LETTERS AND COMMENTS

This is where the main discussions about the style and content of Dragonlance the movie take place. I will try to answer as many letters as possible - time permiting! If you send any e-mails or comments and you DON'T want them put here please so say on your mail. Send all your mails here. NOTE: I have avoided the use of a message board as it would be very hard for me to note all the suggestions and comments.

 

 

From Camaron Cleary

First thing I have to say is that I give you major props for creating a site for this topic and persuing the movie so earnestly. I always wanted to do such however I've always been to busy, lazy and basically had a lack of knowledge to get my ideas out. So Awesome job!

Like everyone else who posts or visits the site, I would love to see a movie based on the Chronicles(Maybe Legends who knows??) that would do the superb writing of Hickman and Weis justice as well as impress the movie goers from all over.(Because everyone knows that DL has millions of fans worldwide)
And also, like everyone else I'd like to play some part in doing so.
So after viewing the cool flash example posted I kind of thought how the opening of the movie would make a huge impression on how people would perceive the movie.
A thought that occurred to me was that the straight out title "Dragonlance: The Movie" Simply would not do the storyline/characters or anything that follows any justice. If we look at the Dungeons And Dragons Movie title, (Which I thought was decent but could've been done much better.) it seems too straightforward and rushed. Although I have not ever been involved in any of the Games or storylines of D&D(which I know from hearsay are exceptional) but the title was just plain. Which brings me to
the "Dragonlance Movie" Since the storyline basis would be for DoAT each feature film should be straightout named as such with the Dragonlance logo et al involved as well, but smaller. That could be planned or discussed through the screenplay section of the site I would guess. But I know that I would have a weird feeling in my stomach if I saw the words Dragonlance :The Movie flash onto the screen. it just wouldn't be right. When I see that "The Movie" added on to a title it reminds me of all the movies that have flopped or that only a minority would go to see. Eg: "Pokemon :The Movie" , "The Power Rangers Movie" etc etc....
Basically I'm thinking just leave the "Movie" out of it. Let the Dragonlance logo and the title do all the talking, then go into the prologue text or whatever is planned in the screenplay. That way it looks professional, and it has any moviegoer at least a little bit intrigued. And thats all thats needed. get them intrigued and we've got a foot in the door.

Keep up the great work, and I know I'll visiting this site as much as possible. Like everone else, I want this fantasy to become a reality....even if it it is still a movie=)

DLMP's Comment!

Thanks Cameron. I agree entirely and have never personally had the intention of calling such a masterpiece 'Dragonlance: The movie'. People who know Dragonlance, will know 'Dragons of Autumn Twilight'. People that don't will not be put off by the fact that its an AD&D movie. Believe me, despite what we may think, the general public would be turned off such a 'geek' movie before they even realised what a great novel it was based on. The reasoning behind 'Dragonlance The Movie' been flashed all around this website is just to gain interest in the project. Don't worry - I would NEVER do anything so cheesy!

From Christina Waldeck

After reading Nicholas Hendricks' post, I like to comment on the dragons in movies:
Try to get a copy of the movie Dragonslayer. Good Dragon there, even though (or perhaps because!) the movie was made before computer tricks took over all special effects.The dragon therein is never anthropomorphied, it does not talk or smile,it looks very much like a reptile, but one with cunning and perhaps a certain intelligence. Alright, it didn't do magic and it was never supposed to be immortal, wise or anything, and it was build like a bat or wyvern, with four limbs instead of six. But it was a very realistic dragon.

DLMP's Comment!

I have seen Dragonslayer and you're right. I think CG is fine for certain things in films (not Jar Jar binks!) How can you believe in something when you know its not really there. I haven't met one person that prefered the CG versions of Jabba the Hut to the original latex version. I think for flybys and fight scenes, CG would be fine, as in Dungeons & Dragons. For close-ups and conversations puppets would be the better choice.

From Craig Hall

Dragons of Autumn Twilight seemed to stick with Tanis, Tas, Riverwind and Goldmoon. Even the ending of the book is with Riverwind and Goldmoon's wedding, which looks to be ending their major part in the story if I remember the books correctly.That means for the movie it should be the same way. If the Dragonlance Movie is warranted a trilogy, then each of the three movies could be based a little more on certain characters than others. Of course without excluding any of the other nnfellows or other characters, just more of an emphasis on the certain characters that help move the story along. Just like in the books which, as Mr. Hendricks said, is what we all love; the characters.Speaking of characters I believe dragons should be inhuman and human at the sametime. What I mean is that dragons pretty much can't make the same expressions as humans can, yet, like humans, they have ambition, hate, love, and the many other characteristics that give us our individuality.I also agree that there should be some new characters that can help add to the world for audiences to know. Perhaps even in the Inn of the Last Home where the heroes meet each other in the beginning of Autumn Twilight. While everyone is catching up on the past years. The camera could follow Tas while he wonders around the inn, listening on conversations, maybe even while he asks questions. As always a tavern is a good source of information. ;) Again I agree that if we can get to Winternights it can really
take off. With the rather large ending battle at the High Clerist Tower, I believe it will catch more fans. I know a few people who go to movies to see special effects and I know there are others everywhere, but we cannot let special effects take lead in Winternights either. Also I, and probably every other Dragonlance fan, have always
wanted a Dragonlance Movie and to be a part of it. Sorry if this sounds familiar, but I would like to help in anyway I can to get this project onto the big screen. With all of our minds together I believe we can pull it off.

DLMP's Comment!

I tend to agree with what you say Craig. I do think that the addition of new characters has to be played very carefully. There is already a large cast to work with and if Tanis, Tas, Raistlin and Caramon have to be the main trilogy constants, then I can't foresee any major problems. It would be very hard for any trilogy to introduce all its major characters at the beginning and see them all through to the end. The books character placement certainly didn't stop me from picking up the next book in the trilogy and I don't think the film will either. As for your final comment, spread the word, and we should have now problem getting this content together. Once we have it, I have no doubt I can sell the idea to the movie moguls as a sure fire winner!

From Nicholas Hendricks

The one thing that every Dragon Lance fan loves about the books are the characters. The unfortunate thing is that the real character development takes place in Dragons of Winter Night (DoWN). Laurana doesn't even show up until three quarters of the way through DoAT, and then as a spoiled little princess. The twin's story (the favorite of fans) doesn't even come out until Dragons of Spring Dawning (DoSD). Sturm's story is contained almost entirely in DoWN. And we only get hints of Kit in DoAT. Therefore, the movie has to rely on the characters of Tanis, Goldmoon, Riverwind, and Tas. And we can't spend too much time on the plainsmen because their characters really drop off after the first book. They don't even attend the final battle. Tas is the most beloved of the characters and will especially appeal to the younger audiences, but his character cannot hold up the movie. So Tanis is going to be the key. His background and turmoil has to drive the movie. However, his love story doesn't really begin until Laurana shows up. That's why a couple new characters might be beneficial. My suggestion would be a gentle love story and character quest entwinded in the main story throughout the series; one that doesn't interfere or change the books, but helps to keep the interest.The characters could be merely bystanders, or maybe like Tika, someone who isn't really imperative to the story, but really adds to it.Public appeal is the area that could really kill the movie. Fantasy movies are hard to predict, hard to sell, and hard to get into if you're not a fan. With the recent failures of The Dungeons and Dragons movie and Dragon Heart, the fantasy movie doesn't appeal to many people. Of course they were both terrible movies, relying more on genre, cgi, special effects, and poor performances by bigger named actors rather than on script and characters. But even the great character driven movie Willow didn't do well enough in the box office to spark a sequel. Of course, the successes of movies like the Matrix and the many fantasy television shows (Xena, Hercules, Dune) and the prospects of several big fantasy hits like The Lord of the Rings, Final Fantasy, and Star Wars II might give the ray of light the movie needs. There will be thousands who go to see the movie simply because of their love for the books, maybe even a few million; and with a few big enough stars, we could attract a few more, but it's going to take more than that to warrant a
sequel or a trilogy. The trick will be to stay away from a genre movie, but still use the fantasy environment to enstill wonder, excitement, and interest. That means the dialogue and story need to remain relatively simple, lean on the conversation about the Cataclysm and Kingpriest and the Graygem and other things that are irrelevant to the story, but incorporated into the world of Krynn. If that doesn't happen, audiences feel uncomfortable in a world they don't know, or (and this is the one main fault in The Matrix) we spend the entire movie and dialogue explaining what is going on. The new characters could help with this as well, being naive to Krynn for whatever reason, or at least needing explanations.

Which leads to the Dragons. Again, looking at past failures, there has never been a well done dragon in a movie that I know of. Dragons should not have human features. They shouldn't smile, or laugh, or express their feelings like humans. They should express feelings and have personalities (three of the greatest dragons, with the exceptions of Skie and maybe Cyan Bloodbane, are the dragons of DoAT- Khisanth, Pyros, and Matafluer), but should be as far from humans as possible. Most important, they should be beautiful and wonderous; and they should spark a little fear in the stomach,
appear invinsible until the battle at the High Clerist Tower.I have been a fan of Dragon Lance since I read DoWN in the fifth grade almost 13 years ago. I've dreamed of being a part of making the movie for
almost that long. I would like to help in this idea of yours in any way that I can. I can't draw, so my storyboarding is stick figures; and scary ones at that. I've never studied music and can't write it. I would like to help with the screenplay, but I imagine that you have plenty of people asking to write that for you. So rather than write, I would like to be a consultant. Movies are kind of my passion, and so I'm continuing to try to study as much about them as I can. I think my points are valid. As you might be able to tell, DoWN is my favorite in the entire series. I think that's where the series will really take off. If we can survive DoAT, the DoWN will make believers and fans of millions.

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