The premise is simple. You get some creative film making geniuses. Give them some cans of red bull and a free period of 24 hours with a camera and an editing computer. Here are the results.
http://www.geocities.com/max24hours/

here in san francisco we have the 48 hour film project. it's held in several cities simultaneously.

i think it's sponsered by the AFI. anyway, the crews get together, and at midnight in each city, the judges call the contact phone number with a premise. you then have 48 hours to film it, edit it, author it, and hand it in.

the most difficult part is working within the premise you are given to write the screenplay in a few hours. but i think they also judge on quality, so you can't get away with just a camcorder and available light. you need actual lighting, props, sets, the works.

i think it's only open to colleges.


also this text from your website:

The "INQUISITOR" is to compile a list of ten (10) "OBLIGATIONS," specifically targeting the weakness(s) of the "DIRECTOR" as a film maker. During the 24 hour period, the INQUISITOR is required to ensure that the DIRECTOR complies with all ten (10) of the OBLIGATIONS, and to assist in the production of the film in a non-creative way. If the INQUISITOR or anybody else gives the DIRECTOR a creative idea, the idea cannot be used. At the end of the 24 hour period, the INQUISITOR watches the film; if it is an objectively good film and it is in compliance with each and every OBLIGATION, the film "PASSES," otherwise it "FAILS."


did you get that from the Lars Von Trier film where he has the director remake his film several times within certain guidelines?

We had the 48 Film Project in Greensboro last month (I was cinematographer for one of the 26 teams entered). Our film finished tenth (so I was told) and won best orginal score. We had the ever-popular "Romance" as our category!

It was fun to be a part of it and I look forward to being in it next year.

i did. it was by accident. i woke up one mourning during summer vacation and my friends called and said they wanted to make a movie right now, so i got my camera and gear and left. we had no plan we made it up as we went along. its entitled "cocaine *****es" its 8 minutes long and it wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. we shot it in a day and later that night i took it home and edited it.

I made a short in four hours, to test some new equipment. Hope I'm not breaking the rules - but i'd never bother to submit this here. It simply isn't good enough.

I made most of my first 10 or so shorts under 24 hours. I guess they weren't too good though. For me it was a big step when I finally stopped making things in under 24 hours and actually used time to work a bit on making things better.

Back in my early days, it didn't take very long to make a movie. We just made it up as we went along.

Back then all we had was an old, CHEAP vhs-c and there really was no editing involved. But when we got DV, we still just made it up as we went along and edited it later than that night.

Good times those days. Good times.