Read This! Anderson Fan Films
Moderators: chrisbishop, Spectrum Strike Force
While Gerry Anderson is still admirably going strong in his late 80s (bless the old man), and while it was certainly nice to see Captain Scarlet return to the screen, I think many will agree with me when I say that it 'isn't quite the same'. Sure it's great to see our favourite colour-code Captain jumping and martial arting himself in all directions, it isn't the brilliant glowering puppet piloting the fantastic SPV (which in my opinion is highly superior to the Rhino), and it automatically lacks due to the fact Barry Gray's superhuman scores are missing. What I'm trying to say is, we haven't seen the real magic since the late 60s, or actually, as much as I hate to say it, that 'Anderson-element' has been missing since Sylvia buggered off.
Before you think that all I'm going to do here is whine abou how great eeverything was in the past (while it was), let's move on and examine another cultural phenomenon on this planet, the Star Wars universe. While Star Wars spans six films and mountains of second-party input in the form of the Expanded Universe, there is one element there that has always struck me as the most sincere sign of fan dedication: the Fan Film. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Fan Films are fan-made movies inspired their respective films, varying from amateuristic 1-minute clips to full fledged hour-long features. Fans from all over the world share their knowledge on how to create lightsabers, the opening title crawl, holograms, blue-screen effects, anything. I am an aspiring Compositor, and while I love Star Wars, it has been grossly overdone, and last night I found myself contemplating on what kind of fan film, if ever, I'd like to do. Immediatly, Captain Scarlet sprung up, and then, a tiny voice inside my mind argued, "Why the hell hasn't that been done before?"
Yes, Anderson-inspired fan films. "We can't possibly replicate stuf from series that cost 380,000 pounds apiece!" Nonsense, I tell you! This is the digital era! I've seen many of you creating exquisite 3d models of Anderson craft, which you also could've animated!And where Derek Meddings needed a ton of chemical components to create an explosion, I could direct you to a website right now that sells usable video explosions for eleven lousy dollars! Besides, who needs to duplicate the episodes? Those were entire worlds and universes created in those shows! What about a short film recounting 'Nosey' Parker's criminal career? A continuation of the Secret Service? A drama about a father trying to gather his disparate sons and attempt to recruit them into an unrealistic organization, where they're expected to risk there life constantly for people they don't even know? What about those dozens of other staff at Moonbase Alpha? What are they going through?Imagination is the key.
What I want is for all of you to shake of all that dust, pick up a camera and start adding to the legend! For all doubters, I'm busy right now creating a short effects demo reel involving a few Thunderbids toys to prove what effects can be yielded with a little time and effort. In two months I'll be in London a few days, to pick up a few high detail models at Comet Miniatures, to start at serious fan films. I'm also starting work at website where I will post my future films, and hopefully, if anyone has read this, films of other enthusiasts like me. Furthermore, I will post tutorials on the site to achieve certain classic Anderson effects (once I've figured them out myself).
If you're one of those types whose asking "Who are you anyway? Why should we pay attention to you?" I answer "I'm a semi-professional filmmaker in training, I have nothing to show except a handful of small festival awards. My only true credential is a lifelong, immortal enthusiasm for those puppets and spaceships." The legend will only burn out if you allow it to.
Please leave a comment below on how you feel about this, or send me an E-Mail:
ej.vanmelle@planet.nl
Furthermore, here's a selection of links that might be useful to look over:
-Detonationfilms.com, the site I mentioned that sells compositable explosions.
www.detonationfilms.com
-Theforce.net Fanfilms, the largest Fanfilm site on the web, also boasting a lot of extra stuff like tutorials. Mostly Star Wars, but features some other things too.
http://www.theforce.net/fanfilms/
Now, even if everyone thinks I'm completely nuts, I will keep skimming these forums. Soon, the test reel will be complete, maybe that will help you change your thinking (if it turns out well). If you've reached this part, thank you for sticking with me, if I've generated even the slightest fragment of inspiration it's SIG for me.
Sidewinder
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Sidewinder
Sounds like you really know your beeswax!!!
I'm what you'd call a first-generation fan, I also agree that "Supermarionation" is truly an art form! However, I wasn't all too thrilled with "Team America" (Trey Parker/Matt Stone's pathetic attempt to revive the genre!! )
By the way, I'm more of a Trekkie.....nothing personal!!
But seriously, you've came to the right place to discuss CS and G & SA's other wonderful programs! Be sure to post early and often!!!
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DartBrat701
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Like DartBrat, I'm a first-gen Anderson fan too, having loved Twizzle and Torchy even before I was old enough to be able to read Gerry's name on the credits. I actually rather liked new Scarlet, but I have to say that the characters might have been better received had the CGI company scanned the original puppets (or repros of them, as originals are now few and far between.)
Somebody else's beta reader
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hazel
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Picking up DartBrat's point for a moment, I don't see "Team America" as an attempt - pathetic or otherwise - to revive the genre in any sense. I'd see it as an attempt (and personally I feel a remarkably successful one, though I accept that's a controversial statement - I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who would burn Parker and Stone at the stake for producing it if they could) to parody the genre, taking its audience from the sort of people that the original Thunderbirds fans grew into. We look back at the original puppet shows, and we see them even now through the eyes of the ten-year-old kids we were at the time. But if we stop to look behind the haze of nostalgia that's clouding our vision, we do begin to ask some of the questions that the South Park team addressed, including the obvious one about by what right does an armed militia impose its concept of law and order in the world upon everyone else, which is a question that one could certainly ask about Spectrum if they were fighting a human adversary as opposed to an extraterrestrial one. Actually, all of the scenarios covered by Fireball XL5, Stingray and Captain Scarlet fall into this category: it's taken as read that the human race has all but achieved its ultimate goal of global peace, but there are a bunch of non-human baddies out there who have no aim in life other than to make our life a misery, and that we're therefore totally justified in going out and giving them a good kicking. As kids we can accept that almost without thought. As adults we recognise that it isn't quite that simple. We just wish it was that simple, that's all.
Goodness, I almost forgot! To Sidewinder - good luck with it: I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what you can do. Keep us posted, won't you?
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Clya Brown
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Doc Brown said: and before I get roasted by all my friends on this forum for daring to utter the ultimate heresy, I'd point out that almost everybody who has had some fanfic posted here already has changed with the times, whether they'd recognise the fact or not.
I quite agree with you, Doc - and openly acknowledge that the stories and characters I write about, are a million miles from the wonderful puppets and their adventures. What I appreciate about them - quite apart from the primitive - Cor! factor of such good-looking 'men' - is the scope of the imaginative vision of the concept and the boundless possibilities that presented to me - as a kid, playing 'Thunderbirds' or 'CS' in the playground with my pals - or now writing - primarily for my own pleasure - and sharing it with my friends.
I don't have the first clue how to make a film about anything - I only got a digital camera last year and have never owned a cine camera or a video camera in my life - but I can play out the films in my head on the written page...
I look forward to seeing whatever is produced - whenever it appears...
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Marion
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My only true credential is a lifelong, immortal enthusiasm for those puppets and spaceships." The legend will only burn out if you allow it to.
Truer words have never been spoken, and Chris's wonderful site has given all of us the wonderful opportunity to do just that. I've attempted to contribute to the burgeoning fan-fic section, and I have to admit I get a big kick out of creating digital pictures and montages using puppet heads and real bodies...
I doubt I'll have the time to branch out into movies as well..much as I love to take holiday footage on my home camcorder. But I too look forward to seeing what can be done...so the very best of luck with your project.
and ps..if you're nuts...then you've come to the right place...
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Carrie
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the next generation will simply dismiss us out of hand as a bunch of dinosaurs
Did I do that?
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James. C
- Captain
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First off, I'll have to confess I'm not actually one of 'ancients', as they were referred to. I was swept up practically just after being born by my father, which would qualify me as 'lifelong'
I will of course keep you all posted on everything that happens here. With the idea of assembling a dedicated team with various skills, I've managed to find two people with the right amount of interest, skill and dedication, but still, we need many more! There's no set plan right now on what will be done first as soon as we have a proper team, ideas have been kicked around involving Fireball XL5, Stingray, Scarlet, Thunderbirds, just about everything.
I have some rough drafts lying around my house of a 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons' adaptation. This would be in a series format and filmed in live-action with a lot of digital set extension. Rather than concentrating on the endeavours of our favourite indestructible Captain, this series, called 'War of Nerves', would center around Captain Maroon(working title, of course), formerly of the ISS, who has been assigned a spot at the Spectrum Intelligence Agency to replace Captain Indigo after the events of 'Spectrum Strikes Back'. Episodes would be a little more investigation-centered, I have some rough outlines, involving a trip to the Moon to find out exactly HOW the Lunar Controller was contacted by the Mysterons, and what happened to the Mysteron copy of Fraser after 'Crater 101'. Stuff like that... Tell me what you think.
That's one thing I'd like to do, but for now, we're in pre-pre-preproduction... One's things for sure though, there will definitly be Anderson Fan Films! And I will make sure that there will indeed be a war of nerves among them. I will frequently post here, and let you know how things are moving along. Soon, I'll have finished the demonstration reel and send a link to it here. I've already finished up some SPV model (well, toy) filming, so it should be relevant here.
If any one of you wants to get in on this, or knows someone who might like to, please, don't hesitate, contact me immediatly. We need propmakers, costumers, matte artists, 3d animators, and most of all, actors! We're not looking for complete professionals or anything, or even 'real' talent, just enthusiastic people. There's an exclamation mark behind 'actors' because I want to do everything in my power to prevent CGI characters, it won't look as good as in NCS, and I like to have real elements in films. My adress is in the first post, don't wait up!
Sidewinder
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Sidewinder
the Captain Maroon replacing Indigo at SIA made me think of the fan fic I wrote detailing Indigo's life up to Spectrum Strikes Back.
Please, please have something with Magenta! Man's too overlooked.
Also, let me just say that Pit of Peril is my favourite Thunderbirds episode for reasons varied but narrowed to The Sidewinder, the music and the image of the beast being lifted to safety at the end.
"They did it! We're safe..."
Echoes in my Mind, The Colours that Run,
-Pit of Peril, Who Rescues the Rescuers?,
-Presented in Supermarionation
-A Different Shade of Indigo, The Trigger Men
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Matt Crowther
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Matt Crowther wrote:All sounds good
the Captain Maroon replacing Indigo at SIA made me think of the fan fic I wrote detailing Indigo's life up to Spectrum Strikes Back.
Please, please have something with Magenta! Man's too overlooked.
Also, let me just say that Pit of Peril is my favourite Thunderbirds episode for reasons varied but narrowed to The Sidewinder, the music and the image of the beast being lifted to safety at the end.
"They did it! We're safe..."
Indeed. The way the music adds to the power of the machine, the slightly frightening opening where it's destroying that jungle...
"It's like a monster from another planet!"
Anyway, I had also considered Magenta, something tying back to his former criminal career...
Sidewinder
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Sidewinder
Magenta seems to be the John Tracy of Spectrum.......underused!
Magenta's criminal backround would make for good subject matter.
I too, don't really have the time (nor the technology) to produce films. But like Carrie, I do find this site, and a host of others like it most informative & entertaining! And that in turn, keeps the interest and enthusiasm in Supermarionation going.
And best yet, a new generation of fans are already discovering G & SA's wonderful creations!
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DartBrat701
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DartBrat701 wrote:Magenta seems to be the John Tracy of Spectrum.......underused!
In my opinion Grey is the most under used...
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James. C
- Captain
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Echoes in my Mind, The Colours that Run,
-Pit of Peril, Who Rescues the Rescuers?,
-Presented in Supermarionation
-A Different Shade of Indigo, The Trigger Men
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Matt Crowther
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- Location: United Kingdom.
In effect - with the exception of Scarlet, Blue, White and Green - most of the characters were under used...
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Marion
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Marion wrote:Didn't I read somewhere that the actor playing him left the cast - or was that Doctor Fawn - another silent guy - or maybe both of them?
In effect - with the exception of Scarlet, Blue, White and Green - most of the characters were under used...
I think it was Charles Tingwell that left - he voiced Captain Brown & Doctor Fawn I think.
"If We Get Out Of This Lieutenant, I'll Buy You All The Coconuts You Can Eat!"
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gojohnniegogo
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