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Making a film is not as easy as it looks. Most films you see take years to write, produce, shoot, edit, and finally be screened in front of an audience. It’s an exhausting process that takes hundreds of people dedicating countless hours to complete.
Did you know that there is a filmmaking challenge across the country that takes that long process and condenses it into one weekend?
The 48 Hour Film Project comes to Detroit on July 22 for a hectic weekend featuring southeast Michigan’s most talented filmmakers. The competition, now in its ninth year in Detroit, gives teams 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit an original short film.
Teams are given a specific genre, along with a character, prop, and a line they must use in their film. All of the creativity must be done in the 48 hours of the challenge, which means all of the writing, rehearsing, shooting, set designing, and so on must be done over the course of the two days.
The producer for Detroit’s 48 Hour Film Challenge, Eddie Fritz, was a veteran participant in the event before he headed up the event this year. Even though the challenge helped him with his filmmaking, he says that it has helped him become the professional he is today because the challenge requires participants to trust their gut and believe in their instincts during time constraints.
“As I have gone into my professional career, it has helped shape who I am, so I recommend it for film students, film enthusiasts, hobbyists, and other artists who may want to try another medium,” Fritz said.
After the filmmakers have completed their films, a screening of all of the films are held and multiple awards are handed out. Awards range from Best Cinematography to Best Use of a Line, and the winner of Best Film will be sent to Filmapalooza 2017, where they have a chance to compete for the Best Film of 2016. The top 10 films of the festival will also be screened at the Short Film Corner at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
Fritz said that the challenge requires a lot of work, but the efforts are very rewarding. Not only do participants get to show off their films in front of an audience, but it could benefit those looking to get into the film industry.
“A lot of people make great connections and network and build relationships that help them with either future collaborations or a student enter into the professional field. And you have something for your demo reel after one weekend if you’re looking to round out your portfolio,” Fritz explained.
Registration is still open for the competition up until a couple days before it begins on July 22. Fees are $160 per team until July 12, while the fee is $175 per team after that. The kickoff event takes place at The Ant Hallin Hamtramck at 6 p.m. on July 22.
More information on the challenge can be found at www.48hourfilm.com.
