WIT NEWS ITEM | Topher's 48 Hour Film Timeline

Topher Bellavia, producer, during witfilms' seventh 48 Hour Film Project. This is his timeline.

TOPHER'S 48 HOUR FILM TIMELINE

POSTED 5.9.07

5:30PM - So Mark Chafant and I show up at the Warehouse Theatre to pick up the "required elements" for the 48 Hour Film. Next year I will show up late. This year entailed an hour of just standing around waiting in a cafe. 48 HFP Producer Mark Ruppert's brother runs the place. Hey, I bet we were just here early so his brother can sell more panini and beer.

6:30PM - Mark and I get herded outside into a parking lot, the only space large enough to accommodate the 200+ filmmakers that have shown up for the drawing.

6:45PM - There are TONS of my former students here. It makes me feel super-awesome that people who have met through WIT are now collaborating on other projects.

7:00PM - Picking a genre out of a hat is a harrowing experience. It is made more cute because the hat is held in turn by a totally darling little boy and girl. If I weren't so nervous I would fall for this trick. I'm hoping for "Road Movie." That would be both fun AND dangerous.

7:05PM - HOLIDAY FILM. We also picked this last year and then we threw it back. We call in to the Children's Studio School where the fourteen other people are gathered ready to start brainstorming. We want to know if we should keep the genre or dump it. The alternate ones include the possibility of Costume Drama, Animal Film and Children's film. All of them deadly. A poll is taken. We keep Holiday Film.

7:15PM - The "required elements" are announced. The crowd surges forward as if to be the first ones to hear. Hey, people, sound travels at 769 mph, it'll get to your ears, so CALM DOWN. Elements: Prop: A bracelet, Character: Roosevelt or Rosie Adams, Line of Dialogue: "That's what I'm talking about." The crowd scatters like a mixed metaphor at an MLA Conference.

7:20PM - My boyfriend backs into the parking lot and we take off for the school.

7:40PM - We talk about pizza, we eat pizza, we talk about holiday-themed movies. Nine different people mention that Saturday is Cinco De Mayo.

8:30PM - Everyone writes down their best idea and we go around the table. A whole town is protecting one guy from knowing Santa Clause isn't real. This guy "Dave" wakes up and finds out that that day is "Dave Day"- He doesn't know why. A woman invites people over for Thanksgiving through Craig's List and kills them. A guy who is new to a family is told that it is "Getem Day." He just goes along with it for the whole night until he finally asks, "What is 'Getem Day'"- the all yell "GET 'EM!" and tear him apart.

11:50PM - Storywise, we end the night after 5 hours of discussion having decided on three things: 1) A couple goes to a bad party and then leaves, 2) all sixteen of us will have speaking roles, 3) the movie will be one single continuous shot.


SATURDAY

10:00AM - We arrive at Mike Bass' house in Fairfax with nothing written, no story details, no "up all night." But we all slept secure knowing that things would work out.

10:30AM - We each write three note card with the beginning middle and end of our character's story arc. We cut down each of our stories and then sort the cards.

12:30PM - Break for cold cuts and play "Throw the tennis ball" and then "Keep the tennis ball away from Topher," which consist of keeping me from getting said tennis ball.

1:30PM - We improvise our characters.

2:30PM - We improvise a story line.

3:30PM - We rehearse.

4:30PM - We rehearse.

5:30PM - We rehearse.

6:30PM - We start calling friends to fill out the party scene.

7:00PM - PIZZA!!! AGAIN!!!

8:00PM - We get into costume.

9:00PM - We run the thing.

10:00PM - We run the thing.

11:00PM - We run the thing.

11:45PM - WE ALMOST FORGET TO GET BEER!!!

12:00AM - We run it one last time.

12:15AM - We do the behind the scenes and sound stuff.

12:51AM - IT'S A WRAP!!! We clean up Mike Bass' house

1:00AM - We have a couple beers

1:51AM - The sober people drive everyone home.

2:30AM - I go home and go to bed. My part as producer is done.


SUNDAY

3:14PM - The Director calls me to ASK WHEN THE FILM IS DUE.

6:49PM - Tyler and Michael get in the car and race down to hand it off at the Warehouse Theatre.

7:21PM - HANDED IN!!!