Wednesday, April 18, 2012

the machine - a cyberpunk fairytale



Lizsolo is an artist that has done many things for machinima as a genre. She has been a part of the MMIF festival, with a top entry "Machine, I am".
Se also provided many of us with her lovely music, to use in our films.
She is searching for support for her new project.




Experimental Art

the machine - a cyberpunk fairytale
Funny
Beautiful
Adventure


In a post-apocalyptic future a city-based survivalist scans the ravaged metaverse, rebuilding pieces of humanity's dead networks. Interrupted by the appearance of another survivor her carefully constructed defences slowly come down and the two form an unlikely bond. Shot on HD video and incorporating 16mm film and machinima, the real and the virtual converge in a science fiction creation story.

the machine, by Liz Solo, is a thirty minute science fiction story set in St. John's, Newfoundland. The script is the winner of The Newfoundland Joy Award from the Linda Joy Media Arts Society and the Dramatic Script Prize at the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Competition.

"'the machine' represents a new generation of media arts production and makes use of extremely current creative techniques like machinima, which have grown out of contemporary virtual art movements" - the Linda Joy Media Arts Society said in a release.

the machine stars Melanie Caines and Liz Solo. A great crew is coming together with a design team including: Camera by Bob Pope; Set Design by Barry Newhook; Props by Andy Pyne and Jenn Brown; Design Consultant Geoff Younghusband. Set Painting by April Norman; Costume Design by Charlotte Reid Hair by Mackenzie Geehan and Makeup by Andrew Squires. Liz is working with UK artist Yael Gilks/Fau Ferdinand to design the virtual sets. Machinima by Liz Solo; the machine shoots in mid-April with an expected completion date of August 2012.

the machine is a technically challenging piece merging different media. Being a science fiction movie, it is an unusual kind of project for St. John's and will be shot in the downtown of the city. The machinima sequences will be created online at the Odyssey Contemporary Art and Performance Simulator in the virtual world of Second Life.

the machine involves a new technique in animation - machinima - (machine generated animation) - a skill Liz Solo has been honing over years of working in online environments. This script is, in a way, the culmination of ten years of work in online spaces. The story reflects experiences of collaborating with others around the world via virtual environments and is a statement on the mindlessness of war.

The machine has recieved the support of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, The Linda Joy Media Arts Society and the Black Bag Media Collective - over half of this support is in the form of donated professional services and top notch equipment. This is wonderful support that will raise the quality of the piece, but this also means more crew are needed to manage the now larger scope of the production.

All money raised here on Rockethub will go towards fees for the prodcution costs. You may also contribute directly to the production via this paypal account: grumpelina@yahoo.ca

RocketHub is not an investment or charity. It is an exchange: funds from fans for rewards from us.

Please see Liz's websites for more information about her work:

Homepage

Blog


Sunday, April 15, 2012

Award and winners 48Machinima 2012

Here are the awards:

best directing Oblivious Films – Crueler Heads Prevail
best writing Oblivious Films – Crueler Heads Prevail
best voice acting Oblivious Films – Crueler Heads Prevail
best editing tie: Cinemart Cake Team + Oblivious Films
best cinematography Jewell Theatre – Know Evil
best sound design Machinimatrix – Free Your Mind
best use of character tie: Halls of Cort (HoC) + Oblivious Films
best use of prop Halls of Cort (HoC) – Used Cars
best use of line Cinimart Cake Team – A Tale of Fate / Cake
best music Tie: IdeaJuice Studios + Jewell Theater
best special effects Zardoz Carwash – Imperative

Winner Australian Prize of 1,000 dollar: Zardoz Carwash – Imperative

3rd Runner Up 48HFP: Machinimart – Semper Fidelis
2nd Runner Up 48HFP: Shady Character Productions – Finding Casey

Winner 48HFP 2012, Project2012 machinima - and winner of the 3,000 dollar cash prize:

Oblivious Films – Crueler Heads Prevail


Here you can see all the films: http://aviewtv.com/category/48-hr.film-project-2012


I want to thank:
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Liverpool City Councel, JMC Academy, Scissores, Bendigo Bank, Filmmakers.com.au, Web Video Production, Linden Lab, LEA,
Lapiscean Liberty, Phaylen Fairchild, Tom Papas, Roberto Giunta, Project48machinima, the 48HFPmachinima (special word of thank you to Laura Schlecht), Tony Dyson, Chris Howlett, Dan Graf, Paul Nunes, Sean Callinan, Trace Sanderson, Ginette Pinazzo, and all the teams and their crews.
Together, we shook the machinima world!

All the teams and their films:

Machidreams – Ta 2
Genre: Period Piece
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

48Avatars – Giant Impact
Genre: Mockumentory
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back
(rl producer 48HFP)

Grey Matter Films – Mind Zone
Genre: Fantasy
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Squee – Who’s Your Alien
Genre: Sci-Fi
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Cinimart Cake Team – A Tale of Fate / Cake
Genre: Film de Femme
Prop: a STAR
Character: Dana Dandeo, a Dietician
Line: I’ll have what she is having

CrazyChickens – Bessies Summer
Genre: Musical or Western
Prop: a STAR
Character: Morgan Magoo, Magician
Line: Go ahead, make my day
(screening only)

Zardoz Carwash – Imperative
Genre: Film de Femme
Prop: a STAR
Character: Morgan Magoo, Magician
Line: Go ahead, make my day

Lovell Videography – Chance Met
Genre: Romance
Prop: a STAR
Character: Dana Dandeo, a Dietician
Line: I’ll have what she is having
(screen only)

Machinimart – Semper Fidelis
Genre: Romance
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

IdeaJuice Studios – A Car Is Torn
Genre: Musical or Western
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Jewell Theatre – Know Evil
Genre: Film de Femme
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Halls of Cort (HoC) – Used Cars
Genre: Horror
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Mills Entertainment System – Hot Swap
Genre: Buddy Film
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Shady Character Productions – Finding Casey
Genre: Detective/Cop
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Machinimatrix – Free Your Mind
Genre: Horror
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

The Math Magicians – Prosopagnosia
Genre: Romance
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

T.B.A. (Team Boorer & Associates) – Impractical Magic
Genre: Comedy
Prop: a STAR
Character: Morgan Magoo, Magician
Line: Go ahead, make my day

I+H Productions – Used
Genre: Drama
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Oblivious Films – Crueler Heads Prevail
Genre: Dark Comedy
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back

Somos Tres – Slick
Genre: Thriller/Suspence
Prop: a STAR
Character: Casey Cooper, Car Dealer
Line: I'll be back


A special word of support and thanks to:
PSTALENT.COM and Running Gun Productions.

Our jury:
Tony Dyson - motivation speech
Trace Sanderson
Phaylen Fairchild
Chris Howlett
Dan Graf
Paul Nunes
Sean Callinan

May the force be with us!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Screening and Awards event - 48HFPmachinima 2012

Linden Endowment of the Arts Hosts Project 48 Machinima Premiere Screening in Second Life APR 14.

USA PDT (San Francisco): 11 pm, April 14 === pacific time

Due to timezones, this corresponds with:
Australia (Sydney): 4 pm, April 15
Europe (CET) : 8 am, April 15

The global sensation that is the 48 Hour Film Project comes to the virtual world of Second Life on with an exclusive inworld screening of all entries from the 2012 Machinima 48 Hour Film Project, accompanied by film crew interviews and a presentation by Emmy nominated Film SFX supervisor Tony Dyson.

22 teams have entered the world famous 48 Hour Film Project Machinima, where crews must create a movie within exactly 48 hours: write, shoot, edit and score it. With 3 required elements (prop, character and line of dialogue) and a randomly-assigned genre, filmmakers must work fast to create high-speed cinematic history. In the Project 48 Machinima edition, films are created within games and online platforms.

The Linden Endowment of the Arts (LEA) is a resident-managed agency within the world of Second Life, tasked with nurturing and promoting the arts community within the virtual world. LEA's new Media Arts Center specifically works with awareness, education and development of virtual world-generated video (machinima) and will be hosting this screening within its new LEA Theater, a high-tech facility designed for cutting-edge media events.

The program will also feature the head of jury, noted Emmy-nominated special effects supervisor Tony Dyson (Moonraker, Dragon Slayer, Star Wars, Altered States) delivering his jury keynote speech before the official awards ceremony. This event will be streamed live to the Casula Powerhouse Theater in Sydney, Australia.
Other judges; Sean Callinan, Paul Nunes, Chris Howlett, Dan Graf, Trace Sanderson (aka Lainy Voom) and event host Phaylen Fairchild.
The winning film will represent the 48HFPmachinima at the Filmapalooza Filmfestival 2012, in Los Angeles, and take away a grande first prize of 3,000 australian dollars.

WHEN: APR 14 at 11PM SLT/PDT
WHERE: LEA Theater in Second Life
SITE: http://www.48hourfilm.com/machinima/
and: http://48machinima.project48.com.au/

Producers:
Chantal Harvey and Tom Papas.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

PROJECT 48 MACHINIMA Judging Panel

Tony Dyson - Heading Judging Panel.
The man behind Star Wars R2-D2. The versatile Emmy nominated Film SFX supervisor is the creative genius at the helm of many of the biggest SCI-FI movies to date. Among them are Superman 2, Moon Raker, Dragon Slayer, and of course, The Empire Strikes Back. “Chev. Anthony John Dyson obss” www.tonydyson.com

Sean Callinan - Head Teacher of Animation & Game Design - JMC Academy, Sydney Australia.

Paul Nunes - Is a 10 year film industry veteran currently Producer of feature film The 5th Shadow. He has Masters in Digital Media from COFA and is Sound Designer on Dystopia and Blade Symphony from Puny Human. www.the5thshadow.com www.punyhumangames.com Chris Howlett - Australian Contemporary Art, www.chrishowlett.com.au

Dan Graf - Master of Arts (Digital Media - Animation), Australian Film Television & Radio School, Bachelor of Creative Industries, Honours: Communication Design - Animation. Former Head of IGDA, Sydney Chapter. He will also make comments of each film.

Trace Sanderson - (aka Lainy Voom) – Award winning British Machinima Artist. Her work has been seen in art galleries and film festivals globally. It is her aim to promote machinima as an artform. She is joint creator of The Virtual Build Archive, which documents innovative and beautiful builds within the world of Second Life, as well as running a machinima arts magazine, The Fallopian. http://www.voom-machine.com/

Phaylen Fairchild - Filmmaker, Comedian, Screenwriter, Virtual Girl! – Machinima Producer, Writer, Director, Virtual World Community Initiatives Consultant, Podcaster and Blogger, Presentor. http://phaylens.com
Creator of the DiVAS machinima series, and movies like Harbinger - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6foiAz7iZFk&


Chantal Harvey
Tom Papas
Producers Project 48Machinima

elements for the 48HFPmachinima 2012

The Project48machinima has started now in all 3 regions!

The prop, character and line have to be included in the movies, and the filmmakers have 48 hours to make that movie and upload it to our 48HFPservers....

The prop for all regions is: a STAR

Australia has the following character and line:
Morgan Magoo, Magician
"Go ahead, make my day."


Europe has the following character and line:
Dana Dandeo, Dietician
"I'll have what she's having."


USA has the following character and line:
Casey Cooper, Car dealer
"I'll be back."

Wishing the teams good luck,

Chantal Harvey and Tom Papas
producers 48machinima 2012.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Winners 48HFPmachinima

The 48HFPmachinima started in 2007.

Winners through the years were:

2007: Second Life Zombie Attack - Team CADE

2008: Moviestorm Medieval Dating - The Adventures of Luke and Joe

2009: Moviestorm Ring of False God - Jorge Campos & Matthew Hahn

2010: World of Warcraft The Lake – Stone Falcon Productions

2011: Second Life The Lucid Journey – Jewell Theatre

To enter the 2012 contest go HERE

Genres 48HFPmachinima 2012

The genres for 2012 for the Project48Machinima are:


At the Kickoff Event, each team draws one of these genres by choosing a number.
Each number correspondents with a numbered (sealed) envelope.
The draw is done in Second Life, so teamleaders are required to create an avatar and be present at the kickoff, on March 30, 7 pm.
NB: You can choose which kickoff: USA (San Francisco)- Australia (Sydney) - European (Amsterdam)
After genres have been selected, filmmakers will be given the option to trade in their genre for a Wild Card Genre. Once you switch, you can't switch back!

•Comedy
•Dark Comedy
•Detective/Cop
•Drama
•Fantasy
•Film de Femme (see below)
•Horror
•Mockumentary
•Musical or Western
•Romance
•Sci Fi
•Thriller/Suspense
•Vacation or Holiday Film

If you are the lucky team that draws Musical or Western, you have the choice of making either a Musical or a Western. Or a Musical Western. (Or even a Western Musical!)

As machinima depends for a greater part on voice-work, we are not including the Silent Genre for machinima.

Your film must be true to the genre you have selected—and no trading with other teams! You may combine genres (e.g., a silent comedic buddy film).

2012 Wild Card Genres will be chosen from these:

•Adventure Serial
•Buddy Film
•Coming of Age
•Family Film
•Period Piece
•Road Movie
•Time Travel Movie

Film de Femme
Never heard of a Film de Femme? That's because we invented it! This genre is specifically designed by the 48HFP to encourage strong roles for females in 48HFP films. A Film de Femme is a film featuring one or more strong female characters. Romantic comedies or "chick flicks" are included in this genre, but are only a subset.
What's a strong female character? Think Ellen Page in Juno, Salma Hayek in Frida, Reese Witherspoon in Election, or Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich. Smart and complicated. Try to avoid having a woman doing a man's job like a man would do his job. And contrary to public opinion, strong women characters are not required to kill someone!

Project48Machinima 2012 has 3 timezones you can enter

The Project48Machinima has set up 3 timezones you can choose from, when you enter this awesome competition.

Previous years, we stuck to the 7 pm on Fridaynight, as the kicked off time.
In 2012, we will do just that - but as Machinima is an International Virtual City - we are making it a bit easier for filmmakers around the world to enter.

The timezones you can choose from are:

USA - PAC/PDT (San Francisco)
Australia - EDT (Sydney)
Europe - CET (Amsterdam)

World Clock

And yes, we know that Machinima is happening during the weekend that summertime kicks in, we are sticking to the name of the game: you have 48 hours to make a movie.

http://48machinima.project48.com.au/
http://www.48hourfilm.com/machinima/

Chantal Harvey and Tom Papas

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

3,000 dollar machinima contest

MACHINIMA LOGS ONTO THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE


Digital filmmakers chase big money today as Tom Papas and Chantal Harvey, producers of 48machinima, announce the largest cash prize for a Machinima competition.

International filmmakers will be united with the single purpose of completing a short Machinima film in just 48 hours.

Through the manipulation of computer based technology Machinima forms a film medium that combines animation and game development, allowing filmmakers to create animated films in a virtual 3D environment. Unlike other forms of film Machinima is widely accessed by the online, international gaming community.

This March, Machinima enthusiasts around the world will work furiously from 7pm on Friday the 30th of March until 7pm on Sunday the 1st of April. Each team will write, edit and shoot a short film, assisted only by a designated character, prop, and line of dialogue.

As the project can be accessed globally online, expectations are set high with a $3000 first place cash prize raising the stakes. 48machinima will be hosted in Australia in partnership with the Casula Powerhouse which will sponsor both cash prizes. The local prize of $1000, however, will be open exclusively to the South Western Sydney Region Machinima market. However, regardless of the cash prize incentives, all participants work towards the production of a successful film that will be screened at the International Filmapalooza held in L.A. 2013, which will mark the opportunity for screening at the Cannes Film Festival.

For those eager filmmakers who are interested in participating, the 48machinima team registration fee is $48. Participants can register at http://48hourfilm.com/machinima/
With a hope to inspire international talent the 48 Hour Festival established 48machinima as an international film competition that will take place in over 100 cities around the world.

Resembling film within the new medium of a computer game, 48machinima will exhaust both artistic and cultural talent within a 48 hour time frame. The genre’s convergence of filmmaking, animation and game development should allow room for a broad range of results, uniting international participants with its singular 48 hour time constraint.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Project48machinima rules

The rules for 2012.

Instructions for your machinima submission for the 48HFP 2012
Format:

• QuickTime or AVI (QuickTime is preferred)
• Self-contained (that is, without references or links to other movie files)
• At least 720 pixels wide (1280 x 720 or even 1920 x 1080 is most often used)
• A 16:9 aspect ratio
• 25 fps - PAL
• If you're using QuickTime, you must use the H.264 or Sorenson 3 codec.
• If you're using AVI, you must use the Cinepak or DivX codec.

Upload to our FTP server:
• first download an FTP client, like Filezilla: http://filezilla-project.org/download.php
• Then go to our FTP server
• Team leaders will be provided with server details, username and password
• Test upload (strongly recommended as you can not only test format but also upload time) opportunity will be provided the Monday before the contest. We will provide feedback and help, of course.

To enter the contest, you must provide the Team Leaders agreement document at the kickoff (or before)
• Upload it to your FTP folder on our server – and please send an email to Chantal Harvey to confirm your upload.

To be in the contest you must:
Provide all other paperwork at the end of the contest, in your FTP folder - (with real names, not avatar/gamers names). If you don’t own a scanner; a clear photograph is acceptable too.
• Location release
• Materials release
• Music release
• Team roster
• Waiver and release forms actors
• Certification
• Wrap up Form

For information about the paperwork, go to our website.

The mayor change in 2012 is that machinima now only accepts PAL - your films will be screened at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney Australia - on the big screens.

To register your team, go HERE.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The Project48 Machinima FAQ 2012

The Project48 Machinima FAQ 2012:

It's your chance to stop talking and start filming! The premise? Filmmaking teams have just one weekend to make a short film. All creativity—writing, shooting, editing and adding a musical soundtrack—must occur in a 48 hour window beginning Friday evening at 7 and ending Sunday at 7. The following week, the completed films are screened to an eager audience.

The Machinima contest 2012 will have 3 timezones: Australia, USA and Europe.

Where do I register for the 48HFPmachinima?
Go HERE to register

How much does it cost?
The registration fee is for the entire team. For the Machinima 48HFP, the registration fee is 48 Australian dollars.


When will the 48Machinima competiton begin in 2012
.
The dates for 48Machinima can be found at http://www.48machinima.com and http://www.48hourfilm.com/machinima/

What are the films about?
That's up to the filmmaker; however, each team must select the genre for its movie in a random drawing 15 minutes before the start of the competition. In 2012 there are 14 genres, including comedy, horror, romance, sci fi, mockumentary, and musical or western. In addition, teams are given a character, a prop and a line of dialogue that must appear in their film.

Who sees the films?
The films screen to sold-out audiences in every city we've visited. Of course the filmmakers, actors, family and friends are there to enthusiastically support the premiere of the weekend's work. But also supporters of the local film community, and discriminating viewers who want to see something new—something raw and alive—are there to feel the creative energy.
Winners of the city contest are distributed on a "Best Of" 48 Hour Film DVD, which you can buy here. They are also screened at major film festivals.
The winning films from 2003 were screened at South by Southwest in Austin. The winning films from 2006 screened at our own Filmapalooza in Albuquerque. The winning films from 2004, 2005, and 2007 were screened at Cinequest in San Jose. The winning films from 2009 were screened at NAB Show. The winning films from 2008 and 2010 were screened at the Miami International Film Festival. In 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, we have had a selection of films screened at the Cannes Film Festival in France, and our films have been featured in many other festivals.

In 2012, machinima films will be screened at Casula Powerhouse Arts Center in Sydney, and streamed online in Second Life and other online platforms.

Who are the filmmakers?
The 48 Hour Film Project is open to all filmmakers, pro and novice alike. Rules state that all team members (crew and cast) must be volunteers. Most teams consist of film and video professionals. And teams have attracted some top talent on both sides of the camera. Martin Freeman, Penn of Penn and Teller, Dennis Farina, and Nick Clooney have all appeared in 48HFP films. Is this the year for the next Meryl Streep?

How long are the films?
The films are short; they must be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes long. Short is good. Not only are shorter films tighter and usually more interesting, they are more marketable.

Where and when are they shown?
On the first few weeks following the competition deadline, the movies are screened at a grand premiere in a local movie theater. A guaranteed standing-room-only audience of tired, excited filmmakers, crews and friends are in attendance to cheer on the films. The winning films go on to Filmapalooza, our international screening and awards weekend.
Machinima will be screened in Sydney at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre on the big screens, and online in Second Life.

What cities has the 48 Hour Film Project visited?
The project began in Washington, DC in 2001, and in 2010 we visited 80 cities. In 2012, we’ll be in even more places. (See all of our cities here.) Filmmakers just can’t get enough of the 48HFP!
Machinima was included as a city in 2007. So this is its 6th year. Previous winners came from Moviestorm, Second Life and World of Warcraft.

How is the event advertised?
The event is advertised by word of mouth, on the web, and via local press. Local filmmakers and organizations are our most vocal supporters and do a great job spreading the word. In each city, the 48 Hour Film Project has generated considerable interest from local and international title of Best Film of the 2012 48 Hour Film Project.

What should I do with my film after the 48HFP?
Get it out there! For more information on how to do that while abiding by the Team Leader’s Agreement, read this page.

May I show a modified version of my 48HFP film?
Yes, presuming that the showing adheres to the Team Leader’s Agreement that you signed when entering the 48HFP. If it is a modified version of a 48HFP film, please include a title card and a mention in the end credits that say:
“The concept for this film developed during the 48 Hour Film Project. www.48hourfilm.com

Is this a contest and will there be a “Best of” selection?
Yes and yes. One film in each city will be chosen “Best of City”. All “Best of City” films will compete for the international title of 48 Hour Film of the Year.

What are the prizes?
Each city winner will receive our special trophy, and go on to represent their city in the finals. More prizes are detailed on our prize page.
The machinima winner takes 3,000 Australian dollars.

Will I win?
Depends on what you mean by winning. Countless filmmakers over the years have told us that the 48 Hour Film Project weekend was fantastic. They loved getting to use their creative talents; they had fun with their friends; and they made a film, too! So if winning means having a great time, you’ve got a very good shot at it.
There were over 3,000 entries in 2010 and we gave out more than 800 awards. There were 80 city winners…and only one grand prize. There are even more entries this year. So if winning means getting that grand prize, you’ve got your work cut out for you. But don’t let that discourage you—you can do it!

Will I get rich?
Probably not. As far as we know, no one has made much money selling a 48HFP film. However, some of our filmmakers have had success with their films in other festivals including SXSW; one team won a $100K filmmaking package at a festival; and filmmakers have used recognition of their 48HFP film to get paying work. Additionally, we at the 48HFP have set up an arrangement whereby if we’re able to earn money by distributing your film, you will receive a portion of that money. We believe our arrangement is fair and equitable. As you may know, the market for short films is nearly non-existent. However, we do garner more interest in our films because of the 48-hour concept and the fact that they are part of a bigger collection. So, while folks have lots of fun doing the 48HFP, they don’t make lots of money.

Who judges the films?
In each city we gather film and video professionals to serve as our judges.
These judges generally have extensive experience within the field. We require these judges to be fair and impartial. Our judges donate their time and talent to select the top film in each city. In addition to determining the city winner they also select a number of other awards. The judges on the international level have included actors such as Julianne Moore, directors such as Simon West (Con Air), and editors such as Thelma Schoonmaker (Raging Bull, The Departed).

For machinima, judges were: Tony Dyson, Peter Greenaway, Phaylen Fairchild, Trace Sanderson, Tracy Harwood, Tom Jantol, Marcus Parker-Rhodes.
But no matter how careful we are in selecting our judges, judging itself is extremely subjective. So many times, two regarded critics feel markedly differently about the same film—remember the long debate between Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert about Apocalypse Now; remember Pauline Kael’s ambivalent review of Star Wars. Similarly, on many occasions our favorite 48HFP film of the year has not even won its city. When it comes to evaluating art, a lot comes down to matters of taste.

Does the maximum length of the film include credits?
No. Your film may be 5 minutes long plus 1 minute of credits.

Are credits in the beginning permissible and do they count against the credit time limit?
Opening credits are allowed and do not count against the credit time limit. However, they do count against the five minutes of film. Remember, the audience is here to watch, not read.

Are we allowed to have footage under our closing credits?
Yes, however, the narrative must end before the closing credits begin. So outtakes, Ferris-Bueller-like antics, or bonus scenes are allowed. But if we removed the credits, the movie should still feel complete.

Is there a list of accepted virtual worlds?
Any virtual-reality platform in which you shoot footage in real-time, and allows you to do so according to their TOS, is acceptable. (think: WoW, HOME, Second Life, Moviestorm, The Movies, iClone- and many more)

Can we mix footage from different virtual worlds?
Sure!

Are we allowed to use footage created from 3D animation programs, like Blender or Poser?
No, 3D animation programs—that is, anything that creates 3D footage not in real-time—are not allowed.

How many teams will be allowed to participate?
There is no limit.

Where will the Kickoff take place?
We are holding the Kickoff in Second Life, online. Second Life is free, download and create your avatar here.

Can we test connection speed on your FTP server?
Yes. We will send the connection information to the teamleaders.

Can we send a small test machinima so that you can acknowledge that our combinations of codec, resolution, and settings is correct for the contest?
Yes, we will ask all of the teams to do this, usually on the Monday before the contest.

What formats, codecs, resolutions, and compressions settings are accepted?
Your submission must be in the following format:
• Quicktime or AVI (Quicktime is preferred)
• Self-contained (that is, without references or links to other movie files)
• At least 720 pixels wide (bigger is accepted, like 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080)
• A 16:9 aspect ratio
• Your films will be screened at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney, Australia, therefore format of films to be supplied is: 25 fps for PAL
• If you’re using Quicktime, you must use the H.264 or Sorenson 3 codec.
• If you’re using AVI, you must use the Cinepak or DivX codec.
• No DVD’s or tapes – submission by FTP only
* We allow Mp4 - but it is up to you to make it high quality. Winning team might be asked to encode in higher quality, after the contest.

I know that stock film and video footage is prohibited, except as part of a special effects filter. What about stock photos?
If you have the rights to them, then stock photos are permitted. In other words, you may use photos not taken during the 48 hour time period.

Does every team member have to sign the Team Leader’s Agreement?
No, only the team leader needs to sign it (and upload it before the Kickoff). However, everyone must sign the Liability Waiver form. See the documents page for more details.

I was looking at the Wrap Up Form, and I’m still not sure what a logline is. Can you tell me more?
Read more about loglines here.

May we use SAG performers in our film?
Yes, but more paperwork is required. See the SAG page for more details.

We want to use public domain or royalty-free music or photographs. What do we do about the Music Release or the Materials Release Form?
Have the person who has the rights to the music or materials sign the release form. In the case of royalty-free materials, this is the person who purchased them. In the case of public domain materials, this could be anyone on the team. Please also include documentation that shows your rights to the music or materials, such as a license, a purchase receipt, or a statement by the author.
Note: You may only use materials if the license granted to you allows for all forms of distribution.

If the "required character" is audible off screen—like on the other end of a phone conversation—does that count?
No, we must actually see the required character in some way on the screen. Remember, he/she need not be the star of the film, just make an appearance.

Does the required character have to say his name or wear a name tag?
As long as the audience can infer who the character is, he/she doesn't need to be further identified.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The 48 Hour Film Project 2012 has breaking news!

The 48 Hour Film Project's 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 tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers—emphasizing creativity and teamwork skills. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on "doing" instead of "talking."

The contest started in 2001, worldwide, and engaged many filmmakers.
In 2007, it included virtual filmmaking "machinima" as one of their cities.

Machinima since has come a long way, and the 2012 48HFPmachinima contest has found sponsors that do the genre justice.

Project 48 Machinima.........

In 2012, machinima has it’s own website, and a big prize for the winner: 3,000 dollar. As producer for the 48HFPmachinima, I am proud to introduce Tom Papas as my co-producer. He is awesome!
Tom is the 48HFP producer for New South Wales (Australia), and the two of us joining forces will bring new opportunities for machinima.

For example, your films will be shown in Australia at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney - on the big screens, for a real life audience ánd in Second Life, online.

Did I mention the grande big prize of 3,000 dollars for the winning team? And head of jury will be Tony Dyson? Don’t wait and sign up now!

The dates for 48machinima 2012 are set: March 30 – April 1
Entrance fee is 48 dollars
All info is found here
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