Summer Film Festival at The Crossing

We are doing something we’ve never done. The Crossing is having a Film Festival. Anyone can enter. Grab a video camera, some friends, your kids, your mom and get creative. We are accepting submissions from now until July 19th.

Interested? Keep reading for rules and info…

WHAT IS IT
A chance for anyone at The Crossing to create a short film exploring one of 4 themes:
Faith Against the Odds
Transformation
The Power of Community
Restoration

GOALS
Our goals for this festival are to (1) have fun, (2) discover fresh talent, (3) showcase new perspectives on weekend topics and (4) create community at The Crossing.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
Grab a couple friends, your mom, your kids and come up with a story you want to tell. Making a 2-4 minute video is not as hard as it sounds. Any personal, digital video camera will do what you need. Below are the rules and tips to get you started!

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Deadline for submissions is Sunday, July 19th.
Submit a DVD with at least a 720x480 resolution. (Be sure to include your name and contact information – email and phone)
Drop off or mail your DVD to The Crossing. Drop Offs: There is a film festival box at the front desk of the church office and at the Sound Foundation kiosk during weekend services. Mail: To the church at 2115 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Attn: Nicole Romero.
Your film must be appropriate for a general audience, including children.
Any category of film is allowed: fiction, documentary, animation, etc. What is important is that it be a story with a beginning, middle and end.

Your film must be no longer than 4 minutes.
Avoid using copyrighted images.
The Crossing will not be able to loan out equipment.
Entries will be judged on how well they explore the themes and tell a story as well as the audio/video quality.
Winners will be notified by August 1, 2009.

Winners will be shown during weekend services this summer. The best of the rest will be shown on The Crossing’s Blog and possibly at a festival showcase.
For more information and updates, checkout The Crossing’s blog at http://timcelek.blogspot.com or email Nicole Romero at nromero@thecrossing.com.

Have no idea where to start, but wanna give it a shot?

TIPS – HOW TO MAKE A SHORT FILM
Find a compelling narrative short film idea. Things happen quickly in a short film, so you may want to focus the entire film around one key scene. As with any narrative, you need conflict and some degree of resolution. This is true whether you are making a fiction or non-fiction piece.
Decide on the equipment and people you need to film your short. Think about actors, props, visuals, sound and locations.
Make your shooting choices wisely and plan around what you have available to you.
Remember to pay attention to sound as well as visuals.
Shoot more than you think you need, just as with any film. That way, you won't have to reshoot scenes and can more quickly edit it into a finished film.