Our Fall Project: the Found Footage Film Festival

 It's time to announce our fall project: the...

FOUND FOOTAGE FILM FESTIVAL

Outline:

Welcome to the First Found Footage Film Festival!  (SW)2 is proud to host this first edition of what might end up a recurring part of the (SW)2 season, even after COVID takes a step back and we can start to resume a more traditional collection of events.

The Found Footage Film Festival, or as I’ll refer to it the F4, is a collaboration of small teams to write, direct, shoot, edit, and screen short films in the vein of found-footage movies like The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, or District 9.  Your task will be to fill a role (writer, director, actor, production crew) as a part of a team to create a maximum 10 minute movie for a film festival opening December 4th!  

Timeline:

        Project Blog: wilsondramaF4.blogspot.com; info will post here as the project goes forward

        Info Session: Friday, October 16 at 300pm;

                Zoom Link: https://pps-net.zoom.us/j/2125049702         

        Writing:

Scripts Start: ASAP

                Script Drafts Due: 10/25 (Google Doc shared to southwest.stageworks@gmail.com)

                Revision/Collaboration: Ongoing, once Directors are selected 

Directing:

Applications Start: ASAP

Applications Due: 10/25 (Email to southwest.stageworks@gmail.com)

Script Selection: 11/1

Casting: Weekend of 11/6 - 11/9

Acting:

Applications Start: 11/1 (Audition Form Info coming soon!)

General Auditions: 11/6

Callbacks: 11/7 & 11/8

Casting: By end of day 11/9

Production Crewing:

Applications Start: ASAP; (Email to southwest.stageworks@gmail.com)

Applications Due: 10/28

Crew Assigned: 11/1

Rehearsal/Shooting

First Read: By end of day, 11/11

Shoot Schedule: Individually scheduled within each group!

Editing

Footage In: 11/21

Footage Cut: 11/28 (or before)

Screening

Final Footage In: 11/28

Screening Cut Together: 12/2

Screened for Audiences: 12/4 - 12/6

The Details: 

The process of prepping, coordinating, and creating for the F4 begins, well, now!  Over the next couple of weeks, between now and October 24th we’ll be looking for folks to do one (or both...we’ll get to that in a minute!) of the following things: Write a preliminary script for a short film to be staged, shot, and edited by student filmmakers on non-professional devices with student actors and production techs; or Direct one of those scripts, taking the lead on casting, arranging the shoot for, guiding the performances of, and overseeing the editing of one of the original scripts. --If you'd like to direct, look at the timelines and requirements here, and then submit your name via email to southwest.stageworks@gmail.com--

Scripts should run no longer than 10 minutes in length, should be built in such a way that they can be shot as if someone ‘came across the footage’ somewhere, and bear in mind a prospective PG-13 rating absent either nudity nor ‘F-Bombs’ (those’ll be no-nos).  They can be suspenseful (it is October after all), but don’t have to be...they can be romantic, or comic, or dramatic, whatever!  They should have casts no larger than 4 actors, and should be able to be shot in local locations (preferably outdoors) with all cast and crew socially distanced except for very brief moments.  --Sometime prior to 1200a on 10/25, share your script in Google Doc form to southwest.stageworks@gmail.com-- Once submitted, a team of Board Members and Miller will come together to decide which up to 90 minutes worth of scripts will be selected.  Selected scripts will be posted online in the week prior to auditions for Actors, Techs, and Directors to Scripts will then be handed off to the team of Directors for the rest of the creative process.

Directors will meet together once all of the scripts come in to decide which script they’ll get to direct, with preference given to directors who’ve written a script themselves.  Directors can work independently, or in teams of two, but cannot act in their own film.  Upon getting their script, Directors will then get a week to a week and a half to work with the Writer to collaborate on preparing for casting and for the shoot itself.  Directors will then attend General Auditions together, seeing the Acting talent making themselves available, and scheduling them for Callbacks over the subsequent two days...11/6 - 11/8.  All Directors and Actors must be available these days for the casting process, or will be ruled out of those two roles...we are on a very tight schedule for this process.

Production Techs (Crew Members) will sign up by 10/28 via email to southwest.stageworks@gmail.com for entry into a pool for Directors to build their shoot teams.  Directors may need a variety of positions, including (but not limited to) Camera Operators, Costumers, Prop Masters, Production Assistants (General Crew), or other specialized tasks.  On this process there will be no make up/hair artists outside an Actor’s own family, however, for health and germ transmission reasons.  Directors, depending on need, will select 1-4 Production Techs, in consultation with Miller...with no single shoot team having more than 10 total members including Actors, Directing Team, Techs, etc., with no team sharing members.

Auditions will take place the weekend of 11/6...the end of 1st Quarter.  Scripts will be available to preview in the week before the auditions, so Actors can be knowledgeable about the content of the scripts they’re auditioning for.  Actors can opt into, or out of, being considered for as many of the scripts as they’d like or as few as they’d like, with the requirement that they need to make themselves available for a minimum of 2 scripts/shoot-teams.  It has been a longstanding Company expectation that when you audition for an (SW)2 production that you audition for the show, not the role...that you’re not only ok with, but excited to commit wherever you’re cast, to support the production and the Company with your best energy, talent, and focus.  Auditions will be in two pieces: Generals and Callbacks.  Generals will take place via Zoom or Meets on Friday, 11/6, and details about those expectations will come out a little closer to the date.  Callbacks will take place on 11/7 and 11/8, and will be by invite only at times to be determined by the directors a little closer to the date, but with enough time to prepare.  Following Callbacks, Actors will be notified no later than the end of the day on 11/9.

Once the films are cast and the production teams assembled, Directors will arrange a first read with their team, and a production schedule.  Actors and Techs should treat this time like any other production with (SW)2...during that two week period between casting and when footage is due to be in the can for editing on 11/21, all Production Team members should be able to make themselves available up to the traditional 3 hours per day for shoots that we ordinarily would spend in rehearsal, though Directors should hold their charge very important and plan the use of that time very intentionally.  Directors also commit to adhere to strict safety and health guidelines during their shoot, and all Techs and Actors will commit to those things as well.

The week of 11/22 is a week of editing footage together (even though, yes, we know it’s Thanksgiving week...how many folks are traveling anyway in this time?).  Editing should be simple, and achievable with freeware or with iMovie.  If a Director needs assistance on editing, they can collaborate with someone, but that person should be considered a member of their 10.

Once edited, completed films will be brought together by Miller and the Board, and organized into an evening of student-produced, student-performed films.  We’re looking into ways and partners to share this work with our community, online as an audience together.  Details about how the F4 will roll out to our community as we get closer to the target presentation date of 12/4 - 12/6.  We’re excited to make this as big an event as we are capable of, and of sharing your work with the largest possible audience!

Any questions?  Let’s talk! See you at the info meeting this Friday!