Heritage (2020)
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Heritage, originally titled Godzilla: Heritage, is a crowdfunded Godzilla fan film produced and directed by Greg Gaves, and written by Marissa Lehto, Val Roder, and Tim Schiefer from a story by Shiefer and Graves, with visual effects by Christopher Bloomer and Aaron Powell. Produced by Perception Entertainment and Vintage Reel Productions in association with Luna Digital Ltd., the project was planned as a feature-length film, but drew the attention of Godzilla creator Toho, who expressed concerns that it would create a likelihood of confusion issue. After receiving the studio's list of restrictions on how they could proceed with the film, the filmmakers elected to convert a 20-minute preview intended to secure further funds into a short which would serve as the final product.[1] It was released online exclusively to Kickstarter backers on April 10, 2020.
Plot
Greg Graves and Tim Schiefer give a brief history of Heritage, including their interactions with Toho's American lawyers, which they describe as "amicable." They wrap up by thanking the staff and the donors who helped make it all possible.
Emergency sirens blare on Batavia Island off the coast of Northern California. United World News reporter Jack Martin, his wife, Kaori, and his colleague Mitch Lawrence run out of a building and into a fleeing mob as cries for help fill the air. In their confusion, they witness a fiery explosion. The flames illuminate the night sky and they catch sight of an Anguirus, causing them to run. Mitch tells them that there are two more Anguirus out there. Jack has a moment with Kaori as they kiss before he runs off to pursue the rampaging pack.
Jack runs to the top of a parking lot, where he sees the city in flames. He calls the UWN main office in Chicago so he can be patched through live. Now on the air, he describes the situation as a warzone. He observes that the Anguirus pack appears to consist of two adults and one offspring. Jack reports that they are moving further into the city before leaving to find a better vantage point.
It is now morning as Jack is running down an empty street, and after a building behind him gets destroyed, finds himself face to face with a skull-faced Anguirus who roars at him. The monster hears Godzilla's roar in the distance and walks past Jack, but its tail damages a nearby building, burying him in the rubble. Godzilla makes landfall and destroys another building near Jack with his atomic breath.
Kaori and a limping Mitch find Jack unconscious and injured, but still alive. Once Jack gets his faculties back, he and Mitch argue over Jack's obsessive willingness to continue chasing the monsters just as Godzilla reappears. Bloodied and covered with dirt, Jack, with Kaori in his arms, calls the UWN desk once more and is on the air again, saying that the Anguirus pack and Godzilla have "found each other." The monsters face off and roar challenges to each other.
Staff
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
- Directed by Greg Graves
- Screenplay by Marissa Lehto, Val Roder, Tim Schiefer
- Story by Tim Schiefer, Greg Graves
- Based on the character Godzilla owned and created by Toho Co., Ltd.
- Executive producers Tim Ryan, Cindy Tyler, Cory Clyde
- Co-executive producer David Brandes
- Produced by Greg Graves
- Associate producers Neil John Murphy, Micah Peterson, Matthew Swift, Terrence Michau, Jorge Luis Arroyo
- Music by Stewart Dugdale
- Cinematography by Kyle Gilmore
- Edited by Kyle Gilmore
- Visual effects by Luna Digital, Christopher Bloomer
- Visual effects supervisor Aaron Powell
- Makeup by Rashaad Santiago, Cindy Tyler
- Creature designs by Elden Ardiente, Joe Lucchese
Cast
Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
- Chris Barbis as Jack Martin
- Azumi Tsutsui as Kaori Martin
- Tim Ryan as Ed Burke
- Misty Lynn Macey as Marissa
- Tim Schiefer as Mitch Lawrence
- Colton Mangon as Gavin Manning
- Tyler Graves as Christian Shaw
Appearances
Monsters
Development and production
The idea for Godzilla: Heritage was originally conceived by Greg Graves in 2009, the same year the film's Facebook page was created. The page did not publish a post until 2013, coinciding with promotion of the film at G-Fest XX. Rashaad Santiago, winner of the sixth season of the SyFy game show Face Off, was announced as the film's creature artist in November 2013. The completed Godzilla suit was revealed at Denver Comic Con in June 2014, followed by the launch of a Kickstarter several days later with a $25,000 goal. It was unsuccessful, ending on July 17, 2014, with $16,025 raised.[2] Phase One of a second Kickstarter campaign began the next day with a $10,000 goal, concluding with $19,554 in funds.[3]
In November 2014, Rashaad Santiago was "relieved... of his duties on the film" and replaced with Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge contestant Chaz Vance.[4] The first preview was released on May 16, 2015, a week before Phase Two of the Kickstarter campaign launched and the teaser trailer was released. The Kickstarter was unsuccessful, raising $19,430 out of a $40,000 goal. Funds provided by executive producer Tim Ryan allowed the film to continue, and shooting for a ten-minute preview took place in mid-September. In March 2016, Graves announced that the preview would not contain any practical creature effects, with Rainfall Films providing CG animation instead. Rainfall was later replaced by Luna Digital.
A second teaser trailer was released in September. Toho contacted the filmmakers shortly thereafter, with the resulting arrangement ruling out a planned third Kickstarter.
Gallery
Pre-production
Posters
First Kickstarter poster
Denver Comic-Con poster
Miscellaneous
Postcard sent to Kickstarter backers
Godzilla bust sent to select Kickstarter backers
Screenshots
Videos
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Trivia
- Creature designer Elden Ardiente also co-illustrated GODZILLA '94, an unlicensed graphic novel based on an unfilmed 1994 screenplay by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot.
External links
- Official Facebook page
- First Kickstarter (completed)
- Second Kickstarter (completed)
- Review by The Kaijuologist (includes screenshots)
- Heritage on Zilla Fanon Wiki
References
This is a list of references for Heritage. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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