If you’re looking to embark on the great filmmaking journey that is the Vista Foundation 48Hours Filmmaking Competition, it helps to be prepared—and this 3-ep podcast will do just that.
The Vista Foundation 48Hours, Aotearoa’s biggest filmmaking competition, kicks off in just two weeks—May 17 to 19. You know the drill: your team is given a genre and a list of conditions on 7pm Friday then you have exactly 48 hours to make a 1-5min short film. Do well, you might make it to your region’s city final. Do really well, and you might end up at the National Grand Final. You may even score some sweet prizes and awards.
If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late. And if you have, are you prepared? Can anyone truly be prepared for the nation’s most frantic film challenge?
Absolutely you can. One great place to start is the official website where you can brush up on the rules, how to submit a film, technical music copyright stuff, etc. Drill all that into your head now and save yourself a Sunday afternoon panic-read (been there before, not fun).
To take your game plan further, it’s well worth diving into the latest three episodes of the 48Hours podcast. Titled ‘Tackling the Weekend’, each episode sees competition co-manager Ruth Korver chat with competition veterans about how they’ve learned to make the most of each day of the shoot weekend.
The first episode, Facing Friday, features screenwriter and character actor Rosie Howells (who took home Best Actor in 2021 for her Little Reindeer-esque turn in Hydrangea), NZ Film Award-nominated filmmaker Dean Hewison (who directed two 48Hours Grand Champion films, 2013’s The Sleeping Plot & 2021’s Good Girl), and production manager Fran Carney (coordinator for the NZFC Talent Development team).
It’s a hearty listen, full of takeaways and titbits about those precious first few steps into the creation of a 48Hours film. The Friday night is largely dedicated to brainstorming ideas and writing the script, with the guests providing a handy primer to the amount of time they (try to) dedicate to each stage of the writing process. There are also great hacks that stretch beyond the script, like the value of having as many non-writing members of your team in the room on the night.
The second episode, Shoot Day Saturday, features Hewison again as well as award-winning actor and filmmaker Stella Reid (whose 48Hours film A Multitude of Ways to Leave your Lover won National Runner Up at the 2022 National Grand Final).
This is the full-energy day for most filmmakers in the competition, with the glut of teams shooting most—if not all—of their footage on this fateful Saturday. It’s a must-listen episode, especially for new teams who won’t know what to expect and may be tempted to just stay awake for the entire weekend. But strategic rest is key, with Reid providing great insight on the value of stopping and eating meals together.
The final episode, appropriately titled Deadline Sunday, features veteran editor Bailey Palmer and sound professional Brynn Olsson—both of whom have been in the 48Hours trenches and are well-versed in the pitfalls that can occur on the Sunday. Palmer and Olsson give great tips on what editors and soundies can, and can’t, do on the Friday and Saturday to prep for their big day. The biggest takeaway? Boom mics save lives.
The Tackling the Weekend podcast should get you feeling ready and energised for the 48Hours shooting weekend. If you’re keen to hear more from 48Hours veterans, dive into the podcast archives to hear teams chatting to teams about their approaches to the competition. Better yet, head on over to the Screening Room and watch a bunch of 48Hours films from the past.
