Most difficult fest?

thetvirus513

thetvirus513

Well-known member
So myself and the other main guy working on our film got to talking about the recent fests. I have been watching and following them for 2 or 3 years now and he has watched a few here and there from each fest. What we got to talking about was the difficulty of the fest. Now this is the first either of us have entered in, and we thought you could make an argument that this has been the most difficult fest yet.

We figure there are two ways to approach this fest. Either you make a "typical" western, though it of course does not need to be exactly typical, or you make an out of the box, futuristic western of sorts. So either:

1) you need to have the right location for a western, not necessarily an easy thing given the technology around today to make it look like the time period you are shooting for. You also need possibly harder to find costumes, props, etc. You also might need horses, and other things.

Or

2) you go the futuristic western route in which you need a hell of a creative story (in my opinion) to get the western thing down while not having it in that time period.

Basically, the location is a HUGE factor in this one, I can't just find a house to shoot in or something unless it is an old cabin tucked away somewhere, or I put a lot of work into fixing it up, whether you go the "typical" western route or the other way.

I of course have no intention to take away from other fests and of course each fest presents its own hurdles, and you can make it as hard or as easy on yourself as well. However, I think the argument could be made that this is one of the more difficult fests yet. What do you guys think?
 
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As a writer I found it one of the easiest, if not THE easiest. There is a tremendous amount of media to draw from, and as you said, one can tweak and reshape it.

For me, the more abstract fests such as Betrayal Fest, are a challenge to really pin down the theme inside a story.

Logistics-wise I agree, Westerns can present some issues. Story-wise it was a cinch.
 
That's interesting, I never thought about it from the writers side, I guess for this one that area is more free because it just needs to tell a story, no specific theme......leaves a lot more doors open for you
 
I agree with all of the above. Easy to write for but a pain to gather all the props and acquire the locations needed for a typical western. A real challenge for sure.

I'm really happy that they went with WestFest though. Especially since they allowed a wide range of styles. Anyone could make a film for this fest if they put their mind to it.

MAH
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
I agree with all of the above. Easy to write for but a pain to gather all the props and acquire the locations needed for a typical western. A real challenge for sure.

I'm really happy that they went with WestFest though. Especially since they allowed a wide range of styles. Anyone could make a film for this fest if they put their mind to it.

MAH
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I'm with Mike here. I've got a project that my partner and I are completely engrossed by, but because it's a film about gender inequality/women's civil rights in the 1800s, we just don't have the resources and locations available (or the money to rent them).

But I'm also happy that there's a West Fest. I think it gives a lot of filmmakers a great opportunity to be resourceful and use everything they've got. It seems to be easier to turn any sort of rural setting into a Western than to build a sci-fi environment. Hmm...anything of a period is always tricky.
 
This fest was a B*** for me logistically. I'm in Ohio, I spent 10 hours at one park finding the right location for one scene. Plus wardrobe and props and I decided to go with horses in this one. I was extremely stressed that day, for safety reasons. But it's like those horses turned into statues when the camera's started rolling. I'm still not sure I'll finish in time.
 
Realistically, how much harder is it than, as mentioned, creating a sci-fi set? Zombie/monster makeup and wardrobe can't be a cake walk either. Speeding cars certainly pose logistics issues, no? Past fests have had lots of guns (as Charlie pointed out), but when WestFest was announced, suddenly guns were a big logistical and legal issue.

Hmm, is it cuz West just ain't cool?

I'm not on a set, but as a casual observer about the only snafu (apprehension) I see is when horses are used.

I think when all is said and done, there are going to be some great films with some creative problem-solving skills behind them, and maybe a few folks saying 'Dang, I shoulda done one'.
 
For me personally, living near a lot of rural land with rich 18th and 19th century historical locations gives me a lot more options for assisting a Western film's authenticity than trying to create a six-minute science fiction film. I seriously commend everyone who entered sci-fest.

Also, I think the majority of the kinds of films I work on tend to deal with isolation/isolationism, which is very prevalent in U.S. history, particularly in exploring the Western frontier. Although, I suppose I'm more attracted to the anti-western. I don't really sit well with the ideological perspectives of traditional spaghetti westerns. But also for me, I have far more opportunity to pull together a melancholy anti-western in my area than to go out of my way to find digital artists and technicians who can help me build a potential future reality (my approach would most certainly align with films like Children of Men or Minority Report, and I certainly don't have THOSE kinds of resources, haha).

Any film that decides to be genre-heavy or place itself outside of the contemporary will be more difficult to accomplish, but I get a sense that because so much of U.S. (and other countries colonizing at the time) culture during the period was so barren and stripped down that it might be slightly easier to design around. Of course, it's all in the hands of the filmmakers, their story, and their desired outcome.

So, in summation, I guess it just comes down to region and resources. Some have got the right combination and some have to stretch for it. *shrugs*
 
For us, the only problem was the location and the hat :)

We were traveling to the shooting location with an airsoft sniper, airsoft shotgun, 2 airsoft handguns, 2 machetes, 4-5 knifes, shotgun belt with live ammo and a telescope baton in the trunk.
It would be funny if the cops stopped us :)

edit:
Oh and forgot about the harpoon :)
 
I think this it a great opportunity for filmmakers to 'stretch' themselves. A lot of times we tend to get complacent unless we are challenged to do something we weren't necessarily prepared for. I'm really looking forward to seeing what people come up with. I'm currently in the midst of judging films for a SoCal film fest but I'll be finished in plenty of time for WestFest and I can't wait.
 
I think it presents a great opportunity and it tells not only us filmmakers, but everybody else that even with a low-no budget, with a little creativity, you can pull off anything.
 
definitely a challenge - but really rewarding. everyone had to get outside their comfort zone. and while you would think "westerm" would be a narrow genre, i think we're gonna see just how broad it can be with some of these films.

can't wait to start viewing 'em!
 
How many indie filmmakers aim to make a western? Rarely do I sit around thinking, what is a good western storyline. This fest definitely makes us write, shoot, edit a project that most of us wouldn't have been inspired to do if it weren't for the site. Very excited to see what everyone comes up with.
 
I enjoyed West Fest but was dissapointed to see the reduced number of entries, especially from outside the USA. I think in the end - despite the intellectual rationalising of how Western concepts could be accomodated by people outside the USA outwith cowboy hats and American accents hehe it just ended up being a bit 'exclusive' compared to past festival themes.

I dont think that should have been the case or had to be, but i think when picking such an identifiable genre so rooted and promoted as being from a particular period/setting, that it discouraged others.

So this fest did produce some awesome films and i love Westerns, but it lacked the accessibility and volume of international entries, that i consider to be more important :)
 
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