Lighting

"If all the world's a stage, then I want better lighting." - Unknown

Much too often we see films that are shot with little to no attention to lighting, leaving the final result too dark and nearly unwatchable, (even when viewed on a large screen in a totally dark screening room). While many people- especially those making more serious films- are trying to intentionally give their films an air of darkness and grittiness, all too often the end product makes the action difficult to discern. Proper lighting is a must for any film shoot. And while there are things you can do in post-production to adjust a scene's brightness and contrast, there's only so much that you can expect from even the highest-quality editing programs. Lighting your actors and scenes properly will do wonders for your finished film, and it can do a whole lot to set the tone of your entry.

Sound

"What did he say?"

We hear that a whole lot during the judging process, even with the Dolby sound system cranked up to 11. Good audio in your film is just as important as having good video. After all, if your actor is trying to convey an important plot element and the audio is garbled, then you pretty much wasted the opportunity to get your point across to the viewers. A bad audio mix can kill even the best fan film. Background noise, having the background music and sound effects obscure the dialogue, having the dialogue so loud that it's distorted, having the dialogue from two different actors at unmatched levels when they're in the same scene... These are just a few of the problems we've seen over the years that have kept many films from scoring higher. Sound should be as clear as possible and mixed well.

Cinematography

"They are one of the main reasons we fork over our hard-earned money to be entertained. Because, if not for the cinematographers' talent and knowledge, there would be no way to make a writer's words into pictures for everyone to see." -Cinematographer Michael Benson

Orson Welles dug a four-foot hole in the concrete soundstage floor to get a camera angle he wanted for Citizen Kane. While we don't expect our entrants to go to that sort of extreme to get the perfect shot for their films, we do like to see work that is visually interesting and well-produced. Too often, though, we see a lot of very shaky handheld camera work in scenes where a cheap tripod from Wal-Mart would've done wonders. Also- and this happens quite a bit in dramatic entries- we see what we've come to label as "Talking Head Syndrome". This is when a filmmaker uses only one camera angle, (and it's often a close-up), to capture an actor as he or she delivers dialogue. (It takes one heck of an actor to pull off something like that and keep it interesting, and not all of us are Jack Nicholson, right?) Don't be afraid to use more camera angles, and definitely don't be afraid to mix and match multiple takes of the same scene to create a more interesting film. Filming too many takes at several different angles is better than filming too few. At least you have more to work with and choose from in the editing room when it comes time to cut your film together.

Editing

"Faster and more intense!" - George Lucas

Let's face it: Editing can make or break even the glitziest big-budget feature film. While even home-based editing systems give the amateur user a plethora of options at their fingertips, you still have to employ some basic tenets of the trade to make your final film clear and concise. Longer does not equal better in most cases, and we see a whole lot of films that could have told the same story in less than half of the running time if the editor would've trimmed out a lot of unnecessary shots that completely threw off the pacing of the film. And pacing does indeed matter- you want to build up to the ending in a steady manner without having scenes detract from the film's momentum because of bad editing. Remember: Just because you shoot it doesn't mean that it has to be in the finished film! Don't be afraid of leaving something on the cutting room floor.

Screenplay/Story

"You've got to keep writing until you've written the crap out of your system." - John Ostrander

So you've got this great idea involving The Green Lantern, a 3-billion megaton nuclear warhead, and a planet made entirely of small-curd cottage cheese. Great! Get busy writing it! Hang on...Can you not only pull this off where it's plausible even in the mythos of comic book lore but also actually afford to do make it happen in a movie? If the answer is 'yes', then go for it! Just like with editing, your script needs to have pacing, but it also needs to be interesting and believable , (unless you're going for wacky comedy.In that case, make the planet out of large-curd cottage cheese and have the Green Lantern do some Flamenco Dancing.) We see a lot of movies where the basic premise holds a lot of promise, but a faulty script and poorly-written dialogue keep them from reaching their full potential. On the flip side, we've seen entries where the premise seemed thin, but the screenplay was so amazingly fresh that it made for a great film. When it comes to your screenplay, sit down and write it. Then rewrite it. Gather some friends and do a table reading to see if they can read it and make it sound believable. Take suggestions. Take criticisms. Hammer away at it until you know that it's ready to be committed to film. If it's comedic, it's got to be funny. If it's dramatic, it's got to be believable without being over-the-top.

If you're basing your story on specific events that happen within an existing character's or characters' timeline, one of the worst things you can do is assume that general audiences will be as knowledgeable about prior events as you, even if your subject is a popular character. After all, how many different universes, timelines, and reboots have there been in the lore of many comics characters? Make your audience aware of the background events that brought your character(s) to the point where your story begins. If you don't, they probably will be lost and disinterested while watching your finished film because they feel they're coming in on the middle of the story. Don't assume they read issues 427-439 of your character's story. Bring them up to speed.

Another common problem we see is filmmakers who choose lesser-known characters as subjects for their films, (or characters that only the most superhero-savvy comics readers would recognize), but do nothing to give audiences any inkling of not only who the character is, but also what their defining characteristics are. Remember, just because you care about the character doesn't automatically mean that the audience is going to feel the same way. And remember that just because you know everything down to the character's shoe size doesn't mean that everyone will automatically recognize him. Your job as a screenwriter is to do your best to convey your feelings of why this character is good/evil/etc. to your audience, and give them a sense of what he is all about, especially if he's more obscure to modern audiences.

One further word on this category: Teaser trailers and extremely short "demo" films usually end up with lower scores in this category because of their lack of a complete story. While we do not wish to discourage the entry of such works, we do still judge them in the same manner as we do all other entries. But, we've had two trailers take home prizes in the Competition: In 2008 "The Invincible Iron Man TV Show" Trailer won second prize, as did the "Batman Forsaken" Trailer in 2009.

Acting

"Audiences don't know somebody sits down and writes a picture; they think the actors make it up as they go along." - William Holden as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard

So your girlfriend has the looks and the body to play the lead in your Wonder Woman fan film, but her acting makes your camera crew want to attempt Hara-kiri. Did you really spend the past four months of your free time preparing for your dramatic fan film just so it can be ruined by bad acting? To be blatantly honest, we see way too many entries- especially dramatic entries- that are mired down by extremely bad acting, wooden acting, and/or severe overacting. While we don't expect the films we receive to star Royal Shakespeare Company-caliber actors, we do think that they should make an attempt to use actors who can bring some degree of believability to the role. And speaking of adding believability to the role- and how can I say this tactfully?- If the actor or actress doesn't have a reasonable simulacrum of the body type as the character they're supposed to be portraying, then it becomes a distraction, (unless, of course, you're going for comedy). Let's face it- a 5-foot-2-inch, 350-pound Superman just isn't believable in a serious fan film. If you're going for drama, the actors must be believable without being wooden or overdramatic. If you're going for comedy, you still have to have actors with a sense of comic timing who can deliver the material without going over the top. Think of the actor as someone who is there to sell your material to the audience. They're not going to buy it if the actor can't make it appealing and convincing.

Costumes

"Costumes are the first impression that you have of the character before they open their mouth-it really does establish who they are. " - Colleen Atwood

There's not a whole lot that I can say here aside from these two things:

1. The "Rubies" brand store-bought Halloween costumes aren't going to cut it in a dramatic fan film- and may not even cut it for some of the comedies. If you're going for any degree of believability, steer clear of them.

2. Gentlemen- If you're going to wear tights, wear a dance belt under them. If you don't know what a dance belt is, then please Google it. Then go online and purchase one.

Comedy vs. Drama: Which one scores higher?

"Comedy seems to win every time."

I'm quoting myself there from an off-the-cuff interview I did with Geekvolution for the 4th Annual Superman Celebration Fan Film Competition in the Spring of 2011. I actually have to retract that statement since it's not true. The first year, a very poignant film entitled "Super Ordinary", a fan film about an aging Superman dealing with the pitfalls of growing old, took first place. It was superbly acted and extremely well-made. Comedies took the top spot in the three subsequent years. So, why, you may ask, have comedies won first prize three out of four times? Because, just like "Super Ordinary", the judges found them to be well-made and well-acted, and they scored them as such. We have nothing against drama. Heck, we've seen some dramatic fan films that came within a few points of hitting the top three spots in the four years we've judged films. But, we judge all films on the same criteria, and, in 2009, 2010, and 2011, the films that we felt were the best just happened to be comedies. Dramas (or trailers for dramas) have taken the 2nd and 3rd place spots nearly every year.(2008: "The Invincible Iron Man TV Show" Trailer- 2nd Place. 2009: "Batman Forsaken" Trailer- 2nd Place, "Iron Fist: The Dragon Unleashed"- 3rd Place. 2011:"Superman Classic"- 3rd Place.)

So, what has kept many of the dramas from winning? The answers lay in the previous sections.

Originality

"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." - Herman Melville

"Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it".- C. S. Lewis

This is one area where I'm going say very little. As you can see, I quoted two almost opposing quotes on the subject from two successful writers. Why did I do this? Because they're BOTH right!

As filmmakers, you pretty much already know how difficult it can be to come up with original material, especially if you're playing around with someone else's characters and universe. That being said, if you can find a fresh take on a character- portray them in a new light- or breathe new life into a story that you felt was never done to your liking, we would love to see it. Often, originality in the entries we receive is not at all lacking. After all, without that little spark of creativity in your mind that said, "What if Superman/Batman/Aquaman....", there wouldn't be fan films. And without your entries, there wouldn't be a Superman Celebration Fan Film Competition.

We thank you for your entries, and for your continued interest. We couldn't do it without you, the filmmakers, and we appreciate your enthusiasm and support.

Keep those cameras rolling!

Sincerely,

Tim Brown

Host of the Superman Celebration Fan Film Competition