Filipino wins New York competition for fast filmmaking

Some epic films take years to complete. Then there are the 24-hour wonders. Paolo Dy proved that a worthy movie can be produced in just one day. The Manila-based filmmaker and commercial director won Best Overall Film and three other awards in the 2010 US National 24 Hour Film Race Competition with his two-minute film, "Creative License." Apart from winning first place, the film won the Best Direction, Best Sound Design and Audience’s Choice at the annual film race. The competition is proof that today's digital tools can shorten nearly every creative process, without necessarily sacrificing quality. Filmmaking used to be a laborious, time-consuming and expensive craft. By dumping fresh digital footage into a laptop, a filmmaker in a hurry can edit on the fly these days. But the extra challenge for Dy and his experienced collaborators was working fast in unfamiliar territory -- New York. Making of a fast film New York filmmakers Charlie Weisman and Craig Flamm created the Film Racing competition in 2002 with the NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness, where they invited filmmakers from around the country to New York. The challenge was to create an original short film in 24 hours. Weisman and Flamm wanted to know if a movie could be made in 24 hours. At the beginning of the race, participating teams are given two elements: the theme and a surprise element. The teams then have to write, shoot and edit the movie in 24 hours. Dy and his team Angry Doxen Films were given the theme exaggeration and the surprise element, a prop - pizza. With Cathy Azanza as the writer and Christopher Fabregas as the one-man cast, Dy directed the touching and humorous short film and came up with "Creative License." Shot in Brooklyn, New York, the film features a Filipino struggling to cope with American life. “The film was inspired by conversations we had with Pinoy friends living in New York and elsewhere," says Azanza on Dy's website. “Like most immigrants, they are very willing to give up certain luxuries and make sacrifices to build a life for themselves. But, of course, their families back home worry. Out of love, they find that at times they have to get ‘creative’– just like the character, played by Christopher in the film – to stop their families from worrying," says Azanza. "Creative License" is in Filipino with English subtitles, but it is easy for anyone to relate to the story. “We were very conscious about making the film about what was close and real to us, which is why we chose to write it in Filipino," adds Dy, “At the heart of it, we just hoped we could tell a story people could relate to and a character people could feel for – no matter what language we used. More than a Filipino story, we hoped to tell a very human one." Weisman presented Dy and Azanza with their First Place prize package, consisting of a cash prize, a one-year scholarship with Writers Boot Camp, plus professional film and audio editing software from Sony Creative Software. Film Racing has expanded to 20 cities throughout North America, with over 2,000 films created. Apart from being viewed online, the films are showcased on the big screen across America. For more on the 24 Hour Film Race 2011, please visit http://www.filmracing.com/24/24HourFilmRace.htm – HS, GMA News