Essay

Fan Films in the Digital Age – Essay Topic no.3

The emergence of new technologies such as non-linear editing software and video sharing websites has allowed the average computer user to produce and distribute film/video content which rivals that of professional practitioners. This has consequently led to a distinct rise in amateur filmmaking, with an increasing amount of short films and user-created content being made available to the world. This has yielded a number of benefits to the filmmaking community, however it also presents a variety of challenges to traditional filmmakers, whose work is being altered through the production of ‘fan films’ by internet users.

The proliferation of new digital technologies throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s has had a distinct effect on amateur filmmaking. As digital video cameras and editing software increased in quality and affordability, it allowed the average consumer to craft their own works by putting the tools of production into their hands, something which previously would not have been possible due to the cost and technical expertise required to use filmmaking equipment (Garrett 1997). It also spawned an effective method of distribution for such works, with the internet allowing for anyone to upload and share their creations with the online community (Veneruso 2003).

Indeed the internet was heralded as a vital tool to be exploited by filmmakers, as it broadened the potential audience of amateur works significantly (Thorburn & Jenkins 2004). Accordingly, this relatively new means for distributing content can be seen as providing a pathway through which amateur filmmakers can achieve greater recognition and success, as expressed by New York Times writer Marion Hart, who demonstrates the importance of the internet for sharing films: “The internet has the power to vault the best shorts and their directors out of film festival obscurity and onto your computer – and the computers of talent scouts searching for the next big thing” (Hart 2009).

This amateur filmmaking culture on the internet can be traced back to the unique subculture of ‘fan filmmaking’. Fan filmmaking involves the creation of new content from established source material, such as creating and shooting new stories involving the characters of a feature film, or editing sections of a film in such a way as to offer an original ‘spin’ on it (Gomez 2006). The internet facilitated such fan film production as it allowed for fans of a particular film or genre to converge around their shared interest in the subject matter, and thus offered a place where their creations may be shared and appreciated by like-minded people.

Kevin Rubio’s 1997 film Troops can perhaps be considered the earliest example of a truly successful internet-delivered short fan film. This ten minute video was a parody of the popular television show COPS, set amongst the universe created by the Star Wars film franchise. It is credited as being responsible for prompting the modern fan film movement, as it was one of the first such films to take advantage of the internet as a distribution method, and soon after its release, a number of websites dedicated specifically to showcasing fan films were established (DeRuvo 2002). The success and acclaim enjoyed by Troops illustrates the capability of the internet as an effective distribution method for such content, while also serving to highlight the benefits this means of sharing films provides. Prior to the release of this short, fan films were often overlooked by the professional filmmaking industry, however Star Wars creator George Lucas openly embraced Rubio’s homage-paying work (as evidenced in 2002 when the film was received the Pioneer Award at the inaugural Star Wars Fan Film Awards), eventually offering the independent director a professional position at Lucasfilm (Klinger 2006). Rubio’s achievements in this instance effectively gives further credence to the notion that the internet can act as a vehicle to benefit amateur filmmakers as it gives them the opportunity to establish themselves as filmmakers, and ultimately, get a foot in the door of Hollywood.

Although these new technologies have proved beneficial for amateur filmmakers, they have generated a variety of hurdles for the major film studios whose work is the inspiration for fan films. Most prominent among these issues is the perceived infringement on copyright that occurs when characters, storylines, and footage from particular films is used on websites and in fan films without the original author’s permission. Although technically this is a clear violation of copyright laws, many film producers (typically those of the science fiction genre as these types of films are most often the subject of fan films) have allowed the production of fan films based on their work, on the condition that the creators do not make a profit from them (Pavlik 2008).

Indeed studios have often struggled with this matter of allowing fans to rework their films, and as such have offered fans varying degrees of creative control. In some cases, it is evident that allowing fan films and fan communities to be established is advantageous in that it can help stir up interest in a particular film (generating more revenue for the producers), and regulating the activities of such a group too heavily is to be avoided as it may alienate the most loyal sector of their audience. Conversely, by affording fans too much creative freedom in appropriating their works they risk forfeiting rights to their intellectual property (Thompson & Bordwell 2003). This led to some professional filmmakers founding their own fan film sites where fans may interact with each other and upload videos they have filmed, while imposing restrictions on what content is suitable to be created.

Furthermore, due to the increasing quality of special effects and cinematography adopted by fan filmmakers, the line between the official product and user generated content is being blurred, as highlighted by Chris Albrecht (who oversaw the official star wars fan film competition) when he discussed the fan film ‘Star Wars: Revelations': “Up until the moment the actors spoke, you wouldn’t be able to tell whether that was a real Star Wars film or a fan creation because they special effects were so good...as the tools get better, there is bound to be confusion in the marketplace”(Jenkins 2006, p. 155). This highlights another issue faced by the studios in distinguishing their works as official, and supports the idea that some degree of regulation in fan filmmaking is needed.

It can be seen then that the development of digital technologies in the area of filmmaking has yielded benefits for both amateur and professional filmmakers. The arrival of these technologies has facilitated the proliferation of fan films, and although these have created a number of issues in how content is used and manipulated, fan films have ultimately proved to be beneficial for both amateur filmmakers, as they provide a way for amateurs to reach Hollywood, and the studios that produce feature films, by helping to create interest and expand the fan base of such productions.

References

DeRuvo, James 2002, Fan Films on the Web, http://www.videomaker.com/article/8947/

Garrett, Stephen 1997, Digital Filmmaking: The New Alternative?, http://www.indiewire.com/article/digital_filmmaking_the_new_alternative/

Gomez, Michael 2006, Fan Films, http://www.videomaker.com/article/12722/

Hart, Marion 2009, A Comeback for Short Films Is Linked to the Web, http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/14/technology/14HART.html?pagewanted=1

Jenkins, Henry 2006, Convergence culture: where old and new media collide, NYU Press, New York.

Kilnger, Barbara 2006, Beyond the multiplex: cinema, new technologies, and the home, University of California Press, Los Angeles.

Pavlik, John Vernon 2008, Media in the digital age, Columbia University Press, New York.

Thompson, Kristin & Bordwell, David 2003, Film History: An Introduction, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Thorburn, David & Jenkins, Henry 2004, Rethinking media change: the aesthetics of transitionMedia in Transition, MIT Press, Cambridge.

Veneruso, Tara 2003, Filmmaking for New Technologies & the Internet, http://www.flamingangelfilms.com/handout.html