As many of you already know, this weekend I was on a team that submitted a film in the Buffalo version of the 48 Hour Film Festival. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s pretty simple. You get 48 hours to make a short film based on a genre you pick out of a hat right before the clock starts ticking and you also have several requirements that must be met like a prop, a line, a character’s name, release forms for people and property and oh yeah, you have to come up with a good idea and find a way to make it work in an entertaining fashion.
I’ve both heard about and talked to people who know someone from one of the other 29 groups who entered and from what I understand, these other groups have better technology, better skills, better training and far more experience. It makes me wonder how this film from a group of people who were practically thrown together at the onset of this project can compare. These are people with little training and little experience. However, what we lacked in skills on paper, we more than made up for with enthusiasm and great creative energy. The 3 days of action (It went from Friday night to Sunday night) was a blast. It was tense, nerve racking, funny, exciting and memorable.
There were real characters and sassy players… even when we weren’t shooting! There were no nonsense personalities and all nonsense personalities. There were open minds and stubbornness. It was a crazy ordeal, but fun as hell. That sums it up. I found the opportunity to write a short, act and work in a group instead of working alone which were all things I had wanted to do. I found myself humbled at times, and others, inspired by my own ideas being utilized right in front of me. I learned a lot about the process and what one has to go through in order to perform well.
Did we perform well? Well, come down Thursday night to the Market Arcade when our short film “30 Seconds to Love” is premiered with 13-14 other shorts at 7pm and tell us. If we suck, laugh with us. If we do well, laugh with us. Either way bring your smiles and good vibes.
I don’t know how our small, simple labor of love will stack up against the serious entries from people who have spent serious time and money on classes, equipment and training but I am proud of the work we did. A whole lot of different people who hardly knew each other, if at all came together in an unlikely way and despite setbacks, novice mistakes, limitations and a major crisis or two, made some art this weekend. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, art brings people together. It could very well be one of the greatest positive bonding forces we know. Come together with us Thursday and share in our joy when we are on the big screen.
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