If you’ve always had a hankerin’ to make a movie, this weekend’s film challenge will give you just the push you need to grab a crew and start filming. The 2011 Phoenix Almost Famous Film Festival (A3F) kicks off this Friday, February 18th. At Majerle’s 9 Lounge, 24 North 2nd St, Phoenix at 5:30 pm. There’s still plenty of time to register at the A3F website.
If you have never participated in a film challenge, this is one of the best of Phoenix and an excellent opportunity for budding filmmakers. From the pep-rally atmosphere of the kick off party, to the breathless delivery of completed films 48 hours later, Jae Staats and the A3F crew are up all weekend right along with the filmmakers to insure all guidelines are met and all teams get their films in on time.
After a team is registered, the parameters of the challenge are announced on Friday at the kick-off party. Teams then have 48 hours to make a movie utilizing a prop, a line of dialogue and a theme selected by the A3F. It may sound easy, but try putting it all together (shoot, edit, soundtrack, credit, burn baby burn) in 48 hours. I tried the James Cameron method: take a dopey script that’s been sitting around for years and simply insert the necessary guidelines as needed. It didn’t work. Staats encourages creativity in the films and discourages excessive violence. The rules are simple:
· Films must be 1-5 minutes long including all credits.
· All footage must be shot during the 48 Hour period, animators are allowed to pre-create scenery templates.
· Music or song tracks must be copyright free, filmmakers must acquire permission from locations used.
· No explicit violence and judges will be critical on the use of guns and other weapons in your films.
After the Top 20 films are selected by a panel of judges, everyone returns to downtown Phoenix on Thursday, March 3 at 7PM at AMC Arizona Center 24 Theatres for the screening of the top 20 films. Then the contest winners are announced. I like watching the filmmaking teams reunited after 2 weeks, as egos are mended and they can all be friends again. Until the next challenge, of course. If you can’t make the film, at least make the film screening, as some of the most creative quick-challenge filmmaking done in the valley is debuted.
Jae Staats and the A3F have found a film challenge formula that works, and continues to improve. Now get out there and make that movie!
Comments
Have participated in the A3F before and like Mr. Pierce said in his great article, this is the best of the film challenges in the valley and I always look forward to entering each year. Can't wait for the 2011 edition to start!
Yeah! I am not a film maker, but I have attended every event, every year. For me, this is the hi-lights of my February and March. Can't wait!
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