![Awesome $300 13-Minute Superhero Epic Puts Hollywood to Shame [VIDEO]](http://cdn2.diggstatic.com/story/awesome_300_13_minute_superhero_epic_puts_hollywood_to_shame_video/t.png)
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o3manJan 22, 2011
Dude, this is max epic.....
sanmanJan 22, 2011
the narration was fine, but the acting wasn't good - even by the narrator when he was playing a character
weirddemonJan 22, 2011
Yeah. I thought the narration was decent. The acting was obviously horrid.
It wouldn't have been half bad if the main theme didn't revolve around super heroes who smoked marijuana, had sex, and drank alcohol. I mean, a guy who had Phoenix like abilities is cool, I guess. But one who could only do so because he smoke marijuana? How stupid is that?
stanggt3Jan 22, 2011
Never seen pot comedies?
rethreadJan 23, 2011
The Office, amiright??
I admire honesty. I admire creativity more than anything. I noted that no followers of mine followed this article. I should fix that now.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
vitriolandangstJul 11, 2011
So, being bitten by a radioactive spider is somehow MORE realistic than smoking a radioactive spider?
Closed AccountJan 22, 2011
There are SO many things wrong with just that 5 word sentence.
ehurstmvpJan 22, 2011
Its easy to have a small budget when you don't pay anyone, already have the software and equipment, and only pay for the few props you use. By this logic Pixar could make any of their films for free. Anyone can make a short film of this quality if you have a camera, tripod, boom mic, computer, after effects, edit software, and time.
harrisbradleyJan 22, 2011
Plus, it kinda sucked. The comedy was the best part and even that was hit and miss.
fartingmenace42Jan 22, 2011
yeah you can tell an assh**e wrote this
rethreadJan 23, 2011
It must really suck when a BS account gets followed.
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/12/alt-text-sinister-truths/
I like this. Don't you? I'm friending 10 people in this thread, to adjust my perspective. Don't disappoint me.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
triple110Jan 23, 2011
The estimate of $300 doesn't even cover the cost of the camera. Production companies allocate everything as part of the budget, not just paying the crew. Here's a few things they left out of the estimate: Camera(purchase or rental), mics, lighting equipment, computer hardware, software (OS/Production editing software), permits (a real production company needs city/county permission), insurance policy for damages and injury, property rental, etc.
vitriolandangstJul 11, 2011
New artists often work for less than minimum wage because when they sell their masterpiece, they failed to "PAY THEMSELVES."
Efficiency and knowing what to spend more time on makes all the difference -- but when you are essentially paying yourself (as the director, talent, artist, whatever) nothing -- well, you've cut out the cost of the movie.
I would say that you could get a decent ESTIMATE of the real costs by looking at the "man hours" and multiply that by about $100 -- to be fair to the "quality" of acting and labor.
--- $300 is low cost in NEW materials, but this would be more interesting if it mentioned the amount of work involved, and the "paid for assets" -- from the standpoint of anyone else wanting to do the same.
But putting Hollywood to shame? Hardly.
rethreadJan 22, 2011
You can't buy a fun storyline at Best Buy.. Excellent job putting together everything and proper usage of teenage superpowers :)
Oh and the ending 'boys and their toys', epic twist. Fun, fun, fun - moar please!
http://lazyteenagesuperheroes.com/
ehurstmvpJan 22, 2011
I've got nothing against the short film itself. It's always great to see people spending their time making awesome content. My beef is with the headline.
rethreadJan 22, 2011
Honestly, copyright for the sound-track alone would likely prevent this amazing thing from happening. I guess sacrifices must be made in order for creativity to flourish... it's just sad when the creativity dies off as money gets involved. And the MPAA would stomp all over this, as well. But, I'm glad I caught it!
I actually took time to e-mail them personally to thank them for taking the time to do the short.
Closed AccountJan 22, 2011
Wow....how sad for you. our life must be REALLY evoid of pleasure if you thank some kids for making a crappy video. What did hte e-mail say? "Thank you for bringing a reason to live to my otherwise lonely, lonely existences. If even for only 13 minutes."Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
lukeldennisJan 23, 2011
His life is no where near as sad as yours. Don't be a dick.
vitriolandangstJul 11, 2011
Those who do "do",
and those who don't "blog" about it.
norman619Jan 22, 2011
Actually yes you can.
renfield33Jan 22, 2011
you couldn't pay the insurance just to make the production for 300. totally unrealistic for an actual company to do this.
Closed AccountJan 22, 2011
Ummmm...insurance is to back up the production budget. In other words, if all hell breaks loose and hte project is scrapped, insurance pays you for the money spent.
So the max payout of the insruance would be the budget. (There are no real stunts to worry about.)
So no...the insurance wouldn't cost more.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
breadfredJan 22, 2011
Yes it would. Think about professional indemnity insurance - - legal insurance - and I am in sure in the movie business some kind of anti-piracy insurance
Closed AccountJan 23, 2011
you have NO idea what you are talking about. So honestly...why would you act like an expert.
Seriously...it is time for you to end your own life. Your mom has begged you for years. Make 2011 a happy year for her. All your life now is is a sad internet messge board stalker.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
breadfredJan 23, 2011
Here you go again. You don't have a reply to my answer so you just make personal insults and encourage me to commit suicide.
By the way, I work in insurance. And I also run a company. In other words, I have a slight idea of what I am talking about.
Oh, and stop bullying - if I see you making these type of comments to anyone else, I will report you for bullying. That is not a threat but a promise.
vitriolandangstJul 11, 2011
Closed -- you are one person I think really needs "suicide hotline" on their speed dial.
Very often in the past few days, when time I've read some negative comment for the sake of just being a pisser -- I look up and see "Closed Account".
You might have some valid comments to make -- just take a step back and read it before posting to see if it has any value to anyone who might READ it.
If you say "this sucks" at least have a valid reason.
I'm not so sure you would need lots of insurance on a project like this if you had a few people involved either -- but I figure you'd at LEAST have some legal fees with a copyright lawyer to compensate. Either of which are more than these production costs -- and if you spent no money on insurance OR a copyright lawyer -- you could be really screwed.
skinturtleJan 22, 2011
Pffft...They're nothing compared to this guy..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9SS95q2kpg
rethreadJan 22, 2011
Meh, needs more soundtrack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q4IUhWTlis
breadfredJan 22, 2011
I just saw some more of his crap - this guy is full of it. Why don't Christians out this guy as the fraud that he is? He makes s**te loads of money of the back of pushing people over, in the name of what is holy to you. And Christians get angry about Muslims. Clear your own house out first before you start commenting on other faiths or on Atheists.
Skin, sorry, this was not a diatribe against you - it just felt this was the right place to mention this.
cstaylorJan 23, 2011
They do.
breadfredJan 23, 2011
Yes of course - can you show me where / how the Christian community has ousted this fraudulent quack?
cstaylorJan 24, 2011
Alright, maybe I'm wrong, but frankly, I have no idea what you mean by "oust". It's not like christians have placed him in a position of authority, he put himself there. There is nothing they can do, except make a big deal about it, and tell gullible people he's a fraud. With that said, if you ask any Christian what their opinion is of him, I guarantee it will be negative.
breadfredJan 24, 2011
If someone portrayed him to be of a similar faith of mine, and was discrediting that faith, I would made very sure I told everyone that the guy was a fake - as he would be tainting my society.
breadfredJan 25, 2011
By the way, I am an atheist. And ousted means evicted.
cstaylorJan 25, 2011
The vast majority of Christians are discrediting the faith. It's bound to happen, no matter what you believe. I definitely make a big deal out of telling people that not all Christians are absolutely insane, but clearly it's an uphill battle.
What do you mean by "evict" then? You want us to kick him out of his home? That didn't help me at all.
pottsarahJan 22, 2011
awesome short! i want more.
sniperalf22Jan 22, 2011
Well, blown away, no. It IS, however, the most bang for the buck I've ever seen BY FAR. The acting wasn't half bad, either.
brewbeauJan 22, 2011
Take a look at this one. It's not very original, as it's just a Transformers fan short film. But, with their budget, it's very impressive.
http://vimeo.com/14852606
jagwire2kJan 23, 2011
Transformers Pokemon battles -- not cool
Closed AccountJan 22, 2011
Acting wasn't half bad? Talk about judging something through rose colored glasses because you know the cost. Because that was terrible acting. The kind your see in a grade school play.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
breadfredJan 22, 2011
Nah it was NOT that bad. You did not see ME play in a grade school play. THAT was bad. Just about as bad as your comments, to be fair.
Closed AccountJan 23, 2011
It was bad. It does say a lot about you if you consider that good acting. Even George Lucas would turn these guys away from an audition. They could learn from Hayden Christensen!Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
breadfredJan 23, 2011
I did not say it was good. I said it wasn't bad.
Do you always finish your comments with 'it says a lot about you' kind of thingies? You know, that says a lot about you - and your insecurity.
norman619Jan 22, 2011
Oh please... These are a bunch of friends who threw together a short film using a few props, likely downloaded software, and a few props. Comparing this to a real project is silly. They didn't have MOST of the expenses normally associated with a professional film project. The short is cool don't get me wrong. I just hate when people misrepresent things like this.
AsSeenonTVLifeJan 22, 2011
and it had a few props
lumberingoafJan 22, 2011
Mad props.
kklimanJan 23, 2011
maaaaaaaaaad props
monevthegaleJan 22, 2011
Spoilers!
I really wanted the girl at the end to steal their keg.
dannyhirtlerJan 22, 2011
Damn! That was actually pretty epic!
tm010608Jan 22, 2011
This was fantastic! Love seeing the possibility of a different path in Hollywood.
lordvanceJan 22, 2011
Yea, if only everyone in Hollywood would work for free and provide their own production tools, this type of production would be totally viable!
rethreadJan 23, 2011
Everybody sees a path in life at some point. Is it a wise decision? You go down the path and find out. As long as people enjoy it, keep going. Trust me, Glenn Beck and limbaugh think the same thing for the same reasons.
AsSeenonTVLifeJan 22, 2011
They could totally take on the Mighty Morphin' Emo Rangers.
rethreadJan 23, 2011
http://www.emorangers.com/
WOW, my safety net literally screamed at me on this page. 10, I promised.
350zedJan 22, 2011
The acting was terrible, but at least the CGI sucked.
stubearJan 22, 2011
This would be an epic failure that even Uwe Boll would have trouble duplicating. The effects on this were poor (the windows breaking that didn't really break), the acting excruciatingly subpar, and the concept was worse then something concocted by Judd Apatow.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
rethreadJan 23, 2011
I didn't even expect the window breaking thing. That was a bonus for me, and was done pretty well, as I didn't expect that extra.
As for the acting... I give you Justin Beiber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4
roddackJan 22, 2011
wonder if it is partially related to the former fattest man in Brittan suing the NHS
macharborguyJan 22, 2011
wow, the Digg crowd is collectively wearing their Hater pants today.
Well done video with nice effects and characters that are likable. Id dare anyone saying "oh they probably did it with downloaded software blah blah blah" to do the same. There was a good amount of work and thought that went behind this, and the Nintendo Super Scope bong and PowerGlove was a nice geeky touch.
olddirtycrJan 22, 2011
People aren't saying the downloaded software because they think its bad. They are saying it because of the "Oh WOW ONLY 300$ SPENT!!!!"
For a movie company this software is going to cost tens of thousands of dollars. GEtting it for free by just downloading it or having a personal license is going to cut all that money off.
They don't have to pay tens of thousands in copyright fee for music, sound effects, etc. Most props were probably found in their house or something. Those props were bought in the past, so not including them in the total budget is kind of misleading.
Don't forget insurance, paying actors, etc.
The movie is fine, but people get annoyed at the budget crap
rblancarteJan 23, 2011
Add to what olddirtycr said that this headline WAY overcooks this video. Was I entertained? Very much. Was it "EPIC" - not really. Hell, it was only 13 minutes long if you want to get nit-picky.
th4k1ddJan 22, 2011
That took my breath away! $300, that's it? Wow!
imfreeofdebtJan 22, 2011
duh
vitriolandangstJan 22, 2011
>> Not to steal some thunder for this "achievement" -- but Disney has been doing this for years. They paid $.35 an hour for animators in Haiti.
Assuming 25 frames per second, this film would require about 19500 images.
So if you figure, 10 drawings per hour for a low wage worker, then AFTER you've got all the equipment, and your designers VOLUNTEER their time for the storyboard, writing and voiceover, well that is still $6,825 for a 13 minute animation.
>> OK, bravo, expect that Disney will be calling very soon to replace the factory of Haitian animators, who will now starve. I hope you are happy with yourselves.
/s
lukeldennisJan 23, 2011
I almost missed the /s at the end. I was going to downvote the f**k outta this. :p
baronvonbalbodoJan 22, 2011
Excellent!
treborhgilsJan 22, 2011
Great movie ! Dont care how much it cost it was fun to watch! BOY lots of negative comments relating to the accomplishment ..
Picking it apart like it was a Iphone :)
jlodyga083Jan 22, 2011
300 bucks ? freaking great . Acting blew but I got a few laughs and the effects were pretty cool .
neotechniJan 22, 2011
SOMEONE GET THESE GUYS A TV SHOW!
couriersJan 22, 2011
Wicked film guys that was sensational keep it up - or get headhunted by the big boys and show them how its done
wilxtrgJan 22, 2011
Here is another one I liked even more. Uncle Jack. The Techdirt article has some good info as well as linking both the Uncle Jack video and the Making of Uncle Jack.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100806/00595810520.shtml
Closed AccountJan 22, 2011
How does this put Hollywood to shame?
norman619Jan 22, 2011
It doesn't but it did its job. It got you to watch it and add another view to it.
dinousarJan 22, 2011
Seriously, what's with the rampant hating? 1) this was a project done by a bunch of young dudes. 2) the production value you'd expect from a bunch of young dudes would be on par with a elementary school play but this far exceeds that expectation.
Sure they may have downloaded their software and used few props, but the matter is that they used what little they had and put it together extremely well: details, effects, etc. All of it looked believable in the super hero genre. It's worthy of praise but all you cats on your high horses just love to try to dismiss it.
trdrstvJan 22, 2011
This was actually pretty good. Keep in mind I've had a few beers before starting, and I'll watch Michael Bay and Troma movies on purpose.
trdrstvJan 22, 2011
How's this for a new show.
Everyone produces 1 half hour (24 min) episode where the pilot costs no more that $1000, and the winner of that show gets a season contract with a budget of $10,000 per episode.
dwhsJan 22, 2011
Wow awesome, wish I could do that.
imemoryfilmsJan 22, 2011
Filmaking is changing,..these guys "get it"!
nik0sJan 22, 2011
awesome
corezzJan 22, 2011
Meh...You'd be surprised what Adobe After Effects can do with relative ease -- this video uses several of those effects. Just search YouTube on 12-year olds using AE too with similar creations.
So for $300 it looks like it. We've come a long way in home visual effects and to be honest this should be minimum output for high school (and some college).
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boner79Jan 23, 2011
Good thing they didn't have to pay royalties for ripping off the sound effects from "Robocop2" for that Chamelocon robot, otherwise they may have blown their $300 budget.
batmandarknightJan 23, 2011
looks great
justaskyourmomJan 23, 2011
DIGG SUCKS
mikepictorJan 23, 2011
move on with your life.
rblancarteJan 23, 2011
This is a great video. Funny, entertaining. Just what I want from something like this.
My beef is with this article. It makes me feel like I was about to see something on par with X2 or IronMan. Plus it completely neglects the costs that a major studio would incur on a project, even one as short as this.
madfaxerJan 23, 2011
Awesome!
jonnymjJan 23, 2011
Sweet, they did video copilot tutorials
cawpinJan 23, 2011
Skip the spam.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN4JIz7uq40
threerhinoJan 23, 2011
Did anyone notice that Mel was played by Kevin Costner's daughter? I thought that was interesting.
sachin001Jan 23, 2011
great video
bijaJan 23, 2011
awesome
flashmemoryJan 24, 2011
Yup, Awesome!
eire32irlJan 24, 2011
Epic!
lameboyJan 25, 2011
Amazing! Please tell me there's more!