Would you produce a Star Wars fan film?

[George Ebersole]

I exchanged some private messages on the IMDB with someone claiming to be Aubree Miller, the child actress who starred in the two Ewok films that aired in ABC some 20 plus years ago.

 

She, or whoever, stated that they wanted to make a Star Wars' fan film, but were afraid of a lawsuit from Disney. She also mentioned that there was a SW fan film contest (which someone here mentioned), but was still apprehensive.

 

I gave this person some rudimentary advice about doing some corporate video or commercial work if they were serious about getting back into acting, but it didn't seem to register.

 

I asked this person to send me a treatment to my old address down in the San Mateo / Foster City area, but nothing ever came. I then prodded them, but still nothing.

 

Then someone on a game server a couple weeks back addressed me using the name of the production company I asked this IMDB user to sned the treatment to. I'm fairly sure it's some hacker just having fun, but again making my life miserable when continued violations of privacy.

 

BUT, if it had been someone from some popular scifi spinoff film, would you make a fan film as something to add to your reel?

[Max Field]

"fan film" has some serious negative connotations when it comes to other people taking you seriously. If someone's young and just needs the experience of a production in general then go for it. A Star Wars one would be based on an IP that people never shut up about so I suppose it has a higher chance of grabbing Kickstarter funding.

 

However putting an IP that you aren't licensed to use on your resume can result in a legal issue. I doubt the majority of the people on this forum have the clout to get a permission answer from Disney in general, let alone a "yes".

 

Another thing to consider is "fan film" success does not translate to "being taken seriously" success. Sort of like Youtube.

The fans you make from it are fans of the IP you're using NOT YOU.

 

Also if you make garbage, it will be immortalized:

[Landon D. Parks]

Here's the thing: Fan films in general might or might not have legal issues around them. It depends on the fan film.

 

You mentioned Star Wars - while I'm no lawyer and will not offer legal advice - I will say that Star Wars fan films have a very established history, and are generally 'okay' to do as long as you follow the rules. In fact, LucasFilm still to this day has an official award for best star wars fan films, and even allows you to download a package of assets you can use in your film.

 

Common sense must prevail though, and you cannot profit off the film in any way.

 

More info on awards can be had here: http://www.starwars.com/star-wars-fan-film-awards and http://www.starwars.com/news/feel-the-filmmaking-force-star-wars-fan-film-awards-2016-now-open.

 

As for how they are treated professionally, I don't think it matters. I have seen some professional people do fan films, such as Andrew Kramer and Ryan Connolly. However, I don't think they are doing them to gain professional street cred, and are usually done for fun or for a tutorial on their shows. Bottom line, my opinion is that doing a fan film won't hurt anything, but don't expect it to land you a job.

[George Ebersole]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah I was testing this person to see if they were serious. If she (or whoever I was exchanging PMs with) had a serious idea and drive to go for it, then we would have been exchanging real world information. I asked them a few questions about what kind of idea they had or what kind of film they wanted to make ... in general what their feelings and concepts were for a film of any kind. But it's like I got nothing.

 

Truth be told as big as a scifi fan that I am, and have been since before SW hit the screens in 1977, I was never a big nor "true" Star Wars' fan. I just didn't buy into the whole spiritual message of the film, though I thoroughly enjoyed it as a cinematic experience. I think 1977 Star Wars was groundbreaking as a film in that it injected much needed energy into my favorite genre, and showed that you could still make good fun films for all ages. But I'm not "in tune" with anything beyond the movies. I wouldn't know where to start with a Star Wars' fan film, notably a budget for decent SFX space shots.

 

But, I thought if this person was serious, then I might get asked for some personal info, they might give me their agent's contact info, tell me what they were working on and so forth, and in return ask me what I was working on. But I got none of that, much less anything in the mail.

 

But they, and someone here on this website as well, did point me to the Fan Film website you guys provided, so that was something.

 

And yeah, I wouldn't expect anything job wise to come of it. If I managed to crank out something half way decent, then I would put it on a reel and tack it onto my resume.

 

In short nothing, quite literally, ever came of this exchange. And when I confronted them about the game server incident they just replied "peace and love to you my friend". Whatever.

 

Like I say, if this person was truly serious, and we were exchanging info and everything else, and with the Star Wars fan film info (and maybe some form of registration for their next festival) secured, then I might have shot a little five to ten minute deal. And if I thought it was good enough, I might have put it on my resume.

 

It's too bad. Over the last four or five months I spent a lot of money getting my skills up to speed, and where I didn't think anything serious would come of this, it did remind me of all the phonies I met way back when when I was gripping and PAing a lot.

 

Oh well.

 

Again, thanks for the replies. It helped me vent my spleen yet once more.