Jackson resident Melanie Diedrich, right, gets her hair done by Leslie resident Ryanne Madigan before filming begins for the group’s 48/5 film competition entry Saturday in Owosso, Mich. The crew spent Saturday filming its suspense thriller, which was due by 6 p.m. Sunday to qualify.
His crew and actors watched with apprehension as media arts and technologies sophomore Andy Lockwood climbed over the side of the footbridge spanning the Shiawassee River in Owosso, Mich.
After regaining his grip on the railing, Lockwood squinted at his camera screen and deemed those added inches made for the perfect filming distance.
The first scene of his film was ready for action.
Lockwood, his partners and nine other teams contended with a 48-hour time constraint Friday through Sunday to write, produce and edit five-minute movies in the East Lansing Film Festival Spring 48/5 Film Contest.
Each team was given the required elements and a random genre — action, comedy, drama, horror or thriller — in a sealed envelope at 6 p.m. Friday at Beggar’s Banquet, 218 Abbot Road, for the kick off. This season’s contestants had to incorporate a diary or journal, the setting of a playground and the line “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” into their films.
Lockwood always has been interested in filmmaking as a hobby, but recently realized that he wanted to pursue it as a degree as he made more films and participated in contests such as the 48/5.
“It started out just as something fun to do and then it exploded,” he said.
Susan Woods, the founder of the East Lansing Film Festival, has organized the contest since 2006 and hosts two to three 48/5 contests each year. The winning films will be shown as part of the 13th annual East Lansing Film Festival on November 10-18.
“It’s really challenging, but it’s really satisfying,” Woods said.
Although the number of participating teams varies, Woods said she consistently has seen the same filmmakers entering the contest. This was Lockwood’s second time submitting a film and said his crew was not walking into the contest as blindly as it did last year.
“We have an idea of the time constraints and the stress,” Lockwood said. “There’s no time to dilly-dally and you can’t slack off.”
The contest prizes — $125 for first, $75 for second, $50 for third and $50 for best high school film — were sponsored by Cheeney Media Concepts 2, an East Lansing business that offers creative services, said Ed Cheeney, the company’s chief executive.
The company has close ties to the contest since Cheeney was part of the judging panel and an entrant in previous years.
“I think unlocking more things to raise awareness of the culture of filmmaking and films, and bringing that kind of thing to East Lansing is really important,” Cheeney said. “There’s a tremendous amount of talent right here at home.”
As a former judge, Cheeney said that he looked for audio quality, lighting, composition and continuity when choosing the winners. But the biggest objective of the films is whether the required elements have been thoughtfully integrated into the storytelling, he said. The judges can tell if the contestants have written the plot ahead of time and simply inserted the requirements, Cheeney said.
A panel composed of people who have film background and experience will judge the completed films, Woods said.
“I like to have someone who’s participated before,” Woods said.
Lockwood counts himself as one of the entrants who is sure to return for the next 48/5 competition.
“It gives you a chance to realize what you’re really good at and how you work under pressure,” he said.
The finished films will be showcased at a free screening 7:30 p.m. May 22 in B106 Wells Hall.
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