Fitting with the Western Theme....

Things usually do end up getting more exciting closer to the deadline. But I agree, this is a tough genre to tackle, and not the most popular.

That said, I'm really appreciative the Western theme got chosen. It's something I probably never would have considered without the DVX motivation. After this weekend of location scouting and costume design I'm more pumped than ever to play cowboys.
 
Some of the rules just make this tough to do with a small budget. It can be done but it will take the right script, finding a rustic frontier surrounding setting.

the setting should act as a *character* in the film, not just a backdrop. It should play a crucial role in the story, not just be pretty scenery.
Quote:
The setting should evoke a rustic, "frontier"-like feel -- your film should stress the harshness of the characters' surroundings. Living conditions are not posh. Either the environment is tough, or the way of life is rugged/lawless, etc. Maybe the particular situation a character is in is a departure from what might be their typical "cozier" lifestyle.
 
Zim said:
Some of the rules just make this tough to do with a small budget. It can be done but it will take the right script, finding a rustic frontier surrounding setting.

the setting should act as a *character* in the film, not just a backdrop. It should play a crucial role in the story, not just be pretty scenery.
Quote:
The setting should evoke a rustic, "frontier"-like feel -- your film should stress the harshness of the characters' surroundings. Living conditions are not posh. Either the environment is tough, or the way of life is rugged/lawless, etc. Maybe the particular situation a character is in is a departure from what might be their typical "cozier" lifestyle.
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You might have a point. My two easy to shoot scripts require specific locations that can be found or mocked up, but aren't on every corner. I guess they want folks to dig a little deeper.
 
They also say this...
Acceptable sub-genres for this fest include: action (young guns), drama (mccabe and mrs miller), comedy (blazing saddles), sci-fi/post-apocalyptic (firefly), horror/thriller/suspense, romance (brokeback mountain), contemporary (extreme prejudice/city slickers) and musical (paint your wagon). You should seek approval for anything else that is clearly outside of this scope.
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Which allows just about everything.



Although this...
the setting should act as a *character* in the film, not just a backdrop. It should play a crucial role in the story, not just be pretty scenery.
Click to expand...
Can be tough.

Having it play a 'crucial role in the story' might be off-putting to some.

When in doubt, PM them your idea and see if they allow it.

I have old style Western scripts for the most part but I'm currently working on some new stuff.

MAH
 
I have sent three PMs to the mods so far about my idea, and no response yet. I don't know if this is because they aren't sure how to respond, but I am starting to get that feeling... My idea is to do a modern retelling of a classic western tale - the death of Wild Bill Hickok. The only thing that will be missing to make this a full-on western is, well, the old west.
 
Will Clegg said:
I have sent three PMs to the mods so far about my idea, and no response yet. I don't know if this is because they aren't sure how to respond, but I am starting to get that feeling... My idea is to do a modern retelling of a classic western tale - the death of Wild Bill Hickok. The only thing that will be missing to make this a full-on western is, well, the old west.
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I know someone else who sent them a PM a few weeks ago, no reply. Maybe NAB kept them busy?

Might be worth another try.

MAH
 
I sent three separate PMs to three different mods... over the course of the last week. Usually they respond pretty quickly. Very strange.
 
I have one in the works but I will be in Hong Kong for a month so I won't be submitting til late to make sure I have it in the bag this time around.
 
please send me an email to jason at landmine dot tv with the title "WEST FEST QUESTION" and I'll try to get back to you as quickly as I can
 
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