NextFest

bosindy said:
We had drama, wouldn't comedy make sense? There are people on this site that are riots. I for one hope it won't go less 6 minutes regrardless.
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Wouldn't want comedy-fest... I work with a comedy director every day... I am a drama, serious kinda guy... need that man!
 
I think taking some out of there comfort zone (comedy when you are used to drama) is a good way to grow. Unless you are Sly Stallone.

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Comedy might be kind of shaky. Spies Girls is one of the only really funny movies i've ever seen on here and that was funny mostly for the dvxuser in jokes.
 
Fair enough... see I wouldn't say it's out of my comfort zone, as I've done a TON of comedy editing, and work as I said, with a comedy director every day... it's just old hat... :)
 
Wait a minute! I changed my mind! Barf fest! Perfect! All characters must at one point projectile vomit! Okay...I have now slipped past sanity....going to bed now...
 
As someone lurking on the outside and wanting to get involved in this -

Unless there's going to be a RadioFest later, I think the SilentFest would be kind of arbitrary. The whole point of these fests is to get people making films having to deal with all aspects of filmmaking. Whether you like it or not, audio is a critical point. Good audio goes unnoticed. Bad audio kills, so it's imperative that we as filmmakers never stop working on our ears.

So I don't end on a naysaying note, I would be for something like NoirFest.

No, it's not SpyFest 2.

NoirFest has some very specific elements involving the muddling of "good" and "bad," practically eschews action, and visually would be a challenge in terms of shadows (giving a good challenge for lighting).

Another could be (however you want to title it; PlayFest?) where all the films have to be an adaptation of a theatre play no younger than Shakespeare (meaning, from him all the way to the Greek tragedies).

Then, oh, how about QuoteFest? A famous writer, poet, President, whatever, is selected, and everyone has to make a short with a quote from that selected person being the crux of it in some way, whether literally or figuratively.

Just a few thoughts from someone working on getting involved.
 
I like the NoirFest idea. I could also go with ActionFest, CrimeFest, NonSyncFest, ThrillerFest, and FantasyFest.

ActionFest could be everything from Rambo to Hard Boiled to The Replacement Killers to Gone In 60 Seconds.

CrimeFest could be anything from Heat to The Godfather.

NonSyncFest could be anything you want except there can't be any sync dialogue. You can have sync sound and music, but no dialogue. Could get interesting and force everyone to work more visually. When I started film school the first project didn't allow any sync sound at all... we were lucky they allowed us to throw in music.

ThrillerFest could be any suspense/thriller like Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, or Se7en.

FantasyFest would be similar to SciFest, but not science fiction. You could do Lord of the Rings, but not Dune for example.

Another one... SportsFest. It would have to be about a sport, obviously.
 
I still think it should be short. I tend to only watch the first two minutes of a short unless it really takes me in within that time.

I don't think the time given time to make it should be much shorter either. To make a great short film it takes time even if it's two or three minutes. (shorter could create more difficulties)

But I would also love to see it an open genre or comedy fest as well.
 
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Dogme style fest or an adapted version of its guidelines

Based on fact fest

(or combine the 2), guess I'm up for some gritty realism without specific subject matter
 
Ahhh, I don't think doing 1 or 2 minute films are the way to go. At the end of the day we're all here to become better filmmakers, right? The more time spent collaborating, editing, shooting, etc. the more we grow - a 1 min short just won't allow for much of that.

I'd definately be open to doing a 1 or 2 min short but maybe as a miniFest in between the big ones.
 
On the contrary, part of being a better filmmaker is being a better story teller. And there is no better way, that I know of, for improving the ability to tell a story as concisely as possible, then the short form.

I have written a number of shorts of the past couple years and I can tell you my writing has greatly improved because I've been forced to really think about what it is that truly is important to whatever story I'm currently working on.

When I get frustrated with the short form, I just return to commercials. There you see (when they do it right) a complete story (beginning, middle, end) that is compelling, draws you in, gives you information, implies important back story, etc, etc in :30 or 1:00 ... If it can be done in :30 it can be done in 3:00.

But that said, I'm open to a lot of options...unfortunately, because we have a jury-less festival and because we get so many entries, I can't see them being opened up to a longer length. The 6 minutes is already the max that is feasible, IMHO, for the quanitity of entries received.

My choices, in order, would be:

* Action/Adventure (e.g. Raiders of the Lost Ark)
* Thriller (Suspense, not horror)
* Comedy
 
tmnt said:
Ahhh, I don't think doing 1 or 2 minute films are the way to go. At the end of the day we're all here to become better filmmakers, right? The more time spent collaborating, editing, shooting, etc. the more we grow - a 1 min short just won't allow for much of that.
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Why doesn't a shorter film allow for that interaction?

To me, you still need a quality team, you just need a tighter story and you need to make every shot and moment count.

In many ways a 1 minute short would be harder and I think would force many of the filmmakers here to become better storytellers and filmmakers.

Edit: Larry beat me to the punch - I totally agree with him.
 
Sure, the shorter film allows for that interaction, just much less of it. That's the only point I'm trying to make.
 
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