Can you make a film in a week? In accordance to the Dogme95 doctrine and with what another simplyscripter had proposed, given a week could you shoot a film?

THE RULES

1. The film must be improvised. The plot can be predetermined, though.
2. No superficial action - everything on film must be REAL
3. No artificial lighting or sound. Everything must be produced within the film
4. Props can only come from set
5. Must be filmed on locale.
6. After the week is filmed, you CANNOT reshoot.
7. No genre films
8. Film must be sequential in narrative and filming.

Starting Sunday you MUST shoot through Saturday. You MUST acknowledge each day.
You have to shoot within the week frame and the film must take place over a week.

Can you do it?

This sounds like fun and something I'd like to do. Questions, though...

Quoted Text and the film must take place over a week.

Does the "story" in the film need to last a full week? Is that what you mean?

Quoted Text 8. Film must be sequential in narrative and filming.

Sorry if I don't know what this means, but what does it mean? Haha, does it need to be a narrative with no actual speaking roles? Sorry for my obliviousnous.

Quoted Text You MUST acknowledge each day.

Hmm...so I guess that answers my first question. But do we need to film on each day, or could we film all in one day, and say that each scene or whatever is on a different day?

One last question: Did you get Don's or dogglebe's or whoever's permission to do this?

Sean

I think the Dogme95 doctrine is absurd and that the contention that Dogme is only way to get "pure" film is arrogant and silly.  I'd like to participate in something like this but not on Mr. Von Trier's terms.  Count me out.  Look forward to seeing people's entries.

If people want to argue about Dogme though, let's start a thread in General Chat and not here.

Hey it's you're call. Dogme 95 is just the closest thing that I can compare this too.

The film can be 45 minute or three hours. However the plot must span a week.

Basically, the film has to take place over a week. That is to say if a scene is shot on tuesday it must take place on tuesday. You cannot shoot a film within the week and then say it takes place in a day.

The sequential thing just means that you must shoot on the day the scene takes place.

How long does the film have to be, and when does it have to be posted?

-Rubix

Anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours. It doesn't matter as long as it's feature-length.

August 1st is the day these should be finished and posted.

I don't have any equipment (or experience) to produce anything, but I wouldn't be interested in this.

Quoted Text 8. Film must be sequential in narrative and filming.

This, I thought, is completely silly.  I can't imagine having to shoot a film in sequence.  It would serve no point but to make production more difficult.


Phil

On an interesting note, James Cameron's Aliens was shot completely in sequence except for the scenes with the crew aboard the spaceship.  These were left until the end because Cameron wanted the crew to have the genuine cameraderie of people who had worked closely together for a long time.

I disagree. You can shoot a film in sequence much like you can shoot one out of sequence.

The point is to turn out a film that is true to it's timeline.

Oh and a theme should be "realism".

I agree with dogglebe, especially if it can't have a script.

One more question...there can't be ANY CGI or greenscreen use at all? Or sound effects or anything?

-Rubix

No there can't be post sounds or effects, and yes it has to be shot in sequence.  That's part of the challenge.

There is nothing against mapping the story out, though.

BTW, who is Dogme95 and why this doctrine?

Is this an actual competition?  Or a challenge that filmmaking friends make with each other?


Phil

It's simply kind of a creed that filmmakers attempt. My attempt is to make this into something new and exciting. I'm proposing a thesis that a film can be made in simply a month and that it can turn out well.

Oh and it only has to be shot in a week, though editing can and should take longer. Just to clear that up.

To make a film for the sake of making it or sticking to a thoery for the sake of it, sounds like some form of misplaced vanity.

If you don't have anything to say, don't say it.

Film making, even a 5 minte short should be because you have something to say.

For a young filmmaker/scriptwriter, I guess I'm old fashioned.

The Dogma rules shouldn't be taken as arrogant. They are only really meant to be a bit of fun.

Lars Van Trier departs from them all the time.

They are a useful way of making films that don't cost a lot of money that is all.

They respect the actors as a central part of the creative process, do away with a lot of the superfluous techniques that are used to distrcat the viewer such as sound design, remove the need to use expensive equipment by having everything handheld.

Some of the films made under the Dogma rules have been breathtakingly good.

As ever in the film world, take what you want and leave the rest. Nothing is set in stone.

I'd like to have a go one day as Lars is one of my favourite directors and Andrea Arnolds Red Road is one of the most thought provoking films I have seen in a long time.