Someone asked why people make fan films, and then gave a series of rather abrasive reasons as to why they shouldn't.
The implication was that because professionals were out there making films, no one else should bother.
Obviously, this person has never heard of hobbies, or doing something for fun. Off hand, I can't think of even one thing that people do as a hobby that you can't also find someone doing professionally. Does that mean that because there are professionals doing something, NO ONE ELSE should do it?
Besides, where do professionals come from? In most cases, they come from amateurs doing what they love and eventually finding someone willing to pay them to do it.
So, why do we make fan films when we cannot make any money from it?
Because they're FUN. The money is non-existent, the hours are sometimes worse than union conditions, the health benefits are no better than the pay . . . why else would anyone put themselves through that other than they enjoy doing it?
It isn't for the fame: even the most famous fan productions are largely unknown even in fannish circles, let alone the world at large.
It isn't for the acclaim: few people can be as needlessly cruel as fans criticizing a production, frequently over something truly trivial that has somehow offended them.
It isn't for the chance to move into the industry: while that DOES happen from time to time, it's so rare it might as well be a mere fairy tale.
It certainly isn't for the respect: there are plenty of critics who will deride you for not giving them a professional-grade freebie even though you don't have professional-level resources with which to produce their freebie. (They also seem to think that ALL productions are Gone with the Wind; they forget such masterpieces as Blacula, The Conqueror, The Blob, Queen of Outer Space . . . after all, they were professionally made, so they HAVE to be better than anything an amateur could do, right?)
But really, the people who feel that fans shouldn't make fan films because there are people out there who can do it better are the same sort of condescending people who would tell a five year old that they shouldn't build things with block because there are trained architects who know how to do it RIGHT.
This is PLAY! It's expensive play (much like an amateur musician buying a grand piano), it's hard work (much like building intricate models or teaching yourself a musical instrument), it takes up entirely too much of your time (what rewarding human activity doesn't?), but it is PLAY. And like almost any other activity, there's also the satisfaction of doing the best you could with the abilities and resources you have.
If a person doesn't like my work, they're certainly entitled to their opinion. As long as they don't slander or libel me, they're even pretty much entitled to say what they want about my work. They certainly have the right to stop watching my freebies if they're not entertained by them. What they don't have is the right to tell me how to spend my recreation time.
The implication was that because professionals were out there making films, no one else should bother.
Obviously, this person has never heard of hobbies, or doing something for fun. Off hand, I can't think of even one thing that people do as a hobby that you can't also find someone doing professionally. Does that mean that because there are professionals doing something, NO ONE ELSE should do it?
Besides, where do professionals come from? In most cases, they come from amateurs doing what they love and eventually finding someone willing to pay them to do it.
So, why do we make fan films when we cannot make any money from it?
Because they're FUN. The money is non-existent, the hours are sometimes worse than union conditions, the health benefits are no better than the pay . . . why else would anyone put themselves through that other than they enjoy doing it?
It isn't for the fame: even the most famous fan productions are largely unknown even in fannish circles, let alone the world at large.
It isn't for the acclaim: few people can be as needlessly cruel as fans criticizing a production, frequently over something truly trivial that has somehow offended them.
It isn't for the chance to move into the industry: while that DOES happen from time to time, it's so rare it might as well be a mere fairy tale.
It certainly isn't for the respect: there are plenty of critics who will deride you for not giving them a professional-grade freebie even though you don't have professional-level resources with which to produce their freebie. (They also seem to think that ALL productions are Gone with the Wind; they forget such masterpieces as Blacula, The Conqueror, The Blob, Queen of Outer Space . . . after all, they were professionally made, so they HAVE to be better than anything an amateur could do, right?)
But really, the people who feel that fans shouldn't make fan films because there are people out there who can do it better are the same sort of condescending people who would tell a five year old that they shouldn't build things with block because there are trained architects who know how to do it RIGHT.
This is PLAY! It's expensive play (much like an amateur musician buying a grand piano), it's hard work (much like building intricate models or teaching yourself a musical instrument), it takes up entirely too much of your time (what rewarding human activity doesn't?), but it is PLAY. And like almost any other activity, there's also the satisfaction of doing the best you could with the abilities and resources you have.
If a person doesn't like my work, they're certainly entitled to their opinion. As long as they don't slander or libel me, they're even pretty much entitled to say what they want about my work. They certainly have the right to stop watching my freebies if they're not entertained by them. What they don't have is the right to tell me how to spend my recreation time.
