Alex
The amazing thing about Cartel Land is that it was filmed almost entirely by Matthew Heineman by himself and with <$10k in equipment (he said he used a C300, mic, and 2 lenses).
Certainly shows the power of storytelling, the value of getting access, and to me is documentary in its finest form.
Congrats to all that are on the shortlist here!
12,000 short films X 5 minute average length = 60,000 minutes
That equals 1000 HOURS of continuous film submitted.
It would take 41 DAYS, non-stop, to watch each individual film.
So to think that this type of contest is at all objective is laughably naive.
The good news, however, is that we're in the age of the internet, and I bet most of you here will find success by publishing your film online, rather than trying to get "discovered" at a contest.
I used to submit to photography contests until I realized it was a waste of emotional energy, and that a majority of the photographers I looked up to and considered masters had never won a contest of any sort.
In short: winning can be great for your career, but it's hardly the only way to find success.
Cast Away comes to mind. The bulk of the film is 1 actor in 1 location.
I get my best ideas when I'm out in the world talking to people! The "lightbulb moment" comes when I eventually realize the connections between various conversations I've had.
So I'd recommend you go start a bunch of 30-second or 60-second conversations with strangers, and see what they've got to say about the world.
It's important to remember that it doesn't have to be some huge undertaking - every person in the world will have something interesting to say to you if you're friendly and open minded.
I get my best ideas when I'm out in the world talking to people. The "lightbulb moment" comes when I eventually realize the connections between various conversations I've had.
So I'd recommend you go start a bunch of 30-second or 60-second conversations with strangers, and see what they've got to say about the world.
It's important to remember that it doesn't have to be some huge undertaking - every person in the world will have something interesting to say to you if you're friendly and open minded.
"Mediums don't tell stories, filmmakers do. This hang up on film is some elitist bullshit."
Couldn't agree more. Considering the world is rapidly moving toward watching films on tablets and smartphones (and has been for years) the fixation on shooting film because it's "better" is a bit disingenuous.
If 99% of your audience can't tell the difference, then the only reasons to shoot film are for marketing benefits, and for potential creative gains during the shoot.
That's fine, and nothing wrong with that, but at least call it what it is and don't bullshit us that film is the future.
I'll put it like this: if you think "film is the future" then I recommend you go talk to a few still photographers, and they'll you some depressing stories about what happened to the photographers who clung to film during the digital revolution.