Paper Mache
The art of filmmaking is something that in the past was viewed as out of reach for most people. The equipment involved was expensive to own or even rent. The cost of film was prohibitive and what was needed for postproduction to put it all together might not even be available.
That has all changed in the digital era with affordable cameras and cheap memory. Anyone with a smartphone can make a film. A quick search on IMDB (the Internet Movie Database) reveals a number of highly-rated films made in the last 10 years on smartphones including “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), “I Play with The Phrase Each Other” (2013), and “Snow Steam Iron” (2017).
Short films are typically easier and less expensive to make. Filmmakers can explore a subject or tell a story cinematically without a major investment of time, energy and money and it can always be expanded later.
Most moviegoers have never actually seen a short film. Each year, Academy Awards are given out for shorts in best live action and best animated categories, but who gets to see them? Actually, the Crest Theater in Sacramento usually hosts an evening or two of shorts showing that year’s nominees. There are always some real gems in the lot. Kind of like cinematic haiku.
The time has come for our own “Look at Us, Yuba-sutter” short film festival. We announced the event last May and invited local student, amateur and professional filmmakers to submit their short films, 13 minutes or less, on any subject.
The only caveat was that principal photography for each submission had to have been done in Yuba and/or
Sutter counties. We received 26 submissions from 15 different filmmakers in various genres including animated, documentary/mockumentary, scripted and music video.
Come out and see what our local filmmaking community has to offer. You won’t be disappointed. Saturday, Oct. 2, 5 p.m. Tickets available at yubasutterarts.org.
(Paper Mache is a weekly column about the arts community by David Read, director of Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture.)