“I found some personal inspiration from Star Wars, and wanted to make something Star Wars. My “usual suspects” of collaborators here in Tampa had never done a “fan film” before, or a tribute style film piece, so we decided to go forward. Given our mutual love for all things combat and nerdy, I wanted to share some of what we learned in that process in case you decide to go out on your own and make a fan film!
1. Find a specific inspiration so you know WHY you’re doing it.
“Ok, this sounds easy, but look at my example. I’ve always loved Star Wars but never been driven to create a fan film before now. “I like _____” is absolutely, in my opinion, NOT enough of a reason to keep you motivated throughout the process of preproduction, shooting, and postproduction.
“We stumbled across this WAY cool fan art one day (pictured above) and thought “Boy howdy, I sure would like to see that come to fruition, and I don’t think it’ll ever really happen in the movies – let’s make it!”
“There was an aspect of the universe that we had a chance to speculate about, come to our own conclusions for without being spoonfed by existing narrative, and that combination of “existing universe, unlikely scenario” was our perfect storm.
“This brings me to my second tip.
2. Add something to the universe that the fans can’t get already.
“It might sound like fun to reproduce, shot for shot, a particular favorite moment from a book, tv show or movie. That would be a super exciting exercise for any filmmaker, and would probably lead to a lot of skill development and understanding of the original director’s choices.
“Unfortunately, geekdom is flooded with content these days by the original creators (Marvel over-saturation, for example). The potential audience for fan films doesn’t want to see “Fan-service” or things they could just watch the “real version” of.
“Consider yourself as a part of the target audience – what would be a film you want to watch? Why would you watch it? What about it would make you tell your friends they needed to see it to?? You might be wrong, because you aren’t the WHOLE audience – one person is a very small sample size, in scientific terms, after all – but at least you know the creative analysis and motive comes from a genuine place. In my humble opinion all art should, whether derivative and fanfiction type work or original content, or it doesn’t work.”
https://www.combatcon.com/start-and-finish-a-fan-film/
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“Ten minutes into THE TIMEKEEPERS OF ETERNITY, you’ll know whether or not its central gimmick – condensing and remixing the little-remembered Stephen King miniseries THE LANGOLIERS by printing it out on sheets of paper and tearing through frames, thus re-inventing its filmic language – is for you. When something makes me think of Takashi Ito and Guy Maddin*, it sure as shit is for me, but what was less clear at this juncture is: why this treatment for this text?
“That this reasoning becomes clear is testament to the deeply considered nuclear ambition (a phrase I stole from Michael Mann talking about HEAT in Bilge Ebiri’s recent interview) of THE TIMEKEEPERS OF ETERNITY. You *could* do this with any film, but there are multiple textual reasons it really works here, mirroring not only in-camera action but the metaphysical conceit the film is based around (one I won’t spoil). I’m not familiar with Aristotelis Maragkos, so I don’t know if he’s played with this technique elsewhere, but watching him constantly innovate and one-up himself as the narrative develops is thrilling – at points, I wanted to cheer as he introduced formal innovations I’ve never seen before in cinema.” — Doug Dillaman
THE TIMEKEEPERS OF ETERNITY
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THE PEOPLE’S JOKER news article
“The crowdfunded indie film, The People’s Joker, directed by and starring Vera Drew, is set to bewilder audiences at the Outfest film festival in Los Angeles on 15 July.
The film, which calls itself the “illegal comic book movie,” tells the story of an unnamed protagonist who grapples with gender-identity issues while numbing herself with irony and the fictional inhalant “smylex.”
While trying to break into Gotham City’s underground comedy scene, she joins forces with several memorable names from the DC Universe – with performances from Scott Auckerman (as Mr Freeze), Tim Heidecker (editor Perry White) and Bob Odenkirk (Bob the Goon) – to fight what is described as a “fascist caped crusader.”
https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/07/04/the-peoples-joker-vera-drew/
Interview with Vera Drew
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“They pooled their dollars, bought a pricey leather jacket and created a 16-minute Matrix-inspired fanfiction short in the backroom of an Auckland punk bar and the city’s low-lit alleyways.
“Over nine nights, the amateur film-makers and wannabe stunt actors shot the film, The Fanimatrix: Run Program, on a handy-cam, recording sound on a karaoke microphone attached to a broomstick and lighting their scenes with a couple of lamps borrowed from the local film school.
“It was meant to be a test of their skills – both in film-making and martial arts – but, more than anything, it was something fun to do, says its director, Rajneel Singh.
“The students had been mucking about for six months filming their stunts when they decided to push the idea further and create a narrative film. But an original idea was proving hard to come by.
“So I said, there are these things called fan films on the internet and why don’t we try something like that?” Singh recalls. “We knew martial arts, and I knew a whole bunch of people in the goth/punk scene at that time. I thought ‘these things go together in only one particular franchise – The Matrix’.
“Singh predicted there would be a lot of hype for a Matrix spin-off – Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, was about to be released and fan fiction films as a medium were taking off in online circles.”
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“There are a great many fan films out there and more are being made every day. This is a Video Podcast Feed that is dedicated to putting forth everything that the community has to offer. So if you can get past some 2nd rate acting and just need that one more quick fix of your favorite shows well we are here for you. We will cover any genre but it will mostly be sci-fi films and the quality will span the gambit from I can’t believe that was a fan film and not a big budget Hollywood movie to some real stinkers but we will try and keep them to a minimum. Archived from iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fan-film-feeder/id296361255. Items in this collection are restricted.“
https://archive.org/details/podcast_fan-film-feeder_296361255
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“26 years before Gus Van Sant’s misguided shot-for-shot “Psycho” remake, three kids from Mississippi decided to apply this tactic to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Their modest project took seven years, during which time they set fire to their houses and burned the bridges of their friendships. Decades later, a VHS tape of the entire film, minus one scene, found its way to filmmaker Eli Roth and Ain’t It Cool News’ Harry Knowles, who showed it to enthusiastic audiences at fan festivals. Teaming up with Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League, Roth and Knowles sought out the creative mimics behind “Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation.” Directors Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen chronicle this story in their documentary “Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made.”
“Raiders!” begins with an onscreen introduction by John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah in the original “Raiders.” Dressed in a black pinstriped suit, Rhys-Davies looks like a carnival barker inviting the viewer to venture into a funhouse furnished with childhood obsession and rampant fandom—if we dare. Next, we meet Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, two of the main characters responsible for the shot-by-shot adaptation. Now in their 40’s, they wish to return to their home town, reunite their original cast and shoot the one scene they were unable to recreate. This scene involves a plane, huge explosions, a brutal fistfight and an unlucky combatant’s gory demise by propeller. It’s one of the most exciting sequences in a film chock full of exciting sequences, and rather than use models for their version, Strompolos and Zala were committed enough to leave it out because they couldn’t do it with a life-sized prop the way director Steven Spielberg did.”
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/raiders-the-story-of-the-greatest-fan-film-ever-made-2016
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Andy Warhol’s BATMAN DRACULA
“We know Warhol for his powerful influence on avant-garde art, for his extravagant lessons in sex and for his paintings of soup cans and celebrity portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali. Warhol as filmmaker is interesting too, and just as risky: eight-hour films starring the Empire State Building, a ten-hour contemplation of a sleeping poet, not even to mention the party documentaries and the presentations of other artists at Warhol’s operations center, The Factory.
“Within this creative oeuvre, Warhol decided to approach the Batman story from a perspective that’s exciting even in our own time. The premise of Batman Dracula takes us through the skyscrapers of New York to Long Island and to that moment when Bruce Wayne faces his greatest fear: a romantic monster, and the quintessence of vampires, Dracula.
“It should be noted, too, that Batman Dracula actually predates the Batman of Adam West, and some critics have suggested that the aesthetic proposed by Warhol for the character significantly permeated the later television version whose impact was worldwide. Warhol’s friend, actor Jack Smith, plays the roles of both the millionaire, Bruce Wayne, and that of Count Dracula which gives the pair a disturbing parallelism: what you fear most is some form of yourself.” — Faena
“Right around 1990, Oberzan and his brother Gator filmed imaginative reenactments of their favorite scenes from Kickboxer and Faces of Death. These somewhat grainy, poorly-lit VHS recordings capture a uniquely adolescent exuberance that’s immediately recognizable to most anyone who grew up with access to a shitty camcorder. The teenage brothers’ obsession with action and death is on full display, and it’s difficult not to crack a smile when you see their beaming faces as they stumble through already terribly-wrought lines from both Van Damme’s breakthrough film in Kickboxer and Dr. Francis B. Gröss’ macabre admonitions in Faces of Death. Shot in and around their childhood home in Maine, Zachary and Gator’s early homages to JCVD/death contain some of the same energy and composition that would inform Oberzan’s masterwork (and #8 on TMT’s 2010 film list), Flooding With Love For The Kid.
“Twenty years later, Oberzan went back to Maine and re-shot as many of his and Gator’s early imitations as possible, this time meticulously recreating their recreations to such an extent that the accidental, trivial gestures made in 1990 are central to the 2010 versions, as we see through Oberzan’s meticulous splicing together of clips from his source material and both sets of recreations. For instance, the fact that they placed 8.5×11 sheets of paper on some drab wall to fill in for the trees in Kickboxer isn’t glossed over in the Oberzan boys’ 2009 versions.” — Paul Bower
https://www.tinymixtapes.com/film/your-brother-remember
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“Power/Rangers is a 2015 Short Bootleg Universe Fan Film, written by Joseph Kahn and Dutch Southern, and directed by Kahn. It was produced by Adi Shankar and Jil Hardin, and released on YouTube and Vimeo on February 23, 2015.
“We all know Power Rangers, right? That kids’ show where goody two-shoes teens fought the Monster of the Week every Saturday morning and was always on the idealistic side of the Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism? Well, this isn’t that kind of fan film. This fan film chooses instead to be a Satire of Hollywood blockbusters that adapt kid-friendly franchises, but make things Darker and Edgier to attract an older audience, taking it to a logical extreme by presenting a vision of what an R-rated version of Power Rangers might look like.“ — TV Tropes
POWER/RANGERS Reboot 2015/A film by Joseph Kahn
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“The Confession of Fred Krueger gives fans an insight to their favorite killer and even makes him scary again. The star of the film, Kevin Roach (Volumes of Blood), is mesmerizing. He’s just the right amount of fun to play the character we’ve all grown to love but reminds us that Fred Krueger was, in fact, a vicious child murderer, a detail that somewhat gets pushed under the rug when we think of our beloved Freddy. The most astounding thing about Roach’s performance is the way he talks. I swear to Cthulhu the way he moves his mouth is identical to Robert Englund.
“Milliner’s writing and directing is not to be overlooked either. His love for the franchise and character bleeds out of the screen and reels you in. Everything is there, the boiler room, the hat, the dirty sweater, and the glove, all of which were painstakingly created to looks as authentic as possible. Milliner gives us the background for Freddy as told in the original film (no nuns and maniacs here folks) and that’s really the heart of the film. At just 30 minutes long we know Fred Krueger, what his life was like, how he felt killing.” — Jess Hicks
THE CONFESSIONS OF FRED KRUEGER
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“In ‘ASMR Xenomorph Attack,’ YouTuber Rhino Stew has uploaded a cleverly written/staged short film that involves a woman named “ASMR Miranda” receiving a delivery from the Weyland Industries that turns her life awry. After opening the gigantic cargo shipment, Miranda uncovers an Ovomorph (egg) that hatches to reveal a Facehugger who thirsts for a human host to impregnate. Seamlessly, Miranda’s camera follows her from the moment she’s attacked by the Facehugger to the Xenomorph stalking her every move to her trip downstairs, which, somehow, is a spaceship similar to USCSS Nostromo.
“While the makeup, editing, camerawork and gags are impressive, the best part is the fact that, despite the hell unfolding she’s still whispering. The video ends on a climax that would make Ridley Scott proud. Pure ASMR magic.” — Kevin Cortez
ASMR XENOMORPH ATTACK
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“Clearly made on a small budget, as it’s set within a single room, No More Souls could be considered a Hellraiser fan film, as its events certainly aren’t part of the official canon. However, most fan films don’t have Hollywood professionals with actual experience with the real franchise working on them. Gary J. Tunnicliffe wrote, directed, and produced No More Souls, after having done make-up effects for every entry since 1992’s Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth, so he was well-acquainted with the material by 2004.
“No More Souls: One Last Slice of Sensation features a much older Pinhead, one who’s lost his will to go on. After a nuclear war instantly wiped out mankind, every human soul was subsequently dispersed into Heaven or Hell to receive their final reward or punishment. However, it’s been 1000 years since then, and now there’s no more souls left to harvest, and no new pleasures of the flesh left to experience. Pinhead has lost his own desire to live, and is also fearful that his restless Cenobite followers will soon turn on him. With that in mind, the Hell Priest opens the Lament Configuration himself, experiencing the flesh-ripping fusion of pleasure and pain that he had inflicted on so many others before.” — Michael Kennedy
Hellraiser Fan Film – NO MORE SOULS
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“During the long wait for the fifth Indiana Jones film, fans have sought to fill the gap with fan created content. We had the chance to speak to the producers of one such fan project, The Indiana Jones Interrogations. The Indiana Jones Interrogations is a short seven part miniseries featuring Indiana Jones in a documentary format being interrogated by his captors.
“We had a chance to speak with the star of the series Jonathan Rogers, as well as the co-producer Jonas Acuff on how they brought the fan film to life. They were generous enough to answer our questions about the film as well as what may be coming next.”
https://www.scified.com/news/interview-with-indiana-jones-interrogations-fan-film-crew
The Indiana Jones Interogations
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“This film is the epitome of Star Wars. Forget “prequels” or “sequels”, all you need to see is Troops to really get a full fledged understanding of why the empire did nothing wrong. This film deserves to be Oscar nominated just for existing. And the fact that it is unequivocally, and unquestionably better than The Last Jedi proves that episode 10, 11, and 12 should be written by a handful of film students with a hiring policy of “if they’re not Canadian or from Minnesota, then they’re Rebels”. 10/10 – “I expect this to be playing when I enter through the gates of heaven” — Rory McRae
https://archive.org/details/podcast_fan-film-feeder_troops_1000054858544
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Deconstructing Andy Warhol’s BATMAN/DRACULA
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“The original Slice of Life short film you’re about to watch is an 80s-style short set in the Blade Runner universe. And by 80s-style, we mean it’s made in an old-school way, using only miniatures, matte paintings, rear projections and absolutely NO CGI whatsoever.
“Just like your 80s Star Wars and Alien, Slice of Life really showcases the skill and talent of production team Luka Hrgović and Dino Julius.”
SLICE OF LIFE – Award-Winning Sci-Fi Short Film
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“As fan films have repeatedly shown, no other demographic is better suited to adapt the successful game franchises than those who adore the properties. Allan Ungar seems to cherish the opportunity as he works alongside cult hero Nathan Fillion to bring Nathan Drake to life in the Uncharted Live Action Fan Film. So does director Phil Joanou and star Thomas Jane in their impassioned tribute to Frank Castle and his mythology, The Punisher – Dirty Laundry.” — Ben Saffle
THE PUNISHER
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“In Service of Nothing is a throwback homage of sorts to the ‘60s-era Bond played by Sean Connery and explores what it might be like if the aging secret agent were still around today. Feeling beaten down by the modern world, and his license revoked, Bond decides to come out of retirement to take on one last job in an attempt to prove his relevance.” — William Fannelli
IN SERVICE OF NOTHING
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“The main character of Welcome To Hoxford: The Fan Film is a character named Raymond Delgado (played by the actor Jason Flemyng) who is a dangerous and delusional prisoner and convicted murder / killer and former soldier with mental disorders who is so dangerous and unstable and out of control that he is sent along with several other prisoners to a privately run correctional facility and mental institution called Hoxford which is run by the Usmanov Corporation.
“Hoxford is run by the character Warden Gordon Baker (played by the actor Arben Bajraktaraj), who is a strange man, and a terrible surprise awaits the new prisoners.”
WELCOME TO HOXFORD: THE FAN FILM
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“If you’re a fan of the series, we’re talking about nigh unto 25 years since Mr. Voorhees appeared in a film that was worthy of his talent — and, yes, I’m ignoring the Nightmare on Elm Street crossover as well as the one involving the 25th century and nanotechnology. Even longer than 25 years since ol’ Hockey Face starred in a movie I didn’t feel obligated to watch just because I’d seen all the ones leading up to it. That is, until now. Born from a Kickstarter campaign, Never Hike Alone is what the Friday the 13th reboot should’ve been. From the old skool title graphics to the original music to the surprise guest star at the end, this little movie gets it all right.
“Introduced to avid hiker and video blogger, Kyle McLeod (Drew Leighty). While Kyle does make full use of his GoPro camera, this isn’t a found footage movie. Having Kyle’s footage sprinkled throughout the film is a nice effect, though, helping to draw the viewer in. On this particular hike, Kyle is planning to take his viewers along a route from his book of hiking trails which should lead him down to a nice lake.
“Naturally, those plans take a turn for the more interesting when he comes across a trail marker that isn’t referenced in his hiking book. Estimating that the direction is still roughly the way he wants to go, he decides to see where this forgotten trail will take him. A bit of a hike and one No Trespassing sign later, our friend Kyle finally makes it to the lake he was looking for. Even better, though, he comes across an abandoned camp of some kind situated right next to the lake. The Crystal clear Lake. <..cough…>
“A bit later, our suspicions are proven correct when Kyle trips over the famous Camp Crystal Lake sign that used to mark the entrance to the camp, welcoming ill-fated camp counselors to their collective doom every summer. His curiosity piqued, hiker Kyle explores the old summer camp finding artifacts from the 80s, decades old crime scenes, and a really grouchy guy wearing a hockey mask. Jason Voorhees (played by the film’s director, Vincente DiSanti) introduces himself with his usual charm and the two men begin a whimsical game of “extreme tag”. That’s the one that involves bladed weapons and usually ends in death.” — ZED
NEVER HIKE ALONE: A FRIDAY THE 13TH FAN FILM
NEVER HIKE ALONE 2: A FRIDAY THE 13TH FAN FILM
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“This is kind of amazing. It goes beyond a mere fan-film and into the funny meta-commentary (without ever getting TOO annoying) that makes this kind of project fun. There’s zero attempt to re-create any scenes straight up (except one notable example that leads into hilarious results) and there’s enough variation that if one segment bombs it’s no time at all before a hilarious one has taken its place. Hats off to the producer for rallying all of this stuff together and making it work.” — Justin Decloux
OUR ROBOCOP REMAKE
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“Following in his mother’s footsteps, Dylan is now an adult trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood. He has a real nightmare of an audition in the opening scene, reading for a role in the fictitious fifth installment in the real Hatchet franchise. As fitting as the meta aspect is, focusing the beginning on a different slasher is distracting. Thankfully, it’s not long before Freddy (Dave McRae) emerges for the first time since his presumed death in 1994.
“New Nightmare successfully returned Freddy to his sinister yet playful roots, and Dylan’s New Nightmare carries that torch proudly, blending slasher motifs with psychological horror. Robert Englund’s shadow is impossible to escape — just ask Jackie Earle Haley — but McRae (no stranger to fan films, having co-directed the Black Christmas fan film It’s Me, Billy, among others). does an admirable job emulating Freddy’s mannerisms, down to the menacing cackle.
“Langenkamp’s presence is felt in direct references as well as in her son’s trauma, but this is Dylan’s show. Despite largely stepping away from the industry following his adolescence, Hughes still has acting chops. A pair of Friday the 13th franchise alumni co-star: A New Beginning‘s Ron Sloan as the Hatchet V casting director and Jason Lives‘ Cindy Kania as Dylan’s longtime therapist. Dylan’s loyal stuffed dinosaur, Rex, also makes an appearance.” — Alex DiVincenzo
DYLAN’S NEW NIGHTMARE
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p.s. Hey. Huge treat this weekend as writer, music artist and filmmaker Steve Erickson has composed a super fun and informative/addictive post for you all to illustrate your days. Be with it, please, thank you, and great thanks to our generous investigator Steve. ** Dominik, Hi!!!! You bet. Thanks, it is really exciting to see the film in its almost permanent (editing-wise) form. We’re just happier and happier with it. And yesterday we found out we’re in the finals for a big grant that would save our asses. No way we can count on it, but the possibility is something. Having lion-level eating and digestive possibilities would be an interesting test of one’s humanitarianism. Last we talked, my filmmaker friend just really hoped he could convince Matthew Perry to star in his film. I don’t know if it got so far as them being in contact. I guess I kind of hope not. That’s hard — thank you, love — because I love Trockel’s work generally, but I think it would be hard to turn down ‘Demanding Person but a Sublime Poet’. Love wondering what movie you would make a fan film of if you had the resources and skills to remake or sequel-ize any movie of your choice, G. ** l@rst, Hey, pal! It’s done. Awesome! I can’t wait to devour it. Everyone, l@rst aka Laurence Wilhelm Lillvik edits an awesome zine which has just issued volume #3. It includes entries by all sorts of cool people, with debatably cool me included, and you can flip through it online easy-peasy by clicking these words, and you should, and if you’d like a print copy of the zine and/or the earlier issues, just ask the guy himself by writing to him at larstonovich @ gmail.com. Great, man! Much love right back atcha! ** _Black_Acrylic, Awesome you’re a Trockel fan. I agree, she’s one of the very, very best artists extant. Cool, highest five! ** Bill, Hi. I think the point/joke is that the boys are total nonentities. Wow, I didn’t know about that haunted dollhouse. That is fascinating. Thank you, pal. I’ll be all over that, obviously. Everyone, Bill found a very cool thing — ‘Explore the Insidious Secrets of This Haunted Dollhouse’ — and it’s here, and I think at least some of you are going to want to head over there pronto. I sure am about to. Thanks about finding. As I just told Dominik, we’re newly in the finals for a grant at least. That’s something. ** Nick., Howdy, Nick! Moving is hell. I hate it. I never want to move homes again. Or get sick either. Shit, sorry for the double, or, I guess, triple whammy. I think that made sense. What you said. I never remember jokes. All the jokes I know are old and overly well known. Such as … ‘What were Kurt Cobain’s last words?’ ‘Hole’s gonna be big.’ or ‘How do you wake up Lady Gaga?’ ‘Poke her face’. Seriously cobwebby stuff. I’m sleeping pretty normally. I always sleep better when it’s cold outside. Maybe everyone does? I would be chuffed if you’re settled and well enough to hang out again. But if your ascend to nirvana detachment era causes here to fall by the wayside, I understand. Welcome back. ** Darbs 🦕🐊🌠, Hi. Favorite German artist? Hm. Trockel is pretty high up there. Martin Kippenberger is pretty cool. I don’t know. Dutch? Well, Vermeer, boringly, but what can you do? Holland has an okay number of good artists and writers. I wouldn’t say there’s an avalanche of them or anything though. I was born in 1953. Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett in general are god. There just isn’t a song better than ‘Lucifer Sam’. Honestly, the main music in my head is the music in our film because I hear it every day morning to night. Most of it is experimental noise, but there is one pretty song that one of the characters sings that gets easily snagged in the imagination. It’s original and exists only in the film at this point, but you’ll hear it one of these days. I remember the one-legged guy. Huh, he’s Italian derived but shares my name? Cooper’s not a very Italian name as far I know? I think my parents’ heritage is Scottish/English. What’s your heritage? Do you have one? Wait, everyone has one. Duh. ** Right. Mr. Erickson and his potpourri of fan films will see you safely through the weekend. See you on Monday.
Now available in North America 