Cameras roll for V48 Hour film festival

Take insomnia, a colossal amount of energy drinks and a host of expensive equipment and you get a recipe for disaster.

Or, the V48 Hour Film Festival, aptly sponsored by V, which launches at 7pm today.

Teams from all over the nation contesting  New Zealand’s largest limited-time film competition will receive the genre for the competition this evening.

That begins  the countdown to 7pm Sunday, when they must turn in their masterpiece, regardless of what state it is in.

As if the time pressure wasn’t enough, the film squads also have to include in their films specific elements such as lines of dialogue, props, characters and special camera moves.

The competition requiring temporary insanity drew 44 teams in 2003, and has thrived with 800 teams taking part last year.

Special effects makeup artist Kerri Thomassen is competing alongside Sideways Productions film squad in Auckland this year, marking her fourth stint in the competition.

”Every year is different and because you don’t get your genre until the competition starts, you don’t know what your film will be like,” she says.

“I love how creative it is and how everyone in the team works so hard for 48 hours straight, just for the fun of it. It’s such a good experience.

“It’s always fun to watch it at the end of the weekend to see how it all turned out. And then, have a sleep,” she laughs.

Films from the weekend will be screened in heats throughout the country next week, with the best films selected to compete in the City finals.

From there, judges select the best of the best to compete in a massive Grand Final offering extravagant prizes and glory.