Because the time has finally arrived when every person can make a movie that stands on par with anything that the major studios can produce.
Seriously. Think about it: high-def consumer camcorders are now inexpensive and with some equally affordable editing software and a lil' bit of know-how, the finished footage can look extremely cinematic. Can't compose a note of music? Ask around on the 'net for talented folks to help you out (hey, it's what I'm doing with a project now :-)
Thanks to the web and broadband, practically the entire world becomes a fully-equipped studio and post-production facility right at your fingertips. There's no longer any reason not to make the movie you have always dreamed of.
And as of today, a group of dedicated fans of J.R.R. Tolkien have proven that premise in spectacularly gorgeous fashion.
The Hunt for Gollum is a 40-minute long movie that had its online premiere earlier this afternoon. It's directed, co-written and executive produced by Chris Bouchard, who coordinated a worldwide effort involving 160 people to make the film a reality.
Adapted from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Hunt for Gollum expands upon Gandalf's recounting to Frodo earlier in the novel the tale of how Gollum eventually went looking for the One Ring, before the vile creature was tracked down in the wilderness and captured by Aragorn.
That's all you need to know before you start watching The Hunt for Gollum, because the film is so utterly amazing and tremendous an achievement, that I don't dare spoil anything else for you. Well, I can tell you that the cinematography is a feast for the eyes, and it's obviously styled after the look that Peter Jackson came up with for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
Okay, I'll tease ya with this: yeah, you see Gollum. Chris Bouchard and his friends didn't "cheat" either. Maybe someone should make a fan film about The Hunt for Gollum crew breaking and entering into WETA so that they can CGI-render Gollum on the sly :-)
So... want to see it for yourself? Click here to watch The Hunt for Gollum in high-def or standard quality. And prepare to be amazed, friends and neighbors.
And to Chris Bouchard and his staff: very well done!! Y'all deserve nothing but the highest of praise for what you have done :-)
I agree that this is truly exceptional as far as fan fiction goes, and that the "look" of the film is a dead ringer for the Jackson/LOTR franchise.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do think the piece has a lot of limitations. Thematically, it's only a footnote to the main series, as the 40-minutes is almost entirely bereft of the more profound dialogue and sweeping themes that punctuates Tolkien. There are no great lines such as Gandalf's famous reply to Frodo about "what to do with the time we are given."
As such, this is more of an impressive diversion and curiosity to me than an important addition to our understanding of the series.
That's something that I noticed too. But I'm willing to over look it 'cuz hey, who can ever write like Tolkien, except Tolkien? :-)
ReplyDeleteAs a fleshing out of a minor foot note in the Appendix, I really, REALLY enjoyed this. I thought it was exceptionally well done too, especially so for a fan film. Thanks for posting it, and I look forward to seeing the other fan film that is in production about Aragorn's parents.
ReplyDeleteAhhh....Tolkein. Thank God for blessing humanity with him.