Initializing

Open Source
Film Production

by Marcus Meindel

CC BY-SA 4.0

Casual Film Production

Published Version: Batman Begins © 2013

Score (written by Hans Zimmer)
Post-Production
Film shoot (directed by Christopher Nolan)
Script (written by Bob Kane)

Side-effects of an proprietary / linear movie

  • Hierarchies
  • Costs
  • Exclusivity

Definition of an Open Source Film

  1. Free Licenses on the movie and source material.
  2. Movie & Sources are made publicly available
  3. Source material must be editable with FOSS-Tools
  4. Re-Creation must be possible

Examples of Open Source Movies

The Blender Showcases

  • Elephant Dreams (2006)
  • Big Buck Bunny (2008)
  • Tears of Steal (2012)
  • [...]

Mostly involved: Ton Roosendaal, Initiator of Blender & head of the Blender-Foundation.
License: Creative Commons - Attribution

Examples of Open Source Movies

Sita sings the Blues

  • Creator: Nina Paley (2009)
  • License: Creative Commons - Zero
  • Motivation: Personal Project to handle the end of a relationship

Paley became an anti-copyright-activist after struggling with american government and copyright-companies.

Examples of Open Source Movies

Valkaama

  • Director: Tim Baumann (2009)
  • License: Creative Commons - Attribution - Share Alike
  • No Budget Full Feature Drama
  • Server provided by the Pirate Party

Baumann probably wrote the
Open Source Movie Definition on Wikipedia.

Examples of Open Source Movies

A Swarm of Angels

  • Initiator: Matt Hanson (2006)
  • Governance-Model to create Open Source Movies
  • Idea: For 25$ you become an angel / project-supporter and have creative influence on the process

Never made it beyond that poster.

The linear approach is hardly been questioned.

Challenge #1:

Let's collect three good reasons
to open the Source Code of Software!

Challenge #2:

Let's collect three good reasons
to open the Source Material of a movie !
Bonus for non-animated narrative ones

The Concept of Stigmergy

Hierarchy

Consensus

Stigmergy

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Commit: [Script] initial script (Alice)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Commit: [Script] fixed dialogues (Bob)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Commit: [Script] improved exposition and twist (Carol)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

v.1.0
Commit: [Script] Tag as production-ready (Alice)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

v.1.0
Commit: [film shoot] recorded reading of current script (Dave)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

v.1.0
Commit: [film shoot] Low-Budget Production of storyline #1 (Bob)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

v.1.0
Commit: [film shoot] Single scene as part of a camera workshop (Eve)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

v.1.0

Media Package

Creator: Eve

Type: Film shoot

Related to: Script Scene 12

Preview: link

Download: [...]

Source Format: .mov/.kden

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Commit: [film shoot] Single scene as part of a camera workshop (Eve)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Media-
Pkgs:

v.1.0
Commit: [film shoot] Single scene as part of a camera workshop (Eve)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Media-
Pkgs:

v.1.0
Commit: [film shoot] Second Production of storyline #1 (Dave)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Media-
Pkgs:

v.1.0
Commit: [Animation] 3D-Production of storyline #2 (Frank)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Media-
Pkgs:

v.1.0
Commit: [Score] Composing some score as music school project (Frank)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Media-
Pkgs:

Release:

v.1.0
v.1.0
Commit: [Release] Arranging existing media for first release (Eve)

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Media-
Pkgs:

Release:

v.1.0
v.1.0
v.1.1

Possible Growth of an Open Source Movie

Script:

Media-
Pkgs:

Release:

v.1.0
v.1.0
v.1.1
v.1.2

New Challenges for
Open Source Film Production

  • Initiators Challenge: Which concern is strong enough, motivating people to contribute?
  • Writers Challenge: How to support OSFP through the stories structure?
  • Film-Crews Challenge: How to get the means to contribute to an open source movie?
  • Directors Challenge: How to identify different faces/bodies as same character?
  • Editors Challenge: How to merge different qualities and styles?