A Short Film in 48 Hours
Imagine being given a character name, line of dialogue, and a prop that must all be included in a short film… that you only have 48 hours to create!
Photo Credit: David Draper
For Ashleigh Michele and her team Get A Grip Films, this wasn’t a fever dream, but a willing challenge.
“When we get all our elements we do some initial brainstorming right on the spot and then we go to the writers room (aka my house), and everyone throws around ideas until we get a story.” Once they land on a story and pick a shooting location, the team splits up to leave the writers to work their magic.
Members of the team weren’t strangers to this rushed movie magic, nor were they strangers to the professional world of film! Four of the members actually met while working on the film, “The Menu,” that was shot nearby.
Photo Credit: David Draper
“We have people of all different skill levels, but we are all creative so one thing I wanted as team lead for this year is for it to be a fully collaborative effort, for everyone to feel like their ideas were heard. “
The entirety of the short film is shot on Saturday, with early morning quick costume and prop-runs. “The available costume and prop pieces [at Wonderland] helped to give the characters in the story more personality (they were also great entertainment during our break times), which was a HUGE plus because normally it's, whatever you bring is all you have to work with.”
Photo Credit: David Draper
Once shooting has wrapped, editing begins and continues until submission by 7:30 PM on Sunday.
“One thing I would say I took away from this year’s experience, would be to embrace the chaos. I feel like the festival was created to "raise the stakes". I mean making a short film in two days is bound to be a wild ride. But by knowing that it will be a bit chaotic, that you will be tired, and that there will be some hiccups- that makes the process smoother and helps lessen the stress.”
The team’s short film “48 Minutes: Rewind” will premier at Tybee Post Theater on Saturday, Oct. 5th at 8PM if you’re local!
A big thank you to Ashleigh and the Get A Grip Films team for selecting our studio for their filming location!