This weekend marked the sixth annual 48-hour Shoot Out competition, which gives Ohio University students a weekend to write, film and produce a short movie. Post reporter Ashley Lutz braved the high-stakes atmosphere for the entirety of the weekend to watch how the 18 members of Bearded Productions managed the difficult task of making a movie in one weekend.
FRIDAY
6:30 p.m.: The 31 teams gather to play 'genre pong,' a game similar to beer pong. The competitors play with Hershey's Kisses that have their assigned genre, prop and line of dialogue written on them. Bearded Productions is assigned the genre of mystery. They must incorporate a lollipop and the line of dialogue How will I ever repay you? into their film.
SATURDAY
12:30 a.m.: After hours of brainstorming, the crew produces a script about a man who works tirelessly to identify the mystery flavor of a lollipop for a contest. The brainstorming is definitely the most frustrating part G? it involves a lot of compromise
said director Cody Searl, a senior.
4:00 a.m.: Lead actor and OU senior Ben Guenther finishes reading the script and preparing for his role as Zac, the crazed lollipop eater, while other crew members work to produce actors and props.
11:15 a.m.: The already sleep-deprived crew begins filming at the house of producer Zane Shapiro. After many takes, the crew has its first scene, in which Guenther eats scores of lollipops while tasting fruit.
1:00 p.m.: The crew takes a break, devouring a sheet of Goodfella's pizza in about five minutes. Filming resumes at an office in Baker Center.
6:30 p.m.: Bearded Productions builds a floating door out of cardboard in the basement of the Central Classroom Building to create a shadow effect. The crew films an intense scene in which the protagonist must confront a man who doesn't want him to know the secret. During the shoot, Searl gets a parking ticket, which he hopes he can pay off with the cash prize from the competition.
9:00 p.m.: The crew moves to the apartment of editor Jonny Look, a junior, where they consume another full sheet of Goodfella's pizza. They film several more takes before moving back to Shapiro's basement for a grueling night of filming.
SUNDAY:
3:30 a.m.: Filming wraps up for the night, and the tired crew becomes increasingly morose. It just seemed like nothing was getting done and we couldn't figure out why Searl said. Most of the crew head home to catch a few hours of sleep, but Look must stay up all night to edit the film.
9:00 a.m.:-
Look said. At four minutes and 52 seconds long, the film is just under the five-minute deadline.
5:45 p.m.: At the suggestion of cinematographer and OU senior Chris Cogan, the crew decides on the name Flavorist. After the DVD is burned and tested, Searl heads to Sharpino's house to pick up the required paperwork for entry.
6:24 p.m.: Bearded Productions successfully submits Flavorist before the 6:30 deadline. Disheveled and bleary-eyed, the team gathers for the screening of the film at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.
6:32 p.m.: Emcee Amy Graves announces that 25 of 32 teams successfully turned in films.
7:16 p.m.: Flavorist makes its debut, and seems well-received by a laughing audience. Now it will be up to the five judges to decide the fate of the team.
10:35 p.m.: After judges' deliberation, the winners are announced. While Bearded Productions didn't win any of the three categories they were eligible for, Searl was unconcerned. There were a lot of good films
and even if you don't win anything you get to spend the whole weekend with your friends
and that's what the weekend is really about
he said.
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Ashley Lutz
