The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival » Event

New Boulder History Museum film exhibit highlights CO films past and present, including Boulder’s filmmaking Festival

mmconti — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:48:15 +0000

VINTAGE FILM EQUIPMENT

The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival Boulder will also be represented as part of the display along with some other filmmaking items provided by Michael Conti (see camera above) for the exhibit. Thank you Boulder History Museum!

The Boulder History Museum’s new film exhibit opening Friday, January 13th, 2012 celebrates over a hundred years of filmmaking in Colorado with film posters and footage dating back to 1898. A special sneak preview with drinks and appetizers will take place Thursday, January 12th from 5:30-7pm. Admission is $10 for the general public, free for members. From the museum’s website:

“Colorado was the backdrop for over 500 movies since 1898. Whether it was for early silent films, Westerns and ski movies, or Stan Brackhage’s famous works of avant-garde art cinema, Hollywood came to Colorado to set the scene. View original movie posters and footage of more than 100 years of Colorado films set in areas such as Golden, Morrison, Cañon City and throughout the high country. This exhibit will also be supplemented with material highlighting Boulder’s own movie history.”

Here is a bit more information about the item shown above:

Bell & Howell Filmo 70DA 16mm Camera (Circa 1940s-1950s)

As a student at The Colorado College in 1986, Michael Conti (Executive Director of The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival) was given the camera by a film lab technician at Alexander Film and Video in Colorado Springs during post production work on his senior thesis film project “Public Fixture”. At the time, Michael was editing his black and white 16 mm student film under the mentorship of Boulder filmmaker Stan Brakhage.

Alexander Film and Video was the last incarnation of now defunct Motion Picture Alexander Corp., which began in 1919 and eventually became heavily involved in commercial production for national accounts. They were the world’s largest producer of screen ads for the theater industry and by 1955, had agreements with 2,500 drive-ins. It was estimated that 10,000,000 people a week saw their ads. All of which was produced from their studios in Colorado Springs which made them the biggest film studio between New York and Hollywood!

While the camera may have been part of Alexander’s trailer making arsenal of equipment, it is important to note that the Bell & Howell Filmo helped usher in the beginnings of television news. In the mid to late 50′s and early 60′s when local stations first began to venture out of the studio and incorporate film into their nightly news programs, it was the well proven 16mm Filmo they chose to acquire B&W footage of local events.

Because of the short deadline between filming the news and then getting on the air, cameramen typically shot in-camera or in continuity which required no editing in a post production facility. The film only needed to be processed and projected for television.

This concept is still in action today at The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival Boulder (September 28-30, 2012) as a requirement for its filmmaking contestants in order to encourage their creativity.

References:

Motion Picture Alexander Corp (Pictures):

http://www.driveinworkshop.com/alexander/alexandr.htm

In-Camera Editing – The Shoot Out Boulder

http://www.theshootoutboulder.com/blog/incamera-editing/in-camera-editing-history/

Bell & Howell Filmo 70DA 16mm Cameras

http://www.tfgtransfer.com/filmo.htm

Exciting Change in Venue for Top 10 Films

mmconti — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:10:50 +0000

Nomad Theater

The 8th annual The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival kicks off on October 7th at 5:55 PM in front of the Boulder County Courthouse on the 1300 block of the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder.

Screenings are in a new venue in North Boulder at the Nomad Theater on Quince and Broadway. Because of the limited capacity of the Nomad theater, we will be doing three screenings on Sunday by splitting up our participants into two catagories. Public tickets will be available after participants requests have been made for the first two screenings. Final screening is open to the public.

Top 10 Films 17 & Under Films will screen at 1 PM on Sunday, October 9th at the Nomad Theater. The selection of these films will be made by the peer judges selected by the Boulder International Film Festival’s Youth Advisory Board along with oversight by a Shoot Out Boulder judge coordinator. Awards will be given to Best 17 & Under and Best Boulder Family Film.

The second screening is at 4 PM and is for 18 & over filmmakers and their registered teams. The Top 10 Films will be screened with awards given out for specific catagorical prizes.

The 7 PM screening will consist of the screening only of The Shoot Out Boulder Top 10 Films, including the Best 17 & under and Best Boulder Family Film (audience will be polled only for the Audience Choice Award. No other awards will be given out during this screening), screening is open to the public with tickets available at Nomad Theater Box Office as well as online through eventbrite (details to follow soon).

The Cheyenne International Film Festival is May 19 – 22!

mmconti — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:24:08 +0000

The 2nd Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) screens at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne May 19 – 22. The program will consist of 47 independent films and there is something for every taste.

CIFF is a platform for communities to tell their stories and relate to one another through the art of motion pictures. Last year, CIFF honored BIFF alumnus and Oscar nominee Daniel Junge. His documentary, The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner was nominated for an Academy Award in 2010.

“We like to include the community as much as possible in CIFF,” CIFF Producer Alan O’Hashi said. “We have a Call2ACTion program similar to BIFF’s which links up with local non-profits and we show films that allow each organization to ‘talk-back’ with the audience about their issues in the safe space of art, in our case, film.”

The Call2Action partners this year include, The Old West Museum (1911 Silent Film), the Southeast Wyoming Intertribal Powwow Association (Divided Trails by Jerry Aronson), V.F.W. Post 1881 (A Warm Wind), Safehouse (Mother by Chris Fauchere), Grant Family Farms (What’s Organic About Organic) and the Wyoming Children’s Action Alliance (Your Neighbor’s Child).

Kicking off the CIFF is a day-long event called “Exploring the Creative Economy Conference and Expo” featuring Hollywood screenwriter Rachel Powell and a video production seminar by Michael Conti.

For more information about the festival program, visit the website at ciff1.com and join the CIFF facebook page at cheyenneinternationalfilmfestival.org.

The Shoot Out evolves with the changing times by meeting the needs of the community, participants and audiences

mmconti — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:48:11 +0000

The 1st annual 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival kicked off Oct. 22th, 2004 at 9:43 PM in front of the Boulder County Court House on the Pearl Street Mall. 74 teams entered that event,

And for the last seven years, we have continued to draw participant interest in Boulder’s only annual filmmaking contest and where “Experiences Are Better Than Possessions.”

The Shoot Out Boulder is listed in the 2010 World Trip Planner published by Guardian U.K. to the world’s hottest tickets and little-known events, compiled by the Frommer’s team at Whatsonwhen.com. Other three events listed in the United States are Burning Man, Macy’s Day Parade and the San Diego Surf Dog Competition.

Westword Best of Denver has honored The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival as the Best Local Film Festival 2009, Best Film Festival 2007, Best New Festival 2004 by their Editors. We are also rightfully included in Keep Boulder Weird

Registrants have come from the Denver Metro, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Seattle, WA, Scottsbluff NE, Boston, MA and Gurnee, IL. Colleges represented: University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Film School, Colorado College, CUS and Westminster Front Range Community College.

The Shoot Out Boulder’s mission continues to be to break through artistic inertia and audience indifference by providing an exceptional creative venue for artistic expression through film.

The top films from previous years were shown at Boulder Adventure Film Festival, Toofy Film Festival, Boulder International Film Festival [BIFF], Moondance Film Festival, ManiaTV’s Too Short for Hollywood, CATV 55 Boulder, International Film Series at CU-Boulder, CU Program Council, Boulder Public Library, Emerging Filmmaker’s Project, the Starz Film Center in Denver, Colorado College Film Union and The Colorado Music Festival.

Press has included cover articles for Friday Magazine Section in the Daily Camera, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Daily, Denver Post, Colorado Springs Gazette, Westword, Longmont Times-Call. Radio interviews on Colorado Public Radio’s “Colorado Matters“, KBCO, KRCC, and KGNU.

The sponsors have been The Boulder Arts Commission, Boulder County Arts Alliance, Boulder International Film Festival, KBCO, Daily Camera, The Boulder Convention and Visitor Bureau, Chimera Perfect Lighting, Sony, Twisted Foundation, Audition for Hollywood, Boulder Digital Arts, Peak Media and Downtown Boulder, Inc., Film/Video Equipment Service Co, Breckenridge Brewery, Bacaro Ristorante, and CROCS to name just a few.

Our demographics show that we now have a growing family category. In 2011, we will designate a new award for that category “Best Boulder Family Award”. Number of junior teams was a 33% increase over 2009 numbers. This age group continues be our growth area with the highest number of participants all teams. The average age is 15, and teams came from Englewood, Denver, Littleton, Boulder and Lafayette. Known High schools represented were Boulder High School, Fairview High School, Golden High School and Dawson School.

All of these highlights point out that The Shoot Out has continued to evolve with the changing times by meeting the needs of the community, participants and audiences to deliver a fun and memorable creative event in downtown Boulder.

Please let us know what you think?

That’s Amore! Quote

mmconti — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:30:25 +0000

For the Brief 2010, the quote this year comes with two classic actors, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis – “When the moon hits your eye
Like a big-a pizza pie
That’s amore

Lyrics | Dean Martin – That’s Amore lyrics

Like movies? Make one in 24 hours and win $2000!

mmconti — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:07:53 +0000

Like movies? Make one in 24 hours and win $2000! This friday an estimated 150 or more filmmakers, actors and creative kamikazis will gather in downtown Boulder, CO to receive their first peek at “The Brief”, which is a top secret envelope containing approximately eleven items to choose from to be included in this year’s Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival short film submissions. The Shoot Out Boulder asks filmmakers to trust their courage, imagination and determination by making a 7-minute film in just 24 hours. The challenge and skill involved becomes evident with the list of required technical, material, and timing ‘rules’ for creating the films. (ie: “a loaf of bread” must be included in the first 30 seconds of a film submission in order to qualify or one of the characters must use the phrase “What about them Rockies?” in the short film submission, etc).

Each film can be no longer than 7 minutes in length (including credits) and must be edited in-camera and returned to the event organizers no later than 24 hours after the start of the event. All films must include 5 of the eleven items announced at the start of the event in “The Brief.” All films are judged and the Top 10 Films will be selected for the Gala Screening Event happening on Sunday, September 26^th at The Boulder Theater. The Gala Screening is open to the public, but tickets sell out fast.

Michael Conti answers his phone late Thursday afternoon and declares; “This is the last 2 hours of quiet before the storm.” This is Michael’s seventh year as executive director of The Shoot Out Boulder and he says he was originally drawn to the concept because he was “creatively constipated”. Conti says he feels he is taking entertainment out of the normal channels and giving creatives a new way to ignite or fuel their passions. “Here’s a new way to do this, a new container for it. It’s less threatening, less about the business, more creative, it’s about storytelling.”

Although Conti does not participate in the judging of the short films he likes to say that at the conclusion of the event he will have “executive produced 50 films in 24 hours”.

If you’d like to test your storytelling abilities or act in one of the many short films this weekend or just be there to cheer on the filmmakers, “The Brief” will be handed out beginning at 6pm at the Registration Table at 1801 13th Street, between Canyon and Walnut, where the ice rink is setup during the winter. Make sure to Download the Registration Form 2010 (PDF) which is needed with your registration fee and must be turned in at the start of the event when you receive your MiniDV tape for the contest. Additional forms will be available at the festival table on September 24 starting at 4 PM.

Conti encourages everyone to join in the fun; “Fast filmmaking is an entirely new category of filmmaking, and is not just limited to professionals, but open to everyone, from families to college students to middle schoolers…This event is the real thing, in your own backyard, you can actually participate yourself, and walk home with the main prize.”

Visit About The Shoot Out Boulder to learn more!

Sandy Grason is a Hot Mogul, International Speaker, Rock Star Author of the bestselling book, Journalution and host of “The Road to Fabulous” on LA Talk Radio. www.SandyGrason.com

In-Camera Editing described by Film Making Contestant

mmconti — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:37:19 +0000

Troy Fluhr, a Top 10 filmmaker at the Shoot Out Boulder, explains in-camera editing based upon his experiences with The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival Boulder. He competed in the first event in 2004 and has competed each year since, winning numerous awards in the process. This presentation was part of the pre-event workshop for the Boulder Film Making Contest in 2009.

You can see more of Troy’s films online at YouTube Shoot Out Boulder

Best Film gets Two Thousand Dollars!

mmconti — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:03:48 +0000

The Shoot Out Boulder is excited to announce $2000 (two thousand dollars!) to the Best Film 2010. A big thanks to Twisted Foundation for their donation! Check out the video for Putting together a Team

“Do something only you would come up with—that none of your friends or family would think of.”

mmconti — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:51:22 +0000

It is affirmation that The Shoot Out Boulder was creating an interest in community based film-making when international film-making festivals come to Denver such as Film Racing 2010 and The 48 Hour Film Project. Now in their 7th year, The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmmaking Festival Boulder returns for the weekend of September 24-26, 2010.

The Shoot Out Boulder asks filmmakers to trust their courage, imagination and determination by making a 7-minute film in just 24 hours using in-camera editing. The challenge and skill involved becomes evident with the list of required technical, material, and timing ‘rules’ for creating the films.

An unique feature of The Shoot Out Boulder not found in other competitions is the in-camera editing requirement. While this rule may appear to add an unnecessary hardship to the creative process, it is actually a means to level the field for participants. For someone that isn’t familiar with non-linear digital editing (using the computer to cut together scenes), in-camera editing is easier to explain and do. All the director needs to know is how to turn on and turn off the camera, and to shoot in continuity (tell the story as it happens). For the more experienced director, in-camera offers some challenges that require more thought and prep in preparing the storyboard and shot list, but the skills learned may help later to “shoot for the edit”.

The participants in The Shoot Out Boulder are not just film professionals, but come from all walks of life, consisting of friends and families and all age groups. It is from their combined efforts over a short weekend that gives Boulder the freshest and most creative films to behold at the Top 10 Gala screening on Sunday, September 26 at the Boulder Theater. That screening event is probably the number one reason why The Shoot Out Boulder is so much fun to participate in.

The cost per team is $100 which includes two participants and two tickets to the screening event. 17 & under teams are $75. Additional team members are $25 and $20 respectively and includes a ticket to the venue screening. Additional venue tickets can be purchased for $15 each. The screening is open to the public with tickets available at the Boulder Theater Box office.

Call for entries will start on August 4, 2010 online at http://theshootoutboulder.com. Check out the website for new rules for 2010. If you are interested in learning more about in-camera editing, a pre-event all day workshop that is being co-presented with Boulder Digital Arts will occur on September 18th in downtown Boulder. Visit BDA’s website for more details.

CIFF screens THE SHOOT OUT CHEYENNE – TOP 10 FILMS

mmconti — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:48:11 +0000

The Cheyenne International Film Festival (CIFF) is pleased to release the films selected to screen at the Historic Atlas Theater May 21 – 23. The program is subject to change and will be updated on the website.

THE SHOOT OUT 24 HOUR FILMMAKING FESTIVAL CHEYENNE – TOP 10 FILMS

LIVE ACTION SHORTS; USA, 80 minutes, 2009

Executive Director: Michael Conti

SYNOPSIS: Each film can be no longer than 7 minutes in length and must be edited in-camera and returned to the event organizers no later than 24 hours after the start of the event. All films must include 5 of the eleven items announced at the start of the event in “The Brief.” All films are judged to come up with the Top 10 Films for the Gala Screening Event.

Next Shoot Out occurs on October 15-17, 2010 in Cheyenne.

2009 TOP 10:

Best Sound Design and Best Music

FOWL PLAY – Produced by Warehouse Twenty One. Directors, Writers, and Art Direction by Dave Teubner, Chad Willett, Greg Williams, Steve Barton, Brett Walker. Sound Editing and Camera by Chad Willett Music by Steve Barton

Best 17 & Under

THE ROPE – Produced by Randy Clapp. Directed by Lee Lazar and James Hoppe. Camera by Peter Oshes. Acting by Andrea Aguirre, Ruth Post, Eliza Cornell, James Szkobel-Wolff, and Jocelin Medina. Special Thanks to Twisted Foundation.

Best In-Camera Editing

TO BE A COWBOY – Produced by Emily Robinson. Acting by Dan Adams, Bridget Wilson, Crystal Hastings, Emily Robinson, Dominique Schoech, and Jeremy Gonzales. Camera by Emily Robinson, Dan Adams, and Bridget Wilson. Script by Dominique Schoech and Crystal Hastings. Sound by Jeremy Gonzales. Directed by Emily Robinson.

Best Comedy

LIVE FROM CHEYENNE – Produced, Written, Directed, Camera, Acted by Peter Inells. Additional support by Diane Moeller.

Best Art Direction

BLOWN AWAY – Produced, Directed and Camera by Daniel Marces. Acting by Elaine Marces, Maia Marces, Madison Marces and Daniel Marces. Music by Daniel Marces.

Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay Best Actor

CACHED – Produced, Written and Directed by Ian Shaw. Camera by Dustin Jenkins. Music and Sound by Ian Shaw. Acting by Graham Johnstone, Bailee Schreyer-Bragassa. Art Direction by Joe Trigeiro.

Best Film, Best Director

SLEIGHT OF HAND – Directed, Script and Produced by Cougar Littlefield. Camera by Jason Mowry. Acting by

Mark Mitten and Joshua Fisher.

Peoples’ Choice

ROOK – Produced, Writen and Directed by Eric D. Brown. Camera by Michael Haspil. Acting by Mary Zinnel, Scott Flack, Chad Redwine. Art Direction by Sunil Nair. Sound by Melissa Barbee.

GONE – Produced by Megan Metheny. Acting by Catherine Lerner, Tyler Humphrey, Scott Long.

IRREGULAR NEWS – Produced, Written and Directed by Andy Crowson, Mark Crowson, Vern Nickelson, Randy Parks. Camera by Randy Parks. Acting by Andy Crowson, Mark Crowson and Vern Nickelson.

May 23: Program 7 – The Shoot Out Cheyenne Top 10

Historic Atlas Theater 12:00pm

Doors open 11:45 am