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August 06, 2007
48 Minutes @ The 48 Hour Film Fest
Rolled through Richmond, Virginia and caught a few shorts at the 48 Hour Film Festival, which is a worldwide event in 60 cities in which people are given 48 hours to conceive, shoot, and post a movie of 5 - 7 minutes. Richmond had 37 teams competing and 29 were able to deliver in the 48 hours.
The screenings (3 sets) were held in the historic Byrd Theater, a 79 year old landmark theater with all the great glam one loves in an old theater, including live organ performances on the weekends and boxes on either side other screen, one with a grand piano and the other with a harp for performances. Beauty.
There was only time to see five of the films as the experience was unexpected and not on the travel schedule (the whole stop in Richmond was, really). The one clear winner in the group - the most amazing thing about events like this, to me, is how badly people overreach - was Adam Neely's Nine Blocks, which followed a group of friends "ghost riding," which consisted of dancing next to their mini-van as it rolled down the street. And the mockumentary element was that they took the sport very seriously. Funny plus.
One of the big influences on me about YouTube is that I now look at shorts like these and on a show like On The Lot and think, "Would anyone get excited about this on YouTube?" The answer for Neely's movie was, "yes," when everything else - especially from On The Lot - was a definitive "NO!"
All in all, the experience was most like programming a film festival... exciting and more often painful than not. But the spirit was great and that's always encouraging.
Posted by poland at August 6, 2007 12:08 PM
Comments
It's called "Ghostride the Whip" and it's an element of the Hyphie hip-hip movement that originated in the bay area.
If you youtube it you'll find a number of amateur examples that have been around for awhile.
Posted by: The Carpetmuncher ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 6, 2007 12:20 PM
The Byrd is an amazing old theater... a true movie palace. When I lived in Richmond a few years ago, it was a second-run theater, where on a Saturday night you could get an organ show and a movie for $2. One of the best deals in town.
Posted by: Me at August 6, 2007 03:11 PM
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