Forty eight hours to make a horror movie – how hard can it be? Get some ketchup, a couple of knives, and invite your buddies over for the weekend. But when one of those buddies shows up dead…

Okay, that didn’t happen in this year’s BLOODSHOTS Filmmaking Frenzy. Instead, we’ve got thirty-eight films made by horror enthusiasts that know the value of investing in blood in today’s topsy-turvy economy. We assigned every team a subgenre and a weapon, with genres ranging from First Person Shooter to Road Trip From Hell. Weapons for some teams were simple – a pistol, for example – and for other teams far from easy – but it’s really fun to watch the creative solutions people came up with when they had to use gossip/black mail as a method of killing someone.

We’ll be screening all of the completed BLOODSHOTS 2008 movies over the course of two programs on two different nights. You’ll be able to see the complete version of everything in this video:

Group A screens on Sunday night, and will feature:

Apt One – Grim Reefer
Bloody Amateurs
Bogan Monkey Productions
Bull Tiger Productions – Mondo SnuffaPalooza
Clasico Entertainment -
Cro-Magnum Films – Family Face-Off
Fogar! – Death at Dawn
Go Forward Captain – Don’t Fear the Rapture
Interstellar Knockabouts – Venusian Sector
Lady In A Cage – Pagans are Evil
Media Licks – Don’t Hit On My Girlfriend
Podd Productions – The Guitar Man
Red Skies Productions – Blown Up
Spazterpiece Theatre – Failure Means Limbo
Swaze Craze – Black Mail
Team Good Enough – Silver City
Team Shortbus – Resident Evil
Team U-Sock – Count to 3 and Die
You Got Severed – The Womanitis

Group B screens on Monday night, and will feature:

Bleutuna – Well, Shit
Body Bags R Us – The Aborted
Bucky Studios – Fade to Blood
Can’t Compete With A Hard On – Best Served Cold
Chaos Films – Cain
Comedia A-Go-Go – Fret
Employee64 – Ingenue
Foxtrot – Station k-F57
Gribblefluster Productions – Lair
Image Creation Entertainment – Road to Hell 3
Jimmy Jim Creations – The Creepy Bathroom
Lean Mean Green Screen Machine – Killing Time in the Break Room
One Zero Nine – Exhibit H
Rabid Dog Productions – Attack of the Teenage Jehovi
Strike Films – Blood Oil
Take Me To Your Leader – Galaxy of Fatality
Team Noob – El Spherical Diablo
Team Solus – Tiberious
The Castaro House – Beelzelballz

If you’re a Bloodshots filmmaker and don’t see your team listed here, it could mean that your DVD didn’t play properly. Shoot me an email and I’ll get you added into one of these two screenings as soon as I have your video.

Check out details at the Filmmaking Frenzy official website or visit us on Facebook.

THE FANTASTIC FEST 2008 FRENZY:
Filmmakers will complete a 30 second promo spot to be played before all features during Fantastic Fest 2008. Instead of only playing the winning spot and repeating it over and over and over again until the audience can quote the entire film, however, we’ll be screening all of the top 60 films in front of completely unsuspecting Fantastic Fest audiences. Each of those audiences will include visiting filmmakers from around the world, press from the likes of IFC TV, Fangoria, Ain’t It Cool News, and USA Today, plus a legion of the most devoted and intelligent genre film fans on the planet.

BLOODSHOTS 2008:
Filmmakers will have 48 hours to make a horror film based on the horrific subgenre assigned to their particular team. We’ll assign each team a subgenre along the lines of Torture Porn, Ghost Story, Backwoods, Revenge Fantasy, or something like that. Then we’ll assign a weapon along the lines of a Chainsaw, a Vehicle, a Piano Wire, or a Bolt of Lightning, and a line of dialog that will have to be in everyone’s film. Using those prompts for inspiration, filmmakers will have EXACTLY 48 hours to make the most kick ass film you can.

Additional info on rules and prizes plus registration for filmmaking teams is now open at the Filmmaking Frenzy website for both of these competitions, and it’s completely free to sign up.

The Rolling Roadshow that could never happen in a million years…has happened: NILBOG INVASION 2008!!

Yep, the Alamo’s mobile Rolling Roadshow unit took off from Austin early in the morn on Tuesday, July 24 and ripped across the southwest to Morgan, UT to celebrate the worst movie ever made: TROLL 2. And what a celebration we’d prepared…35mm outdoor film screenings, a full-scale cast reunion, the writer and director flying in from Italy, a multiple-course Nilbog feast, contests, dancing, etc. Utah was in for a treat.

When we arrived, there was little evidence that the town of Morgan was aware of the impending partystorm. Tim and I met with the mayor and sheriff, who both gave a very tenuous green light to the proceedings, as if they feared we were a pack of bloodthirsty satanists coming to drink the blood of their grandchildren. After paying the bill at Pete’s Spring Chicken Inn, we combed the streets looking for evidence of sweaty TROLL 2 anticipation, but found nothing…UNTIL we passed the local butcher shop:

Things were looking up.

Our confidence renewed, we set out to the field to begin preparations. Daniel, Josh and Justin began tackling our enormous screen and the Tims and I got things together for the opening night Dance and Eat party, which was to be held at the Morgan Academy of Dance and Tumbling just down the street from the screenings.

We decked the place out in Nilbog green in no time, just as folks started to pull into town:

The fans we met were unbelievable, and came from everywhere from Chicago to Los Angeles to New York to North Dakota and even Austria! They were all almost as spazzed out to be there as we were, and some were already in costume from the get-go. The locals seemed to keep a wary distance but we partied in spite. Darren “Arnold” Ewing’s blues band Skinny Bob & the Blues Dawgs performed and two rowdy goblins danced along without breaking a sweat. As the twilight hour approached, we settled in for the first couple screenings: TROLL and the other Morgan-shot Italian/American horror film CRAWLERS a.k.a. TROLL 3. The crowd consisted mainly of diehards and TROLL maniacs but all had a great time and went back to their hotels and hovels happy.

Saturday was The Big Day, where the film’s entire cast was going to meet up with screenwriter Rosella Drudi and infamous director Claudio Fragasso, and the mighty TROLL 2 itself was set to screen. From the morning, we knew the excitement had spread, as Utah residents arrived in homemade TROLL 2 t-shirts and even little old ladies walked their dogs over to the site to see what we were up to. The sun was high, the heat was on, and TROLL 2 fans from every nook and cranny of the earth made themselves visible.

First up for Saturday was a special surprise…even for us! Though Morgan’s mayor had been reticent to appear at our event, Michael Stephenson had managed to get semi-local alternate mayor Dan Snarr to come out and award a foam Key to the City to Fragasso! He seemed a little confused by the entire ordeal, but was very happy to additionally be presented with a grant if he ever chooses to return to Utah to shoot TROLL II PART 2! Mayor Dan Snarr was a very nice guy and has a heartwarming mustache. Here he is with some goofball from AMERICAN IDOL.

Then we enjoyed THE CAST PANEL, where 22 members of the TROLL 2 on-screen family gathered to discuss their memories of the masterpiece’s production. It was breathtaking and bizarre to see all of them together in one place. The audience asked many questions of the cast, half of which were answered by director Claudio Fragasso, who wasn’t even on the panel but managed to get more than a word in regardless. He even got up in front of the room to try and remind Connie how to do her Holly dance again!

We then entered the POPCORN EATING COMPETITION, guest-hosted by that popcorn-devouring witch, Deborah “Creedence” Reed, who watched as several audience volunteers downed unhealthy amounts of buttery popped goodness.

Next up was the mighty JAVELIN TOSS, hosted by Darren Ewing who played Arnold in TROLL 2. Though his character finds himself on the wrong end of a spear in the movie, Darren seemed to love hosting the event and cheered the crowd on as they hurled wood into the ether at a vaguely Darren-esque target. Here’s his daughter preparing to spear ol’ pop.

Then we moved back inside for the FILMMAKERS’ PANEL, where Fragasso and co-writer Rosella Drudi were joined by actors Michael Stephenson and George Hardy to reveal the long story of TROLL 2’s production. Despite an unsteady mastery of our language, the Italian duo gave us many amazing tales of TROLL 2’s genesis. Fragasso is a fascinating man and I wouldn’t buy a used car from him.

As a special completist’s event, we held a GUITAR HERO 2 SHREDDING WAR! The video game actually takes place at “Nilbog High School” and we weren’t gonna let that go unrepresented at this most TROLL 2-iest of events! So digi-jammers from all sides competed for glory, including Mickie Pace, who played Betty the Goblin in the film. She was on fiyahhhhhh!!!!

We brought in Alamo chefs John Bullington and Trish Eichelberger specifically to create a very special NILBOG FEAST for the cast and Ultimate Pass holders. Though the chefs had to prepare much of the food outdoors on a grill in the alley, all agreed it was a five-star meal and even the sophisticated palates of the Italians were dazzled by the skills of our Alamo culinary wizards.

As the sunset began, folks gathered in the field to prepare for the main event. We played some shorts, including the Filmmaking Frenzy Troll 2 Fan Film winner OGRE by Chris Dasinger, who we brought out to the event as his prize. He also brought along two actresses from the film as well as the titular monster, who vomited in a bucket LIVE before the crowd. They were totally starstruck by him, and even moreso when the cast and filmmakers united again in front of the crowd to introduce their film.

Finally, it was the moment of truth. The projectors flickered to life and the first frame of TROLL 2 hit the screen. The crowd was enraptured, enlivened and filled with joy. It was a very moving experience to see the cast seated among the folks of Morgan and TROLL 2 fans from all corners of the Earth. Truly, a night of majesty.

Sunday featured more fun events, including the panel on Michael Stephenson’s TROLL 2 documentary BEST WORST MOVIE, a baloney-eating competition (which Tim “The Glory Chomper” League totally dominated) and an extremely irresponsible display of explosive firepower to cap the weekend off. But everyone’s hearts and memories were still radiating from the previous night’s screening, which was a most unlikely bit of magic that will never take place again on this planet or any other:

Here’s the link to our NILBOG INVASION Flickr photo page!!

(Special thanks to Michael Stephenson, Blair Sterrett, Chris van Campen and his family, The Morgan County News, Darren Ewing, George Hardy and the countless other people who made this all happen. I promise I’ll never turn you into green goop and eat you.)

Sure, we love the movies that “professionals” make, what with their infinite budgets, indefinite production schedules and legions of interns and craft services people, but nothing beats the rare and frenetic fervor of the so-called amateurs.

This is why we love Filmmaking Frenzy. It offers up a chance for any Tom, Dick or Harriett with access to a video camera, an email address and the slightest shred of determination the opportunity to present their personal pygmy-opus to a supportive audience of like-minded folks. And usually big big prizes are waiting at the end, which helps to flame the fervor into a full-on fever. The kind of fever you can only feed with healthy doses of caffeine and blind optimism. Sometimes it falls flat, sure, but more often than not it’s genuinely impressive stuff and always entertaining. And it’s filled to the brim with ideas, performances and techniques you will not find floating in ANY studio jello-mold.

We are proud to announce the DFEST edition of BPM (Beats per minute), a 48 hour filmmaking competition. At 7:00 PM on July 11, teams will be given MP3s of two songs from artists performing at DFEST. This signals the beginning of the competition. Immediately, you and your team start scrambling: listening to the song, decoding the lyrics, making the shot list, borrowing and stealing guitars, wigs – whatever it takes to make the most entertaining video of them all. Teams have 48 hours to complete a music video and upload it to www.filmmakingfrenzy.com. The top 40 videos will be shown in the Red Bull Beats Per Minute tent inside Main Stage grounds at DFest throughout the weekend.

The winning video will be premiered at the Main Stage during DFEST weekend, plus four members of the winning team will be sent to Red Bull Soap Box on Oct. 25th in Denver (!) at Red Rocks!! The prize includes flight for four and hotel for four (Oct. 24 & 25). Team members will get full media access to Red Bull Soap Box AND rights to film the event!

By the way, I’m from Denver. It’s great. Red Rocks is spectacular. If you’ve never been then dust off your over-sized novelty directors’ megaphones and do a little research on gold prospecting and micro-brewing and get ready to have a good time.

I hope every single one of you who reads this will sign up to compete, and I hope 85% of you win. To the other 15%, maybe you should have spent more time caring about fun and filmmaking and less time at the craft services table.

This weekend the Master Pancake boys tackle one of the most beloved movies of all time: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. Some people have asked us how heartless we’d have to be to make fun of this amazing children’s classic. To them I say: how heartless is director STEVEN SPIELBERG for making us cry, not once, but at least THREE times when we first watched this movie — in front of our parents no less. If somebody made my child cry, I’d punch them in the face. So that’s what we’re doing — on a metaphysical level — for anybody who’s ever just lost it in front of God and the world while watching E.T. We’re figuratively punching this movie in the face with jokes to defend your honor!

We’re very excited about the crew for this run. In addition to regulars John Erler and Joe Parsons, we’ve got special guest comedians Mac Blake and David Jara whose work you’re familiar with from previous Master Pancake shows (”Conan the Barbarian” and “Roadhouse”) as well as several Alamo-sponsored Filmmaking Frenzies. Most recently they took second place at the “Rewind Kindly” filmmaking frenzy with their amazing 5-minute version of “Die Hard”. Check out the video here (and look for cameos by John and Joe):

We’ve taken a very homemade approach to costumes for our E.T. skit in the middle of the movie. Master Pancake costume designer Joe Parsons has crafted an amazing yet simple E.T. mask out of common household objects. Check out this video of John (and Henri) explaining on KXAN News how to make your own:

Tickets are still available for this weekend’s shows, and you can grab yours right here.
(John)

We had an amazing time at the Red Bull Moontower party this SXSW, and nothing was better than kicking off the whole shebang with the BPM: Beats Per Minute Frenzy awards ceremony. After a special Quote-Along screening of DAZED & CONFUSED, Wiley Wiggins, the star who plays freshman Mitch Taylor in the film, came out from behind the screen and announced his picks for the winners. The final choice was all his, and so he distributed the prizes like this:

In third place, and receiving a beautiful Gibson guitar: Wet Gold by Potato Media.

In second place, and receiving an AMD-powered Dell laptop: I Wanna Have Your Baby by Dial Z For Zombie.

And in first place, receiving an AMD-powered Dell laptop loaded with Gibson music software: Moon Boil by Team Bullet Time.

Congratulations to all the winners, and we hope to see each of you back again for the SON OF RAMBOW Filmmaking Frenzy, currently ongoing!

Check out the films from the 2008 Beats Per Minute Filmmaking Competition! We are in the process of uploading the films to the Filmmaking Frenzy website. But you can see them all, loud and proud at the Alamo Ritz on Monday and Tuesday (same program both nights).

BPM is a 48 Hour filmmaking competition that we have hosted at the Alamo for the past 3 years. This year, we have teamed up with Red Bull for the event. They are throwing a big party during SXSW with some of the best bands around, local and national. Teams were given 48 hours to conceive, shoot and edit a music video for one of the artists playing at the Red Bull Moon Tower party. The videos will be screened in-between sets at the Red Bull Moon Tower and we’ll be announcing the winners at 9:30 PM on the opening Wednesday of the party.

Grand prize for this Frenzy is an AMD-based Dell laptop loaded up by Guitar Center with a music editing package, second prize is an AMD-based Dell laptop and third prize is an Epiphone guitar provided by Gibson.

The 12 finalists will be determined from the online and in-theater voting. The 1st, 2nd and http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif3rd place videos will be chosen by Wiley Wiggins, star of Dazed and Confused, the inspiration behind the Red Bull Moon Tower party.

If you don’t want to watch the videos online, you can cast your vote for all of the films at the Alamo Ritz on Monday and Tuesday.

We’ll also be giving away a pair of 4-day tickets to the Red Bull Moon Tower at each of the screenings. This party is not open to the public and if you know anything about Red Bull, this is going to be THE party to get into this year.

Tickets and Info

Filmmaking Frenzy is proud to announce our next action-packed filmmaking competition, the 2008 edition of BPM (Beats Per Minute), a 48 hour filmmaking competition. At the beginning of the contest teams will be given a song from one of the artists performing at the Red Bull Moon Tower. Once everybody’s checked in, we’ll say “Go!” and immediately you and your team start scrambling: listening to the song, decoding the lyrics, making the shot list, borrowing and stealing guitars, wigs – whatever it takes to make the most entertaining video of them all.

Grand prize for this Frenzy is an AMD-based Dell laptop loaded up by Guitar Center with a music editing package, second prize is an AMD-based Dell laptop and third prize is an Epiphone guitar provided by Gibson. The top 40 films will also be posted on the Red Bull Moon Tower Facebook page., and the top 40 teams will be invited to the Red Bull Moon Tower where their videos will be played in between the live sets of the bands from the competition.

Teams have from between Friday, Feb 29, 7:00 PM and Sunday, Mar 2, 7:00 PM, to produce a music video for a band that will be performing at the Red Bull Moon Tower. All films will be posted online for voting by March 5 at 5:00 PM.

Sign up for a team and see all the rules and info here.

The results are in, and so now I can post the top three Bloodshots 2007 Award Winning movies here for your viewing pleasure.

First up, the grand prize winner:

L.A.R.P.
by Comedia A Go-Go


For that movie which they somehow conceived, shot, edited and created severed heads for all in just 48 hours, Comedia A Go-Go went home from the Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony with $1,000 in cash and a $3,500 gift certificate to build their dream editing machine online at Dell.com thanks to AMD. But there were more people winning more money as well.
Second Place – $700
MOBIUS
by BleuTuna

Audience Award Winner – $300
BEARDO
by Take Me To Your Leader

Of course, there were a lot of other amazing films, too. People got set on fire, men pretended to be roosters and had their own cock fights, and wheelchair-bound psychos got henchmen to murder everyone on their Bloodshots team. All in all, it was a good year for BLOODSHOTS. Now I just can’t wait for the next Filmmaking Frenzy.