# Hollywood must be scared -$300 sci-fi flick **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 24, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611 "2010-05-24T19:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/21 "2010-05-25T13:16:18Z")
I’ll have to wait until I get home to see this. Don’t want to watch it at work (and my capabilities here are limited). But I do want to point something out – “science fiction” doesn’t require special effects. Certainly not really high-tech glitzy effects. It’s supposed to be a theater of _ideas_. a lot of the original **Twilight Zone** episodes had few or no effects, and many of the original **outer Limits** episodes had nothing beyond the weekly “bear” (monster). **Panic in Year Zero** had one glass-painting shot of LA being nuked. **Creator** had no special effects at all. I’d love to see a few more science fiction movies like that than more inexpensive effects films with no thought behind them. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/22 "2010-05-25T14:19:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’ll have to wait until I get home to see this. Don’t want to watch it at work (and my capabilities here are limited). > But I do want to point something out – “science fiction” doesn’t require special effects. Certainly not really high-tech glitzy effects. It’s supposed to be a theater of _ideas_. a lot of the original **Twilight Zone** episodes had few or no effects, and many of the original **outer Limits** episodes had nothing beyond the weekly “bear” (monster). > > **Panic in Year Zero** had one glass-painting shot of LA being nuked. **Creator** had no special effects at all. I’d love to see a few more science fiction movies like that than more inexpensive effects films with no thought behind them. Very true - there are post apocalyptic SF stories where you could shoot them in some random state park, or even one of those abandoned russian factories, or abandoned american military bases and have pretty much no CGI or special effects of any sort. The futurism is in the story - and can be done pretty much via dialog. What was that Twilight Zone or Outer limits episode where the guy ended up our in a desert somewhere after crashing his rocket, and it turned out that it was sonoma or something like that? I think the only prop was a crashed rocket made of plywood or something. No special effects at all. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/23 "2010-05-25T14:57:37Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I found this while doing some searching for another short film, and was so impressed I thought I’d share it here. I just wish he hadn’t stolen the music from _28 Days Later_ and had instead just found his own perpetual build music. Heck, I’da written him a quick tune if he’da just asked me. > > [It doesn’t even seem to have a proper name](http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/amazing_sci-fi_short_film_done_for.html), but the music video is called [Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dadPWhEhVk&feature=player_embedded#!), so maybe that’s the film’s name as well. Not really understanding all the negativity here. I thought it was a great job for the money and it did what it was probably meant to do - showcase the "film"makers talents. Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/24 "2010-05-25T15:17:42Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I saw this months ago and had no idea there hadn’t been a thread about it here until now. I don’t know why you think Hollywood would be scared. They [offered the director](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataque_de_P%C3%A1nico!) $30 million to make a feature film based on this short. (edit to add, the feature might not necessarily be related to this short, like District 9 was related to its short) > > Give that man a Red! Excellent that someone saw the talent and decided to invest! I’d much rather take a chance on a new guy with a modest budget than watch another US$500 million Cameron film, or another expensive tearjerker from Spielberg, or another shitty movie from McG, etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/25 "2010-05-25T15:19:37Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Very true - there are post apocalyptic SF stories where you could shoot them in some random state park, or even one of those abandoned russian factories, or abandoned american military bases and have pretty much no CGI or special effects of any sort. > > The futurism is in the story - and can be done pretty much via dialog. > > What was that Twilight Zone or Outer limits episode where the guy ended up our in a desert somewhere after crashing his rocket, and it turned out that it was sonoma or something like that? I think the only prop was a crashed rocket made of plywood or something. No special effects at all. Totally true. I finally got a copy of _Jerome Bixby’s Man From Earth_ and I thought it was one of the best sci-fi flicks I’ve ever seen, but there’s nothing there but a group of people talking. No effects, no razzle dazzle, just good talking. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/26 "2010-05-25T15:23:41Z")
Yeah this short has been circulating around the indiefilm universe for a few months. I should start another Shorts thread, with other great little films available out there. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/27 "2010-05-25T15:31:39Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Just to nitpick, it doesn’t say the whole thing was done on a $300 budget. The live shots were done for $300. The effects were done using several fairly expensive computer programs. That’s a very picky nit indeed. I do effects for my friends’ short films, and the cost of my software never gets included in the budget considerations. I already own it and have used it for multiple productions. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/28 "2010-05-25T15:53:49Z")
#\* ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/29 "2010-05-25T16:10:38Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Yeah, he even follows the carriage with the camera for a second. I can picture the director watching someone watch this, all grins, and later being like “waddayamean you din’t see a _Potemkin_ shot? I followed the fucking carriage down the steps for almost _half a second_ in a tracking shot ffs!” And then there was the nod to _Citizen Kane_, when something significant goes up in flames at the end. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/30 "2010-05-25T22:17:32Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > The futurism is in the story - and can be done pretty much via dialog. It’s been years since I’ve seen [Cube](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/), but isn’t it all on one set, just colored/lighted in different ways? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611/31 "2010-05-25T22:26:19Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > It’s been years since I’ve seen [Cube](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/), but isn’t it all on one set, just colored/lighted in different ways? Yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hollywood-must-be-scared-300-sci-fi-flick/540611.md?page=1)