QotD movie FAQ part 13 (final)
Feb. 4th, 2012 07:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
forgottenbennetABOUT THE DVD
The accurate answer would be that I have no clue as to what will be on the DVD, as it hasn't been discussed yet. Now what is likely to be on it, apart from interviews with the cast and filmmakers, that isn't in the finished film? More of the concert, the Ancients, and the band, as well as the three excellent music videos we filmed in Melbourne just before the start of production. These will be released very soon elsewhere, by the way, but should be nicely packaged on the DVD. That is, if I have anything to do with it, which is likely to be the case, as long as one of the more indignant among you doesn't hunt me down and kill me first.
On Outtakes
This is the sort of thing that may appear on a DVD, or "The Making of..." feature, if Aaliyah's family feels it's appropriate. I don't think we'll do anything like it right now, though.
I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your comments almost as much as I do your seconding of our choices so far. I agree that almost everyone in the cast turned out as well as we could have hoped, and my only regret is that the final edit, by necessity, shortchanges many of them. One solution is to structure the DVD just as you said. I'll do my best to make sure this happens, and want to add that the posts on this site have made all the difference in how I will approach the composition of the DVD. Its buyers have definitely spoken.
ON FAN SITES
Regarding debs qotd site: I was indeed aware of this fine site, and have long appreciated its existence, regardless of what was written in it! Warner Bros. launched the official site at this time, and not earlier, because experience has taught them that interest in a site tends to peak, and then wane. They wanted it to peak shortly before the movie opens (22 February), so here we are. In the meantime, fan sites carried the ball for us... so thanks again!
Vampvan's site was the first that I encountered, and I've been following it fitfully since, oh, the start of the new millenium or so. I wrote in at least once, to confirm the rumor that Stuart Townsend would play Lestat. My pseudonym and altogether low profile were a result of the rather militant negativity toward the movie that I encountered... so I was relieved to see a gradual lightening of the general mood, capped by your euphoric account of our all-nighter in Werribee! Unfortunately, I can't answer your question right now, because the page with the prop photos isn't loading the images. (I'm currently plugged into a fast broadband line.) I'll keep trying, though, and will let you know what was used, and what wasn't, when and if the images load. In closing, I want you to know how much respect I had and have for your passionate efforts, regardless of whether we were getting bashed or not.
Vampvan, all of your prop photos were used in the film. However, not every scene that they were in survived the final edit, and not every prop that did survive is necessarily identifiable. I guess the point is that there are no "bum steers" on your page.
Vampvan, there is no question that sites such as yours and Debs' kept interest in the movie alive. At the time I often felt that the overall "vibe" was negative, but have come to realize that this is an inevitable by-product to not getting answers to questions of great importance to the hardcore fan, like "why are they changing so much of the story?" A response of silence implies (however inaccurately) a lack of consideration not just for you but for the novels, which only serves to confirm your worst suspicions. WB is doing a good job promoting this movie. They aren't treating it like HARRY POTTER or LOTR because they are, understandably enough, a profit-oriented corporation. Their investment in those two movies is much larger than the one in QUEEN, and so it makes sense that they would put much more marketing emphasis on them. That said, more could have been done with — or any other movie, for that matter. But you have to remember that corporations aren't light on their feet; to mix my metaphors, it takes a long time to turn those ocean liners around. This is one place where I could have done a better job, by having taken it upon myself to have contacted you all much earlier. I think a lot of anxiety on all sides would have been lessened if I had. I have visited your "Australian locations" page, as it's fun for me to engage in occasional forays of nostalgia. The Anubis statues are featured prominently in the film. They are in storage in Melbourne at this time. Eventually, WB will decide whether to keep them for their very impressive museum, or unofficially give them away.
FAN INTEREST IN QUEEN OF THE DAMNED
I have two other movies that will be released within five weeks of QUEEN, and there hasn't been anywhere near the same level of fan interest in either. The films that I notice attract the strongest early interest — particularly on the net — are book adaptations, comic-book adaptations, and fantasy/science-fiction. These are the areas that seem to positively breed cults. (I was the studio executive on ALIEN RESURRECTION, for example, and was blown away by the number of people who found fault with our plot, starting with the return of Ripley).
ON USING MESSAGE BOARDS TO TALK TO THE FANS
It was my idea to answer questions here, and WB was happy to arrange it. As you might have guessed, the notion occurred to me based on the sort of questions that you (Debs) and Vampvan posted on your sites.
Our movie is not perfect, but I believe in it, and want to stand up for it. I also enjoy feeling the heat from the passion that most posters exhibit. Real life should be more like this. (Not 24/7, mind you.) I've learned something from all these posts, as well as from Debbie and Van's sites, and will be much more of an advocate of my projects in the future. Most projects don't call for the level of grass-roots involvement that QUEEN does, by the way. I have a much bigger movie called SHOWTIME opening in three months, but nobody takes it really personally, know what I mean? It's funny and smart, but it's not about... vampires.
The accurate answer would be that I have no clue as to what will be on the DVD, as it hasn't been discussed yet. Now what is likely to be on it, apart from interviews with the cast and filmmakers, that isn't in the finished film? More of the concert, the Ancients, and the band, as well as the three excellent music videos we filmed in Melbourne just before the start of production. These will be released very soon elsewhere, by the way, but should be nicely packaged on the DVD. That is, if I have anything to do with it, which is likely to be the case, as long as one of the more indignant among you doesn't hunt me down and kill me first.
On Outtakes
This is the sort of thing that may appear on a DVD, or "The Making of..." feature, if Aaliyah's family feels it's appropriate. I don't think we'll do anything like it right now, though.
I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your comments almost as much as I do your seconding of our choices so far. I agree that almost everyone in the cast turned out as well as we could have hoped, and my only regret is that the final edit, by necessity, shortchanges many of them. One solution is to structure the DVD just as you said. I'll do my best to make sure this happens, and want to add that the posts on this site have made all the difference in how I will approach the composition of the DVD. Its buyers have definitely spoken.
ON FAN SITES
Regarding debs qotd site: I was indeed aware of this fine site, and have long appreciated its existence, regardless of what was written in it! Warner Bros. launched the official site at this time, and not earlier, because experience has taught them that interest in a site tends to peak, and then wane. They wanted it to peak shortly before the movie opens (22 February), so here we are. In the meantime, fan sites carried the ball for us... so thanks again!
Vampvan's site was the first that I encountered, and I've been following it fitfully since, oh, the start of the new millenium or so. I wrote in at least once, to confirm the rumor that Stuart Townsend would play Lestat. My pseudonym and altogether low profile were a result of the rather militant negativity toward the movie that I encountered... so I was relieved to see a gradual lightening of the general mood, capped by your euphoric account of our all-nighter in Werribee! Unfortunately, I can't answer your question right now, because the page with the prop photos isn't loading the images. (I'm currently plugged into a fast broadband line.) I'll keep trying, though, and will let you know what was used, and what wasn't, when and if the images load. In closing, I want you to know how much respect I had and have for your passionate efforts, regardless of whether we were getting bashed or not.
Vampvan, all of your prop photos were used in the film. However, not every scene that they were in survived the final edit, and not every prop that did survive is necessarily identifiable. I guess the point is that there are no "bum steers" on your page.
Vampvan, there is no question that sites such as yours and Debs' kept interest in the movie alive. At the time I often felt that the overall "vibe" was negative, but have come to realize that this is an inevitable by-product to not getting answers to questions of great importance to the hardcore fan, like "why are they changing so much of the story?" A response of silence implies (however inaccurately) a lack of consideration not just for you but for the novels, which only serves to confirm your worst suspicions. WB is doing a good job promoting this movie. They aren't treating it like HARRY POTTER or LOTR because they are, understandably enough, a profit-oriented corporation. Their investment in those two movies is much larger than the one in QUEEN, and so it makes sense that they would put much more marketing emphasis on them. That said, more could have been done with — or any other movie, for that matter. But you have to remember that corporations aren't light on their feet; to mix my metaphors, it takes a long time to turn those ocean liners around. This is one place where I could have done a better job, by having taken it upon myself to have contacted you all much earlier. I think a lot of anxiety on all sides would have been lessened if I had. I have visited your "Australian locations" page, as it's fun for me to engage in occasional forays of nostalgia. The Anubis statues are featured prominently in the film. They are in storage in Melbourne at this time. Eventually, WB will decide whether to keep them for their very impressive museum, or unofficially give them away.
FAN INTEREST IN QUEEN OF THE DAMNED
I have two other movies that will be released within five weeks of QUEEN, and there hasn't been anywhere near the same level of fan interest in either. The films that I notice attract the strongest early interest — particularly on the net — are book adaptations, comic-book adaptations, and fantasy/science-fiction. These are the areas that seem to positively breed cults. (I was the studio executive on ALIEN RESURRECTION, for example, and was blown away by the number of people who found fault with our plot, starting with the return of Ripley).
ON USING MESSAGE BOARDS TO TALK TO THE FANS
It was my idea to answer questions here, and WB was happy to arrange it. As you might have guessed, the notion occurred to me based on the sort of questions that you (Debs) and Vampvan posted on your sites.
Our movie is not perfect, but I believe in it, and want to stand up for it. I also enjoy feeling the heat from the passion that most posters exhibit. Real life should be more like this. (Not 24/7, mind you.) I've learned something from all these posts, as well as from Debbie and Van's sites, and will be much more of an advocate of my projects in the future. Most projects don't call for the level of grass-roots involvement that QUEEN does, by the way. I have a much bigger movie called SHOWTIME opening in three months, but nobody takes it really personally, know what I mean? It's funny and smart, but it's not about... vampires.
