Posted by: @samuel

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@thedoctor Maybe the re-release of the discs and just the discs will have it!

Posted by: @disneyboy

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Posted by: @samuel

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@thedoctor Maybe the re-release of the discs and just the discs will have it!

Wait....there is a rerelease coming?!

 

Kinda; not the Eternia box but seperate season volumes. I could imagine the Faker episode being on one of them but afaik nothing was announced regarding that.

https://shop.plaionpictures.com/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe-1983-vol.-1-5-blu-rays

A January 2025 backer update containing a year worth of updates.

Rob McCallum
Jan 3, 2025 • 1:47PM
26 days ago
January 2025 Update
Hey Folks!

I apologize for the radio silence over here. I've been posting more regularly on Kickstarter. Below is a series of updates that has been posted since our last post here

May/June 2024:

Last chat we had was how huge this project seems to have gotten with all the different aspects we're trying to cover and in various ways. We spoke about how pitching the film was going and how "the market" seemed receptive to it though unanimously wanted something more streamlined. So what's new and what has happened since? Restructuring and sorting.

I've taken a 40, 000 foot view of what we have (and a few things we still need) and re-boarded the entire film. THis isnt set in stone but, structurally, the film will look like this:

Act 1: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/volcwzk1wmwcx7tr...

Act 2: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/df7bdtkbxl3hziyc...

Act 3: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g88mwebuxacxpg15...

Some of the above might not be clear, but it's essentially a design/brainstorming board created in an app called, Miro. The app works similar to how my brain things and easily lets me plug and play different elements and link things in ways that I understand but is likely a mystery to you! All that to say, the above is a roadmap of segments and topics that will, roughly, make up the structure of the film. There's no indication of length to the above segments or topics, but it's more about getting the right moments and the right flow from a story structure perspective.

To some this might seem like a fancy diagram with connective arrows but this has taken a long time to craft and it feels really good to have this in place and work towards checking these off and building the film according to this blueprint. Conversely, and traditionally, I've had approached films with loose structures and let the interviews and components dictate how things should form. I was trying to retain this approach but essentially we wound up with a bountiful harvest of ideas and topics. This new roadmap cuts down the clutter and still keeps a good portion of it in the film.

So again, this is a big deal - to me.

Thanks again for your patience and understanding as I continue to craft away.

July 2024:

I hope your summer is going well. I just wanted to take a moment and say thanks to all the backers who were able to upload their video content. I know that there was some difficulty with the tech, with the timing and with the questions but honestly it looks so cool to have so many people take a few moments and share their love for all the aspects of this project. Also, thank you SO MUCH for being so kind and saying "hi" to me. That might sound strange but it was really nice to see you, especially some familiar faces as well as new ones. You folks rock.

What's on deck for this summer? Well more of what I've been doing, but the good news is I'll be trying to invest more time into things as my plate continues to clear up. The next batch of "production" is interviews with fan filmmakers and we've got a list of 50 people we're reaching out to based on some exceptional work we've seen online. I have "production" in quotes because these will be recorded over zoom to give it more of a fan feel and quick and dirty. I've found when you can have a bit of a stylistic shake-up within a film, it really helps move things along and break up the routine. That said, I really want to dig deep into post-production and get the film into shape according to that flow chart I shared so I can "plug holes" later.

I also want to get something out to you guys for the sake of sharing something but I also don't want to derail progress for the sake of getting something out there. So leave it with me but please, if there is a topic or discussion point that you'd like to hear/see that's part of the film maybe I can swing over to it and share something.

August 2024:

Wanted to drop an update as we wind down the summer.

I’m still working away on the edit, focusing on the mammoth section of Saturday morning cartoon history and discerning what needs to be narrated versus what info will be given by our interviewees. We’ve got over 4 hours of raw material on this part alone so it’s a hefty one.

Here's a graphic of the many sequences in play right now, though not all of them, and how they're being cut down to serve that flowchart I shared a few updates back: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ov7vi16t80tg592b...

On the business side of things, i’ve been re-approached by one of the interested companies about distributing the film which is great and who knows how that unfolds.

I’m also headed to LA at the end of the month and hope to get more needed b-roll while there including more of the Filmation building(s) if possible.

October 2024

Wanted to drop a line and update you on things.
It’s been great having a clear lane with very little distracting me for this project. Now, the start of the school year has also brought many colds and other crud into our family home but nothing that a dose or two of DayQuil can’t solve!

So, what’s new?
I’ve been building the sequences as outlined and really trying to find those perfect hand-off moments between segments and even within a segment. Nothing worse than things feeling like a string of “and then……” times a million. Not only is the hand off, or sometimes what I call “the button” - that perfect ending comment or moment - important but balancing the segment so it's equal parts informative and insightful. I don't want to bore people with too much info aka information overload, which is where insight helps BUT too much insight can feel wishy-washy. So balance is everything and that’s the current juggle. Usually this becomes a “less is more” thing and solves the problem but as I continue to dig in, its better to work with a real hefty, chunky cut of material than leave something out. Hahaha, already, I have stuff where I’m like, “ya this is great but it’s never gonna survive rounds and rounds of cutting.” But you leave that stuff in as long as you can.

November 2024

Hey there everyone!

Hope your fall has been going well.

For me, it’s been a constant battle of medical issues, some old, some new, some evolving into bigger things but the most exciting piece of news I can share is that I’ve hired an editor to work on Faking Filmation while I make my rounds through specialists and doctors. Not what I wanted but what the film needs and will make me more fresh and keep objectivity for me as well. It's not something that's easy for me to admit or even explain in full, so please know that it's just a tough time.

So for now, know that lots of work continues to happen and pieces are being slotted in place so even when I have a day that’s hard to rise to the challenge, the film is progressing.

Rob McCallum
Apr 22, 2024 • 3:53PM
9 months ago
April 2024 Update!
Hey folks!

Just wanted to write a quick update on things.

MIPTV took place a few weeks ago and I had some talks with platforms and producers about our project. The good news is there is an overall intrigue and interest in Faking Filmation! The biggest knock was scope and admittedly the film is juggling a lot of stuff: James’ story, cartoon history, fan films and Filmation. The biggest pro was the alluring David and Goliath angle of James vs NBC. More than once a producer commented on its likeness to "Pepsi, where's my jet?" That's not a bad thing! So, is the film sold? No, but there is interest.

After these talks I went back to the project and tried to take a 40, 000 foot look at all our pieces and I think there is probably too much filmation, if you can believe it. Ive got 6 hours of filmation history that will cut down to about 95mins just on the founding, the eras and shows. There are big gaps too which is where our need for historians to come in but still, that’s a lot of material. Prior to MIP I was shaping Erika and Andy Mangels’ material. There is a lot - so much that it got intimidating. In fact most of the stuff I’ve been working with has been all the industry side of things and I just need to reset and refocus on James and his story. I think that will inform what I pull from our industry experts to support his journey. This is the downside of not having an edit team and trying to remain objective all the time.

Sorry for the mind-dump but this is the kind of puzzle that plays out as I work on things.

So looking ahead? Back to focusing on James’ story and pulling from the stuff I’ve shaped as support material.

Cheers,

Rob

Read More

Rob McCallum
Mar 4, 2024 • 11:21AM
11 months ago
March 2024 Update!
Hello faithful and patient backers!
It’s time for another long-awaited update and there’s actually noteworthy things this time instead of playing the waiting game.

After 3 cancelled trips, a lot of lost fees and hiring a third crew member, we finally were able to interview Rob Lamb, Zadoc Angell and Erika Scheimer. None of this was easy despite being just three interviews. My family has been through the wringer with illnesses and with very little outside support. I’m talking multiple hospital trips, X-rays, puffers, medication… you name it. And when it wasn’t my immediate family, it was extended family handling quadruple bypasses and wild allergic reactions. So those changing travel costs added up.

What was originally going to be one long 10-12 day trip with travel to California, then to the mid west was broken into two separate trips.

We managed to make it through an early February trip through the midwest to see Rob Lamb which, to be honest, was INCREDIBLE. Rob not only gave us a very candid and in-depth interview about working at Filmation, his time in animation, his coworkers and some great memories but he also shared a lot about the animation process. If you’re not aware, Rob was a storyboard artist and a writer at Filmation. He’s also one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. One terrific segment we captured was Rob combing through his Filmation archives. It’s only a single plastic tote divided by several dossiers, but completely loaded with what I consider historical Filmation treasure. This was a very long haul with lots of medical issues that plagued me along the way as well as my always vigilant colleague, Nathan - but we pushed through the pain and delirium and survived!

Rob & Nathan with Rob Lamb!!!
Next, the California trip was going to be set for end of February/early March, until my wife had to go to the hospital, but given so many issues since Christmas, I hired a third crew member in the event that I couldn’t go or at the very least an extra set of hands given, again, ongoing medical ailments I’m juggling. Of course, with a week or so to go, my wife fell ill, went to the doctor, then the ER, followed by my daughter. Two different respiratory things that required x-rays and timed puffers etc. This is what happens when you try and book trips during the height of cold and flu season and you have a child in Kindergarten - it eventually gets easier, right? Our third crew person, Ryan, became a set of boots on the ground as I stayed back to remote-in for each interview. Not ideal especially because I really wanted to nail this interviews and it’s not always easy to create a rapport over an iPad. Thankfully, both Zadoc and Erika were just completely open and connected without issue.

Zadoc partnered with James for the He-Man/She-Ra review website that launched in the late 90s and eventually helped lead the pair to work with Mattel, creating resource and reference material for the 2002 show. It’s a really interesting tale because Zadoc was in rural New York State and James was in England and they collaborated during the infancy of the internet. Needless to say, great interview.

Zadoc Angell being interviewed by Rob!
Our key interview that we had been planning and plotting since last May also took place and my goodness, was it worth the setbacks, the wait and any frustrations that exuded from uncontrollable sources. Erika Scheimer, Lou’s daughter was an absolute delight and gem - as I knew she would be given previous encounters. She’s simply a magical soul and it showed with her interview. It’s hard to express what transpired but it was lovely to hear so much about her upbringing and her father outside of the business. It really adds that human touch to the story that only someone lime Erika could give. Again, just incredibly generous and I’m so thankful we captured it.

Erika next to an awesome She-Ra art piece!
So what’s next?
Well I’ve been thinking the best way to keep you in the loop is just kind of share a brief to-do list:

sort new footage
add new footage to existing sequences
get James to film additional material in England
whittle down sequences
build overall structure of the film
identify story gaps
film fan-film sections (arrange and record interviews)
find and interview 2 or 3 pop culture and contemporary American historians
further refine and shape
one final film adventure with James
fine edit the film
request and include on-screen backers for responses
score the film
add rough graphics
picture lock
add final graphics
submit to legal, adjust as necessary
post audio sound editing and mixing
prepare final picture
find distribution
delivery of material
That’s the broad overview. Each if the above steps have a few dozen little things that happen and obstacles still arise but I will be much happier when ALL our filming is done. Right now we are about 95% through production.

I just want to thank everyone, and my crew, one more time for their patience. I'm battling really hard and pushing to get this done as fast as I can. We've spent WAY more than originally planned with our final tally but I know things will work out in the best possible way too.

More as it happens,
Rob