TV Production: 48 hrs to make it or break it
BiB Contributor | Krista Homiak
I’ve been participating in the 48 hr. Film Project for a little under a decade and no matter the amount of years of practice or planning you try to do, it all comes down to the minute. This is a good way to throw yourself into a day in the life of a TV producer with it’s stressful, long hours, fast paced and deadline oriented demands. I highly advise signing up in your local town whether you are a professional, amateur or hobbyist.
Let me lay out the basic weekend. On Friday evening, you are given a character, prop, line of dialogue and genre that your movie must include. Then they let you loose to wreck havoc in your local cities for the next 48 hrs to write, shoot and complete a 7 min film.
So lessons learned on making a short film under the pressure of the clock ticking?
- Keep your script short and simple. A good rule is that each page of dialog is equal to 1 min of the movie. Every year I write around 3 pages, but it never fails the movie ends up right under 7 min. anyways.
- Strong ending. I like to start with the ending, do the beginning and then fill in the details. A film that resonates with your audience means 5 short films later, they still remember you were their favorite.
- Limit the amount of locations. Running all over town only adds stress, rushed shots and a tired crew.
- Good audio. No matter how wonderful your movie is shot, if you get to the editing bay and it’s like trying to make out the teacher from Peanuts, you better hope you had gotten silent film as a genre.
- Well defined role responsibilities. You know what they say about too many directors in the kitchen… Don’t make me call Gordon Ramsay!
- Shoot for the story. Getting beautiful shots is what makes for great cinematography, but not if they are without purpose. Leaving your audience confused on what just happened is not the look and effect you were going for, or was it…
- Always have fun and remember that regardless of how it turns out you can be proud you survived the weekend and have a film to prove it.
Tags: 48, 48 hr film fest, film fest, short film
