A post in the Star Trek: Continues thread prompted me to start this one about fan films in general.
Over the years I (and I'm sure many of you) have been asked for my opinion on tonnes of fan films ranging from Doctor Who, to Star Wars and Star Trek. Long ago I stopped doing it. Why? Because I do this professionally and therefore critique things professionally as if they were going to air.
To a person who genuinely wants to improve this can be a very good thing but the fact is that the critique usually comes across as harsh and the person on the receiving end, no matter how many times they tell me that they want a professional opinion, always ends up butt hurt. I've discovered that people just want to be told that it's great and because I can't do that I'm just not going to give my opinion. The exception? Something like Star Trek: Continues where I feel free to comment because the quality IS there that I can nit-pick without worry that I'm destroying someone's dream or passion.
When I was 14 I made a bunch of fan films and I never would have dreamed to ask a professional's opinions on them without the prior knowledge that I knew they were crap. We all start somewhere, you just have to know where you are on that ladder.
Having a passion for something is GREAT. Making fan films for you, your family and friends is GREAT. Showing it to other people outside your social group is GREAT provided you don't have any illusions about what it is. I've seen posts on this forum like "Hey, I'm a DP! Check it out" and followed the link to find that no two shots had the same lighting, or were flat, or had different colour temperatures and brightnesses. Fun fact, you weren't a DP, you were the guy who set up some lights and hit record.
SO! I thought I'd start this thread as one that could outline tips to make your fan productions better. Feel free to add your own points! I'll start with a few:
1. DON'T BE SO AMBITIOUS
It's your first fan film and it's going to be more than 5 minutes or so? Sorry, I can almost guarantee you it's going to suck. Take the best scene from your script and shoot just it. TAKE YOUR TIME with it and make it as perfect and engaging as possible. This means shooting the scene over and over and over with different angles and croppings so that you have lots to play with in editing. The worst thing you can do is go into the edit suite with not enough footage.
On that theme, keep it simple so that you are able to shoot in that way. Two guys talking at a bar can be a great scene or a boring one. Most fan films will lock of on a two shot of them and just sit there. BORING. Cutaways to close ups is where you can get more of the acting on the screen and engage your audience. Which brings us to...
2. NOT EVERYONE CAN ACT
Just about everyone seems to think they can but not everyone can act. If you're just making something for fun then this doesn't matter much but if you're shooting something that you hope other people will enjoy you need someone on screen that has at least a little acting ability. This is always difficult to broach as you're usually shooting with your friends and nobody wants to be told that they can't act. If it makes you feel better I can't act worth a damn. Just be wary of it. The only thing that will bring your production down faster is...
3. NOT EVERYONE CAN WRITE
A good script is golden. A fan script, in general, should be pretty light on dialogue. Why? Because fans want every scene to be epic and they always put it into spoken words. Stop talking and start acting. Keep conversation conversational. If what your character is saying isn't something that a real person would say they probably shouldn't be saying it. There are always exceptions but especially when you're starting out keep the dialogue light.
Also, keep the script simple. A complex script read by mediocre actors is going to come across like people reading a book. BORING. Short lines and simple action is going to be much more convincing in your end product.
4. DON'T RELY ON CG
Unless you're George Lucas not every set should be a CG background. Shooting everything on green screen is a great way to save money on fan productions but it results in static cameras with no cuts in scenes, less physical action, poor lighting, etc. etc. etc... It also introduces the problem of not everyone is good at CG. 99 times out of 100 your end product will look VERY fake. Unless used for comedic effect I recommend shooting on a real set or, even better, on location. It will ALWAYS look better.
There are many many more. What other advice do you guys have?
Over the years I (and I'm sure many of you) have been asked for my opinion on tonnes of fan films ranging from Doctor Who, to Star Wars and Star Trek. Long ago I stopped doing it. Why? Because I do this professionally and therefore critique things professionally as if they were going to air.
To a person who genuinely wants to improve this can be a very good thing but the fact is that the critique usually comes across as harsh and the person on the receiving end, no matter how many times they tell me that they want a professional opinion, always ends up butt hurt. I've discovered that people just want to be told that it's great and because I can't do that I'm just not going to give my opinion. The exception? Something like Star Trek: Continues where I feel free to comment because the quality IS there that I can nit-pick without worry that I'm destroying someone's dream or passion.
When I was 14 I made a bunch of fan films and I never would have dreamed to ask a professional's opinions on them without the prior knowledge that I knew they were crap. We all start somewhere, you just have to know where you are on that ladder.
Having a passion for something is GREAT. Making fan films for you, your family and friends is GREAT. Showing it to other people outside your social group is GREAT provided you don't have any illusions about what it is. I've seen posts on this forum like "Hey, I'm a DP! Check it out" and followed the link to find that no two shots had the same lighting, or were flat, or had different colour temperatures and brightnesses. Fun fact, you weren't a DP, you were the guy who set up some lights and hit record.
SO! I thought I'd start this thread as one that could outline tips to make your fan productions better. Feel free to add your own points! I'll start with a few:
1. DON'T BE SO AMBITIOUS
It's your first fan film and it's going to be more than 5 minutes or so? Sorry, I can almost guarantee you it's going to suck. Take the best scene from your script and shoot just it. TAKE YOUR TIME with it and make it as perfect and engaging as possible. This means shooting the scene over and over and over with different angles and croppings so that you have lots to play with in editing. The worst thing you can do is go into the edit suite with not enough footage.
On that theme, keep it simple so that you are able to shoot in that way. Two guys talking at a bar can be a great scene or a boring one. Most fan films will lock of on a two shot of them and just sit there. BORING. Cutaways to close ups is where you can get more of the acting on the screen and engage your audience. Which brings us to...
2. NOT EVERYONE CAN ACT
Just about everyone seems to think they can but not everyone can act. If you're just making something for fun then this doesn't matter much but if you're shooting something that you hope other people will enjoy you need someone on screen that has at least a little acting ability. This is always difficult to broach as you're usually shooting with your friends and nobody wants to be told that they can't act. If it makes you feel better I can't act worth a damn. Just be wary of it. The only thing that will bring your production down faster is...
3. NOT EVERYONE CAN WRITE
A good script is golden. A fan script, in general, should be pretty light on dialogue. Why? Because fans want every scene to be epic and they always put it into spoken words. Stop talking and start acting. Keep conversation conversational. If what your character is saying isn't something that a real person would say they probably shouldn't be saying it. There are always exceptions but especially when you're starting out keep the dialogue light.
Also, keep the script simple. A complex script read by mediocre actors is going to come across like people reading a book. BORING. Short lines and simple action is going to be much more convincing in your end product.
4. DON'T RELY ON CG
Unless you're George Lucas not every set should be a CG background. Shooting everything on green screen is a great way to save money on fan productions but it results in static cameras with no cuts in scenes, less physical action, poor lighting, etc. etc. etc... It also introduces the problem of not everyone is good at CG. 99 times out of 100 your end product will look VERY fake. Unless used for comedic effect I recommend shooting on a real set or, even better, on location. It will ALWAYS look better.
There are many many more. What other advice do you guys have?