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So, we've been working on a Nightwing fan film here in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Some of you, (or none of you) may have watched the Nightwing: Prodigal series on Youtube that consisted of 4 episodes. Shot on an extremely low budget, they did alright and made a couple comic-cons. I was brought on for a new additional short film, Nightwing: The Darkest Knight where I've been working my damnest to take it from a CW style of a project to a more cinematic HBO style short film. While I'm new to this universe, we've put a lot of time into making sure we respect Nightwing and the lore of the comics, including a fair amount of characters and easter eggs into the project as we follow Nightwing on a quest for vengeance, unlike any Nightwing you've seen before. I'm the director and an exec producer on the film, originally coming on to direct but realizing how small the budget was decided to put money into it to bring it up to a quality level fans could appreciated. I'm an indie film maker who loves directing on the side when I'm not working on feature films such as Star Trek 3, Warcraft, Godzilla, or Arrow (TV). Here's my IMDB so at least you can see a bit of what I've worked on. Obviously, with any fan project, we can't please everyone. We have a larger budget for this, and have tried to step away from the cheese often associated with fan films. As it is a fan project, no one gets paid and it's completely done by a volunteer crew. I definitely welcome your critique and questions, we have poured a lot of energy into our first 3 days but we know we can't please everyone. We have a lot of twists and surprises coming, as we still have 3 more days of shooting to do in August depending on our stunt teams availabilitiy. Feel free to check us out on TWITTER or FACEBOOK, we could use any support from fans we can get! There's a Kickstarter link on the video if you feel like supporting us, but that's not what this thread is about. Without further due, here's the TEASER. Please reply with questions, feedback or hate! It was slightly rushed due to some time constraints in getting it out onto the net. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYu4pNEY3v8
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Jul 5, 2015 07:45
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Jul 5, 2015 07:54
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Too good for the self promo thread, ehh? Still sub-CW, sorry. testtubebaby fucked around with this message at 09:12 on Jul 5, 2015 |
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Jul 5, 2015 09:10
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"Hey guys we're trying to make this not like every other fan film. This is the real deal." *Is like every fan film ever*
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Jul 5, 2015 15:55
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The audio (dialog) was terrible. Grade-A for amateur. The stunt/action montage for the last 20 seconds or so actually looked pretty good. Granted, it looks like a mediocre Daredevil ripoff, but, eh, if the audio was better you might have something. Can you fix the audio? Whoever did the audio is really loving it up for everyone else involved. And whoever decided to include Harley Quinn. It's an impossible sell for a low budget movie. I actually cringed when she showed up in the trailer. If you fan movie people stopped biting off more than you can chew, you would probably make some decent stuff. Un-l337-Pork fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Jul 5, 2015 |
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Jul 5, 2015 18:25
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Your fan film looks bad and your probably shouldn't make anything else. Also yeah, we have a "self promotion thread" for a reason. Actually, I'd rather not close this. I'd love to hear how you could possibly think this looks better and "more HBO" than any other fan film. GonSmithe fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Jul 6, 2015 |
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Jul 6, 2015 00:32
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GonSmithe posted:Your fan film looks bad and your probably shouldn't make anything else. Un-l337-Pork posted:The audio (dialog) was terrible. Grade-A for amateur. The stunt/action montage for the last 20 seconds or so actually looked pretty good. Granted, it looks like a mediocre Daredevil ripoff, but, eh, if the audio was better you might have something.
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Jul 6, 2015 00:57
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It's inaccurate to call it a 'teaser', since it doesn't really 'tease' as much as it 'creates an immediate sense of revulsion, followed by vicarious embarrassment'.
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Jul 6, 2015 01:07
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$3,247 huh?
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Jul 6, 2015 01:07
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Hat Thoughts posted:$3,247 huh? This is a website where people spend much more than that on imaginary virtual spaceships in a game that will never come out.
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Jul 6, 2015 01:38
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SuperMechagodzilla posted:It's inaccurate to call it a 'teaser', since it doesn't really 'tease' as much as it 'creates an immediate sense of revulsion, followed by vicarious embarrassment'. Harsh but fair.
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Jul 6, 2015 02:04
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I don't like to hate on fan projects and volunteer efforts, but Nightwing isn't "the Darkest Knight" and he isn't Daredevil. The reason he butts heads with Bruce and eventually became Nightwing in the first place is that at his core, he's a person who got over his loss and is inherently an optimist who is capable of being happy, while Bruce is not capable of those things.
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Jul 6, 2015 02:27
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The acting in your fan fiction movie is bad
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Jul 6, 2015 02:28
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I just checked what a Greensman is and I could not have been more off.
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Jul 6, 2015 03:51
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If anything, it gave me nostalgia for Grayson and Worlds Finest(?)
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Jul 6, 2015 04:20
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FeastForCows posted:I just checked what a Greensman is and I could not have been more off. 
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Jul 6, 2015 04:39
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Terrible Horse posted:I don't like to hate on fan projects and volunteer efforts, but Nightwing isn't "the Darkest Knight" and he isn't Daredevil. The reason he butts heads with Bruce and eventually became Nightwing in the first place is that at his core, he's a person who got over his loss and is inherently an optimist who is capable of being happy, while Bruce is not capable of those things. Yeah, the entire concept here is flawed.
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Jul 6, 2015 04:53
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So is this an unofficial sequel to that Martin Lawrence medieval film?
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Jul 6, 2015 04:56
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FreudianSlippers posted:So is this an unofficial sequel to that Martin Lawrence medieval film? You're thinking of Black Knight II: Moor Money, Moor Problems.
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Jul 6, 2015 05:14
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How much money does a greensman make?
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Jul 6, 2015 05:23
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Harley Quinn screech made me stop the video, the audio is atrocious. I'm more disappointed in finding out that a greensman is not what I thought it was.
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Jul 6, 2015 05:26
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There was a guy at the film school I went to who kept making and showing everyone Batman fan films he made. He got kicked out of the directing program because they wouldn't let him make one of them for his final project, and also because he was so terrible on set that literally no one would work with him.
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Jul 6, 2015 05:29
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TheJoker138 posted:There was a guy at the film school I went to who kept making and showing everyone Batman fan films he made. He got kicked out of the directing program because they wouldn't let him make one of them for his final project, and also because he was so terrible on set that literally no one would work with him. Was his name Matthew Campbell?
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Jul 6, 2015 05:39
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GonSmithe posted:Was his name Matthew Campbell? I doubt this dude could even get a single job as a greensman, let alone become a master greensman like Mr. Campbell. He did cast the pudgiest Batman I've ever seen, though. E: I couldn't find his youtube, but I was able to find one amazing still shot from one of his films- 
Vince MechMahon fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Jul 6, 2015 |
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Jul 6, 2015 05:43
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Totally thought a greensman would be someone who did green screen effects. Grats on your ability to be able to water houseplants, I guess
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Jul 6, 2015 06:24
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This needs more of Tom Hardy's breast milk in it.
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Jul 6, 2015 09:04
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Terrible Horse posted:I don't like to hate on fan projects and volunteer efforts, but Nightwing isn't "the Darkest Knight" and he isn't Daredevil. The reason he butts heads with Bruce and eventually became Nightwing in the first place is that at his core, he's a person who got over his loss and is inherently an optimist who is capable of being happy, while Bruce is not capable of those things. Your fan film either needs to seem fun like the ones those lovely cosplayers make or be loving insane like Grayson or Dead End.
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Jul 6, 2015 17:39
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Timeless Appeal posted:Your fan film either needs to seem fun like the ones those lovely cosplayers make or be loving insane like Grayson or Dead End. Which one is the one where the random goon captures Batman, drugs him, sodomizes him and then Batman kills himself on a riverbank?
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Jul 6, 2015 17:49
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Timby posted:Which one is the one where the random goon captures Batman, drugs him, sodomizes him and then Batman kills himself on a riverbank? That was so hilariously bad. It was full of monologues that the writer obviously thought was clever. Just a dreadful enterprise, much like the one the OP made.
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Jul 6, 2015 18:55
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I mean the fight choreography looks pretty good for an amateur production by why not make something that isn't fan fiction and you could actually potentially sell?
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Jul 6, 2015 19:00
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Timby posted:Which one is the one where the random goon captures Batman, drugs him, sodomizes him and then Batman kills himself on a riverbank? If anyone wants to watch Death of the Batman, just read this instead. I really do love Batman: Dead End though, but it's also less of a fan film and more of a fun way to demonstrate being pretty competent with practical effects.
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Jul 6, 2015 20:19
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StuntKid posted:I've been working my damnest to take it from a CW style of a project to a more cinematic HBO style short film. Please do not skip a major step like this. Whatever poo poo you can say about CW shows, they're done with a level of professionalism and calculated character likability that this teaser is sorely missing. If someone watches the next movie you make after this one and says "this is like some CW poo poo", thank them sincerely. Also I would recommend cutting a teaser that plays to your strengths more than this one, e.g. more clearly visible potted plants
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Jul 7, 2015 02:10
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Thanks for the feedback guys. I was expecting a lot more rage and hate then I received, so thanks for being gentle. For now. We know how hard it can be when your developing something with an established fanbase. Fans are loyal, passionate people who do not hesitate to poo poo on you if they think your doing something wrong. We know we have a long uphill battle ahead to make this work, but we are confident in the end we will have something that fans will at least appreciate the work, effort, and production value it has, even if the story or some of the character's ruffle their feathers slightly. I know it's going to kick their previous web-series out of the water in terms of entertainment value.Vegetable posted:How much money does a greensman make? Hat Thoughts posted:$3,247 huh? Terrible Horse posted:I don't like to hate on fan projects and volunteer efforts, but Nightwing isn't "the Darkest Knight" and he isn't Daredevil. The reason he butts heads with Bruce and eventually became Nightwing in the first place is that at his core, he's a person who got over his loss and is inherently an optimist who is capable of being happy, while Bruce is not capable of those things. mercenarynuker posted:Totally thought a greensman would be someone who did green screen effects. Grats on your ability to be able to water houseplants, I guess Actually it's like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTaUkBPKTK0 Timeless Appeal posted:It's funny that as much as the Nolan film's are labeled as being dark, The Dark Knight Rises nails that Robin--usually--is a much more hopeful entity than Batman. The film looks lovely, but it doesn't look particularly fun with Nightwing apparently drowning Harley Quinn to get information out of her. FreudianSlippers posted:I mean the fight choreography looks pretty good for an amateur production by why not make something that isn't fan fiction and you could actually potentially sell? Jenny Angel posted:Please do not skip a major step like this. Whatever poo poo you can say about CW shows, they're done with a level of professionalism and calculated character likability that this teaser is sorely missing. If someone watches the next movie you make after this one and says "this is like some CW poo poo", thank them sincerely. Our character likeability is not that high in this teaser, if we had more time we could've definitely tweaked it, I never even saw the edit until it was done. Our official trailer, will definitely have more depth. StuntKid fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Jul 7, 2015 |
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Jul 7, 2015 02:49
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StuntKid posted:We cannot make any money off of this, and if it looks like we are, DC can shut us down. Based off our storyline, they would never approve our concept anyways. Exactly what I was saying. If you'd spent about the same money, time and effort on a original project you might actually be able to make some money of it. It's highly unlikely but at least you wouldn't risk getting sued in to oblivion if you tried to. You could probably even keep the story basically the same and just switch out the names and maybe have him be a cop instead of a superhero or something and just make a film that allows you to have dudes fight and waterboard Juggalo girls without involving any spandex and masks. Of course the major downside to this would be that you couldn't rely on there being a already established fanbase for the characters that could make up the core audience for the film. But I get the feeling that a original film would look better on your reel than a fan film. But then again it might not. I have no idea, the closest ties I have to the film industry, aside from being a amputee nazi zombie once, is that my dad was a security guard for Enemy Mine in 1984. So I might be totally full of poo poo. FreudianSlippers fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Jul 7, 2015 |
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Jul 7, 2015 03:12
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FreudianSlippers posted:Exactly what I was saying. If you'd spent about the same money, time and effort on a original project you might actually be able to make some money of it. It's highly unlikely but at least you wouldn't risk getting sued in to oblivion if you tried to. You could probably even keep the story basically the same and just switch out the names and maybe have him be a cop instead of a superhero or something and just make a film that allows you to have dudes fight and waterboard Juggalo girls without involving any spandex and masks. Of course the major downside to this would be that you couldn't rely on there being a already established fanbase for the characters that could make up the core audience for the film. But I get the feeling that a original film would look better on your reel than a fan film. My latest project before this was for a feature film trailer concept of mine with one of the Flash actors, and it's got a lot of potential, it sounds like it will get made, so that original idea could definitely come to fruition (teaser trailer here: http://www.cinecoup.com/the-wounded/trailer) But the truth is that even with a good short film, sometimes it becomes about the amount of eyes on the project that matters to your career, which is why I've come on board to do something with an established fanbase, plus I love comic book and video game movies, so it became a no-brainer to do something non-profitable but fun that mostly everyone can enjoy (apparently just not fans). Plus watching their previous series, I cringed a lot, I really wanted to help them establish a better reputation for their fan film series.
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Jul 7, 2015 03:45
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Nobody in the world is a vocal Nightwing fan. People do not care about the characters - the fidelity to the originals or whatever. They are criticizing your film because it's ugly. Once the shock wears off, they then note that you don't even have an interesting premise. The fundamental problem is that 'HBO' isn't a style. It's a channel. What you are referring to is a target audience (HBO viewers who read comic books) and/or level of production value (vaguely not-cheap). That puts the cart way before the horse when your shots aren't even lit or framed properly. 
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Jul 7, 2015 04:22
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SuperMechagodzilla posted:Nobody in the world is a vocal Nightwing fan.
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Jul 7, 2015 06:31
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I really do like all the feedback, it's kind of on par with what I expected. Let's hope the trailer is less of a dissapointment.
StuntKid fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Jul 7, 2015 |
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Jul 7, 2015 06:31
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StuntKid posted:Sorry to say a lot of people really do care about the fidelity to the originals. You saying otherwise doesn't make it so. If that's the worse frame you can pick, where we lose our actor at the very end of it to show it's not lit or framed properly, your grasping at straws, that is such a minor note that doesn't apply to half the action scenes shot these days. In terms of light, when we color correct our footage there will be a massive difference than what you are seeing in our teaser in terms of visuals. While I'm not a fan of your work, you should probably disregard everything SMG says, just as a general rule. His criticism isn't going to actually be constructive from a film making perspective, as he's a hardcore theory guy, not a production guy.
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Jul 7, 2015 07:16
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Except he's right
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Jul 7, 2015 07:23
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