They’ll looking for Spielbergs.
Little Spielbergs. Young ones.
The Craven Arts Council is offering a $500 scholarship for young filmmakers, age 25 or under. How far under? According to Ken Hess, an independent experimental filmmaker, “If they’re three years old and you can make a film, I guess you can make it.”
The idea is to be your own filmmaker – head up your project (final length to be 5-30 minutes) using an original script, a camera man or two, editing, costuming, etc. You don’t have to be the cameraman or writer—but as the filmmaker you have to pull it all together in your own vision.
The project theme is a bit of a downer – “The Last Person on Earth.” But your style can do a lot with that: comedy, drama, experimental, sci-fi… outside of theme, the end result is entirely your own.
Hess is the brainchild of Down East Youth Film Scholarship, an idea he got from Oriental’s Old Theater. That organization holds an annual event in which filmmakers have 48 hours to make a movie from scratch: a particular theme is announced and a specific item and phrase must be included somewhere in it (that’s how they make sure you’re not turning in something you made a couple of years ago).
Old Theater then has a day of showing the film and those in attendance vote on best screenplay, best camera work, and so on. The problem, of course, is that the winners are decided by who has the most friends in attendance rather than the most ability. Still, it’s good fun.
Hess wanted to enlarge the vision of the project, to make it a tool to inspire local youth to become filmmakers, to increase ENC’s place as a film community.
In Hess’s view, the idea of a short film using a specific line, theme and prop is expanded to give the filmmaker more time to polish his or her work, to be judged by arts council members, and to receive a reward ($500) for their effort.
He spoke with Jonathan Berger, director of Craven Arts, who agreed to take the project on.
“I want a fair and equitable judging panel, that they don’t have any interest in who wins. I don’t want one type of person who wins it year after year,” Hess said. As to the scholarships—Hess donated the first $500 but he is hoping others will also donate toward the program. Every $500 raised will be another scholarship to be offered.
“I want to get younger people interested in film, and to let them know that there is an outlet for film,” Hess said. “There are a lot of filmmakers out here. Connecting everybody has been the problem in the past. We’ve got beautiful scenery and really talented people around here.” He is trying to build the film community.”
Those interested in applying can do so online or at the gallery (www.Cravenarts.org ) by December 15th.
Participants must be a resident of Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, or Pamlico county.
