$7000 ACTION FEATURE shot in PARIS, SCOTLAND and CALIFRONIA at DVinfo.net

Daniel Riser · February 1st, 2006, 12:43 AM

Shot with three Canon XL2s. In post production now. The total budget was under $10,000.

We rented an Arri pro light kit while in Scotland but discovered that none of our locations would support the amount of power needed so we ended up lighting the entire film with two home depot work lights, two cheaper hand held lights and a set of production gels.

Any questions are welcomed.

http://homepage.mac.com/brian_lynn/TOTT/

I did not direct this, this was directed/lit by Jonathan Lawrence. I produced and co-wrote the film. Enjoy!

Brian Duke · February 1st, 2006, 12:56 AM

Hey, looks good. Is this supposed to be a comedy, spoof? What is this for? Any details about the projects, like what you plan on doing with it?

Emre Safak · February 1st, 2006, 07:00 AM

Are there any licensing issues with using the "Indiana Jones" character?

Paul Jefferies · February 1st, 2006, 08:00 AM

Looks well shot, and also looks like you had a lot of fun making it. Pity you won't be able to sell copies, unless you want lucasfilm's lawyers breathing down your neck! A good achievement for the money

Daniel Riser · February 1st, 2006, 01:24 PM

Hello gents,

It was fun and hell all at the same time. This is a film that was a labor of love birthed through simple discussions between the guy who played Indy and myself.

It grew into a cinematic journey when Indy (his name is Ken) found Jonathan Lawrence, an accomplished director/DoP who shared our passion for the Indiana Jones trilogy.

We were tired of hearing the rumours that Indy 4 would be released in the near future, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and thus "Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Templars" was born.

It started out as a very dark script, as though Quentin Tarantino were hired by Lucas to write Indy 4. Eventually, in keeping with the spirit of the Spielbergian vision, we toned down the script.

The final draft was written by Daniel Riser (me) and Jonathan Lawrence.

Let me say that, if it were not for Jonathan, this film would never have reached the professionalism and technique inherant only in productions helmed by imaginative and technically perfect directors. That is Jonathan Lawrence.

You guys are right about making money. In hindsight we do have moments of frustration that we made a film that cannot legally make money, that was one of the reasons we shot SD and not HD.

and as far as Lucas is concerned, we are hoping, that when this film is complete, Lucasfilm will order us to cease showings, if that happens we will get more publicity than we ever could have received had Lucas left us alone.

and, like the original trilogy, there are many comedic moments, but it is definitely an action film in its purest form. And there is lots of production value.

For one we filmed in Paris, France and across the Highlands of Scotland.

We filmed at the Monty Python cave (white rabbit) Rosslyn Chapel (Da Vinci Code)

We had characters jumping off of 50 foot cliffs into raging rapids, explosions, bar brawls. We have dolly shots, crane shots, steadicam shots....

Ken has relentlessly recruited people to be apart of this journey, and it was his determination that kept this film alive.

Highest Regards,

Daniel Riser

P.S. We are going to distribute "how to" dvds using the film in examples. Any questions are welcome.

Daniel Riser · February 1st, 2006, 01:36 PM

one other thing. It is a full length action film and we plan to use it as a device for our next film that we are working on (not based on a copyrighted character)

and we want to empower low/no/anti budget filmmakers (like us) to recognize the resources around them and use them to the best of their ability.

Jonathan is a master and taking low budgets and making it look like a million bucks. He really has a Hollywood eye and knows his stuff.

High Regards,

Dan

K. Forman · February 1st, 2006, 01:50 PM

Great job Daniel! I look forward to seeing it completed :)

Jean-Francois Robichaud · February 1st, 2006, 01:57 PM

Don't know if that will be any comfort to you, but it seems that Lucasfilm tolerates fan-films based on the Star Wars series, so I don't think it would be any different with Indiana Jones. However, if you are making any money off it, then things are different.

Mathieu Ghekiere · February 2nd, 2006, 06:38 AM

One very bad point: the acting seems kind of weak at times.

All the good points: nice editing, and you really seem to nailed the indiana jones spielberg style in terms of camera movement, very nice. Seems a really nice movie to watch.

Richard Alvarez · February 2nd, 2006, 08:50 AM

Dan,
Great work.

Not to rain on your parade, but it's a bit of a dice roll your taking with your financial security.

There is no defense against willfull copyright violation. Making money or not, you've intentionally infringed on a known copyright. Hoping that all you'll get is a cease and desist, (and NOT an additionall claim for damages) is pretty daring.

Then again, maybe cause I'm married to a lawyer and see people get sued everyday, I'm a bit more cautious.

Lucas IS fairly tolerant of fan-films, so you do have that going for you. But stating on a public board that you know you've infringed, and hope that any action will result in additional publicity... is pretty bold. The cost of simply answering a cease and desist, and paying THEIR costs for addressing it, (often included) can approach the cost of your film.

Not saying you will get sued mind you, just saying it's a pretty dicy action.

Good luck on the next project, you've got talent even if you don't have good legal sense.

K. Forman · February 2nd, 2006, 08:57 AM

Considering a bunch of children redid Raiders, shot by shot, without any negativity from Speilberg, I doubt he will have any problems. There are tons of fan films out there, and only Sandy Collera's Batman trailer was done better. This is also a feature length fan film, which is very uncommon.

Don Donatello · February 2nd, 2006, 07:25 PM

a few min spoof or even a 10 min short i would see no problem BUT a feature is a addiction !!!

i think you should walk your own walk and talk your own talk = lucas has already walked and done this talk .. get your own picture/story/characters ( sort of like the saying get your own life) .. the makers have TALENT !! the few minutes here are proof of that and 90 min more is not going to show ME anymore talent then what you've already shown ... again put the time -effort into a orginal product and really show me what you can do ... copiers are a dime a dozen in hollywood .. orginals are very hard to find..

Daniel Riser · February 3rd, 2006, 12:39 AM

I apologize if I offended anyone on the board about copyright infringement. I was in no way intending to soil the reputation of this board. I love this board, and I love making films.

Obsession? -- um... yes. www.indygear.com That's where it all started for me. I have since sold the gear and rarely involve myself with "Indyfan" activities...

But this was a dream that started with two kids (Indy and myself) and anyone can call that what they see fit (and please don't take that last statement as derogatory against any of you I deeply value your criticism) but we wanted to make as a tribute to our favorite hero and we wanted to go above and beyond the call of duty, every indy fan before us was ten minutes, we wanted to do something more. We wanted the fans to have something involving fans. I am a filmmaker first and then an Indy fan and I would much rather have a feature than a short.

and regarding what the rest of the movie holds... trust me folks. You aint seen nothin' yet.

and... to let you know... we have no intention to ever repeat this action again. We are not going to make another fan film for as long as we live. Our next film, already in development, features our own original story/characters and we are planning to shoot it HD with the P+S Technik adapter.

Also... $7,000 has been wasted in much more ridiculous ways like useless film schools (not all film schools are useless but there are a "plethora" of useless film schools) $7,000 is what some families spend on vacation. I got to see the Scottish Highlands, Monty Python locations and Paris, France and I won't be twenty for another month! This was the greatest experience of my life and I will treasure this film for years to come... at the same time I am almost to the point that I never want to see/hear/talk about/think about/dream Indiana Jones again!?!

I got ten years worth of film school out of this project and I didn't sit in a classroom once!

Part of filmmaking is taking risks (like jumping off of a 50 foot cliff into raging rapids) not John Landis size risks, mind you, but saying "I'm going to sell my body for medical science to fund a feature" is now as classic as the filmmaker that said it!

Thanks guys for your imput and you're right folks... we are crazy!

Daniel Riser

Larry Sullivan · February 3rd, 2006, 03:18 AM

Screw the nay sayers! I say at least you did something you believed in..copied or not, and you saw it through to the end. Keep your head up and keep on keeping on.

Mathieu Ghekiere · February 3rd, 2006, 06:57 AM

Daniel, exept for the acting, as I mentioned before, I thought it looked really exiting. If you don't mind, I posted it on the boards of the spielberfans...
But will the complete feature ever be available or put online?
I would love to see it...

February 1st, 2006, 12:43 AM	#1
Daniel Riser Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vista, California Posts: 51	$7000 ACTION FEATURE shot in PARIS, SCOTLAND and CALIFRONIA Shot with three Canon XL2s. In post production now. The total budget was under $10,000. We rented an Arri pro light kit while in Scotland but discovered that none of our locations would support the amount of power needed so we ended up lighting the entire film with two home depot work lights, two cheaper hand held lights and a set of production gels. Any questions are welcomed. http://homepage.mac.com/brian_lynn/TOTT/ I did not direct this, this was directed/lit by Jonathan Lawrence. I produced and co-wrote the film. Enjoy! __________________ "I'm making excellent progress cause' pretty soon when I sit on this couch I won't have to wear the lobster bib" - Woody Allen "Annie Hall"

February 1st, 2006, 12:56 AM	#2
Brian Duke Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hollywood, California Posts: 899	Hey, looks good. Is this supposed to be a comedy, spoof? What is this for? Any details about the projects, like what you plan on doing with it? __________________ Visit me and my work at www.artofduke.com

February 1st, 2006, 01:24 PM	#5
Daniel Riser Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vista, California Posts: 51	Hello gents, It was fun and hell all at the same time. This is a film that was a labor of love birthed through simple discussions between the guy who played Indy and myself. It grew into a cinematic journey when Indy (his name is Ken) found Jonathan Lawrence, an accomplished director/DoP who shared our passion for the Indiana Jones trilogy. We were tired of hearing the rumours that Indy 4 would be released in the near future, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and thus "Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Templars" was born. It started out as a very dark script, as though Quentin Tarantino were hired by Lucas to write Indy 4. Eventually, in keeping with the spirit of the Spielbergian vision, we toned down the script. The final draft was written by Daniel Riser (me) and Jonathan Lawrence. Let me say that, if it were not for Jonathan, this film would never have reached the professionalism and technique inherant only in productions helmed by imaginative and technically perfect directors. That is Jonathan Lawrence. You guys are right about making money. In hindsight we do have moments of frustration that we made a film that cannot legally make money, that was one of the reasons we shot SD and not HD. and as far as Lucas is concerned, we are hoping, that when this film is complete, Lucasfilm will order us to cease showings, if that happens we will get more publicity than we ever could have received had Lucas left us alone. and, like the original trilogy, there are many comedic moments, but it is definitely an action film in its purest form. And there is lots of production value. For one we filmed in Paris, France and across the Highlands of Scotland. We filmed at the Monty Python cave (white rabbit) Rosslyn Chapel (Da Vinci Code) We had characters jumping off of 50 foot cliffs into raging rapids, explosions, bar brawls. We have dolly shots, crane shots, steadicam shots.... Ken has relentlessly recruited people to be apart of this journey, and it was his determination that kept this film alive. Highest Regards, Daniel Riser P.S. We are going to distribute "how to" dvds using the film in examples. Any questions are welcome. __________________ "I'm making excellent progress cause' pretty soon when I sit on this couch I won't have to wear the lobster bib" - Woody Allen "Annie Hall"

February 1st, 2006, 01:36 PM	#6
Daniel Riser Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vista, California Posts: 51	one other thing. It is a full length action film and we plan to use it as a device for our next film that we are working on (not based on a copyrighted character) and we want to empower low/no/anti budget filmmakers (like us) to recognize the resources around them and use them to the best of their ability. Jonathan is a master and taking low budgets and making it look like a million bucks. He really has a Hollywood eye and knows his stuff. High Regards, Dan __________________ "I'm making excellent progress cause' pretty soon when I sit on this couch I won't have to wear the lobster bib" - Woody Allen "Annie Hall"

February 1st, 2006, 01:50 PM	#7
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	Great job Daniel! I look forward to seeing it completed :) __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

February 1st, 2006, 07:00 AM	#3
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	Are there any licensing issues with using the "Indiana Jones" character?

February 1st, 2006, 08:00 AM	#4
Paul Jefferies Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Croydon, England Posts: 277	Looks well shot, and also looks like you had a lot of fun making it. Pity you won't be able to sell copies, unless you want lucasfilm's lawyers breathing down your neck! A good achievement for the money

February 1st, 2006, 01:57 PM	#8
Jean-Francois Robichaud Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 142	Don't know if that will be any comfort to you, but it seems that Lucasfilm tolerates fan-films based on the Star Wars series, so I don't think it would be any different with Indiana Jones. However, if you are making any money off it, then things are different. __________________ JF Robichaud

February 2nd, 2006, 06:38 AM	#9
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	One very bad point: the acting seems kind of weak at times. All the good points: nice editing, and you really seem to nailed the indiana jones spielberg style in terms of camera movement, very nice. Seems a really nice movie to watch. __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

February 2nd, 2006, 08:50 AM	#10
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Dan, Great work. Not to rain on your parade, but it's a bit of a dice roll your taking with your financial security. There is no defense against willfull copyright violation. Making money or not, you've intentionally infringed on a known copyright. Hoping that all you'll get is a cease and desist, (and NOT an additionall claim for damages) is pretty daring. Then again, maybe cause I'm married to a lawyer and see people get sued everyday, I'm a bit more cautious. Lucas IS fairly tolerant of fan-films, so you do have that going for you. But stating on a public board that you know you've infringed, and hope that any action will result in additional publicity... is pretty bold. The cost of simply answering a cease and desist, and paying THEIR costs for addressing it, (often included) can approach the cost of your film. Not saying you will get sued mind you, just saying it's a pretty dicy action. Good luck on the next project, you've got talent even if you don't have good legal sense.

February 2nd, 2006, 08:57 AM	#11
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	Considering a bunch of children redid Raiders, shot by shot, without any negativity from Speilberg, I doubt he will have any problems. There are tons of fan films out there, and only Sandy Collera's Batman trailer was done better. This is also a feature length fan film, which is very uncommon. __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

February 2nd, 2006, 07:25 PM	#12
Don Donatello Hawaiian Shirt Mogul Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: northern cailfornia Posts: 1,261	a few min spoof or even a 10 min short i would see no problem BUT a feature is a addiction !!! i think you should walk your own walk and talk your own talk = lucas has already walked and done this talk .. get your own picture/story/characters ( sort of like the saying get your own life) .. the makers have TALENT !! the few minutes here are proof of that and 90 min more is not going to show ME anymore talent then what you've already shown ... again put the time -effort into a orginal product and really show me what you can do ... copiers are a dime a dozen in hollywood .. orginals are very hard to find..

February 3rd, 2006, 12:39 AM	#13
Daniel Riser Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vista, California Posts: 51	I apologize if I offended anyone on the board about copyright infringement. I was in no way intending to soil the reputation of this board. I love this board, and I love making films. Obsession? -- um... yes. www.indygear.com That's where it all started for me. I have since sold the gear and rarely involve myself with "Indyfan" activities... But this was a dream that started with two kids (Indy and myself) and anyone can call that what they see fit (and please don't take that last statement as derogatory against any of you I deeply value your criticism) but we wanted to make as a tribute to our favorite hero and we wanted to go above and beyond the call of duty, every indy fan before us was ten minutes, we wanted to do something more. We wanted the fans to have something involving fans. I am a filmmaker first and then an Indy fan and I would much rather have a feature than a short. and regarding what the rest of the movie holds... trust me folks. You aint seen nothin' yet. and... to let you know... we have no intention to ever repeat this action again. We are not going to make another fan film for as long as we live. Our next film, already in development, features our own original story/characters and we are planning to shoot it HD with the P+S Technik adapter. Also... $7,000 has been wasted in much more ridiculous ways like useless film schools (not all film schools are useless but there are a "plethora" of useless film schools) $7,000 is what some families spend on vacation. I got to see the Scottish Highlands, Monty Python locations and Paris, France and I won't be twenty for another month! This was the greatest experience of my life and I will treasure this film for years to come... at the same time I am almost to the point that I never want to see/hear/talk about/think about/dream Indiana Jones again!?! I got ten years worth of film school out of this project and I didn't sit in a classroom once! Part of filmmaking is taking risks (like jumping off of a 50 foot cliff into raging rapids) not John Landis size risks, mind you, but saying "I'm going to sell my body for medical science to fund a feature" is now as classic as the filmmaker that said it! Thanks guys for your imput and you're right folks... we are crazy! Daniel Riser __________________ "I'm making excellent progress cause' pretty soon when I sit on this couch I won't have to wear the lobster bib" - Woody Allen "Annie Hall"

February 3rd, 2006, 03:18 AM	#14
Larry Sullivan New Boot Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5	Screw the nay sayers! I say at least you did something you believed in..copied or not, and you saw it through to the end. Keep your head up and keep on keeping on.

February 3rd, 2006, 06:57 AM	#15
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	Daniel, exept for the acting, as I mentioned before, I thought it looked really exiting. If you don't mind, I posted it on the boards of the spielberfans... But will the complete feature ever be available or put online? I would love to see it... __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com