The 48 Hour Film Comp weekend is now done. Jenni’s Angels had an intense weekend, and got its final cut into the judges with all of four seconds to spare (!). I was in the writing team this year, and my intentions to get up to help with the shoot came to nothing – other errands and tasks took up much of Saturday, and Sunday I just wiped.
This year’s requirements were the character Kerry Post, a perfectionist; the line “Wait a minute”; and the required prop was a brush. Our team had as genre “Superhero” or “Fairy Tale” – we were able to choose. Up at Indigo City we got into some serious brainstorming with almost the whole crew there, pushing through some truly great ideas, but we sifted through to cut ideas that were too big for a six-minute flick, and some that just seemed too technically demanding to be worth risking. Oddly enough, we settled on an idea generated at the start of Jenni’s Angel’s very first 48, passed over on that occasion. We found just the right riff for it this time out.
The writing team then shifted to different premises to work up a script. The team was much the same as the last time I was on it: me, hix and Sean again, joined this time by Chris G. It was an awesome team, each of us bringing different perspectives and strengths to the mix, and best of all we had the collaborative thing going real well. There was no ego in the room as we worked through ideas, shot down bits that didn’t click, elaborated on bits that ran hot, and generally made our way through to a script that made us happy.
By this time it was 5.30am, so we emailed out the script, then hix and I drove around for a while before turning up at Indigo City for the 6.30am actor call. Straight away there was feedback coming from people who had read the script before coming up; we started making a few scribbled changes here and there. As French Toast was put on, furious planning was going on all around us as costumes and props were chased down, filming locations were settled, and technical prep began. Director Lee took me, hix and our four cast into a quiet room and we ran the script. The red pen came out and we chopped and changed the script a bit, and then I decided I was done – Lee and hix and the cast had everything well in hand. I headed away to do the sleeping thing. It was around 8am.
35 hours of intense work followed my departure. I hope the script didn’t have any crazy hooks hidden in it that caused mayhem – I don’t think it did, but…
Unlike previous years, cast and crew are forbidden to watch the completed entry before its big-screen debut. This is only a couple days away: Jenni’s Angels is in Heat 6, on Wednesday 21st May, 9.15pm at The Paramount. I’m hella looking forward.
Thank you to the amazing fellow JAs who made the thing while I was sleeping.
And yay the 48. It is a beautiful thing.
12 thoughts on “Post-48”
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Whose decision was it not to show the team the film? Was it a decision that was made before the weekend and shared with the rest of the crew?
It seems like a potentially controversial choice 😛
It’s a contest-wide decision by the organisers. If word gets out that we watched it before the heat, we’re instantly disqualified.
Isn’t Indigo City where Greyshirt lives? Some serious organized crime in that ‘hood, dogg.
That feels like a weird decision to me. Maybe they’ve had trouble getting crowds to the screenings in the past? Not that I’ve seen a lack of people at any Wellington screenings. If collecting money for the venues has been the issue this decision does nothing to help that. I am bamboozled by it.
Sounds like an awesome time! I wish I could come see it, but I guess I’ll have to wait for the Youtube version!
On the 48 site, Ant implies that it’s to get big crowds to the venues – not for ticket sales, because it’s free this year, but for ancillary stuff – concessions at the theatres, sponsor value-for-money by having big crowds exposed to their messages, etc.
Sayeth the site:
“Another new unbreakable rule. Your short must only be screened at your heat. The heats will be 100% free this year to all cast/crew/family. This is not a inexpensive thing to do. We’re doing this to guarantee big crowds to come along and watch your premiere. So if you even show your cast and crew the film will have to be disqualified. And we will find out. Loose lips sinks ships. And much as you want to, as Team Leader you must insist your team waits a day or two. Again, this is for the benefit of you the filmmakers and the event.”
Despite my initial reservations about the script, which you got to hear the full brunt of, the script was incredibly smooth and easy to film, so thank you for that.
Of course, by smooth and easy I mean technically challenging, visually complex and physically demanding.
Great work!
I’m wondering if people like me, who worked in other teams, are allowed to turn up to your heat. I would love to see your flick. But I don’t fit into the cast or crew boxes, and I’m not really family (unless I have some sort of quickie marriage of convenience).
I am confident you will be welcomed at the screening – it’s 500 seats, no tickets, first in first served. it’d be nice to see your film, too. Which team were you on?
Glad to hear you survived the 48s.
As the years go by, the stories seem to be less about the horror of it all and more often sprinkled with words like “workflow” and “process”. At my end (hiring lights etc to at least 20 teams) there was a distinct lack of chaos and an impressive professionalism in the folk I saw coming through. It would seem that the bar has lifted remarkably from the modest and excitable origins of the 48s so long ago, back when we all said “they must be crazy, that’ll never catch on.”
The 48s are now the most lucrative film event in Ndw Zealand, netting more in prizes overall than any other local film comp. The exposure it offers both participants and promoters is extraordinary, when combined with the youtube phenomenon.
So, like any commercial asset, the ability of this product to generate income must be managed. Thus, in my estimation, the secrecy policy. Money money money.
I didn’t realise they were being so anal this year regarding prescreening… will 500 seats per heat actually be enough???
I was in Margies team. Our heat is next Tuesday at 6:45pm.