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A New Kind of Fan Film

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (24)

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Last month, we ran a series of trailers for Iron Sky, a movie that didn’t even exist yet. It was a promo reel that ended with, strangely enough, a solicitation for money. The trailer, about how Nazis fled in spaceships after WWII and have been living on the dark side of the moon and are now set to invade the Earth in flying saucers, was actually pretty damn entertaining and innovative. The project has a budget of $8.5 million, which is chump change by Hollywood standards, and the producers have been desperately trying to raise funds.

Well, it worked. Through a combination of investors and fan donations, Iron Sky has 90% of its budget squared away, its casting is near complete, and filming is set to begin in Germany and Australia later this year.

I think this whole concept has been pretty fascinating to follow (I confess, I donated to the cause as well), but the producers are quick to note that we shouldn’t expect this to be the wave of the future — nor was it an easy road. Visual effects and CGI director Samuli Torssonen is quoted by Wired as saying, “fan/community funding is not an easy way out. We didn’t come out of nowhere. We’ve been building our internet community and visibility since 1999, with Star Wreck (a Star Trek parody film they developed). You have to invest a lot of time and energy to win the trust of the internet audience. The only way to do that is to deliver good quality. Mediocre stuff just won’t cut it.”

Anyway, they appear to have succeeded, and I’m happy to hear it. The stuff I’ve seen so far looks like fun. For those who missed it the first time around, here’s the teaser and the trailer.


(source: Sci-Fi Wire)









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Comments

this is good news. someone was talking about originality yesterday and this really fits the bill; let's hope the end product lives up to these engaging trailers

Posted by: splinter at July 1, 2010 9:29 AM

Even if this is Megashark Vs. Giant Octopus quality, it will still be awesome, but I'm hedging that it will fall more on the District 9 end of the spectrum.

I smell Oscar!

Posted by: myjetski at July 1, 2010 10:04 AM

I loved the "Please send money" plea at the end. It was like a kid writing home from summer camp.

Question, if you really goose stepped like that on the moon, in 1/6 gravity, wouldn't you go bouncing around like Billy Elliot?

Posted by: BWeaves at July 1, 2010 10:24 AM

I guess German nationalists stuck on the moon for 73 years probably would speak English.

Posted by: TSF at July 1, 2010 10:28 AM

c'mon folks, surely the geeks can come up with reasons for why the gravity doesn't seem to affect that guy riding his motorcycle and anything else like speaking english. if you are willing to go with nazis on the moon shouldn't the rest go by the wayside? just wonderin'

Posted by: splinter at July 1, 2010 10:36 AM

if you are willing to go with nazis on the moon shouldn't the rest go by the wayside? just wonderin'

You're right, it should. But we are geeks, so it won't.

Posted by: TSF at July 1, 2010 10:48 AM

The Nazis are obviously weighed down by Evil. They speak English because the initial plan was for an infiltration campaign, not a full on invasion. It's Nazis on the moon! Spackle in the plot holes! The only way this could be more fun is if they rode giant space squid! Because Nazi Calamari has a nice ring to it.

Posted by: Mrcreosote at July 1, 2010 11:30 AM

They have flying saucers, so their motorcycle tires and shoe-soles have obviously been infused with the newly discovered element Gravitonium (I know, right? Awesome.), which emits gravitons as it decays, boosting the already codependent gravitational pull to Earth-like levels.

Obviously.

Posted by: myjetski at July 1, 2010 11:42 AM

Why are the Finns obsessed with Nazis? And death metal? Gotta love 'em.

(I say this as someone part Finnish.)

That does, indeed, look awesome.

Posted by: MM at July 1, 2010 12:09 PM

I am really loving the music they used in the longer trailer up there. And it looks beautiful as well. So very excited.

In response to Nazi Calamari, I think we have found the adversity to our Godtpus. Meet Squatan, Gray Uzi Totin' Nazi Satan Squid!!

Posted by: yocean at July 1, 2010 1:30 PM

with wings! Metallic machine wings!

Posted by: yocean at July 1, 2010 1:31 PM

Nazis ... from The Moon!

Great premise.

Posted by: The Wanderer at July 1, 2010 2:05 PM

In response to Nazi Calamari, I think we have found the adversity to our Godtpus. Meet Squatan, Gray Uzi Totin' Nazi Satan Squid!!

Yocean for EE, and a T-shirt forthwith, plz.

Posted by: MM at July 1, 2010 2:22 PM

Having seen the trailers, I am pleased to say that this news makes my front bottom tingle.

Posted by: Spender at July 1, 2010 3:40 PM

Yay!

Posted by: FabMax at July 1, 2010 5:24 PM

I love the look of these images, and I love the idea. Who wouldn't love...Space Nazis!?! Someone without a soul, or a heart or an imagination, that's who.

Yes, I will watch for it, and keep my fingers crossed.

P.S. The Finns are fucking awesome.

Posted by: Jerce at July 1, 2010 7:23 PM

Innovative? You guys need to listen to more conspiracy based late night radio. The guys over on Coast ot Coast AM have been talking about Nazis on the moon for years.

Posted by: Jack Random at July 1, 2010 7:37 PM

Also, the only people better at talking funny and getting their asses kicked than the Finns, are Canadians and the French

Posted by: Jack Random at July 1, 2010 7:39 PM

They should have played Blumchen in the trailer.

Posted by: Lucas at July 1, 2010 9:04 PM

Yay! Filming in Australia!!!!


I don't know why but I always bet so excited when something is filmed here, I mean its not uncommon but in the scheme of the film industry, Aussie films are overlooked a whole bunch, but as a filming location I am rather proud

When I finally buckled down to watch the Matrix last year, I ran around my house for hours screaming in joy about the shots in the background of Sydney...


I need a life

Anyway, Nazis from the moon in Australia? Awesome.

Posted by: Camilla at July 2, 2010 12:31 AM

@Camilla

I know what you mean, even though I don't really like the Narnia movies, they were filming for the Dawn Tredder down the road from were I lived and I was shitting bricks when I got to go look at the boat.

Posted by: Ben at July 2, 2010 1:48 AM

@ MM: Aw shucks.

Posted by: yocean at July 2, 2010 1:49 AM

Posted by: Frank at August 24, 2010 1:58 PM

this is one of those ideas that makes a funny joke trailer, or an imbecilic stupid idea for a feature film.

and even though I know I am supposed to let go of any notion of logic or plausibility directly upon hearing "nazis on the moon!", I end up asking how exactly did they fuel this military industrial complex from a hunk of dead rock?

In an age when earth is falling apart and vital resources are being depleted, while a majority don't care because they believe in a fantasy of limitless supplies of everything, I've grown leery of the narcotic effects of an entertainment industry that continuously posits a technocopia. It's an insidious thing and a subtextual thing. future stories and even most dystopian stories constantly, due to the visual and spectacle nature of film, portray worlds not just with insane amounts of surplus energy to build and war monger, but the materials as well.

regardless of the theme of a story, the background constant is growth--five mile long space ships, 1000 story tall buildings, flying cars, holograms on every surface, failed empires propped up by robot armies, post collapse escape to new planets. car wars in the wasteland.

the unquestioned assumption in most future stories is a limitless growth in fuel, materials and technical expertise. in a blockbuster movie world, we beam that shit into our subconscious every day.

I like silly sci-fi as much as the next shmuck, but in a world where people refuse to consider the reality of climate change or resource depletion, while being infantilized with an increasingly steady diet of fantasy, all that silly sci-fi starts to make me uncomfortable.

PART of why Germany lost the war is it was successfully choked of its fuel supplies.

whoah, where did that rant come from? and why in response to, of all things, space nazis? I've had one coffee too many this morning.

This is what happens when my beer fund runs dry. Please send money.

Posted by: idleprimate at February 21, 2011 11:21 AM