Short film festival contests-worth the trouble?

A

ATP

I have recently entered my first short film contest, serving as production manager, “script manager/consultant”, and possibly both AD & editing assistant.

The contestants have around 30 days to complete their film, from script to screen. This film has been written by an actor, and while the subject matter does not interest me personally, it interests me in other capacities.

I have observed a number of problems with the process, which appear to arise repeatedly. These are:

i) poor quality scripts and;

ii) in small communities, problems related to ‘staffing’-other fellow filmmakers who are unable to assist as they are also contestants busy doing their own film(s), and obtaining crew.

I have grave doubts about turning in work that is mediocre, given that insufficient time has been spent on the script. Let alone having to contend with ‘staffing’ problems which seem a perennial issue, and not just confined to the matter of a contest and the time frame.

Whether it is a contest of 48 hours or 30 days, what is the point? Is it the prize, which seems in a lot of cases, not a lot of money? I really fail to see how ‘speed’ helps to hone the craft, given that the script is the foundation upon which the film is made--insufficient time spent on script development certainly doesn’t help.

I think that the actor/filmmaker would be better off spending time entering, and working for, "long duration" screen writing competitions, if honing his craft is the idea. THEN go and make the short film & enter it in competitions (or short film festivals).
 
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Film challenges are good for procrastinators, as in, they get you off your butt and get you to complete a film. The end product will be good or bad, but you completed one, and they can get you moving on to your next project.
 
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The producer I commonly work with is fond of saying "filmmaking is essentially nothing but problem solving." Nowhere is this more apt than in the wacky, speedy world of full-contact, timed, competitive filmmaking. This is why I participate...not to turn in my best work, but to practice the art of problem solving. I spend the rest of my life honing my craft, perfecting my storytelling abilities, editing and re-editing the Great American Screenplay that, when I am finally satisfied, I will turn into the Great American Movie that will slay all others to come before it (or at the very least touch at least one person in some way they've never been touched before). But timed competitions I do for the fun of finding new ways to solve problems.

It sounds like you've got some problems already...

i. If the script is of poor quality, and you've got thirty days, RE-WRITE IT! Why is it poor? What could make it not poor? You're the script consultant, and you've decided it's poor, so get busy consultin' yourself a better one...

ii. If everyone else in your community is working on their own entry, find new people! You've got thirty days...put an ad up at a community center or post an ad on Facebook or somewhere. There are zillions of eager folks with stars in their eyes who would travel many miles to participate in the making of a film. Find them and teach them as best you can. This is a problem not only in timed competitions but in personal filmmaking as well. Pick up a copy of that The Guerilla Film Makers Movie Blueprint book which details the different job descriptions of every size and shape of crew...pick the jobs you need and find the people to do them.

If this is impossible, then as production manager, figure out how to do it as a one-man band.

Use the opportunity to turn seemingly unsolvable problems into better filmmaking. And as Zensteve points out, the payoff is great...you get to see how a bunch of others solved their problems. Good luck!
 
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Zensteve said:
1) It's fun

2) It's a challenge

3) You get to watch a bunch of films, when time's up.
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I trust that you display a jocular attitude. Nevertheless:


1) It's fun.
Perhaps--in a perverse sense. I see it mainly as 1 person involving himself (herself) in an activity that requires the ability to try and effectively manage operational/logistics issues, the size of which is dependent on the "size" of the project, all with an uncertain outcome, under time constraints and pressure. Fun...?


2) It's a challenge
See 1) above


3) You get to watch a bunch of films, when time's up.
Yes, of which the quality ranges from excrable to passable.
 
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I have what I would like to think is "considerable" experience in film-as film buff, ex-film reviewer/critic, one-time Super 8 Film Festival Marketing person (!), as an extra for Apocalypse Now (my claim to fame), and as either AD, sound assistant, casting assistant, "script consultant", production manager for a number of local independent films. This is in addition to my wider & active interests in the arts generally.

As film buff, I would think nothing of going to see some so-called avante garde flick, to then going and seeing some Hollywood classic, or B Grade flick. All grist for the mill.

There is a lot of excrable stuff being made, and this is the truth of the matter, and most certainly where
I live. Perhaps it is much better in NY or the US--this is neither here nor there. To reference this comment, see the thread on "A Sound Man Sounds Off!"

Whether my sensibility (of independent cinema) is 'heightened' or 'aided' by a lengthy mainstream cinema viewing history is immaterial to the fact that a lot of the stuff being produced in my neck of the woods is largely below film school graduate level, and perhaps even lower than film school entry submission films. And perhaps not confined to my neighborhood. But I have no way in determining the veracity of this assumption, going only on what I have read by Australian film school submission entry judges.

So, whether I am involved in any independent cinema event, either as audience/consumer, or production or or on the creative side, does not alter the truth of my statement--the stuff can & often does range from excrable to passable. Others do stand out, clearly audience favorites for any number of reasons. And justifiably so.

This still doesn't make any difference to my ability to make independent films/cinema. Perhaps you think it does--that philosophy, belief are all important to considering oneself a 'filmmaker' or an auteur. That is your choice; I don't spend much time thinking about it.
 
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ATP said:
I don't spend much time thinking about it.
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Gotta say you're writin' an awful lot about it, for someone who's not thinkin' about it. :lol:

Just ribbin' ya. :)

Dude, relax. Go do your film challenge. Maybe you'll end up enjoying it; maybe you'll swear to never do another one again. It'll be an experience, at any rate.

For myself, I do genuinely find them "fun". It's a great way to meet new people, learn things for myself, teach things to others, drink a lot of coffee, pull my hair out, pull miracles out of my butt, and just generally be creative.

Sure, there's a bit of pressure on... but it's never really "work" if it's something you enjoy doing anyway, right?

Go have some fun with it. :cool:
 
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I've never done one, but it sounds like film school when you had to get a film done for a class, and yeah, that was fun, so...
 
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Uranium City said:
The producer I commonly work with is fond of saying "filmmaking is essentially nothing but problem solving."
Click to expand...


A new gestalt (perspective) for me, but one that perfectly summarises a producer's view!!

Uranium City said:
Nowhere is this more apt than in the wacky, speedy world of full-contact, timed, competitive filmmaking. This is why I participate...not to turn in my best work, but to practice the art of problem solving. ...But timed competitions I do for the fun of finding new ways to solve problems.
Click to expand...

I am unsure-if it is not a question of 'speed' in relation to improving one's script writing craft, then how is 'problem solving' doing this?

Uranium City said:
i. If the script is of poor quality, and you've got thirty days, RE-WRITE IT! Why is it poor? What could make it not poor? You're the script consultant, and you've decided it's poor, so get busy consultin' yourself a better one...
Click to expand...

I am one of 4 (that I know of) assisting w/ script development, commentary and review. Now on to 4th draft.

I have been discussing w/ him structure, and character differentiation through dialogue.


Uranium City said:
ii. If everyone else in your community is working on their own entry, find new people! You've got thirty days...put an ad up at a community center or post an ad on Facebook or somewhere. There are zillions of eager folks with stars in their eyes who would travel many miles to participate in the making of a film. Find them and teach them as best you can. This is a problem not only in timed competitions but in personal filmmaking as well. Pick up a copy of that The Guerilla Film Makers Movie Blueprint book which details the different job descriptions of every size and shape of crew...pick the jobs you need and find the people to do them.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...different locales have different populations to work with, and these operate under different views.


Uranium City said:
If this is impossible, then as production manager, figure out how to do it as a one-man band.
Click to expand...

At this point in time, it appears that we don't have to--but this could all change tomorrow!!
 
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The way I see it is, anything in your community that promotes film is a good thing. A challenge, a midnight screening of classics or indies, a festival, a film shoot... it all helps film in general.
 
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If you talk to any artist they will always tell you they are always improving. Nobody starts perfect and ends perfect, and it is cool to watch that journey.
 
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An update:

i) Script is now up to 6th draft & has improved.

Most of the god-awful dialogue--which is really explication & an 'info-dump'--has been removed, and has been replaced with a more visual construction. Other superfluous dialogue has been removed.

Yet, its ending still suffers from being cliched (don't know how to put in French accent on this forum software) & the script overall being dramatically inert. I think that this is partly what happens when you write to a contest theme.And, of course, not being a good writer/storyteller.

Given the time and location constraints, he has adopted one of my suggestions to overcome one of these problems. But, he has it now as a VO, out of nowhere, limited to a small scene--it has no attachment to any scene before it, or after it, or as part of character development, and not for the beginning of the film, which is what I had suggested.

We both recognise that further script changes will be made up to and most likely during filming. Although, I would really prefer not to have to make script changes during filming.

ii) Staffing issues re. actors & from crew hopefully will be resolved within 3 days, when it is planned to begin shooting.
 
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ATP said:
I have what I would like to think is "considerable" experience in film-as film buff
Click to expand...

Filmmaking is an art and a craft. It is incredibly common for people to think "I watch a lot of films, so I obviously have the ability to make one...." and yet no one ever says "I listen to a lot of Jimi Hendrix, therefore I must be able to play the guitar..."

As a guitar player and filmmaker, I can assure you that filmmaking is harder and requires a lot more practice to be good at it. I know a great song when I hear one but that doesn't qualify me to write one.
 
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