The fact that Chris can now openly talk about his Jehovah’s Witness days without it being a big deal makes me happy 🥺 shows how much it helps to talk and share about the things that can sometimes feel so crippling
For Chris - When I was in high school, I wrote two scripts which were both later performed by our theater troupe. Watching the recordings today, they are hilariously bad, but I still wanted to continue writing.
I think this is a very common thing for all creative people when they look back at the stuff they wrote when they were kid's/teenagers. For me, the short stories I used to write when I was younger are so awful and cringy, yet it's also inspiring just to see how far I've come as a writer since then.
When Chris becomes the same status as the popular Hollywood directors, I can proudly say, I was there when Chris reviewed Dragonball Evolution till present day
Fuck, what a feat to boast about. I've been here since his mad max fury road review. I had seen a few videos from him before that but seeing how passionate and energetic he got raving about this film totally sold me on his channel. Really hope to see him go far in this career field (:
Shut up, Donnie! Just kidding. In all seriousness, that would be an interesting prospect, especially since the reason he got into film in the first place was because of Signs.
I totally made a Twister rip off, and a Scream rip off that we called Stab, and were totally blown away when we saw Scream 2, because the mock Scream movie was called Stab, and we even had the knife come down for the 'T' in STAB like they did, albeit way more amateur, but it made us feel connected to the zeitgeist in a really fun paranoid childish way. I'm 35 and have lost all those old VHS tapes that we shot on, but I'd kill to have them back. Some of the best times of my life. I'm still happy for the memories, of course. But now, shooting on Super8 and figuring out cinematography in a real way, I still have that same mentality that I had back then, and it's a blast! I consider myself a filmmaker, even without a feature yet, because the dedication and love for the craft is very much still alive in me. Thanks for this. You're truly an inspiration, and I wish you all the best with your future endeavors. I also show Notes From Melanie to all my artist friends, to discuss, and channel energy through all the time. I still really wanna see Auditorium 6! I didn't have the funds to come see it, even though I'm in Ohio, as well. And I'm still kicking myself for not figuring it out at the time. Much love, man. Stay safe and productive. Kanpai
I’m not a filmmaker, but in high school we made several movies with my friends that we thought were amazing. Looking back they are terrible, but it was really fun to make. I wish I had pursued this career path! I love watching your videos and this new direction you’re taking your channel.
We started out making short films and never ended up trying an amateur feature because making the shorts felt difficult enough. Of course, our first short films had narratives more convoluted than most feature films so I’m still curious how utterly insane an amateur feature would have been if we had made one. Thanks for sharing your experiences as always, love hearing this stuff.
I’m am currently starting to film my first independent feature film at the age of 20, and this video right here has given me all the confidence and inspiration to just go out and do it. Not to care what anyone says or thinks, but just to make a film that means a lot to me. So I just wanna say thank you Chris for the added inspiration and confidence!!!!!
Hey the editing & composition in that "run to the field to save my friend only for him to instantly drop dead just before I reach him" sequence are pretty darn good, I watched it twice...
Man, thank you so much for putting yourself out there and sharing your story. I know for sure that you've helped and inspired many of us who might have felt lost and isolated in similar circumstances. You are awesome
I just recently started making short films with my friends this past year, and man at times during our first one did it seem so hard, but to go back to just last year and look at how much more I’ve learned as a filmmaker is super inspiring. Please keep making videos like this, you are such and inspiration!
I was around 12-14 and I was able to shoot and edit a 45 minute “film” with some vacation friends all on iMovie on an iPod (in Ohio!). It was so ridiculous lol. Fun times and fond memories :)
I'm impressed! 15 years old and not only did you complete the film, you got 70 minutes. Wow! It also reminded me of the time in college when my friends and I decided to make a star trek episode. Oh my god. It was hysterical (and a lot of fun).
I love how at 5:00 the car obviously dissappears hahaha. Nah but look even these movies made as a kid even if they're a bit silly or embarrassing in retrospect: they're more effort than most people ever put in to this kind of thing. And clearly the passion is there and is still there. Can't wait to see what comes of your professional career Chris
Stakes! 😂 Your dissection of your early feature films always crack me up, I love them. Reminds me of when me and my friends would make up stories to act out like we were in a movie. We took ourselves so seriously but probably would look ridiculous seeing it today. But I regret nothing!
When I was a kid. Me and my friends loved making movies. We also loved playing video games, so we always tried to incorporate video games into our short movies. The biggest production we made was when we had a movie of 4 nes games that were hidden away and unreleased until we dug it up and each game gave all of us powers from the games we grabbed. Then we began fighting each other with our powers so only one could remain with the powers. It was crazy as hell but a butt ton of fun to do. Our parents laughed when they saw this 30 minute kid masterpiece and I miss those guys. Haven't heard from them in years......oh childhood......I miss you.
I’m 15 and have recently started making some films on my channel based off weird scripts I write. One is a saw movie inside an Applebee’s, one is about a cult who worships melons and the most recent one is about people searching for monster energy during a global pandemic. They suck but I’m proud of many parts of them and want to continue writing
Chris, this is amazing! You filmed this a couple blocks from where I live! I recognize the elementary school in the background. My wife and I walk past that field all the time!
What an incredible story!! I’ve watching your videos for years and it’s been so great to see your filmmaking develop! I managed to direct a feature at age 20; It was a coming of age comedy called “Cardboard Fort” which we managed to build an 9ft tall cardboard castle for which was then burned to the ground (for narrative purposes of course...). Such a learning curve but a lot of fun! Directing a feature film independently is definitely something to be proud of 🎬
In my first year of high school, I knew my drive was to make a full-fledged action adventure film with the new film club, friends and school locations I had access to. The year was spent in part casting it, filming after school and developing the ideas and special effects as it went along, and it took so much work, eventually showing it with other student productions in a local theater. It was such an educational process, and really taught me to work with others and gain valuable social skills. Then the next year, I made a sequel that earnestly worked to continue its story and characters. Definitely excited to have done that at a young age, and to see your work that helped your passion, Chris!!
I’m a couple of years older than you Chris so when I was a kid making amateur movies with my friends it was before computer editing software and things like iMovie, so we had to do _everything_ in camera which was a total nightmare and took forever. The fact that anyone today can pretty much make a movie on their _phone_ kind of blows my mind.
It still is a total nightmare at times if I'm honest, editing software can be absolute hell to work with, but I'll admit I do have it much better now than you did then. You'd think that perhaps more people would give filmmaking a go now that it's much much easier to do, but most people only get as far as TikTok edits these days... Not that there's anything wrong with that, it would just be interesting to see what people would make.
I am so excited for your new opportunity to make your movie. I want to thank you because watching your reviews has given me a new eye for movies. There are two reviewers I watch for every new movie, you and Jeremy Jahns. I feel like I have learned a lot and my movie taste has even improved. Thank you, and good luck with this new venture.
When I was a teenager I edited together my home moves to makes them into stories. My editing tech was 2 VCR's and a camcorder. I captured audio from moves like star wars and played it over me and friends and family riding Ice skates onto a frozen pond that my mom made for us in the back yard my dumping water... How Down hill skating has never made it to the Olympics I will never know
Hey Chris, Really appreciate the new direction of the channel. I’ve been watching for probably coming up on a decade. I very seldom use TH-cam to comment/engage, but I’m going to change that. Love that you’ve been willing to tell your story, and I’m oddly proud that you’re taking this next step. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Personally, after following his channel for years (because I honestly value his opinion on films more than any other reviewer), I'm happy for Chris and honestly hope he had a successful film making career. On the other hand, I come to this channel for film reviews. I'll follow for a little longer to see how it goes but if there's a lot of this kind of content, I'm going to respectfully need to find another page to get film reviews
I can relate! My family has been making movies for the past decade. We pick a popular movie, rewrite a similar script (with everyone playing a part). We film it over a few weekends, then I spend all summer putting it together. For our last movie preimere we rented a theater and watched it with family and friends. It's always a blast and everyone gets more and more involved with each film. We're now onto the 3rd generation of family members in our movie remakes and still going strong. It's been a fun family tradition. Keep the passion alive my friend!
This was so fun listening to, Chris! Loved hearing your experience making this as a kid/teen... those of us who were in church bands at the time who thought we were cool had similar experiences and thank God there isn't footage of some of that 😂😂
I used to make movies with a buddy of mine in high school. None of them are any good, but I am proud we made them. It was difficult and an absolute blast at the same time. Thank you for sharing this story, Chris.
never made any full length feature, though i did and do day dream about it all the time. i know this is one comment out thousands, but i just want to say that i’m loving the direction this channel and you are taking Chris! you’re an inspiration. even though i may be procrastinating and giving into resistance while writing this :)
When I was 15 I convinced my friends too be in my movie. At the time I knew it wasn't going to be good because of my lack of experience and also me and my friends had never acted before. So I decided to make it a comedy and boy is it funny...just not in the way I would have liked. I made several other films with my friends and by myself, and they all got better and better. (Still really bad) Now I'm 22 working a sh*t job. I write scripts in my free time hoping to one day make them into movies.
Look at Chris. A chance encounter with the right person and now he's living his dream. Keep writing and get it into the right hands and you'll be right there with him.👍🏻 Good Luck!
Chris, I’ve loved watching your videos ever since I discovered your channel. When you transitioned from reviewing movies to making movies and now only discussing movies you appreciate, it just made me love your work more. I’m working on a script for a horror movie I plan to direct, and your video announcing that your making a horror feature made me so happy fir you and gave me inspiration for my project. As for bad movies, oh boy. I made my share of terrible movies between ages 12 - 19. I even made a full adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in 9th grade that is incredibly cringe worthy. It’s so bad, we are planning a showing with friends just to laugh at it. Thank you for making these videos and I can’t wait to see your first feature film!
Ive watched you and Jeremy Jahns grow since your first episode.... im proud of your growth. I also think its dope that you guys know each other.. honestly the only 2 people that I watch reviews on movies before I consider watching a movie. Stay dope!!! No Cut!!! all puns intended.
Some of my favourite memories from when I was still in jr. high school is making dumb films with one of my friends after school. The two of us would always go to his house after school and just film. We didn't have a script, we didn't have costumes or even much of a plan. Once an idea came to one of us we just made it. I started getting into horror, so we made a horror film. My friend loved The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine so we made our own sitcom. It was so much fun. Thank you, Chris. Watching your filming journey series has really brought back that same itch and inspired me to get back into something I have always been passionate about.
Love this kinda content, Chris! My cousin and I made tons of "short films" when we were kids. We had an absolute blast. Our most infamous one is called "Polly Wanna...Murder? 😂 It was about this little toy parrot my cousins dad had in their basement that would reek havoc 😂. It's hilarious, we still have it on a VHS somewhere.
My 9 year old daughter spent all her free time in school this year working with her friends and filmed a 9 min TV show episode she is very proud of. She now is working on a script for a new project. You have been an inspiration to keep pushing her to follow this interest. Thank you Stuckmann!!
So proud to see how much you’ve grown from where you were 7 years ago when I first found your channel, to now. All these opportunities are so well deserved Chris! We all wish the best for you, can’t wait to see this!
This video reminded me of a project I started working on when I was 10. I’ve always been a creative person and I had the idea to write a novel series that followed a group of kids going against an underground terrorist group. I finished my first draft when I was about 11 and worked on revisions all the way until I was about 16 before I finally realized that the entire story just sucked. So much of it made no sense whatsoever and plot points just came together because I needed them to. However, as a 21 year old, I still have those story ideas and the desire to write them. I’ve tried a couple story ideas out but nothing has clicked just. This video is giving me the motivation to keep trying, or to maybe revisit the ideas I’ve already had and see if I can figure out how to make them good. Best of luck in directing your first film, Chris. Been following your channel for years and so happy that you’re finally doing what you dreamed of doing! Edit: I’m also from Ohio, and I tend to base all my ideas in Ohio, sort of like Stephen King and Maine
I’ve yet to make a feature. The longest thing I’ve made is 27 minutes long. I’ve been ridiculed that my shorts suck and yet I feel this need to keep creating. Your awesome Chris!
That’s not part of their beliefs. It’s ok to show an image of yourself as a Jehovah’s Witness (but not God). You can google image search Jehovah’s Witness for proof.
@@HeyMykee Yeah, he had a confusing way of relating the fact they both were JWs, and simultaneously didn't want their faces on a video. But the two facts are separate, and I had to get pedantic on you so that we can criticize something for the RIGHT reasons lol.
I’m loving these videos where he talks about his passion and how he made stuff as a kid and me who’s 15 is trying to do the same thing I just feel like going out and making a movie rn these videos keep motivating me to do so
Maybe he can get some non-Jehovah's Witness kids and a VHS camera, and shoot new footage for face replacement of the original actors, and thus become the fist person to use that sort of technology for something so utterly silly.
Love your stories about filmmaking. I'm 17 and still try and make movies with my mates all the time. From shorts to no-budget Slasher movies we always have a great time in front of and behind the camera.
about 10 years ago in high school, i would act behind the camera for my friends who wanted to be filmmakers and uploaded to youtube. loved it and still would do it if they wanted me to.
i made a few Spider-man short films, i mean really short like 7 minutes, and i’m 14 and i did these years ago. but i could tell that it was something i loved doing even tho i could tell my family was annoyed about it. when i grow up i do want to get into the film world, i understand what it feels like to be told it’ll never happen. i used to be open about it at school but i got told by teachers and students that it’ll never happen to the point where i don’t even tell people about it anymore. So i find it extremely inspiring that you are finally getting the chance to make a movie, i’ve watched your videos for years and i’m definitely going to see this one you make.
@@Sam-iu8nbto this day I still feel bad for hitting our friend, Dave Edison, in the back of the head with a perfectly thrown snowball while he was cameraman.
I used to shoot some sketches in my early twenties. The picture quality is complete is shit but the jokes somehow still crack me up. I started doing shorts again in 2018 and I'm working towards making my own feature. Your channel has become a great source of inspiration.
I love hearing about his armature film days. I would also make films with friends and locals as a kid, so it's cool to hear how similar our experiences were. After shooting many short films, we decided it was time to attempt a feature length production. It was going to be called "Link to the Future" and be a parody of A Link to the Past and Back to the Future. Someone creates a time machine and goes back to Link's era where Link finds the time machine and accidentally ends up in the future (modern day) where hijinks ensues. It ended up taking about a year of preproduction to make all the props (crappy as they were), and we shot about 20min of footage before summer ended and we all went to different high schools. Unfortunately after that, we could never seem to get organized and the project simply stopped. I decided in the end to pursue a different career path and am now working as a Junior Game Designer. I love my job, but I still miss the days of making movies. It was always such an adventure. I can't wait to see your movie when it comes out Chris!
Chris is creating more space (much needed) for exJws to be feel more safe and open to actualize their feelings and experiences just by talking about his own dealings and history. Thank you for being so open Chris, it’s an encouraging thing
When he said you feel the dragging once you have an audience viewing it I could totally relate. I've found this so true in the editing process, and I THOUGHT I was a good editor while getting it done by myself.... kudos to 15yo Stuckmann!!
I wrote and directed a horror short film for a film class when I was sixteen. I wasn't at all good at editing or sound design, but I tried to incorporate some ambitious sound bites and transitions in the movie that honestly turned out terrible. But I definitely look at it still with pride because I did it. And ever since, I've had a huge passion for screenwriting that I don't think would have developed if I hadn't just gone for it when I was sixteen.
Love that you're sharing this personal content, Chris! You're providing insight and relatability to us all. I never did make a feature when I was younger. However, I did make MANY short films using my mom's Mini Dv camcorder. I accidentally taped over multiple little league games of mine. It was funny to see me throwing a baseball be suddenly interrupted by me wearing goggles and a blanket as a cape while jumping off the couch. Good memories.
I tried making my first feature with my high school theatre troop, on the last day of filming one of the actors bailed without telling us, so the film was never finished, at the moment I have many ideas I want to do for my actual first feature film, but that’s TBA for me
Great video Chris! What’s interesting about this is that The Idea behind it is actually….. Pretty great! I’m not kidding- Years from now -when you have a couple of mainstream features under your belt - It might not be a bad idea to polish this up more professionally and update and revisit this idea- It’s honestly not too bad!
I made a film with my friends when we were 12. It opened with a Star Wars crawl. Similarly to your idea about the baseball field doing weird things.. we had a playground that would make everything go in reverse. So basically we were just playing tag in reverse around a playground, jumping from things and playing them backwards thinking we looked so cool doing it. We even would jump from things and land backwards to make it look like we had superpowers and could jump really high. It is so bad lol. There were no speaking lines, no plot. The entire thing was just us playing tag in reverse. It ended when we ran out of shots. Ah good times. Thanks for sharing your story and letting me remember about mine! You are a huge inspiration Chris, congrats on the film, can’t wait to see it!
Hey Chris! I love this rebranding of your channel and would love to hear your take on how to get good quality audio and visuals on a budget which I think is a hurdle for anyone starting to pursue film making. Peace!
Just finished my 2nd feature a few months back. My friends and I have been making short films ever since we were in middle school, and for the past two years we’ve been working on a superhero-comedy trilogy that we’ve dreamed of making for years, centered around these dumb characters that we made up in school. We’re about to start work on our 3rd and final chapter, and I have plans to work on other non-related features in the near future. It is a very difficult hobby, but there really is nothing quite like seeing your work pay off and watching ideas you visualized actually take form on screen. It truly is special.
When I was 12, me and my sister shot a short horror film inspired by Reck. It was only 8 min or something like that and we used spicy ketchup as blood 😆 It got in to my eye and hurt like hell. Fortunately recently I've rediscovered my want to make films and started to write scripts. I can't belive how fan and rewording it is. I feel like a kid again :D
When we were young Jehovah’s Witnesses (like 9 or 10 years old), we started making very amateur movies with a camcorder. Our very first one was live action and was called The Spyathon, where we played spies who had watches that could do anything. The next several were made using toys and we had a series of movies called The War of the Toys. The funny thing is in the fourth War of the Toys movie, we couldn’t find the toys we used for the main characters so we just made the movie without them lol. We made a few others using toys and a few other live action ones (I think. I know we made a second live action one but I can’t remember if we made any others). Those tapes are most likely in my parents’ attic (hopefully). We haven’t watched them since we were kids so I’m sure they’re terrible but we really, really wanna find them and watch them now that we’re adults (especially so I can see how/if we even explained why the main characters of the War of the Toys weren’t in the fourth one lol) and maybe even make a video like this. We’re also really hoping to become film writers/directors some day. -Zach
I made my first short film (it was about 20 minutes) when I was 11 years old and I wrote it over the course of a month but then shot as much as we could on a single day. Basically I was visiting my family's ranch in Nebraska for a month and we procrastinated on filming mostly because I had a big fear of not knowing how I would shoot or put this thing together. It was also supposed to be a western so creating action sequences was super challenging.Obviously the final product was really, REALLY bad but I wanted to keep doing it. As unwatchable as it was, I still felt the need to revisit it and see what I could improve on. I thought it was just a phase but now it's something I've been pursuing for the past 6 or so years and I'm so glad because of it. Everything that you said in this video, I could totally relate to. All the way down to showing the film to other people and feeling the "boring" parts. Man, this video really inspired me today. Thanks for everything you do, Chris. I'm beyond excited to see what else you have to offer.
One thing! Just one thing! Please tell IT to me: WHY tf do I have so many fans even though no TH-camr is unprettier than I am? WORLDWIDE!!!! WHY??? Tell me, dear mr
Chris, you gotta get guests on here like M. Night when they’re doing press and just have an open convo about filmmaking, their new film of course etc etc. From one filmmaker to another, your channel is a haven for all things film. So excited for your new journey!
The fact that Chris can now openly talk about his Jehovah’s Witness days without it being a big deal makes me happy 🥺 shows how much it helps to talk and share about the things that can sometimes feel so crippling
@Chris Stuckmann▪️ shut up
?
That bot deleted it's reply
@@sidrockx6399 what?
Dam right ♥
I just can’t believe the opening line in Phenomenon Field was “I can’t talk I gotta poo”
Epic reference
I’m gonna miss Hilariousity reviews for real.
@@offspringfan1288 keep in mind that those had a higher IMDb score than Terminator 2: Judgement Day
This comment didn't just cross the line, it fucking nuked it!
I fooled Chris stuckmann
Chris: “from now on, I won’t criticise movies and creators, it doesn’t feel right”
Also Chris: *destroys an amateur trying his best*
He'll make an exception for himself.
*tsk tsk tsk* What a hypocrite!!
Tbh he doesn’t destroy himself.
Stop it
From now on..... LOL! His channel is already full of that and it will be the ruin of him.
I can't wait to see Chris' first theatrical feature whenever it comes out. That should be fun for all TH-cam critics to review
I doubt they will, it’s a small film
If he is lucky a streaming service will pick it up.
@@BrezzyBoi33 Jeremy jahns reviewed a Jake Paul documentary.
@@TheRohanMan He also reviewed When The Bough Breaks, a shitty film no one saw and reviewed beside him and Brad Jones.
@@BrezzyBoi33 Chris is an inspiration to so many of them. They’re definitely going to review it.
All the dislikes are from that neighbor kid who didn't have a pure heart.
Well I guess everyone is pure hearted 😂
Actually, I assume the Dislikes and trolls in the comments section are people from his old sect.
For Chris - When I was in high school, I wrote two scripts which were both later performed by our theater troupe. Watching the recordings today, they are hilariously bad, but I still wanted to continue writing.
I think this is a very common thing for all creative people when they look back at the stuff they wrote when they were kid's/teenagers. For me, the short stories I used to write when I was younger are so awful and cringy, yet it's also inspiring just to see how far I've come as a writer since then.
When Chris becomes the same status as the popular Hollywood directors, I can proudly say, I was there when Chris reviewed Dragonball Evolution till present day
Fuck, what a feat to boast about. I've been here since his mad max fury road review. I had seen a few videos from him before that but seeing how passionate and energetic he got raving about this film totally sold me on his channel. Really hope to see him go far in this career field (:
I can proudly say, I watched Chris since his Max Steel review. 😁
Since his Revenge of the Sith review in my case
@@DoctorXander A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. 😈
Just wanted to add a quote from the prequels.
I watch him since he only had about 50 vids & maybe just around 100 subs.
I really need to see the Stuckmann Cut of Signs now
Shut up, Donnie!
Just kidding. In all seriousness, that would be an interesting prospect, especially since the reason he got into film in the first place was because of Signs.
It's in black and white, and in 4:3 ratio.
Honestly, I love black and white and I adore the 4:3 aspect ratio so bring it on
I want to see it too!
Yeah, really curious about that too...
"I killed my friend in my movie"
*cheerful bellly laugh*
I love you bro lol
I totally made a Twister rip off, and a Scream rip off that we called Stab, and were totally blown away when we saw Scream 2, because the mock Scream movie was called Stab, and we even had the knife come down for the 'T' in STAB like they did, albeit way more amateur, but it made us feel connected to the zeitgeist in a really fun paranoid childish way. I'm 35 and have lost all those old VHS tapes that we shot on, but I'd kill to have them back. Some of the best times of my life. I'm still happy for the memories, of course. But now, shooting on Super8 and figuring out cinematography in a real way, I still have that same mentality that I had back then, and it's a blast! I consider myself a filmmaker, even without a feature yet, because the dedication and love for the craft is very much still alive in me. Thanks for this. You're truly an inspiration, and I wish you all the best with your future endeavors. I also show Notes From Melanie to all my artist friends, to discuss, and channel energy through all the time. I still really wanna see Auditorium 6! I didn't have the funds to come see it, even though I'm in Ohio, as well. And I'm still kicking myself for not figuring it out at the time. Much love, man. Stay safe and productive. Kanpai
Chris, as an aspiring filmmaker, your new series is really informational. Thank you so much!
me too
Me too, man.
I’m not a filmmaker, but in high school we made several movies with my friends that we thought were amazing. Looking back they are terrible, but it was really fun to make. I wish I had pursued this career path! I love watching your videos and this new direction you’re taking your channel.
We started out making short films and never ended up trying an amateur feature because making the shorts felt difficult enough. Of course, our first short films had narratives more convoluted than most feature films so I’m still curious how utterly insane an amateur feature would have been if we had made one. Thanks for sharing your experiences as always, love hearing this stuff.
honestly it is delightful to hear how you shot things back in the day
I’m am currently starting to film my first independent feature film at the age of 20, and this video right here has given me all the confidence and inspiration to just go out and do it. Not to care what anyone says or thinks, but just to make a film that means a lot to me. So I just wanna say thank you Chris for the added inspiration and confidence!!!!!
Appreciate you sharing this film Chris. Passion is the central ingredient to make timeless art
Definitely! And the internet has expanded this, of which we are all grateful for.
Hey the editing & composition in that "run to the field to save my friend only for him to instantly drop dead just before I reach him" sequence are pretty darn good, I watched it twice...
Agreed.
Man, thank you so much for putting yourself out there and sharing your story. I know for sure that you've helped and inspired many of us who might have felt lost and isolated in similar circumstances. You are awesome
This is so inspiring! Love seeing how far you've come from your 1dt feature film.
Been following your channel for many years. Thanks for sharing your story!
I just recently started making short films with my friends this past year, and man at times during our first one did it seem so hard, but to go back to just last year and look at how much more I’ve learned as a filmmaker is super inspiring. Please keep making videos like this, you are such and inspiration!
I love this new change of pace for your videos! Keep it up
I was around 12-14 and I was able to shoot and edit a 45 minute “film” with some vacation friends all on iMovie on an iPod (in Ohio!). It was so ridiculous lol. Fun times and fond memories :)
I love the enthusiasm behind your new videos.
I'm impressed! 15 years old and not only did you complete the film, you got 70 minutes. Wow! It also reminded me of the time in college when my friends and I decided to make a star trek episode. Oh my god. It was hysterical (and a lot of fun).
I love how at 5:00 the car obviously dissappears hahaha. Nah but look even these movies made as a kid even if they're a bit silly or embarrassing in retrospect: they're more effort than most people ever put in to this kind of thing. And clearly the passion is there and is still there. Can't wait to see what comes of your professional career Chris
Stakes! 😂 Your dissection of your early feature films always crack me up, I love them. Reminds me of when me and my friends would make up stories to act out like we were in a movie. We took ourselves so seriously but probably would look ridiculous seeing it today. But I regret nothing!
When I was a kid. Me and my friends loved making movies. We also loved playing video games, so we always tried to incorporate video games into our short movies. The biggest production we made was when we had a movie of 4 nes games that were hidden away and unreleased until we dug it up and each game gave all of us powers from the games we grabbed. Then we began fighting each other with our powers so only one could remain with the powers. It was crazy as hell but a butt ton of fun to do. Our parents laughed when they saw this 30 minute kid masterpiece and I miss those guys. Haven't heard from them in years......oh childhood......I miss you.
I’m 15 and have recently started making some films on my channel based off weird scripts I write. One is a saw movie inside an Applebee’s, one is about a cult who worships melons and the most recent one is about people searching for monster energy during a global pandemic. They suck but I’m proud of many parts of them and want to continue writing
Those sound awesome man
@@razzlesquad5001 thank you
Chris, this is amazing! You filmed this a couple blocks from where I live! I recognize the elementary school in the background. My wife and I walk past that field all the time!
I'm 23 and have been making films since I was 14. I relate on such a deep level with everything about this video.
What an incredible story!! I’ve watching your videos for years and it’s been so great to see your filmmaking develop! I managed to direct a feature at age 20; It was a coming of age comedy called “Cardboard Fort” which we managed to build an 9ft tall cardboard castle for which was then burned to the ground (for narrative purposes of course...). Such a learning curve but a lot of fun! Directing a feature film independently is definitely something to be proud of 🎬
I'm so Happy for you Chris. You're a true inspiration for me. Thank you.
In my first year of high school, I knew my drive was to make a full-fledged action adventure film with the new film club, friends and school locations I had access to. The year was spent in part casting it, filming after school and developing the ideas and special effects as it went along, and it took so much work, eventually showing it with other student productions in a local theater. It was such an educational process, and really taught me to work with others and gain valuable social skills. Then the next year, I made a sequel that earnestly worked to continue its story and characters. Definitely excited to have done that at a young age, and to see your work that helped your passion, Chris!!
I’m a couple of years older than you Chris so when I was a kid making amateur movies with my friends it was before computer editing software and things like iMovie, so we had to do _everything_ in camera which was a total nightmare and took forever.
The fact that anyone today can pretty much make a movie on their _phone_ kind of blows my mind.
It still is a total nightmare at times if I'm honest, editing software can be absolute hell to work with, but I'll admit I do have it much better now than you did then.
You'd think that perhaps more people would give filmmaking a go now that it's much much easier to do, but most people only get as far as TikTok edits these days... Not that there's anything wrong with that, it would just be interesting to see what people would make.
I am so excited for your new opportunity to make your movie. I want to thank you because watching your reviews has given me a new eye for movies. There are two reviewers I watch for every new movie, you and Jeremy Jahns. I feel like I have learned a lot and my movie taste has even improved. Thank you, and good luck with this new venture.
Chris if these are the types of videos you are doing now, that’s awesome, I love when you just talk passionately, keep going 👍🏻👍🏻
I always really enjoy hearing people talk about exploring their creativity, this was great!
When I was a teenager I edited together my home moves to makes them into stories. My editing tech was 2 VCR's and a camcorder. I captured audio from moves like star wars and played it over me and friends and family riding Ice skates onto a frozen pond that my mom made for us in the back yard my dumping water... How Down hill skating has never made it to the Olympics I will never know
Hey Chris,
Really appreciate the new direction of the channel. I’ve been watching for probably coming up on a decade.
I very seldom use TH-cam to comment/engage, but I’m going to change that. Love that you’ve been willing to tell your story, and I’m oddly proud that you’re taking this next step. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Personally, after following his channel for years (because I honestly value his opinion on films more than any other reviewer), I'm happy for Chris and honestly hope he had a successful film making career. On the other hand, I come to this channel for film reviews. I'll follow for a little longer to see how it goes but if there's a lot of this kind of content, I'm going to respectfully need to find another page to get film reviews
That's still pretty impressive! I've never made a feature; the longest movie I've ever made was about a half hour action movie!
I LOVE the new Chris Stuckmann channel. As a 14 year old aspiring filmmaker, I love watching these videos and they help me so much. 🙌❤️
I can relate! My family has been making movies for the past decade. We pick a popular movie, rewrite a similar script (with everyone playing a part). We film it over a few weekends, then I spend all summer putting it together. For our last movie preimere we rented a theater and watched it with family and friends.
It's always a blast and everyone gets more and more involved with each film. We're now onto the 3rd generation of family members in our movie remakes and still going strong. It's been a fun family tradition. Keep the passion alive my friend!
I love that you've never lost your dream, Chris. That's the phenomenal thing, is that through it all, you never lost your dream. Keep dreaming, bro!
This was so fun listening to, Chris! Loved hearing your experience making this as a kid/teen... those of us who were in church bands at the time who thought we were cool had similar experiences and thank God there isn't footage of some of that 😂😂
I used to make movies with a buddy of mine in high school. None of them are any good, but I am proud we made them. It was difficult and an absolute blast at the same time. Thank you for sharing this story, Chris.
never made any full length feature, though i did and do day dream about it all the time.
i know this is one comment out thousands, but i just want to say that i’m loving the direction this channel and you are taking Chris! you’re an inspiration.
even though i may be procrastinating and giving into resistance while writing this :)
When I was 15 I convinced my friends too be in my movie. At the time I knew it wasn't going to be good because of my lack of experience and also me and my friends had never acted before.
So I decided to make it a comedy and boy is it funny...just not in the way I would have liked.
I made several other films with my friends and by myself, and they all got better and better. (Still really bad)
Now I'm 22 working a sh*t job. I write scripts in my free time hoping to one day make them into movies.
Good luck
Good luck bro, keep writing and getting better, that’s the only way. The most important thing always is to create
Look at Chris. A chance encounter with the right person and now he's living his dream. Keep writing and get it into the right hands and you'll be right there with him.👍🏻 Good Luck!
Chris, I’ve loved watching your videos ever since I discovered your channel. When you transitioned from reviewing movies to making movies and now only discussing movies you appreciate, it just made me love your work more.
I’m working on a script for a horror movie I plan to direct, and your video announcing that your making a horror feature made me so happy fir you and gave me inspiration for my project.
As for bad movies, oh boy. I made my share of terrible movies between ages 12 - 19. I even made a full adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in 9th grade that is incredibly cringe worthy. It’s so bad, we are planning a showing with friends just to laugh at it.
Thank you for making these videos and I can’t wait to see your first feature film!
"You're just not a good person, ok?!"😂😂😂 I guess this is how a career as a villain starts. Great video
Ive watched you and Jeremy Jahns grow since your first episode.... im proud of your growth. I also think its dope that you guys know each other.. honestly the only 2 people that I watch reviews on movies before I consider watching a movie. Stay dope!!! No Cut!!! all puns intended.
I can't wait to see what you come up with in the future!
I wonder what a big-budget movie by Chris would be like.
@@bigkmoviesandgames right! I'm looking forward to it! I've always had a feeling he'd go places in his career. :)
@@Omni-Blast yeah I honestly hope he makes it big in the industry.
@@bigkmoviesandgames I'll await the "and the award for best director goes to, Chris Stuckmann" :)
this is amazing ^^ and honestly, I'm impressed with your tenacity and love for film making
Chris Stuckmann, you, my fine fellow, are a legend.
Some of my favourite memories from when I was still in jr. high school is making dumb films with one of my friends after school. The two of us would always go to his house after school and just film.
We didn't have a script, we didn't have costumes or even much of a plan. Once an idea came to one of us we just made it. I started getting into horror, so we made a horror film. My friend loved The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine so we made our own sitcom. It was so much fun.
Thank you, Chris. Watching your filming journey series has really brought back that same itch and inspired me to get back into something I have always been passionate about.
Love this kinda content, Chris!
My cousin and I made tons of "short films" when we were kids. We had an absolute blast. Our most infamous one is called "Polly Wanna...Murder? 😂
It was about this little toy parrot my cousins dad had in their basement that would reek havoc 😂. It's hilarious, we still have it on a VHS somewhere.
My 9 year old daughter spent all her free time in school this year working with her friends and filmed a 9 min TV show episode she is very proud of. She now is working on a script for a new project. You have been an inspiration to keep pushing her to follow this interest. Thank you Stuckmann!!
So proud to see how much you’ve grown from where you were 7 years ago when I first found your channel, to now. All these opportunities are so well deserved Chris! We all wish the best for you, can’t wait to see this!
This video reminded me of a project I started working on when I was 10. I’ve always been a creative person and I had the idea to write a novel series that followed a group of kids going against an underground terrorist group. I finished my first draft when I was about 11 and worked on revisions all the way until I was about 16 before I finally realized that the entire story just sucked. So much of it made no sense whatsoever and plot points just came together because I needed them to. However, as a 21 year old, I still have those story ideas and the desire to write them. I’ve tried a couple story ideas out but nothing has clicked just. This video is giving me the motivation to keep trying, or to maybe revisit the ideas I’ve already had and see if I can figure out how to make them good. Best of luck in directing your first film, Chris. Been following your channel for years and so happy that you’re finally doing what you dreamed of doing!
Edit: I’m also from Ohio, and I tend to base all my ideas in Ohio, sort of like Stephen King and Maine
I am an amateur filmmaker right now (16). I have a channel with my buddy called ROTA Media. These videos are really helpful to me. Thank you!
keep chasing the dream kid!
I’ve yet to make a feature. The longest thing I’ve made is 27 minutes long. I’ve been ridiculed that my shorts suck and yet I feel this need to keep creating. Your awesome Chris!
Keep makin' stuff, don't lose your passion.
"I'm a Jehovas Witness, we don't allow our image to be seen on the internet."
"Wanna make a movie?"
... "Sure!"
For an organisation called Jehovah’s Witnesses, they sure don’t witness much.
@Randy White Yeah, so glad I came up with that one. 🤣
That’s not part of their beliefs. It’s ok to show an image of yourself as a Jehovah’s Witness (but not God). You can google image search Jehovah’s Witness for proof.
@@levi1929 Just repeating what Chris said at the beginning of the video. Maybe he got it wrong.
@@HeyMykee Yeah, he had a confusing way of relating the fact they both were JWs, and simultaneously didn't want their faces on a video. But the two facts are separate, and I had to get pedantic on you so that we can criticize something for the RIGHT reasons lol.
I’m loving these videos where he talks about his passion and how he made stuff as a kid and me who’s 15 is trying to do the same thing I just feel like going out and making a movie rn these videos keep motivating me to do so
So where can we get the criterion for "Phenomenon field" XD
Hopefully soon!
It’ll be better than Dragonball Evolution, that’s for damn sure. 😆😂
The 4K restoration is gonna be dope
Maybe he can get some non-Jehovah's Witness kids and a VHS camera, and shoot new footage for face replacement of the original actors, and thus become the fist person to use that sort of technology for something so utterly silly.
Chris has been a part of my life for about 10 years now. Day 1 viewer. You’ve made movies better for me brother
Omfg I laughed soo hard when the kid died right after batting 😂😂😂
Good stuff, Chris. You're an inspiration to anyone who is pursing their dreams 🙌
Love your stories about filmmaking. I'm 17 and still try and make movies with my mates all the time. From shorts to no-budget Slasher movies we always have a great time in front of and behind the camera.
about 10 years ago in high school, i would act behind the camera for my friends who wanted to be filmmakers and uploaded to youtube. loved it and still would do it if they wanted me to.
i made a few Spider-man short films, i mean really short like 7 minutes, and i’m 14 and i did these years ago. but i could tell that it was something i loved doing even tho i could tell my family was annoyed about it. when i grow up i do want to get into the film world, i understand what it feels like to be told it’ll never happen. i used to be open about it at school but i got told by teachers and students that it’ll never happen to the point where i don’t even tell people about it anymore. So i find it extremely inspiring that you are finally getting the chance to make a movie, i’ve watched your videos for years and i’m definitely going to see this one you make.
My fav movie I ever made as a kid was "Were They Really In The Shitter?"
Were they?
No, wait...
Spoilers.
Aka Ghoulies
@@Sam-iu8nbto this day I still feel bad for hitting our friend, Dave Edison, in the back of the head with a perfectly thrown snowball while he was cameraman.
Plot twist: there was no shitter!
Sh**er was full!
I used to shoot some sketches in my early twenties. The picture quality is complete is shit but the jokes somehow still crack me up. I started doing shorts again in 2018 and I'm working towards making my own feature. Your channel has become a great source of inspiration.
I love hearing about his armature film days. I would also make films with friends and locals as a kid, so it's cool to hear how similar our experiences were.
After shooting many short films, we decided it was time to attempt a feature length production. It was going to be called "Link to the Future" and be a parody of A Link to the Past and Back to the Future. Someone creates a time machine and goes back to Link's era where Link finds the time machine and accidentally ends up in the future (modern day) where hijinks ensues.
It ended up taking about a year of preproduction to make all the props (crappy as they were), and we shot about 20min of footage before summer ended and we all went to different high schools. Unfortunately after that, we could never seem to get organized and the project simply stopped. I decided in the end to pursue a different career path and am now working as a Junior Game Designer. I love my job, but I still miss the days of making movies. It was always such an adventure. I can't wait to see your movie when it comes out Chris!
Gonna miss your reviews man but still excited to see your project!!
I bet Chris is gonna make An analysis video of "Old" which is my favorite film of the year and of the last 2 years.
Chris is creating more space (much needed) for exJws to be feel more safe and open to actualize their feelings and experiences just by talking about his own dealings and history. Thank you for being so open Chris, it’s an encouraging thing
Ah yes..."Jehovah's in the outfield" my favorite movie
That would actually be an interesting alternate title for Field of Dreams.
Lmao
When he said you feel the dragging once you have an audience viewing it I could totally relate. I've found this so true in the editing process, and I THOUGHT I was a good editor while getting it done by myself.... kudos to 15yo Stuckmann!!
I have a feeling chris is gonna become my favourite director one day
Hopefully so, my dude!
Making a good movie is really hard, though.
@@mabusestestament who said it isnt
@@mabusestestament That’s a given in professional filmmaking.
@sid rockx
I'm just trying to be realistic here
Dude gonna miss you. Love you! Been my go to voice for movies for a long time. Can't wait to see your debut.
I wrote and directed a horror short film for a film class when I was sixteen. I wasn't at all good at editing or sound design, but I tried to incorporate some ambitious sound bites and transitions in the movie that honestly turned out terrible. But I definitely look at it still with pride because I did it. And ever since, I've had a huge passion for screenwriting that I don't think would have developed if I hadn't just gone for it when I was sixteen.
Love that you're sharing this personal content, Chris! You're providing insight and relatability to us all. I never did make a feature when I was younger. However, I did make MANY short films using my mom's Mini Dv camcorder. I accidentally taped over multiple little league games of mine. It was funny to see me throwing a baseball be suddenly interrupted by me wearing goggles and a blanket as a cape while jumping off the couch. Good memories.
I tried making my first feature with my high school theatre troop, on the last day of filming one of the actors bailed without telling us, so the film was never finished, at the moment I have many ideas I want to do for my actual first feature film, but that’s TBA for me
Great video Chris!
What’s interesting about this is that
The Idea behind it is actually…..
Pretty great!
I’m not kidding-
Years from now
-when you have a couple of mainstream features under your belt -
It might not be a bad idea to polish this up more professionally and update and revisit this idea-
It’s honestly not too bad!
You inspiring me all the way in South Africa, I'm rooting for you brother
I made a film with my friends when we were 12. It opened with a Star Wars crawl. Similarly to your idea about the baseball field doing weird things.. we had a playground that would make everything go in reverse.
So basically we were just playing tag in reverse around a playground, jumping from things and playing them backwards thinking we looked so cool doing it.
We even would jump from things and land backwards to make it look like we had superpowers and could jump really high.
It is so bad lol. There were no speaking lines, no plot. The entire thing was just us playing tag in reverse. It ended when we ran out of shots.
Ah good times.
Thanks for sharing your story and letting me remember about mine!
You are a huge inspiration Chris, congrats on the film, can’t wait to see it!
Hey Chris! I love this rebranding of your channel and would love to hear your take on how to get good quality audio and visuals on a budget which I think is a hurdle for anyone starting to pursue film making. Peace!
Just finished my 2nd feature a few months back. My friends and I have been making short films ever since we were in middle school, and for the past two years we’ve been working on a superhero-comedy trilogy that we’ve dreamed of making for years, centered around these dumb characters that we made up in school. We’re about to start work on our 3rd and final chapter, and I have plans to work on other non-related features in the near future. It is a very difficult hobby, but there really is nothing quite like seeing your work pay off and watching ideas you visualized actually take form on screen. It truly is special.
When I was 12, me and my sister shot a short horror film inspired by Reck. It was only 8 min or something like that and we used spicy ketchup as blood 😆 It got in to my eye and hurt like hell. Fortunately recently I've rediscovered my want to make films and started to write scripts. I can't belive how fan and rewording it is. I feel like a kid again :D
This is definitely one of my favorite videos on your channel.
When we were young Jehovah’s Witnesses (like 9 or 10 years old), we started making very amateur movies with a camcorder. Our very first one was live action and was called The Spyathon, where we played spies who had watches that could do anything. The next several were made using toys and we had a series of movies called The War of the Toys. The funny thing is in the fourth War of the Toys movie, we couldn’t find the toys we used for the main characters so we just made the movie without them lol.
We made a few others using toys and a few other live action ones (I think. I know we made a second live action one but I can’t remember if we made any others).
Those tapes are most likely in my parents’ attic (hopefully). We haven’t watched them since we were kids so I’m sure they’re terrible but we really, really wanna find them and watch them now that we’re adults (especially so I can see how/if we even explained why the main characters of the War of the Toys weren’t in the fourth one lol) and maybe even make a video like this. We’re also really hoping to become film writers/directors some day.
-Zach
Congrats dude! I wish you nothing but the best in your journey and let me know when you end your first cut! Would love to see it!
Good luck Chris, you're an inspiration to all of us.
I made my first short film (it was about 20 minutes) when I was 11 years old and I wrote it over the course of a month but then shot as much as we could on a single day. Basically I was visiting my family's ranch in Nebraska for a month and we procrastinated on filming mostly because I had a big fear of not knowing how I would shoot or put this thing together. It was also supposed to be a western so creating action sequences was super challenging.Obviously the final product was really, REALLY bad but I wanted to keep doing it. As unwatchable as it was, I still felt the need to revisit it and see what I could improve on. I thought it was just a phase but now it's something I've been pursuing for the past 6 or so years and I'm so glad because of it. Everything that you said in this video, I could totally relate to. All the way down to showing the film to other people and feeling the "boring" parts. Man, this video really inspired me today. Thanks for everything you do, Chris. I'm beyond excited to see what else you have to offer.
When are we getting “Phenomenon Field” on Blu-ray?
Nah, gotta go straight to 4K UHD that’s packaged with a digital download.
One thing! Just one thing! Please tell IT to me: WHY tf do I have so many fans even though no TH-camr is unprettier than I am? WORLDWIDE!!!! WHY??? Tell me, dear mr
When Jehova gives these kids his blessing.
@@AxxLAfriku dafuq are on you on about I’m high and I know you’re speaking nonsense
um hopefully never
Chris, you gotta get guests on here like M. Night when they’re doing press and just have an open convo about filmmaking, their new film of course etc etc. From one filmmaker to another, your channel is a haven for all things film. So excited for your new journey!
8:36 it’s so awesome and interesting that you’re dissecting this about yourself.
I’m soy happy for you Chris, you look like a free spirit now.
Smh these bots
@Chris Stuckmann▪️ thanks Mr. Bot.
Honestly kinda wanna watch the movie, seems alright.
So happy for you Cris! Can’t wait to see your film