I'm tossing around ideas for the theme to this year's contest.

Last year's theme was "A Road".

Some ideas I was tossing around were "an empty room", or "a wish".

Our own Stephen Reedy had a cool idea of "a color that hasn't been invented yet".

What are your ideas?

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

"Pirates and ninjas and zombies, oh my!"

"A Wall"

"An Antidote"

Off the top of my head...

"new toy", "new perspective", "guest", "time stands still", "fairy-tales"

I like the simplicity of "a wish." "An empty room" seems like it might lead to too many cliches

I'll think about this, and see if I can come up with any ideas.

quote:

Originally posted by titaniumdoughnut: "An empty room" seems like it might lead to too many cliches

You're right - probably too many gangster interrogation movies would come out of that one.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

"slug puppets"

Well if it is an 'Empty Room', wouldn't the point be to do something original, and different with it? Originality would show itself and make it easier to sort good from bad. You'll only get cliches if people choose to make them.

Of course that's the point! That's the point of the whole contest.

Keep those suggestions coming - I'm liking them.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

Very true.

Bingo. So eliminating the idea of an "Empty Room" because it will get cliched and non-original ideas is a pretty terrible idea.

None of the stuff listed so far is a "theme"... it's more like objects or visuals. If you really want themes, what about

infection
transmission
spectatorship
deception

Well - those themes are just as valid as the "a road" theme.

The idea is to take a common idea or object, and see everyone's different take on it - as the "road" films did.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

3:32

Hehe... How about the number 42?

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

Why not do a "Five Obstructions" contest instead of a keyword like last year? Some examples of possible constraints:

no music
four minutes exactly
one shot (or ten shots, or any fixed number)
no camera movement
no dialogue

Personally I find constraits to be a pain in the ass. I don't mind it if they are outside restrictions. IE: Finacial issues. But there is nothing worse than having a great idea and then having to compramise for it to be entered. I'd go for the theme.

I honestly can't agree with the constraints idea, as it could definetly retract from the style of the individual, and would make each movie more alike. A common theme which each person could manipulate with their own, personal style would be much better, IMO. Some of the themes you proposed, Evan, or ones similar to them, could definetly be cool.

"I don't mind it if they are outside restrictions. IE: Finacial issues. But there is nothing worse than having a great idea and then having to compramise for it to be entered."

Yeah there is - not having a great idea to start with Restrictions can be productive, and realistically there are all kinds of arbitrary and externally imposed boundaries in any production - in terms of what actors are willing/capable of doing, what audiences will tolerate, etc.

I'm not saying it would be the greatest thing ever, but it was just a suggestion. People can still work within the restrictions and I'm certain that none of the results would be identical.

Actual *themes* instead of objects would be a lot better - otherwise you get that degenerate form known as the "24 hour film" that requires everyone to use a clothespin and a potato chip...

Sometimes its cool to have a constraint, but in general, I think they really just limit the productions.

"A Tree"