And the winner is...

JDM, in association with the Ashland Film Group held it's first annual 48-Hour Film Contest in April for majors and non-majors alike. 48-Hour film contests have grown in popularity with independent and student filmmakers because they offer high intensity environments to show off film-making skills.

In a 48-hr film contest, filmmakers receive a set of instructions that include various aesthetic "ingrediants" they must include in their films; things like specific lines of dialogue, props, locations even specific characters. Filmmakers then have 48-hours to develop an idea, write a script, shoot, edit and deliver a film in the correct digital format.This year's contest began March 30th at 7pm and ended April 1st at 7pm.

For JDM Assistant Professor Dr. David McCoy, a 48-hour film contest is the ultimate learning tool for our digital media department, "The 48-hour film contest requires our students to synthesize all that they've learned about story, aesthetics in lighting, framing and composition in class and in labs, and then apply that by producing something in a mediated environment under a deadline." McCoy said.

This year's joint JDM/AFG project drew four teams of three students. The winning film entitled, 5-2-12 was produced by JDM juniors Dan Griffin, Tim Hawk and Sophomore Hilary Neal. Winning team members each received a $25 gift card from the AU Bookstore.

Check out the contest winner and runner-up below. (Note the creative way the two teams connected their two films!)






Films were judged by a committee of JDM faculty that included Dr. Gretchen Dworznik, Dr. David McCoy, Interim Chair Tim McCarty, Operations Manager John Skrada and JDM major freshman Chris Beisel. Judges viewed and scored the films using a rubric that included use of contest ingredients, aesthetics and technical merit.

JDM/AFG plans to conduct another 48-Hour Film Contest in the fall!