First Question: What practices did these fan productions have in common that allowed them to be successful?
Lessons to be learned from successful fan productions...
- Thread starter Matthew Raymond
- Start date
First Question: What practices did these fan productions have in common that allowed them to be successful?
Commitment, recognition of limitations, and a clear goal.
Other than the obvious that they produced what they set out to do.
I notice that Horizion uses almost entirely virtual sets, whereas most other productions have a lot of practical sets.
What are some of the advantages of each? Here's a few thoughts.
Virtual Sets:
What are some of the advantages of each? Here's a few thoughts.
Virtual Sets:
- Smaller sound stage.
- Easier to have lots of locations, because they're all CGI.
- Saves money.
- Don't have to wait for the set to be completed.
- Multiple camera angles for the same scene.
- Easier to shoot character interactions.
- More natural looking lighting and color.
- Assorted problems caused by using a green screen.
- Translucent costumes. (Because nobody's using the sodium vapor process anymore.)
Would more frequent updates and greater transparency help to convince people that a project is doing what it set out to do?
Talent behind the scenes.
The one thing in common both Star Trek Continues and Phase II/New Voyages had was vastly superior production design.
The successful projects don't have ego maniacal, no-talent, goniffs in charge.
Renegade Pilot (August 2015) with Star Trek in it, was also released after Prelude
Look I know I'm going to come across as grouchy, but...you've been starting these very similar threads for the last week or two, Matthew, yet abandon them before they really get started and open a similar-themed one...why is that?
@Bixby, there only appears to be one thread that matches that description, Blueprint for the Ideal Fan Production. In all honesty, I just forgot about it. (Although, to be fair, they're subtly different subjects.)
The overall theme seems to be mining ideas for how to produce a fan film, from rebranding, to avoiding copyright infringement, to marketing and success.
They all feel like subtle variations on the same concept, how to make a fan film.
You do know this is a forum about fan films, right? Or are you suggesting that there is a much better board for this? Because I'd rather be posting there if that were the case.
I just am noting the theme, and that they are topics that could be done in one thread, because they often seem started and then forgotten. Which, can happen on a BBS, but there just seems to be multiple threads constructed and then moved on from, and another set up running with the same theme.
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/fan-filmmakers-primer.133417/
Please consult this thread, there are probably many postings relevant to your questions
Please consult this thread, there are probably many postings relevant to your questions
Indeed. Maurice put in a shitload of time and effort to offer the kind of knowledge that is not readily available and usually only comes after lots of blood, sweat, tears and wasted energy.
Unfortunately, that thread was last posted to over a year ago, so posting to it would only get a MOD on my case again.
But wow, in all the years I've watched TOS, I never noticed that flop/mirror shot. It's only on screen for less than a second, but now, one can't but help see it after it's been pointed out to them.
Interesting stuff. I'm not the sort to try to actually make a fan film, but I do believe one better appreciates watching the art if they know more about what goes into its production. That thread is both interesting and informative.
Yes, he flopped the shot horizontally to make sure Kirk's eyeline remains consistent. In short, maintaining the eyeline trumps making sure the badge is on the correct side of the uniform. It's that important to the scene making sense.
But wow, in all the years I've watched TOS, I never noticed that flop/mirror shot. It's only on screen for less than a second, but now, one can't but help see it after it's been pointed out to them.
Interesting stuff. I'm not the sort to try to actually make a fan film, but I do believe one better appreciates watching the art if they know more about what goes into its production. That thread is both interesting and informative.
Well, the set extension stuff was useful, but there wasn't much about how to choose to use a physical or virtual set, sadly. What would probably help a lot when doing virtual sets is to have a reasonably big room for your green screen, so you can get the lighting and focus right. (It's actually ideal for the subject to be in focus while the green screen is not.)
Say, has anyone ever tried filming on a cloudless day and using the sky itself as a blue screen?
You might also find theforce.net (TFN) fan film boards useful as well to gather from a large variety of sources. I know that is where I learned a lot when I first started trying to do fan films.
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