Firefly

If You Can’t Do Somethin’ Smart, Do Somethin’ Right

Everyone knows that in today’s economy, saving is smart. Not only that, making sure to take care of number one by limiting charity contributions and working overtime seems to be in vogue (if there’s work to be had, of course). And with unemployment still a concern and many struggling to make ends meet, that’s understandable.

It’s a smart move to make sure you’ve got some extra funds on the side. You never know when the next shoe is going to drop, and it just might land on you.

But doing the smart thing isn’t always doing the right thing, and the folks at Browncoats: Redemption (while they won’t admit it), are a prime example of this idea.

It might be smart for them to get enough sleep so that they can perform their best at their jobs, and it’s probably wise for them to spend their weekends and evenings doing something that earns them money, but they don’t. Instead, for the past several months, they’ve given every free minute of their time to a volunteer charity project. They’ve stayed up ’til all hours of the night building sets, rehearsing lines, and filming scenes for a fan-made Firefly film whose entire profits will be given to various charities.

And finally, it has paid off. Principle photography wrapped for Redemption back on 19 July.

The first Redemption preview is still slated for release this fall at Dragon*Con, only a few days away at the time of this writing. The cast is exhausted, the crew is dead on its feet, and while there is still much work to be done, I’m certain these guys can manage it.

When I wrote about this film a while back, I had only pictures and a few short videos to show you to prove that these folks really were up to something big, but now I bring you more. Thanks to Scott Stead and Geek Entertainment TV, I bring you interviews from the creators and cast. I bring you set builders who make MacGyver look like an amateur. (What do discarded computer monitor prototypes, sheet metal destined for the recycling bin, and lockers from yard sales have in common? Easy! They’re now all part of a spaceship, silly!)

I have to admit that when I first heard of this film last summer, I had my doubts that it would ever see the light of day. Who could blame me? How many Firefly projects have fallen by the wayside in recent years? How many awesome ideas for fan films actually come to fruition? Let’s be fair: not many. So many times, life gets in the way. The ’Verse throws wrenches into the works when they’re least expected, and so often that shuts things down or delays them so long that enthusiasm dies an early death and never returns.

So, yeah. I admit it. I was sceptical. But as time went on and I saw each step of this film unfold, from concept drawings to casting calls and then actual filming, I became more optimistic. Now, seeing how far this crew of misfits has come, I can honestly say I have no doubts that this film will become a reality.

Sure as I know anything, I know that. Browncoats: Redemption aims to do some good.