How do I break into the film industry?
While “breaking in” means different things to different people, the first step is to either make your own film or find a way to be attached to a film by supporting its production in some substantive way.
If you live in the Treasure Valley, this is far easier than you may think. According to i48 Film Competition and Film Festival co-founder, Andrew Ellis, the nonprofit organization is a gateway into filmmaking for many Idahoans. In addition to i48 and several other competition and festival offerings is their annual h48 horror film competition.
While you can read about the 2020 i48 Film Festival from an attendee perspective, here you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating a short film and insight into who to connect with, so you can take the first step on your journey to breaking in.
The h48 Competition Rules
Friday, October 15th, 2021, 6:00 p.m.—All registered teams receive an information packet that includes an assigned sub-genre for their horror film, a line of dialogue, and a prop that must be incorporated into each film.
Sunday, October 17th, 6:00 p.m.—Just 48 hours after receiving their assignments, all teams are required to submit their completed 4-6-minute films.
The Film Competition Team
Kody Newton, founder of Newton to Newton Productions, and “The Stull Train,” Jared, Nichole, and their five children (including award-winning actors Holland and Remi) immediately clicked when they met several years ago and in addition to the commercial work they do on their own have been working on films together ever since. Their 2019 i48 Film Competition and Festival short film “For Jane” has won a total of 16 awards outside of i48, including: Most Heartwarming Film, Missouri’s Desoto Film Fest; Best Short, Christian Online Film Fest; Best Child Actor (Holland Stull), American Golden Picture International Film Festival (2020); Winner Long Short, Berlin Flash Film Festival (2020).
h48 Sound Designer and aspiring documentary filmmaker Brian Morgan has also partnered with Kody and the Stulls. He and Nichole wrote “Girl from the South,” a short film loosely based on Roald Dahl’s short story “Man from the South.” Holland Stull played the lead female character in their adaptation. The film has won awards for Best Dark Comedy, Twin Falls Sandwiches Festival; Best Sound and Music, Dark Comedy Film Festival; and was a finalist in the Scream Writing Festival. He describes these competitions as “a stressful, exhausting thrill ride start to finish” but goes on to say that “The impact of film … can last for generations and change people’s lives.”
Holland Stull is an actress and singer who’s been a valuable team member for a number of competition and other short films written, produced, and directed by Kody and her parents. She has also done commercial work and has her sights set on Hollywood and Broadway.
Second AC Channing Fieselman is an aspiring writer and director recently out of high school who is interesting in working in a variety of genres. This is his second film competition.
B Camera operator Nathan Russell has loved cameras for as long as he can remember, but only in the past 2 years has he started seriously pursuing a career as a commercial filmmaker. He’s particularly interested in advertising and has been making short films and posting them on his YouTube channel, Russell Studios.
After taking many video classes in high school, First AC Phillip Stucker decided to go to college to pursue an education in film and photography. Of filmmaking he says, “It’s one of the most versatile artforms, and there’s no one right way of doing things.” Phillip’s most recent film is “AJAR.” This is his third time competing in a 48-hour competition. He’s particularly fascinated in seeing “what crazy creativity can get rushed out in 48 hours” and to see the different levels of quality when films are screened. I share his fascination and can hardly wait to see how the process works.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
8:30 p.m.—team Zzz Sleepy Time aka Newton to Newton Productions gathers at Director Kody’s home, grabs pizza, and settles in for pre-production meeting
8:46 p.m.—assigned sub-genre: supernatural; ideas fly, some better than others; each moving further away from cliché and toward something viable
The driving question is: Is this idea viable?
If yes, can the story arc be executed within the time constraints of this competition?
If yes, does the team have the resources—location, actors, wardrobe, props, etc.—to execute the idea?
Not considered at this point are where the competition-required prop and line of dialog fit in. This is a story first approach.
11:42 p.m.—team settles on a slasher film, high tension with a comedic release
The film will star Holland Stull and a professional male actor who will show up for filming. The location will be an apartment Brian offered for use. Call time TBD.
11:47 p.m.—white boarding story beats
Saturday, October 16th
INT. OFFICE – NIGHT
12:46 a.m.—idea still fuzzy, but Kody has done this many times, team breaks for the night; Kody begins writing slasher script
4:00 a.m.—with no ideas flowing, Kody abandons slasher script; writes different story for lead actor and adult Nichole instead of teen Holland
6:30 a.m.—script finished, Kody goes to bed
10:30 a.m.—Kody wakes to incoming text: lead actor cancels
10:36 a.m.— 6 hours to go before off-site filming, Kody sits to write script #3; Nichole out, Holland back in
5:30 p.m.—cast and crew call time; new location—a home in an established neighborhood
6:00 p.m.—set-up
Actress Holland and the film crew clearly love what they do. Standing at the kitchen sink prepping for scene 1, Nichole says, “What’s cool is that you have forty-eight hours intensity and then you have this thing.” Her eyes are bright and as she says, “this thing” and gestures as if holding something of weight in her hands.
Everything Nichole does as Production Designer in purposeful, down to her selection of the required competition prop. Her selection from the options available pays dividends later, adding to the cinematic quality of the film. As Assistant Director, a suggestion she makes for changing one action in the script levels up the creep factor and overall success of Kody’s villain.
INT. GARAGE – NIGHT 7:00 p.m.—Channing steps in frame, slate in hand; cameras roll; “Scene 2, take 1” Clap!
While what everyone is doing interests me, I find myself draw to Phillip’s position. He’s sitting on the bumper of Kody’s van, which is sitting backward in the driveway, back door raised. Phillip has removed his glasses. His face is inches away from a monitor mounted on a C-stand. With eyes glued to the screen as “film” rolls, he holds a piece of equipment in one hand and twists its dial with the other. After Kody yells “Cut!” I ask Phillip to explain.
He tells me that he’s “pulling focus,” a term that in all my reading and video watching, I’ve never heard. He tells me that high-end filmmaking cameras don’t autofocus. It’s the job of the First AC to communicate with and understand the vision of the director regarding who or what to focus on in any given shot and at any given time. Phillip’s focus is intense. Long after I’ve shoved my hands deep into my pockets to shield them from the cold, he does his job without complaint.
Shot after shot, take after take, scream after scream, outside, then inside, the big and little hands of the large clock on the dining room wall work their way around until Saturday fades into Sunday.
Sunday, October 17th INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT 12:30 a.m.—pause for dinner of home-made pasta, admiration of the vat of fake blood concocted by SFX Makeup creators Dutchlin Stull and Tylin Newton, mental break before moving to more complicated villain and victim scenes
Fit as he is, Sound Recorder Brian seems most relieved for the break. Not only is he on his feet for every take, he must hold the boom mike above Holland’s head and out of frame. I now understand why so many camera operators and on-set sound people look like they spend hours each day in the gym. The entire crew is in good spirits, but the pressure and lack of sleep are starting to show.
1:26 a.m.—Kody estimates 2 more hours of shooting; changes into costume and submits to Nichole’s makeup process while Director of Photography Jared takes over directing duties
Nathan, whose eyes have wandered to the large clock in the wall, has stayed as long as he is able and finally says goodbye.
Camera A is now unmanned.
Kody scans the room and offers the position of operating expensive B Camera to anyone who wants a turn. Tweenager Dutchlin volunteers. Kody still sitting in the makeup chair doesn’t flinch. According to him, participating in i48 and h48 competitions is all about finding ways to incorporate his and the Stull’s children into the filmmaking process by “creating memories by capturing memories.”
With a body now on B Cam, filming resumes.
Although he has camera and editing credits, this is Jared’s first time as DP. It is during his time in charge of the set that he transcends to a level he’s only heard described. He feels the shot. He knows it’s right, that the take is the one.
Makeup finally done, Kody and crew move into the garage for the villain and victim scenes. Large lights positioned in the driveway still flood through the windows. “Atmosphere” hangs in the air.
INT. GARAGE – NIGHT, Channing steps into frame: “Scene 4. Take 1.”Clap!
The thin garage doors are the only thing between Holland’s screams and the quiet darkness between film set and neighbors’ homes.
I wait for the police to come tell us to shut up or shut down.
5:14 a.m.—filming wraps
No cops. Neighbors must be as tolerant of all-night filming sessions as competitors.
By 6:00 a.m. all gear has been properly dealt with and loaded into vehicles, and crew members are heading home. Nichole stays to pack up the last of craft services, clean, and set all the furniture to right.
6:30 a.m.—Kody back home at computer
With only 11 ½ hours before the submission deadline, Kody closes himself off in his editing bay to pull together from 3 hours and 18 minutes of footage a film of no more than six minutes in length.
At 4: 16 p.m., Kody is still editing. Computer monitors of various sizes and orientations dominate the corner that is his editing bay. The glow of the screens provide enough light to see a pair of large speakers on each side of his desk. Film posters hang from walls lined with shelves and boxes of gear. He’s spent the last 2 months in this room editing a feature-length film. He’s tired. Happy to do this competition but ready to see his wife and get some sleep.
4:26 p.m.—Kody shows me first full but unfinished cut
Kody tells me that one of his goals as a producer and director is “to remove all technical issues from the equations, so the story is what viewers focus on.” This shows in his attention to detail on set and in the editing bay.
4:54 p.m.—Kody submits version 1 in case something goes wrong with the final cut and he’s unable to submit prior to deadline
5:09 p.m.—color correction still needed; strategic choice not to use music 5:47 p.m.—began upload of final competition cut 5:55 p.m.—confirmation of successful file transfer
The final h48 cut run time was 05:42.
Total cost including craft services and wardrobe accessories came in at approximately $190.00.
Saturday, October 23: h48 Film Festival and Award Ceremony
INT. EGYPTIAN THEATRE - NIGHT
One week after the competition, teams gather at the historic Egyptian Theatre in downtown Boise to see their films screened and learn how they ranked. Up for grabs are cash and trophies:
Best Film: $250 and trophy
2nd Best Film $100 and trophy
Best Baddie/Villain: trophy
Best Scream Queen: trophy
Best Special Effects: trophy
The atmosphere is party-like, and the campier offerings are crowd pleasers. The opening scene of “The Gray Box” elicits murmurs, clear approve of its production value. The first jump scare gets a “Yeaaaah!” from one enthusiastic viewer.
Kody is out of state shooting a feature film so not in attendance. Nathan and Brian are also off on other adventures. Holland will soon fly to Georgia to begin the next phase of her professional journey. But tonight Jared, Nichole, Holland, and Remi Stull are still together. Phillip is here with co-writer of “AJAR,” Wendy A. White. Channing is here too. All mixing, mingling, and basking in the glow of old-school movie theatre lighting and the satisfaction that comes with doing something most people only talk about doing someday.
The Zzz Sleepy Time/Newton to Newton Productions team ends up taking home three trophies and enough cash to cover about half of the out-of-pocket expenses producing the film required. Each also have more experience and another asset they can leverage to advance their creative careers. As he did with “For Jane” and others, Kody will submit “The Gray Box” to other festivals far and wide. The film is also available for all to see on YouTube.
“The Gray Box” 2020 h48 Film Festival Awards
2nd Best Film
Best Scream Queen, Holland Stull
Best Baddie/Villain, Kody Newton
This behind-the-scenes experience underscores what I took away from covering the i48 Film Festival in August—film competitions and festivals offer the kind of real-world education that no amount of independent study can provide and a practical, low-pressure way to enter an industry with no clear path to success.
To learn more about i48, h48, and other film competitions and festivals under the i48 umbrella, visit the ih8 website.
