I recently directing my first 48 Hour Film Contest project! The 48 Hour Film Contest is just how it sounds: you make a short film in 48 hours. It's run by the Winnipeg Film Group.

Thought I'd share my experience and some tips if you're interested in the 48 H or short filmmaking. I'd edited for the 48 H for 2 years - if anyone saw Hue Quilted Windowpane and Picture Day 2002 (formerly Glass Tears) directed by Lasha Mowchun, I edited those! This year I wrote/directed!

Scroll is about a anxious young woman starting a new job and being intimidated by her coworker's social media profiles.

It will be screened July 28th at the Gimli Film Festival and July 31 at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre in Winnipeg.

PRE-PRODUCTION

It's good to be flexible, but there's a lot you can do before the 48 H hits.

Story

I'm always interested in how social media affects us and how people's social media presences compare to their real lives. My idea started out as vignettes of people speaking out their social media profiles, getting more and more honest about the motivation behind their posts. But, it was difficult to develop that many characters in a short film, so it became about how the profiles made the protagonist feel. Profiles are like perfectly curated first impressions so I find it easy to get intimidated even before getting to know someone. Scroll tries to explore that.

Cast/Crew

The WFG held 3 meet-ups: composers, actors, and a general one. All these help you put your team together.

Music

Music is allowed to be composed beforehand and this year we were required to use only Manitoban-made music. I missed the composer meet-up, but emailed a few local bands I knew. You may recognize Nic Dyson and Paisley with their songs in Scroll.

Scheduling/location/etc.

With only 48 hours, scheduling is pretty important, but can easily fall out of your brain. I filmed in 1 location and a bit outside. If you're filming in a very public place you may want to get a permit. If you're looking for a unique location, post around and you'd be surprised what you find. Lasha's 48 H films were in a neon factory and a refrigerator recycling centre!

PRODUCTION

The fun begins! And it's a bit all over the place. Here a few tidbits:

I really liked having a cinematographer, Dylan Baillie, so I could divide my focus more evenly. I shot the last short film I directed (Second Opinions) and loved it, but it was really nice to have another set of eyes/hands for the 48 H.
My friend, Sony Duong, gave me a bunch of stuff for props and it was such a help! There's only so much I can scavenge from my place. Also, I love that the protagonist has the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People", it's perfect.

Enjoy it! Past the stress, it's so fun to see your idea become a film. Thank you to everyone who helped me make it happen.

POST-PRODUCTION

Editing

As an editor, the idea of giving up the reigns was nerve-racking. But after hours of filming, I was so glad to have another editor do the first pass edit. It allowed me to get 4 hours sleep then wake up and do the final edit.

Time limit

In my experience it's always too long at first. But, part of what I love about the 48 H is that it forces you to kill your darlings and make the film as concise as possible. You can always do an extended cut later on.

Then you hand it in and hope for the best!

Let me now if you have any questions or just want to plug your 48 H film in the comments. Hope you check out the Gimli or Winnipeg 48 H screenings. I'll eventually put it online so keep a look out for that. Thanks for reading! Go watch and/or make some films!