Fan reviews of Browncoats: Redemption (thar be spoilers!) by chrisisall

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Fan reviews of Browncoats: Redemption (thar be spoilers!)

POSTED BY: CHRISISALL
UPDATED: Saturday, February 5, 2011 19:46
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 22939
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010 4:15 PM

Ooops- bump for wanna-be Browncoats that have not ordered this fine film yet, because they aren't TRUE fans (limited-means Browncoats not included).

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Wednesday, September 29, 2010 9:06 AM

SPACEJANITOR

Bumped for charity.

While I firmly believe that a fan film production that publishes unpleasant remarks about other Browncoats has opened its own door to whatever comments may come, I still hope it sells a million copies.

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 3:40 AM

MIKEDINMD

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Mike, is it known if Joss has seen it??

The totally curious Chrisisall

We're waiting to get a firm address to send him a copy so at the moment as far as we are aware, unless he saw it while it was on line, he hasn't seen it yet.

We know Jewel Staite has seen it and has had some nice things to say and has recommended it to Browncoats at two conventions so far while she was at her table and a panel.

Quote:
Originally posted by Spacejanitor:
Bumped for charity.

While I firmly believe that a fan film production that publishes unpleasant remarks about other Browncoats has opened its own door to whatever comments may come, I still hope it sells a million copies.

(Sorrry folks, this is going to get a little long but I need to clear the air)

I sincerely do not expect everyone to be sunshine and complements about our film. It's our first time out the gate for a film and there are some bumps and bruises that come with learning.

I'll be clear, the only close to unpleasant thing I have said publicly, and I stand by this, is that we would not go into this project promising a date Browncoats would see it and not deliver. We also are firm on not taking any money from Joss, the Big Damn Heroes, or anyone in the Firefly/Serenity cast/crew. With the little content that we Firely/Serenity Flans have, the last thing we need is our own community to build us up, seek press and attention, and let us down. Let's leave that to the studios to do. But since the studios are being amazing with our not for profit project, I'm willing to cut them a hell of a lot of slack.

I know that one of our actresses spoke her opinion about the Courage series on their YouTube Channel, but that was handled between Justin and I as soon as it popped up. We spent three hours on the phone and talked it over. As far as I know, and from what Justin told me on the phone, that ended amicably. My actors/actresses are entitled to their own opinion, but my only issue with that situation was that she did not announce she was with our project sooner. That was something she did not take into consideration when she was responding and apologized for.

Personally, the minute you've completed a fan film project, or any film project, whether it is five minutes or feature length you automatically have my respect. A lot of time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears can go into a project and you can see right away just how much work went into it. That has to be respected on some level when a project is completed. Anyone can say they are going to start something, but finishing it is the key. How you handle criticism is the only thing that will cause you to loose that respect from me.

Spacejanitor, if you know of a case that we are publishing "unpleasant remarks about other Browncoats" please drop me a line at miked@browncoatsmovie.com. I stand by what I say and I don't hide from it. If our crew is out there poorly representing our project by blatantly disrespecting others I want to know. Anyone is capable of coming to me about something I say that they don't like/appreciate and I will give them as much time and respect to hear what they have to say as they need. I only ask for the same respect and understanding to explain my side.

I'm not going to bring back channel rumors and personal conversations into this forum, but I'm open to whatever feedback you have that we can talk about privately. If, after that conversation, you want me to address it publicly I will.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I've been a bit busy and hadn't been able to get back till now.

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 3:49 AM

MIKEDINMD

Quote:
Originally posted by out2theblack:
Firstly , this question is for Mike D.

What would be the particulars for doing a screening at my local venue , then offering DVD's for take-home afterwards ?

We're working on that. There are some legal ramifications that prevent us from just shipping boxes of DVD's to Browncoats without first accepting donations. If you make donations for the DVD's and then leverage them as additional fundraisers for other charities beyond the one's we support I'm completely for that.

I would not be apposed to Browncoat Groups acting as an ordering point for the film. Meaning they make donations for a few copy, use those copies at conventions or events to raise money for charities, and then if those run out donate for a bulk order through our website for the additional copies.

Would the Brownocoat Groups get behind, or be up for, having a code they can use (i.e. PDXRedemption) that can be used to show that orders came from their browncoat group?

If you want to run your own screening at a local venue drop me a line at miked@browncoatsmovie.com with REDEMPTION SCREENING IN MY TOWN in the subject so it stands out to me. We'll work out the details.

Mike D.
Writer/Director
Browncoats: Redemption

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 3:53 AM

MIKEDINMD

Quote:
Originally posted by Spacejanitor:
I kind of found the cameos off-putting. Just cameos for the sake of cameos. Was Adam just filmed against a wall at a convention in whatever shirt he just happened to have on?

Adam's cameo was last minute and a bit rushed for filming. Initially we were told we could get it, then we couldn't, and at the last minute Adam stepped up, asked "So are we doing this cameo?" and we had to move quickly.

There's only so much you can do when you have minutes to accomplish something and someone on his caliber is ready to be a part of the film even for just a minute of screen time.

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 4:00 AM

MIKEDINMD

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:
Did ya miss the part where I said I didn't care for all of it?

There are other things I could add, but that'd just be piling on. The basic thing was, it was a fan movie, and not the most graceful thing put on screen ever. If there were another effort, I'd prefer more attention to be given to editing, scene set ups, you know..film making 101 stuff.

But that's just me.

Thanks for the feedback. A lot of the points you made are absolutely valid and are things we are all looking to fix on the next film. This was my first film (I've had no formal training beyond what you can find online for free and DVD Extras) and I know the same can be said for a lot of people on our film. While we did have a few experienced people on the project, we didn't have one experienced person for each aspect of the production. A lot of this was learn as we go. Our biggest challenges were money and time. There are angles I wish I could have gotten and takes I wish I had a monitor on set to review and do over, but I'm extremely proud of the work we did even though I know it has room for improvement.

We're looking to come back, provided we can accomplish what we set out to do with the charity model, and show that we heard the feedback and learned from our mistakes. This isn't an echo chamber of us patting ourselves on the back. We want the communities help to let us know where to improve and actually apply that information. Those that were part of the EXTREMELY rough cut showings at CSTS know that's what we do.

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 4:17 AM

PENNAUSAMIKE

Quote:
Originally posted by mikedinmd:
This isn't an echo chamber of us patting ourselves on the back. We want the communities help to let us know where to improve and actually apply that information. Those that were part of the EXTREMELY rough cut showings at CSTS know that's what we do.

I would make the suggestion that people send point-by-point style criticism or critiques of individual actors/production personnel to Mike's email address.

Then, such criticism can be genuinely constructive and not hurtful in a public forum.

(another) Mike
http://fireflydvd.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3541

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 6:36 AM

MENDUR

Just to let you know, I've never seen a screening of "Browncoats: Redemption" but it was this discussion (warts and all) which convinced me to make a donation yesterday in hopes of getting a copy on DVD to finally see it.

Just for the effort of those who made this film, I offer my congratulations and admiration. I do plan to provide feedback once I have the opportunity to see it.

The Codex Menduri: http://mendur.blogspot.com

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 9:03 AM

STORYMARK

Okay, so I've been holding off on my thoughts for about a week now, but I guess I'll share them.

I guess my thoughts boil down to this: I truly admire the work, dedication, and enthusiasm that went into this; but I didn't love the finished product.

I'm not going to hammer on the same complaints others have made, especially technical ones, as I do know how hard that aspect is to master, especially when starting out.

I did really like the idea behind the story, and thought the characters were all very well conceived.

However, while I did like the story, it felt extremely padded out. As has been mentioned, the Firefly-isms in the dialog were laid on a bit thick, and scenes tended to drag on about twice as long as they needed to.

To address the technical aspects a bit: The RED One is a very powerful and versatile camera, but it requires a lot of know-how to get the most out of it. In this case, I don't think that happened, as the image didn't have the clarity that I've seen from the Red, and ended up looking like it was shot on a lower grade camera.

But the main issue I had with the direction, and I think Chris and others have touched on it without quite capturing it - is a lack of coverage. The shot compositions were, generally speaking, quite nice - there just were not enough of them. Which led to a very dry, static feel, especially in those scenes that go on for 10 minutes or more, with only two angles to cut between. Of scenes where one angle is done in a very Firefly-like handheld style, then switches to a long, locked-down tripod shot.

I really think that the same story, told in half the time (a standard episode length) would have yielded a far better production, as the story and pacing would move along much more smoothly, and more time could have been spent on getting coverage and polishing the visuals (and acting) a bit more.

So, there are my thoughts. I don't mean this to be discouraging at all - I understand you were diving into the deep end, and did the best you could - and that came out a lot better than a lot of stuff I've seen or made myself. What you guys did is an awesome example of drive, perseverance, and Browncoat tenacity! I wish you the best of luck on the next one!

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 9:09 AM

SPACEJANITOR

Yeah I can't really fault you for grabbing cameos, cause who wouldn't if they could?

Quote:
Originally posted by mikedinmd:
Spacejanitor, if you know of a case that we are publishing "unpleasant remarks about other Browncoats"...

My friend Kate sent a link on Facebook that BR published way back in June. Yeeeees I had to dig to find it but its there. It was written by some guy in Portland and it slams the Courage film. I never saw that one and it seems pretty dead. Daniel Wolf told me that the fans would have hated it anyway, so maybe its deserved. The guy had some nice things to say about you guys though.

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Thursday, September 30, 2010 3:10 PM

MIKEDINMD

Quote:
Originally posted by Mendur:
Just to let you know, I've never seen a screening of "Browncoats: Redemption" but it was this discussion (warts and all) which convinced me to make a donation yesterday in hopes of getting a copy on DVD to finally see it.

Just for the effort of those who made this film, I offer my congratulations and admiration. I do plan to provide feedback once I have the opportunity to see it.

Awesome. Look for a note on your box when it arrives ;)
I sincerely look forward to your feedback, warts and all.

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
So, there are my thoughts. I don't mean this to be discouraging at all - I understand you were diving into the deep end, and did the best you could - and that came out a lot better than a lot of stuff I've seen or made myself. What you guys did is an awesome example of drive, perseverance, and Browncoat tenacity! I wish you the best of luck on the next one!

Why would you want to hold back on those comments? They aren't as bad as you may have thought. To be honest, they are a more than fair assumption. As I posted earlier, time and money were against us. We had one camera, three camera operators of different experience level with the RED (mainly due to schedule conflicts), and 10 18-20 hour filed days. As much as we would have liked to take more time some of the locations wouldn't allow it.

Quote:
....more time could have been spent on getting coverage and polishing the visuals (and acting) a bit more.

That would have been excellent, but unfortunately it's a bit of hindsight. There are tons of shots that I wish I would have gotten, but it was a matter of at least getting the scene's we had done while we had the location? Again see previous comment.

It is something we look to focus on the next time around, but we are only going to get to the next time around if we can do at least 50% of our goal for the charity side of this project. We need the Browncoats help getting the word out about this project to do that and do a MIGHTY thing for the charities we are supporting.

Quote:
Originally posted by Spacejanitor:
Yeah I can't really fault you for grabbing cameos, cause who wouldn't if they could?

Quote:
Originally posted by mikedinmd:
Spacejanitor, if you know of a case that we are publishing "unpleasant remarks about other Browncoats"...

My friend Kate sent a link on Facebook that BR published way back in June. Yeeeees I had to dig to find it but its there. It was written by some guy in Portland and it slams the Courage film. I never saw that one and it seems pretty dead. Daniel Wolf told me that the fans would have hated it anyway, so maybe its deserved. The guy had some nice things to say about you guys though.

Yep, we shared the link OneTrueB!x's review of Courage to be fair. We've shared negative responses about our project and as you can see we don't hide from much. The feedback is helpful...warts and all.

Mike D.
Writer/Director
Browncoats: Redemption

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Sunday, October 3, 2010 2:37 PM

CHRISISALL

Of all the pros to this piece, let me say one more time that the writing was the finest point.
That's where it all starts from, and your point of origin was very good.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Monday, October 4, 2010 3:21 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by mikedinmd:

Thanks for the feedback. A lot of the points you made are absolutely valid and are things we are all looking to fix on the next film.

You're welcome. And I hope my feedback, as pedestrian and unprofessional as it comes, can be added to the other comments and input and taken in the most positive manner.

Can't say I've ever had the ear of anyone whose DVD I purchased, so that's a bit shiny, to say the least. Thanks.

I'll be waiting to snap up the next DVD y'all put out, so you got that going for ya. Which is nice.

( who talks like that ? )

ha ha!

"The modern definition of 'racist' is someone who is winning an argument with a liberal."

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Monday, October 4, 2010 4:08 PM

STORYMARK

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

I'll be waiting to snap up the next DVD y'all put out, so you got that going for ya. Which is nice.

Same here!

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Monday, October 4, 2010 4:15 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

I'll be waiting to snap up the next DVD y'all put out, so you got that going for ya. Which is nice.

Same here!

And here!

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010 3:54 AM

SOULOFSERENITY

The Man They Call Soul...

I could have sworn I commented about the movie before now...

What can I say? It was shiny! I went into it not sure what to expect, and I was pleasently surprised. You guys did a lot with a little, and despite the bumps in the road you put forth a product that was obviously made with love.

I only wish I had paid attention to the fact that it was being filmed in MY STATE! Grr...

All in all, or warts and all, I enjoyed it. I think any critique I had has already been spoken, so I don't feel the need to rehash over well-tread paths. I'm spreading the word to every Browncoat I know in the hopes that one day we could see Redemption take another flight. If she does, and if she's filmed here again, I'd love to lend a hand in whatever way I can!

- Soul

______________________

Soul, Security Chief of the Sereni-Tree, Captain of Destiny.

Mantichorus: "So is there a reason they call you 'Soul'?"
Soul (after a long pause): "Yeah. Because I have one."

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Monday, October 11, 2010 6:22 AM

MENDUR

Okay. Some thoughts on the movie which I watched this weekend:

First, I'm amazed at the wonderful result from a mostly volunteer effort. It *is* a fan film with most of the flaws of a fan film, but it was also better than I expected.

For me, the biggest flaw was sound. I understand the challenges faced in that area, as was mentioned in the earlier posts, but I feel the need to re-emphasize that if you ever make another one (please do make another one) the sound has to be better. We need to hear every word each character speaks.

The biggest pleasant surprise for me was the ship. I loved the exterior design and FX, and the interior layout of the ship really worked for me. I didn't understand the color scheme until it was explained in one of the extras ... once I knew that the ship was mostly used by Alliance, the colors made sense.

There were some bits and choices in the story which didn't work for me (such as the need for a front "man" for a woman captain, or why there was a mechanic *and* an engineer) but I can chalk those up to personal interpretation of the 'Verse.

In the end, I enjoyed the movie, which is the only measure that really counts. Well done, and my thanks to the cast and crew who made it all come together.

The Codex Menduri: http://mendur.blogspot.com

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Monday, January 24, 2011 7:48 PM

SHEPHERD_RICK

"You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you."

Have just ordered it. Looking forward to watching it soon.

"You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you."

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011 5:34 AM

LEMMING

Glad to hear it! It's a lot of fun.

Something that folk may not be generally aware of is that as far as I understand it, Browncoats:Redemption will only be available to buy for a limited period - like the next 8 months or thereabouts. I could be wrong, but we're about to talk to Mike D of B:R on The Signal, so we'll ask that very question.

This means that you *CANNOT* put off buying it!

It's *really* important that folk spread the word about Redemption and encourage others to put down a mere $22 for the first full length Firefly fan film, proceeds of which go to 5 BDH/Browncoat associated charities. It's out there - more story content from the 'Verse, on film, with the odd BDH cameo. If you'd spring for the comics, why wouldn't any Browncoat add this shiny good work to their collection even if you only watch it once? (and you'll probably watch it more than that :-)

A sucessful fan film, will mean more succesful fan films and who knows what else futher down the line. This has the studio's and Joss' blessing, does some good and is worth a look at the very least. You want a good way to get the studios to pay more attention to Firefly/Serenity as an ongoing franchise via a legitimate route? Well, here's your chance, possibly for a limited time only.

Nick

www.serenityfirefly.com>

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011 8:38 AM

COLT999

Just ordered today. Looking forward to watching it.

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011 11:26 AM

MICJWELCH

For any who care to read it, my review is at http://micjwelch.blogspot.com/2010/11/browncoats-redemption-review.htm
l

Long story short, I hope they make more.

"Always be yourself. Unless You suck." - Joss Whedon

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011 3:00 PM

CHRISISALL

An awesome fan film every self-respecting Browncoat *MUST* own, IMO.

I'd just love to hear a Joss review of it...

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011 9:11 PM

SHEPHERD_RICK

"You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you."

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
I'd just love to hear a Joss review of it...

Wouldn't that be something? And if he gave some ideas for how the next movie could be improved...

"Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps."

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Friday, January 28, 2011 8:23 PM

OUT2THEBLACK

Miriam Pultro for Kodak :

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/prodSupportIndex.
jhtml

Yup , 'Pete' is pretty enough to be a Browncoat !

Check her facebook page for a couple more nice pics.

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Friday, February 4, 2011 1:19 AM

SHEPHERD_RICK

"You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you."

Quote:
Originally posted by SHEPHERD_RICK:
Have just ordered it. Looking forward to watching it soon.

It's arrived. Watching it Saturday (am currently out of town).

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Friday, February 4, 2011 3:30 PM

OREOISFIREFLY

Just Bought my copy and Browncoat redemption. Completely excited and can't wait to see it! No matter what it seems like, We just keep on flyin!!!

Go n-eírí an bóthar leat. - May the road rise with you.

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Saturday, February 5, 2011 7:46 PM

SHEPHERD_RICK

"You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you."

Quote:
Originally posted by Shepherd_Rick:
It's arrived. Watching it Saturday (am currently out of town).

Watched it. Loved it. Wonderful story. Great concept, crew, sets, costumes, CGI. Very common low budget movie mistakes / issues were present (sound, lighting, shot selection, lenses, etc.).

Highly reccomend it. So glad I bought it. Would like to see a regular series with the crew and ship. :-)

But... As a charity film, and with me being a Shepherd, why a blooper reel with profanity? Is it not possible to pursue something greatly, with zeal and vigor, yet without vulgarity or low speech? I felt the same way about various snippets I've seen with the original Firefly cast, both then and at conventions since. That, for me, was the saddest part undermining the otherwise heroic effort.

Shepherd Rick

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