Short film makers shoot for the top
A collective of Wintec students and graduates hope their short film, shot in old-school 16mm, will make it all the way to overseas festivals
A collective of budding film makers has gathered in Hamilton over the last two weeks to bring to life a short film with tall ambitions.
And now as filming is wrapping up, Wintec Media Arts masters student and cinematographer Sam Li and his team hope the film will stand out enough to be accepted at overseas film festivals.
Four months ago, when dreaming up his masters project, Li had a vision to use original 16mm film to create a short film based around the idea of realizing the power people hold over their own fate.
The ambitious call to use 16mm film over high definition digital film drew in six other film makers including Kate Weatherall, a Wintec graduate who has boldly taken on the role of writer, producer and director.
“There’s a certain mystery to film that is quite beautiful,” says Ms Weatherall.
“With HD it’s easier because you get to review your footage, it’s not in the moment.
“But with film there’s something very physical and tactile about the fact that what you see is actually being imprinted onto a piece of film and you’re capturing that exact thing.”
But technical skills are not the only hurdle when using film, as the development costs and equipment hire are significantly more expensive.
Production costs have been mostly funded by donations of time and materials from the local business community in Hamilton and expertise from film makers in Auckland.
Placemakers, who have been the collective’s major sponsor, even came to the rescue offering a vacant distribution centre as a filming location.
The film, which will run just over 12 minutes, tells the story of an 18-year-old boy who, when trying to take his fate into his own hands, visits a gypsy fortune teller who foresees his death.
The final scene, which is being filmed this Sunday, is an epic shot, says Ms Weatherall.
“We have built a collapsible set to represent the character’s world falling apart – where a young man will be changing into an old man. It’s going to be pretty extreme.”
For anyone wanting to be part of this project, the crew are looking for adult extras for filming this Sunday afternoon, September 4. Phone Kate Weatherall on 027 8232627 for more information.
