Our next 3 Minute Wonder theme is ‘My Home Town’. We’ve taken inspiration from Guy Maddin, who just made a docu-fantasia film My Winnipeg, to excellent reviews.
It’s about his memories and dreams and experiences growing up in a small boring town. How did where you come from help shape who you are today? You don’t need to physically put yourself in front of the camera, but you must stamp your own personality firmly onto your film. And in homage to Guy’s experimental nature, we want to ask you to really push the boundaries of what documentaries can and should be like.
One way to create something for this is to write commentary to lay down with moving images of your home town, perhaps reflecting on how it’s changed, or why you love/hate/am so totally indifferent to it.
Perhaps you could use archive in an interesting way, or like Guy use your siblings to reenact key moments from your childhood. Is there something strange happening in your hometown that outsiders would never guess goes on? Or an interesting character to investigate, someone who everyone recognise, but few know much about? Perhaps this could be a chance to try out basic animation techniques or a new self interviewing technique. We want to build up a collection of intimate insights into places around the UK, and the people who live there, that visually look completely different.
As well as 4 films being played on Channel 4 (and receiving £1500 each) Guy is going to pick one film to go the DVD of My Winnipeg as an extra feature. And that person will also win a holiday to Canada! The distribution company Soda Pictures have a built a site for you upload your films to directly, and read more about the competition. You need to get films up on-line and send us the link by the end of August, so get thinking and creating now. And feel free to post any questions about style and techniques here, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Comments
Hi there,
I was wanting to apply for this round of 3 min wonders ‘My Home Town’…. Is there a way to submit the ideas….. I could only find the link to uploading the films which is great for the one I’ve shot which could fit, but presumed this round wasn’t for films that had been shot, but more for new ideas…?! I’m probably just not navigating the site properly, but could you let me know?!
Thanks,
Loren
Hey Loren – Like all our 3MW strands, My Home Town is a competition for 3 minute films which are already made – not for ideas. So upload the one you’ve done already to the mywinnipeg.co.uk site and send the link into FourDocs send your films section. The raeson we ask for films and not ideas is that it’s easier to show the best to commissioners and get meetings for the filmmakers, so they can discuss bigger ideas they have. Good luck!
Hello I submitted my fantasia film “my home town” this week.
I am worried I am going to miss the deadline, as I am not sure if I have submitted it correctly.
I havent uploaded since the site has changed.
I see you wrote above
upload the one you’ve done to the mywinnipeg.co.uk
however I cant see a section for uploading!
Please help!
thankyou
Michelle
Is there going to be a 3 minute wonder theme now that the home town doc is finished? MY hometown had nothing to it, I tried to make one but it was so dull and depressing , that I couldnt bear to watch it, I even tried to make it on how I dont like the town but it didnt help matters.
There won’t be another theme for a little while, as we sort through my home town entries, and organised some screenings. We’ll keep you in the loop, but remember you can still make a FourDoc on anything. We will be posting films and reviews later this month – so keep watching!
Hi, I sent my film in for the home town theme, but am now worried it was uploaded to the wrong place. It was a bit confusing, as the “send us your link” section in the description above just went to the general section on Four docs for uploading films, so I uploaded it to the general section. I’m now worried that it was uploaded to the wrong section- was there a specific sight? Thanks for your help. Jules.
Hi Rebecca,
Grab a coffee as this is a long one….
I have just received by email the 12 shortlisted films in the Your-Winnipeg competition from Soda Pictures. The curious thing is there are only 11 films shortlisted?
Another curious thing is: 2 of the shortlisted films apparently do not appear in the entries list on the Yourwinnipeg web site nor are they listed under My Hometown/Your Winnipeg on youtube?
As Channel 4 was represented on the judging panel would it be possible that you or anyone involved could explain these apparent anomalys as I’m sure all the filmmakers who submitted entries for the theme/contest will be as curious as I am over this.
Can I also use this opportunity to suggest something to you; that as well as putting up a selection of 12 of these films for review on the new YouTube site, that it would be a really great thing, and a nice gesture from Channel 4 for all the filmmakers concerned, especially in view of the comments you made in your recent blog, about the high quality of the entries submitted for the competition, that each and every film entered be listed on the Channel 4/YouTube website and given a short review from someone from Channel 4.
I know this is asking alot and I do realise that you must all be very busy but this doesn’t have to be done overnight and you must be aware how much this would mean for any filmmaker who works hard producing thier films, nearly always struggling in some way with no budget, and who would so appreciate some feedback about thier work; more especially so from their artistic peers and a Broadcaster who has done so much to promote unknown filmmakers.
So how about it Rebecca – can Channel 4 go the extra mile?
Thanks for listening….
Dave
12 films have been shortlisted, and I have been in touch with those 12 filmmakers. However the email sent out to the other filmmakers accidentally forgot to list 1 film, Hungerford: Symphony. Thanks for pointing this out Dave – I’ll make sure an amended email goes out today.
Regarding reviewing all the films – I will try my best to get some feedback to people. I totally agree with you, it’s really important that each film you make develops you and is a learning experience.
Hi Dave, I have to hold my hands up here and apologise for not being too on the ball last Friday when I missed the 12th film from the list. As Rebecca states above this film was ‘Hungerford: Symphony’.
In regards to your second enquiry you are correct in stating that 2 films from the list don’t feature on the Your Winnipeg site (Photographic Memory & Melancholy Objects) this was due to the wonder that is technology not allowing several entrants to upload their films via the Winnipeg site and we had to accept their submissions via links to other video sites. However both films will be appearing on the Fourdocs site over the next few weeks so you will be able to view them.
I apologise for any inconvenience and confusion caused.
-Marie (Soda Pictures)
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