2.) Is there a production fund available for the winning projects?
3.) Can I use found footage or stock footage in my project?
4.) Can I use previously shot footage if it is playing on a television screen within a scene?
5.)
Does the creation of the soundtrack have to begin after shooting starts?
6.) Is there a limit to the number of camera crews
and editors working at the same time but on different scenes?
7.) Has this ever been done before?
8.) Who are the people behind the 72 Hour Film Project, and what is their background?
10.) Where did you get the idea to create the 72HFP?
1.) Why 72 hours?
The tools for speed moviemaking are prevalent, and affordable. Many film and video makers have access to home editing systems, so the ability to make a feature-length movie quickly and inexpensively exists.
However, the nature of digital nonlinear editing also has the tendency to
turn fine editing into an extremely long and neurotic process. One may continually
return to a “finished” movie and make thousands of minor adjustments
until the end of time.
Another common tendency is that of contemporary directors to plan less and
shoot more, again making the editing process longer and less focused.
With the 72HFP, the clock starts the moment the camera begins to roll. The
most important part of the process, when faced with this kind of a deadline,
is the planning and pre-production stage. A filmmaker will need a carefully
thought-out strategy. Not only does the deadline force inventiveness, it also
brings the emphasis back to ideas and focused vision, rather than the trial-and-error
aspect of making.
Finally, it is the rush of competition, and the sleepless caffeine-fueled
madness of this kind of event, that will attract many of the contestants.
Movie making is an inherently dramatic undertaking, and the 72HFP delivers
that drama in its most potent and concentrated form. Creativity under pressure
can often birth amazing things, and the Project organizers expect astounding
results.
2.) Is there a production fund available for the winning projects?
Unfortunately not. Though we may begin offering production grant in subsequent years, this is our first year of operation and we do not yet have a budget for it. That said, one filmmaker has decided to undertake the first "guinea pig" project for under $200, with the cast and crew donating their time and effort to the challenge. So please do not allow cost to be a deterrent.
One Grand Prize cash award will be given at the end of the festival for the best movie made in 72 Hours or less.
3.) Can I use found footage or stock footage in my project?
If the project calls for stock or “found” footage, at least 70 minutes of the final movie must consist of original footage, shot within the 72 hour time limit, and the appropriated footage must be absolutely integral to the plot or concept of the movie. To allow any more than that would be unfair to those who shoot their entire film within the time limit. Appropriated footage is discouraged. However, we do not rule out the possibility that it may be a key plot element, and we do not wish to be overly restrictive regarding content. Projects which use only footage shot within the time limit will be strongly favored.
4.) Can I use previously shot footage if it is playing on a television screen within a scene?
See question number 3. Again, you must use at least 70 minutes of original footage shot during the 72 hour time frame, and you may use previously shot footage only if this is absolutely integral to the plot or concept of your project, and it is being re-shot (playing on a television screen within a scene for example) during the 72 Hour time limit. Projects which use only footage shot within the time limit will be strongly favored, and the use of previously shot material is discouraged.
5.) Does the creation of the soundtrack have to begin after shooting starts?
It is perfectly
acceptable to use previously produced music in the soundtrack (given that
you have permission, of course). However, if you are having a score composed
specifically for the project, it must be completed within the 72 Hour timeframe.
6.) Is there a limit to the number of camera crews and editors working at the same time but on different scenes?
No. We put no limits on how this project is accomplished. You can have as many people working on it as you wish.
7.) Has this ever been done before?
This type of competition does have a history. Several years ago a trend began to take shape. Groups of filmmakers got together in small teams to produce shorts in a set amount of time around predetermined themes and topics. Events such as the 5x8 Festival (now called Fast Forward) challenged makers to come up with a five-minute movie in eight hours. Other events around the world, including the 24 Hour Film Festival in Vancouver, the 48 Hour Film Festival in Los Angeles, and ReelFast, set the bar at one or two days to complete a short movie. In a similar vein, Canada even boasts the first 72-hour novel-writing competition. Many veterans of such events enjoy sharing war stories about getting no sleep, conflicts and breakthroughs with team members, and overall fun times.
The emphasis in these festivals is on quick thinking and brief but intense dedication and creativity. The 72 Hour Feature Project is similar, but by no means the same. It demands more in terms of structure and length, while allowing the moviemaker the opportunity to work with any theme, genre, content, or concept he or she chooses.
To prove that this specific task can be done (and done well), we like to use Mike Figgis's Timecode as an illustration. This movie was shot with four cameras in one continuous take, making the editing relatively effortless. Remember that the clock doesn't start until the camera rolls, so you can rehearse and prepare all you wish.
And just to be sure, 72HFP #00 will be completed by Chicago filmmaker, and master of expedited movie-making Usama Alshaibi (http://dancehabibi.com) this Spring. He's done 15 minute shorts in 12 hours, so he's pretty confident he can complete this in the same manner. He is our guinea pig.
8.) Who are the people behind the 72 Hour Film Project, and what is their background?
Project Director, Kristie Alshaibi received her Masters Degree in Film and Video from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she attended on a full scholarship. Kristie is the Program Director for Chicago’s Z Film Festival, which just celebrated its third successful year, receiving “Critic’s Choice” in the Chicago Reader for two of those three years. She has curated film and video programs throughout the Midwest since 1996. A filmmaker herself, Kristie has received awards from such organizations as the Princess Grace Foundation, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Her short films have been screened worldwide, and a major retrospective of her work took place in London at the Chamber of Pop Culture in December 2001. In October 2002, she completed her first feature length motion picture entitled “Other People’s Mirrors.” She teaches video editing at Mac University, as well as tutoring adult students in various editing and imaging software. Ms. Alshaibi owns and operates Artvamp, LLC a multimedia production company.
Kristie Alshaibi is lucky to have the support of an amazing staff, Julia Cardis, and Jessica Meyer, who are key to the success of the 72 Hour Feature Project.
Julia Cardis is a graduate of Purdue University, where she majored in Professional
and Creative Writing. Julia worked in the nonprofit community as a grant-writer,
and as a coordinator for development, sponsorship and special events. She
also has experience in advertising copywriting, user-interface strategy and
design, and has written and published two consumer how-to books on online
travel planning and online job hunting. She currently works as a free agent
writer, editor, researcher and small business strategy consultant. Last year,
she assisted with archival footage research and acquisition on a project for
Chicago documentarian George Goehl, and participates in the Fast Forward Film
Festival, where she also volunteers as the group's marketing and publicity
advisor. Julia also writes an online satirical advice column, and is an aspiring
filmmaker and producer.
Jessica Meyer is a recent Chicago transplant who began her training in the
arts at the University of MA, Amherst and continued as a Production/ Design
Artist/ Photographer. Her most recent projects include documentary film post-production
for Clarity Films in Berkeley and program support for a number of San Francisco
based arts organizations.
9.) How you can certify if any of these movies were done in 72 hours if no one from your organization is present during the production of these films?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The Project Director voted to simply trust people, but so many people were concerned about cheating (and confessed to their own temptation to cheat) that some other methods of monitoring had to be implemented.
In the end, the whole thing is reliant on the honor system. However, we do have everyone sign a contract indicating the exact start and finish times of their project, and affirming that their film has been made within the 72 Hour time limit, and we ask that participants write an on-line diary keeping us up-to-date on each day's progress. The exact start time will be recorded in this diary and a video copy of the movie (in any format and any television standard - NTSC, PAL, SECAM, etc.) must be postmarked and on its way to the 72 Hour Feature Project coordinators within the three day time limit. In other words, the movie must be shot, edited, and a copy shipped within 72 consecutive hours of the start time (Keep this in mind when setting your start time and end time, bearing in mind the operating hours of your local post-office or FedEx office. In special cases where one's end time must be set during a time when one cannot get to a post office or shipping faciliy a short grace period will be allowed). This can be considered a preview copy of the film and a higher quality copy (without any changes) may be sent at a later date. To be fair to our contestants from outside the United States, if the movie requires English subtitles or conversion to NTSC, this can be done after the 72 hour time limit, and then a second (subtitled and/or converted) copy may be shipped at a later date (given that the subtitles and conversion are the only changes made).
In addition, we will be notifying members of the press in the areas where each of the film/video makers live, both in hopes of generating interest in the projects, as well as monitoring the progress and assuring that the rules are adhered to.
Though we cannot personally be there to carefully monitor every project (this would be impossible given that many of them may be made simultaneously in Europe, South America, India, and even Australia), we trust that people will take this seriously and not cheat. The point of the project is to challenge oneself. So, yes, one could find ways to lie about one's project. But where's the fun in that? Doesn't that seem like a lot more work, and a lot less rewarding, than actually accomplishing the task?
10.) Where did you get the idea to create the 72HFP?
The idea came about when filmmaker Usama Alshaibi, growing weary of spending nine to twelve months shooting and editing a single movie, decided that he wanted to challenge himself and a few friends to complete an entire feature length motion picture in just three days. Kristie Alshaibi immediately grabbed his idea and turned it into a challenge for film and video makers across the globe. She created the rules and planned a festival to showcase the work at the end. Having already programmed the Z Film Festival with Usama over the past two years, Kristie knew she had the resources to make it all happen. She hired Juila and Jessica to do marketing and promotion, began seeking jurors and gaining the backing of various community organizations, and thus the 72HFP was born.
11.) Once a participating movie is finished does 72hfp have exclusive rights worldwide and in perpetuity?
The 72HFP will maintain NON-EXCLUSIVE rights to screen the movies worldwide, to maintain screening copies in the 72HFP archive, and to include them on a DVD for distribution. One of the sole purposes of this project is to promote and benefit the movie makers with as much press coverage, international screening opportunities, and distribution as possible. The makers will be notified every step of the way regarding how their movie is being promoted and distributed.
12.) If 72HFP elects to include a completed feature in a DVD compilation, what royalties, if any, will be provided to the filmmaker?
Net profits from the DVDs (i.e. retail price less manufacture, and shipping costs) will be sent to the filmmakers on a quarterly basis minus a 10% administration fee. If more than one movie is included on one DVD, those profits will be distributed in equal percentage to each of the makers. All filmmakers will receive several copies of any DVDs on which their movie is included, and will be have the right to duplicate and distribute them in any number and by any means they wish.
more questions? e-mail info@72hfp.com