People, this is not a drill: there are only four weeks left to submit your Connect5 videos! You may now commence to freak out.
To recap: Connect5 is a short film competition run by Optus (and we’re talking really short. Five minutes short), with two huge prizes of AU$5000 up for grabs. And, as if you weren’t already rolling in it, both winners will then travel to Bangkok to compete against six other countries, and maybe win USD $30k! You could make it rain for, like, an hour!
The competition theme is about ‘connecting lives’ and you can take that anyway you please. Maybe you’ll explore the way that you can simultaneously hang with your lover from France, your friend from Japan and your cousin from America online, or maybe you’ll discuss the moral implications of sewing a pigeon to a rat – it’s your call.
What’s great about this competition is that there’s an emphasis on content rather than the tech you use, and Optus has said the competition is open to all, even those who film on their phone, which means that even us poor uni students can get on board. And then win and then stop being poor and share it with no one!
The competition closes on September 30th, so I’m not gonna lie, you better get it together quickly and enter in order to win. So far, because Chattr has your back, we’ve shown you some amazing short films to get those creative juices flowing, and listed some of your favourite directors who had their start with short films (spoiler: that could be you!), but what are the tips you need for behind the scenes?? Even if you’re filming on your phone, your film has gotta look fresh to death, so definitely follow these five tips from filmmaker and member of the comedy trio SketchShe, Shae-lee.
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Work with what you’re comfortable with
Shae-lee says that you don’t need the latest and greatest tech, and in fact, most of their shorts were filmed on their phones. It’s more important to know the tech you’re using and the best way to use it then to get caught up with the hype of new gadgets.
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This isn’t uni, don’t half-arse it
To make a seriously good film, you need to give 120% effort! Shae says
“Your passion and dedication towards what you’re doing will always come through in your work.”
This could definitely give your film the edge over your competition, people love watching things that time and effort have been put into.
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Power in numbers
You know what’s better than one idea? Two ideas! And what’s better than two ideas? Three ideas! You can see where this is headed… Shae says that collaboration is key. Bounce ideas off each other, combine your stories, feed each other’s creative minds, use each other’s
skills – just find someone! This could also be a great opportunity to make new and lasting friendships.
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Make it relatable
It may sound bad, but most people are instinctively interested in things that relate to them in particular. In other words, we’re all kind of a bit self obsessed deep down. So it only makes sense that the content that succeeds uses elements that relate to most people. Shae says this may be characters that remind a person of someone they know, so then they tag that person and the content spreads through shares. And, as we saw in the list of amazing short films, relatable content is also key; there were a lot of love stories on that list, because everybody loves somebody.
“Find something that you would want to share with your friend, your family member, your dog – whoever it may be … that means more audience and more views” Shae says.
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Believe in yo’self, son!
More than anything, you have to have confidence in your work, because as crazy as it sounds, if you believe in what you’re making it will come through in your film. Share message that are really important to you and content you really believe in, don’t just make something because you think it might be more popular.
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Bonus tip!
If you’re shooting from the waist up you don’t need to wear pants! You’re a goddamn genius, Shae!
So there you have it, straight from someone with actual industry knowledge! Make sure you get your submission in here by September 30th, and check out Shae’s full video below. Good luck, everyone!
