I just noticed this little blurb in the “about” section on the website:

“A panel of celebs and film experts will account for 50% of the vote. The audience will determine the other 50%. If you’re a finalist, you’re invited to stack the votes in your favor. Convince (or, heck, pay) your friends, family, colleagues and anyone else you want to bring to Shreveport-Bossier to vote for your film. If you want to make it happen, you can own half the vote.”

So sure, you can drive all the way to Shreveport, spend thousands of dollars to put you and your crew up, make an incredible movie, a movie that -should- win, but you WON’T WIN unless you stack the audience deck with more people than the other local filmmakers.

Let’s say there are three really good movies that totally stand out at the LA Film prize contest. Two of these films are made by “outsiders” from other states, and one is made by filmmakers in Shreveport. Even if all of the three films score exactly the same; maxed out scores with the judges, the filmmakers from Shreveport will win BY DEFAULT because they’re able to stack the deck with locals.

The audience vote counting 50% is incredibly stupid as the audience will always ONLY vote for their own team’s films. I’m sorry the audience vote counting 50% is a total disservice to the filmmakers. What the contest organizers are essentially saying is, “It doesn’t matter how good your film is, even if it maxes out in the judges scores, the only way you’re going to win is if you stack the deck in your favor by Astroturfing the audience!”

I’m sorry, this is total and utter Bulls****

The proof is in the pudding. Who won the very first LA film prize? Shreveport locals.
Who’ll win the next LA Film prize? Shreveport locals. The odds are totally against non-Shreveport filmmakers.

Many of the top 10 as voted by attendees (over 25% were out of region non locals) and the judges (only one of a dozen local) were not from Shreveport. People like good stories and the winner had that. It was memorable and funny. And the next 8 films weren’t comedies, which would destroy any misunderstanding that comedy is the only thing people like at a shorts contest. The winners were by no means a hometown favorite. It was their first film. I would wager most people didn’t know it was shot by locals or even know who they are.

Anyway, the point isn’t worth arguing in my view. Someone is going to win $50,000 and it won’t be anyone who stays at home griping about what are, in all reality, great odds. It’s not thousands to drive to Shreveport unless your driving a Hummer from Alaska. A couple tanks of gas will get most people to town and there are plenty of locals, filmmakers etc that would hike a couch for you for absolutely nada. I would be one of them. And hotels are soon to announce special rates.

As a film school teacher once said in his commencement, if you’re sitting around not out making films, you’re not a filmmaker.

The odds are great, the community is growing, and… Shit dude… It’s $50,000.

If someone NOT living in the Shreveport area had won for the inaugural contest, then perhaps my concerns would have been assuaged, but there is an obvious advantage and possible bias for those already living in the Shreveport area.

Amazon Studios was giving away a $100,000 a month, for year, then a million dollars at the end of the year for the best test films from all over the world. Most of the winners each month put almost zero money into their “test films.” So it doesn’t always require money to make money. Sometimes it’s just being in the right place at the right time.

Also, Chris, the scenario you are presenting from last year isn’t represented on the contest website. How is anyone supposed to know that Millennium Studios gave “free run” of their studios and offices? How would anyone not living in Shreveport know of that a major studio was giving away this space?
On the website it currently states:

“Register with the LAFP and contact one of the fine folks over at Millennium to find out what they can do for you! ”

Doesn’t sound like “free” to me. Sounds like a sales pitch.

Also, it’s great that Shreveport has RED cameras, grip trucks, and talented crews, but this is not relevant to the contest. It’s not like participants are going to get free RED camera rentals; free grip rentals, and free crew. The only free thing listed on the site was some free meeting space from a local company, which was nice of them.

The odds in winning the contest are about 100 to 1. If I bet on box cars on a craps table with a $1,000 bet, I could win $30,000. $2,000 would net $60,000. And that’s only 35 to 1 odds.

I have no issue with the contest being an obvious way to get people aware of Shreveport and its film resources. But I do have an issue with it being called “The Louisiana film prize.” I would have much rather had a contest that showed off all of Louisiana, instead of just the south, or the north.

And Some Guy hasn’t been to Shreveport in a while, apparently. Last year, Millennium Studios gave LAFP participants free run of their studio space, production offices, props and wardrobe houses and many tool advantage. Shreveport has an extremely diverse look and has been host to dozens of studio features including Battle: LA, Texas Chainsaw 3D, Drive Angry, Straw Dogs, W., Olympus has Fallen, and is the home of moonbot Studios which made the Oscar-winning animated short The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Shreveport has RED cameras, a full grip and electric rental house, full-size studio spaces, capable crew, talented players, and a city hungry for – and open to – film production.

Beyond the production phase, there is a narrowing of films to the Top 20 which compete for the big prize. The grand prize is determined by judges and audience equally. Audiences and judges MUST see ALL THE FILMS in order to vote. We sold thousands of tickets. How many film festivals can you say give shorts such a dedicated audience? Then there are judge/filmmaker mingle spaces where aspiring Top 20 finalists schmoozed with respected critics (Hank Stuever, Washington Post), academics (Tara McPhearson, USC), authors (Pat Hazel, Brian McDonald), and filmmakers (Academy-award winning director Brandon Oldenberg, producer Alissa Kantrow, director Blayne Weaver). It’s really a special opportunity. Between the films and the music, and the southern food, it’s one of the most unique and definitely one of the coolest film contest experiences I’ve ever heard of, much less been a part of.

It would take the better part of a grand to travel to Shreveport with a small cast and crew to film there just for a weekend. But that’s unrealistic as any crew would have to travel there at least once to scout out and secure locations.

This contest only really benefits those who live in the Shreveport-Bossier City area.