Let me know what you think about my "Star Wars" fanfilms

[The Borgified Corpse]

I was involved in the production of a trilogy of Star Wars fanfilms. Spirits of the Force & Fool's Errand are available to download now @ http://spiritsoftheforce.com/default.asp . Reflections of Evil is in the can and awaits post-production completion. The movies take place about 20 years after Return of the Jedi and feature Kyle Katarn & Jan Ors from the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight video games and Jaina Solo (Han & Leia's daughter) from the novels. I myself play Master Bendeen. We also have a brief cameos by R2-D2 & Mon Mothma. We even got Michael Stackpole (author of several of the novels, including I Jedi & the X-Wing series) to make a cameo in Reflections of Evil.

Watch the movies and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

 

[doubleohfive]

I liked them a few years ago when I discovered them; I still do. It takes a lot of patience, effort, and creativity not to mention hard work and yes, faith to pull even one production off, let alone three. ROCK ON, I say. ROCK ON!

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

^Thank you. Oddly, filmmaking seems to get harder the more we do it. We shot most of Spirits of the Force (not counting the Special Edition dream sequence stuff) in 12 hours. Looking back on it, we have no idea how we pulled that off and we're not really sure we could do it again if asked.

 

[doubleohfive]

^Thank you.

Preach it, brother. I feel your pain.

Edit: Also, I found these on my HD:

 

[Hudson_uk]

I liked these. I think one of the major plus points for me is the pacing. It's just right and you don't feel you're hanging around for something to happen.

Sounds like the dialog is ADR, it makes a difference, at times it was a *little* loud for the scene I thought but at least it was completely understandable and there was no wind noise

The FX were also extremelly well done (IMO) and the sound and music mix was very good, the music was not overpowering and was well placed.

Roll on episode 3.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Sounds like the dialog is ADR, it makes a difference, at times it was a *little* loud for the scene I thought but at least it was completely understandable and there was no wind noise

Yep. At the time we filmed these movies we didn't have any decent microphones for on-set recording, so nearly everything is ADR. (I've been told that I personally am quite good at matching my rhythms every time when doing ADR.) Even had everything been recorded on the day, wind noise wouldn't have been a problem. The problem would have been the air conditioners, as pitiful as they were, in the upholstery warehouse where we shot most of the interiors.

Even then, things were excruciatingly hot for most of the shoot. Part I was shot in November, yet we still got pretty hot & sweaty running around in those multi-layered costumes in the Arizona sun. Part II was even worse because we shot it during the summer and someone had the bright idea to add even more vinyl to the costumes. The lightsaber fight at the beginning of Part II was the first scene we shot on that movie and it was literally the hottest day of the year (something like 114 degrees in the shade). I was roasting after a mere 5 minutes just standing in the sun. I have no idea how Kevin was able to do all those action scenes & not die.

Ironically, there's a scene in Part III that we decided to shoot up around Flagstaff in January so that we could try something new and get some snow. We didn't get any snow (until after we wrapped shooting and started packing up all the gear) but we did still get temperatures in the low-40s/high-30s. So we got all the discomfort of cold weather but without any of the visual appeal that we wanted. Worse, the new brilliant idea of our costuming dept. was to have our characters wear as few clothes as possible for that scene. So we have a woman in a sleeveless dress and a man in bare-feet wearing just shorts and an open vest with no shirt. Worse, the cast blamed me for their discomfort. (True, going to Flagstaff in January was my idea but the skimpy costumes were a total surprise to me.)

 

[Hudson_uk]

Probably only funny a long time afterwards

Sounds like you suffer for your art, our problem is usually rain and sheep....

 

[Pilot Ace]

I'm liking these... And I don't even like Star Wars.

You've got your unintentionally funny fan-film moments that come with any amature production, but despite these everything ultimately comes out as a decent watch and not in an ironic fashion. I think a lot of that has to do with pacing, as mentioned, and the fact they've been limited to 25ish minutes.

In the first film, I kept thinking... "Was this filmed at ASU?" I recognized the ASU-esque architecture (as I'm a student at the West campus), especially in the scene with the fountain... Then I saw it in the "thanks" section of the credits.

I chuckled, seeing as I've never even been to the Tempe campus.

I'm now watching the Behind the Scenes of Fool's Errand. I think a huge factor is the likability of the cast, everybody seems so warm and jovial. I watched the Gag Reel before I watched anything else and that coerced me into checking out Part I and the rest of what you've all done so far.

I'm gonna have to check out Part III... That is, if I remember when it comes out.

Well done, I think!

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

You've got your unintentionally funny fan-film moments that come with any amature production

Oh, I agree. I know we've actually talked on & off about giving our own movie the Rifftrax treatment.

 

[Lashmore]

Sounds like you suffer for your art, our problem is usually rain and sheep....

Rain and sheep, very bad mix.

Worked on farms enough to know, if you're shearing and the farmer wants you to do his wet sheep, you have the legal write to tell him to go to hell.

Shearing wet sheep can cause serious illness. Feels like crap.

Anyway back on topic.

Ah....*coughs* next!

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Sounds like you suffer for your art, our problem is usually rain and sheep....

You know, to a metro-Phoenix native, rain & sheep sound like absolute heaven right now. Of course, I suppose it's the duty of every regional filmmaker to take the utmost advantage of his local color. I suppose we're quite fortunate to live in a large city that's only a few hours drive from both sand dunes and pine forrests. We've got Tattooine & Endor in one state. In the meantime, I'll be expecting many fascinating sheep-related movies from you in the future.

For that matter, you can see a couple more short, 3-minute, (non-fan-)films of ours @ http://screenwars.net . You'll recognize Kyle Katarn, Kit Parson, & Jan Ors from our fanfilms in Silhouette. I was the writer/producer/director on Todd's Women. Also, the guy who played Spince Larrin in "Spirits of the Force" did the make-up for Playback.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

DLing them now.. I plan to make one eventually in the seattle area.. I have a costumer and Im a prop maker, so all i gotta find is locations... and actors.. xD

Ill let you know what I think of yours when I can watch em.

BTW, you may want to encode them into a non mac format. Not everyone on PCs can see quicktime.

 

[Hudson_uk]

Although both Quicktime and VLC are both free for the PC.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

Although both Quicktime and VLC are both free for the PC.

True, but some people have older computers (like mine) that seem to ... resist.. the idea of quicktime. Just sayin. I know quicktime is a normal format for these types of movies.

 

[Faldor]

I remember seeing this way back when, good to see Kyle Katarn used again

 

[Hudson_uk]

Although both Quicktime and VLC are both free for the PC.

True, but some people have older computers (like mine) that seem to ... resist.. the idea of quicktime. Just sayin. I know quicktime is a normal format for these types of movies.

Good point, although I think you'll have no trouble with these. Some of the newer HD ones with the newer H29 whatever codecs give my machine trouble as well.

 

[Hudson_uk]

I remember seeing this way back when, good to see Kyle Katarn used again

Wondered when you'd sniff this thread out And why didn't you tell me about this, I was relying on you.