Stand Up: St Andrews Film Blitz 2015

The St Andrews Film Blitz is a competition set up a few years ago by the film department to commemorate St Andrews’ sixth hundredth year anniversary, asking competitors to create a a three-minute film in no more than sixty hours in teams of roughly eight. This year, the committee has decided to attach the theme of ‘inspired by a song’ to the competition in order to give a clear focus to the creative process of the candidates. The main drive behind the foundation of the competition was the lack of filming opportunities in St Andrews. Kathleen Fraese, a current postgraduate student in Film Studies, admits, “There aren’t a lot of societies which give students the opportunity to make films or be involved in film production. This competition is not only inventive and unique, but also fun and fast-paced. The sixty-hour time limit pushes students to film quickly, and yet maintain good quality.” The competition is running this year from noon on the 6th of March until midnight on the 8th, and I’m sure we’ll all be made aware of it by the odd street performance and cool, artsy students laden with high-tech camera equipment about town.

Don’t worry at all if you consider yourself to be a film amateur, as the competition’s organisers run a series of workshops in screenwriting, cinematography and editing, three of the most important aspects of filmmaking. These workshops aim to help people develop skills for the upcoming trial, and are also a great place for individuals interested in taking part to meet and form teams. Kathleen was keen to emphasise that this competition is not about making “the most glossy, commercial film ever”, but that taking an “inventive and fun” approach is key.

As well as being an enjoyable, unique experience, the Film Blitz does offer material prizes to winning teams at the end, the majority being donated by local businesses. The judging panel will consist of a mixture of professors working at the university and guest judges, including Graham Dalton, an ex-student and the son of the owner of the Adamson. A true celebrity in St Andrews terms! Even if you decide to take part and don’t win anything, it’s definitely worth it for the screening of all the films in the Byre Theatre on the 12th of March. This film screening will be followed by a drinks reception, and is open to the whole St Andrews student body, so be sure to go along to support your friends, or simply to experience first-hand the talent of St Andrews’ budding filmmakers.

Contestants are able to keep their films for their own personal use after the competition, and will also be asked to sign a disclaimer allowing its distribution by the university. Last year, films were show in various pubs, on the St Andrews website for admissions, and re-released on YouTube, bringing glory and fame to all participants. If you have signed up to undertake this challenge, or are helping out in any shape or form, ensure to embark upon it well-rested to allow for a couple of days of minimal sleep and excitement! Good luck!

Images courtesy of John Nat and Maia Krall Fry