Antman's Short Film Contest #18 - "Plotline"

[Daniel Rutter]

It's that time again, and now things will change.

The theme for this will be "Plot line".

Our plot line will start like this: "Man gets a phone call from the president... who sends him on a secret mission" (Suggested by RockDonkey). The SPECIAL ITEM is Chewing gum. The special item must feature in the film at some point, for it to be deemed entry into the festival.

Basically, that is where you start. Whether you focus on the phone call, or whatever... you choose the mission, you write the dialog.

EXAMPLE: "Man gets a phone call from the president, who sends him on a secret mission in which he is required to spy on his neighbors who are suspected of being enemy agents trying to steal national secrets. The national secret is a recipe for experimental Hubba Bubba chewing gum, dubbed 'the bestest tasting gum on the planet'..."

The point is, you can make it as serious... or absurd as you like. The genre is up to you. Feel free to use the example as a basis for your entry.

This orta shake things up a bit.

Judges:

Daniel Rutter
Bif
RockDonkey

Deadline will be 5pm, Monday 6th December UTC. Countdown To Deadline. Yes, you have been given 3 weeks instead of the usual 2. This is partly an experiment to see if it will indeed improve the amount of entries we have (as people have said in the past that 2 weeks is not enough).

RULES:
1) Can't be longer than 5 minutes
2) Shouldn't be rated over PG-13 (Unless changed by the moderator)
3) Video should be posted on vimeo official page ONLY (Videos may be accepted from Youtube, only at the moderators discretion). Videos for the current theme will not be available to view until the contest deadline > managed by Daniel, creator of the official page. The group page is here: http://www.vimeo.com/groups/antmansfilmfestival
4) The winner will have the choice: Be a judge on the next theme, and not compete (or have his entry considered "Non - Competitive"), OR, Forfeit the opportunity to be a judge, and be freely able to enter the next theme with a chance to win.
5.) Usage of copyright/trademarks:
a) Usage of copyrighted objects, images or trademarks is permissible so long as they are not central to the plot of the short. Usage beyond this such as green screen backdrops, fake commercial of a real product, etc. requires release from the copyright/trademark holder.
b) Use of copyrighted music both in lyrics, score or performance, other than such that is recorded incidentally during normal filming, without a release will result in the video being disqualified.
6) Entries must be made specifically for the theme submitted to, within the 2 weeks deadline. All entries made before the announcement of the theme will be disqualified.
NEW RULE: 7) Entry must be related to the theme/plotline outlined, and include the 'special item' before it will be considered for entry in the festival.

[AJUK]

Wow that's a very specific logline! What happens if you live in a country with a prime minister?
Can it be a company president?
Can it be a representative of the government?

That's certainly good news on the three week deadline, that should help those of us with day jobs!

[AJUK]

Incidentally, Hubba Bubba is a real gum brand, doesn't that violate rule 5?

[Fade to inferno]

This is gunna be hard for me

[Daniel Rutter]

It was an example guys, but if you decide to use it... change the brand to something fictional (think: Tarantino's 'Red Apples').

President, could be any kind of president. You take the log line as you read it, and do something with it

Fade, how is it going to be hard?

[Fade to inferno]

lol just not used to the new method, will need to adapt. My imagination is crippled haha. I'll figure something tho no worries

[Daniel Rutter]

I'll figure something tho no worries

I really hope the three week window will give you a chance to enter.

The idea of the logline is to make it less likely that you guys can't find an idea. You have the beginnings of a plot, you just have to finish it. The openness of it means that every entry will be unique.

EDIT: RockDonkey chose to be one of the judges for this theme, so... let's welcome him in as our guest judge.

[RockDonkey]

Okay a word from one of the judges.
This kind of theme makes it a bit more a director's competition and a bit less a writer's. Still room for strong writers to make the difference of course...

The first two obvious solutions that the director has to solve is HOW TO REVEAL to the viewer THAT THE PRESIDENT TALKS IN THE OTHER END and secondly HOW TO USE THE CHEWING GUM.

As one of the judges, let me already hint that I will love solutions THAT MAKES IT FEEL REAL this time. Why? Because a call from a president feels impossible and unrealistic. So if you can make us viewers believe that this call could actually happen, I think you might be close to creating something special. By that I'm not saying that I'm not open for other ways to be positively surprised. Humor can always turn everything around.

[Timbit]

Now this makes it easier! Just copy/pasted it to Word so that I have the guideline to work on.

[KingDucky]

Hmmm...........................

Man gets a phone call from the president

Can it be..a child?

[RockDonkey]

Well, there's a perfect question. Let's see...

It is a question for Daniel. But, as a judge I have not been given directions on how to do my job, so this is how I would react on such a change:

The optimal is to follow the given assignment exactly. By finding a more entertaining way to solve the assignment, you could win and become a hero, so to speak... Why would a child suite you better?

This change isn't a change that would give you any noticeable advantage, so my spontaneous reaction is that I should not give you any minus points for the change. At the same time the nature of the change is quite large because it changes the logline that is supposed to be the same for everyone. So I think that if your film is on the line with another this would matter a little bit. At the same time a child or a man does not make it harder for the viewer to compare the films in the competition, so therefore this shouldn't matter. But I think Daniel wants to be a little bit more strict. Let's see what he says.

There's also the aspect that you as an artist must be given / take the freedom to go out and make the best possible entertaining that you can. If the rules limit your vision then to hell with them rules. It's not like this competition has too many participants, so instead of disqualifying artists I am for a system where the judges take such changes into count and give minus points according to how much they hate the changes.

Does this seem fair and supportive? I think that's the main thing.

[paperkut12]

Hmmm...........................


Can it be..a child?

I dear hope the government doesn't call a child for a secret mission. Is Bush still president?

I was first weirded out by the logline, but after thinking about it I know just the way I want to tackle it and make it different..I will try my best to get actors together; that's always the thing.

[KingDucky]

Why would a child suite you better?

I only have access to teenage actors.

[paperkut12]

I only have access to teenage actors.

That shouldn't be a problem. What if the government needs it to be that one kid and no one else must know. Maybe they're using the kid. I don't think you have to take "Man" is being literally that. As long as it's a person.

[KingDucky]

As long as it's a person.

Well there goes my story!


Joking Joking. Gunna get started on a story.

[Daniel Rutter]

Alright, lets clear that one up. I said "Man"... and that could have been taken a sexist, so I will re-iterate. "Man/Woman/Child gets a phonecall....etc".

Use whatever you have at hand.

[KingDucky]

Use whatever you have at hand.

So now we can use body parts?!

[Daniel Rutter]

So now we can use body parts?!

"Random body part gets a phone call from the president to go on a secret mission..."

[KingDucky]

ROFL

[HueyNRolf]

So it's back to the old three-judge panel. You'll need a reserve, right?

[Daniel Rutter]

Not exactly, unless the occasion calls for it. Thanks for your input though...

[HueyNRolf]

Not exactly, unless the occasion calls for it.

That's true, I guess you can always put out a call for a volunteer if there's a stalemate.
I'd offer to be on standby, but that deadline is 2:00 AM here.

I'll be 1:00 to 4:00 AM for you right?

[Daniel Rutter]

Not sure, I run the contest... I don't enter it. I will be doing a non-competitive entry for this one though... I should have time to throw something together.

[HueyNRolf]

Don't you need to validate the entries, on Vimeo, at the deadline and then get your comments posted ASAP?

[Daniel Rutter]

Don't you need to validate the entries, on Vimeo, at the deadline and then get your comments posted ASAP?

Well.. of course. Whats your point?