Download the entry form: BFF 2010 Entry Form – Youth Mobile Movie Section

YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE

Got a story to tell?  Got a mobile phone with video you can use?  You can make a film.

Download Entry Form Here

YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE GUIDELINES

There are just a few small guidelines you must follow when entering your short film.

These ones sound a lot like the ones for the Short Film competition:

-  Your film must be made specifically for Bush Film Festival 2010
-  Bush Film Festival must be it’s first public screening INCLUDING internet upload.
-  Your film must be no longer than 3 minutes
-  It must contain the Bush Film Festival Signature Item (SI) SMOKE

We could have left it at that, but there’s still so many things that can make telling your story a hard thing to achieve.  We’ve added the guidelines below so that if all you can do is use a phone’s video camera and hit “Pause” between shots to do your editing, you’ll be able to make the same quality film as someone with access to fancy editing equipment. A level playing field for all.

-  The only source of aquisition for video and sound is the inbuilt video camera and microphone on a mobile phone/s.  There are no restrictions to the number of mobile phones used.
-  Live action only
-  Cuts-only transitions between shots – just like hitting pause/record.
-  Use the film name and film info section on Youtube for Title and Credits – No titles or credits during the film.
-  One video only must fill the entire frame ie.  No picture-in-picture or other size/view effects.
-  No image manipulation outside of the mobile phone (ie. colour effects, warping etc).

If you want to make a film which is outside of the above guidelines, we still want to see your film – just enter it in the main Short Film competition.  You’ll still be up for a Youth Encouragement Award.

As with the main Short Film category:
-  You must have the permission of everyone in the film must be obtained for all people in the film.  See our Release Form and other documentation, click here.
-  Get permission for any music etc. you may use in your film – and remember that it has can only be recorded on your mobile!  Trying to add your favourite song can be expensive, and often takes away from the story you’re trying to tell.

For tips on making the most of your camera’s abilities, see the FAQ’s below or come along our Workshops!

YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE FAQ’S

HOW DO I ENTER?

Upload via YouTube any time after January 1st 2010, notify the festvial office of your entry and it’ll be added to the festival’s YouTube channel.  Alternativly you can take a hard copy to the festival office.  Watch this space for more details.

WHY ONLY 3 MINUTES?

Restricting the time available to tell a story requires the film maker to really focus on the story they are trying to tell.

ALMOST ALL OF THE REMAINING GUIDELINES SPECIFIC TO THE BUSH FILM FEST 2010 YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE COMPETITION COME DOWN TO THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

“if all you can do is use a phone’s video camera and hit “Pause” between shots to do your editing, you’ll be able to make the same quality film as someone with access to fancy editing equipment.  A level playing field for all.”

WHY ONLY A MOBILE PHONE?
Not everyone has access to more specific video camera’s.  BFF’s Youth Mobile Movie Competition wants the story to being told to be the focus for both audience and film maker.  It’s the short film version of car restrictions in Formula 1 which try to make the competition more about the driving than the cars.

HOW DO I MAKE MY YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE LOOK AND SOUND GOOD THEN?

Come along to our Workshop nights to learn some tricks and tips.  But here’s a few to get you started:

1. Keep your phone as still as possible and let the movement happen in front of it.  Brace your arms against your body while standing strong or sit your phone on a stable surface (make sure it won’t get knocked off!).
2. Avoid fast moving  objects on screen – unless they’re part of your story – as they tend to pixelate and blur.
3. Don’t use the zoom – this degrades image quality.  Moving the camera in and out instead will retain image quality and also make the shot more interesting by changing the perspective as the camera moves.
4. Keep the camera stable as you press record/pause
5. Microphones on mobile phones are notoriously unreliable.  Don’t rely on sound to tell your story!  Make sure you are telling your story with the action on the screen.
6. Find out where the microphone that records sound during video recording is on your phone and keep fingers, hair and any objects that could rub across it away.  Items rubbing on the microphone will cause all sorts of unwanted noises.

CAN I USE A BETTER MICROPHONE IF IT PLUGS INTO MY PHONE?

No.  You can only use the inbuilt microphone.  Level playing field for everyone.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “CUTS ONLY TRANSITIONS”
On a mobile, it’s just like hitting pause/record, or joinging two separate videos end to end without adding a transition effect in an editing system.

Much terminology in film making has come out of using actual film camera’s to make film.  If had a shot on film that you wanted to edit, you would cut it at the exact frame it was to finish, and splice it to the beginning of another piece of film.  Hence the term “cut”.  Film discarded in this process tended to literally end up on the “cutting room floor”.

WHY ARE NO CREDITS OR TITLES ALLOWED DURING THE FILM?
Titles and Credits should be added on the films YouTube page when it is uploaded.  There’s two main reasons for not including them during the film:

1. Phones differ in editing and titling capabilities.- level playing field for all.
2. We want film makers to focus on the story.  Two minutes is not long for a film.  Adding titles and credits to such a short piece can take away from the story.

If your film is successful in being selected for screening at the Bush Film Festival, titles and credits will be added on the night for the showing of your film.

“ONE VIDEO ONLY MUST FILL THE ENTIRE FRAME” – WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND WHAT IS THE REASON FOR IT?
This means no manipulation of the image including overlaying, “blue screen”, side by side pictures, etc.  The image must look just like it was shot in the camera.
Again, this one comes back to our statement that “if all you can do is use a phone’s video camera and hit “Pause” between shots to do your editing, you’ll be able to make the same quality film as someone with access to fancy editing equipment “
One video only must fill the entire frame ie.  No picture-in-picture or other size/view effects.

If your film is successful in being selected for screening at the Bush Film Festival, titles and credits will be added on the night for the showing of your film.

Get out there and start telling your story!

Other FAQ’s FOR YOUTH MOBILE MOVIES

WHAT MAKES A FILM SUITABLE FOR THE BUSH FILM FESTIVAL?
The film must have had no prior public screenings; must be less than two minutes and must contain the Bush Film festival signature Item (BSI). That’s it.

The BSI was introduced to encourage production some of the films received may be heavily inspired by the BSI and others have only small and sometimes hidden references to it. But of course it all comes down to the interpretation. The bush Film Festival helps test the creativity of professional and amateur filmmakers all over the country by challenging them to reference BSIs into their film entries. It’s surprising how filmmakers interpret and incorporate the BSI into their film.  See previous years entries on our YouTube channel for more ideas.

WHAT IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE BUSH FILM FESTIVAL 2010?
The deadline for entries is 5:00pm Friday 26th Feb 2010. NO EXCEPTIONS.

WHEN IS THE BUSH FESTIVAL HELD?
Bush Film Festival is held in mid March. The 2010 festival will be held on Sunday 7th March.

WHAT IS THE BUSH FILM FESTIVAL SIGNATURE ITEM (BSI) FOR 2010?
The 2010 BSI is SMOKE. Filmmakers may incorporate the BSI into their film in any way they choose – we strongly encourage a creative interpretation of the word!

WHY DOES MY FILM HAVE TO FEATURE THE BSI & HOW CAN I USE IT?
The BSI shows that your film was made specifically for the festival – as one of Bush Film festival aims is to encourage production, not just exhibition. Try to make a film that stands on its own feet and include the BSI as part of the background somewhere. This will also enable your film to have a life after the Bush Film Festival. Occasionally a film based around the BSI is brilliant so don’t let us stop you if yours is one of these!

WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM LENGTH FOR BFF YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE’S ?
3minutes.

IS THERE A MINIMUM LENGTH?
No.
CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE FOR COMPETITION?
Yes – there is no restriction on number of entries.

DOES THE BFF’S YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE’S COMPETITION ACCEPT METROPOLITAN ENTRIES?
Yes.

DOES BFF’S YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE COMPETITION ACCEPT ANIMATIONS AND CLAYMATIONS?
No.  But you’re still free to enter the main Short Film competition.  Remember, it doesn’t have a minimum required entry length!

DOES BFF’S YOUTH MOBILE MOVIE’S COMPETITION ACCEPT DOCUMENTARIES?
Yes.

ARE THERE OTHER RESTRICTIONS?
The Bush Film festival must be your film’s first public screening. This means that the film must not have been screened at any other film festival, on free-to-air or pay TV, the Internet, in cinemas or any other public arena. This restriction does not include cast and crew screenings.

CAN I RE-EDIT A FILM THAT HAS ALREADY SCREENED SO IT FITS THE BUSH FILM FESTIVAL GUIDELINES?
NO! We consider this a different version of the same film, therefore if it has screened previously, it is not eligible for Bush Film Festival

A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON

Talk to someone old and they may be able to tell you about the revolutionary days of  8mm home movie camera’s.  Those days were tough.  The camera’s – thought to be small at the time – weighed over a kilo.  Film stock came on 3min reels and had to be handled carefully.  You had to expose your film stock properly for each shot and make sure there were no hairs in the gate or smudged lenses.  Once the shooting was over it was time to send the film away for processing and wait…  Eventually it came back.  If you wanted to edit it you literally cut the film into pieces and re-joined it to make your film.  And if you wanted to send a few copies to your mates?  That involved sending it back to the lab and more waiting.  All that, and the only mobile phone around was Get-Smart’s shoe phone (Google it)…  Oh, how the times are changed!

Digital Technology is everywhere!  Technological barriers to recording, editing and distributing are reducing all the time.  Never before has it been so easy to make and share a short film.  This section is inspired by the film pioneers from days gone by, aimed at the youth of today and firing boldly into the future!