Creative stars

Indie filmmakers realize their dream with hard work, contributions from hundreds of people around the world, and the Adobe Video Collection

Thanks to increasingly affordable and accessible digital tools for blogging, podcasting, and even filmmaking, coupled with the ability to inexpensively distribute content over the Internet, millions of ordinary people are becoming creative stars. Just ask Executive Producer and Director Shane Felux of Panic Struck Productions. He and his wife, Dawn Cowings, spent three years and $20,000 of personal funds to make their own "Star Wars" fan film, titled "Revelations."

Integration, compatibility essential

Felux shot "Revelations" on miniDV and captured the video using a custom PC, the Canopus DVStorm video card, and Adobe Premiere® Pro software. CG artists from around the world contributed effects and compositions created in Adobe After Effects® and Adobe Photoshop® CS software. Considering the film's scale, not to mention the number of visual effects shots required, Felux knew that he and his wife could not complete the film entirely on their own. So, they asked artists, actors, actresses, and others worldwide to donate their time and talent. About 200 people said yes, 8 of whom were visual effects artists from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Actors, camera operators, musicians, and others contributed as well.

Effects extraordinaire

Impressive visual effects, professional lighting and sound, scores of extras, and extravagant costumes and locations all give the film a luster missing from most fan movies. The visual effects are among the standout features in “Revelations” and do not look inferior on the big screen.

To create the effects, the artists communicated with one another online, sharing their work and progress. They used a variety of 3D software such as Bryce, 3D Studio Max, Lightwave, Cinema 4D, and Maya, along with Photoshop CS for painting 3D models and adding textures. Other artists contributed 2D matte paintings of exotic locations, also created using Photoshop CS.

“Nested projects, the timeline, and bins in Adobe Premiere Pro helped me keep hundreds of elements and effects organized and bring the film's elements together smoothly.”

-Shane Felux,
actor/director, Panic Struck Productions

Artists incorporated 2D and 3D elements into the film using After Effects and sent their effects shots to Felux via e-mail or on DVD. Felux edited all the film's elements together using Adobe Premiere Pro and used Photoshop CS to design the film's poster, program, DVD case, and tickets for the premiere.

"Compatibility and integration among Adobe software applications were huge factors in making this project possible," says Felux. "With dozens of CG artists and hundreds of people contributing from around the world, there was no way we could have pulled this off without the exceptional file compatibility and smooth workflow that the Adobe Video Collection provides."

Because of the complexity of the film and the fact that its components came from sources worldwide, Felux needed a way to stay on top of the project and easily incorporate content from multiple sources and a variety of Adobe applications. "Nested projects, the timeline, and bins in Adobe Premiere Pro helped me keep hundreds of elements and effects organized and bring the film's elements together smoothly," says Felux.

Professional quality from start to finish

Once the film was complete, a contributing artist used Adobe Encore® DVD software to produce the DVD version of the film, which is downloadable for free from servers as a disk image from panicstruckpro.com and other websites. Felux pressed 400 copies of the DVD to give away as gifts, but most people have obtained the film by downloading the DVD at no charge from the Internet. Fans can simply download the DVD disk image and, if they want, the DVD artwork from a web server of their choice.

"The DVD created using Encore DVD is incredibly robust," says Felux. "The integration between Photoshop CS and Encore DVD enabled us to produce a professional-quality DVD with terrific graphics and sophisticated navigation, buttons, and menus."

“Revelations” was a labor of love for Shane Felux and his wife, Dawn Cowings, as well as hundreds of talented people who contributed their time and energy to the film. All the props, sets, and costumes were homegrown — the cockpit of one craft in the film took three months to build — in Felux's basement.

New project on the horizon

Felux is now working on an original project and is looking for investors. Based on the success of "Revelations," he believes he can make a movie that would normally cost $30 million or $50 million for $2 or $3 million dollars and recoup the cost of the film in overseas and DVD sales alone.

According to Felux, the lesson of "Revelations" is that the digital age means you can achieve great things with desktop tools. "Desktop filmmaking technology has come of age — it is there, it is affordable, and it is capable of producing professional results," says Felux. "With the Adobe Video Collection, talented people, some money, and a lot of energy, incredible things can be accomplished."