need to shoot short in 48hrs - quick tips?

redindian

redindian

Well-known member
participating in the 48hr film fest (seattle)-

does anyone have any tips? never done a short before - so this is a learning experience for me...

for this 4min short,
- basic minimum light package to rent?
- how many pages of script is needed? (like 1min per page?)
- best place for creative common BGM score

I have a HD camera (HD100), but I am thinking of shooting in SD to keep the speed (both processing and editing)

thanks guys..
 
well, found some tips in their newsletter:

* In 2003, one Nashville team was working with a new editing system but at the last minute couldn’t get the film out of the computer! They ended up playing the film on their computer screen and videotaping the monitor. While the quality wasn’t the best, the film won an audience award.

* Often, a team will run out of time and forget to include the film credits. To avoid hurt feelings and fist fights, pass out flyers at the screening listing the credits. Or, if you want to really get people’s attention, print the credits on large stickers and attach them to low-cost swag like small bags of penny candy or Kleenex travel packets.

* Each year a number of teams will turn in films with no sound. The only solution for a DC team back in 2002 was to bring a boom box to the theater and play the musical soundtrack while the actors yelled out their lines. The audience enjoyed ad libbing some lines as well.

* What if you have an actor who just can’t act? One team gave an “actor” a sandwich to eat while he read his lines which drew attention away from his monotone and added a hint of realism to the scene.
 
Pre production. Even if you don't know what the story is yet you can still make a plane with locations, actors, production equipment, food/beer, and editing elements. The more you have already done the better off you are going to be. You should be able to adapted any thing they give you to fit what you already have in mind. The only other thing I could say would be to start shooting right away. So that way you can start editing and you'll see what you either need to re shoot or add a scene and you will still have time to do it.
 
imgentertainment@mac said:
Pre production. Even if you don't know what the story is yet you can still make a plane with locations, actors, production equipment, food/beer, and editing elements. The more you have already done the better off you are going to be. You should be able to adapted any thing they give you to fit what you already have in mind. The only other thing I could say would be to start shooting right away. So that way you can start editing and you'll see what you either need to re shoot or add a scene and you will still have time to do it.
Click to expand...


This is very good advice. Take the elements you have available before the kick-off party and you're ready to go. Of course, you don't know what the elements will be until the night of the party, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a couple of rough stories in mind. Usually you can work in the restrictions that the festival gives you, but I think that's what Imgentertaiment is saying.

The shooting right away is the way to go. For the 2005 Almost Famous Festival (a 48 hour fest) we had some rough stories ready and by 9pm on the night of the kick-off we were at our main location, scenes were being written, actors lining up and ready to go. We were so organized that I think we shot about an hour-and-a-half of footage. Crazy stuff. We won the Audience award and others, which I attribute to good pre-planning as mentioned before and the spontaneous talent of the writer/director (not me).

Good luck and have fun. it's going to hurt, but hurt good. :)
 
48hs

48hs

I've participated in the 48hs horror film festival in Vancouver last year and I learned this:

- plan ahead
- book lots of locations
- don't over do it, if you know you are not very good lighting scenes then don't waste your time there. If you are good telling stories then focus on that.
- acting is essential
- try to use on-location FX, believe me you won't have the extra time for rendering, that also applies for cinelooks rendering, so try to white balance so you don't need much color correction
- the smaller the crew the better
- try to gather with people who knows more than you, unless you want to waste your time teaching
- feed line by line if possible instead of rehearsals
- do not invite people to the editing, one person is enough and faster, if needed you can always phone them
- do lots of pick ups
- try to use the least equipment possible

cheers
 
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