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Filmmaking race gets buzz
Often referred to as Тthe Iron Chef of filmmakingУ, Cinemasports is taking filmmaking to a different level of competition than most are familiar with. Here’s how it works: Armed with a digital camera, energized teammates, and a short list of must-have ТingredientsУ, filmmaking teams have nine hours to come up with an idea, shoot it, edit it, and make up to four minutes of praise-worthy footage for an evening screening. Each team uses the ТingredientsУ (e.g. the words Тspirit worldУ must be included in conversation; an orange must be peeled, etc.) in their own way to come up with uniquely different interpretations. There is no big prize or big winner in Cinemasports; filmmakers participate in this Тspontaneous cinemaУ simply for fun. (However, we bet there’s probably room for some sponsorship opportunities...)
The Cinemasports events occur in different locations around the world and are open to anyone ready for the challenge. On the day of the event, teams meet in the morning where the ТingredientsУ are given, and a deadline is set. The event ends with a public evening screening of the films. Most recently, Cinemasports was a part of this year’s Santa Cruz Film Festival. As television is devoting more attention to creative pursuits (e.g. Project Runway and the just announced Sundance Channel series Iconoclasts), will we one day see Cinemasports, the TV series?

Wired News

SANTA CRUZ, California -- Digital video cameras, PowerBooks and wannabe filmmakers were stress-tested on Saturday, when teams of filmmakers raced to make movies screened hours later at an international film festival.
Saturday's event was the latest from Cinemasports, which dubs itself the Iron Chef of filmmaking.As in the cult cooking show, teams were given a short list of must-have ingredients for their movies: a close-up of a street sign, the words "spirit world" in conversation and someone stepping on something.
Teams then had a few short hours to channel adrenaline and cinema skills to write a script, scout locations, find music, shoot scenes and edit the piece into a 3 1/2-minute movie.
Just minutes into filming, Anna Fizyta found herself borrowing Kun Shin's cell phone to convince a local friend to be their bicycle stuntman, while Alex Vlacos was filming the movie's star having a conversation on a street bench with an elderly passerby and Arnaud Dressen, a Parisian in town for the competition.
Andrew Shoneberg, a market research analyst by day, hovered over Vlacos' shoulder, giving the trio acting directions.
Shin, an administrative assistant in Oakland, was the team's veteran. In his first Cinemasports adventure, he was called on to make out with a girl, wearing only his underwear. This time around his team had him edit most of the film, including the scene where he had an intimate moment with a blow-up doll behind a shopping cart.
This is Team Lost, which might have been better named Team Found, since none of the members knew each other before Saturday when they found themselves working together to make a movie in nine hours.
It is a feat that would be unimaginable in the days before digital video cameras, sleek laptops and powerful editing software. With those tools, the task is adrenaline- and ulcer-inducing.
Cinemasports, founded by Jin Woo Joo, debuted in September 2003 in San Francisco.
Frustrated by how long it was taking to finish a short film he was working on, Joo called some friends, posted a call for participants on craigslist and told people to meet in Dolores Park.
That night, high on adrenaline and buzzing from watching movies made that day, everyone wanted to know when the next event would happen.
Cinemasports was born, and Joo found his calling.
Since then Joo has taken the Cinemasports show on the road, working with organizers around the world to hold events in London, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Recently there were simultaneous competitions in Paris; Frankfurt, Germany; and Sofia, Bulgaria.
This time, 20 teams gathered to make movies that would screen later in the evening as part of the Santa Cruz Film Festival.
Joo does not specify what equipment or software will be used, only that teams submit their film on mini-DV tape a half-hour before the screening starts.
While he holds out hope that one day a team will use a mobile film-processing lab to make a movie, Joo credits digital tools as key to Cinemasports' existence.
"Not only is digital video technology making things possible, it's changing our attitude and pushing us to explore new ways of doing things," Joo said.
Joo's enthusiasm for his serendipitous invention is clear.
"Each event there are a couple of stand-out films that make you go 'Wow, that was made today?'" Joo said.
Though only 10 teams beat the 7:30 deadline, all but one had their films in by 8:00 when the screening started. The last turned its film in just minutes before the screening ended.
At the screening, the crowd was wired from the day's events and was clearly ready for the simultaneous wrap party and premiere of their movies.
The films include a comedic tale about a woman's renegade foot, complete with Lucille Ball-quality physical comedy; a treatise on the do's and don'ts of time travel (QuickTime); a short revealing how banana slugs learn to make slime; and one about the extinction of an ancient species (QuickTime), complete with special effects created with a garden tool.
Joo interspersed the day's films with shorts from the European event. Despite having been given the same four ingredients, the Europeans created more moody shorts than the Santa Cruz teams.
Dressen, the Parisian addition to Team Lost, is a Cinemasports devotee. He's traveled to England to make a film with three teenagers he met on the organization's website and organized the Paris event in late April.
Dressen says he loves watching filmmakers "owning the street," and seeing people who "don't know anything about filmmaking" making one in a day.
"People are amazed at what they can do with the digital camera they have, even if it is the first time for a movie," Dressen said.
When the lights came up at 10:30, in the same room the teams had gathered in more than 13 hours earlier, the crowd was all smiles as they stumbled toward the door.
But this time as they headed out into the streets of Santa Cruz, they were leaving as filmmakers with an international film festival credit to add to their resumes.