48 Hour Fest- 2007

Interviews and layout and some photos by Ed Sharpe - Glendale Daily Planet / KKAT-IPTV

(Phoenix Arizona) Major motion pictures take months or years to complete but... how about doing a complete movie from script to screenable product in 48 hours?

The 48 Hour Film Project - Back in May 2001, Mark Ruppert came up with a crazy idea to try to make a film in 48 hours. He and his filmmaking partner, Liz Langston, and several other DC filmmakers formed their own teams and joined him in this experiment. The big question back then was: "Would films made in only 48 hours even be watchable?"

The answer was a emphatic YES!, and now six years later and with more than 100 competitions having taken place around the world, it is amazing to consider the success of the 'Project'. This year marks the This was the third year the competition was hosted in Phoenix, the 6th time it was in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York and Austin, and the 8th time for DC. The National 48 Hour Film Project had about 3000 teams in the Project over the years, and at 15 people per team, that translates to roughly 45,000 people who have answered the call to come on out and make a movie.

The thrill and excitement of participating in one 48 hour film festival is overwhelming but... you find out there is not only the 4th Annual Phoenix Film Foundation 48 Hour Challenge offering 33 entry positions for filmmaker but also a week later the Phoenix city competition for the National 48 Hour competition .

Why Not! So... not only did CouryGraph Productions dive in for an over dose of filmmaking but they were joined by a handful of teams that chose to participate in both 48 Hour Filmmaking Festivals.

These events event kick off on a Friday evening and assigns the filmmakers a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre that must be used. All teams receive the same prop and dialogue, however, teams will be assigned different genres. You then get 48 Hours to the minute to complete and turn in your creation.

Teams come in all sizes! The smallest team has consists of one person who sets up the camera then runs around to be "on-camera". The largest reported team to date was an Atlanta based team with 70 people.

Music for the movies entered in the compactions can be either royalty free music or original compositions, the odds of clearing rights for a ZZ top tune are pretty small in one of these events and music that does not have the rights clearly ((((HELP TERMINOLOGY))))) released or licenses or created specifically by an individual composer will get you disqualified immediately.

IFP 48 Hr Film Challenge, sponsored by the Independent Feature Project , a non profit organization created to support the courageous work of artists and technicians working in independent film and the

IFP is a 29-year old, not-for-profit membership and advocacy organization that supports and serves the independent film community by connecting creative talent and the film industry. Wide-reaching programs provide invaluable information, resources, networking and support to filmmakers while promoting film as a vital and influential public art form.

Headquartered in New York, IFP also has offices in Chicago, Minnesota, Phoenix, Seattle The national webpage is http://www.ifp.org

The 4th Annual Phoenix Film Foundation 48 Hour Challenge just wrapped up with 33 films screened at the Harkins Scottsdale/101 Theatre with over 400 people in attendance. The event was a huge success and was sold out a week before the screening. The Phoenix Film Foundation started the challenge in 2004 and has had nothing but success since. The event is the longest running of it's kind in the Phoenix area and also the only one run by a non-profit organization. In the first year, 48 teams competed and the top 25 films were screened. Then in 2005, the organization made the decision to limit the number of teams to 33 so all filmmakers that entered would have their films screened. "We felt as part our commitment to the Arizona filmmakers that they deserved to be up on the big screen after the hard work they put in completing their films" said Executive Director, Jason Carney. The event kicks off on a Friday evening and assigns the filmmakers a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre that must be used. All teams receive the same prop and dialogue, while the teams will be assigned one of three genres. The competition is also unique in that the winning film is an automatically selection to the following year's Phoenix Film Festival, guaranteeing that the film will be shown as part of a world class event. Chris LaMont, the Co-Founder and President of the Phoenix Film Foundation said "The films each year get better and better. It's to the point where were just blown away that these films are made in just two days. It just speaks volumes about the quality of Arizona filmmakers".

The Phoenix Film Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that also produces the Phoenix Film Festival, Arizona Student Film Festival and International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival. It also manages the Phoenix chapter of Independent Feature Projects (IFP-Phoenix) a membership based group of filmmakers providing network and educational opportunities for filmmakers. It is the largest filmmaker organization in the state. Finally it operates the Phoenix Film Society a filmgoing group that views first run film and holds discussions afterwards.

The 48 Hour Film Project mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. Through its festival/competition, the Project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make movies.

The 48 Hour Film Project announces its 7th annual national filmmaking tour visiting over 50 cities across both national and internationally. New international cities include Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, and Rome. Over 1,500 48 Hour film teams are expected to make films in the 2007 tour which began in Philadelphia in March and will continue through August. The top winners in each city are eligible to compete in the 48HFP Panasonic HD Filmmaker Showdown—winning film equipment from Panasonic and national distribution. The International Grand Prize Winner receives a $7,500 gift card, sponsored by Visa

2007 marked the third year the 48HFP has been hosted in Phoenix. This year we had 24 teams compete in the competition, although not all were able to make the 48 hour deadline.

Prizes for City Winner

· Filmapalooza: The City Winner will be screened at Filmapalooza, the official 48HFP Awards Weekend, held in the past at SXSW in Austin and Cinequest in San Jose.

· National DVD Distribution: A selection of the City Winning films will receive distribution on DVD.

· Second-round contests: US City Winners is eligible for the Fall Shootout and HD Showdown.

Other Local Prizes

· Awards for Best Directing, Best Script, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Acting, Best Music, Best Sound Design, Best Effects, Best Use of Genre, Best Use of Character, Best Use of Prop, and Best Use of Line.

International Grand Prize

The International Grand Prize Winner, chosen from among the City Winners, receives a Visa gift card for $7,500!

Visa "Life Takes" Competition

The top ten teams from New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco receive a $500 Visa gift card to make another 48 Hour Film. Then they are flown to San Francisco for the finals. The Grand Prize, First Prize, and Second Prize films from "Life Takes" will receive $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500, respectively.

Panasonic HD Showdown

The top five City Winners receive the use of a Panasonic HVX200 High Definition P2 camera to shoot a second 48 Hour Film. The winning team will go home with the Panasonic HVX200, a $6000 value.

Of course the information at the beginning of this article with Mark Ruppert and how the idea for the 48 Hour Challange started applies...

SUNSHINE - This short film Sunshine is a true romance.
At it's heart are the sacrifices that loving someone requires... - Cale Epps

And the Phoenix City Winner ... Best Film of 2007 ... is "Sunshine" by dEeP fOcUs.

The runners-up are "Dr. Beater" by The Media Guys and "Recoil" by Dynamicfilm+Never Average.

Sharpe - Why do you participate in a fast paced production project such as this?

Matt De Jesús - We participate in a fast paced production such as the 48 HFP because we want to test our limits; doing so forces us to be creative with our resources and brings out the best within us. We love the excitement of getting a short film done in two days and seeing the reaction of a crowd to our efforts. To be quite honest we tend to procrastinate a bit and by having a two day deadline it allows us to push our talents, creativeness, insomnia and passion for filmmaking.

Matt De Jesús - What got me interested in crewing for the 48HFP was that I would be working with my sister who is into filmmaking and by seeing her passion for film got me excited as well and now I enjoy watching what happens behind the scenes. --Karla González, Production Assistant

What got me interested in crewing for the 48HFP was my joy in seeing the results of an intense and hard worked for production.

Sharpe - Tell us what job functions or parts everyone associated with wits movie played.

Matt De Jesús - This was the first 48 HFP film we were involved in, therefore, this one was our favorite! Because it was special since family and friends were involved in it.

Sharpe - - how does participation in an event as this enhance your skill set?

Matt De Jesús - Participating in an event as the the 48HFP allows us to see our strengths and work on our weakness as filmmakers. Taking note of that and reflecting allows us to improve our skills where needed.

Matt De Jesús - We are really happy and grateful to have won the local 48 HFP. Filmmaking is our passion and we hope we continue to touch many people's hearts through moving pictures. We would like to thank everyone who was involved and helped make the project a success and also everyone who ran the Phoenix 48 HFP who give independent filmmakers an outlet to show their expression in a very creative way.

We create moving pictures that move people, whether that be commercials, corporate videos or feature films the quality and attention to detail is consistent throughout. In our desire for excellence and artistic pursuits we are acquiring three RED Digital Cinema cameras. This digital camera is a true replacement for the 35mm film camera. This is something we are very excited about because not only will it reduce the production cost but it also has six times the resolution video cameras use today. We are very fortunate to be one of the first companies in the world to own the RED camera. We would like for others to also take advantage of this great opportunity and be able to shoot their projects with a camera that not only captures images but also offers a true immersive experience.

Lindsey Marlin - Hello! My name is Lindsey Marlin, and I played Charlene in 'Sunshine' with dEeP fOcUs for the Phoenix 48 hour Film Project! My first 48 hour film project just happened to be the weekend before, so when offered a second opportunity, I jumped at the chance! There are many great filmmakers in this town, and I am always grateful for the opportunity to work with talented individuals.

Sharpe - What got you interested in acting or crewing in 48 hr projects?

Lindsey Marlin - I am interested in acting in 48 hour projects for the same reason that I am interested in acting in short films, feature films, and plays: Acting is my passion and my career! I welcome with open arms any project that can further develop my skills.

Sharpe -What was your favorite 48 hr film you were involved in and why?

Lindsey Marlin -As I previously mentioned, I had acted in another 48 hour film project the weekend before, and if I had to pick, 'Sunshine' would be my favorite due to the challenges of the script. Furthermore, I got to work with both Cale Epps and director Matt de Jesus! I knew Cale personally, and I had seen his great work onstage, but we had never acted together before, so I was really looking forward to the opportunity. Furthermore, I had heard of Matt through a mutual contact, so I was looking forward to working with him as well! Although I really enjoyed the previous weekend's 48 hour film project, 'Sunshine' was definitely the most challenging for me.

Sharpe -Anything you would like to add in summary?

Lindsey Marlin -Finally, I would say that your skill set is enhanced merely by putting together a film in 48 hours. Along with acting in it, Cale and I helped contribute to the script, and that is typically something that doesn't happen unless you are specifically the writer! We were encouraged to bring our ideas to the table and the whole process just felt incredibly collaborative. It was a very positive experience and the film was ultimately very well received.

Hi. My name is Cale Epps. I am an actor in the short film Sunshine. This short film Sunshine is a true romance. At it's heart are the sacrifices that loving someone requires..

Cale Epps - Matt DeJesus contacted me for this project. I've been acting in the Valley for the last three and a half years. I've had some recent success in the commercial market but most of the work I've committed myself to has been on the stage. A lot fellow performers that I've worked with have done the 48 hr challenge and I thought that it sounded like a good, creative way to spend a weekend. My high school friends and I used to do this sort of thing on the weekends back in those days, so in a non-professional way, it's a process I'm familiar with even though it's been a while since I've been a part of something like it. I worked with Matt on a commercial spec about a year ago and gave him my headshot when he told me that he made films. He contacted my agent and she passed the word on to me that he needed actors for this project. I gave him probably ten or twelve names of other actors that I knew and that is how Lindsey got involved.

Cale Epps - Initially I figured that Matt would use me exclusively as an actor, but he was gracious enough to bring me in for the actual creation of what we would be shooting. The idea evolved throughout the first evening, but when it came time to write a script, I felt uncomfortable that we would be putting words in Lindsey's mouth. I thought that with a seven minute time limit, the whole thing would seem more realistic and organic if, instead writing dialogue, we came up with who these people were, what parameters they lived in, what the conflict was, what both people were trying to get out of this moment in their lives-all the while making sure to include in a creative way the requirements of the festival (i.e. the prop, line of dialogue, character name, etc.)- and then with those elements in mind, Lindsey and I could improvise a scene. I'm familiar enough with Lindsey's work to know that, ability wise, she could more than pull something like that off. She is a very talented performer. And I felt comfortable enough with the idea, having helped shape it, that I would be able to live in the moment as well and help create a moving short piece. I'm happy with what we came up with.

Sharpe - What was your favorite 48 hr film you were involved in and why?

Cale Epps - This is the first 48hour challenge I've been a part of. So this one is my favorite. I wasn't sure what to expect, so the outcome being what it is, it's nice to be recognized for hard work and for a piece that I'm proud of even without the recognition.

Sharpe - - how does participation in an event as this enhance your skill set?

Cale Epps - As far as enhancing skill set, I think the time element of this project doesn't allow for a lot of ho humming or la di da'ing. One has to come up with an idea and then really commit to those choices in a very short period of time. You have to immerse yourself into the project very quickly and I think that sharpens one's concentration a great deal. I remember having this great feeling of relief once my part was finished. Almost as if I had been swimming under water for 24 hours and could now let myself breathe. It was cool. I like that feeling. That's one of the perks of being on the talent end of the camera. You shoot your stuff and then you're done. For Matt though, his process had a ways to go. He still had the task of editing and polishing, taking what Lindsey and I did, and then turning it all into a coherent and compelling story. I really like the end product and I think he did an impressive job of making us both look accomplished. That is, I think he cut out most of the bad shit that I did and left most of the good shit. I'm grateful for that because it can certainly go the other way.

This whole experience really was great in terms of what I learned from the process, in terms of people I've gotten to meet that have been doing this sort of thing for a few years but are new to me, in terms of exposure to a different field. All around it has been really wonderful.

And the Phoenix City Winner ... Best Film of 2007 ... is "Sunshine" by dEeP fOcUs.

The runners-up are "Dr. Beater" by The Media Guys and "Recoil" by Dynamicfilm+Never Average.

Sharpe - Why do you participate in a fast paced production project such as this?

Austin - I have been in Film Production for as long as I can remember, and doing these events gives me and my team a chance to challenge ourselves. We always try to bring something new to these festivals, and being able to capture that creativity and share it with fellow filmmakers and audiences in such a short time is something that drives us. We want to network, meet new talent, and push the limits as much as we can. These events are the perfect place to start when experimenting or being able to push creativity.

Brenton - The stronger the team the better the product. We make a heck of a lot of films in a years time. These 48 hour films keep us on our game in the realms of creativity, teamwork, communication, and execution. Practice makes perfect.

Austin - I only act when there are roles that do not require speaking! lol

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Sharpe -what was your favorite 48 hr film you were involved in and why? please also mention who acted in it and crewed it.

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Austin - I have a special place in my heart for all the entries we submitted but for this question, I think our latest submission "Recoil" has been my favorite. It was a project that fit perfectly with our busy schedule and was as run and gun as possible. We knew we wanted to get away from comedies for a little while, and this project in particular allowed the opportunity to work with some of our usual cast as well as Dean Ronalds and Cathy Rankin. In this film, we wanted to expand on time constrained visual effects shots, so we put ourselves to the test with a couple high concept ideas that would be challenging in any time frame of completion. We also really wanted to tell a story through dialogue, since a lot of our films were strong on the visual side, we really wanted to push our actors. Needless to say, they pushed themselves. Every single cast member was phenomenal and I would work with them again any day. "Recoil" starred Eric Zakluciewicz, Aaron Burckle, Dean Ronalds, Cathy Rankin, Kaily Alissano, Marvin Gunn, and Kari Shekerjian.

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Sharpe - As a crew member or as an actor/actress - how does participation in an event as this enhance your skill

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set?

Austin - These film festivals and projects are the perfect way to make sure that you get the film done! There is no grace period, there are no reshoots, there is no extra time in postproduction for any reason. Knowing that, when we start the film, we all know there is a time limit, however, in that alotted time, we need to wow the audience and deliver a quality project. It gives us great incentive to be more creative and dedicated than most other situations when time would be on our side.

Brenton - A lot of filmmakers have told me that they don't want to do 48 hour festivals because the product is not representative of them in the end. That's understandable. For me, its about getting on more sets, encountering more situations, overcoming more obstacles, and learning how to do our jobs better so when we get on the spot for high profile clients and producers, we know how to deliver and how to get out of any problem that arises, because we've been through it before or we have already learned that lesson.

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Sharpe - Any other parting thoughts for others?

Austin - This is my eighth entry, but I doubt it will be my last. We have a lot of projects coming into production, but as long as I have those weekends free when these events take place, Ill be there. And I'll enjoy every minute of it.

Brenton - 48 hours where you run like hell, work incredibly hard, have an incredibly fun time, make a great film, learn a little about yourself and the people you work with, and in the end, watch you work on the big screen in a real theater, ... sign me up whenever I'm available. ;)

Terry Miller - Still Photographer for Recoil done
by Brenton Covington and Austin Nordell

Sharpe - Why do you participate in a fast paced production project such as this....

Terry Miller - Because it's fast paced. I love the energy!

Sharpe - What got you interested in acting or crewing in 48 hr projects?

Terry Miller - Shooting actors, models and production stills. Love the energy and got invited to work with a fine cast and crew.

Sharpe - Well us what job functions or parts you played.

Terry Miller - Production stills.

Sharpe - What was your favorite 48 hr film you were involved in and why? please also mention who acted in it and crewed it.

Terry Miller - Only one was Recoil done by Brenton Covington and Austin Nordell

Sharpe - As a crew member as an actor/actress - how does participation in an event as this enhance your skill set?

Terry Miller - It makes me more resourceful and gives practice in unusual circumstances.

Sharpe - And in closing?

Terry Miller - It's a pleasure to work with people who follow through with their stated plans and who do their best because that's the only way they know how to work.

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Terry Miller - Learn how to replace the words, "I can't" with, "How can I?" Expect Success! What you believe, you can achieve. Yes, It's really that simple!"

Link to Dr. Beater on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeGj2vOcC64

Sharpe - Luke, you mentioned technology has changed everything for filmmaking, can you elaborate?

Luke Hansen- It's really the new technology that makes these contests possible.
Everything is digital and it allows for a much faster and efficient
workflow in doing this kind of stuff. I can shoot directly to a hard
disc, and import that straight into Final Cut. After I got a rough cut
of the film done on Sunday, I was able to post it online for my sound
designer and music composer. My friend Andrew Edman, who did the sound
lives in L.A. He imported the movie into Pro Tools and was able to
send me back an audio mix within a couple of hours. The music
composer, Jephi Robens wrote and recorded an amazing score within a
few hours, and even threw in a Dr. Beater theme song for the credits.
This kind of stuff would have been nearly impossible to pull off in 48
hours twenty years ago.

Sharpe - What got you interested in acting or crewing in 48 hr projects?

Luke Hansen- My first 48 hour film contest was the '07 A3F, which was a ton of fun.
I saw this contest being talked about on Craigslist, and I immediately
entered. You get hooked on these once you've done one.

Sharpe - tell us what your job functions were Luke.

Luke Hansen- For "Doctor Beater" I was the Director and Editor. The two lead
actors, Joe and Steve wrote it with me.

what was your favorite 48 hr film you were involved in and why? please
also mention who acted in it and crewed it.

Luke Hansen - This has been my favorite experience with a 48 hour film contest. As
soon as we drew "spy" for our genre I knew we'd have a blast making
this. My filmmaker instincts told me to keep the story simple and
manageable, but Steve and Joe wouldn't have any of that, so we ended
up going crazy with the story line. At one point Friday night we were
trying to write in a speed boat chase and a shot of Agent Smith
walking out of a private jet. So we had to scale it back a bit from
that, but still ended up with an insane mess of a script that we had
to shoot in about 12 hours.

Steve Mason played "Agent Broderick Smith"
Joe Defuria played "Dr. Beater"
Sarah Moraes played "Natalia"
Luis Hernandez was the grip, and also played the Henchman

Sharpe - As a crew member as an actor/actress - how does participation in an
event as this enhance your skill set?

Luke Hansen- 48 hour film competitions really test your ability to work under
pressure. If you can produce something good in that kind of time
frame, making a short film under normal conditions is a breeze.

Sharpe - What awards did Dr. Beater win?

Luke Hansen- Awards we won:

1st Place: Audience Favorite
2nd Place: Best Film (Tied with "Recoil")
1st Place: Best Score
2nd Place: Best Editing
2nd Place: Best Script
2nd Place: Best Sound Design

Sharpe - You mentioned a film in the A3F festival tell us how you did...

Luke Hansen- Awards won at the '07 A3F for "So Called Saints":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF-k4GCSO1E

Overall Best Use of Theme - 1st Place
Overall Best Story - 2nd Place
Overall Best Comedy - 3rd Place
Overall Best Acting - 3rd Place

Sharpe - Film seems to indeed be you passion, do you work in the field full time?

Luke Hansen- I'm 20 years old, graduating this semester from the Scottsdale
Community College film/television school. I'm going to ASU in the
spring to start their film/television program.

I also work full time as the videographer and editor for "The Media Guys": www.mediaguys.tv

Sharpe - Why do you participate in a fast paced production project such as this...

Tamara McDaniel - I liked the challenge and the fact that it has the potential to pull you from your comfort zone. For example - in both challenges - our team needed more actors than we had - so some of the writers and folks that normally only did crew had to step up and they did a great job and got to see a side of production from a view they'd never had before.

(R to L) Tamara McDaniel, Lee Ann Cone, Kim Wolcott, Sara Clancy and Melissa Foreman
Photo by Laura Durant

Tamara McDaniel - The same thing that got me interested in acting in general - the challenge just seemed like it would be more exciting because I also had to be involved in part of the writing process and producing process etc.

Tamara McDaniel - For the IFP project, I acted in the movie and produced it, for the National Challenge I produced and directed.

Tamara McDaniel - I liked both of the projects, and I did different jobs in each - I was probably a little more in my element for the first one as an actress - but in the national challenge I really liked it because we knew our crew knew what to expect and that made it quite a bit easier the second time around. Plus, I got to direct which I'd never really done and that was really exciting as well. I can't say which I liked best though. Most of our crew was also in the cast. Very few folks only performed one role or the other. All of our team members came from the Phoenix Independent Film Makers Group ( http://indiefilm.meetup.com/172/?gj=sj5 ).The following were on one or both of our teams: Tim Richards, Lee Ann Cone, Christopher Miller, Mike Butler, Kim Wolcott, Nadya Britton, Brian Kille, Sara Clancey, Michele Wilcox, Jom Wilcox, John Johnson, Rebecca Roos, Robert Friedlander, Scott Haskin, Melissa Foreman, Sharifa Rowe, Peter Salama, Joe Holt, Bruce Nelson, Mark Stewski, Henry Sanfur

Sharpe - As a crew member as an actor/actress - how does participation in an event as this enhance your skill set?

Tamara McDaniel - Well, you get to see in a more intimate way everything that goes into making a movie. Also, because of the time crunch and limited people and resources, it forces you into jobs you might not normally do. Plus, when you're working under this kind of a time crunch and this type of format, you really need to be creative and flexible and keep your cool under pressure - all stuff you need to get a good movie done.

Kim Wolcott as: Charlene Brennan, Dog Walker Mike Butler as Vinny and Robert Friedlander as Tyrone

Sharpe - Why do you participate in a fast paced production project such as this....

Scott Haskin - I find it to be a unique experience that tests your creative limits and see what you can really do. It is also a great opportunity to meet new people and see films that may not have been created otherwise..

Scott Haskin - I did one about three years ago with a friend of mine. I heard it was
coming up again and jumped at the chance.

Sharpe - Tell us what job functions or parts you played.

Scott Haskin - Primarily, I was the composer but was involved at the creative meeting that took place once we received the envelope with the specifics.

Sharpe - What was your favorite 48 hr film you were involved in and why? please
also mention who acted in it and crewed it.

Scott Haskin - Having done three so far, I am not sure it would be easy to pick one.
Each experience gives us great opportunity to grow and work with
different people. I have enjoyed them all. I have a unique perspective
because I spend little time with the crew. Past the initial meeting, the
contact I have is typically with the producer, director and editor(s) only.

Sharpe - As a crew member how does participation in an event as this enhance your skill set?

Scott Haskin - I think these opportunities are fantastic and would encourage anyone interested in the business to join a team and go for it with the understanding this is different from the normal film making environment. Every challenge I have done has brought me something I did not have before walking in and each one has been an invaluable experience.

Scott Haskin - It pushes us to do things in ways you might not normally do them. For my part, I stick around the meeting until the basic script outline is done, decide the musical cues and then go back to my studio to compose scenes from my imagination as opposed to having the clip on my screen since shooting would not have started yet. Then the script changes and I have to alter or discard the cue and start over with something different. Of course, there are only 48 hours to turn in the final project so creativity levels must be high at all times.

Sharpe - Why do you participate in a fast paced production project such as this?

Dellis - You get a ton of benefits in exchange for a relatively small time commitment. It provides a great opportunity to work with people you’ve never worked with before. For example, I’ve known the Montierth brothers for a few years now, but this is the first chance we’ve had to do a project together. Over the past couple of years, their “Brothers’ Ink” production company has attracted several top-notch, talented guys (Nick Stahr, Adam Devaney, John Waldron, and Jason Walters), so I was eager to find a way to work with them. I also see the 48-Hr film challenges as the best way to collaborate with some of the best actors in town. We were really fortunate to get some of the top “known” local actors (Jennifer Pfalzgraff, Jose Rosete, Laura Durant), as well as several terrific actors who have become better known locally as producers and directors in their own right (Brian Ronalds, Kevin Berman, Deon Doughty, Jeff Goeson, and Greg Seki). Also in the cast are Tal Goeson and Claudia Rubio – a real coup for us as she was named Best Actress in last year’s 48-Hr film challenge.

Montiereth Brothers
Photo by - Gregory Seki

Sharpe - Bruce, what got you started in being a crewmember in 48 hr projects?

Dellis - Since I’m a married guy with a nine-year-old daughter and a full-time job, these 48-Hr challenges can fit into my schedule much more easily than a more elaborate, longer shoot would allow. And at the end of the weekend, you’ve got another completed project under your belt.

Sharpe - Did you play any parts in the film Bruce?

Dellis - On this particular challenge, I was the writer only. This is the first time I’ve done one of these where I haven’t been the writer AND director. In my discussions with Adam and Donovan, we decided that we should divide the weekend into well-defined chunks: Friday night would be for writing; Saturday for shooting; and Sunday for Editing. So after we got the genre, prop, and line of dialogue, the entire team went back to the Brothers’ Ink offices and threw some ideas around. We decided on the location and set a call time for 8:30am. Then I went home to write. I developed four or five ideas (which didn’t work for a variety of reasons: too elaborate; lame endings) before I wrote “Bitter Spirits.” I was up until about 4:30am (Saturday). Then it was easy for me – I just handed it off to Donovan and Adam and I went to sleep! I managed to make it out to the shoot later in the day, but by that time, they were almost finished.

Deon Doughty and Claudia Rubio
Photo by - Gregory Seki

Sharpe - What was your favorite 48 hr film you were involved in and why? please also mention who acted in it and crewed it.

Dellis - I think this was my favorite in terms of collaboration. It felt more like a community project than just something I was completely responsible for. And it helped that everybody was in great spirits (no pun intended) through the whole process. I often hear about how stressful and volatile some 48-Hour sets are, but I’ve never experienced that myself. Maybe it’s because we were all pretty well prepared and eager to do our best. We shot it at John Waldron’s house, and there were a couple of broken wine glasses, so I suppose the set didn’t escape unscathed. I’ve done three other 48-Hr challenges (“Sick Day,” “The Inevitable Reggie Vandevan,” and “Tribute”), and some are better than others, but none of them had the production value that “Bitter Spirits” has.

Sharpe - As a crew member as talent - how does participation in an event as this enhance your skill set?

Dellis - There’s no better way to exercise your filmmaking muscles like a 48-Hr film challenge. There’s much more instinct involved because you don’t have time to overanalyze the next step. From a directing standpoint, it forces you to find some kind of shorthand with the crew and actors. From a writer’s perspective, you are often pushed into writing something in a style or genre that you wouldn’t have tackled otherwise. The fact that you have to incorporate a specific prop and a specific line of dialogue actually helps you focus your creativity in an odd way. It doesn’t necessarily dictate the story you have to tell, but it helps limit the kind of stories you might develop.

Jennifer Pfalzgraff, Brian Ronalds, and Claudia Rubio
Photo by - Gregory Seki

Dellis -I can’t stress strongly enough the notion of collaborating with other local filmmakers, actors, and technicians. Sure, you can do quite a bit with a few talented buddies and a handicam. But participating in these challenges gives filmmakers an opportunity to raise the bar. It also provides for a sort of “cross-pollination” among the local talent pool. Every single person on this shoot was someone I’d met – directly or indirectly – because I’d submitted one film into the Phoenix Film Festival a few years back. The local film community is very welcoming and encouraging (though competitive) – and I believe this attitude is why the valley is able to support so many 48-Hr film challenges throughout the year.

There’s also a still of the “Bitter Spirits” poster on the film’s IMDb page…

Directed by
Adam Montierth