The Fanimatrix
Encyclopedia
The Fanimatrix is a science fiction
/action fan film
based on The Matrix
, released on the Internet
on September 27, 2003, written and directed by Steven A. Davis
and Rajneel Singh. It stars Steven A. Davis, Farrah Lipsham, Fasitua Amosa, and Vaughan Beckley. Its name is a deliberate pun using the title The Animatrix
and the term fan film. Hence it is a live-action, fan-made version of The Animatrix.
). It tells a story of two rebels, Dante
and Medusa
, operating out of a ship called the Descartes, and of their fateful mission onto the virtual world of the Matrix.
The film opens with the insertion of Dante and Medusa into the Matrix. They materialize inside a machine-shop
and quickly move across the city while talking to their Operator, who is guiding them on their mission. The night's objectives are simple: Medusa is to break into a high-security building in order to steal important data. Dante is to provide a distraction so the Matrix will not discover Medusa's presence.
Dante heads for a particularly rough nightclub populated with cyberpunks and goths. After dispatching the two bouncers
, he quickly picks a fight with two goths who mock Dante's "normal" appearance. The Operator - who is in constant contact with Dante via his cellphone - helps coordinates the fight so it coincides with Medusa breaking into the high-security building and taking out a team of security officers.
The nightclub brawl culminates with Dante delivering a superhuman
kick to one of goths, which alerts the Matrix. The system promptly dispatches an Agent
to take care of the situation and it begins chasing Dante. He leads the Agent on a dangerous wild goose chase cross the city, keeping Medusa free to carry out her work.
Unfortunately things suddenly go wrong. A security officer, missed by Medusa during her entry, discovers her presence and hits the alarm, meaning she has to flee. Dante's goose chase now becomes a frantic dash to get to an exit point - the nearest being the machine shop they first appeared in, but he is unable to shake the Agent from his tail.
Dante is trapped and Medusa is out of time. He realizes he must fight the Agent - even though it means certain death - in order to buy time for Medusa to escape with the information she's hacked. He tells the Operator to get Medusa out and then, chanting the mantra "free my mind" to himself, he throws himself at the Agent. During an epic kung-fu fight he is able to hold off the Agent until he sees an opportunity to escape. He decides, though, to not race to freedom, but continues the fight until he is eventually thrown against the machinery and his chest is pierced by a steel pipe, killing him.
As Dante dies, Medusa makes it back to the car and to safety - unaware of Dante's immense sacrifice for her own life.
, the fan film was shot on a single CCD
Sony camcorder on DV
tape. Utilizing guerilla filmmaking techniques, the film-makers worked over the course of nine nights to finish the project. The fight sequences were choreographed using the same Wushu
martial arts system used in the feature films. Several members of the local stunt industry assisted in the fight sequences and wire-work. The final product was edited on Adobe Premiere Pro
non-linear offline video editing software
and premiered online on September 27th, 2003, freely hosted by local internet service provider
IHUG
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/action fan film
Fan film
A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators. Fan filmmakers have traditionally been amateurs, but some of the more notable films have actually been produced by...
based on The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, released on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
on September 27, 2003, written and directed by Steven A. Davis
Steven A. Davis
Steven A. Davis is a New Zealand stunt man and actor known for his role of Gordy Leach in This Is Not My Life, and for playing Jayden's father on Power Rangers Samurai. In 2003 he wrote, produced, and acted in The Fanimatrix: Run Program, and is working as stuntman in the filming of The Hobbit: An...
and Rajneel Singh. It stars Steven A. Davis, Farrah Lipsham, Fasitua Amosa, and Vaughan Beckley. Its name is a deliberate pun using the title The Animatrix
The Animatrix
is a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film based on The Matrix trilogy. The film is a compilation of nine animated short films.-Production:Development of the Animatrix project began when the film series' writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, were in Japan promoting the first Matrix film...
and the term fan film. Hence it is a live-action, fan-made version of The Animatrix.
Plot
The short film is set within the Matrix universe, shortly before the discovery of "The One" (in The MatrixThe Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
). It tells a story of two rebels, Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
and Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
, operating out of a ship called the Descartes, and of their fateful mission onto the virtual world of the Matrix.
The film opens with the insertion of Dante and Medusa into the Matrix. They materialize inside a machine-shop
Machining
Conventional machining is a form of subtractive manufacturing, in which a collection of material-working processes utilizing power-driven machine tools, such as saws, lathes, milling machines, and drill presses, are used with a sharp cutting tool to physical remove material to achieve a desired...
and quickly move across the city while talking to their Operator, who is guiding them on their mission. The night's objectives are simple: Medusa is to break into a high-security building in order to steal important data. Dante is to provide a distraction so the Matrix will not discover Medusa's presence.
Dante heads for a particularly rough nightclub populated with cyberpunks and goths. After dispatching the two bouncers
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
, he quickly picks a fight with two goths who mock Dante's "normal" appearance. The Operator - who is in constant contact with Dante via his cellphone - helps coordinates the fight so it coincides with Medusa breaking into the high-security building and taking out a team of security officers.
The nightclub brawl culminates with Dante delivering a superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
kick to one of goths, which alerts the Matrix. The system promptly dispatches an Agent
Agent (The Matrix)
Agents are a group of characters in the Matrix series. They are sentient computer programs, displaying high-level Artificial Intelligence, and are representatives, or "Agents", of the main antagonists within the Matrix fictional universe. They are guardians within the computer-generated world of...
to take care of the situation and it begins chasing Dante. He leads the Agent on a dangerous wild goose chase cross the city, keeping Medusa free to carry out her work.
Unfortunately things suddenly go wrong. A security officer, missed by Medusa during her entry, discovers her presence and hits the alarm, meaning she has to flee. Dante's goose chase now becomes a frantic dash to get to an exit point - the nearest being the machine shop they first appeared in, but he is unable to shake the Agent from his tail.
Dante is trapped and Medusa is out of time. He realizes he must fight the Agent - even though it means certain death - in order to buy time for Medusa to escape with the information she's hacked. He tells the Operator to get Medusa out and then, chanting the mantra "free my mind" to himself, he throws himself at the Agent. During an epic kung-fu fight he is able to hold off the Agent until he sees an opportunity to escape. He decides, though, to not race to freedom, but continues the fight until he is eventually thrown against the machinery and his chest is pierced by a steel pipe, killing him.
As Dante dies, Medusa makes it back to the car and to safety - unaware of Dante's immense sacrifice for her own life.
Production
The Fanimatrix was filmed in New Zealand. With an estimated budget of $800NZ ($500US), most of which spent on wardrobe and propsTheatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
, the fan film was shot on a single CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
Sony camcorder on DV
DV
DV is a format for the digital recording and playing back of digital video. The DV codec was launched in 1995 with joint efforts of leading producers of video camcorders....
tape. Utilizing guerilla filmmaking techniques, the film-makers worked over the course of nine nights to finish the project. The fight sequences were choreographed using the same Wushu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
martial arts system used in the feature films. Several members of the local stunt industry assisted in the fight sequences and wire-work. The final product was edited on Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing software application. It is part of the Adobe Creative Suite, a suite of graphic design, video editing, and web development applications developed by Adobe Systems, though it can also be purchased separately. When purchased separately, it comes...
non-linear offline video editing software
Video editing software
Video editing software, is application software which handles the post-production video editing of digital video sequences on a computer non-linear editing systems...
and premiered online on September 27th, 2003, freely hosted by local internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
IHUG
IHUG
ihug was New Zealand's third largest ISP , before it was bought, then absorbed by Vodafone New Zealand . According to 2005 estimates, it had over 100,000 internet and phone subscribers...
.
Cast
- Dante - Steven A. Davis
- Medusa - Farrah Lipsham
- The Operator - Fasitua Amosa
- The Agent - Vaughan Beckley
- Bald Goth - Mike Edward
- Contact Juggling Goth - Chris Rigby
- Bouncer #1 - Ben Butler-Hogg
- Bouncer #2 - Louis MacAllister
- Security Guard #1 - Andrew Salisbury
- Security Guard #2 - David Fraser
- Security Guard #3 - Dominic Skinner
- Crow - Matt Bennett
- Pedestrian - Eden Phillips
External links
- Download The Fanimatrix: Run Program Vimeo Host
- Official website (defunct)
- Fanimatrix on Internet Archive Wayback Machine (defunct)
- The Fanimatrix: Run Program on fanfilms.net