One Shot Movie Competition

The Copacabana steadicam shot from Goodfellas…the Dunkirk beach scene from Atonement…the Bobby Sands interrogation in Hunger…the whole of Russian Ark…

What do these have in common?

They were all made using just one shot.

One shot is dynamic, occasionally spectacular, even iconic, but above all represents a great challenge for filmmakers. That’s why three London-based film aficionados are giving aspiring filmmakers the chance to win £1000 and the title of Best One Shot Movie 2012.

This is an exciting opportunity for filmmakers around the world to partake in a new London-based film competition unlike any other. To make the most of one shot requires a huge level of creativity from the filmmaker – in essence they have to abandon the established methods of filmmaking we have become accustomed to over the last century.

All genres accepted – the film can be anything from a lengthy tracking shot featuring a cast of thousands to a static shot of one actor delivering an awe-inspiring monologue. The most important thing is that the film tells a unique story and truly captures the spirit of the competition.

Co-founder and organiser Daniel Birt says: “Lots of people have asked us ‘why are you running this competition?’ Well, first and foremost we’re doing this because we love film.  Often in feature films our favourite and most memorable moments are those captured in one shot. Organising a film competition dedicated to the idea of one shot movies seemed like a really interesting, not to mention extremely challenging, film making initiative. Of course we’re not expecting a bunch of steadicam wonders but films that have their routes in a variety of disciplines – theatre, music videos and advertising.”

Co-founder and organiser Keir Menzies says: “When telling a story in moving pictures, you often need to get the most out of constrained parameters – whether it’s budget or duration. The idea is as big or as small as you make it. I know there are lots of brilliant creative people out there who are bogged down in the logistical and economic nightmare of trying to make a short film. I think this is a wonderful new opportunity for someone to get noticed. I’m really looking forward to seeing what people come up with.”

Co-founder and organiser Dan Palmer says: “As a filmmaker myself, I’m always looking for new ways of challenging myself, and I thought that a One Shot movie competition would provide likeminded filmmakers with a unique platform to express themselves. For me, it’s really about thinking differently. We’re so used to a thousand cuts a minute that often the story is less about that and more about the artifice, I wanted to involve myself with an initiative that encouraged a new ways of thinking, ‘what’s the best way to tell this story without edits and how can I make it stand out?’”

The rules are simple:

1) Make a live action, fictional, narrative-driven film no more than 10 minutes in length.

2) No cuts whatsoever – one continuous shot. Titles and credits are permitted provided they are white text on black background and are not part of the film’s narrative.

3) Your film can be about anything (though we will reject ‘torture porn’ – ie Hostel – or, well, just plain old porn).

4) The film can be shot on any format – from 35mm to iPhone.

5) Films entered must be exclusive to this competition. Films that play anywhere prior to the announcement of the winning film will no longer be eligible. Once the competition is finished, filmmakers are free to do as they wish with the film.

6) Filmmakers must be over the age of 18.

To enter goto:  http://oneshotmovie.co.uk/