Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone! We’re almost to Friday (not that I’m keeping track or anything…)
The good news is that I’ve nearly fully recovered from my recent cold/flu- save for a little residual congestion that has been giving me the worst headaches imaginable- but I’m back on my feet, working without interruption, and making all sorts of plans!
The bad news was that this past weekend, that pesky aforementioned cold/flu was still leaving me bit lethargic- and although I got a few errands done (with some difficulty)– I didn’t accomplish nearly as much as I had hoped during such a lovely and sunny couple of days.
One thing I *did* do, however- was head to my hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts- and to my favorite dive bar, Ralph’s, to catch their annual local film festival/competition- the Worcester Film Wars!
The premise of Film Wars is pretty cool- and anyone can enter the contest whether they have a background in acting/directing/editing/etc. or not. You and your team of friends fill out the online registration form, and then you or a representative from your team attend the launch event (also at Ralph’s) where you’ll get to spin the wheel of movie must-haves (and referred to as the “Devil Wheel.”) Whatever the spinner lands on- be it a wardrobe piece, a line of dialogue, a specific color or sound effect- is something you and your team will need to incorporate into your movie!
From there, teams have exactly 72 hours to write, shoot, edit and submit their films (3-7 minutes long!) to the judges where they will then be premiered at the actual competition the following week in front of an outdoor audience who will individually vote on their favorite of the bunch. Winners get some really great prizes from local sponsors/companies- and it’s an overall fun, silly, boozy time for everyone.
I had a blast catching up with friends from back home, having a couple of drinks, and watching all the participating teams’ efforts. It was so much fun- and the weather held up nicely despite there being possible rain in the forecast!
You can actually view some of this year’s (and past years) submissions by CLICKING HERE. Just be warned that we’re from Massachusetts- and we swear. Like, a lot. Most of those short films are probably not safe for work.
For now, I’m heading off to get some work done before my phone starts ringing off the hook, though- and then it’s onward to some dinner plans tonight!
Keep an eye out this coming Friday before I break for the weekend, however- since I’ve got a pretty fun dessert recipe to share!
Have a great day, everyone!
xx
– Ashley –
Blondie Birdie 