For the second year in a row, I have created and submitted an entry for the Georgetown Super 8 Film festival. I am by no means a professional filmmaker, but I have had fun these past two years, going out into my community and creating a story to share with my friends. The purpose of this event is just that: to showcase amateur films in the lost medium of super 8 without juries or awards to dampen the creative spirit.
The process begins i n January, when registration forms are distributed at central locations in Georgetown such as All-City Coffee and the Nine-Pound Hammer bar. You may register regardless of your prior fil m making experience (or lack thereof). There is a nominal fee to cover the cost of film (28$ for a black and white roll of film, 34$ for color) and film processing, but scholarships are available for youth participants and on the basis of need. You may also register online through The GS8 Site, but there is a two-dollar surcharge when paying through Pay Pal.
The next step is a one-night crash course explaining the ins and outs of super 8 film making, and the individual quirks that have to be minded with each of the donated cameras. At this point you sign up for a time sl o t of one week to rent one of the cameras in which you will shoot your film. A recommendation to first time film makers would be to sign up for one of the earlier time slots so that you have a chance t o re-shoot your film if it didn’t turn out the way you planned. Filming takes place throughout February and March, and an optional soundtrack must be submitted by the beginning of April. You will get a chance to watch and time your film before you create the soundtrack, but understand that no matter how hard you try, your sound will not be perfectly synced with your film. Also, all soun dtracks must have no copyright: either original or uncopyrighted sound only.
Finally once everything has been compiled, a festival is held in Georgetown, and GS8 2010 takes place on May 8th. GS8 has grown steadily in its popularity since its inception in 2006, and this year has seen the most submitted films to date. It has generated around four hours of content this year, and that is simply too much to show all at once. The way GS8 combats this is by showing films that fit certain themes (location films, kids films, scary films, etc.) at several different locations in Georgetown, and by setting up a priority system as to what films are seen. Priority is given to:
1. A resident of Georgetown
2. A Resident of the South End of Seattle or an employee of a Georgetown business
3. A Camera Donor/Lender
4. Collaboration- the more people that are part of the project the greater the priority on the list
5.Everyone else
All youth films are also screened. Even if you don’t qualify for any of these criteria don’t be discouraged from making a film. if your film is short and sweet (under the maximum 3 minutes) it may still make the cut. Also a DVD is created and sold at the festival every year with all the submitted films compiled on it, so your film will still be a part of the GS8 experience.
The entire Georgetown Community has enjoyed being a part of this festival over the past four years, and we hope to maintain this expression of creativity for many years to come. I encourage anyone and everyone to be a part of this wonderful event, and I hope to see you on may 8th! For any additional information visit GS8 Homepage
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