54,000 views??? Geez...

[Novastar]

Well... it's official...

Looks like one of my "How to make LED sabers" vids has surpassed the amount of views that BOP I has had on my Y-tube stuff, lol. And this in half the time...

I have no idea if it's just the growth thing or b/c I have more vids now or if people just don't have an attention span anymore, but...

...seriously... if no one new is watching BOP I & II... what's the point of making a BOP III?!

I don't know if this will stop me, but... I'd like to hear some honest thoughts on that.

* Do YOU care if I try to re-assemble a new cast for it?
* Go through all that sound editing and painstaking layering of vocals, foley, music and 400+ saber sounds??
* Worry about all the volunteers being wishy-washy, uninspired, and un-interested in working as a team?
* Toss a ton of $$$ into sabers, props, costumes and other technological terrors to make the show happen?
* Keep bustin' our humps to do an all-live show in front of audiences vs. just caving and trying to someday set it up as a fan FILM?

I hate to be slightly "reflective + negative", but... I don't know--I guess it's tough when I don't have a team working toward a similar goal.

[swear000]

move onward and upward to whatever life has next. It may be time to diversify the acting skills and work in new directions within acting. I've heard that Hollywood is all about money so it seems bigger audiences would be bigger revenue.

[DragonStar]

Novastar, I hear you regarding the "no team." Went through that at work for years then... lo and behold, when I got team members stuff magically got done. Funny that.

I enjoyed BOP I a LOT. BOP II is enjoyable too, but it struck me as something I'd love to see in person. The energy and humor might translate even better than they do in film.

That said, BOP III could be the best thing you've ever done! You might knock it out of the park and make the best non-canon Star Wars film ever. The only one who knows that answer is you; the combination of enthusiasm and ability to execute. No one doubts your enthusiasm or ability, but the call has to be yours. Are you going to do BOP III? If so, you will find a way. Do you want to do something else? well... I've seen you contort your body in mid air and land on your feet, so I bet you can do whatever you set your mind to.

Whoa... I think I had too much coffee.

[chase]

I like the idea of BOP being a live show, but I think you could make it better as a fan film. You wouldn't have to worry about missing a line or not landing one of those crazy flips because you can always do another take and try again on film. Of course you will still have to make all the saber sounds, but at least you can do it at a speed you want to do it.

[Barmic Rin]

Love the BoPs, and I know the pain of trying to get a fanfilm sorted (those with cast invites, it WILL happen, I promise!!), but I think it may be easier to FF the next BoP instead of live recording, Chase makes a good point with the possiblity of retakes. Less pressure means you won't be ripping out as much hair to get it to the high standards you expect of yourself.
It sounds lazy, but that's the easier option.

Hell, if I could draw, 'Into the Light' would have been a moving web-comic!! That's the Laziest option of all! (besides doing it all with poorly repainted action figures held up in front of the camera!!!!)

[Swordlord]

I'll be honest and 'fess up to the fact that I only watched BOP I and not BOP II. I love live shows, but for me they lose something when viewed on video. It's also unlikely I'll make it to Cali anytime in the near future to catch any of your live performances, Novastar.

If you really have your heart set on BOP III I think you should bear in mind the excellent advice you gave me a few weeks ago: "Make achievable goals, start small, and move forward..." If BOP III is one of your goals, there you go. If it isn't, or it's too big for the moment, create something your audiences will like that isn't so production-intensive.
I'm not a choreographer/producer type, so I have no idea what you go through in toto to create your shows. I've done stage work and lighting (the old-fashioned way), so I have only a minor clue of the logistics involved. If it requires building a team, I really don't know of any type of production - stage or screen - that doesn't. And if it takes time to get the right team together to get the quality you want, so be it.

Personally, I'd love to see a fan film you created, but I'm just one voice amongst the multitudes.

[Novastar]

Thanks everyone... all very good points to consider.

And yes, I will of course make "my own" decision, but... yup... trying to gauge interest and see what people's thoughts are. As strange as it sounds, I was really expecting a few more people to say "well... you asked for honesty: I didn't really like them and here's why"... but... I guess THUS far this is all pretty positive.

It's true the shows were strife any way you look at them. Lots of work. But--worth it, I hope. Ponder all of this I must, heheh

[Storm Sunfire]

Novastar,
You seem very excitable. Remember that you are making shows and fan films because it is who you are. It is part of your lifestyle. "To do or not to do" is not even a question. The real question is HOW to do BOP III. You have mentioned a number of ways not to do it. May I make a small suggestion?
In order to make achieveble goals why not chop up BOP III into manageable segments and release them as webisodes on YouTube or on your own blog? A series of five to ten minute scenes would be easier to produce and edit and you would be receiving feedback as you go. Sticking with a film format will allow you to focus and write something that will blow people's socks off. Stunts could be rehearsed until they are fantastic and the story itself could evolve as people react to each new webisode.
The star wars T.V. show will reinvigorate the genre and demand and interest in fan films will be at an all-time high.
Enjoy the journey and don't worry about the results.

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

I liked BOP I and II and would have loved [and paid] to have seen them live if I'd lived in your area...I think the idea of live stage original "Star Wars" is a fantastic one and you deserve enormous credit for having made it happen at all but of course only a few of us will happen to live wherever it is being staged if you do that again whereas a fan film can reach a wider audience location-wise.

I kinda like Storm Sunfires suggestion of webisodes...afterall the Clone Wars series has shown that Star Wars doesnt have to be two hour long features but can work well in shorter segments...ten or fifteen minute segments released weekly or bi-weekly could be great if that would work within the storyline you envision for BOP III.

Of course your own creative direction is your own best guide not our opinions but whatever you decide I hope you do enjoy the journey.

[sithlordfaust]

Id say.. for youtube viewers .. go fan film style, but if you want to stick to the stage work I think you need some interesting set pieces and backgrounds for it to be more immersive. shorter would work for fan filmish webisodic content.... is that a word?... but not for stage work. Ive never seen a play under 1:30 hours. frankly I think George should have someone bring SW to the stage. just not himself and not a musical. lol although ... it might kill the frachise.. it would be hilarious.

but back on topic. from an artists standpoint... do what makes you feel happy, and dont get hung up on how many views you get.
I hink George started with the former and ended up the latter. and we all LOVE Ep I,II,III dont we?