The Make My Movie comp is down to its twelve best. Unfortunately, my beloved Be-Trade Me was not good enough for the cut. However, our very own Rajneel’s Number 8 Wire made it!
Even better, he’s leading the ‘likes’ count by over a clear hundred (by the time I’ve written this). However, for this post, I wish to be free of bias. All 757 entries were discussed individually in heavy detail by expert panellists whose task I did not envy in the slightest. With a $100,000 budget, every single one of these finalists has potential oozing from every orifice.
Conversely, there’s every chance those concepts can have their orifices gimp-masked when put into action. In an attempt to make your valuable ‘likes’ a bit more rounded, let’s explore the possible pros and cons of each low-budget contender.
In what seems to be a mystery thriller, with a possible supernatural angle, we follow Ben, a young sound engineer who suddenly discovers that he cannot physically generate any sound. Footsteps, basic contact, none of it can be heard.
We’re also told about an odd yet familiar stranger that seems to know just what the hell is going on. Answers are gonna come at a cost, whatever that may be.
How it could kick ass: A uniquely awesome ability to horrify its audience with its use (and lack) of sound. It’s what you’d expect given the premise, but it’s hard not to get excited thinking of the possibilities. The limited location and heavy reliance on audio compliments the budget finely.
Additionally, you’ve got to wonder how he’ll try to communicate with others, or how people will react to his situation. It’d be an interesting dynamic if they decide to explore that angle.
How they could screw it up: A weak script and an unsatisfying conclusion. The “odd yet familiar stranger” character may end up holding all the weakest plot turns. Let’s just hope there isn’t a “he was a deaf schizophrenic the whole time” twist.
Possible inspirations: The Sixth Sense, The Machinist
We follow a group of six wilderness survivalist experts called out to the middle of nowhere by a distress beacon. The area’s empty.
During further investigation, one of them gets shish kababed in a tripwire trap. Whilst distracted by their comrade’s dire situation, their survival equipment is stolen. From there, it’s them vs. the maniac.
How it could kick ass: By playing on the characters’ vulnerability and paranoia of what may or may not be a trap. Some creative scenes of slaughter are pretty much a given.
How they could screw it up: By giving us completely unoriginal/uninteresting kills and by failing to explain the killer’s (killers’?) motivations, or even why the maniac’s up in the deep forest in the first place.
Possible inspirations: MacGyver, Friday the 13th
Something most NZers are pretty familiar with: taxi footage. With taxi driver and ex-con Tahua as the protagonist, this concept appears to implement some heavy supernatural elements before taking a turn into murder mystery territory.
How it could kick ass: By making it a character piece that focuses Tahua’s attempts to overcome the horrors of his past. Ideally, the supernatural elements would tie in with Tahua’s dark history.
How they could screw it up: By making it solely a shock-tactic “found-footage” Paranormal Activity knock-off. It’s probably not wise to hire an actual taxi either. Those fares are bound to suck up the entire budget within a week.
Possible inspirations: Paranormal Activity, Taxi Driver
This “touchy feely” concept is about an unlikely bond between a deeply religious child and a booze-drinking, porno-reading, swear-spewing priest that grows after a more than shaky start.
The townsfolk collectively raise an eyebrow as suspicions grow as to why the pastor spends so much time with the child. Clearly, this’ll lead to sexual accusations.
How it could kick-ass: By focusing on developing the relationship between the boy and the priest. It’s a concept that could not only be a comedy but a sweet and surprising exploration into the ideas of enjoyment of life and the relevance of faith, all set within the bubbling tension of the gossiping neighbourhood.
How they could screw it up: Sticking solely to cheap laughs and innuendo.
Possible inspirations: Father Ted, About a Boy
Two pals are transported into a low-budget sci-fi film, where any piece-of-crap prop actually works like the object it mimics.
Using their infinite knowledge of geekdom, these dudes save a princess, battle an evil tyrant and save the universe, probably.
How it could kick-ass: By hiring Michel Gondry and playing strictly to their budget. Within this low-budget world they’ve created, they have the ability to mimic epic set pieces with hilariously creative results.
How they could screw it up: By exhausting its audience with an overly long running time or simply being able to create enough inventive scenarios out of the concept.
There’s also the real possibility of looking too budget and not engrossing your audience into your world.
Possible inspirations: The Science of Sleep, Captain N: The Game Master
A bottled drama about an unfortunate case of mistaken identity and (most likely) discriminatory judgement, all held within a bach.
With a family that’s questioning a father’s actions and two confined Maori lads that don’t know what the hell is going on, things get even worse when a road-immobilising storm forces them all inside. Cue conflict.
How it could kick-ass: Great performances and a great script that can highlight the beautiful and/or hideous side of human nature, including an incredible transformation of the protagonist Dave (whichever way that may be).
How they could screw it up: Giving us no reason to empathise with the main characters or feel the intensity or believability of their unfortunate situation, further sullied by a plot with no satisfying resolution (e.g. the bach crumbles, everyone dies). Basically, bad performances and a bad script.
Possible inspirations: Straw Dogs, Death and the Maiden
There were probably a lot of “dream world” concepts floating around the comp, but this one doesn’t seem to piggyback off any blockbusters of similar nature (and by “similar nature,” I mean Inception).
Kill By Mouth, by the sounds of it, is a face-off between a depressed unconscious amateur hypnotist and a crazed psycho-pharmaceutical doctor. Can’t fault this one for creativity.
How it could kick-ass: By giving us a fantastically realised connection between the dream state and the real world.
How they could screw it up: By contradicting or not clearly establishing their world’s “rules”. Just please, PLEASE don’t have a “he was dreaming the whole time” ending.
Possible inspirations: The Illusionist, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
An out-of-luck dude, Toby, gives up the traditional method of meeting women in favour of a more stalkerish-but-let’s-say-it’s-not route.
This has led him to his golden gal: pretty, funny, smart, the trifecta. But now he’s left with the actually-meeting-her phase.
How it could kick-ass: By trying to make a quirky positive argument for stalking, or at least, trying to bring some ironic innocence to it.
How they could screw it up: By not expanding on the idea and simply making a collection of skits that poke fun at the socially awkward.
Possible inspirations: Lars and the Real Girl, American Psycho.
Recorded on their mounted helmet cams, a group of girls cross tapu land whilst mountain biking. Distracted by the possible sight of a young boy, one of the girls crash and breaks her leg.
The girls are stuck in the middle of the forest, with the sun quickly falling. Tapu land, mystery boy, no cell phone reception (duh), freaky shit’s about to happen.
How it could kick-ass: The first-person helmet cams are a great way to avoid the absurdity of “why’s the person still holding the camera?” plaguing many “found-footage” films. It’s the type of strategy that puts viewers straight into the characters’ shoes, effectively mounting the tension this type of idea would provoke.
Having the four protagonists turn on each other would also show a great dynamic.
How they could screw it up: Pacing. The idea works great for the budget but the audience will tire quickly if the film is simply 90 minutes of “four youths freaking out in a forest”.
Possible inspirations: [REC] 2, The Descent
A small town famous for its blue cheese may be in need of their new resident’s help, former porn star Bobby Blue Vein.
How it could kick-ass: It’s all in the character. Robbo (Blue Vein) needs to be a likeable guy. We want him to be accepted by the community he wishes to inhabit. If we can see the small town slowly transform from repulsion to accepting of “Bobby’s” background, this could be a film with a surprising amount of heart and charm.
How they could screw it up: Relying too much on vulgarity and cheesiness. Well, the cheesiness can stay, just don’t bombard audiences with a dick pun every minute.
Possible inspirations: The Full Monty, Kinky Boots
If it weren’t for the last line of the description, you probably wouldn’t think of The Helmet as a “L.O.L” comedy.
A dude is forced to pull off a bank heist. He screws up. He discovers a time travelling helmet that will take him back one hour. Whoa.
How it could kick-ass: By cleverly planning out the timelines and how each jump affects every event.
How they could screw it up: Throwing time travel into a kidnapping-bank-heist-comedy runs the risk of a story being far too convoluted. It’s still very doable, it could just benefit from a bit of focus in order to reduce that risk.
Possible inspirations: Dogs Day Afternoon, Source Code
Two dudes and a girl in her late teens kidnap an Arab-American university professor. The blurb is pretty heavy, but no doubt there’ll be bountiful plot-twists, character-heavy conflict and more than one person not telling the truth.
How it could kick-ass: An extremely well-written script and dynamite acting. Through the description alone we’re given some pretty bold characters.
How they could screw it up: By being unoriginal or having extremely unrealistic plot twists.
Possible inspirations: Tape, The Disappearance of Alice Creed
