Filmmakers take on 48-hour contest
Sometimes, all it takes is a concrete, quickly looming deadline to get the most out of filmmakers.
That’s essentially the premise of the 48 Hour Film Project, an annual short film competition that pits filmmaking teams against each other both locally and internationally. Each squad has free rein to make whatever kind of movie they can produce in two days as long as it includes a certain character, prop and line of dialogue. The Pittsburgh winners’ film will be shown during Filmapalooza 2023 and, if it takes top prize there, at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner.
Pittsburgh’s 48 Hour Film Project weekend kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. and runs through Sunday evening. Every short film will be shown at Sewickley’s Tull Family Theater on July 24-25, and awards will be handed out at a “best of screening” July 31 at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont.
P.J. Gaynard has been the city producer for Pittsburgh’s 48 Hour Film Project since 2000, which he works on in addition to the commercial and creative content his
Goat Milk Fudge Productions label churns out. His first year overseeing the 48 Hour weekend was marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, but last summer’s 48 Hour competition and last fall’s 48 Hour Film Science Fiction Horror Project were both held in person.
As of late June, 35 teams had signed up for the 2022 weekend, and Gaynard is hoping to at least hit 40. Those filmmaking cohorts vary wildly in age and experience levels. Some teams have fewer than 10 members, while others may bring 30-plus folks into the fold. Gaynard said that there are many new and returning faces this year — although Benjamin Carlucci, who has won the past three Pittsburgh 48 Hour weekends, will not be participating.
One of Gaynard’s favorite parts of 48 Hour weekend is watching local indie filmmakers meet and network. He expects there to be “a very big push in the indie world” over the next year or so thanks to the amount of work available around Western Pennsylvania, and he hopes 48 Hour participants take advantage of the social and professional opportunities this weekend provides.
“If we talk about Pittsburgh as a market that is emerging, we all want the same thing,” he said. “We want Pittsburgh movies that come from Pittsburgh. That starts by indie filmmakers doing small projects together that grow into larger projects. This is that blast point.”
There are plenty of 48 Hour veterans back this year looking to challenge themselves and make new friends. Edwin Huang, 50, of Regent Square, is a client project
coordinator for WQED who originally took up filmmaking as “a nice break” from doing corporate videos while he was a Carnegie Mellon University student. His 2021 effort, “Open Wide,” is currently available on YouTube.
Huang has been doing the 48 Hour Film Project for the past 15 years and sometimes fields multiple teams in a single weekend. He usually just recruits previous collaborators and then “picks up all the orphans” still looking for a team at the last minute. There will only be one Huang-led team this year, which still allows him to continue “living on the edge” as he scrambles to put together a coherent film while also getting to enjoy what everyone else comes up with.
“Prior to the 48, people would ask if you knew someone in the indie space, and no one knew each other,” Huang said. “You get to see everyone, their styles and talents, and get to know who they are. There’s competition, but I think for the most part, you get to see people who can inspire you, at least locally.”
Mike McKown, 48, of Mt. Lebanon, is going into his fourth 48 Hour weekend. The University of Pittsburgh
film studies alumnus made movies with his own team during his first two 48 Hour efforts and allowed someone else to take the lead in 2021. Some of his previous works includes the 2017 thriller “Time Out” and 2018’s “Victory Garden.”
He’s once again taking the helm of his own 48 Hour team this year. In McKown’s experience, 48 Hour filmmakers must “go with the flow, or you’re going to get in trouble.” He “trims the fat” of the filmmaking process to save time by recording directly into the camera (as opposed to utilizing a sound specialist) and editing in his head as he shoots to reduce the amount of coverage needed.
McKown praised Gaynard for everything he’s done to
keep the 48 Hour Film Project going in Pittsburgh.
“P.J. has done a really good job,” he said. “He’s been the best of everybody who has been at the head of it. I’m just glad it’s still here and everyone gets to participate.”
The 48 Hour Film Project is truly Gaynard’s baby, and he’s psyched to see what everyone makes this weekend and at the 2022 48 Hour Film Science Fiction Horror Project in October.
“I feel like they’re one idea away from making the most incredible film,” Gaynard said. “We’ll see who takes it all. As excited as I am to see who wins, I’m more excited to see all the good movies.”