If you want to be a filmmaker, you have to make films. But sometimes life and work get in the way and you never get around to actually making films. Even if you make a living shooting video, I know there are stories you want to tell that you’ve been dying to produce that you never get around to doing. Am I right or am I right. Sometimes you need a kick in the rear to get you going. Or a spark of inspiration. Here are two sparks you should consider.
Chick-fil-A Leadercast Film Competition
Those of you in the south know about Chick-fil-A. It’s a restaurant chain unlike most others. It’s a company driven by values and inspiring others to do the right thing. So much so that every year they host Leadercast, a 1-day inspirational leadership event broadcast live from Atlanta. This year’s guest speakers include such luminaries as Marcus Buckingham, Tim Tebow, Soledad O’Brien, John Maxwell and more. This year their theme is “choice” and they’re inviting filmmakers from around the world to make a 10-second film that fits that theme. That’s right, 10 SECONDS. Not minutes. Put your storytelling muscles to the test. A select group of films will be shown during the event where they will be viewed by over 180,000 people (talk about building a platform!). One lucky winner will win a $5,000 cash prize. Submissions are due by April 6. Click here for more info. (If the idea of making a 10-second film is daunting, head on over to 5secondfilms.com to get some inspiration).
YouTube’s “Your Film Festival”
YouTube has been ramping up it’s marketing to filmmakers and content creators looking to produce original work. Their latest effort is their “Your Film Festival“. This one is a doozy. The judges will be Ridley Scott (director of Alien, Gladiator and the soon-to-be-released “don’t call me an Alien prequel” Alien prequel Prometheus, and that ubiquitous actor, Mr. Young Magneto himself, Michael Fassbender. That grand prize? $500,000 to make a film that Ridley and Michael will produce (that’s 1/2 million dollars!) Submissions are due March 31. So get crackin’. Click here to learn more.
Well..? Let’s do it.
I’m on it. 🙂