Studio: Shane Felux
Website: http://www.panicstruckpro.com/revelations
A phenomenon that has developed around Stars Wars is the production of "fan films" that present new stories set in the SW universe. One of the more interesting aspects of that is the growing number of films with visual effects that rival those in film or television. Perhaps the height of that trend to date is Panicstruck Productions' short film Star Wars: Revelations, currently creating a huge buzz in the VFX community as well as among Star Wars fans. We recently had the opportunity to chat with Shane Felux, the director, about his work in this incredible project.
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A phenomenon that has developed around Stars Wars is the production of "fan films" that present new stories set in the SW universe. One of the more interesting aspects of that is the growing number of films with visual effects that rival those in film or television. Perhaps the height of that trend to date is Panicstruck Productions' short film Star Wars: Revelations, currently creating a huge buzz in the VFX community as well as among Star Wars fans. We recently had the opportunity to chat with Shane Felux, the director, about his work in this incredible project. |
Frank Hernandez (Declan) tells me that he thinks I'm incredibly lucky. It's amazing how you say Star Wars and fans come out of the woodwork, both amateur and professional alike. We've been incredibly lucky in the dedication our talent and crew have shown us. By working hard on our end it inspires them to give just as much back if not more. And then you reciprocate…it’s a fantastic cycle.
Without giving away any spoilers, can you describe the story of Revelations for us?
The film takes place between episodes III and IV where the Jedi are fugitives of the Empire and are being hunted. An artifact has been discovered; one known to give the bearer great power. The story is a race to obtain the artifact and thus, perhaps, turn the fate of the galaxy.
How did you attract such a large and creative team?
Star Wars is known and loved by many walks of life. Revelations gives folks a chance to do something different than, say, commercial work, industrials, or non-challenging, uncreative shoots. All I had to do was put the word out on the web through forums and so forth, stating I am making a film and looking for talented individuals to be a part of it. The direction I took was to search for talented FX artists after I’d started filming. The teaser trailer was really intended to double as a recruitment video to get more volunteers. It certainly worked!
The word spread and more and more people volunteered their time and energy. The biggest factor that attracts people to this type of film is the fact it’s Star Wars! I mean, come on who doesn’t like Star Wars, or wouldn’t want to play in that world. If I was doing an Indie film about a guy and his struggle to find his lost duck, no one would really be too interested to rush to my call, or hear me out once I answered the most important question, “So what’s my scale pay for this gig?”
I looked for hidden talent and let them know, “I want to show your work. I want you to succeed.” I aimed to have Revelations be a showcase for the many artists out there in the world and bring their skills and talent to the attention of the industry. Showing people that I was not just in this for myself, but wanting them to go and live their dreams as well, helped me to obtain and keep a very creative team.
What were some of the largest challenges? (Budget, time, finding talent, etc.)
(Shane laughs.) To be honest, the entire movie was a challenge. The only thing that wasn’t was deciding to actually make one. Budget and time were our two biggest challenges. With the first, it was a matter of trying to get the best costumes, locations, sets, actors…everything for the least amount of money. Our budget was extremely modest - in fact, almost non-existent. We paid for this movie as we went.
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Part of the solution, then, was to find people who were not only interested in the project but would really enjoy it as well. We were lucky in that we ended up with nearly 200 volunteers who not only were willing to pay their own expenses but much of the crew had their own equipment (sound, lights, stands, etc.) thus saving us thousands of dollars.
The other part of keeping the budget down was to barter services and offer exposure to their products/work/locale through the film. My big mantra is: "You don’t ask. You don’t get." The longer version adds “And the worst people are going to say is no. Eventually someone will say yes.”
I still had to pay for many things, but between these two methods we didn’t have to scale back as much as we planned and in many cases we were able to go “bigger”. We were extremely lucky to have so many people be involved with this project and wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.
But as difficult as it was with the budget, the biggest challenge was time. We never had enough of it!
Every location shoot (but one) was a one day deal. If we didn’t get the shot that day there were no pick-ups. No chance to pull everyone together another day to get a better take. And if it wasn’t filmed right, then it was a waste of everyone’s time because it couldn’t be redone. Many times I caught myself looking at my watch and then saying to my DP, “Come on let’s go! Let’s get it rolling, I am running out of time!” This caused an enormous amount of stress.
So time was a huge challenge as mistakes are made, things are missed, and you’re just stressed and rushed. It always worked out, but if I were ever given the luxury of doing four set ups in six hours instead of the 38 setups we had to do at a particularly grueling shoot, well, I wouldn’t turn it down!
The Visual Effects are stunning! Can you fill us in on some of the details behind the scenes? Size of team, tools used, how many fx shots, etc.?
Since this film is Star Wars it is very FX heavy. Just the fact it takes place on other worlds, many different locations, and to simply make it look like Star Wars required a great deal of work. If you pick up the script of the film and start counting the FX shots, they total almost as much as a full feature. There are live composite shots, green-screen composites that require key, CG plates and animation, pure CG shots, and in just about every frame has some sort of FX in it. I haven’t even begun to count them and I’m not sure I want to know. It would actually be easier for me to count the number of shots in the film that do not have FX in them, and I think that is somewhere below ten (LOL).
The size of the team was an ever-changing thing, as FX artists (in my experience) love what I like to call the ‘honeymoon syndrome’. This is where they’re very excited when they first come onboard and are just dying to sink their teeth into a shot. A few weeks go by and boredom sets in when they realize how much tedious work and loss of free time is involved. Then they bail or just fade away, never to be heard from again….and the honeymoon is over. Or they just didn’t have the true skill set for the level we were going for. We went through about 30 or so artists before we reached the core team that stuck it out for the long haul. This team is about eight artists with about half really doing the major work and the rest taking tasks as their “real life” allowed. It’s because of them that the FX look so great. Each new person raised the bar on what we had done and the rest of the team would rally to meet this new level.
Teamwork and communication was absolutely essential. The fact that these guys would post their WIPs, take constructive criticism from each other, and work all the harder - it was amazing. They’ve all learned so much and have sharpened their own skill sets by stretching to learn new things. Their positive “can do” attitude was a bonus.
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The tools we used were anything and everything. This is very unique in that I allowed the artists to work with whatever tool set they were comfortable with and would get the job done. Production houses typically pick one 3D solution and every artist on that team knows and uses that. They are then further specialized into modeling, lighting, texture, etc. This format wasn’t practical in our situation since we were dealing with volunteers located all over the world. There was going to be a certain amount of inconsistency due to the different tools as well as individual talents. For this movie, I was happy to have the talent we got and so I was very flexible and even allowed my artists to take ownership of their shots.
So the result is a combined effort of LightWave, 3DS max, Cinema 4D, Maya, Bryce, Terragen, combustion and After Effects, all working in a collaborative effort in producing the FX needed in Revelations.
Can you break down one shot as an example of the amount of work that is involved?
A good example shot would be one where the heroes are walking towards the Quarran III temple. Originally I had planned to shoot this scene outdoors and comp in the needed elements as I just wasn’t convinced that CG terrain would work as well. I soon discovered that I couldn’t find the right location that fit the scene, and my brief bit of insanity (flying the talent out to South Dakota to shoot in the Badlands) was luckily a momentary aberration.
So after some discussion with the FX team they were very confident that we could pull off a believable CG plate for outdoors. I still wanted to at least have live footage of a location and figured I would key that. First, I shot the actors in a green screen studio, trying as best as we could to light the scene as if it was outdoors (lots of light).
Once the scene was shot and edited I went to a very good friend (Marc Linn with Linn productions) and sent him the edited scene. He then went to the Badlands (as he lives in South Dakota) with his camera and a laptop and based off the shots and angles in the studio footage gave me video of the terrain that matched.
I then got very lucky and found an extremely talented matte painter out of Lithuania who took the Badlands footage and the studio footage and digitally created an otherworldly terrain from the live images. It was remarkable! He had to create the temple as a 3D render and then paint it into the side of a mountain face, as if it was carved, using the live footage of the Badlands to build with.
Once all the plates were painted and built they were handed over to the composite/CG artist out of Sweden, who then animated virtual camera moves to the shots and did all the keying of the greenscreen footage into the matte plates. This required him to place in 3D elements such as the hero’s ship and things like pillars in the shot, as well as create perspective movement with background plates. He then added in smoke and mist, ionic storms to the distant clouds I wanted, and then color corrected it to give us an alien feel. Through virtual camera moves in 3D the artist could take my static shot from the studio and make the scene come alive with a virtual camera jib that starts up on the temple, jibs down, and then trucks out as we see the talent walking towards this ancient temple carved into the side of a mountain that has stairs leading up to it. I tell you it fooled me and I stand corrected by my CG team! Stunning work! And what made it look real was the use of actual live footage of terrain, virtual camera movement, stunning matte paintings and beautiful composite work!
If you want to see a visual breakdown of another shot then visit our website to see a behind the scenes feature on the step by step process of creating the bar:
panicstruckpro.com/revelations/video/Zap_BTS_clip.mov
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What is your ultimate goal for the film?
To finish it! (LOL) Actually we had several goals. One: to make a film people would really enjoy; something we could be proud of. Two: We wanted to inspire other filmmakers. They can look at this movie and think, “Hey, if they can do that then I can too!” Last: We hoped to show how an independent film can produce near Hollywood quality with patience, talented volunteers, and hard work. The technology is there. I wanted to raise the bar and perhaps gain some nods or approval to go on and make more films of our own.
What advice would you give to an individual or group of artists that are interested in creating a Fan Film?
First rule: this is supposed to be fun! Keep telling yourself that and don’t lose sight of it. If it’s not fun, something is wrong and you have lost focus. It’s easy to do.
Second: Decide on the direction of your film. Are you making something in your backyard with friends because it’s cool? Or are you looking to pursue a career in filmmaking and thus want your calling card to be professional? If it’s the former, have a good time. If it’s the latter then treat it as if you were running a feature film. This starts with your attitude. Be professional. You will be respected more when it’s time to recruit strangers and get folks to volunteer their time and resources. And have a good time.
If you are professional in running your production people will see that and be more inclined to help. Register your production company as a business, get insurance for the film (it’s not that much), have release forms and liability forms, get location agreements with sites and vendors (yes, contracts), have business cards made (nice ones), and build a good website. You can do all this for very little money but it requires a lot of work, research and time.
Third: Surround yourself with talented and dedicated people. If you can’t do something well, then don’t do it. Find someone whose area of expertise is in that field and have them do it. If you can’t find someone, then pull back and think of another option. There is always a solution and the rule to a solution is generally three options: be creative, cheat it, or throw money at it.
Fourth: Work with your local film commission. They are there to help and are a free service. They’re not just there to support the big films, but indie films, too. You could be the next Lucas, Spielberg, or Jackson and you will remember them if you do go on to make bigger films. Just make sure you know what you want, be organized, and be professional.
Fifth: Network! Talk to anyone and everyone. Use the internet to find FX artists, extras, production staff and so forth. There are tons of indie and fan forums out there. If you are thinking of making a fan film you will find many, many people out there just like you who share the same excitement as you and would be willing to help and be a part of your film.
But in the end, it’s all supposed to be fun! You can go as big as you want or keep it small and simple but as long as you are proud of it, have a great time doing it, and get something out of it, then go ahead. Let no one tell you, “That just isn’t possible.” It may be hard, but not impossible. (steps off soap-box .. Vote Shane!)
What's next on your plate?
Rest!! (LOL) Nah, we hope to go on and make our own original films. That is the real dream. Revelations was a test to see if we could do it with the technology and solutions available to us. In the process we learned that what we endured was no different than a big budget Hollywood movie (thanks to the powers that be for the extra features on the DVDs). We would like to go on and do bigger and better things and take as many with us as we can. It all depends on if the funding is there.
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Will hardcore fans have any problems with the story, particularly concerns about whether it stays true to the Star Wars Mythology?
No. We believe we stuck pretty close to the Star Wars Mythology. I know for Revelations there will be people who love this film, people who hate it, and some who just won’t get it, but I think the story is very strong and we made a very conscious effort to stay true to Star Wars. We made a film with things we always wanted to see in Star Wars. We did research and tried to keep the continuity not only with the films but with the extended universe as well. This involved researching ships, event timelines, and then putting our own style and ideas to it. I think fans will really enjoy that. I really like what the writers did with Revelations and it’s really neat after you watch it and understand the film, that it’s quite masterfully done how it explains some possibilities as to why, come Episode IV, things are the way they are.
What are your thoughts on where technology is currently at for productions like this?
I have seen, used and know that the technology is there, and Lucas himself said something to the effect of “The next film makers are going to be guys out of their garages making movies,” and he is right. A perfect example is the guy who came up with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. He was working out of his basement on this film for something like 6 years with an idea. Someone saw it, and off he goes.
Editing solutions, 3D applications, composite tools, sound design tools and more industry technology has become affordable. It’s no longer an age when you would have to have thousands of dollars and really expensive pieces of equipment that only highly trained individuals could use. Anyone with the desire and dedication to learn it can do so relatively inexpensively. I have a 16 year old on my production team who is remarkable, and he simply uses a low cost 3D application but does remarkable things with it. Given a few more years this kid is going to be stellar!
The tools are there and affordable. In this day and age it’s easy to pick up a decent miniDV cam, shoot your vision and edit it right there on your home computer. I edited Revelations in my home office on Adobe Premiere Pro. I think you are going to see more and more indie films getting closer to Hollywood level productions for a much smaller cost. This is very exciting and it is one of the thing I wanted Revelations to show.
What was it like working with the various team members all over the map? (Giving direction.... transferring Files....etc.)
Not as bad as it seems. It required a lot of attention and coordination but the internet was a great tool in working with my post and production teams. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to make the film.
I established two post-production online groups: FX and artists/sound. Files and resources could be uploaded to a secure directory on our server for the teams to use and get what they needed for their tasks. This is also how I delivered the footage they needed for their shots.
The online groups kept the teams in the loop, so everyone knew what the other guys were doing in their own group. The artists could then in turn upload their WIP, animatics, foley, and clips to the server for me to watch/listen to and give direction on if needed. Plus everyone got to see everyone’s work. On the FX group, I allowed the team to comment on each others’ work, giving critiques, help, and ideas. Though I was very open, the rule always remained I had the final say and once that was set, that’s what was done.
The online group let me coordinate with the FX team who were based all over the world and it also helped keep morale and energy up. Seeing someone else’s exciting shot and excellent work could spark other artists on the team to really get going and show the guys what they could do. It also helped form a bit of a family, and I consider them good friends even though I haven’t met the majority of them.
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Where there issues with using different tools and file formats?
There were a few snags here and there but just like anything, there is always a solution. One thing I did to make things easier and help with the continuity look of the film was when I gave a shot task out, let’s say the ‘Taryn Alley’ scene, one artist would do that entire shot. Now, other artists might supply him with needed models or textures but that one artist would do all the main work for the shot and the final render. This kept the different looks and styles of different artists’ talents, software applications, and renders confined to one scene.
Each task was given to an artist whose skill sets best met that task. At times when different artists needed the same model (like Declan’s ship the ‘Cougar’) we would have to convert the file to the different formats that each 3D application understood. Doing this sometimes required some clean up of the mesh and model, but it worked out very well.
When you were a kid....did you cry when Vader took down Obi-Wan?
I didn’t cry. I was shocked. Next to Han Solo, Vader was one of my favorite characters. He was just so powerful and awesome. Not that I cheered when Obi-wan was struck down, I was just like, “Wait a minute.. cool! That Vader is a bad dude.” Vader is the perfect villain. You gotta love him.
Carrie Fisher in Episode 4 or Natalie Portman Episode 1, which is hotter?
(Shane laughs): Well, I guess if you back me into a wall, I would have to admit I had a crush on Carrie as a kid. Who wouldn’t fall for Leia’s charm and strength? She’s a very attractive woman. So, I’m a bit old school. Then again, Natalie’s not hard on the eyes. Hmm, old school or new school? Man, I am torn like an old sweater. I guess If Carrie came over in the Leia slave outfit I don’t think I would kick her out. Love ya, Carrie! And Natalie, you can still call me. Please. (winks)
Thanks very much for taking the time to talk to us, Shane!
Shane Felux
www.panicstruckpro.com/revelations
