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WRITE, SHOOT AND EDIT A SHORT FILM IN TWO DAYS

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Aberdeen, SD | Friday - Sunday, Feb. 14-16, 2025

HOW IT WORKS

ReelRoad48 is a competition that enables filmmakers to showcase their talent in the form of a short film entirely produced within 48 hours. This means ALL ELEMENTS OF THE FILM MUST BE MADE WITHIN THE OFFICIAL TIMEFRAME! We have always enjoyed seeing  the amazing films that come out of competitions like this and the collaboration and creativity that spawns from these competitions are unlike any other. We sincerely hope you enjoy ReelRoad48 as much as we will have putting it on!

 

FRIDAY: KICKOFF

ReelRoad 48’s “Official Time Period” begins at 6:00p.m. on Friday, February 14th. Our kickoff will be held at the Red Rooster Coffee House, where your team will check in, get the required elements for your film, and get your genre.

Each team will get a random selection of two genres. Each team then MUST decide one genre or the other.

Once you get all your required elements and genre, it’s time to start making a film!

 

SATURDAY: FILMING

Saturday should be mostly spent filming your short. If you have questions about the elements or any other rules, message us on the SchwabGazette Industries Facebook or Instagram page. There are some things that cannot be included in your film, or will result in disqualification.

NO nudity or pornography

NO hate speech or hate symbols

 

SUNDAY: EDIT, SUBMIT, AND PREMIERE!

Once your film is complete, you must deliver it IN PERSON to the viewing theatre. The event will be at the Jewett Theater in Johnson Fine Arts Center.

You must submit your film in our "Check-In" window, which is 5:00 – 5:30p.m. on Sunday, February 16. We will also conduct a sound check for your film.

The premiere starts at 7:00p.m., and will conclude with the awards! Invite your friends and family to the premiere so they can see what you’ve been working on all weekend!

GENRES

Each ReelRoad48 team will be given two randomly selected genres on the night of the kickoff party. The team will then choose between those two genres which one they want for their film.


The list of possible genres will be:
Action/Adventure
Alternative History
Buddy Comedy
Coming of Age
Crime/Gangster
Disaster
Drama
Film Noir
Fish Out of Water
Ghost
Heist
Holiday
Horror
Mockumentary
Mystery
Road Film
Romance
Romantic Comedy
Science Fiction
Silent Film
Sports
Thriller/Suspense
Time Travel
Western

ELEMENTS

During the kickoff party, the host will announce the control elements that are required to be in your film. If your film doesn’t include all three elements, it will be disqualified for awards.


Elements used in any end credit sequence does NOT COUNT.


PROP: The required prop is a physical object that MUST appear in your film. It’s strongly encouraged your prop is also involved in your film more than just being a background prop.


LINE OF DIALOGUE: The line of dialogue must be spoken, sung, or written verbatim. If it’s said in a language other than English, it should be subtitled. The line can be split between more than one actor, as long as no filler words are added, and the words in the line are in the correct order.


REQUIRED CHARACTER: The required character MUST be present in the film, but they don’t have to be your lead character. The character’s name does not have to be spoken – but the audience should be able to infer who they are. The profession/characteristics listed and the name of the character must belong to the same person performing the role.

© 2025 SchwabGazette Industries. Website designed by John Schwab.

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