406 replies to this topic

[Kortoso]

So I got some friends in the SF Bay Area interested in producing a short Conan fan film. If you're local and want to join the effort, drop me a line.

We do have a good lad for Conan. Right now, we're discussing which story to film first. Maybe God in the Bowl, Frost-Giant's Daughter. Probably Tower of the Elephant would be too ambitious without the right locarions, effects, etc.

[guru]

I would love to be of assistance Kortoso, but living in Scotland can't offer anything hand's on, but could put together some character designs or concept art for you. Good luck with your project.

[Kortoso]

We've decided to not do The Tower of the Elephant right away. Barriers: 1. Tower, 2. Elephant. We'll need some tricky CGI to accomplish this.

So the first project I am assaulting is a video realization of the poem "Cimmeria". We'll tape that in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Then we will film The God in the Bowl. Here is the cast list; I have done my best with the descriptions and age ranges, but if anyone has good ideas concerning this, or if you live in the SF Bay Area and want to help, let me know.

ARUS (20-40) short hair, dark eyes. Watchman.
KALLIAN PUBLICO (30-50) heavyset. Wealthy patrician.
CONAN: A barbarian from Cimmeria. This part has been previously cast.
DEMETRIO (30-50) Chief Inquisitor, commanding prescence, Sherlock
Holmes type.
ENARO (20-30) Charioteer, strongly built and dark.
DIONUS (30-40) The prefect of police.
POSTHUMO (30-40) Torturer in the employ of the police.
PROMERO (30-40) Clerk, slightly built.
AZTRIAS (20-30) Foppish young aristocrat.
GUARDS/NUMALIAN POLICE: 2-3 in number with a few lines.
STYGIAN: Non-speaking part.

[deuce]

Sounds cool. I checked this 'un out when I was moving threads last night. I wondered how the project was coming along.

[Xaltotun]

We've decided to not do The Tower of the Elephant right away. Barriers: 1. Tower, 2. Elephant. We'll need some tricky CGI to accomplish this.

A sock-puppet would work very well, IMNSHO.
And for the Tower you could use piled up cushions from the sofa, throw-pillows, or the empty cardboard box from a refrigerator!
Place the puppet near the lens, and the Conan-actor at a distance and direct him to react to the "giant elephant."

Or you could just use minis, and stop-motion them!


(As you all might have already guessed, I am indeed Roger Corman!)


Use the extra cash from the budget to get a nice trailer and lots of helpful, buxom "secretaries."

[BIFlight]

(As you all might have already guessed, I am indeed Roger Corman!)

As a Mystery Science Theater 3000 fanatic, I have no choice but to now seek your pulpesque-violent death. Nothing personal.

Seriously, though, simple creative solutions like this can go a long way if done well. The original Death Star was cannibalized battleship model kits on ping pong tables in a parking lot: ET was brown play-dough and popsickle sticks. "Cost-effective" solutions do not necessarily mean "cheap-looking."

Good luck!

Edited by BIFlight, 18 September 2007 - 01:45 PM.

[Kortoso]

I think the internet already has its fill of kidiots with cardboard lightsabers in the backyard with Dad's video camera. With a little more effort this can be something to be moderately proud of.

[TheLordCrom]

Umm....Hello!!!!! Fellow director here!!! REH fan and CGI artist!!!!



I'd jump at the chance to work on a GOOD Conan film. Need CGI, Talking elephants, an ornate tower? I got ya covered. We can chat about things and if you are still ready, I can walk you though setting up the shots I need for cgi work.

PM me, send me a storyboard, let me have a look.

[deuce]

Hey Lord Crom! You REH-film *****!

[TheLordCrom]

They know me so well......

[RafaelKayanan]

So I got some friends in the SF Bay Area interested in producing a short Conan fan film. If you're local and want to join the effort, drop me a line.

My brother is a sword master who trains guys in the SF Bay area. If you need Conan to use a sword really well, lmk - maybe he might be able to help you out.

[Kortoso]

Umm....Hello!!!!! Fellow director here!!! REH fan and CGI artist!!!!



I'd jump at the chance to work on a GOOD Conan film. Need CGI, Talking elephants, an ornate tower? I got ya covered. We can chat about things and if you are still ready, I can walk you though setting up the shots I need for cgi work.

PM me, send me a storyboard, let me have a look.

At this point, one of the first stories we're actually going to do is The God in the Bowl. I would like to see what you could come up with in a good fly-over of Numalia.

[Kortoso]

So I got some friends in the SF Bay Area interested in producing a short Conan fan film. If you're local and want to join the effort, drop me a line.

My brother is a sword master who trains guys in the SF Bay area. If you need Conan to use a sword really well, lmk - maybe he might be able to help you out.

Rafael, why don't you have him drop me a line. Maybe there's a role for him as well.

[Marcin]

That sounds great. I'm not a fan of exact adaptations, but I keep fingers crossed for you guys.
I don't believe that Hollywood can make a decent Conan, so I guess it's now up to you I agree that you should start with a yarn which doesn't need much CGI effects, Kortoso (anyway, the more CGI, the more artificial overall look is). When thinking of the swordfights, check out R. Scott's "The Duel" and the movie with Liam Neeson, "Rob Roy" - they had the best white weapon scenes I've seen so far (I know the weapons there are different to Conan's, but think about scripting the fight, camera work and editing in these films). Wish I could help you with this more directly, the more people involved, the better chances of success.
And don't forget what storyboard can give to movie, CtB is one of the best examples here.
I believe you can pull it off! Good luck!

[RafaelKayanan]

Rafael, why don't you have him drop me a line. Maybe there's a role for him as well.

Send me an email, I doubt he'd want to be in the film, I was thinking more of helping out with the actual mechanics of swordwork. Who knows, he might have some students who would want to get involved?

[RafaelKayanan]

When thinking of the swordfights, check out R. Scott's "The Duel" and the movie with Liam Neeson, "Rob Roy"

That's the great William Hobbs doing the fight arrangement and choreography for both films. Hobbs also worked on Ladyhawke, Robin and Marian, Three Musketeers, Excalibur etc. He's been around a long time, but he's done some classic sword work.

Edited by RafaelKayanan, 20 September 2007 - 01:34 PM.

[TheLordCrom]

Umm....Hello!!!!! Fellow director here!!! REH fan and CGI artist!!!!



I'd jump at the chance to work on a GOOD Conan film. Need CGI, Talking elephants, an ornate tower? I got ya covered. We can chat about things and if you are still ready, I can walk you though setting up the shots I need for cgi work.

PM me, send me a storyboard, let me have a look.

At this point, one of the first stories we're actually going to do is The God in the Bowl. I would like to see what you could come up with in a good fly-over of Numalia.

Don't do a fly over... do a long establishing shot with a matte painting... Do you have any idea how long it would take to model a whole city for nothing more then a 5 second shot.....

A static matte would do the same thing with much less work and man-hours.

[Ironhand]

Use the matte shot for the long view of all of Numalia, but use CGI background to show Conan scampering across a few rooftops on his run to the Museum of Kallian Publico. Just a suggestion.

[Kortoso]

A static matte would do the same thing with much less work and man-hours.

A lot less than animating Yag-Kosha.

I can make the city with SolidWorks. The program will do a flyover for me. Just thought you had another suggestion.

[TheLordCrom]

A static matte would do the same thing with much less work and man-hours.

A lot less than animating Yag-Kosha.

I can make the city with SolidWorks. The program will do a flyover for me. Just thought you had another suggestion.

Actually animating Yag Kosha wouldn't be all that hard.... Its just a withered body with an elephant head that barely moves. With the trunk covering most of the mouth, even the lip sync could be a little 'off' and no one might notice....

Fly over vs static long shot... just a matter of the director's taste. The choice depends on the atmosphere and mood you are trying to convey. For a no-budget fan film, the static shots are usually the right choice allowing the animators time to be devoted to more of the action.... but thats just my 2 cents..

Got a story board?