How Can I Make An Affordable Spaceship Interior?

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

I'm looking to have a scale model built by a talented school kid that will be based on illustrations from the company in France who made my super soldiers look for the original I, Creator.

There will be lots of spaceship scenes for the sequel. So, greenscreening a model ship with lots of detail, seems like an affordable solution. The lighting will be tricky to match, which is why an experienced DP will be a must.

I will need interior shots where the actors are moving around. Should I use a computer room on, say a college campus? Or, should I consider putting something together in an empty room? Or, should I consider greenscreen?

By the way, I'm scripting a teaser for the opening of the sequel of predator-like aliens hunting some Amazon soldiers from Delta Four. The predators will bump heads with the Black Ops Special Forces Cyborgs of Delta Four who land in a spaceship for my take on a Predator vs. Terminator-like Cyborg battle to rescue the humans. It will take place in the woods of an alien world.

So, the movie will open with an action sequence before the intro of the sequel, which will fill in events for the twenty years after Earth was nuked.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Ok. I have to say this. Call it tough love. And I want you to know that I absolutely support your filmmaking endeavors, and I want them to work out best for you, which is why I feel the need to tell you to take a serious left-turn.

Dude, you're making "Laser Cats". Except, unlike "Laser Cats", people won't be laughing with you.

For your budget, in your location, with your resources, you simply cannot create a realistic-looking spaceship. It's going to look silly. People will laugh at it.

As far as I see it, your best options are to either junk the project, and think of something a little more feasible, or just say "fuck it", and make "Laser Cats". But make "Laser Cats", intentionally. Have fun with it. Throw in a bunch of jokes about how shitty everything looks. There's no reason why your super-serious story can't have some good tongue-in-cheek humor thrown in.

There's a reason why you're picked on at Indietalk. You're making it perfectly clear here. I wish I had my fly swatter handy to chasing a certain pest away.

The sequel will have lots more action than the original. Action translates into any language around the world. Besides the action, I'll have better camera work and lighting with a more experienced DP.

 

[Cracker Funk]

Dude, this forum is all about giving and receiving advice. Yet, it feels to me like you only receive advice when you already agree with what's being said. I think you'd benefit by being a little more receptive.

Remember the thread for the 4-minute preview of "I, Creator"? People tore your work apart, sometimes to the extent of being rude. They wouldn't stop talking about how horrible it looked. Nobody was taking it seriously.

And that is what I'm trying to convey to you. You're trying to make a movie that requires a multi-million dollar budget in order to achieve the aesthetic necessary for people to take your movie seriously. Doubling or tripling your previous budget will result in a futuristic sci-fi that looks like it was shot in a wharehouse, with cheaply-made miniatures.

Do you know how much it costs to make a convincing miniature? More than your entire budget!

I'm not making pranks or jokes. I'm giving you the harsh advice that nobody else seems willing to dole out. On your budget, in your location, you cannot make "I, Creator 2" look convincing. It will look silly. People will laugh at it.

I've said this to you before, and I mean it -- I love your gumption. I just think your current production goals are a little over-ambitious.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Dude, this forum is all about giving and receiving advice. Yet, it feels to me like you only receive advice when you already agree with what's being said. I think you'd benefit by being a little more receptive.

Remember the thread for the 4-minute preview of "I, Creator"? People tore your work apart, sometimes to the extent of being rude. They wouldn't stop talking about how horrible it looked. Nobody was taking it seriously.

And that is what I'm trying to convey to you. You're trying to make a movie that requires a multi-million dollar budget in order to achieve the aesthetic necessary for people to take your movie seriously. Doubling or tripling your previous budget will result in a futuristic sci-fi that looks like it was shot in a wharehouse, with cheaply-made miniatures.

Do you know how much it costs to make a convincing miniature? More than your entire budget!

I'm not making pranks or jokes. I'm giving you the harsh advice that nobody else seems willing to dole out. On your budget, in your location, you cannot make "I, Creator 2" look convincing. It will look silly. People will laugh at it.

I've said this to you before, and I mean it -- I love your gumption. I just think your current production goals are a little over-ambitious.

That just proves too many people are unfamiliar with Indie Science Fiction. They just have a preconceived notion of what science fiction should look like from a Hollywood budget and POV.

A true test will be to see how much revenue the cast and I can rake in at the NY Comic Con.

There are people on this board who expressed their lack of taste and knowledge in science fiction, music, stunts, and acting. They made themselves known.

As an FYI,

That version of the 4 minute preview has attracted a distributor from Japan, a US on-line retailer, and another overseas distributor. And, they sent me emails asking for screening copies of the movie. So, what do some of the people here know?

Once I have a final copy with the audio mix, I'll send them screening copies.

 

[Cracker Funk]

That just proves too many people are unfamiliar with Indie Science Fiction. They just have a preconceived notion of what science fiction should look like from a Hollywood budget and POV.

What does that even mean? Are you implying that indie sci-fi gets a free pass in the believability department? I'm not talking about people's expectations -- I'm saying that as a filmmaker, I care very much about suspension of disbelief. When an audience sees something onscreen that makes them think, "oh, man, that's totally fake-looking", it pulls them out of the moment. Now, they're no longer watching your movie; they're critiquing it. As a storyteller, I want my story to be what people pay attention to -- not the cheesy fake-looking set-pieces.

Size of budget has nothing to do with it. Big Hollywood and Tiny Indie both need to convince their audience that what they are watching is real, cuz if you don't, they're not really gonna watch it.

A true test will be to see how much revenue the cast and I can rake in at the NY Comic Con.

There are people on this board who expressed their lack of taste and knowledge in science fiction, music, stunts, and acting. They made themselves known.

As an FYI,

That version of the 4 minute preview has attracted a distributor from Japan, a US on-line retailer, and another overseas distributor. And, they sent me emails asking for screening copies of the movie. So, what do some of the people here know?

Once I have a final copy with the audio mix, I'll send them screening copies.

This is you putting your blinders on. Some of the people who got medieval on "I, Creator" are extremely talented and successful in this medium. What do some of the people here know? A lot.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

What does that even mean? Are you implying that indie sci-fi gets a free pass in the believability department? I'm not talking about people's expectations -- I'm saying that as a filmmaker, I care very much about suspension of disbelief. When an audience sees something onscreen that makes them think, "oh, man, that's totally fake-looking", it pulls them out of the moment. Now, they're no longer watching your movie; they're critiquing it. As a storyteller, I want my story to be what people pay attention to -- not the cheesy fake-looking set-pieces.

Size of budget has nothing to do with it. Big Hollywood and Tiny Indie both need to convince their audience that what they are watching is real, cuz if you don't, they're not really gonna watch it.



This is you putting your blinders on. Some of the people who got medieval on "I, Creator" are extremely talented and successful in this medium. What do some of the people here know? A lot.

It means I'm open-minded. Talent is a matter of taste. It's art and art is subjective.

However, movie making is a business. And, in business, there is only one factor that counts: what's your track record for making money.

As a Hollywood producer told me in person, the studios don't care how creative, how techincally perfect, or how original a work may be. All they care about is "How much money has it made before."

And, you may wonder why Hollywood makes so many remakes, sequels, and re-images of old material. They see money, while everyone else is looking for entertainment.

Watch the whole 100 minutes, and people may see things in the eyes of a machine.

What is real is what you have come to know in everyday life in your subculture from the community you are a part of. People outside your subculture will not be able to relate. And thus, your story won't be real to them.

There are a whole lot of other people who like the stunts, music, and acting in the 4 minute preview. And, they have a sharp eye for talent. The robo vision has an original look and more realistic look than what you've seen in Hollywood productions, if you want real. It's done with the way a robot or computer thinks and sees. These are first generation thinking machines.

In the sequel, there will be second generation thinking machines who are evolving WAY faster than humans. Don't forget Amazons are notorious for being clever opponents. They are also warriors. I'm hoping to attract female wrestlers as Amazon soldiers for the sequel when we start casting. That will spice up the action.

You call yourself a Star Trek fan. Star Trek is like 300 years in the future to I, Creator. Also, I'm after a super hero / video game / Japanese science fiction fan base. The look, the acting, and the action is different than what you see in an American film.

 

[rockerrockstar]

Hiring a more experienced DP and crew was a good choice Modern Day Myth. Hope it works out for you. Eaither way it is fun making movies and a good experience. If you make money that is great. Being creative can help you make up for shortfalls of budget if you work smart and get a little lucky. Good luck. With better sound and visuals I think you will do much better this time around. The blond in I Creator reminds me of Six from BSG.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Hiring a more experienced DP and crew was a good choice Modern Day Myth. Hope it works out for you. Eaither way it is fun making movies and a good experience. If you make money that is great. Being creative can help you make up for shortfalls of budget if you work smart and get a little lucky. Good luck. With better sound and visuals I think you will do much better this time around. The blond in I Creator reminds me of Six from BSG.

Thanks dude.

I, Creator seems to be fit for the Japanese science fiction, super hero, and video game fan base.

At NY Comic Con, I'm hoping for a sellout of DVDs to have some money to at least make a teaser for the sequel.

I have a friend in Texas who is an award winning filmmaker interested in working as the DP. He gave me a mouthful for not asking him to DP the original movie. He's been preaching we need more action for an international market.

Another filmmaker who makes popular music videos with popular recording stars is echoing that by saying, "action translates into any language. You don't have to understand a language to understand the action."

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

As far as the ship maybe you can get a cgi model of a ship that is all ready done and then use that in your film. Maybe stock footage of a ship is possible too.

I did a search here and found some stock footage that may work. I am not positive on the usage rights to these but they do say royality free.

http://footage.shutterstock.com/vid...y_id=&videographer_name=&_exclude_editorial=0

I searched google and found a place that sells 3d models of space ships. Depending on if you have software to load the files this could be a solution. I can't say I have even done business with this site so you would be taking that risk. But it looks interesting. You could maybe download a trial version of the software and render the space ship flying if needed. Then use adobe after effects to put a back ground behind it to look like space. Just a guess.

http://www.turbosquid.com/Search/3D-Models/spaceship

.

Great links!

Based on the 3D modeling costs, it's WAY cheaper to have a custom spaceship designed by a graphic design company I use in France and build a model based on the illustrations.

We will need a custom spaceship interior. Office chairs will work for pilot seats. And we can use greenscreen in the background with a table with computers in a forced perspective in the foreground.

 

[M1chae1]

In all honesty CF is right...think of his advice coming from the mouth of your producer. Producers can (and should) be brutally honest--"Fuck no you can't make this movie set on a mining colony on Mars, that would double our budget. No no no no NO! You can have it on Mars, but no mining colony. We'll shoot it in Nevada and color grade the picture."

One thing I dislike also is when no-budget films try to recreate big budget affairs. There is *no* way you can pull it off believably, and people will (as CF said) stop watching your movie, and start critiquing it and making fun of it. Is that what you want? You can do it, IF you don't mind not being taken seriously. It's just frustrating to see indie fimlmakers pretend it works...sometimes I don't want to force myself (and it's hard to) suspend disbelief completely.

You can make a sci-fi movie...but make it creatively. Write it in such a way that doesn't cost a lot of money, but suggests it's futuristic. And you have to have your conflict not be a million dollar idea of an exploding mining base and a meteor shower. You have to allow your story to be told in such a way that the audience isn't rolling their eyes every five minutes, because your FX, sets, and costumes are amateur.

If you don't care, and you just want to have fun with it...go right ahead. But in the end, a Producer with any gumption would say "No, you can't have that. Rewrite it." Get used to being told that.

Good luck.

Oh, and cyborgs aren't necessarily 'cleaner' than humans...look at the Borg. Perfect example of a dark, gritty environment of cyborgs. I love the Borg.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

In all honesty CF is right...think of his advice coming from the mouth of your producer. Producers can (and should) be brutally honest--"Fuck no you can't make this movie set on a mining colony on Mars, that would double our budget. No no no no NO! You can have it on Mars, but no mining colony. We'll shoot it in Nevada and color grade the picture."

One thing I dislike also is when no-budget films try to recreate big budget affairs. There is *no* way you can pull it off believably, and people will (as CF said) stop watching your movie, and start critiquing it and making fun of it. Is that what you want? You can do it, IF you don't mind not being taken seriously. It's just frustrating to see indie fimlmakers pretend it works...sometimes I don't want to force myself (and it's hard to) suspend disbelief completely.

You can make a sci-fi movie...but make it creatively. Write it in such a way that doesn't cost a lot of money, but suggests it's futuristic. And you have to have your conflict not be a million dollar idea of an exploding mining base and a meteor shower. You have to allow your story to be told in such a way that the audience isn't rolling their eyes every five minutes, because your FX, sets, and costumes are amateur.

If you don't care, and you just want to have fun with it...go right ahead. But in the end, a Producer with any gumption would say "No, you can't have that. Rewrite it." Get used to being told that.

Good luck.

Oh, and cyborgs aren't necessarily 'cleaner' than humans...look at the Borg. Perfect example of a dark, gritty environment of cyborgs. I love the Borg.

NEWS FLASH!!!

Neither one of you are thinking like a producer. I know too many real producers who produce for TV and the big screen. You're thinking like fans.

The Borg is 300 years in the future.

You both are after a different market.

I know my market and we have the right acting, action, and look. The costumes are 100% professional. They were designed by a company in France who designed the look and characters for the video game and comic book, Bloodrayne. That's why I have Asian distributors knocking on my door.

You obviously wouldn't know a professional costume or prop if it stood up and bit you on the nose. I've received numerous emails from producers asking me where I had the costumes and props made because they want to use the same contacts to make costumes and props for their next production.

If you two want to think like producers, you need to let go of the art and think dollars. What's the track record of making money?

You're acting too much like fans of big budget American science fiction.

I'm after no-budget Asian science fiction.

 

[Buddy Greenfield]

See, this is what I don’t get. On the one hand maybe you were put off by the Laser Cats thing, fine.
But on the other you are saying you're after the Asian market.

I have seen tons of Sci Fi and horror and action from Japan, China, Phil, Thailand, North Korea, South Korea, and many do A LOT with a little, but more times than not it’s above a safety net of slight cornball.

If CF had said Female Combatants instead of Laser Cats, would you see what he might be driving at even if you didn’t agree it’s what you need?

I don’t think you should go full on kooky because anyone thinks you can’t pull it all off, the Asian market DOES pull it off, over and over and over on the cheap, but part of the reason why it works so well is because there is the built in acceptance and maybe even expectation of that slight Toho on steroids cornball factor. (And I don't mean "Cornball" with any negative connotations attached, it's just like a style, especially in Japan -And I love it!)

On another note, please lets all come out from the corners we seem backed into with knives drawn to defend our opinions. When no one wins, everyone loses, and when no one loses everyone wins.

-Thanks-

 

[bird]

Quit using logic in this thread, Buddy!!

The kitsch angle has been proposed to Mike for months now. He is adamant about not approaching I, Creator, nor the sequel, from this perspective.

@ Mike I sincerely wish you the best result at the conference. I hope your sound issues have been resolved or dare I say, your customers (and prospective customers for the sequel) may be disappointed, and that's something a good businessman really needs to avoid.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Thanks Bird.

The feedback that's coming back is the sound is a lot better than before. So, that's a step in the right direction.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

See, this is what I don’t get. On the one hand maybe you were put off by the Laser Cats thing, fine.
But on the other you are saying you're after the Asian market.

I have seen tons of Sci Fi and horror and action from Japan, China, Phil, Thailand, North Korea, South Korea, and many do A LOT with a little, but more times than not it’s above a safety net of slight cornball.

If CF had said Female Combatants instead of Laser Cats, would you see what he might be driving at even if you didn’t agree it’s what you need?

I don’t think you should go full on kooky because anyone thinks you can’t pull it all off, the Asian market DOES pull it off, over and over and over on the cheap, but part of the reason why it works so well is because there is the built in acceptance and maybe even expectation of that slight Toho on steroids cornball factor. (And I don't mean "Cornball" with any negative connotations attached, it's just like a style, especially in Japan -And I love it!)

On another note, please lets all come out from the corners we seem backed into with knives drawn to defend our opinions. When no one wins, everyone loses, and when no one loses everyone wins.

-Thanks-

Female Combatants is the campy style we worked in. I have a double feature by SwitchBlade Productions in my DVD collection. It's within arms' length of me now.

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

The 100 minute feature is edited in a comic book and TV series style. I like the editing of TV shows more than movies because they have more style.

I also used a lot of cards like you see in a comic book. It has the same campy feel as the old Wonder Woman TV series.

 

[Buddy Greenfield]

Okay great, then I think maybe some common ground of multi-mutual relevance can be distilled from the discussion. (And that is good thing to me.)

The “Camp” is what initially attracted me to the trailer. (Well, first it was the women, then it was the possibility for campiness, then it was the women again! lol )

I regret not boiling it down to that way of expressing it initially, but all in all it’s what I like, and what I hope you successfully fulfill elements of in your film, in addition to the serious Sci Fi nature and theme aspects of the story of course.

-Thanks-

 

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Okay great, then I think maybe some common ground of multi-mutual relevance can be distilled from the discussion. (And that is good thing to me.)

The “Camp” is what initially attracted me to the trailer. (Well, first it was the women, then it was the possibility for campiness, then it was the women again! lol )

I regret not boiling it down to that way of expressing it initially, but all in all it’s what I like, and what I hope you successfully fulfill elements of in your film, in addition to the serious Sci Fi nature and theme aspects of the story of course.

-Thanks-

Thank you, Buddy.

As an editor I studied under used to say, I have to develop a style that works for me. B-movie and campy will do for now.

Even the Vamperella movie by Roger Corman is very campy and Rotten Tomatoes loves to goof on the production. But, I like it. It's the only live action version of Vamperella ever made. For the budget, I think they had a pretty good story.