StarDestroyer.Net BBS

This thread got me thinking, is a fan-made sci-fi movie really possible? If so, how would we go about doing it?

I was looking at some of the talents we have on this board, and I think that there could be a SD.Netter-made movie, but.. I dunno.

My friends and I made a short film for school complete with [gasp] 3D animation and effects, all shot on digicamcorders.

Plus there's that scrapped CGI Star Trek/Star Wars project we were working on. We have models for an ISD, TIE interceptors, a Sovereign class, and various craft.

well since there are such fan films as Troops and other things like that I would say yes, it is most definately possible.

If you can find the right people to make the CG it is entirely possible. I shot a short film with a Canon XL1 and a bunch of lighting kits that we made from stuff at the hardware store and it cost next to nothing. The hard part about a project like this is getting the right project manager who can oversee everything and make all the different parts come together.

Science fiction doesn't always have to be visibly high tech...

Yes. Easilly. All you need is people willing to try.

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Science fiction doesn't always have to be visibly high tech...

Of course not. With CGI, you can do fantasy, historical,


hell with cel shaders you can even do anime.

Okay then.

The general consensus seems to be that it's within our capabilities. Now comes the real question. Anyone here willing to do it?

Shinova wrote:

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Science fiction doesn't always have to be visibly high tech...

Of course not. With CGI, you can do fantasy, historical,

No, Space Cadet, that's not what I meant.

Jesus...

EDIT: What I meant was that you don't need anything to make a sci-fi film. You can make one without doing anything special at all, like props, effects, costumes, sets, CGI or any of that shit. All you have to do is have a good idea that'll work and the talent to actually film it.

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Science fiction doesn't always have to be visibly high tech...

Even "Family Matters" was sci-fi.

Red dwarf didn't have a massive budget, and the sets weren't that bad...people focus more on compelling characters than eyecandy.

Spanky The Dolphin wrote: No, Space Cadet, that's not what I meant.

Jesus...

EDIT: What I meant was that you don't need anything to make a sci-fi film. You can make one without doing anything special at all, like props, effects, costumes, sets, CGI or any of that shit. All you have to do is have a good idea that'll work and the talent to actually film it.

Of course, you could just stand in front of a camera and act, but some of us like the fluff that comes with CG, effects, etc.

And it doesn't help that some us of us could be cruddy actors.

Ah, Rye gets what I'm talking about. Good boy-girl.

Yeah, that kind of stuff, but it doesn't even have to be that. You could make a sci-fi film on a campus without anything dressed up at all, I think.

I'd consider helping in something like this, but I have to automatically decline as I already have a film project I'll be working on: my Modes of Video and Film Production final project.

On the matter of small budgets, theoretically if a bunch of us put our CG skills together with some voice actors, we could make a fairly long sci-fi movie or series with no cost except for time and webspace.

Shinova wrote:On the matter of small budgets, theoretically if a bunch of us put our CG skills together with some voice actors, we could make a fairly long sci-fi movie or series with no cost except for time and webspace.

That's what I was thinking.

We'd just need an idea. And people willing to participate. I have no CG skills, but I have a voice and time, and ideas. Would anyone consider something like this?

Take your hands out of your pants and off your penis for a minute in regards to fan CG, Space Cadet.

I personally would have nothing to do with a production that made use of CG other than for pure CGI shots...

I have been saying this for the longest time. If anyone wants some possible ideas, or help doing it, i'd be glad to offer mine.

kojikun wrote:I have been saying this for the longest time. If anyone wants some possible ideas, or help doing it, i'd be glad to offer mine.

Of course, the problem with many of us having differing softwares could be a problem.

And we have FuzzyModem, who's a professional. Of course, he's busy making his demo reel for siggraph so that's probably out of the question.


To Spanky: Well then what do you suggest?

Shinova wrote:To Spanky: Well then what do you suggest?

Not using CG. I could think of at least a dozen basic ideas that wouldn't involve any CGI or model making or any sort of effects and such.

I'd certainly be willing to lend my help if you needed it. does anybody have a basic idea for a story?

If you need a story why not just look at the fanfic archive? Would Dalton and the authors mind if the board wanted to turn their fanfic into a fan-film ?

I do all my work in "Solidworks" which can make nice pictures and animations, but it can't do movie quality. It also lacks morphing, particles, etc, etc.

I dream about "directing" a CGI-animated movie based upon my not-yet-finished sci-fi novel The Wormhole War (there's a link to it in my sig)....

Of course, my hypothetical adaptation of TWW hardly qualifies as fan-made nor as plausible, since I hope to get the voice acting talents of Max von Sydow, Hugo Weaving, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, Clancy Brown and Ian McKellen.... (of course, maybe I can have stars line up in droves to get parts if I have Lars Von Trier direct it)

Didn't a few fans make a ST spinoff, and something was posted about it a while back?

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:Didn't a few fans make a ST spinoff, and something was posted about it a while back?

I think several fan-made ST spinoffs have been made, actually.