicitely give classes to films, you would have to choose your words carefully so as to not use pejorative words.

The films done by pro or semi-pro people do get more easily appreciated because they've handled it with experience and they are sometimes using this film as a demo reel. In other words, it's work. Demo reel material is almost always made at zero profit - it's normal, it's not even a legal issue. You get paid with the next job.

with regards to budget, keep in mind that even if you think you have zero budget, if you have access to hardware/software, then you have to count their value in as assets with a certain value, even if you didn't shell out money directly for it. It's how companies tabulate budget as well.

3. Are the higher production value FanFilms, in your opinion, a good thing or a bad thing for the overall FanFilm Community?

Probably discourrages many. It's human to be competitive or fear criticism. It's also normal to be more immediately amazed by special effects.

I am not trying to make a film myself, I am really looking at the movie to see what people do, not to evaluate what I could in their place.

It's very artful when the fan film is not directly just striving to do like "the pros" do, but rather do what comes naturally. It's more personnal - but you do have to be 'into it' to enjoy it (just like art house films, or obscure siggraph CG films)

 

Hey MPFJR!!
how dare you make a tyranical almost Monarchic statement like that.
The fact is, none of us are Proffesional fan film makers, because like many have posted, we are not getting paid for this!! This is all done for fun, even experience, how can you even be considered a proffesional if you make it for experience? doesn't that make you an apprentice?
Also, how dare you state that there should be categories? Guess what bud, we don't all have the resources as many other people have alright, some people here have other more important things to worry about and can't spend as much money or effort as they wish they could. And YES I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!!! You should be ashamed!

The Voice of the Padawan
Jedi Master Dara-Ken

 

Hey Quin, you've got your own priorities and we all respect that, but give the guy a break. He's not flaming anyone, he's just giving his opinion. Regardless how narrow minded you think it is, there's no reason to silence people who are, at best, just exercising the same priviledge we all are.

Or do you believe this thread to be exclusive in thought?

Aside, I like how this thread is coming along. I'd certainly like to see an essay come out of this: wait, is TAC writing one? hmm...

EDIT: After re-checking, I'm thoroughly dissapointed that Tac is only writing an article and not a 10 page long essay. I would have looked forward to that kind of analysis

 

I think this entire subject has been run into the ground... much like the PC -vs- Mac argument. Let it rest already.

D

 

a chinese restaurant that doesn't have enchiladas is not a chinese restaurant at all

 

Bobo .... wait and see.

 

It's on it's way, Dack ... it's on it's way(and sooner than you might think)

Thanks for that Tac, I'll look out with interest. Something else I was thinking of as well the other day is the setting up of a review page for each fanfilm and then people go and leave their reviews there in much the same way as Amazon and IMDB run their boards. This might alleviate some of the repitive traffic through this forum and also give the newbies somewhere to go and read up on whats out there. You could also run a rating system as well, each member of the forum can vote on what they think is the best film.

FanFilmXchange operated a limited serivce in this regard and it was a feature I appreciated.

Just some more ideas for the melting pot.

 

It's on it's way, Dack ... it's on it's way

 

Tool-

Are you always grumpy, Or do you just wait to post untill you are?

-tm

 

Yes I am and yes I do.

This whole professional fan film crap has been discussed to death as I said before. I could sit here and write a 50 page thesis on 'What is a Fan Film', but that would only rehash the 500 previous posts about the subject.

The answer to the Pro. Fanfilm is very simple. If you are funded by ANY company or organization then you are NOT MAKING A FAN FILM. Fan Films are made by people who love the process and dig into their OWN PERSONAL piggy bank to make it happen.

Debate all you want... the answer is just that simple. Some folks just want to analyze $#It to death and expect something to come of it. Step back a few minutes so you can the the trees and not the forest.

D

 

And yet...


...here you are discussing it.

(by the way -- that was a joke)

 

... and this is the FIRST time I have given my opinion on the subject. Let it die already.



... yes I knew it was a joke Rive.. no faces necessary.

 

Ah, if only you could see the face I'm making at you right now.

(that was a joke, too. )

 

How many fingers am I holding up?

 

Probably none, they're all working on removing your head from your <*WATCHIT!*>

I was gonna say refridgerator....



-tm

 

I believe I will do the wise thing, and do what toolman does, just sit and let it rest, not because I don't have an argument (trust me, being in a debate class I can come up with arguments) but because It's pointless, no matter how much I may try to make people see the logic in it, there are just people who won't.
I hate to make this analogy, but its the only one that comes to mind.
no matter how much I may want to get rid of crime, and teach all criminals a lesson, unfortunately there are people who are just that plain evil and won't learn.
By the way, no I'm not saying that thos who don't agree with me are criminals or evil it's an analogy, Analyze it!

[goes and sits down in a lotus flower position to meditate.]

 

Bah, who cares? It's all for fun anyway.

 

Sometimes the point of a discussion is the discussion itself. You may say "who cares" or "this subject is run into the ground", but if you feel that way, you can choose not to participate, but don't get angry about it. Simply don't read the thread.

-tm

 

tumble: It is in this way that we are flawed...
Such is the double hook, or duality of life.

...no, this is not a tribute to Rive

 

I guess toolman didn't see the part in my first post where I said that I was doing reseach for an article. In my opinion, this latest thread has been monumentally better, and filled with more quality responses and insight than any other in the past.



Sorry if it offended you toolman . . . but just like any television show you don't want to watch . . . .
you can always skip past the channel.





THANK YOU to all who provided your insightful and thorough introspections.