CONFESSION 37 Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker

[ThePostRockProject]

don't worry a monster mountain is a shit idea (no offence). Your films were meant to be higher than that. 

[kscaliatine]

This is nowhere near as bad as what happened to you. BUT, I thought of this sketch (reoccuring) and this character whose name is Pat. Pat worked at walmart and noone knew Pat's gender. Turns out SNL did it first. I had never seen it, and still have'nt. This has happened to me a couple times. SO, I can only imagine what you are going through. You seem to be handling it well in this confession. I'm sure I will cry a lot during my long journey (i cry easily, it makes me feel better)

[NathanielVidal1]

I dislike this because of the situation :(

[theolsoncrew]

::looks up:: "whats happening?!?!?!"

[madkata]

Hang in there, CIF Guy. The business sucks sometimes, with so much money to make and folks so desperate to partake they don't even have the normal "right vs. wrong" gene anymore.

I hope when you finished watching the other thing you find out how CRAPPY it was... and use that to your Evil Mountain advantage! Remember, it wasn't their original idea so the passion and creativity I'm POSITIVE won't show -- and where you step in :)

[orangetree24]

The other guys are right. Make money off those people who copy from your ideas. Make sure you legally protect your intellectual property, sue those bastards, and fund your animation.

[orangetree24]

That sucks. super! We feel you here. It's like whenever people tell us that we're too idealistic about our projects and that it's never going to work, you just know that while they're saying that, they're already ripping the idea off and planning how to start it. Just think--if they just get ideas from other people, that means, they don't have their own. You won't run out of creative ideas--means, you're still ahead. Unfortunately, they got the back-up.

[greyman215]

omg that's suck. keep working on ur movie dude.

[briandoom]

Don't take this the wrong way CIF guy, but having a "NOUN that kills people" is just not that original.

Illustration:

1) get a dictionary

2) pick a random noun

3) now say the phrase "this NOUN killed those people!"

4) Now make a backstory

In very few cases has there NOT been a movie already made of that. STORY man. STORY trumps PREMISE, every single time.

[tinkertron]

I hear a lawsuit....

[Brittydragon]

Poor guy that really sucks. 

[Ramilla01]

There is a part of me that thinks... "I bet you have been working on Evil Mountain for 10 years, and you are secretly now in the final production stages" but really that is just the optimist in me :-)

[confessionsindiefilm]

@Ramilla01 ! You and me both, buddy. Just 3 years, and it has progressed slowly. I was hoping to do a reveal like you suggested, but after seeing the Bohemoth trailer, I had to confess immediately. The story became that very moment.

[Ciathos]

yikes. that sucks.

[MysteryGuitarMan]

I know :( I invented Razor scooters. Then, two years later... Razor scooters.

[HeapsGoodProductions]

@MysteryGuitarMan :O You comment on other videos?! Cool stuff! I've never found a partner's comment on someone else's video! But, uh, sorry about that, back to the video...

CIF guy, I'm so bummed to hear that! But at least your other movie you're currently working on hasn't been stolen! And I just gained a whole 'nother level of respect for you! I didn't realize how much work you put into your movies!

[confessionsindiefilm]

@HeapsGoodProductions LOL! Yeah...the secret is out. And thank you for the kind words! It's hard not to put in 110%. I LOVE all my projects.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@MysteryGuitarMan Those bastards. :)

[fuzzyillogic]

Sending virtual chocolate Tim Tams your way dude :(

[diamondogz]

"Behemoth is a 2010 Canadian film about a huge monster living under the earth near a small town in Canada which will rise up and punish humanity." So its a monster - not the mountain itself. I would have preferred a monster made of rock to be honest. Anyway, the best part will be when it turns out to be CRAP. I've got a similar beef with an upcoming TV show right now and advance word is ITS SHIT!! HAHAHA!! (you like my evil cackle? hmm?) x

[confessionsindiefilm]

@diamondogz I KNOW, RIGHT?! Could have put it better myself! And I hear the evil cackle, my friend. Crystal clear.

[diamondogz]

Zeitgeist. Synchronicity. I've heard it all and it doesn't bloody help. Behemoth sounds too similar. Yes, someone probably heard your pitch and thought, "that's so stupid, he'll never bother making it". So they went ahead and ripped it off. You should get some legal advice. I know its not what you want to expend energy on right now, but its almost like counselling, where you talk things out and figure your options. Don't keep it in. You haven't lost. This race is long and tough. xxx

[guacamoleroxmysox]

If I ever meet you, I will give you a hug, buy you a milkshake and listen to you talk about your problems.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@guacamoleroxmysox You're a class act, buddy. I shall look forward to that milkshake...and hopefully I will have less problems to share! :)

[ilikejoaquin]

I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!! I BELIEVEEEEEEEE IN YOU! 

[confessionsindiefilm]

@ilikejoaquin Butterflies.

[CrimsonAmarok]

That's a major bummer, sorry dude. :(

But, please, stay strong! Show the world what us Trojan animators are made of!

[confessionsindiefilm]

@CrimsonAmarok FIGHT ON!!!

[confessionsindiefilm]

FIGHT ON!!!!

[confessionsindiefilm]

FIGHT ON!!! 

[ibanezsam4]

you worked/work for scifi? thats neat.. i was under the impression those movies were privately funded straight to dvds and scyfy just gave them an outlet

[theastrovanman]

I can empathize a bit. A year or two ago, I started dreaming up an idea for a TV series about a group of people surviving a zombie outbreak. I only got as far as jotting down some ideas on a notepad. Then, The Walking Dead happened. They hit on most of my ideas. Oh well. I wouldn't give up on the evil mountain thing. Just switch mountain with some other noun and you'll have a new idea. Good luck!

[confessionsindiefilm]

@theastrovanman Brilliance comes in waves, it seems. Switching nouns, ay? Evil...VOLKSWAGEN!!!!

[Gunnar00]

KEEP GOING MAN!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT.

[kidpinoyDraco]

I was so worried that the trailer you were talking about was something close to the Christmas movie your working on. So thank god it wasn't that...HOWEVER, this still sucks. Well, the track record for SyFy movies are..well...less then impressive, so hopefully you can prove to make a kick ass version of this.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@kidpinoyDraco Thanks, man. Yeah...it seems everyday can potentially be "that day". I brace myself every Christmas, my friend.

[C3beruz]

To bad about Evil Mountain, but look at the bright side your ideas is good enough to steal. So come up with a much better one, then it will be a masterpiece. Use your genius brain to make the best movie in the world !!! you will learn from you failure.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@C3beruz LOL! Now that is a brilliant comment! HUGE smile on my face, buddy. IT'S HUGE!!!!

[Nocturne06]

Same thing happened to a viking script I was working on, got to pitch it for a producer who asked me if I had heard about another Viking project he had stumbled across on the net. I said no, of course. Then I did some googling and found out about this guy who was developing a story so identical to mine I just had to scrap the project. Got to the final outline and everything. It sucks, but it happens - gotta move on, as you say! :)

[confessionsindiefilm]

@Nocturne06 Sounds like we should both go out for a drink!!!

[Nocturne06]

@confessionsindiefilm - sure bro, I'd like that.. ;) Oh, to follow up on my story, the producer eventually told me not to scrap it completely, but to wait and see how this dude's movie turns out. If it's a flop, well, I'd save myself a flop, but if it's a success, he told me I could modify my story and harvest audiences on his success - cynical, maybe, but hey, it's a tough world, right? Just sayin' - watch this "Behemoth" movie, then make a better movie out of your own project, never surrender!

[icecoldpunch]

This is a joke, right?

[confessionsindiefilm]

@icecoldpunch I wish!

[DCTheGuitarist]

Right i just looked in Imdb and it says "Scientists discover a giant creature under the Earth that is wrapped around the entire planet. When the creature wakes all grumpy, it causes worldwide destruction"

sounds more like Tremors than your Evil Mountain

[confessionsindiefilm]

@DCTheGuitarist Yeah...actually...the whole "wrapped around the entire planet" thing never came across either! Tremors was 100 times better.

[sephorrud]

I got many ideas, but I am keeping them silent... dead silent. I will just push Legend Of Faust for now.

Dude, if you ever wanna chat, send me a message. Maybe we can chat over MSN. Other then that, keep your chin up and don't let anyone know of your other projects until this first film is done.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@sephorrud This is what I call wisdom. Dead silent. Good advice.

[DCTheGuitarist]

That said depending how far off a presentable project is, and how much time you want to spend finishing it really depends on you, but you don’t have to scrap it just because a similar idea is out there. May be consider re writing and re structuring it, swapping mountain for volcano etc.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@DCTheGuitarist You right...this is the idea. My plan was to watch the movie and discern if it's exactly the same, or just generally similar.

[DCTheGuitarist]

Did you copyright any of this (e.g post it to yourself?) if you did then carry on with the project. Antz & Bugs life, Gladiator & Spartacus, Deep impact & Armageddon there are tones of similar projects and a studio might see this as bonus to put out a movie in a market that has all ready been tested.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@DCTheGuitarist Ahhhhh! Yes, I see the bonus now! Unfortunately, it was not registered...because I trul thought no on e would do the movie. C'est la vie. Gonna register it now for sure!

[DCTheGuitarist]

@confessionsindiefilm

Good, It will all work out ok. Sorry I just realised that I almost compared you films to Deep impact & Armageddon, might as well through in a few smurf related analogies for good measure.

Keep going to dude, your almost there.

[confessionsindiefilm]

Actually, I never registered it because I thought I didn't have enough written content. Learned my lesson now. Gonna register it fer sure!

[Petersunnergren]

I worked on a science fiction once.. after about a year of developing it I stumble across another book with a completely identical plot to mine.. You're right.. it sucks.

[SelfmadeMonkeys]

What are the odds? Definitely don't tell anyone about your idea for the movie about the grasshopper who becomes President!

[XxSayrosxX]

Don't let some douchebag (or very nice guy, whatever!) monopolize the potent evil mountain market! I say Evil Mountain lives!!

[confessionsindiefilm]

@XxSayrosxX Hells yeah!!! This makes me wanna paint half my face blue and charge something!!!

[Ericspasstime]

Its not so much the story as to haw its told.

Ive watched your vids for a long time now because YOU are funny and the way you present yourself is awesome there are a lot of people pulling for YOU so just remember the force is strong in YOU :)

[confessionsindiefilm]

@Ericspasstime Thank you Obi Wan.

[fitzerg]

Thanks for this warning. Are you going to sue? You had this patented? Intellectual property right? Sue them, make a million bucks, pay for your house and fund your holiday movie with it.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@fitzerg No. It's the biz. I never registered the concept at the WGA or copyright office either, so more power to them. But if their project is still fundamentally different than mine...I'm moving forward!

[TheAwesomeJassim]

bro! before you bounce ideas off of people man stay clear of the crazy one's I guess O.o sorry to hear that man. Don't worry something similar has happened to me twice along those lines. 1st was a film which I helped revamp (an no credit) second a "famous" youtuber took my style from his "conventional" blogging crap. He said he wanted to help "disocover" people. Needless to say...my damn idea was taken. Thank you, youtube partnership.

[colmonhs]

OMG!

So your ideas are worth producing!

I knew it!

You do have the right stuff that Hollywood moguls are made of!

All the best xo

[confessionsindiefilm]

@colmonhs Now that is what I call "the glass is half full"! Thank you! That gave me a great smile!

[Unnamed0909]

Don't worry, it's a SyFy original movie. No one is going to watch it anyway.

[confessionsindiefilm]

@Unnamed0909 LOL!

[Mr19after6]

Dont worry my dude. Karma is a bitch. They will get what they deserve and your film will hit big!

[ps3jigsawjuggalo]

would u like for me to stab their faces???

[ImSteveSwish]

Wow. That really sucks dude. You clearly had a LOT of work done on your project. So, I feel your pain. Hopefully, theirs does suck and you can reboot it better than ever. Think of that as some free hype!

[confessionsindiefilm]

@ImSteveSwish Reboot? Free hype?! Nice. Didn't think of that! Brilliant!

[jaston2277]

Ouch man that fucking sucks.