WIT NEWS ITEM | WIT Films Wins HD Filmmaker Showdown!

The team unwinds during the 48 Hour Film's HD Fimmaker Showdown weekend.

WIT FILMS WINS HD FILMMAKER SHOWDOWN!

POSTED 2.15.06

After weeks of anticipation, the results are in... WIT Films has won the 48 Hour Film Project's inaugural HD Filmmaker Showdown!

Shot over the weekend of January 13-15th, the troupe's hi-def entry, Multiverse, took home both available honors in the competition, winning for best film as well as best cinematography (click here to watch a Flash version of the film).

Event sponsor Panasonic will present the group with a brand new HVX200 hi-definition camera for their efforts at next month's Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose.

"I can't believe it. I'm stunned," says project director Tyler Korba. "I'm still waiting for someone to call and tell me they've just been messing with us."

The team from WIT overcame stiff competition from groups in Cincinnati, Des Moines, Nashville and San Francisco to win the event.

"I feel really honored, and almost guilty," says Mike Bass, who shot and edited Multiverse with Korba. "I've seen a couple of the other cities' films and thought they looked so professional with lighting and set design. Ours was just simple, and I honestly didn't know how it would stand up against the others."

Korba agrees. "We've always put faith in our storytelling, and that has to be what won the day. I've seen films from two of the other cities, and their finished products have so much polish that they really put our entry to shame. We've always taken a real handheld camera/laptop approach to the competition, so the only criteria left is the story.

That and the music," adds Korba. "Mark Phillips' track is the hero of the film, without a doubt. Take his song out of the mix and the movie loses all its punch."

"I think this just goes to show that the story is the most important thing," offers Bass. "Keep honest and simple storytelling central to the film and the rest will fall in place. Rather than force a script or a clever line of dialogue or 'ooh I really want to try this camera angle' to decide what this film would look like, we allowed the story to direct the film.

That's something that WIT knows how to do."

Actors Topher Bellavia, Jordan Boughrum and Brian Coleman were thrilled with the results.

"I am so excited and proud of our team!" says Boughrum. "We had an awesome time filming and all of our efforts paid off."

"I thought we told a great story in a funny and original way," offers Coleman. "I'm glad to hear that the judges saw it that way, too."

"Films are like any picture... the closer you get, the harder it is to actually see it," says Bellavia. "As one of the leads in this one, I was too involved to make a judgment. What I did have, however, was faith in Brian and Jordan's acting, Michael's Photography, Tyler's vision and WIT's ability."

The victory follows WIT FIlms' win at DC's 2005's 48 Hour Film Project where they captured the Best Film, Best Direction and Audience Favorite awards for their Buddy Film, Occupational Hazard. On the strength of that performance, WIT Films was selected as one of the five participants to compete in the HD Showdown by sponsors Panasonic and Avid. Panasonic provided the camera used to shoot the film, and Avid sent along software for editing. Occupational Hazard will also screen at Cinequest with Multiverse, and is in the running for several national awards.

And how does the team feel about screening in San Jose?

"I think it's a huge opportunity. And a pretty sweet reward," says Korba. " I love that we're going because I don't feel like we belong out there at all... it's the kind of event we'd go watch, not take part in. I don't know who will be there, but any chance for us to raise our profile outside of our own backyard is huge.

I'd love to see if we can build a little buzz for ourselves... drop in, say hello, mix up some Marjorie Colemans and see what happens."

Click here to watch the film (you will need Flash to view the file). The Panasonic website will also be streaming the film starting soon... check it out!