Re: To Know A Jedi

[Phil]

I'd love to see this, but I couldn't get it to load...

[PurposeDriven]

I watched it. All I have to say is SAD. You have the time and resources to make a feature film and you make a Star Wars film. Challenge yourselves, write something original. "But we did work hard, the Special Effects took a long time, Our script was original." I think you should have spent that time on something else. I am just depressed that someone would actually make a feature about this.

[J.R. Hudson]

I feel simillar about the STAR WARS Fan Films.

Although I have some seen some interesting work and impressive FX. I curse the day they made Lightsabre effects available to everyone!

I've always been more of a Han Solo kind of guy. I always thought Luke was kind of a Nancy.

I was going to watch this but it was like some ridiculous wait (I have fast computer) and was like "For a Star Wars Fan Film? Naaawwwww."

[PurposeDriven]

I started the DL, forgot about it, 45 minutes later i heard the beep. I was like, Aliright, i'll skim it. It was just sad.

[Phil]

45 minutes later??? I dont wait the full 2 minutes on my cup o noodles..

[J.R. Hudson]

I like how they always try and recreate the forest in JEDI (What was that planet?) and it's behind some houses in the woods.

Sigh...

[PurposeDriven]

At least the lightsabers were semi-good? ???

[J.R. Hudson]

:(

Sorry D Man! :(

[Mike_Donis]

When I was younger (read, grade nine) I made a star wars fan film. It was a short, and was an attempt at special effects and stuff like that. I got some decent compositing effects, and learned how to rotoscope lazer beams and the like. It was definitely a good experience, and it let me practice NLE editing and effects without having to worry about being creative. I just got to play.

Like I said though, I was in grade nine.

These guys, who (though i havent seen the video) im assuming are adults, boggle my mind, making a 90 minute feature that they can't even sell? They can't even show it at most festivals because of legal issues. That makes absolutely no sense.

Not having seen it, I don't know if they did a good job with it...But I don't get why grown men would spend SO MUCH TIME on something they can never do anything with, but show their friends.

[Neil Rowe]

its certainly worth doing if you enjow doing it, and its fun for you. and you are proud of it in the end. otherwise i would tell my little girl that her crayon "drarwings" are useless too. but i think what mike means is that if your going to get start spending real money like 3000 for a camera, and involving all sorts of people, and time, and expensive equipment to make somthing that goes nowhere... its still art, but its just not filmmaking as usual. it's not nescessarily all about profit though. its about sharing that art with the masses. about being heard and making a difference. but i cant say i havent put a ton of time into somthing just for myslef ever before either.

[J.R. Hudson]

It's all good Daniel. IF you dig it, then you dig it! :)

[David Jimerson]

No way I'm going to sit for a two-hour fan flick.

[PurposeDriven]

I watched more than I should have and the acting was crap, I felt nothing for the characters, and I thought the blonde kid (The evil one) was the worst lightsaber fighter I have ever seen. I just didn't like it, esp. not 90 minutes of it. Hope ya'll had fun making it, just doesn't deserve to be in this forum in my opinion. If it was shot with the DVX, then they would have had 1 thing I liked about it. :-/

[PurposeDriven]

I'm not! :P

[BLWolf]

Weird. How come the person who originally posted the thread, Daniel Runyon, removed all of his posts including the link?

It might have been because he saw himself as getting bashed when he was trying to share something that he honestly thought was cool and/or interesting, but then I really don't know.

I skimmed the film and personally didn't care for it. However, I do think that it had a place in this forum, which I believe to be about people freely coming together as a supportive/positive community to share ideas and opinions about what they are passionate about, film and the DVX. If your opinion is negative and you must express it, there are positive ways to critically get your point across without making someone else feel small. As I said I didn't really care for the film, but I respect the effort that someone put into making it. They did it; they got off their butt and made a feature length film for $800. Good for them. I'm sure that they learned a lot and their next project will be better. There is just as much to learn from bad art as there is from good art even if it's not as fun to watch.

Just my 2 cents.

[Mike_Donis]

its still art, but its just not filmmaking as usual. it's not nescessarily all about profit though. its about sharing that art with the masses. about being heard and making a difference

Yeah, that's true. But then again, the artistic factor kind of goes right out the window when its a complete copy...

Again....I did make a star wars movie when I was younger...but I'm re-iterating, they're grown men, and its a full length feature :-/

[BLWolf]

Looks like you were replying as I was editing, Daniel! :o :)

[Elvis]

Good for you Daniel! *;) Do you have a trailer for it? something that doesn't take forever to download? Oh and what was it shot with?

[J.R. Hudson]

I have to agree with Daniel on this. Although it's not my bag (I'd do more of a Han Solo type one anyway!) it is creative and original. It just so happens to be set in the world of Star Wars. Would I do this? No. I would rather spend this enormous amount of time and energy on my own original ideas. But this is THEIR film; not ours.

We can't sit here and pass judgement on what these filmmakers have chosen to do. Some filmmakers choose to film flowers and their relation to coca-cola. Not my bag, but not my film.

Props to them for actually making a movie.

[David Jimerson]

Bully. They're out there gettin' it done.

[Mike_Donis]

Daniel: point taken!

I see what you mean...and I was a little harsh considering I hadn't seen it...

And I agree with Elvis: can we se a trailer, or clips, or something?

[PurposeDriven]

Alright alright. (Clears Throat) I'm sorry for any hurtfull comments that I made that may have offended any of the posters. I did not have sexual relations with that user... I mean, please accept my apology and deepest regrets. ::)

[seantree]

It's all about being a fan. I personally enjoy most SW related fan films, as I grew up with SW and owe most of my childhood memories to George Lucas and Mr. Speilberg (not SW related). Anyway, I am downloading the film now, and will post up some thoughts if the thread lasts that long. I really don't see how anyone can bash these guys for going out and doing something they love. Sure they can't make money off of it, but what happened to doing things for the pleasure they bring? Oh well, just my .02

[sugahsean469]

I can't believe the arrogant, close-minded, filmmaker-police on this board. Everyone here is burying someone's movie, just because it's a fanfilm? Whatever. Excuse everyone, myself included, for not making a "Berkeley" film about angst, suicidal thoughts, social decay, and how (blank) is responsible for all the world's problems, or whatever some people feel here deem what a "true" movie should be. A bunch of people felt like be creative and wanted to pay homage to a subject they obviously all love.
My 2nd film project(made almost 2 years ago)WAS a SWfantrailer. I did it mainly because a)it was my 2nd project that I ever wrote, storyboarded, produced, choreographed, directed, edited, and starred in, b)having little to no moviemaking skills at all and only taking 2 acting classes with no theatre experience, I might as well PRACTICE on a subject I like, c)being self-trained on FCP, AE, and Shake, I had to see what I was able to do on something FUN, and d)the most important: I, as the main character of the story, got to shoot take after take kissing the female lead!! Oh, and the project was ALWAYS meant to be a 5-10 min trailer (because of time and hard drive space, actually). Shot in less than 2 weeks, the cast more or less consisted of 6 people, cameos of the CA stormtrooper legion, with none of the full cast ever being together in all the scenes and/or meeting each other. At the end of project, I improved my editing skills, my directing skills, built a bigger resume, and(when I showed my final movie project at the school theatre with a capacity crowd), it the got the biggest pops of the night!!
Anyways, the point I am trying to make is that everyones perception of filmaking, or the experience of, is different, just as the motivations. Just by a reading a lot of the posts at this site as whole, I see myself as a minority, because, other that just obtaining a DVX-100A last month, I haven't a)gone to 4 years of film school, b)I don't have 15 years in the "biz", c)didn't know I wanted to be a filmaker at age 5, etc. But, hey, I still fight the good fight.
Bottomline: some people made a film, and a bunch of snooty know-it-alls sh*t all over them just because; Watch the (Jedi) film, before judging the film or its creators, and then, and only then, if the film still blows, well then. . . SPANK ME ROSY for writing such a long, artist-defending, post! ???

[David Jimerson]

I think you're overreacting . . . considerably.

[J.R. Hudson]

No doubt. Take a break man.

[skyy38]

Why don't I try and give some insight from the *audio* side of things?

I myself,like to write "Star Wars" -type music in my spare time.
No,I don't get paid for it-probably never will but that little fact still doesn't stop me from writing the music.

And why do I do this? ???

Because I have no *choice* in the matter.
I guess because I just love to do it so much and I'm thinking it would be a shame to let a beautiful melody go just because I wasn't going to get "paid for it".Or I'm thinking that it's good exercise to write such things just because...

More than a few times I write themes that I feel would work so much better than the stuff being currently published.Don't take that the wrong way-John Williams is one of the top 5 composers in history and my musical god,but the things he's done so far for the current trilogy are not even close to what he did just for "Star Wars".

Most of the time though I like to write music for things that never even got their own theme to begin with,like "Salicious Crumb"(You know,Jabbas little pet from "Return of the Jedi"?)

And it's not just Star Wars either.Basically anything that can inspire me musically is fair game.

So in summation the reason I do what I do is for "love of the game",so to speak.Just like those fanfilm makers.

;)

[seantree]

great fan film. these guys get the utmost respect from me. The work and dedication they put into this demands it. I am in the progress of preparing to shoot a feature length myself, although not SW based, but this served as inspiration. great stuff. Better than the expanded universe fan films i've seen. BTW, I've had a few to drink tonight so pardon my rambling. remember kids, drinking and the internet do not mix :)

[David Jimerson]

That's OK. I once had a drunk ex-girlfriend e-mail me about how much she loved me . . . the night before her wedding. Some of the best stuff comes out that way. ;)

[spyke6662006]

i have it! its on my youtube, everyone check out the movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NETzqK6aQU
and please rate if you can, im trying to get some publicity for the movie so lots of people will beable to see it.

[Draccan]

[deleted by user]