Two Day Film Challenge

Making a movie in two days can be a daunting challenge. If you were to consider how a traditional movie is made, you would be overwhelmed. I would suggest that you throw out the traditional way of making a film and do the following. I will be assuming that like most film competitions of this type the challenge begins at 7pm on a Friday and you will be given 5 variables to fit in your film.

Before Friday, you should have your team assembled and ready to go. You should try to plot out 3 different stories with 3 different types of genres. Then try to fit the variables inside one of the three stories you previously developed. If the variables throw you off completely, then write a script as fast as possible.

The script. It needs to have a beginning, middle and an end. I know its sounds childish to offer up such a simple piece of advice but you would be surprised at how many films entered into the competition forget one or even two of those basic components of a story. Really all you need is a presentation of a problem, a presentation of a solution to that problem and then the execution. If you can keep it that simple, you will have a better chance that the other guys.

When it comes to production, you really shouldn't worry about lighting too much. The worst thing you can do is take a hour to set the lights. You're not shooting a featured film so the last thing you should do is act like. I have had people that wanted to be part of my team tell me they know a guy who has a $20,000 HD Camera and he would let me borrow it for free. I told them I am going to shoot it on my Sony Handycam on digital tape. They can't understand why I wouldn't want the quality to be better etc... The deal is this, I don't have time to mess around with a big camera and buy expensive HD tape. The only purpose of the contest is to shoot and edit a movie in two days. I do concentrate on camera angles but that is the extent of my production quality. I have seen films entered with spectacular lighting and perfect camera angles but they didn't finish in time and their films were shown as a courtesy and even then they didn't have a story.

If you concentrate on content and story and character development (yes, character development is important in a 5 min. film) your film will be paid attention to, I promise.

Credits are retarded in a film competition (Unless required by your competition directors rules). If you have a producer and a director and a person to do lighting design and you have credits at the beginning or the end of your film, you have wasted a lot of time. Save the credits for your feature length film. For now, just credit your team name, after all - everyone should be the director, producer and almost everyone ends up playing a part in the movie anyway.

If you can try to plan a night shoot and should your contest start at 7pm then spend an hour or so writing and the rest of the night shooting. Then you can edit all day Saturday and be ready to turn it in on Sunday.

I would say the best thing you can do is have a team that is all on the same page. Get a simple story, shoot it and edit it. Don't worry about complicated issues. You don't have time for that. If you have a special effect in your movie, you should have the person who knows how to do the effect working on it during production. If it includes a certain shot, try to shoot that first so the effects person and get going.

If you are entering a competition for the first time, just wait until the night of the premiere. You will see some ridiculous stuff but if yours has a beginning, middle and an end and a good story along with it, you'll have a great chance!