Help Support Indie American Tokusatsu!

jfreedan said:

At this point I think you either didn't look at the project...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1393473826/deathfist-ninja-gkaiser-a-superhero-webshow-for-yo

Click to expand...

That vid is just you guys talking about needing more money and a storyboard. Why not make an actual pilot episode first before trying to beg for money?

Papercut said:

See! that's the problem. You're asking for my money and then saying 'waaah you dont' care ;__;'. Clearly I cared enough to write a big post so try and sell your project!

Argh.
Nevermind.

You're not after a magic solution. You all need to get jobs and save money -and no, most TV show pilots aren't funded by a union, they're funded by a network after a product is sold to them successfully.

Either that or a film grant council or EVEN bank loans.

Thats why you hear about a pilot being commissioned, and then a full series if that pilot is successful.

Except for a web-series, which is funded from the pockets of the people making it, at least for the pilot.

You talk about how much money you're putting into it? Go and whine to James Cawley and co. over at 'Star Trek Phase II'. They've been making a real labour of love to a show (and the genre) with money entirely from their own pockets.

You have to spend money to make money, it's how the industry works.
Again, stop asking for hand outs.

Click to expand...

Bank loans. Okay.

You do not work in this industry. Had you worked in this industry you would never have said bank loans.

Everyone in the project has a day job except me. I just finished a full time semester. Before that I've worked in retail and private security. Before that I served in the Army for five years as an infantryman. Please do not insinuate that I or anyone in the crew are lazy.

I'm applying for jobs right now that I'm not in school-- jobs in the film industry--but I have student loans, car loans, rent and misc. other things to also pay for.

Could I, over a period of years, save up enough to make it? Sure.

Over a matter of years, and that probably means assembling a whole new crew again because if I do as you dictate-- give up-- they are not going to trust me to ever again. They know the situation isn't picture perfect and are still giving it their all. I'm doing the same and you're attempt to talk me out of it is not helpful to the cause.

You seem to be under the mistaken idea that this is a one-sided deal. It's not like I'm asking for money to go to Las Vegas or something; I'm trying to make a web show for people to watch. People like the pledgers. People like you.

Do they want to see the show we're making?

If yes, they pledge.
If they don't, they don't.

Why you're making this into some kind of attack on our work ethic, I just don't know. You honestly have no idea what you're talking about. No one who makes films is lazy. It's by no means the hardest job I've ever done in my life but it's definitely harder than any civilian job I've done.

You say I should convince you to pledge after you have taken what little and incorrect knowledge you have about the film industry and lectured me with it. You've told me and my crew to just get jobs as if we've never worked a day in our lives.

I've had lots of arguments with people like you. It's not terribly productive. I honestly shouldn't have even bothered posting about the project here again and just continued to lurk.


If you can't see the potential, then you can't see the potential. I think we've put together a pretty good video demonstrating we can do it and that gives a good idea what to expect from the show.

If anyone has any legitimate questions that isn't just flame-baiting, you can contact me through my Youtube account. Even if you can't donate and are just curious about the project, I'll be happy to answer your questions.

http://www.youtube.com/jfreedan

jfreedan said:

Bank loans. Okay.

You do not work in this industry. Had you worked in this industry you would never have said bank loans.

Everyone in the project has a day job except me. I just finished a full time semester. Before that I've worked in retail and private security. Before that I served in the Army for five years as an infantryman. Please do not insinuate that I or anyone in the crew are lazy.

I'm applying for jobs right now that I'm not in school-- jobs in the film industry--but I have student loans, car loans, rent and misc. other things to also pay for.

Could I, over a period of years, save up enough to make it? Sure.

Over a matter of years, and that probably means assembling a whole new crew again because if I do as you dictate-- give up-- they are not going to trust me to ever again. They know the situation isn't picture perfect and are still giving it their all. I'm doing the same and you're attempt to talk me out of it is not helpful to the cause.

You seem to be under the mistaken idea that this is a one-sided deal. It's not like I'm asking for money to go to Las Vegas or something; I'm trying to make a web show for people to watch. People like the pledgers. People like you.

Do they want to see the show we're making?

If yes, they pledge.
If they don't, they don't.

Why you're making this into some kind of attack on our work ethic, I just don't know. You honestly have no idea what you're talking about.

You say I should convince you to pledge after you have taken what little and incorrect knowledge you have about the film industry and lectured me with it. You've told me and my crew to just get jobs as if we've never worked a day in our lives.

I've had lots of arguments with people like you. It's not terribly productive. I honestly shouldn't have even bothered posting about the project here again and just continued to lurk.


If you can't see the potential, then you can't see the potential. I think we've put together a pretty good video demonstrating we can do it and that gives a good idea what to expect from the show.

If anyone has any legitimate questions that isn't just flame-baiting, you can contact me through my Youtube account.

http://www.youtube.com/jfreedan

Click to expand...

Don't work in this industry? Excuse me, but **** you.

I've made videos seen across the North East of the UK with higher budgets than $6000. I've also worked on 'Flog It', which may not sound fantastic but it's seen in homes across the entire of Great Britain, is created by the BBC (I'm on their records, more than you can say) and gets a massively bigger audience than your shitty little project ever will!

I'm actually about to go off and study sequential art, games design and animation instead, as it's so hard to find funding for a film project at the moment.

Don't tell someone who's more successful than you in the industry you work in (at a younger age, might i add) that they don't work in the industry.

You've had lots of arguments with people like me because your project is nothing but a rip-off of other things whilst claiming to be 'homage' and honestly in the storyboards I see potential but now I see that you're just an ass and it needs a lot of work and you putting more than just time into it before you get a decent result.

Protip; when you're trying to sell something don't call it something + something.

Say;

Gkaiser is a blah blah and SELL IT TO ME.

Clearly you're no industry professional, and I shouldn't of bothered posting in your topic. Nobody is going to donate the $1000 you want. It makes me laugh that you've somehow scraped $5000 off of your 'required budget' too in a matter of months.

No big deal though right? You don't know what you're doing -you're just an amateur.

Papercut said:

Don't work in this industry? Excuse me, but **** you.

Click to expand...

Yeah, **** me. Right.

#1) You said to get a bank loan. Banks do not give loans for film. Period. They do not. They are too high risk. If you don't believe me call up a few banks yourself and just ask what their policy is concerning loans for films. I've checked it out myself.

#2) Videogame industry investing is even higher risk than the film industry. Good luck with that.

#3) "X meets X" is very, very common way to give people a rough idea of the film you're trying to make.

I would love to know what you actually did on the BBC2 equivalent of Antique Roadshow and how that qualifies you to talk about how to produce anything like this. I also find it very interesting that you neglected to mention what you did on the show.

Maybe you've had a mild amount of experience working in the industry as a PA or something entry level, but you're sure pretty damn ignorant about the industry overall and not one who should be giving advice.

Either way, it doesn't matter because you jumped into this thread with no desire to do anything but troll. That was evident by your first post.

I'm spending too much time trying to defend myself against childish crap. This really is the last reply.

jfreedan said:

Yeah, **** me. Right.

#1) You said to get a bank loan. Banks do not give loans for film. Period. They do not. They are too high risk. If you don't believe me call up a few banks yourself and just ask what their policy is concerning loans for films. I've checked it out myself.

#2) Videogame industry investing is even higher risk than the film industry. Good luck with that.

#3) "X meets X" is very, very common way to give people a rough idea of the film you're trying to make.

I would love to know what you actually did on the BBC2 equivalent of Antique Roadshow and how that qualifies you to talk about how to produce anything like this. I also find it very interesting that you neglected to mention what you did on the show.

Maybe you've had a mild amount of experience working in the industry as a PA or something entry level, but you're sure pretty damn ignorant about the industry overall and not one who should be giving advice.

Either way, it doesn't matter because you jumped into this thread with no desire to do anything but troll. That was evident by your first post.

I'm spending too much time trying to defend myself against childish crap. This really is the last reply.

Click to expand...

Except I came into the thread trying to see what you had to offer, NOT to troll -and the answer is nothing. Since when have I ever been a HJU Troll, by the way? I just think the way you're going about things is ridiculous.

You're correct I may of worked for the BBC at entry level, but that's more experience than you have working with a big television company like the BBC and with such a company you nearly ALWAYS start at entry level. -and no, it wasn't a job as a PA. It HAS however had more viewers than anything you've worked on, ever.

Not to mention I was Exectuive Producer on the other project I mentioned.

Anyway moving on, as I don't think I have to justify my work experience to some ex-squaddie who thinks he can make a film with other peoples money.

and yes, you CAN get a bank loan for film, well- at least here in the UK.

and no, X + X is not a viable means of giving someone a feel. What you could of put is something along the lines of;

'GKaiser is an imaginative superhero movie based upon the ideals and styles of the Japanese tokusatsu superhero genre of film, comparative in visual style to Bryan O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim versus. the World.'

That immediately seems more professional and gives people more faith in you. I give up anyway, I can't be bothered getting flamed by some unprofessional amateur film maker who won't accept advice or criticism any-more.

Thanks for the good luck on the games industry thing --it's not so hard to get into really, again you start at ground level and then when people have faith in you you HAVE funding. It's how everything works and when I do get around to making my own projects I'll spend money to make money.

I'm out. Learn to take criticism and advice, stop begging and good luck. It needs a lot of work.

EDIT; and don't call me unqualified, I have a freaking degree in the subject, so if anything from impressions YOU'RE the unqualified one.

I feel threatened by you? Hardly. I realize that I'm a lowly amateur filmmaker at this point and I have no regrets about that, nor do I take any offense if anyone calls me that. All of my films at this point are experiments of some sort because I choose to work this way.

You want me to show you something on the level of the original Ultraman? I can't. I don't have anything like that yet. But you know, neither do you. You have nothing to show us that proves you are really capable of making the film/series that you say you're going to make. Or if you do have something, you haven't bothered actually showing us yet. The shameless Scott Pilgrim knock-off doesn't count.

With all this equipment and software you keep saying you guys have access to, I don't see why it's such a horribly difficult task to set Gkaiser to the side for a bit and put together a ten-minute film filled with as much awesome as you can muster on a tiny budget. Figure out how to do some really solid effects on the cheap (which can be done, even though you're going to tell me how utterly expensive everything you want to do is), get really creative with your lighting and cinematography, etc. That's the kind of thing that I think the vast majority of us would like to see and might actually convince us to give you money.

I can't speak for everyone here but I'm fairly certain that no one around these parts is going to donate based on what you've shown us. If you're asking for money to make an effects piece, show us a film that proves you're capable of making an effects piece. Basically, make a smaller effects piece, not a mediocre emulation of a vastly superior film. Your other option is to quit asking for money with no proof that you deserve it and prove us all wrong anyway.

I am a fan of this genre and I would love to support more American indie projects but my money is limited and I want to give it to projects that look worthwhile. Sorry to say, Gkaiser does not look worthwhile. If offering what I thought was constructive criticism and advice counts as burning bridges, then so be it. I don't feel at fault for that.

Daikamonohashi said:

I feel threatened by you? Hardly. I realize that I'm a lowly amateur filmmaker at this point and I have no regrets about that, nor do I take any offense if anyone calls me that. All of my films at this point are experiments of some sort because I choose to work this way.

You want me to show you something on the level of the original Ultraman? I can't. I don't have anything like that yet. But you know, neither do you. You have nothing to show us that proves you are really capable of making the film/series that you say you're going to make. Or if you do have something, you haven't bothered actually showing us yet. The shameless Scott Pilgrim knock-off doesn't count.

With all this equipment and software you keep saying you guys have access to, I don't see why it's such a horribly difficult task to set Gkaiser to the side for a bit and put together a ten-minute film filled with as much awesome as you can muster on a tiny budget. Figure out how to do some really solid effects on the cheap (which can be done, even though you're going to tell me how utterly expensive everything you want to do is), get really creative with your lighting and cinematography, etc. That's the kind of thing that I think the vast majority of us would like to see and might actually convince us to give you money.

I can't speak for everyone here but I'm fairly certain that no one around these parts is going to donate based on what you've shown us. If you're asking for money to make an effects piece, show us a film that proves you're capable of making an effects piece. Basically, make a smaller effects piece, not a mediocre emulation of a vastly superior film. Your other option is to quit asking for money with no proof that you deserve it and prove us all wrong anyway.

I am a fan of this genre and I would love to support more American indie projects but my money is limited and I want to give it to projects that look worthwhile. Sorry to say, Gkaiser does not look worthwhile. If offering what I thought was constructive criticism and advice counts as burning bridges, then so be it. I don't feel at fault for that.

Click to expand...

I agree with everything you've said here, as I was saying the same earlier on.

If he made a short piece to showcase his skills, people might be more willing to help him. Instead he'd rather attack the other film-makers giving him advice and criticism.

and personally I think your series has charm, and improves by the episode. If I had more time I'd offer to help out with scripting and effects, but sadly I'm too busy lately.

Seriously, JFreedan - Look up Star Trek Phase II or Return of the Ghostbusters to see how a film project where you expect to make money from the fans of something should be done. They didn't ask for donations, are of high quality + by professionals and asked for donations AFTER they were done.

The only response you're likely to receive here is 'you gotta spend money to make money and none of us are going to be making money, so why would we spend it?'

Prove you're good at this stuff and THEN ask. It'd be like going to apply for a job in the games industry with no prior experience, no qualification and no portfolio --you aren't going to get the job.

Hey, guys, can we please keep things civil in here? Would hate to have to lock this thread.

Just out of curiosity, I did a quick google search to see what the buzz for your project was elsewhere and I was very amused to come across this thread, in which a bunch of people basically gave you the exact sort of advice we've been trying to drive into you for the past seven pages or so. And, go figure, you responded to them in the same, defensive way.

You realize that you're turning off your potential investors this way, right? All of us are people who might be willing to donate money but we have honest, legitimate concerns with the product you're trying to sell us and you're doing absolutely nothing to try and persuade us otherwise. Quite the opposite, in fact.

And for someone who is trying to come off as a serious filmmaker, it's hard to take you seriously when your YouTube channel is filled with things like this and this and the best film you've shown us to date is a haphazard aping of Scott Pilgrim. I'll ask you again: can you really blame us?

Wow. Those videos. :l
You're a horrible person, Jfreedan.

You actually scare children. It's unforgivable when you don't even show remorse about it.