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LoTR Fan Film — The Hunt For Gollum

Posted by timothy on from the is-gollum-even-in-season? dept.

stevedcc writes "This weekend sees the release of The Hunt for Gollum, a Lord of the Rings fan-film. It'll be available on the web for free. The BBC are running an article about the making of the film, with a budget of £3,000 (spent mostly on costumes and make-up). There were 160 contributors involved, many over the internet." I hope it lives up to the trailer (linked from the BBC story); the finished film is approximately 40 minutes. memoryhole supplies links to YouTube for both the full trailer and a second trailer. Reader jowifi adds a link to NPR's story on the film, writing, "NPR discussed the legality of this type of creation with EFF lawyer Fred Von Lohman, who said it's not clear if such a production violates the copyright for Tolkien's work."

10 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Seems like Tolkien is playing nice. by FlyingBishop · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We got in touch with Tolkien Enterprises and reached an understanding with them that as long as we are completely non-profit then we're okay. We have to be careful not to disrespect their ownership of the intellectual property. They are supportive of the way fans wish to express their enthusiasm.

    Looks like tim is trolling just a bit.

    Though, in general, LotR should be public domain. It's a definite part of our cultural heritage, and these sort of copyright issues are about as insulting as someone claiming copyright on the Shakespeare Canon.

    1. Re:Seems like Tolkien is playing nice. by Ren.Tamek · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Indeed. When Tolkein set about writing LotR his specific aim was to write an english folklore of our very own, since what we had was very disjointed compared to the strength of norse and roman myths. I think he would find the idea of one company 'owning' his work to be totally against the central idea behind his work. Myths are there to be told and retold.

      Unfortunately, we can't ask him as he has been dead 36 years now. The idea that anyone might own the sole rights to something written by a man long dead is definitely a strange one to get your head around.

      --
      "If you want a vision of the future, Winston, imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever." - George Orwell, 1984
    2. Re:Seems like Tolkien is playing nice. by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Interesting
      It is a part of our cultural heritage only because Tolkien chose to create it and to publish it --- on his own terms.

      Then again, its position as a major part of our cultural heritage is in quite some part because pirate publishers in the US printed it without Tolkien's permission, following a tradition of American respect for copyrights going back at least to Dickens; the first paperback edition was entirely unauthorised. And cheap.

      As a result it became hugely popular over there in the 1960s - the reason for a generation of hippie children called things like Pippin Galadriel Moonchild, and graffiti all over the place saying FRODO LIVES. Without that it would likely be a much more obscure work to this day.

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
    3. Re:Seems like Tolkien is playing nice. by flyingsquid · · Score: 5, Funny

      Nasty, nasty fanses! The fanses violates the preciouss.... the preciousss copyrightses!

  2. Re:Skeptical by ushering05401 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm a bit skeptical of the movie. I guess the reason I loved the movie series was the basis on the books (given it wasn't 100% accurately followed). With no great input from J.R.R., it will be interesting to see what direction this goes in.

    Do you realize the Peter Jackson movies were made without input from JRR, as he has been dead for some time?

    Hopefully the fan films will be made by people who have actually read the books they are translating to film.

    I read the trilogy + pretty much everything released by Tolkien's estate through the years. I am still trying to figure out what books the Peter Jackson movies were based on.

  3. Re:Skeptical by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The cool thing about fan films and fan series is that you don't have to like them or even watch them if you don't wish.

    As opposed to big budget Hollywood films where you better watch 'em, and you better like 'em, or else some guy comes for your knee caps?

  4. Re:Skeptical by Bobb9000 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, I think the GP meant that the story of the Lord of the Rings is pretty well delineated in canon, so Jackson knew pretty well what the story was, even if he elected to change some things.

    This movie is based on a few lines in the appendix of LOTR that discuss Gandalf and Aragorn pursuing Gollum between the events of The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring. That's much less to go on than a whole narrative hundreds of pages long.

    Doesn't mean it's going to be bad, just means that they don't have as much canon to work with.

    --
    Bobb9000 - raised by the wolves,
    Oxford education as phrased by the wolves.
  5. Re:Skeptical by sakdoctor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just to let you know, I read your post in comic book guy's voice.

  6. Re:Not so clear. by Bobb9000 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, the characters are protected by copyright too. It's pretty clearly a derivative work. The question is whether it's fair use and/or not enforceable. In any case, the filmmakers talked to the Tolkien estate and got permission, so long as the film was non-profit.

    --
    Bobb9000 - raised by the wolves,
    Oxford education as phrased by the wolves.
  7. Re:Skeptical by Captain+Electrode · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... but kept an eye on him.

    That's Eye, you insensitive clod!