'That Time That Place' by Ken Mizusawa was a thought-provoking script used by 10Drama to create an interesting movie with in depth characterisation and an abstract use of interior chorus. The play is about Mel’s preoccupation with the unexplained disappearance of a boy during high school.

She decides to investigate the case and descends into memory. The fragmentary threads are woven together into an interesting analysis of the artistic process. We made a collaborative painting as a key prop. The film required many skills, directing, filming and editing as well as screen method acting. The team did an excellent job.

48Hours is NZ's largest guerrilla filmmaking competition where filmmakers have just one weekend to make a short film. Filmmakers don't know what genre (thriller/romance etc) they will be making until it is revealed just before 7pm on the Friday. Everyone must also include set elements. This year the elements were the sound of laughter, a double take, an overhead camera shot and wind. The film must be made and delivered by 7pm Sunday.

Team: Hornby Heroes: 

Film Title: Space Battle

The Hornby Heroes team started by discussing dystopian genres and defining sci fi by drawing on the texts they had studied in English. They carefully planned a film with a classical structure, then took the leap into parody and subverting the genre. Their film was a hero's journey, complete with furry side-kick, white-bearded mentor and martial arts training. Naturally there were special effects such as solar systems on string, hand-drawn space craft and state of the art, tinfoil weaponry. They learned a lot along the way, how to cope when a camera won’t focus (get another camera), how to eat sushi with a fork (why?), not to carry your weapon horizontally through a doorway (snap).

Team: Wild Rebels

Film Title: NKB are Swag

This is the alternative team, they created a psychological thriller with reference to artistic surrealism. Proud moment: Nathan realising his blue jacket, waved hair and natural good looks gave him a striking resemblance to a certain American president.

Team: Carmen Road Academy Films

Film title: A Time to Remember

This was an exciting genre, what wild animals could we use? Kittens, guinea pigs, spiders or birds? It is notoriously hard to work with animals so this team had to think creatively and came up with an aspect of nature they could access easily, treat gently and avoid being stung, bitten or pecked. After some time watching footage from classic movies like The Birds and Jaws, the team headed into the cold damp darkness of Friday night to get scary, night time shots. Particular fun was the energetic trampolining action. Collaborating as a team is crucial and this group happily experienced more sleep and less crying this year with the bonus of Cluedo.