Slashdot Mirror
Lucas Restricts Fan-Made Films To Documentaries, Parodies
garagekubrick writes: "A great piece at the Houston Chronicle discusses how the community of fan made Star Wars films received a boon in December when Lucasfilm loaned their sponsorship to the event, and George Lucas himself would be a judge. Unfortunately, they've limited the contest to parodies and documentaries, thereby shutting out hundreds of entries. As a Lucas rep says, 'if in fact somebody is using our characters to create a story unto itself, that's not in the spirit of what we think fandom is about. Fandom is about celebrating the story the way it is.' Pretty rich coming from the filmmaker who constantly cites greed as being the root of the dark side, and who keeps discussing the liberating values of digital filmmaking. Guess as long as it doesn't hurt his Empire..."
Slashbot Fun Time Frolics
Simply copy n' paste your favourite expression into a post!
Maybe he's worried someone else will make a movie with Jar Jar in it...
.sig
Maybe he's worried someone else will make a movie with Jar Jar in it...
Wait, that's what I thought *we* were worried about...
"if in fact somebody is using our characters to create a story unto itself, that's not in the spirit of what we think fandom is about. Fandom is about celebrating the story the way it is."
Remember kids - when you use your *imagination*, only use it to twist your favorite characters, like Big Bird, into ironic circumstances, where they do something you'd never expect of them.
Otherwise, you could be hurting their value as characters.
Have fun kids!
;^)
Ryan Fenton
Why am I suddenly getting the image of George Lucas and Hilary Rosen on a date, discussing how to completely dominate the entertainment industry and control every possible use of the content they produce, complete with evil laughter, creepy background music, and a slow fade to black, followed by narration setting the scene for a rebellion against an all-powerful enemy? Will there be another Star Wars film contest next year?
One fan film, Darth Vader: The Rudy Pirany Story, was accepted by the contest after its director, Victor Martin, agreed to edit out scenes in which his protagonist -- an actor with a permanent Darth Vader mask who can't find work after Star Wars -- buys cocaine from Yoda and takes a role in a pornography movie.
;)
Yup, i have a sneaking suspicion that this closely mirrors the Plot of the upcoming Episode 3
Why I hope someone submits the complete Episode I in this contest:
1) It's a great documentary about filmmakers after they lose their talent and get greedy.
2) It'a a terrific parody of the Star Wars series. If a student filmmaker had made this, Jar Jar Binks would have been hysterical, not insulting.
3) The quality of directing was that of a student parody. After all, no one's done those cheesy side-to-side wipe-away scene changes since... well, since Star Wars.
4) The acting was so bad, it was obvious that the actors weren't being paid anything. Not to mention I'm sure Anakin was the casting agent's grandkid or something.
5) You walked out of the theater thinking, "Man, that sucked, but the guy's got potential. Maybe someone will give him a chance someday."
modern choral music...
I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further.
Begun this parody has.
And put it at the beginning of the phantom edit.
Have you read the moderator guidelines? Well, have you, PUNK? (and I want a Karma: Gnarly option)
Fandom is about celebrating the story the way it is.
It sounds like Lucas is trying to avoid the fandom menace.
Sometime's I just kill me.
"Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes."
-E. W. Dijkstra
Nah, the kids will just be in violation of the Toy Usage Agreement (TUA) on the back of the box that was assumed on opening the box. You know, the one that reads, "Should you violate the Agreement, LucasArts (or any agency working on behalf of LucasArts) reserves the right to reposess your toy." Using the toy you bought in any way you want is a privilege, not a right.
The PTUA (Proper Toy Use Alliance) will then be formed to go around offering to "discuss" proper toy use and its downfalls with parents, slapping them with audits, and threatening to sue if they don't comply with paying for the new toy license on toys they didn't bother saving the boxes on.
Elementary schools will eventually be forced to offer the infamous "Mattel Tax" and increase their requirements by $500 per student (passed on to the Tax Payer for public schools).
But no well-thinking business-oriented government would allow such a rediculous thing to happen, right?
This now concludes our broadcast day.
Return of the Jar Jar Clones?!
... brrrrrrr ...
Imagine the whole thing with Back street boys as the only human actors plus gazillions of animated JJs
orangeguru
Star Wars Episode III: "I wipe my ass with your money"
Comparing it to Windows will be a moot point, since El Dorado is going to have a 40% larger code base than XP.
So maybe Lucas doesn't want to weaken his trademarks on Star Wars characters.. because once those are gone, get ready to see the unauthorized Jar-Jar Binks Toilet Paper. You know damn well it'd be the best selling toilet paper ever.
That Jesus Christ guy is getting some terrible lag... it took him 3 days to respawn! -NJ CoolBreeze
..A certain acquaintance of mine from running around and insisting he's a Jedi, I'm all for it.
Is Lucas money-hungry? More than likely.
Should he be doing things like this? Absolutely.
What happens if When Clones Attack!, er, Attack of the Clones comes out, and say they have a character named Bob..
Say Bob seems an awful like Jimmy Joe Fredguy's fan character.
They stole Jimmy Joe Fredguy's work! Sue Lucas! Sue Lucas! Sue Lucas! Those bastards!
Considering the whack jobs out there today, looking to steal IP and then profit from it, I could see this happening rather easily.
Lucas, good for you. I may despise you for all eternity for the travesty that is the Phantom Menace (Darth Maul? What the hell kind of name was that?!).. But I salute you for ensuring that you might one day create a new film worthy of the original trilogy.
Nah, by that time the kid would have been recorded by the mandatory 'Citizen Lifestyle Compliance' cameras installed through private residences by the Federal Government.
//ct
So technically it's the government who's producing this unauthorized fanfiction.
So let Lucas & US Gov't duke it out in court - by that time Lucas will have enough $ from royalties to make it an interesting showdown.