well i just got the wild idea to make 4 ghostbuters proton packs and shoot a fan made movie around ghostbusters.
so if anyone could give me any advice on anything that would be great. and i hope not to straffe too far from ghostbusters standards
thankx
I would love to see you have the boogie man in your fan movie. Or have a fan series based on the RGB.
Id start making the packs. And worry about filming later…
any tips on fast proton pack building?
Check the refernces and tutorials here on this very site, and add a lot of elbow grease. Even the cheapest proton pack has some work involved. Also maybe write your movie before you delve deep in to the world of film making. There is a tremendous amount of work involved and these fans are VERY protective of their franchise, so just keep your head up man.
Cash in the bank is my tip.
On the filmmaking side if you’ve never done one before, or only done smaller stuff with your friends, pick up this book, “The Portable Film School” by D.B. Gilles there’s a lot of info there on writing, but some really important tips on directing and editing, and unlike a lot of books on the topic, it’s written FOR shooting digitally.
It is (or at least WAS) required at NYU and you can pick it up at most book stores for like 15 bucks.
yes, build the packs first and build them simultaneously if you can (saves time). We couldn’t shoot until after I built 2 of them and it took me months (but I have a full time job, wife and son, etc. )
Seriously, Build first then either learn how to make movies or hook up with someone who does. A Ghostbusters fanfilm is hard to pull off, due to effects and such, plus props are another issue you’ll face. I mean I’m a videographer/editor by trade and my first episode was not an easy task. But all I can say is good luck.
yes, and have an iron will, never-say-die attitude, plan on people screwing you over, insurmountable red tape, etc (but we are 60% done with filming, and we have been at it for over a year)
Agreed, Brad. Knoxville Ghostbusters went through several incarnations before it became an episode based format and we started filming stuff back in '07. I mean look at Braxtan, he filmed Return for something like 2 years and Eddie LeBron is still working on his and it was supposed to be out in 06.
:: cough cough:: Ghostbusters: Hellbent :: cough cough ::
yeah, you should be HELLBENT to see a GB video. : )
I haven’t made any fan films myself (came up with a few ideas for some though), but I will tell you some ideas and tips from the point of view of a screen writer and a film enthusiast.
#1. DO NOT USE LINES FROM THE MOVIES, GAME, CARTOON, ETC.
Now, obviously there are going to be words or terminology that you pull from the films, game, cartoon, etc., but I am talking about deliberately using lines simply for the sake of paying homage to them. Absolutely the biggest mistake most people make. It takes your potentially creative original project and turns it into a winkwinknudgenudge* festival. References to the movie as if they were past events are cool, as long as they pertain to the plot of your film. If your going up against some artistically based paranormal menace, then it’d be cool to have a character mention that they are going to put a call in to headquarters to ask if they can give you any advice based on the Vigo incident, or that your going to read up on the Vigo incident in Spengler’s Spirit Guide for any pertanent info. However, repeating the “heat em’ up” dialogue when your team fires, or saying “we be fast and they be slow” is getting into no-no territory.
Exceptions: The various ways that Janine and others answer the phone in the movies and cartoons. Some companies actually have a set list of greetings and ways to answer the phone, so that would make sense.
#2. THINK OUTSIDE THE ECTO TRAP (equipment-wise)
I am assuming that the team you feature will be portrayed as a GB franchise in present day. As such, feel free to explore what a modern day GB franchise might operate like! Are the originals back at corporate HQ in NY making sure the company runs smoothly? How long has your crew been in business? Obviously, the classic pack is a great starting point for equipment, but we’ve already seen that not even 10 years in business and they’re already making updates and new gear. If the originals are retired from busting and now are more like CEOs, what kinds of cool updates, add-ons, and new stuff would they be sending to all their teams from their research and development labs? If they retired, they’d be spending ALOT of time in there. What does the Containment Unit look like? Does every team have one? Did the originals decide not to risk having one blow up or open for some reason in every city in the world and they only put one in certain areas in the country and maybe 4 or 5 teams all deposit their ghosts into a pipeline that feeds into the one unit for their region? It’s up to you! It’s been 18 years since the game took place!
#3. THINK OUTSIDE THE ECTO TRAP…SOME MORE (character-wise)
Please, PLEASE, don’t fall into the same patterns as the original films. Everyone doesn’t have to be a doctor. The originals were, and because of that, they are the ones that develop all the new equipment and research and stuff like that. They make it up, then send it to the teams. All any of the teams have to do is be able to read a few guides and instruction books to do their job. However, maybe their are a couple of teams made up of people with their Doctor’s degrees whose sole purpose is to go out into the field and gather research and send it back to the NY HQ for the guys to analyze. That may be a cool story to tell.
As far as your average Ghostbusting team from Anycity, USA:
A) Have fun!
B) Be creative!
C) Create characters you’d want to read about! It doesn’t have to be the same old “The Brains”, “The Heart”, “The Mouth”, “The Common Sense”. Break some molds!
Perhaps a layout like this:
One person for a customer service representative (basically Janine’s job). They handle the phones, deal with angry customers, analyze the situation so the busters know what they are getting into, etc. Could be a girl or guy, as could any role on the team be.
One person for a mechanic. This person makes sure that the Ecto and the equipment is in good working order, and also completes any upgrades or integrates any new parts that they recieve. As long as they have the instruction and repair manual, they can make it happen.
Lastly, a team of 4 “field busters”. These are the people who actually go out and do the dirty work of busting ghosts on a daily basis. All the members of the team should be trained and able to operate all the equipment in a pinch, but only 4 of them would be the field squad. However, the field squad would fall apart without their great support crew back at HQ, which makes for dynamic story telling possibilities.
I hope those suggestions help. Feel free to ask for more if you want! I’ve written a crapload of GB stuff (never posted any, not a big “fan-fiction” person) including my own take on GB3, a pitch for a new GB cartoon, and some ideas for the future of the GB world.
Above all, have fun and make something that, first and foremost, YOU would enjoy watching!
But definitely write your story and make sure you have any gear or props or costumes that your script might call for.
well i really appreciate all the helpfull tips, advice or leads that you all have given.
im very excited about what i have in mind about all things GB.
this film should have input on what you all said for help.
i already have an idea on where the HQ will be, the new “equipment” , and some new ghost designs.
But the prop building stage will be long and hard, so i dont know when ill even start filming, and i have no one to be in it with me. but i dont care, iv been eager to make this ever since i saw the first movie.
i thank you all and if you still have any ideas or anything that your willing to give, it will be greatly aprreciated by me
Thnx- Zach M.
(((contact me at [email protected])))
Jack, you make some good points, but I’m not sure you should lay out your version of what the Ghostbusters franchise would be onto GBfan’s script.