Snowgum Films - Troll Bridge

Basic Info

Who is Terry Pratchett and what is the Discworld?

Does this have anything to do with the Maskerade Movie?

	Production Info
	Who is Snowgum Films?
	When will it be completed?
	How can I help?
	How do I know if my sponsorship went through?
	How can I contact you?
	How can I keep up to date?

Basic Info

What is Troll Bridge?

Troll Bridge is a short-story written by esteemed author Terry Pratchett. Originally included in the anthology After the King: Stories in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien, (and soon to be re-released in Once More, With Footnotes), it is a tale set in the Discworld and features the world's last barbarian hero (at the age of eighty-seven) facing his ultimate challenge yet: to defeat a troll in combat. Things (of course), don't go as planned. Troll Bridge is now being adapted into a short film by Snowgum Films, a keen and enthusiastic group of film-makers based in Melbourne, Australia.

Who is Terry Pratchett and what is the Discworld?

Terry Pratchett is best known for his Discworld stories. Set on the back of a giant turtle gently swimming through the gulfs of space, the Discworld reflects and parodies our own world and literature while maintaining an underlying bite that sets it apart in a category of its own. As of this writing, Terry Pratchett has written over thirty stories set on the Discworld, and is Britain's bestselling (living) fictional author of this decade. He sells over a million and a quarter books a year.

Why a movie?

Because we thought it would be fun. Seriously, the producer/director got sick of the amount of bad films flooding the market and decided that he'd put his money where his mouth was for once. Troll Bridge was eventually chosen because, for some unfathomable reason, no one had yet made a Discworld film. Of the short-stories featuring Discworld characters, Troll Bridge was also the one that simply appealed the most. The fact that it gives us an excuse to choreograph a fight scene, and features a geriatric wearing furry underpants, was simply a bonus.

Does this having anything to do with the Maskerade Movie?

Some time ago now (but not too long ago), a group of individuals from the newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett (or AFP), embarked on a mission to turn Maskerade (a full length Discworld novel) into a non-profit movie. The project got as far as having a rather good script painstakingly adapted by Thom Willis, more than several costume designs completed, and had been cast. The project disappointingly fell through however. Due to lacking funds (and lagging enthusiasm from some of those involved who only had a passing interest) - the project was ultimately and unfortunately scrapped. For more details, just perform a group search in the Google archives.

While Troll Bridge has absolutely nothing to do with Maskerade (going so far as to be shot on the other side of the planet), we hope to avoid some of the problems the project seemed to have. Funds have already been taken care of (courtesy of the Commonwealth Bank loans department), with enough money to see the filming more than successful. Waning enthusiasm will also not be an issue as great effort has gone into (and is still going into) recruiting people on the production team who are professional, dedicated, and easy to get along with. Everyone believes in the project 100%. Being on a much smaller scale than the Maskerade movie also helps a great deal too - meaning it's cheaper, doesn't require as many people, and doesn't require them for as long.

Hopefully one day the Maskerade movie will continue production - it seems such a shame to see so much effort forgotten.

Do we have permission?

It has become a sad truth in our suspicious world that this question needs to be answered. Snowgum Films (and its members) take plagiarism and the filming of a piece of work without the original author's permission very seriously. As in: we don't do it.

Yes, we have a signed contract with Terry Pratchett in regards to the making of this film, and no production work (or even announcements about it's pre-production), had been made until this vital first step had been completed.

Should you have any questions regarding this, do not hesitate to contact the producer directly at DanielKnight@SnowgumFilms.com.

Who is Snowgum Films?

Snowgum Films is (at the basic level) a group of individuals working within the film industry - who have come together to make a Discworld film. Although Troll Bridge is her maiden voyage (so to speak), we also have several other scripts being developed and worked on in which we hope to shoot in the future. For more information on who we are, please visit our site at www.snowgumfilms.com.

When will it be completed?

When it is done. Seriously, there is going to be a lengthy and gruelling post-production stage to get all of the computer generated FX to be absolutely perfect. With an FX heavy film seemingly being released every month in mainstream cinemas, the bar is constantly being raised as to what is acceptable and believable. While we certainly don't have the might of the larger computer FX companies out there, we do have a team of individuals of various skill levels, all wanting to produce something as near perfect as they can get it. With principle photography completed as of November, 2003, post-production has been painfully forging ahead ever since. At this rate - it is possible (please note the emphasis), that the project may be completed by the end of 2004. But for heaven's sake, don't hold us to that!

How can I help?

Unless you live in Melbourne there's probably not much you can do to help, other than throw copious amounts of money at us. Even though we have the money, we'd really like to pay the bank back, and for the movie to pay for itself - this is where you can come in. More information on this is, of course, on the sponsorship page.

If you do live in Melbourne however, you're more than welcome to send us a CV of your experiences, and should we need you, we'll contact you. Otherwise, job vacancies will be posted up on the main page, as we need them.

How do I know if my sponsorship went through?

Because you'll receive an e-mail telling you as such. If you don't receive one within 5 days of sending us your money - something has gone wrong and you should contact us at Sponsorship@SnowgumFilms.com. With this said however, we have had no problems so far - with sponsorship running strong.

How can I contact you?

If you have any questions, suggestions, would like to praise us, criticise us, or even just say hello - feel free to use the forums. They are regularly visited by us and all questions get answered. The forums are a good place to start because someone else may have already asked the same question. Or (in a reversal situation), someone else may be seeking the answer to the question you ask. For other ways of contacting us - visit the contacts page.

How can I keep up to date?

Other than this website, we have a Troll Bridge Mailing List. The cast and crew are signed up to this as a way of communicating with one another to make sure everyone is on the same page. The members of the production team (wanting everyone to know where the movie is up to) are constantly posting updates - provided there is something to update with. To sign up to this group however, you need to be a part of the cause (either be a member of the production team or have donated to the production effort). On the bright side a donation of as little as 1.00 AUD will get you onto the Mailing List. You'll also get access to the Members area - which contains the finalised script, production designs, CG tests, and nude pictures of Mr. Snuggles. Yes, every little bit helps.

Basic Info

Production Info

Basic Info