Q: Why even do another Star Wars fan film like “Pitching Lucas”, and enter in the Atom fan film contest? Can’t you do anything else, something original?
A: LOL, well there are a few reasons for doing another star wars fan film actually, and for entering in the 2006 star wars fan film contest.
ANSWER
For us this is coming full circle in where we started. You see back in 2002 when we first started doing “Revelations” the idea was actually to do a fan film to enter into the Atom Film contest. We had been fans of Star wars obviously, and Atom Films is what inspired me to actually get up and go and make my first film. We had always wanted to enter, but I took “Revelations” and made a long serious film which spanned for 3 years of work. Now that “Revelations” is over we had a chance to do a short spoof film, just for fun, to enter in Atom Films. Star Wars is what started this adventure for us and Atom Films as well so, it just completes the trip of what started the whole thing in the beginning and we love what it is about and what it does for dreamers like us.
So I called the team back together and said “what do you guys say, one more time for fun and to show em’ once again what we can do with so little?” everyone for the most part was onboard again and it actually gave me a chance to work with some new people and use “Pitching Lucas” for a test bed of high production values, testing some ideas and seeing once again what we were capable of. So there ya go.
As for the question “Can I do anything else other then Star Wars”? I already have. I did a music video in November ’05 and you can check that out here. This music vid cost me $1,400 to complete and took 2 days of shooting, and 2.5 months to do. So there.. I can do more then star wars and anything else for that matter. Put that in your pipe and smoke it ;)
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Q: What did “Pitching Lucas” cost you and how long did it take
ANSWER
“Pitching Lucas” cost me a total of $2,400 to make, 4 days of shooting with a total of 42 hours of shooting and 4 months to complete
Q: What camera did you use to film “Pitching Lucas” the quality seems better then what you did “Revelations” with?
ANSWERThe quality is better actually. “Revelations” was shot on MiniDV, whereas “Pitching Lucas” we stepped up a bit and shot on DVCPro 50 tape, using the Panasonic DSX 900. This is progressive scan (one step below HD) We are still shooting digital and hope to next shoot HD. “Pitching Lucas” again was a test bed for me and I wanted to increase the quality and keep growing and getting better as to moved further with more films. We hope to get better and stronger as we go.
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Q: What was “Pitching Lucas” edited on, as I know for “Revelations” you used Adobe Premiere Pro. Did you use the same thing?
ANSWER
As I stated we tried to step up on production quality and that meant a few changes in work flow. For “Revelations” I edited the whole thing myself for the most part. This time I actually let me DP, Jack Foley, handle the mainline edits and footage management and we edited in the Avid Adrenaline system. We also went this route to make things easier in getting files to sound and the process of going back in forth between edit versions. I am a big fan of the Adobe products but this time for the edit we tired Avid. It seemed to work fine.
Q: Where do you get all those people and costumes used in “Pitching Lucas”?
ANSWER
We have a good deal of star wars friends and a large network since doing “Revelations”. I am a member of the 501st so it is easy to get troopers and imperials and so forth. Plus we film in the DC metro area and there are many different 501st garrisons around from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and DC. As for many of the other characters, as I said I have a good deal of star wars friends and they happen to have fabulous star wars costumes. Others I simply went out on the internet and started emailing and calling people I needed such as a great wookie (played by Darren Blum from upstate NY) and an awesome Boba Fett and C3PO (Played by Chris Bartlett from North Carolina) I simply coordinate and organize all the people I need for a shoot to the days I need and make it happen. It just takes a good deal of work and energy to do, but it’s all worth it and I get to work with some excellent people. Network, use the internet (a powerful tool) and get involved in independent film.
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Q: Where did you find that guy who looks so much like George Lucas?
ANSWER
That’s funny, as I meet George Starkey (the guy who plays Lucas) at a convention in Indianapolis (StarBase Indy). I looked at the guy and he was a shoe in for Lucas. Pus he had already been in one fan film called “Saving Star Wars” playing Lucas. I simply went up to George and said” I have a film I am going to be making and I have just the staring role for you. You interested?” He said yes, and there ya go. I tell you when I had George Starkey on set and we were filming even I had to shake my head at times and say “Man he looks a lot like Lucas.. Uncanny!”
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Q: How did you do the stunning FX and CG in the film?
ANSWER
Well, I used some of the same CG talent I found and formed when I made “Revelations”, which we call Panic FX. I retained communications with the team after “Revelations: and with the online forum I created for us it was easy to keep in touch with the team (once you have worked together for 3 years with the same people it’s hard to just never speak again.. They are like family). To the team I simply put it out there again saying “who would like to play again and do it one more time. This time for a star wars comedy short?”
The team had already been a part of “Revelations” and seen what we can do and knew that when I start a project I am serious and I don’t let it die. I also went back out on the internet and recruited in a few more new members to increase our talent pool and bring in new blood. Good CG talent is hard to find, good FREE CG talent is even harder, but the guys know they will have their work seen and have excellent material for the demo reels, so we did it one more time.
Once again for “Pitching Lucas” I coordinated all CG and FX shots via the internet, with all direction and coordination for the film used with my online forum. Through the use of Left-hand networks as a sponsor in post-production storage, we were able to pass large files back and forth via the internet between artists. We used 3D software packages such as 3D Studios Max, Bryce, Cinema 4D, & Lightwave... whatever the artist used for their skill set, and what they had and were comfortable using. For compositing tools we mainly used Adobe After Effects, in which was could composite and animate live action with CG and also pure CG elements with 2D. My Technical Director Zafer Mustafa played a key role in which he created previz for me to give to the CG talent to follow, as well as doing some serious color timing and scene tweaks on top of handling some tough CG work like the carbon chamber and jabba’s throne room. The whole team made it work by working off each other, following the direction of shoots I gave to them that needed to be completed. It worked very well.
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Q: Now that you have completed the circle and done another fan film, what’s next?
ANSWER
I am not sure really. We have been in talks and some negotiation with a major studio who actually called me while I was on the set filming “Pitching Lucas”, and we are hoping to come to a green lit project soon. Otherwise I will just keep doing what I am doing and hopefully continuing to make films. This is last of the star wars films we will do friends, unless I go work for Lucas Films (keep dreaming) so next if we do anything further it will be an original story and film.. The adventure we hope continues, and we hope to see you there!
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