Film learning project

Welcome to the film learning project!

Introduction

A 10 minute film was produced a year or few ago called Elephant dreams. What makes this film unique is that it was created using entirely open source software and it was licensed under the Creative Commons.

This learning project will attempt to harness the power of collaboration in order create a film in the spirit of Elephant Dreams.

There is already a well developed course on film making at Wikiversity. Using the information and collaboration available at Wikiversity a film will be produced for the sake of learning and knowledge. Please collaborate on the project and be bold.

Specifications

Please add/change specifications or discuss them on the talk page.

Use open source software.
Use computer animation
- Do it in a fairly realistic fashion
Collaborate on the script and on the production
Have the film be about 30 minutes long
Be ambitious
Enter the film in competitions (or not)
Distribute the end production in Bitorrent and sell DVD's to benefit the coffers of Wikiversity (maybe for Wikiversity research grants (or not)
Discuss these specifications in the talk page
Collaborate with other departments such as the graphic design, computer science, performing arts, and marketing department

Ideas

(Please add and expand on these ideas)

An action 80's movie with some fighting and romance.
A gangster movie with gangsters, action and romance.
A comedy with action and romance.
A romance with action and comedy.
A drama with romance about a troubled (mentally) teen
Versions distributed on YouTube, and in multiple formations in cluding HD 1080p over Bittorrent in a format that can be burnt directly to DVD.
- With a slick DVD menu.
All materials are to be licensed under the GFDL or Creative Commons.
- Any thoughts on which? Why?
PG equivalent rating? PG13? R? Multiple?

Concept art

Please design concept art and include it here for the moment. Once there is enough models/scans/drawings/etc. we can create another page for them.

Characters

(Please feel free to edit the characters)

Hader Arnold - Our buff, sensitive, and dashing action hero with red hair and a slick MUSTACHE. He is a farmer and bouncer.
Palmer Saepaul - The goofy but handsome pizza delivery man who has kind feelings for Angel Brooks.
Gela Brooks - The beautiful, charming, and intelligent medical student who has a thing for guys with MUSTACHES and scars.
Killgore von Bravenbrooks - The gangster who means BUSINESS and doesn't screw around. He shreds it up on a guitar! (like no one's business)

Things to do

Finish and finalize the screen play.
Create a story board.
Create a list of logistical tasks to actually produce the models, sounds, dialogue, music, and anything else that is needed.
Break those tasks into sub tasks that a person could easily complete if they felt like it.
Put everything together.
Market and enjoy the movie.
More completely create a list of things to do.

Screen play

Please be bold and edit the screen play to your liking, or discuss it on the talk page. Be drastic, make a plot twist. Just - add!

Music starts.

Black screen fades in slowly to the eyes of the main character. He is wearing sun glasses.

The camera zooms out through the windshield slowly. You see the red convertible the main character is driving.

In the opening scene the main character is cruising down a desert highway looking cool. It is apparent he doesn't care about anything, just by looking at him. There is no peyote in his trunk. He is sober as a new born cat. Soft music is playing in the background in an unusual style that is a mix of country, smooth jazz, new age and techno.

He is going to the store. He needs to purchase gasoline for his tractor.

He is a farmer and needs to dig an irrigation trench.

He screeches to a halt in front of the car. The store is a wooden shack. There is nothing around it. It takes him 1 hour to drive to this store and it is the nearest store in 100 miles. It has an old 50's gas station out in front. There are beautiful painted hills in the back ground. And it is HOT.

It zooms in to the main characters forehead. A bead of sweat drips down the side of his brow. It touches his mustache and falls to the ground, making a small splash. The camera zooms and follows the bead of sweat.

The camera changes angles to be higher above the character. He non-nonchalantly starts filling his gas tank with gas and walks into the store. The camera angle shifts slowly at first back behind the main character as he walks into the store and then in a smooth fashion pans back into where his face can be seen before going to a fly on the wall view.

A look of intensity and heightened awareness floods the face of the main character as he enters the store. It can be seen that the main character knows something bad is about to happen....

The camera zooms to the tiny bell situated on top of the main door, as it dings, signaling somebody's entrance.

We're now focused on the ground showing high heels with a pair of long legs in them. As the camera pans up it reveals a beautiful woman in tiny jean shorts and a white tank top with the faintest bit of sweat on her body.

As she approaches the counter, the man does not seem at all fazed by this striking beauty, he maintains his composure, and continues on with his transaction.

She then leans on the counter facing the man, as to demand attention from him.

He gives her a taste of his attention with an easy glare towards her eyes, as to acknowledge her presence, then returns his eyes to his purchase. The man gathers his cigarettes, puts them in his pocket, and turns to walk away when suddenly...

External links

Useful open source software

Blender
Audacity
Gimp
Twisted
Python
Ubuntu Linux
OpenEXR
KDE
Verse
GNOME
CinePaint
DrQueue
Inkscape
Subversion