This summer, our Tampa film production company, Litewave Media, participated in the annual 48 Hour Film Project which ran from July 13-15th. After a grueling 48 hours of no sleep, during which our team wrote a script, filmed the movie, created visual effects, and edited the footage (including all post-production: sound design, music, and color correction), our Tampa film production company came out victorious with top honors at the awards ceremony including Best Film! You can check out our film called “Love Hurts” >> HERE.
Director of Photography, Sean Keller, frames a shot of actor/director, Christian Cashmir, in our 48 Hour Film “Love Hurts”
Along with Best Film honors, our team ended up winning Best Directing, Best Actor (Christian Cashmir), Best Actress (Brielle Carter), Best Editing, Best Musical Score, Best Writing, Best Sound Design, Best Cinematography, Best Graphic Design, and Audience Choice! Not too shabby!
The Litewave Media/Film Jams team at the awards ceremony for the 48 Hour Film Project
The 48 Hour Film Project, a nation-wide challenge, asks local filmmakers to completely make a short film in only 48 hours. It comes with specific required elements so that judges know the film was made within the allotted time. This year, the required elements were a character named Sam or Sally Turnbucket (a city employee), the line of dialogue “Who wants to know?”, and a prop, a lamp. In addition to this, each team also gets a randomly assigned genre, ours was Disaster Film.
Co-Directors Josh Noftz and Christian Cashmir review some green screen footage during the 48 Hour Film Project
Our film was made in collaboration with our YouTube Webseries: Film Jams, which is a weekly show on filmmaking. The webseries teaches general tips and advice on filmmaking. Our team was proud and honoreds to win the 48 Hour Film Project, and from here, our film competes at the national level at Filmapalooza in March 2019. We have uploaded our film online as well as a behind-the-scenes look into making a 48 hour film. Give us a like and subscribe if you like our content on YouTube and want to see more filmmaking fun!
Our crew had a blast, and we can’t wait to make another film.
Check out our award-winning film “LOVE HURTS” below:
If you’d like to take a behind-the-scenes look at how we made this film in 48 hours, check out the video below: How to Make a 48 Hour FIlm!
Looking to turn your Tampa film production into a reality? Contact us today to see how our Tampa film production company, Litewave Media, can assist in the process. Find us on Facebook and make sure to subscribe to the Litewave Media blog as well as our Film Jams YouTube page to stay up to date on all of our Tampa video production company’s news!
Over the course of the last few years our Tampa production company has enjoyed participating in the 48 Hour Film Project, a world-wide competition that challenges filmmakers to write, shoot, and edit their own short films in only 48 hours. It’s become a bit of a tradition for the Litewave Media crew and we’ve met some amazing people along the way. This year, our team once again dove head first into the challenge and produced a short film called “Magazine Issues.”
DP Eric Coughlin gets set up for one of the first shots of the day filming our short “Magazine Issues”
The 48 Hour competition supplies only minimal guidelines for filmmakers, providing a genre, character, prop, and a line of dialogue that must be used in every film. Each team receives their guidelines on Friday night and must turn in their fully finished film Sunday night, only 48 hours later. Our team pulled the genre of “romance,” and writers Jason Henne and Michael Garland went to work forming a cinematic story that also captured the essence of romance. With our writers working through the night on the the script, our Florida video production crew began preparing to film at dawn’s first light.
Lighting the scene with portable LED lights from our St Petersburg video equipment rental package, lead actor Chris Cavalier gets ready to film
Next, we loaded up our Tampa grip truck and drove to our first location in Clearwater, Florida to begin filming. Using gear from our St Petersburg video equipment rental package like our Canon C300 MkII and Canon cinema lenses, we hit the ground running (literally) and began production! Filming took place at various locations all over Tampa Bay, including our very own Tampa green screen studio for multiple special effects-driven scenes and a wrestling ring almost an hour from the studio.
Award-winning actress Alissa Schneider plays the melodious sounds of the key-tar in our Tampa green screen studio.
With the clock ticking down, we rushed all of our footage back to our Florida post-production suite for editing. Once our special effects team hustled to compose the visuals needed for the green screen portion of the film, director and editor Christian Cashmir brought the film together with his skill and expertise, cuttin’ up footage and taking names! With the editing finished on literally zero sleep (not even a wink!), finally it was time for submitting the finished film.
Director Christian Cashmir, steadicam operator Eric Coughlin, and lead actor Chris Cavalier review footage before sending it off to our Florida post-production suite for editing.
After waiting for what seemed like the longest 2 weeks ever, it was time for the 48 Hour Film Project ‘Best Of’ screening! With so many great films to compete against, the awards ceremony was a nail biter, but all of our hard work paid off! Our team was nominated in 9 categories and were honored to win the following awards:
Best use of the line “You’re Next!” – Team Prairie Dogs featuring Uncle Henry’s Bowling Club (Us!!)
Audience Favorite – “Magazine Issues” Team Prairie Dogs featuring Uncle Henry’s Bowling Club (Us again!!)
Best Screenplay – Jason Henne and Michael Garland (Our devilishly handsome writers)
Best Supporting Actress – Alissa Schneider (Our drop dead gorgeous actress)
Best Song – “Salesperson of the Year” Music and Lyrics by Chuck Fonshell Jr, Christian Cashmir, and Chris Cavalier (Our extraordinarily talented musicians)
And, drumroll please… BEST FILM!!! – “Magazine Issues” Directed by Christian Cashmir (Our fearless director)
We won Best Film out of 34 competitors! Ignite the fireworks! Wookie yell! Rejoice!
Our Tampa production company on the red carpet before the premier of our film, “Magazine Issues”
Now that our film “Magazine Issues” has won Best Film – Tampa, we move on to the next round where we’ll compete against the winners from over 100 cities worldwide at Film-a-Palooza in Seattle, Washington next March!
As with every year, we had an amazing time working on the 48 Hour Film Project, and we look forward to competing again next year. Check out our finished film “Magazine Issues” below (Made in just 48 hours)!
The Litewave Media team celebrates after the 48 Hour Awards Screening
Each year teams of filmmakers from around the world compete in a film competition known as the 48 Hour Film Project. In this no-holds-bar event teams have only 48 hours to write, shoot, edit and submit a short film in their randomly chosen genre. As if that weren’t enough, there’s also a list of requirements that each film must contain in order to be eligible for the competition. This year required the prop of “bubble wrap,” a character named “Charlie/Charlene Sparks,” the profession of “farming,” and the line of dialogue “He never tells me anything”. On top of all that, the Litewave Media team was chosen to be part of a documentary about the 48 Hour Film Project as the team had won last year with their award-winning film “F”. And so, a film crew documenting the madness of the film project had their cameras pointed on the team the whole weekend.
Director Christian Schwier and his Tampa production company drew the genre “Buddy film” out of a hat on Friday, July 26th. They quickly swapped “Buddy film” out for a wild card genre “B-Movie” and began their race to finish: Sunday, July 28th. (A “B-Movie” can best be described as a lower budget, melodramatic film.) Perfect for our Tampa video crew!
A MELODRAMATIC Litewave Media 48 Hour Film Project Cast/Crew
The first thing the team had to do was decide on an idea, which Schwier said was “The most difficult part”. They looked to old 50’s B-movies for inspiration. With a room full of writers, brainstorming wasn’t an issue, instead it was picking the one idea and saying “this is it!”
Christian Schwier, Jeff Zampino and the rest of the crew brainstorming in the Litewave Studios conference room
By 3 a.m. three things were decided: the movie needed a robot, an overly dramatic kiss, and blue speckled aliens. Make-up artist Anya Yushchenko quickly got to work bringing two of those elements to life.
Anya Yushchenko applying blue speckled make-up to BobbyAnn Loper
Anthony Brock (QX-45 robotic support droid) being assembled by Anya Yushchenko
When the 48 hour time constraint started affecting the film, the team had to take action quick. “We had to edit down the script and cut two locations out in the middle of shooting to make this film doable”, Schwier stated. And so, on July 28th at 6:42pm (18 minutes to deadline) with the help of Jeff Zampino’s set design, Steve Allen’s special effects, Andrew Ortoski’s lighting, Stephen Maxwell’s original music, and an amazing crew and cast, “Man-Eating Hatchlings of Galvac-7” was born and officially submitted.
Anya Yushchenko, Maylin Morera, Linda Roser, and Karleigh Chase on set
Jim Flynn in the “hibernation pod” with Steve Allen, (Special FX) hovering over
Karleigh Chase, Jeff Sheppard and Jim Flynn stand by on set location two
All the sleepless hardwork and dedication paid off in the end. The Litewave Media crew received seven nominations: Best Film, Best Director, Best Sound Design, Best Use of Line of Dialogue, Best Special Effects, Best Costumes, and the Audience Choice Award. The winners will be announced on August 27th, Muvico Centro Ybor at 7 p.m.
For more information about the 48 hour Film Project click here, 48 hr. Film Project
Without further ado, here’s “Man-Eating Hatchlings of Galvax-7”
Don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook to keep up with our Tampa Video Production Company’s new projects!
And please contact our studio for any of your video production needs or for a free consultation! Until next next time… 🙂
What a weekend for Litewave Media! The Gasparilla Film Festival took over Tampa on March 19-24, launching a celebration of independent film with a focus on local Florida talent. Two films by our production company in Tampa FL screened back to back on Friday night: our feature length anime-action adventure comedy Jules Dongu Saves the World and our award-winning short film “F.”
This was the official Florida premier for Jules Dongu, which made its world debut at The Gotham Screen International Film Festival in New York City in October 2012. Our Tampa film crew started working on the movie seven years ago, and with many of the local cast and crewmembers in attendance at the Florida premier it felt like a real reunion. We are proud to say that many of us are still working together as colleagues and friends!
The Jules Dongu crew seven years after beginning work on the film
Jules Dongu garnered a very warm response from our hometown crowd. “People said they appreciated seeing a funny, feel-good movie at the festival,” said Litewave Media founder Christian Schwier. “Festival goers typically see three or four movies a day, and most deal with some pretty heavy subject matter. We were glad to lighten the mood.” Dongu is slated for a full festival circuit this year – and look out for the Amazon.com DVD and Bluray release this summer!
Jules Dongu made its official Florida premier at Gasparilla Film Festival
There was also some star power circulating in our midst. Surprise guest Colin Farrell came out in support of emerging artists, and actor Thomas Jane from the “The Punisher” franchise (filmed right here in Tampa Bay, FL) received the festival’s 2013 Career Achievement Award. “Gasparilla is a great platform, and it shows that we can produce Hollywood-quality film here in Florida,” said Schwier.
Christian Schwier and Thomas Jane with Gasparilla festival coordinator
After our big night, we spent the rest of the festival connecting with local and visiting filmmakers and attending some great industry panels. It was also an honor to support Litewave Media alum Jamie Parslow’s music video for the song “Waiting For Summer” by A Call From The Coast.
Christian and Taylor connect with new friends at the festival
To top it all off, ABC’s show The List did a news story on the festival and featured our film in the segment. Check it out here:
We’re looking forward to sharing even more great independent film with you this year. Follow the blog and like us on Facebook to keep up with all Litewave Media’s projects. Do you have a video project coming up? Contact our Tampa video production company today for a free consultation.
Thanks to our amazing team who helped make our film possible! We pulled “musical” as our genre for the contest this year. We had so many talented cast & crew that made it possible! Our awards included: best choreography, best director, best musical score, best use of dialogue, and the coveted audience choice award! We also were nominated for best film of 2009 in Tampa. Go team! Check out the film on ourIndependent Film page.
