"Payne & Redemption seems very ambitious and impressive. Good luck with your project! Looking forward to seeing it." - Sam Lake, creator of Max Payne & writer of the Max Payne videogames.

"See? My last smoke - It's bad for the baby..."

Evenin' people,

OK, it's not P&R related, nor even Max Payne related, but I thought I'd share this news with you guys, anyway...

As of 05/08/08 (i.e., yesterday), I became the proud father of a beautiful 7lb 6oz baby daughter! We haven't named her yet, as we're hoping one will just pop into our minds during some sort of moment of revelation. But being that her current favourite pastimes include punching me and her mommy in the face, and competing with the audible range of Krakatoa, I'm sure whatever name we settle on will suit her perfectly.

Anyway, I haven't slept much over these past 48 hours, which, OK, is no new feat for me (and sure ain't gonna get any better now!), but I think I'll bid you guys adieu, and pop a pizza in the oven.

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer, Director, and Proud Father.

P.S. Yes, P&R is still going ahead. :-)

P.P.S. Received a few e-mails from people congratulating me on quitting smoking for my baby daughter, but I don't *actually* smoke - The title of this post is a quote from the first Max Payne videogame. Apologies for the confusion!

What have we here?...

A little taste of things to come.
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Click here to discuss.

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer & Director.

A new beginning...

Since Luke's "Fuck FOX" post, there have been a few changes around here. You might have noticed that the poster no longer reads "Max Payne", nor the banner at the top of the blog, and Nigel Billing, although still the lead character, is no longer down as "Max Payne" on the cast list.

So what does all of this mean? It must seem like everything we've worked so hard to uphold over the years is now crumbling down around our feet... but that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Since June 1st, we officially divorced ourselves from the Max Payne franchise. I.e., we are no longer a "Max Payne" production. This decision was made because ONE, I have no desire to get on the bad side of a multi-billion dollar corporation that will most likely have me assassinated if I go against them, and TWO, I don't quit... EVER. Plus, didn't I promise you guys a film at some point?

Which brings me to my next bit of news...

We are going to RE-MAKE Payne & Redemption. When I say "re-make", I don't mean re-edit what we have and put it out there, because we're not allowed to do that, and would most likely end up having our testicles removed and forcefully placed where the sun doesn't shine. I mean we're literally going to re-write and re-film Payne & Redemption, but BIGGER, BETTER and STRONGER than before... and perhaps most importantly, without infringing upon copyright.

Fortunately, Payne & Redemption is an *original* story - It always was... It even has an entire cast of original characters (bar Max Payne himself). So apart from not being able to call the lead character "Max Payne" anymore, not much else needs to be altered from my original concept, other than to make it BETTER, cooler, and worthy of all the shit this production has been through.

A few people have been asking what's going to happen with the trailers and publicity-stills, and yes, they *will* be making a comeback, but without reference to "Max Payne", and will serve as promotional material only, as their content will not feature in the film you finally get to see.

Anyway, guys... I think that's all for now. If anything else comes to mind, I'll be sure to update this post!

As always, stay frosty.

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer, Director & Executive Producer.

Click here to discuss.

Give a dog a bone...

Keeping the peace is one thing, especially when you are a tiny island and a f*cking planet sized monster is threatening to eat you if you don't. But the problem is that throughout this whole saga 'keeping the peace' has left me somewhat red. Red with embarassment, anger and disappointment. I have had this niggling voice in the back of my mind telling me that we're not doing the right thing. This voice has been getting louder and louder, and the response of our fans has added a chorus, and the point has come. Enough is enough.

Enough pandering and peace keeping. I'm not fucking Bono. :mad

I feel gutted for the fans, the actors and the entire production team that Fox have decided to try to shut us down. Countless people have invested their time, energy and money into making this independent fan film what it is...or could be, and Fox are acting like yappy little dogs, insecure and ego-mad. Big dogs don't need to bark and bark - they know they are the big dog. They know what is a threat and what isn't. Like George Lucas, he is a big dog, and he is not threatened by fan films. But Fox is like a little Jack Russell - guarding its bone with primal rage, without applying any thought or consideration to the issue. You see, if Fox were George Lucas, they would realise that this fan film isn't a threat to their multi million dollar marky-mark extravaganza. How bad must their film be that they would consider a 20 minute short a threat?! If anything it serves to augment the Max Payne fan base, which in turn means that more people would want to go and see the Fox film. But now, by acting the way that they have, they are alienating a set of previously shoe-in fans, who will boycott the "official" production (although I don't know how it can call itself "official" - I mean, Ludacris as Jim Bravura?! That's just, well...). And I encourage it - boycott away, slag the Fox film off, because I certainly will be. No more pandering, no more peace keeping. I wipe the brown off my nose and say FUCK FOX!

Yours, bringing the payne,
Luke "Jeff Garlin" Morgan-Rowe.
Producer.

Click here to discuss.

P.S. Stick with us, we'll be coming back with something harder, better, stronger and faster - announcement to follow shortly...

A fan's dismay...

A little video was brought to my attention today (well, yesterday, if you're in the UK), and after watching it, I just had to post it.

Sure, we've received thousands of e-mails from dismayed fans across the globe since April 22nd, but when you actually HEAR someone talk about their feelings in regards to this matter, it hits another nerve entirely...

Anyone else want to make yourself heard? If so, we'll post it here.

By the way, I've removed the ability to post comments on the blog for now (my own decision - nothing to do with Fox), so all further discussions and comments must be posted on the official "Payne & Redemption" forum, which you'll need to join in order to do so.

Click here to discuss.

It ain't over 'til it's over,

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer & Director.

The final gunshot...

Well guys, it's been a tough and stressful couple weeks, but the firing pin has finally struck the primer, and now I must reveal what has come of this debacle...

We spoke to the Vice President of Intellectual Property at Fox this evening, and have been told we're no longer allowed to distribute "Max Payne: Payne & Redemption" publically, which means everyone of you who has stood by and supported us over the years will never *officially* get to see what we have spent all this time busting our asses on. I've also had to remove all three trailers from this website in compliance with Fox's demands, so you won't be seeing the long-awaited 4th trailer, either...

However, I can't help but feel all this work has been done in vain... Three years of sleepless nights, tens of thousands of pounds spent from my own pocket, promises made to cast & crew, and hope given to a loyal fan-base now kicked in the nuts and just told to "deal with it"... It's not right, is it? But there again, you could argue that we weren't "right" for making this film. It's up to you which way you look at it... But in my opinion, there is no "right" or "wrong", only balls and nutcrackers.

I do remain positive, though, as Fox may very well end up changing their mind on this situation in the future... (and perhaps pigs will fly and shit gold bricks on unwary pedestrians)... But whatever happens, this certainly won't be the last time you hear from me.

In closing, I'd like to thank each and every one of you, THE FANS, with the utmost sincerity for the support you have offered us over the years - it's been one HELL of a ride! Perhaps we'll be able to wangle the odd behind-the-scenes photo for you guys at some point? Who knows...

Stay frosty,

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer & Director.

NEWS FLASH! Country boy has 20th Century Fox quaking in their boots!

G'day, people!

Received a rather interesting e-mail this evening...
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Dear Mr. Gibson,

My name is Mei-lan Stark and I am Senior Vice President, Intellectual Property for Fox Group Legal. As part of my responsibilities, I am charged with protecting the intellectual property rights of Twentieth Century Fox ("Fox"). While we appreciate your enthusiasm for the MAX PAYNE property, as you are likely aware, Fox acquired the exclusive motion picture rights from Take Two Interactive for the MAX PAYNE property. Fox further acquired an exclusive trademark license for the mark MAX PAYNE for a wide range of goods and services, including motion pictures. Your activities and materials, including your film, trailers, and one-sheet posters violate Fox's rights as well as the rights of Take Two Interactive in the underlying video game. As a result, we must demand that you immediately cease all further development and/or distribution of your film and accompanying materials and remove the film and materials, including any clips, trailers, one-sheet posters and other materials bearing the MAX PAYNE mark or elements of the MAX PAYNE property from this website and anywhere else you have posted them on the web.

Please provide written confirmation by email to
[censored] that you have complied with this request.

Sincerely,

Mei-lan Stark
Senior Vice President, Intellectual Property
Fox Group Legal

Flattery, indeed. But does the phrase "using a PILEDRIVER to crack a nut" come to mind? OK, probably not, because normal people would usually use a SLEDGEHAMMER!... Or is that just me?

Anyway, all comments are VERY welcome. :-)

UPDATE #3 (06/05/08) 03:30 GMT - Results posted. See entry above.

UPDATE #2 (05/05/08) 18:00 GMT - Negotiations have been settled. Results will be posted later on tonight.

UPDATE #1 (03/05/08) 22:00 GMT - We are currently in negotiations with Fox, and will keep everyone updated as things progress.

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer & Director.

MySpace account SHUT DOWN!...

OoOoOo... It would appear someone high up has thrown a little bit of a tizzy and had our MySpace account shut down. Alleged "copyright infringement", I hear.

Seems like someone's a little scared... :-)

Thousands of friends and comments lost, thousands of loyal supporters left in the lurch... Oh, what a world, what a world...

Now to find out which one of the many people and / or multi-million-dollar corporations that we're a threat to have had a hand in this inequitable affair.

Luke,
Producer, with more hoes than a garden centre.

NEW TRAILER!!!...

Hey gang,

Those of you diehard fans who have been following this project since the get-go, may very well recognize what you're about to see.

Back when Payneandredemption.com first went online, and we barely even had a complete CAST, I released a rather badly made, amateur looking "teaser", containing no footage whatsoever, as an advertisement to let everyone know that we were a project in production... It didn't exactly scream "professionalism", and was met with comments such as "What the hell is this piece of crap?!" - We certainly had no idea it would lead to the million-strong audience "Payne & Redemption" has gained to this day... And that's without anyone even seeing the film! But my, what a long way we've come...

So now, I present to you, a totally re-vamped and re-mixed version of the first EVER, incredibly cheesy (but very macho), teaser trailer to Max Payne: Payne & Redemption (narrated by the fantastic Scott Pollak)... WITH footage! But OK, not a lot.

EDIT: Just uploaded a hi-res version of the new trailer here - Approximately 18mb in size. Right-click the link to download.

Enjoy. ;-)

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer & Director.

Back from the dead...

It's been over three months since my last post, but amidst the silence on this blog, much chaos has been a brewin'! At the moment, we're pushing to film the "extra scene" on our "to do" list, as we're unable to film any of the pickups until around June / July. The reason for this is, because of the amount of favours we quite often need to call in, we have to coincide our schedules with those of the people we're working with, and more than often, "those people" aren't as free as we'd like them to be.

Anyway, about this "extra scene"... As many of you know, the part of Payne & Redemption we have already filmed takes place in one location. The "extra scene" takes place in an entirely different location, and with totally different characters (some you'll recognize, some you won't), but within the same timeline. Make sense? OK, never mind.

The idea behind the inclusion of this "extra scene" is to intercut it with what we already have in order to bulk out the story a little, fill in a few holes here and there, and create a better sense of pacing. Now, before you sigh or scream and think this is going to delay the film even more, relax - It won't. Firstly, instead of picking a completely unsuitable location and going to the lengths of dressing it to match the script, we're picking a location that pretty much already *is* what we need it to be, save a few touch-ups here and there. Secondly, as sad as it is, we're saying goodbye to the beloved Arriflex D-20, and will most likely end up using the Sony F350 due to its ease of use, and extremely cheap workflow... Although the camera we ultimately decide upon has yet to be confirmed. But don't worry - We won't be compromising on quality! Thirdly, we're aiming to complete the shoot of this "extra scene" within one evening of hard, gruelling labour, and have it edited into the offline shortly after. After that, it'll be time to get those pickups done once and for all.

Now, I've received a few e-mails asking if we're going to be able to release Payne & Redemption before the release of the Max Payne film starring Mark Wahlberg, and thinking realistically, I don't believe we will. However, that's not to say we won't! But what a lot of people seem to forget, and what you need to remember, is that Payne & Redemption is a non-profit, independent, artistic interpretation depending on the *favours* of some of the film industry's most eligible professionals - We're not a heavily profitable, commercial production with millions of dollars backing it, and as a result, simply don't have the power and financial clout of a major Hollywood studio such as 20th Century Fox. However, what I can guarantee you, is that once Payne & Redemption is released, you will at least have a choice between two different interpretations of your favourite anti-hero, as opposed to being stuck with the one and the risk of not liking it. Which, in my opinion, ain't such a bad ending to this long-winded journey.

On a different note, I've put together a 48-second-long trailer "spot" for your enjoyment, and will be releasing it at the end of this week. Just a little something to say we're still here and still going.

Anyway, guys and gals... Until the next time!

Fergle "Larry David" Gibson,
Writer & Director.