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Dumpshock Forums _ Community Projects _ A movie a movie!

Posted by: Aku Dec 2 2004, 07:09 PM

first let me say this, i am by no means READY to do this, and it would be atleast a couple of years before i could get anything off the ground for this. but that sad, i think the shadowrun universe could be a great movie.

With that said though i am still a newb to the extreme to the world, and as such i would like some ideas/input into what should be in the movie. I've already got one person with some writing experience that wouldnt mind helping me. While knowing how to write a film script isnt neccessary, any and all ideas will be helpful. Created some kick ass villian? tell me about it.

One thing i would like to avoid is pure steroetypes, thefore, it is unlikely you'll see anything as straight cut as the BBB archetypes for characters. Some artistic license would obviously be taken (so if it ever happens, and you see the movie, please dont tell me something like "DUDE, theres NO way someone could have enough KARMA to do everything that guy did, i mean between all the weapons, the decking, AND the drones?! no way!")

with that sad, what do you think it would take to make a good, if not somewhat low budget film?

Posted by: GaiasWrath8 Dec 2 2004, 08:08 PM

If I had $1.00 for every person I know who wanted to make a shadowrun movie....well....I would have $6.00. But thats not that point.

If you are for real about this and have the money to back it up, write to Fan Pro or who ever ownes the rights to Shadowrun and see if they are willing to talk about lending you the rights to this wonderful game.

i have been looking foward to a good shadowrun movie for years.

Posted by: Aku Dec 2 2004, 08:17 PM

real? yes i am? having the well now thats a problem. But possibly having wizkids backing would be helpful. Like i said though, i'm gonna be hopefully working a not so fun job (actually if i get the one i just applied for it wont be that un fun) to be able to buy the camera i would like, assueming something else doesnt come out and some editing equipment for a few years down the line. As i may've said, i did just graduate college for digital media production. but i would like to get the ideas, characters etc down before i ask anything.

Posted by: GaiasWrath8 Dec 2 2004, 08:24 PM

Well I think the first thing you want to deside would be if you are going more of a cyber punk rout or magic rout.

Basic the Main antaganist off that. If its a bunch of street sams as your main heros then have the Evil guys be a major corp and one of the main bad guys be a cyber zombi. This way you can touch on how unhuman a person is the more junk he gets put in him.

If you go magic and some of the main heros are mages or physical adepts go with a Dragon or maybe an emortal elf. Lots of spirits and mumbo jumbo.

I think the main reason this has not been pulled off is because of the major money that would be needed for the special effects and locations.

Posted by: Aku Dec 2 2004, 08:34 PM

true, but money doesnt always dictate quality (see: Waterworld) i think the best course, imo, would be a balance. i definately dont want to exclude the decker and rigger aspects, which i feel are two things that seperate SR from "just cyberpunk"

Posted by: Johnny the Bull Dec 4 2004, 05:28 AM

QUOTE (Aku)

with that sad, what do you think it would take to make a good, if not somewhat low budget film?

You'd need to (first of all) acquire the IP rights for a Shadowrun movie or approach those that currently have it with a script. They'll obviously expect you to have some experience in directing or producing movies before they'll even look at it and, believe me, it would have to be absolutely QUALITY before they'd even consider it.

Assuming either of those two you'll have to go through the arduous process of finding a studio willing to fund it - no mean feat. You'll have to be able to show how such a film would give the studio a reasonable return on their invested capital and they'd want pretty solid figures. Finally you'd have to go through the process of building a crew and cast.

Thats all before you get over the idea that Shadowrun would not lend itself well to film. The world itself lacks the requisite emotional character.

Posted by: Mr. Man Dec 4 2004, 06:45 AM

First of all, don't bother trying to acquire the IP rights for a Shadowrun movie. You won't get them and even if you somehow did (like that crazy kid who directed the D&D movie without so much as a TV commercial worth of directorial experience) you wouldn't want them because it would be too restrictive and the movie would end up sucking anyway due (if nothing else) to your inexperience. Realize that because you aren't working with your own IP you won't ever make any money by selling the film (no matter how good it is). Expect your returns to be solely in the form of skill improvements.

Assuming you have this straight, forget about funding this project through a studio. Your funding will come from credit cards and long term loans from friends and relatives. The goal (for most people in your position) is to create a fan short that will show potential employers in the film and/or TV industries that you have the commitment and potential do a good job for them (even if that job is something mindless and entry level at first -- it's all about the foot in the door).

Your crew are your friends and anyone else you can con into working for free. Your cast are your friends and part time actors willing to work for free. Your locations are any place you can beg, borrow or sneak your way into.

That's all before you read some books on writing, directing, etc. and find out if this is really something you want to attempt.

Posted by: Aku Dec 4 2004, 07:09 AM

to mr. man,

i have some decent contacts, i've done the research on how to get money. i never said this was going to be my first project of any sort. this is a project i think could do good as a big movie. i dont want to dishoner SR in any way by making a "fan short". i do not have an indie mind set. i am about the money, and i wont let rather negative ideas as yours try and convince me otherwise.

This isnt a project i want to "because", i want this for those of that play it, and for those that dont, but like a good semi-realistic furtureistic movie ala blade runner.

Posted by: Jason Farlander Dec 5 2004, 04:36 AM

QUOTE (Mr. Man @ Dec 4 2004, 12:45 AM)

Realize that because you aren't working with your own IP you won't ever make any money by selling the film (no matter how good it is). Expect your returns to be solely in the form of skill improvements.

Right. Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema didnt make *any* money off of the Lord of the Rings movies. It all went to the Tolkein estate.

*Errt* Wrong. Whatever deal you make with the IP owner to acquire the rights to the movie will determine details such as how much money goes to the IP owner, whether acquiring the rights entails a flat upfront fee, a percentage of the earnings or some combination of the two.

Aku: You should contact WizKids before you start assembling the project, and see what they would require from you to consider granting you a license to make the movie.

As an aside: I dont think the "Shadowrun universe" would make a good movie at all. Now, a story set within the shadowrun universe could make a great movie, but there are problems. Most notably: there is a *lot* of background and history that goes into explaning how the world got to where it is in Shadowrun, and you wont have time to convey it. With movies like the Matrix out there, it wont be too much of a problem for audiences to accept VR hacking... though it might be troublesome to incorporate in a low-budget film. Rigging would also likely find easy acceptance. The juxtaposition of those hi-tech, science fictiony things with magic, however, would likely be rather jarring to people unfamiliar with the setting. If you intend to make money with the movie, you will have to appeal to those who dont play the game, and so this is an important obstacle.

One way to go would be to actually set the movie in the middle of the Awakening - make magic as much a surprise to the characters in the movie as it is to the audience. The problem here is that, unless you ignore the canon timeline, the Awakening takes place nearly 20 years before the Matrix or VCR's exist. You could take some artistic license and set the awakening sometime after those things are developed, but I dont know if you want to do that.

Posted by: Johnny the Bull Dec 5 2004, 08:14 PM

QUOTE (Aku)

So what have you got so far?

Posted by: Stumps Dec 5 2004, 11:35 PM

Well...I can help answer a little on that question Johnny.

I'm writing a first-draft script to turn in to Aku.
So, he has at least one guy writing a first-draft script.
He may very well have two if Nikoli goes for it too(not sure about that rumors accuracy though)

As to how far I am. I'm in the outline phase.
Sitting around trying to see all of the areas that are going to be trouble areas in regards to just the script and story and figuring out ways to bend around them.
At the same time I'm trying to figure out interesting stories in general that won't bore the SR fans to death, but won't be too specific for non SR fans who see it.
And then there's the "who do you put in it" as far as archetypes, but I've pretty much collected a decent list on that by now...I'm just working on who those characters are now.

Posted by: Johnny the Bull Dec 6 2004, 12:19 PM

It's probably easier to build your own generic cyberpunk with fantasy elements setting ala Underworld and cut out the need for SR IP entirely.

Posted by: Stumps Dec 6 2004, 02:47 PM

That's very true.

*shrug*I'm just doing this for the project.
If the project goes that direction then I'll go that way.
Right now, it's SR, so I'm going SR.

It's all Aku.

Posted by: Jason Farlander Dec 6 2004, 07:16 PM

QUOTE (Johnny the Bull)

It's probably easier to build your own generic cyberpunk with fantasy elements setting ala Underworld and cut out the need for SR IP entirely.

Yeah, but it would be nice if it were actually a decent movie with a decent script - in other words, very much unlike Underworld.

But hey, I'm still waiting to hear whether Aku has contacted WizKids yet and gotten a sense of how difficult it would be to acquire a license to make a movie. Any word on that?

Posted by: Aku Dec 7 2004, 12:30 AM

no, i havent. Reason being any one can say they WANT to do something. I want to have the stuff ready to go, in a semi final version, before that even begins. It's more professional, and results will likely be better, than to just go empty handed saying "Yea, i had this idea..."

Posted by: Jason Farlander Dec 7 2004, 12:41 AM

Well the way I see, it you wouldn't be asking for a license at this time, you'd be asking what they would require from you to grant you a license. The difference is kinda subtle, but, IMO, significant. I think its at least worth asking before you put lots of work into the project only to find out that they are simply not willing to grant a license, period. You can also get a sense on what restrictions they would place on the content of the movie, which would help avoid the possibility of working with a script they wouldnt accept. Things like that.

It doesnt seem unprofessional at all, unless your email consists of "so umm hey, I want to umm make a shadowrun movie. can i?" Just a simple "Under what circumstances would you consider granting someone the rights to make a Shadowrun movie" seems like it would be a worthwhile thing to do.

Posted by: Stumps Dec 7 2004, 07:27 AM

actually, jason's got a point there.

It would be a good idea to ask what they require for licensing.

Posted by: KeyMasterOfGozer Dec 7 2004, 09:43 PM

If you need ideas for characters and such, why not read the extensive list of Shadowrun Novels:
http://www.stiggybaby.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=FASSRN

Plenty of material on http://tss.dumpshock.com.

Seems to me, the very first thing you should do is ask for rights, or see what it will take to get rights, otherwise you will end up making a "ready script" that doesn't meet their requirements.

I also think that once you find out how much the rights will cost, you will forget this little thought ever happened, no offense.

Of course you could make your own crappy movie for $400 and have no rights, then sell a "The Making of..." documentary with a free copy of your work attached. Of cource that's http://www.alphadogproductions.net/greengoblin.html

Posted by: Stumps Dec 8 2004, 12:40 AM

It doesn't matter if Aku can't get the rights after a script and some other work has been done.

It takes a little, and I mean, very little re-working to make an already Shadowrun movie a general sci/fi movie.

So, if they say take a hike, or it's too much, anything that Aku will have he can turn around and fiddle with it a little bit and have himself a movie named "DarkJogger"

[edit]Oh...and you would not even believe how many movies get made that end up sitting on a shelf, never to be seen by the public. And that's not even counting just scripts that sit on shelves.[/edit]

Posted by: Spookymonster Dec 16 2004, 10:05 PM

What about a radio play?
- No budget necessary.
- Use your friends for actors (I'm sure a few people on the boards here would audition as well).
- Winamp Shoutcast (both available for free) and a shareware .wav/.mp3 editor (like CoolEdit) can be used to piece together voice clips, music, and sound effects.

Posted by: Stumps Dec 18 2004, 08:40 PM

spookymonster...
I can only think of one thing to that.

How about instead of watching Neo kick the crap out of Smith, we just tuned into the radio and listened?

Posted by: Cochise Dec 19 2004, 01:01 AM

QUOTE (Stumps)

spookymonster...
I can only think of one thing to that.

How about instead of watching Neo kick the crap out of Smith, we just tuned into the radio and listened?

*hmmm*

I still like Orson Welles' radio version of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds ...

Posted by: ShieldT Dec 20 2004, 06:21 AM

Hmm... I'd either go with a series of news reports from pre-Awakening to 'present' day or..

You have a gaggle of teenagers sitting around a clear table in a slightly futuristic world. They settle around the table and create characters to play in Shadowrun. Someone says "I'd like to play a male" and... you know those car/car insurance ads where all those cars/desks flow into being very fast? There might have been that effect in the Matrix too... Well... Approximately every character model flows onto the 2-D surface of the table/directly into the center of the screen. "A troll" all trolls flow induring the shuffle. "with brown hair and blue eyes." etc. And then after everyone's settled, they/you begin the game. In-run actions will appear extremely realistic and gritty, with just the right amount of OOC dialogue spliced in so you can keep track of what's going on with the players.

That way, the audience knows it's an RPG and will give some leeway on the story, even possibly motivating them to check out the print version next time they're in a bookstore. Pull the technique off right and... Heh...

Wonder if it'd be better with a pitch-perfect GM... or a verrry bad one

Posted by: Stumps Dec 21 2004, 01:49 PM

Considering that myself and Darth Phylos are already working on the script for a movie version of the story....I'm going to go with no radio options as a hunch.

Posted by: mattness pl Dec 24 2004, 12:48 AM

Hello guys.
I don't get it.
Why you accuse Aku, that he want to makes money from fan art in SR (If I understood the idea right that's what Aku want to do).
Low budget doesn't mean "we spend 400 and earn 40 000".
It would be nice to know is Aku looking for profit from this project, though.
I still don't understand why only fan-made movies in Shadowrun are made by Germans?
<whisper>If we talking about copyrights, do you read Gibson's blog and what he said about SR?

Posted by: Adam Dec 24 2004, 01:43 AM

QUOTE

I still don't understand why only fan-made movies in Shadowrun are made by Germans?

Because nobody else - to my knowledge - has gotten off their arse and done one.

QUOTE

<whisper>If we talking about copyrights, do you read Gibson's blog and what he said about SR?

Yeah, and what he said has nothing to do with copyrights.

Posted by: Eismann Dec 24 2004, 11:54 PM

[double post killed]

Posted by: Eismann Dec 24 2004, 11:54 PM

Moin

The actual short movie competition ends at January the fifth. I think the short movie collection (at least the german) will grow a little bit at that date.

Ciao,

Eismann

Posted by: mattness pl Jan 2 2005, 04:42 AM

QUOTE (Adam)

Yeah, and what he said has nothing to do with copyrights.

Sorry Adam. Wrong place to start this subject. And believe me - I'm not happy with it, either. OT, my fault

QUOTE (Adam)

QUOTE

I still don't understand why only fan-made movies in Shadowrun are made by Germans?

Because nobody else - to my knowledge - has gotten off their arse and done one.

On Blackjack's page I saw one dead link... So not only Germans did something

Why English speaking fans did not make a short during GenCon?
The "gotten off..." problem will be solve.
Only thing is to brought digital camera and think about script, roles & characterisation.

. FX can be made post prodution.

Posted by: Eismann Jan 5 2005, 03:42 PM

Moin

15 new short movies were send for the german SR-short-movie-competition in the last days. The evaluation will take till January the 17.

Posted by: Eismann Jan 25 2005, 10:29 PM

Moin

The first two of 15 short movies are online.

http://www.fanpro.com/sr/film/SR_Kurzfilm_Todesvision_52MB.avi
http://www.fanpro.com/sr/film/SR_Kurzfilm_Last_Team_standing_44MB.wmv

Posted by: thepatriot Jan 26 2005, 12:38 AM

I don't suppose anyone would care to drop some more links to these fan flicks? I am working on one of my own, and would like to see more of what others have done.

Posted by: Aku Jan 26 2005, 06:44 PM

sorry i havent been around much, but like i said, this is a long term project for me, i hope no one is getting excited for "the next few years" it will definately be longer than that. if i have to save to try an finance it myself, so be it, when i get to that point.

If anything, i'm not one of those art for art's sake kinda people, its all about the :nuyen" baby...

ok, not ALL about it, but thats just as important.

Posted by: kryton Jan 27 2005, 07:47 PM

Yah know Hollywood will make any purely tripe crap a movie. Just look at classics like Daredevil, Lawnmowerman 2, Terminator 3, Alien 3, Alien vs. Preditor…….(+Hundreds of Scifi Channel movies of the week: Rangers, Boa Vs. Python ect.)

All it really takes is a good background, a good script, and an agent. Sometimes all it takes is that really quality script. That’s what’s going to sell the movie. Once you have a choice script in place you’ve at least got something to sell and promote. Not that it’s going to be easy, fun, or even rewarding. It’s a long hard road….

Posted by: kryton Jan 27 2005, 08:29 PM

I just downloaded the movies from Eismann and Kurzfilm is really really well done...for a fan movie. I'm impressed. They had great audio and the effects were fun. I'm impressed they put a butt load of work into that. I'm impressed. Hey for the powers that are listening how do we get a "subtitled version". This stuff is toooo good and funny not to post to www.shadowrunrpg.com. Seriously someone needs to post this its great. I know there's limited bandwidth for downloads but hey, Shadowrun is licensed by FANPRO. I've always thought there should be more cross communication between our German counterparts.

Posted by: Bastard Feb 22 2005, 09:04 AM

Hey Aku

Im all for it! I believe! Remember that when you need someone...

cause Ill star in it

Actually not even for the money, just cause I have nothing better to do.

Posted by: Renfield Feb 26 2005, 04:25 PM

Hrm A fan film could be kinda fun...wonder how much an 8mm camera runs these days? May have to grab some friends, IE my players (Heck one of 'em is easily big and muscular enough to play at least an Ork if not a Troll....well heck ya gotta start somewhere...now to come up with some "Runs"...Hrmmm

Just need some disguise/make gear...bits of extra wiring and circuit boards...and some way to generate magical effects...with the near-future settign costumeing won't be too difficult...borrow some Motorcycle Jackets that look like they have armor...oh this is so possible...

*wanders off to ponder*

Posted by: Toshiaki Feb 26 2005, 07:31 PM

You know, I always figured that one of my old http://computermuseum.50megs.com/images/commodore_64.jpgs would make a good cyberdeck prop. What you can't really tell from that pic is that it is about 2.5~3 inches from top to bottom at the thick part. It fit my mental image of the older, large decks pretty well.