24 Hour Video Race 2010

Required elements:

  • Theme – “Acceptance”
  • Prop – a cell phone
  • Location- the front of a fast food restaurant
  • Dialogue- “Is that all there is?”

We had a great time at this year’s race, and in the end we had a video that we’re very happy with.
First, the requirements:

In the team’s history since 2001, we’ve often had repeat team members from year to year, but we’ve never had exactly the same team. Up until just before the race, it looked like we might repeat the team roster from last year, but it didn’t turn out that way. Kevin from last year’s team couldn’t make it, and we were down to five.

Now the synchronicity begins. Days before the race, Scott had talked about the event to his friend Diana. When it turned out we were short a person, he called her and left a message, asking if she would be interested in joining the team at the last minute. While we were in line at the Angelika waiting to sign in and get our badges before the race, Diana happens to walk up to Scott and say hello. She and her friend Sherry happened to be leaving a movie there. We all met and described the situation. Diana and Sherry sign on, on the spot. Both the rookies have art talents and made solid contributions to the video.

It took several hours to create and refine our idea. We had lots of discussion, disagreements, changes, re-writes, and re-considerations. It was not easy, but we all stuck with it, and eventually we had a plan we liked.

The group had met a couple of times since the last race, and we had collected short videos and films with styles, techniques, and subjects that we liked (see below on this blog), and we had come prepared to try animation as our technique. Paper and foam cutouts, collaged pictures, scissors, glue, still photos, Photoshop and After Effects. Scott and Tina voiced the characters, and Marilyn used her art talents and her fast-food squawk-box voice ( I didn’t know she could do that). Paul made sound effects with his mouth and worked on audio and video. Jason took the parts and pieces and combined them beautifully. His art direction, humor, and technical ability are the best.

All the team members multi-tasked and really kept it moving. There were times early on when I didn’t know whether or not we could finish, but the pace picked up and we had plenty of time. Thanks to Tina for keeping it all very organized.

A Day in the Life:


2nd place award

2nd-place-award

We received the Hollywood 2nd place award at the finals May 24, 2010 (video below). Here’s our lovely glass award. Very nice.

Mr.-Magentahead-and-Jason

Our post magician Jason with his little friend – taken after the awards at the IHOP – birthplace of many Video Race concepts.


Video of the Hollywood category awards