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

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Sunday, February 6, 2011 05:46
VIEWED: 27714
PAGE 1 of 1

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 3:49 PM

Pros:
Very nicely written, good dialogue.
Excellent ship design & FX.
Great music score & songs.
The big bad was REALLY bad, & the pilot was hot.
Pacing was good.
The cameos.

Cons:
Not enough close ups (I wanted to SEE the actors a little more).
Sound was inconsistent at times.
No space battle.

Bottom line (in adjusted fan-film stars) : ***1/2*

Totally entertaining, glad I got it. I deduct 1/2 star for not enough explosions, though.

The Ebert Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 5:24 PM

I have to add, upon thinkin' on it, that it wasn't that there weren't close ups, rather that when there were, they seemed rather flatly lit. Nothing $10,000 in lights & grips couldn'ta fixed.

Really, not such a big con.

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 7:34 PM

MUTT999

Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:23 PM

Really enjoyed it! Great ensemble, fantastic music, excellent (and totally unexpected) cameos.

The blooper reel is really funny.

And 'Pete' is now my third favorite pilot!!

Maybe someday we'll get more Redemption. Make it so!!

Movie link:
http://shop.browncoatsmovie.com/browncoatsmovie-dvd-order.aspx

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mutt999:

Really enjoyed it! Great ensemble, fantastic music, excellent (and totally unexpected) cameos.

I see you liked it as much as I did!

Quote:

And 'Pete' is now my third favorite pilot!!

THIRD!?!?!?!?
J/K

Quote:

Make it so!!

Who talks like that?

The laughing Chrisisall

MUTT999

Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:35 PM

She's right behind Wash and River for my favorite pilots!

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mutt999:
She's right behind Wash and River for my favorite pilots!

A nice combination of both IMO.
Minus the semi-muscular man part.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:51 PM

Seriously though, I really REALLY liked this movie. Aside from a lack of space battles (Serenity spoiled me), it was spot-on. They got the 'Verse just right. Everyone involved has every reason to be totally proud!
They did another impossible.

Browncoats are like that.

The laughing Chrisisall

MUTT999

Sunday, September 19, 2010 9:55 PM

Quote:
Seriously though, I really REALLY liked this movie. Aside from a lack of space battles (Serenity spoiled me), it was spot-on. They got the 'Verse just right. Everyone involved has every reason to be totally proud!
They did another impossible.

Browncoats are like that.

Ditto!! (They even tossed in a quick stab at FOX!)

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 10:41 PM

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 19, 2010 11:44 PM

We CAN'T be the only ones who've seen this...

WTFelgercarb?

The impatient Chrisisall

TDBROWN

Monday, September 20, 2010 9:01 AM

We watched this at The Browncoats Backwoods Bash on the 18th of September. Excellent Fanmade Film.Mike Dougherty and crew should be very proud! !

"Might have been the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one." -Mal

CHRISISALL

Monday, September 20, 2010 12:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TDBrown:
Mike Dougherty and crew should be very proud! !

Absolutely!

The laughing Chrisisall

STORYMARK

Monday, September 20, 2010 4:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
We CAN'T be the only ones who've seen this...

WTFelgercarb?

The impatient Chrisisall

Mine shipped Saturday. I'm sure I'll be adding to the conversation in a day or two.

"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."

HOTFIX

Monday, September 20, 2010 6:27 PM

I'm the captain's real life husband, and a person who has put in more than his fair share of time and resources into the project. I normally don't respond to things about B:R, but I couldn't help responding to your review.

Quote:

Cons:
Not enough close ups (I wanted to SEE the actors a little more).
Sound was inconsistent at times.
No space battle.

and

Quote:

I have to add, upon thinkin' on it, that it wasn't that there weren't close ups, rather that when there were, they seemed rather flatly lit. Nothing $10,000 in lights & grips couldn'ta fixed.

Those are all fair dings.

The close ups/lighting issue is what it is. Everything on this project was volunteer based, and we didn't get donated professional lighting assistance until the very very end of shooting. We learned a LOT doing this project, and if there is another movie made I garuntee you things will be done to a much higher level of quality based upon our collective experiences. Random example: A software update was released after we finished shooting for the Red One camera we were using, and it supposedly shows hot spots that we weren't aware of at the time of shooting.
We may be able to fix some of the lighting issues with color correction if we release a "director's cut" or something like that down the road (no promises).

Sound... I won't go into the details but things didn't come together at the last second with the sound editing like we had hoped. I personally think this is the biggest flaw of the movie (if we were going to list flaws), but it isn't as bad as some Hollywood made B movies I have seen (I think that's a good thing

). Again we may be able to fix some of this if we release a "director's cut" or something like that down the road (again no promises).

No space battle - yeah I hear you, it would have been nice. We were fortunate enough to get the graphics work donated by http://www.neo-fx.com/ that we did. I think if we had inserted a space battle it might have caused heads to explode.

All in all for a movie that was put together by a bunch of people who had never done this sort of thing before, and just about everything was donated as there was no real capital raised for the project, I am personally really impressed with it (even though I was a part of it).
I am hopeful not many people will watch it thinking they are getting Serenity 2, because we didn't have the experience or budget of Universal or even Fox for that matter. Conversely I don't think a person who has never made their own movie knows how truly difficult it is or everything that goes into it (I know I didn't), so they might not appreciate the movie as much as someone who has.

The best thing people can do if they enjoyed the movie is to spread the word. We don't have any budget for commercials or "normal" advertising, so everything we have done to get the word out so far has been completely self propelled (going to Cons, getting on fan sites, etc...).
The Writer/Director has promised that if we move 32,000 units in a year that he will make a sequel (I think that's the number of Serenity collector's editions that moved the first weekend it went on sale, so it's not an unreasonable number to reach).

So please keep spreading the word!

CHRISISALL

Monday, September 20, 2010 7:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HotFix:

All in all for a movie that was put together by a bunch of people who had never done this sort of thing before, and just about everything was donated as there was no real capital raised for the project, I am personally really impressed with it (even though I was a part of it).

Great to hear from you!
I am an amateur film-maker from way back (even did stunt work on some actual released movies), and I have to say that for peeps that never did this sort of thing before, you all turned out an AMAZING product! I had assumed the director had been a film-maker just out of film school or something.
I personally have never made a full-length feature before (a half-hour has been my longest), but I grasp the cinematic mountain you all had to climb to get there.
I noticed in the credits that everyone did everything. No luxury of letting the carpenter peeps handle the carpentry, the wardrobe peeps handle the wardrobe, etc.
From an old film person to new film peeps, I totally salute you.

And yeah, I'm trying to spread the word- we need more indie films out there, of all kinds.

The sincere Chrisisall

STORYMARK

Monday, September 20, 2010 7:19 PM

I'm with Chris. I haven't gotten a chance to watch yet, but I know what goes into a production, having worked on many micro-budget films myself. Just from the trailer I can tell a lot of work went into this. I look forward to checking it out.

"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."

CHRISISALL

Monday, September 20, 2010 7:22 PM

ALSO, I am a graphic artist, if you should need anything in the way of storyboards for your next one, DO NOT hesitate to ask me (if ya need it)!

The laughing Chrisisall

PIRATENEWS

Monday, September 20, 2010 7:54 PM

This thread be worthless without links:

http://browncoatsmovie.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1593655/

CHRISISALL

Monday, September 20, 2010 8:24 PM

Way to go John!

HOTFIX

Monday, September 20, 2010 9:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
I am an amateur film-maker from way back (even did stunt work on some actual released movies), and I have to say that for peeps that never did this sort of thing before, you all turned out an AMAZING product! I had assumed the director had been a film-maker just out of film school or something.
I personally have never made a full-length feature before (a half-hour has been my longest), but I grasp the cinematic mountain you all had to climb to get there.
I noticed in the credits that everyone did everything. No luxury of letting the carpenter peeps handle the carpentry, the wardrobe peeps handle the wardrobe, etc.
From an old film person to new film peeps, I totally salute you.

I totally laughed out loud when I saw the "I had assumed the director had been a film-maker just out of film school or something.". Mike is an awesome guy, and just like the rest of us took this seriously and rolled up his sleeves and read up and researched as much as anyone can for something they never did before. I remember seeing books at his house on how to write good scripts for example.
I will tell him your compliment and he will get a big kick out of it.

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
ALSO, I am a graphic artist, if you should need anything in the way of storyboards for your next one, DO NOT hesitate to ask me (if ya need it)!

Storyboards... the one thing we didn't do that we all wish we had done (said as one of the head construction guys who worked tirelessy on set pieces that never made it into a shot

). I will do my best to remember the offer when the point (hopefully) comes.

Just in case though - I am sure that if/when a sequel is launched we will have much wider coverage as far as putting the call for talent out since more and more people know about us every day. So assuming we get the sales we want, we will be organizing resources more efficiently and letting people know what roles we need populated.
The # 1 problem with organizing volunteer help we had was getting people to travel to Maryland on their own dime since we had no $$$. Still some stuff can be done remotely.

CHRISISALL

Monday, September 20, 2010 9:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HotFix:
Still some stuff can be done remotely.

Yeah, I couldn't make it down there on any consistent basis, but storyboards are just, like, send the script & get back the pretty pictures (I've also done comics).

The laughing Chrisisall

TDBROWN

Monday, September 20, 2010 10:09 PM

HMMMM.... Comics. This would make a Great one-shot Comic, or even a Comic Book Series. Maybe someone should nudge Dark Horse....?

"Might have been the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one." -Mal

HOTFIX

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 1:04 AM

Quote:
HMMMM.... Comics. This would make a Great one-shot Comic, or even a Comic Book Series. Maybe someone should nudge Dark Horse....?

Who says we haven't?

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 1:19 AM

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 1:31 AM

OH!! DO NOT LET me forget that the fight coordinator was PRIMO!!! He deserves a lot of credit for making the fights exciting & interesting.
Quite obviously a serious martial artist, as well as a gorram fine actor!

The Drunken Master Chrisisall

MIKEDINMD

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 3:15 PM

Awwe Hotfix took all my talking points. All I can say is a humbled "Thank you". We worked our asses off for two years for one moment, you watching the DVD, and this is the best sign of a time well spent and a job well done.

As Hotfix mentioned, this was the first time out the gate for a lot of us. I've got my list of things I want to improve on in the next one and I know the rest of the crew are ready to bring their A-Game back to the table. We just need to do what we set out to and move the DVD's for charity.

IF we can make half of our goal (the goal is 32,000 DVD's in one year which equals over a half a million dollars for charity) then, I promise you, we will start planning the sequel. There might even be a space battle.

With the help of the Browncoats doing what they do best, getting the word out, I'm confident we can make that goal happen.

Mike D.
Writer/Director
Browncoats: Redemption

SPACEJANITOR

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 7:07 PM

I watched it and my opinions on the whole thing were almost evenly split.

SOULOFSERENITY

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 7:33 PM

I have to say, I was highly entertained. For what you had to work with, you guys did an AMAZING job. I loved all of the in-jokes and references peppered throughout, and the cameos were a great surprise.

I only wish I had paid attention to the fact that this was being made in MY state! Well, there's always next time...

______________________

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."

CHRISISALL

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 7:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by MIKEDINMD:
There might even be a space battle.

Did I mention that I make models?

The Serenity is from scratch, put together on a whim (1/2 hour of work).

Think about it. CGI ain't the only way.

Just sayin'.

The laughing Chrisisall

NCBROWNCOAT

Thursday, September 23, 2010 1:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by HotFix:
Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
I am an amateur film-maker from way back (even did stunt work on some actual released movies), and I have to say that for peeps that never did this sort of thing before, you all turned out an AMAZING product! I had assumed the director had been a film-maker just out of film school or something.
I personally have never made a full-length feature before (a half-hour has been my longest), but I grasp the cinematic mountain you all had to climb to get there.
I noticed in the credits that everyone did everything. No luxury of letting the carpenter peeps handle the carpentry, the wardrobe peeps handle the wardrobe, etc.
From an old film person to new film peeps, I totally salute you.

I totally laughed out loud when I saw the "I had assumed the director had been a film-maker just out of film school or something.". Mike is an awesome guy, and just like the rest of us took this seriously and rolled up his sleeves and read up and researched as much as anyone can for something they never did before. I remember seeing books at his house on how to write good scripts for example.
I will tell him your compliment and he will get a big kick out of it.

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
ALSO, I am a graphic artist, if you should need anything in the way of storyboards for your next one, DO NOT hesitate to ask me (if ya need it)!

Storyboards... the one thing we didn't do that we all wish we had done (said as one of the head construction guys who worked tirelessy on set pieces that never made it into a shot ). I will do my best to remember the offer when the point (hopefully) comes.
Just in case though - I am sure that if/when a sequel is launched we will have much wider coverage as far as putting the call for talent out since more and more people know about us every day. So assuming we get the sales we want, we will be organizing resources more efficiently and letting people know what roles we need populated.
The # 1 problem with organizing volunteer help we had was getting people to travel to Maryland on their own dime since we had no $$$. Still some stuff can be done remotely.

I traveled from NC to Maryland last April for the park shoot. There were 4 of us from NC and we had the best time. Meeting Mike and the rest of the cast and crew and having many "Browncoat Moments". I would do it again in a minute!

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

CHRISISALL

Thursday, September 23, 2010 2:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ncbrowncoat:

I traveled from NC to Maryland last April for the park shoot. There were 4 of us from NC and we had the best time. Meeting Mike and the rest of the cast and crew and having many "Browncoat Moments". I would do it again in a minute!

Yeah, I'd go for one day to do a crowd scene or just a good fight scene or something!

The laughing Chrisisall

STILLFLYIN2

Friday, September 24, 2010 12:04 AM

In addition to all the nice things said before, Redemption was just plain fun to watch!

CHRISISALL

Friday, September 24, 2010 12:30 AM

YES!

The laughing Chrisisall

OUT2THEBLACK

Saturday, September 25, 2010 3:46 AM

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 ?

Also , massive seconds to all the appreciatin' going on around here !

I had large expectations , which I always scrupulously avoid , based only upon the trailers and 'making of' videos that I'd seen...

...and I was still shocked and awed by how great Redemption turned out to be !

I figured we'd get 45 minutes , like a Firefly episode , if we were fortunate. And , it was ALL GREAT !

Ass-picious Double Happiness ! We got twice that , and the quality was amazing , all things taken into consideration...

To all the gang who had a part in the doing of this job , your fellow Browncoats are in your debt ,
and we are loving the way that you are keeping us in the air...

All the actors were notable , but like many of the guys 'round here , I am so carrying a fire in my reactor for Miriam Pultro right now...Whoa , howdy , Miss ! I'd fly with you anywhere ,'Pete'!

Thanks to Chris for starting the thread , bringing the comments , and especially the new pics of our sweetie. (mutt999 , too!)

OUT2THEBLACK

Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mutt999:
She's right behind Wash and River for my favorite pilots!

Oh , good !

In that case , I'll be right behind Pete...

WISHIMAY

Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:18 AM

I couldn't watch most of the show at the Shindig as I was busy eyeballin' the critters, but my other half did raise a fine point about the homosexual scandal thing and wondering if that would really be an issue 400 years in the future, what with the whole "space whore" aspect and apparently same-sex liasons being pretty commonplace? Not sure what would've fit there, but ?? Gay joke just seemed out of place, is all...

Did manage to catch the ending, and am pretty sure that'll be a standard phrase around here, so that's somethin'.

SPACEJANITOR

Saturday, September 25, 2010 5:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Wishimay:
...my other half did raise a fine point about the homosexual scandal thing...

Scandal?

WISHIMAY

Saturday, September 25, 2010 2:03 PM

Did you see it yet? I can't tell you if you didn't sees it yet!

SPACEJANITOR

Saturday, September 25, 2010 2:33 PM

I did see it. Watched it with a small gathering of friends.

WISHIMAY

Saturday, September 25, 2010 2:52 PM

Ok, near the end when "The Politician" was at the press conference and someone made certain accusations...

Trying to be vague without being spoiler-y here!

SPACEJANITOR

Saturday, September 25, 2010 3:43 PM

Oh yeah. I remember that now.

CHRISISALL

Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by out2theblack:
I had large expectations , which I always scrupulously avoid , based only upon the trailers and 'making of' videos that I'd seen...

...and I was still shocked and awed by how great Redemption turned out to be !

I figured we'd get 45 minutes , like a Firefly episode , if we were fortunate. And , it was ALL GREAT !

Not bad for a gorram FIRST EFFORT, eh??????
i still can't believe that

...and the cameos, whoah-ho!!

The laughing Chrisisall

SPACEJANITOR

Saturday, September 25, 2010 6:05 PM

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?

CHRISISALL

Saturday, September 25, 2010 6:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Spacejanitor:
Was Adam just filmed against a wall at a convention in whatever shirt he just happened to have on?

Mess on deck 4. Spacejanitor; mess on deck 4.

AURAPTOR

Sunday, September 26, 2010 3:53 AM

Redemption for ...Redemption?

Yeps. Pretty much.

To the point. I liked it. Wasn't real use to the whole 'fan movie' thing, and yeah, it was rough around the edges, but holy crap... I did like the story.

What I liked -

Big damn cameos. Had no idea there'd be ..well, any such shiny drop ins!!

More actual Chinese ( and all sorts of folk ) in the future 'verse. I'm not faulting Joss one bit, for what the suits and Hollywood confining him to in terms of cast, but man..... that was nicely done.

Sorry, I got to... Captain Matthews and her ample... tracks of land ? Unbelievable eye candy. There, I said it.

Did I mention the cameos ?

I loved what they did with the crew. The composition, with the deal maker and the 'security'....brilliant.

Great lines, particularly - " Make it so?. Who talks like that ? " !!!!!!

"Pete". The camera REALLY liked her too. She reminded me of a young Selma Blair ( Hellboy, Legally Blonde )

Awesome exterior f/x. No foolin', that was a real treat.

Now, what I didn't care for...

'Some' of the writing. Might be because of the sound and camera issues, and the editing , but much of the'feel' of what was going on was simply lost. Now, to be fair, I DID like the characters, the crew especially, but some of their words and such were kinda.... lost. And as was mentioned, we didn't get enough tight shots. Takes more work to plan and edit a scene where you zoom in on each character.

Little things, like the flight deck of " Remy ". What was that late 20th century pile of coils and wires on the back wall ?

And, some head scratchin' stuff....

Gray and Jack. Were they suppose to be 'sly'? Not that there's anything wrong with that....in fact, it'd seem right normal.( Least in most parts of the 'verse.) Jack seemed to go either way, and Gray seemed to enjoy his fruity 'she' drink, but then again, I wasn't sure what to make of them.

I'd love to see these folks try something again, with a bit more time and , of course, money. Proper camera work , some more fleshed out interior sets, and there's something worthy of FOX cancelling after just 1 show !

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

SPACEJANITOR

Sunday, September 26, 2010 8:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Mess on deck 4. Spacejanitor; mess on deck 4.

I'm going to assume from here on forward that you won't hear anything that contradicts the love of all things Redemption. That said, I hope they sell a million copies of this thing for the charities and make another film, whether I like it or not.

AURAPTOR

Sunday, September 26, 2010 8:23 PM

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.

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

CHRISISALL

Sunday, September 26, 2010 10:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Spacejanitor:

I'm going to assume from here on forward that you won't hear anything that contradicts the love of all things Redemption.

Nah, just my lame attempt at humour is all.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, September 28, 2010 10:50 PM

Mike, is it known if Joss has seen it??

The totally curious Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 2:15 AM

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).

SPACEJANITOR

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 7:06 PM

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.

MIKEDINMD

Thursday, September 30, 2010 1:40 PM

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.

MIKEDINMD

Thursday, September 30, 2010 1:49 PM

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

MIKEDINMD

Thursday, September 30, 2010 1:53 PM

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.

MIKEDINMD

Thursday, September 30, 2010 2:00 PM

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.

PENNAUSAMIKE

Thursday, September 30, 2010 2:17 PM

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

MENDUR

Thursday, September 30, 2010 4:36 PM

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

STORYMARK

Thursday, September 30, 2010 7:03 PM

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."

SPACEJANITOR

Thursday, September 30, 2010 7:09 PM

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.

MIKEDINMD

Friday, October 1, 2010 1:10 AM

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

CHRISISALL

Monday, October 4, 2010 12:37 AM

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

AURAPTOR

Tuesday, October 5, 2010 1:21 AM

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."

STORYMARK

Tuesday, October 5, 2010 2:08 AM

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."

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, October 5, 2010 2:15 AM

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

SOULOFSERENITY

Tuesday, October 5, 2010 1:54 PM

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."

MENDUR

Monday, October 11, 2010 4:22 PM

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

SHEPHERD_RICK

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 5:48 AM

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

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

LEMMING

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 3:34 PM

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>

COLT999

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 6:38 PM

Just ordered today. Looking forward to watching it.

MICJWELCH

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 9:26 PM

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

CHRISISALL

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 1:00 AM

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

SHEPHERD_RICK

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 7:11 AM

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."

OUT2THEBLACK

Saturday, January 29, 2011 6:23 AM

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.

SHEPHERD_RICK

Friday, February 4, 2011 11:19 AM

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).

OREOISFIREFLY

Saturday, February 5, 2011 1:30 AM

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.

SHEPHERD_RICK

Sunday, February 6, 2011 5:46 AM

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