FanCam: Severus Snape and the Marauders (2016)

Due to unforseen circumstances, I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I think that the book series is well done, nay, excellent and a worthy heir to Tolkien's throne. The characterizations and plot are vivid and magical. This translates to the films, too. The Harry Potter films are very well done and translates that sense of magic and desperation and hope beautifully. Therefore, much like a Star Wars or a Lord of the Rings, you have two ways to go about a fan film: so amateurish it's fun and hokey OR well done and worthy of the original films/narratives. Severus Snape and the Marauders is incredibly well done and really does honor the tone and characters of the original films!


Severus Snape and the Marauders was written and directed by Justin Zagiri and, as I intimated, it is well done. The story is based on the Marauders (James Potter and his cronies) picking on and humiliating a young Severus Snape. Post graduation, they decide to make ol Snape (Mick Ignis) pay for calling Lily Evans (Danai Jae) a mud blood. The Marauders are, of course, James Potter (Garrett Schweighauser), Sirius Black (Kevin Allen), Remus Lupin (Paul Stanko) and Peter Petigrew (Zachary David). Much like old school bullies, they apparate out to a forest and try to beat up Snape, wizard-style. Be careful, though, because you shouldn't bully anyone with that much pent up rage. The duel is very nicely done with visual effects that, although not matching the level of the feature films, are respectable. Locations and set are dressed to perfection and there is very little to discount in the costuming department. But, you ask, what about the performances?

We here at FanCam know that 'for the love' doesn't always come with a liberal dose of acting school, but this cast performed admirably. Those characters that we had seen before at length, namely Snape, Pettigrew, Lupin, Black and You Know Who, are played closely to their older counterparts. The choice of James Potter as a jock bully is a good one and fits right in with the mythos.

The film has a 25 minute running time, so it is substantial, and a reported 28K budget... much more than some FanCam projects (and far less than others). I think that, at the end of this film, even Alan Rickman would have given his blessing to Zagiri, Ignis and crew.