"It began in a quiet tavern..."
One evening brilliant scientist Doktor Fang overhears Freud and Jung arguing about the nature of dreams. Freud insists on one meaning, Jung another. When Fang suggests a third possibility they beat him up and steal his wallet. That night Fang creates a machine to prove his theory, but when he returns from the patent office he discovers his assistant murdered, the device gone, and two mysterious men trying to kill him.
'FANG was conceived at Cafe Romolo (now Cafe Matina) in early 1999 as an animated film for George Calamatas to make on his home computer. Of course it became immediately apparent to George (and later to me) that the technical requirements were beyond any home computer in 1999, and so it sat around until 2010, when I submitted it to the Canada Council for the Arts, looking for a grant as a live action short.
And then I forgot about it and moved on to other things.
Four months later, and somewhat inconveniently, the Canada Council came through with $20,000, forcing me to figure out a way of getting it made.
DOKTOR FANG prepped for almost three months -- storyboards, rewriting, software tests, casting, logistics, etc. We shot it in three twelve hour days (11 hours of shooting and one hour for lunch), in late November of 2010, averaging four set-ups per hour -– about forty-four set-ups per day. And no one got hurt.
Post production officially started January 18th of 2011. I had estimated about six months for the editing, 3D construction, compositing, sound mix, etc. As it turns out post was about forty weeks, at roughly sixty hours per week, finally wrapping in April of 2012.
And all of it was done on my home computer.
In the accompanying pages you will find production images; a list of the software used;the extremely wordy long-form narrative, possibly of interest to those who have never worked on a film (but might have seen one); and the 3D SCREENPLAY version –- and yes, you will need the anaglyphic glasses.
If you’re reading this then DOKTOR FANG, the movie, is wrapped. DOKTOR FANG, the marketing experience is a work in progress: I’m looking for places to get it screened while wrapping up loose ends, and trying to move on to other projects. And looking for ways to pay the rent.
Owen Coughlan, April 2012