Pleurghburg: The Movie

Started by , Mon 12/01/2009 20:34:11

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m0ds

Hello folks! As you know in 2008 we the folks at Mittens made a Ben Jordan fan film and it was a huge YouTube success. In fact, it's the second most watched DV-short I've ever produced, the first being "Smoking Kills".

This has proven to me that turning AGS games into films is big business, but moreso, a load of friggin' fun!!! This is why I'd like to bring to your attention my next AGS short film project to be shot in Spring this year, Pleurghburg. With Chrille's permission and support he's allowed me to create a film based on his characters, settings & so forth.

My good friend Ryan Reece will be playing Jake McUrk. With a leather jacket & some shades, I personally think he looks just like the guy. But then, at a total of 30 coloured pixels in the original game, who wouldn't? :P

I do not want this short film to be the same storyline as the game/s. It should be its own, unique and entertaining but exactly as a Pleurghburg story should be. Chrille is on hand to assist in shaping ideas, but what *I* want is a basic storyline idea from some of the fans of the game. Did you enjoy Pleurghburg? Would you watch the movie?

If yes, what would you like the movie to be about?

I have some ideas, but none are solid. I'm positive someone here can come up with something ingenious.

Anyway, it doesn't end there.

This film will be shot in some gritty, urban UK locations. At the moment Birmingham, Stoke on Trent, Burton, Reading & London. Therefore there is an oppurtunity for people who live in the UK to work on this film. And as always, it's directly open to you peoples of AGS before it is anyone else :)

I'm also looking for people who are interested in film-making and really want to learn new roles. It will act as great work experience. With Chrille's permission, it could be released on DVD at a later date too, meaning you get a little extra than just helping out. But I can't garuantee that yet!!

If you're not TOO much of a geek and you enjoy spending your weekends out filming, let me know in this thread. If you ARE a geek but film-making interests you, please read below. The one great thing about this group is that EVERYONE HERE has the capability of knuckling down to things which is a VERY RARE quality that's hard to find in a lot of friendships, but is exactly what you need when it comes to making films - and ultimately means GREAT THINGS HAPPEN and when they do it's a lot of fun and very rewarding. So think about it :)

Producers. Good on the phone? You'll be ringing random places in the city to organise locations. Basically you'll be asking "Can we film outside x on x day?" or "Can we film inside x on x day?". Normally this is something production assistants would do but on this production you WILL get the producer credit if you have the guts to pimp the movie to some random businesses. YOU ARE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY! Just places to film :)

Composer. Anyone who really took the Plerghburg score to heart should apply for this role. I certainly won't be making the music!! Your own style is most welcome, but there will be quite a rigorous audition process to be sure I get the right sound for various parts of the film. For that, just brush up on your 80's Alan Silvestri :P

Set designers/props. This isn't a gauranteed role, but if you can turn up with a car full of junk to flesh out a scene (it's called mise en scene) then you would be most welcome. You would basically be our "inventory". You would bring Jake's PDA, you'd bring the Morgue's white sheets, etc etc..

Costume/makeup. Well, this would be great. But I seriously doubt anyone here would want to do this. If anyone gets in touch about this, I'd be surprised. But hey, ask your mates. Especially if they're girls :)

Runner. Tea? Probably not, but helping out with anything on set. You litterally are a bitch. You might need to find cellotape. You may need to help set up the camera equipment. You may do nothing and just watch what everyone else does. The important thing is, you're there.

Actors. Do you like to act? SERIOUSLY. If you don't mind being on screen, please tell me what kind of acting capability you have. Do you just want to appear in the background as an EXTRA? Let me know. The more AGS cameos the better. I don't think I can get everyone from Mittens again :P There are LOTS of parts going, for anyone who fancies themself as a bit of a thespian. Otherwise, it'll be random internet people or mates of mine... :)

Directing, DoP work and editing will be my job, and some producing. I'll be trying to write it along with Chrille's help. But if anyones interested, let me know. If you're a writer and you're interested, I'd like to see your storyline suggestion along with a one page short story; email it to mark@screen7.co.uk .

Otherwise, please think up some great storylines and post them here! No matter how brief they are, all will be considered. What would you like to see happen? Even if there's just one SCENE you'd like to see, name it now before things get set in stone :)

So, I hope you look forward to watching Pleurghburg the movie. Please name your suggestion too with an appropriate film name, ie. Pleurghburg: The Return, Pleurghburg: Light Ages or what not :)

Thanks!

Mods

Further discussion?
What other AGS games do you think would make great movies?

Which games do you think could be produced as films on a minimal budget?



Thanks for your time!

PS. As this is quite on-topic, & before it gets mentioned, I thought you should know this also; there's a Larry Vales movie in the works being written by Phil Reed  :=

Creed Malay

Haha, awesome. I had great fun working on the Ben Jordan movie, and would love to help out in whatever capacity you think I'd do best!
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m0ds

Random northern guy #1 then, I guess ;)

Thanks Creed, great to know you'd like to help out, it'd be good if you could! I'll be in touch :)

Chrille

Awesome!

The only thing I still really like about the game still is the atmosphere I somehow managed to create. I originally wanted to make something like Sierras Manhunter games. I love the feeling of isolation. How you really get no help from dialog and instead must carefully look through crime scenes and follow the killer's trail to advance the story (what I didn't like so much were the crummy puzzles and the action!).

Anyways, I obviously failed my original vision. The excitement of making an adventure game for the first time caused me to instead think up new things as I went along, merging them into the game instead of saving ideas for later. I filled the game with meaningless dialog when my original intention was to have none. Hah! So the finished product is an over-the-top action thriller with a rather gruesome atomsphere to it!

Mark, personally I'd like to see something that takes the over-the-top feel of the game and Jake McUrk's hollow stone-faced character exaggerating it even more! This would be more appealing to fans of the game I guess and it would turn out really fun!
If I were to make the movie I'd disregard the original story completley and probably make a silent noir movie full of slow chase scenes through dark corridors. But that would have nothing to do with Pleurghburg, the game!

No matter how this turns out I'm real happy you're doing this Mark and I demand to be updated on the progress of this project!
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m0ds

You will be! As soon as some ideas have formed I'll be asking you to choose the one you like best!

The latest news is, YOU SAID YES! And I posted a message :P Next step gather ideas

I'm really glad you're excited, and how you saw the game originally and how it turned out is really interesting to read. I just hope we do it justice! Luckily, being in the UK, I will have full access to all the equipment that makes it "cool" ;) I'll try my best to get the feeling of isolation, so it'll be important to get the right plot :) There are some fantastic locations around that I just cannot wait to utilize in this project :D

Your game was a fantastic example of non-stop action adventure that can be made with AGS so thank you for that and the inspiration. You can of course write me a cease and desist letter as Grundislav did :P

BUT I WILL NOT FOLLLOW IT!11

ManicMatt

How about a scene in a shop where theres a robbery.. hey whaddya know, I happen to have a shop free for filming! Oh okay im just kidding.. I love film making, although I got no real experience (But you've seen my creativity in my music vids)

Oh but the shop has a darker side behind the scenes..







Now imagine blood smeared around that lot, lovely!

Man I wish I lived in Oxford so I could make sweet sweet videos with Mods!

m0ds

Haha, bloody brilliant Matt! If you're serious, consider your shop and dark dank location a definite somewhere in the movie :) Thanks for sharing the photos!!! Perfect stuff, especially for bad guys :D

Eggie

That place is awesome. You need to start hiring it out, your business is on the wrong side of the building!

Gilbert

Hehe. This reminds me of a Photoshop Phriday entry I made long long time ago.


It'd be great if there is a close-up shot of Jake's hand pressing a button whenever he uses the elevator. :=

TheJBurger

Quote from: Gilbet V7000a on Tue 13/01/2009 01:10:19
It'd be great if there is a close-up shot of Jake's hand pressing a button whenever he uses the elevator. :=

Oops! I missed.

Layabout

Wow, cool idea Mark. Unfortunatly I don't see a way of being able to help you (I would so do it if I were in UK still) So no stunt driving by me :p

Good luck with it mate. Hope it goes well.
I am Jean-Pierre.

Technocrat

Ooh, Reading? Got a local here, then. I'm here at the university, after all. And I'm certain they don't mind people filming up there...if construction sites and demolition workwould help at all, that is. Or depressing, 1950s era academic buildings.

ManicMatt

The big hurdle with that is that I'd have to run it past the big boss first, who I'd have to call cos I rarely see him. (The owner)

Maybe entice him with the promise of a big gameworld logo in the credits somewhere?

If I can get by that, well we could film on a sunday. Oh, but watch out for holes, dead pigeons, disease, and pigeon shit.  ;D

LGM

There are tons of places around my neck of the woods if you get a travel budget. ;)

Hah. Wish I could help, man. This is exciting news.
You. Me. Denny's.

m0ds

Cheers LGM :) Get to securing the rights of AceQuest :P

Ok, well I now have a synopsis I'd quite like to run with, I've already got some scenes playing out in my head :D

Tell me what you think of this storyline:
Spoiler

Pleurghburg, 2015 or so. McUrk awakes with a hangover, it's been tougher for him the last few years. Crime is down and the city is starting to prosper, the jobs have been getting easier and ultimately the pay has been getting lower the whole time - Jake finds himself rescuing cats out of trees or tracking down missing persons. He almost feels dumbed down - and has begun to hit the drink again.

Today however, he's going to be sent through a crash course of his old ways as he is lurched into the biggest case he's had for years. The day begins like any other, a simple job flashing on his computer monitor. Whilst he's out rescuing old grannies or what not, he hears a problem develop of the radio. Another detective is being shot at, and so he quickly heads that way but find's the detective dead.

He immediately searches for clues, possibly gets them, but it soon becomes clear that he's being "watched" and more so he realises that someone is taking out all the remaining detectives one by one. This is where the case truly begins and all the action kicks off :) What happens beyond there is hazy, but it's basically about one man taking out the entire PDA force. And naturally the only one capable of stopping him, is McUrk.
[close]

I watched Man on Fire last night which I thought was great, and I quite liked the idea of someone trying not to let drink affect their work. Then I thought McUrk would make a good drunk hehe!! Afterall, I know Chrille likes his wine ;)

ManicMatt

I like it, even if its a little cliched. But there's something cool about it.  8)

I got stuck on pleueerblurrrgh and didnt get very far. did it have humour? cos the getting grannies across the street and the like seems like a comedy? or are you injecting humour into it anyway?

m0ds

It will be mostly serious, but it wouldn't be right if you didn't smile at anything in it :)

Yep, very cliche plot - but you know me, im a cliche film film-maker!

Thanks for getting in touch about the location!

Pet Terry

Hi there, everyone. And m0ds!!

I'd like to volunteer to be the musician for the project. For me, Pleurghburg was, in many ways, one of the major inspirations for my old game projects and I actually tried to get some of the same atmosphere for Goldlagoon back in the days. I'd love to compose Pleurghburg inspired tunes again, lately it just have been me and my guitar music-wise... I really need to get back to this whole composing-on-a-computer stuff!

So yes, if no one else (more professional musician) takes up on the offer, I'd love to do the sountrack... personally I love the idea of a Pleurghburg movie and would love to see it become reality!
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Hell, I've even done the legwork and found you the man to play Ace Quest!




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