Abq StarWars Fan Film

Ok... it's me again. Me who, you ask? Obi-Neb-Kenobi, that's who. Some of you I've met now, most have merely heard tell of me. Apparantly I'm the "Phantom Member"... as you'z guys only ever meet when I have to work (pretty inconsiderate on my part I think)

Anywho, on to the reason for this post. As most of you already know... a select group of you are working on costumes. Jedi, Sith, maybe even a Rebel or a Smuggler... and I've heard tell that someone ended up with a full set of Stormtrooper armor (let the drooling begin)

So... besides the obvious dressing up in front of a mirror and knowing that we all have jedi garb, and an appearance in Vegas (Celebration is it?), what are these costumes gonna do for the other 364 days of the year. Well, I have a solution for that.

I imagine that most, or at least some of you have seen a few of the many StarWars Fan Films that have been posted all over the net. (if not, I suggest you go immediately to TheForce.net and click on Fan Films) How many of you have ever wanted to hold a lightsaber in your hand... and actually see it 'spark' up and hear that ever memorable 'hum' that we've all come to be so accustomed to? Well, have you ever wanted to know how?

The key to this little secret lies in the advent of computer technology that lets us (starwars fanboys & fangirls that we are) digitally manipulate video, and add these effects, thereby making us, (albeit on a much, MUCH slimmer budget) take part in this lil' world that our boy Georgy set into motion, oh so many years ago.

Now, I myself, along with Lor, and a few of our other friends have been tossing around the idea for just such a StarWars Fan Flic for years now, and due to limited support/time/inspiration/crew, and lets be honest, laziness... haven't been able to get this project off the ground. But with the backing of an Officially Sanctioned Branch of the StarWars Community (or unofficially sanctioned, whatever you'z guys is) and a few more bodies in front of and behind the camera... this lil' project might just fly.

First things first tho'... Any project must start with a solid heapin' helpin' of "Pre-Production" (one of my favorite words)... which pretty much equates to getting the ball on this rolling.

A very good friend of mine (a talented wordsmith - and quite frankly the best writer I've ever known) came up with an idea for a short StarWars Fan Flic a few years ago. I put it to him to come up with a story and what he came back with (within 72 hours, no less) was a brilliant idea for the basis of a short film.

The working title so far is...

The Adagan Gambit

More than that I cannot say right now. However what I do need to know is this... Who among you is interested in just such a project? I need some feedback, some ideas, and some level of understanding as to what you guys can bring to the project.

What can you do? What are your talents, what is it that you are good at, what resources do you have at your disposal. All these things need to be considered, as this is a very big project and requires the assistance and support of a lot of different talents and people.

So, thats it from me for right now, think it over, post some thoughts, comments, ideas, inspirations, etc.

"You must unlearn what you have learned"
-Yoda

-Obi-Neb-Kenobi

 

Sweet. I'm all for taking part in a fan-film either behind or in front of the camera.

I'm sure at this point just about everything needs to be planned out, minus storyline. Is there an actual script written? Or just a treatment?

Heck, I'll be glad to do as much as possible. From pre-production to post-production. Maybe we oughta discuss this at this weekend's meeting? Or you working again?

Anyone else think we oughta talk about it at this sunday's meeting?

 

He'll be working, but I'll be there, and we've been planning this venture for a while now, so hopefully I can answer your questions.

And also to start the ball rolling here are some skills i can throw in to the ring:

Preproduction:

Prop Making
Costume Making
Fight choreography

Production:

Camera Work
Acting/ Fighting (the ladder way better than the former)
and grip work if we get some stuff for a grip to do.

Postproduction:

Editing
Rotoscoping
Hologram Special Effects

also I got some peeps in the breaking in to the film industry as we speak, I'm gonna' ask them if they could hook us up with any of their technological knowledge and skills.

-lor

 

as you well know I am totally up for this... and am willing to learn anything that can help make this a success...

BTW, don't forget makeup and hair. I know that everyone can do there own but it may make it easier if you have someone doing it.I have learned some tricks over the years for dramatic makeup and in a acting/modeling class learned about doing my own makeup for the camera-which is completely different then everyday makeup (you would be completely surprised)

and I am all up for coregpahy fighting, and costuming.

And yeah we will be disucissing this on sunday at the meeting.

 

yea make-up and hair is probably the best I can do. I really would love to learn and *possibly* be in front of the pretty camera

 

Ok, to answer yer' question Bro. Halo...

The 'script' is not written. What I have right now is the 'basis' for a fan film. A 'treatment' if you will. A rough outline, plot, characters and a few other pieces.

This was all done about 3 years ago... when we were just tossing around the idea for something like this... and before all the Fan Films that would soon be hitting the net.

The planning that has gone into this so far has been sporadic at best... again because of limited resources.

Lor and I did some test fight choreography a few years back, and a couple screentests of saber effects, and holograms... to see if they were even possible... and they are. And that was 3 years ago... with the technology that we had at the time... and he and I both have made leaps and bounds in our abilities and our access to technology/programs. We've also scouted a few different locations around town, and outside of town for different types of shots/settings.

Now, the 'outline' as it stands now, was built around using the people that we knew at the time, keeping the entire project very small, roughly around 4 or 5 cast members.

However, by combining forces with a group such as yourselves, we have the opportunity to open this up a bit.

The story so far, was to be set about 5-10 thousand years before ANH. A time when jedi were jedi's and sith were seething, unruly, and altogether not very likeable people.

It's set around a small planet, famous for its Adagan crystals, the very same crystals used for making lightsabers.

Of course, with the addition of more cast & crew, we will need to re-work the story itself and broaden the base for this thing a bit.

I'm having a meeting with my writer friend on Wednesday night... and I will discuss this with him then.

I will see what ideas he has, and I'd like to hear if any of you guys or gals have any ideas on things you'd like to see, things you'd like to do, and directions you'd like to see this go...

Nothing is set in stone at this point... so its still pretty wide open. And the more input I get from you guys, the more everyones gonna have a 'part' in the making of this thing.

Thats it... gotta get to sleep so I can drag myself outta bed in the morning and go to work... just wanted to answer a couple of questions and move this along.

"These aren't the droids yer' lookin' for"

-Obi Neb Kenobi

 

Oh, and I will not be able to make it to the meeting next Sunday, as Lor said, I have to work. So he will have to serve as my liason and hopefully answer any questions you folks may have about this.

But I will try to make an effort to post and read regularly here, so that will allow me to keep in contact with you guys/gals, and relay some ideas/thoughts/suggestions.

-Obi Neb Kenobi

 

I'd be interested in helping anyway I can. I've got my stormtrooper armor (even though currently its still in pieces) and a little bit of talent here and there.

 

My peeps are in... and most likely one of them can wrangle some CG guys, "if the script is cool enough" and the other said he'd do any thing he could to help me out, so I think I'm going to throw him on sound...

-lor

 

oh and if any reserch is needed let me know. I love doing it so it would be great. especially to see if we can find anything on customeing, weapons and such.

awesome about your friends lor! that will rule!

 

Some things to consider...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Ok, one thing of note. Since we have one (or is it two) people now that have Stormtrooper armor... and if my finances improve you can certainly count on one more set running around Albuquerque... and I know Lor is all about gettin' his hands on a set if he can muster the coin to.

So, bein' as we have a couple sets of Stormtrooper armor at out disposal, it would only make sense to USE them. Which throws a kink in the timeframe I put out there already (5-10 thousand years before ANH) and puts us either in the time of the original trilogy, or sometime after.

That of course has its own problems... as 'jedi' weren't running around during the original trilogy... but they were 'out of the closet' afterwards it would seem... (Jedi Academy anyone?)

So, what do you guys think? I'm fishin' for some input here. I'd like to have a few ideas to take to my buddy tomorrow night, and I want you'z guys to have some input into the story here.

So, dish it out... bring it! Fire away.

I do have one stipulation tho'... and this I am FIRM on... NO, and by 'no' I mean absolutely NONE, NADA, ZERO, Double bladed lightsabers... if you've seen any 'fanfilms' you'll realize that EVERY one of them has someone runnin' around with a double-bladed lightsaber... NO. I'm not followin' the pack on that one... it's been done to death.

If you can think of something original... I'm down... but I'm not lookin' to do the same thing that everyone else has already done.

Now, with that lengthy disclaimer out of the way... I have one more proposition for you guys... And I'd even be willing to set this up at my pad if possible, as it would actually work well.

But... I'm thinkin' a StarWars Fan Film Screening some night. Drag all ya' guys down, and we'll check out all the FanFilms that are out there... I have most of them downloaded, and we can check out what other people have done, and see if we can get some inspiration, and ideas... and maybe even some technical pointers...

Let me know, when is a good time for you guys, and I'll try and work it out. It will have to be some evening, unless you can plan it during the day on a weekday... which I doubt.

Ok... now I'm done... "word!"

-Obi Neb Kenobi

 

I am definatly up for a post-OT movie. We can do the stormtrooper thing and the reassuragence of the jedi and there are some sith in there as well... there is actually a kid jedi book out that has i think the twins and anakin at a sith training acdemy.

I would like to have some witches in there-the witches of dathomir-but that is because i am a bit partial to them.

I love the idea of the earlier time period though more then a academy film but I was wondering.

okay, i am taking this from what I have read before. Now as with many films/stories there are propechies.

How about this-if we can use it maybe?- when two people are going at it-a jedi and a sith-one of them has a vision of a troop of troopers come from out of lets say the forest they are fighting in (key word, they are on endor). bam!

okay like i said maybe it makes no sense but a thought maybe?

 

I think this is a great idea...Anything I can do...let me know! Now nothing would please more than to show off the Stormtrooper armor....but I like the idea of a story line that is more distant as a time line goes! Perhaps we could design some sort of armor for the time period....I look at it this way....history has shown us that the military has always looked to the past when developing uniforms. The stormtrooper's armor came from the Clonetrooper...and the Clonetrooper's has it roots in the Mandolorian armor...perhaps we can step back further....??? What do you think?

 

I guess this means no noble huh?

Oh well! I am not too good with writing things anyways... I was reading my essential chronology and it has a bit of history before the PT and stuff after the OT as well. I will bring this book again to the meeting on Sunday if anyone wants to get ideas out of it!

 

okay Obi-Neb... how did the meeting go?

 

Hey everyone... I am bumping this up so everyone remembers that we are working on the fan film...

Please post ideas that you have here and Neb and his friend can shuffle thru them for ideas for the fan film and script.

Also, he is working on a Fan Film night at his house. I asked him to post the info here when he can.

 

I was all in favor until he said no double bladed lightsabers. Of all the luck! I'm out.

 

I'm up for this as well. I think it's a great idea. Whatever we decide to do, I would like to see some aspects of the treatment and/or finished screenplay from the stormtroopers POV. I have some more thoughts on this, but I'll post them later, have to go back to work.

 

hum a fan film, fromt he ST point of view... that would be cool...

 

What about an animated Fan Film? Now that would be something.

 

You Gonna' Draw it Aaron?

-lor

 

I'll draw it. Can someone get me a napkin and a Sharpie? On second thought, I'm a bit out of practice...I may need two napkins.

 

"You bet I could! I'm not such a bad artist myself! C'mon Redgek, we don't need this."

 

LOL! That kills me!

 

good luck then! ...