I Survived the 48-hour Film Project

I am a screenwriter. I am over 40 and have experienced just about everything life can throw at you, including near-death. But I have never experienced anything like the 48-Hour Film Project.

I joined a team out of Providence, RI (the nearest to me, although I could have gone to Paris and joined a team there). We were assigned a prop, a line of dialog, a character, and a genre.

Without compensation except for really good food and camaraderie, we voluntarily threw ourselves into a marathon of under-the-gun creativity, driving all over the state, making sleep-deprived decisions, trusting people we'd just met like life-long buddies, and attempting to overcome technical difficulties far beyond what any of us anticipated.

We shot some great stuff, but were down to the wire. 7:30pm was the deadline for films to be submitted, and it was 7:05pm. The cast and crew had worked hard, people stayed sharp beyond all reason, we had a great script (they kept telling me). We got locked out of buildings, threw a fully clothed person into the ocean, and even lost our team leader for a period of time. I mean, we really lost her. We couldn't find her anywhere. But she surfaced at last.

A sudden avalanche of technical difficulties plagued us for the last two hours, but a final version of our short film was madly being transferred to a valid medium. It was so crazy near the end that none of us actually got to see the final cut that got transferred.

At 7:10pm our team leader announced that she needed someone "with a lead foot" to get her downtown to turn in the film on time. Perhaps it was her frantic tone of voice that kept anyone from volunteering. Then I stepped up. I have no idea why. I started my car and pulled up to the front door. Time was ticking away. The transfer seemed to be taking an eternity.

Finally, at 7:24pm our team leader came flying out the door jumped in my car and we sped off. I have to tell you that I am the mother of two grown sons. I have never drag-raced and I have a "Safe Driver" discount on my insurance. I brake for children, old people and squirrels. But I felt possessed by something beyond my control. The challenge of the 48-hour film project had over-taken me.

I passed cars and even zigzagged a bit on Interstate 95. I crossed over three lanes without hesitation to make the exit. Even my team leader commented "I've never done that before". We had 2 minutes to go.

In town I hesitated but didn't stop for three red lights and purposely drove the wrong way down a one-way street with people waving madly at me. I screeched my car to a halt at the corner of "Tazza" delivery site. The team leader jumped out and ran in. We made it with 45 seconds to spare.

Friends, the 48-hour film project made me do things I never thought I would. As crazy as it sounds - and it is crazy - I would heartily recommend the experience to anyone.

Drive carefully.