DVXuser.com Feature Film - Writers wanted

Dustin R. Rogan

Dustin R. Rogan

Silent Bob's Evil Twin
Ok guys heres the deal. A group of us are wanting to see if its possible to do a board wide feature movie. Heres what we know so far.

4 Major areas (aka LA, NY, Texas, NC, or other countries if we get volunteers)

Heres what we're thinking...

End of world type scenerio. Each location will have a director who would be in charge/run that location as far as crew and finances. Each location will be made up of users around that location to be the crew. This is in its infancy but I believe it can be pulled off.

when writing keep in mind the more economical the better!

If you're interested PM me!!

Rogan


ps this is just an idea, to see what people are interested
 
Last edited:
This sounds interesting.

"Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis" ? :)

Just kidding.

It won't be easy to make an end-of-the-world movie on a tight budget.

But it's not impossible!
 
These sorts of projects almost never get off the ground, but I'd be interested in participating if it gets rolling.
 
As I have said multiple times now (in multiple threads :grin:) I would LOVE to be a part of the writing team. Here are my most recent posts on the issue:

ConspiracyPenguin said:
As I said in the original thread I am game. I would love to be a part of the writing team, which I agree should be small. What we need to do is get the team together and take ideas for the story from the people on the board and then narrow it down until we have a decent plot line established. Then the writers can work out a system amongst themselves to get the thing written.

Further, I think Dustin said he doesn't want to be in charge of keeping this all organized. If that is true, then we need to find someone who wants to. (Is this what volunteering feels like?) Anyway, here is the last post I made in the original thread. Probably a little redundant, but whatever.
Click to expand...

ConspiracyPenguin said:
I actually tried to post here this morning but my comp screwed up and I just realized it didn't go through. Basically what I was gong to say has been said by now. I like the multiple cities idea, it would give more people a chance to get involved. I, too, am game from the Fresno area!

As far as proceeds we could either do charity or plan it out ahead of time where we split the money equally between everyone. That is if it got picked up. The end of the world idea would be possible, as long as we avoid over used cliches.

The first step is to get a team of writers together (hopefully I'll be included in that team :grin:) and start to collect ideas from the group about themes then narrow it down until we have a plot line that will work and go from there.

As to what Dustin said just above, it is funny because in my missing post I said the same thing! This was your idea, man, but if you don't want to be in charge of keeping it organized then we should find someone who would like to. (Did I just volunteer?)

I'm heading to the cafe to add to the thread over there, maybe even paste this whole post. Later!
Click to expand...
 
Okay, for now I have been put in charge of the writing team for this project. I am looking for willing participants. Location doesn't matter too much since the invent of the internet, but obviously it would be cool if you were near one of the areas so that we have folks familiar with where we are shooting.

Anyone who is interested either post here or send me a PM and we will compile a list of names (I think a who's in list is in the works) after that, we will have to decide who is on the team and get to work. Just collecting possibilities now.
 
I'm in NC and would be glad to participate in this, but I'd like to know a bit more about the vision for the thing. What's the overall story concept?
 
I have to say up-front that I'm usually wary of films made by committee. However, it sounds like this would be handled like several short films -- each with its own director, cast and crew -- that would be blended together into a feature. That may work better.

When it comes time to shoot in NC, I have a DVX100a and Zoom H4 that might be useful.

So let's hear more about the overall vision for this thing. Staying tuned!
 
Hey David, thanks for expressing interest. I take it you found your way to our other posts around the forums? Basically nothing is set in stone yet as far as the story goes. People have tossed around the idea of an end of the world type story and we show how people react in each location. I see two other viable options which thrive off the multiple locations:

1) Show how one event affects multiple people (this could work for end of world)
2) Have one main character but at different ages/points in life from each location to make the story.

Badically right now I need to compile a group of possible writers and we need to discuss amongst ourselves as well as with the other members as to what we want the story to be. It is possible a poll will be created for this at a later point but once we get a basic plot line I figure we will collaborate and come up with some sort of system for getting it written out.

By that point each location will have its cast/crew ready and we can tell each one of them what to shoot. Then we can have an editing team and a score team do their thing and we're done. The last part is just my idea of how we should do it, but as I said before, nothing is certain yet.

Thanks again for your interest and keep an eye on the threads as we get updates, I will make sure to keep you in the loop when things start moving along.

:beer: Cheers,
 
Hey Nick,

Actually, no I haven't found your other threads on this subject. Can you provide links?

An end of the world scenario seems weak to me, from a story standpoint. No matter what people do, their fate is sealed. Yes, we could see how it affects different people. But we'd have a fragmented story at best.

What if instead we had a story where different people in different locations are all trying to work together to solve some sort of common problem? Maybe these people meet and communicate via the Internet, which would allow us some commonality among them. But it takes all of them working together -- but separately -- to overcome their obstacles and achieve their ultimate goal.

I'm just throwing out ideas here. I'm game to take a stab at an end of the world scenario too. Just spitballing.
 
Great! This is what we want, brainstorming. I have my own issues with the end of the world idea, I worry about it becomming to cookie-cutter. Sorry I didn't provide links sooner, the only worthwhile one at this point is the original one: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=136361

Right now I think you booked your seat on the writing team, what we need to do is throw out ideas for the story here and come up with something. I like the idea of having the different people connected through the internet. In fact, you could do something like have them meet throw dating service or even a forum like this, etc, etc...

Good ideas, keep them coming!
 
If they meet randomly, either through a dating service or a forum, then what are the odds that they will each possess the specific skills needed by the group in order to overcome obstacles and achieve their goal?

I think it might work better if we start with one person and have it branch out to others as that person seeks help in solving whatever the monumental problem is that he (or she) is faced with.

Unless, of course, it's a group of techno geeks who meet online regularly. Then they use their geekly skills to solve the problems that come up. That might work. Though that might also limit audience appeal. We might do better to have average Joes and Janes faced with some abnormal circumstance.

I get the feeling that the leaning here is more towards a character-driven drama, rather than a story-driven one. Dealing with inner conflicts and emotions, rather than external foes. Am I right?
 
This might be a kernel of an idea....

Lots of people are switching over to VoIP phones now -- basically, placing calls via the Internet. What if a virus was out there affecting these phones? What if the people who are talking on them are being fed a subliminal signal that's in effect hypnotizing them and turning them into, basically, mindless robots -- maybe a la Stepford Wives or Telefon or even Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

What if these people who communicate via the web generally don't spend a lot of time on the telephone, so it's not affecting them? Maybe they use cell phones mostly. But they begin to see what's happening to family members around them.

Could something like that lead somewhere?
 
chapelgrovefilms said:
I get the feeling that the leaning here is more towards a character-driven drama, rather than a story-driven one. Dealing with inner conflicts and emotions, rather than external foes. Am I right?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. As I said before, nothing is solid. I suppose everything that has been discussed thus far is pretty character-driven. I think the reasoning behind this was the multiple locations. But at this point anything is possible.

chapelgrovefilms said:
This might be a kernel of an idea....

Lots of people are switching over to VoIP phones now -- basically, placing calls via the Internet. What if a virus was out there affecting these phones? What if the people who are talking on them are being fed a subliminal signal that's in effect hypnotizing them and turning them into, basically, mindless robots -- maybe a la Stepford Wives or Telefon or even Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

What if these people who communicate via the web generally don't spend a lot of time on the telephone, so it's not affecting them? Maybe they use cell phones mostly. But they begin to see what's happening to family members around them.

Could something like that lead somewhere?
Click to expand...

ZOMBIES!!! Just kidding...really. :grin: I actually like it a lot. We would need a reason that the virus was created and what the ultimate effect is. Aliens? Persecuting news anchors? There are several possiblities.

Does anybody else want to weigh in on these ideas and give your thoughts? Dustin? I'm off on the old dusty trail for now, I will talk to you all tomorrow. Great work, David!
 
Building off something said on the other thread, what if these online friends were to discover that the SAME person is being seen in ALL of their towns at the SAME time??? And that this somehow relates to the VoIP virus???

That could lead to something, eh?
 
ConspiracyPenguin said:
We would need a reason that the virus was created and what the ultimate effect is. Aliens? Persecuting news anchors? There are several possiblities.
Click to expand...

What about the same reason some other viruses are created? Money! As in adware gone nutso!

Other reasons viruses are created..... Identity theft.... Malicious harm..... Attempts to bring down the Internet.... Any others?
 
Hi,


I don't see an End-of-the-world kind of story work very much with different-stages-of-life of the protagonist, unless it's all built around what's causing the End-of-the-world.

So, what's clear about this project is that it's probably gonna be Low-budget.

A money-stealing virus sounds cool but I think that the stakes gotta be higher, you know, the life of a loved one, the protagonist's own life, the fate of humanity, etc. :D

Something that will make people say "OMG, what's gonna happen to them?!" :grin:.

Cause, if you just lose some cash, so what?! We need horribly tough problems. :)

I think that you can rule out Cloverfield-Blair-Witch kinds of approach, cause we've had a good one recently... but then again, until this project comes to fact, maybe enough time would have passed...

And, if the story is of the end-of-the-world kind, I think we're actually bound to a cloverfield-kind of approach, cause it's comparatively low-budget. Of course the VFX have to be down to a minimum.

Dunno, but you (we?) should probably first look at the world and life that people live today and find what's a fundamental and current problem that would engage the greatest audience.

So, the theme could be:

Global terrorism.

Outbreak of a killer-virus, or

Outbreak of an arch-evil all-destroying computer virus

Attack of aliens.

Third world war.

(a really fundamental and current problem) :shocked:

etc.

All of these have been pretty much worn out, but... probably global terrorism, or

WAIT !

Maybe something which is around one of those mass-shooting that happened in the US: the Korean guy that killed many people, or the two neo-nazi-kids a few years before that.

Actually I'm working on a similar true story from Bulgaria [end of the 70's], but it's of a local character and won't work in the US. Quite horrifying, BTW.

But I think that the low-budget constrains us to a story told from the POV of a small group of people, or a single person.

...

Anyway,

So, what's the theme of the movie gonna be?

Or, the main character? What's his problem? Is it .. problematic enough? :)

Or, how does it end?

Or, around what unbelievably cool scene can the whole movie be built?

But I think it's best that the theme of the movie should be selected first.

I would vote for a horrifying depiction of one of those mass-shootings.

Cloverfield-POV-like?

OMG... it could be quite scary, if you're merciless enough :).

But the cloverfield-approach probably won't work, cause the shooter willl have the handycam down [probably along with its owner]... unless he is super-sick and wants to film the entire thing [there's gotta be a good reason why he wants that: he wants to punish society, because?.... he wants them to watch ... he forces the handycam owner shoot all the time with the threat of killing him... and kills him at the end, of course... he escapes after the shooting and puts it on youtube after the fact, then shoots himself.... etc.]. OMG, I'm sick :).

This is a serious problem [mass-shootings], or a symptom and would engage the audience, if properly filmed.

And it's pretty much an end-of-the-world [for some people], but a more realistic one.

The psycho-villain killer as the protagonist, who is sick but not entirely lacking a reason to act like this.

....

Just throwing in a few chaotic thoughts on the matter.

The exciting thing is, that you guys can pull this off. You can make the movie, nothing can stop you. :)

It's all about making a good low-budget script.

This is very exciting. :)
 
Last edited:
I'd really like to be part of this project, and would love to chime in during the writing process. I am situated way the hell over here in Denmark, but have a good experience of writing, and i would be able to put up the production team (myself as director) as well.

We could explore a story more like the one presented in "Jumper" as well. That guy is all over the place :) Maybe a bit of a problem, since I suppose we need a story where we can use different actors in different places. How about something more metaphysical then? A person gradually discovers, that personality and "self" isn't as unique a thing, as people think. In fact the same person may exist lots of places at once, without necessarily knowing each other, but still has some sort of mental connection, or perhaps shares luck/fate concepts?
 
The protagonist might shape-shift to overcome a different conflict in each market where we film.

While she might be a sophisticated businesswoman in NYC, an iron worker in Texas or a bookish grad student at a university in North Carolina - they're all the same entity that has been sent as a "solver" to take out the virus / terrorist / threat.

Each film would open with a mandatory scene of transition. It could be that we carry the character out by showing her buying a plane ticket or driving off toward a distant city. The next filmmaking team would pick this up with a common prop or other device to tie it back together.

e
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top