The 48 Hour Film Project usually happens amid film and TV production in New Orleans. Last year, actor Jef Figallo went from a major studio’s film set to join his team to make a seven-minute film in less than 48 hours.
“I just shot background in ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music,’” Figallo says. “I was in a scene in Vienna — in Mozart’s time — and I was in all this makeup and working on four hours sleep, so I wasn’t there to be hands-on (at the start of the competition). I found out that someone who was supposed to write the script for us wrote herself into the film.”
This year, extra obstacles are coming from the coronavirus shutdown and reopening as major film and TV crews get back to work. Teams have had to reset as the competition, postponed from late July, will run Friday, Oct. 23, to Sunday, Oct. 25.
In the competition, teams have 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a film. At the kick-off, teams get a prop, a line of dialogue and a character name which must be included in the movie. Each team also must work in a genre that they draw out of a hat, such as sci-fi, romantic comedy or road film. This year, the drawing is virtual and teams can submit their final work electronically.
The coronavirus has forced teams to adapt, but many participants have already had practice. There have been several short film competitions during the shutdowns.
Figallo and Ashley Landrieu made a short film about stunt people trying to stay in practice during the pandemic. Their eight-minute film, “Quarantraining,” won Best Comedy at the Blu-Hill Film Festival. In it, a woman who works as a film stunt person challenges her brother to try to keep up with her in a training session, and some stage fighting mishaps spin the rivalry into a comic romp.
Figallo is preparing to shoot his team’s 48 Hour film on an iPhone 11, use improvised dialogue and work with a team of only five people.
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Hunter McGregor has competed in many 48 Hour Film Projects and did a pandemic challenge with two others. “Soulmates” is their “Exorcist”-inspired comedy in which a priest feels convinced a woman is possessed by a demon when she hisses in a distorted guttural voice that her go-to karaoke song is Celine Dion’s “All By Myself.” One actor worked remotely as a second priest who dials into an unsuccessful exorcism attempt via a smartphone app.
Actress Michele Bousquet’s team won the Audience Award and Best Writing in last year’s New Orleans 48 Hour competition for a whimsical Western set in Marigny called “Ride to Destiny.” Some scenes were shot in bars and had many short cameos on the street. She says she finds it easier to write a script within the competition’s constraints, and adding pandemic limitations just helps focus the project.
The 48 Hour Film Project is global, with more than 120 city competitions. The winners of overall Best Film from each city go on to the annual Filmapalooza competition.
The New Orleans competition usually features roughly 60 teams of professional and amateur filmmakers. So far, there are 16 teams competing this year. Locals will be able to view finished films from the New Orleans competition online. Dates have not been finalized, but in early- and mid-November there will be screenings of completed films and then a second presentation of award winners.
Many local participants work in the film industry or with independent production companies, which work on everything from feature films to music videos, training films and commercials.
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Sean Gerowin’s Backyard Shed Films productions team competes every year. Early during the pandemic, it was able to take advantage of the shutdowns. On multiple occasions, the team filmed scenes on empty streets, which on its typically low budgets it could not afford to have closed down for a shoot. It was able to film a sort of idyllic scene of a man all by himself on the downtown Riverfront.
Backyard Shed will compete with close to 20 members like it did last year, but the lineup has changed as some participants who have been out of work during the pandemic had to take gigs as film crews have resumed work. Backyard Shed also is working with New Orleans coronavirus regulations and team members’ concerns.
“We had a Zoom (production) meeting,” Gerowin says. “We sent out questionnaires to see what everyone was comfortable with. Half said they’re comfortable with physical distancing, and about a quarter want to be remote. One of the actors is only comfortable at their house and said we could film outside or from a distance, and that can work if you weave it into the story. Another actor may be able do a Zoom call or film something and send it to us.”
Visit 48hourfilm.com/neworleans/48hfp for more information and to view past films.
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October 19, 2020 at 07:00PM
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Local filmmakers compete to make short films in less than two days in the 48 Hour Film Project on Oct. 23-25 - NOLA.com
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