Students compete in 48 hour filmmaking competition
By Ceana Priest, Wintec journalism student. Posted On: Wednesday, 21 April 2010
For 48 hours Wintec students endured sleep deprivation and technical meltdowns as they competed in the V48 hour filmmaking competition, all for the chance to have a King Kong statuette on their mantlepiece.
The largest filmmaking competition in New Zealand kicked off late Friday April 16 and involved 59 Hamilton teams along with another 600 from around the country.
Each team was randomly given a film genre and sent off into the night to script, direct, shoot and edit a seven minute film all within 48 breathtaking hours.
Some of this year’s genres ranged from romantic comedy, biopic, musical and sexual education.
Wintec student Micah Puklowski, who is completing her Master of Arts, shot her time travel film in Raglan and aside from making her actress cry for dramatic realism and the time consuming process of creating perfect fake blood, loved the experience.
And it’s no wonder. Micah is a film buff who even pressured her parents to purchase the video store they own in Frankton.
Wintec student David Nicoll has taken part in the competition four times, but this was the first year he has been able to hand in a completed film.
He was very relieved to have made it on time especially after experiencing technical errors and missing the cut-off point by only a couple minutes in the last couple of years.
“This year was so different, we actually slept!,” he says. And next year? “Definitely, can’t stop now.”
His road trip genre film suited his smaller team and over the weekend he managed to ‘mug’ a wino, blow up half his lighting setup and borrow his actor’s grandfather’s wheelchair – all in the name of cinematic genius.
And for those seeking to mix up a batch of realistic looking blood? Barbeque sauce and food colouring worked a treat.
The regional heats will be completed by April 23 and successful films will enter the Hamilton finals screening at the Gallagher Hub, Wintec on May 7. Doors open at 7.30pm. Advance tickets can be purchased from Paul Barlow, Hamilton manager V48HOUR by emailing filmoffice@waikato.ac.nz.