Make A Movie Weekend

Our 48-Hour Epic

We recently fielded a team in the Make a Movie Weekend at the North Wayne Schoolhouse, our local version of the 48-hour film festival. It was a lot of fun to stretch the imagination, the equipment, and the clock.

Participants arrived Friday night to pick up their “mystery prop,” and returned on Sunday for story swapping over potluck, with their short film in hand. This year’s prop was a pine cone, which are quite plentiful in these parts (Maine is the Pine Tree State, after all). I went through bags of them, it seemed, as the hastily-constructed narrative called for various pine cone “stunts,” many of which required running water and multiple camera takes.

The cast and crew consisted of two of my children and a couple of their friends. Everyone did a terrific job (an original song for the soundtrack, no less!) and the exhibition of the films was a raucous, family-oriented affair. The screenings were held at the old North Wayne Schoolhouse, a classic one-roomer that served its community from 1854 to 1961, and has found new life with a recent renovation. Every entry won an award (a handsomely-done pine cone plaque, appropriately) and ours garnered best camera work and best director. My thanks to the organizers. It was great fun.