Best Short Film Winners receive our stunning 11 1/2″ 24K custom gold statuette which is manufactured by R.S. Owens, the same company that manufactured the Oscar for 30 years! All Winners can purchase the award via our online Awards Order Form HERE.
[tabslide]
Title: Night of the Hipsters
Runtime: 3 min
Country: USA
Director: Mauro Flores Jr.
Placement: Award of Merit
Competition: December, 2015
Synopsis: On a night of terror, Dick and Barbara run into a house overrun by… hipsters! A lost movie trailer from the dawn of video rentals.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
MFJR: I live in LA, I’m getting older and the number of hipsters moving here, or people turning into hipsters, has grown significantly. Everywhere I turn now, I see hipsters, and I’ll occasionally find myself sporting or liking something considered “hipster”. It’s unavoidable, so making a parody of “Night of the Living Dead” was a no-brainer.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
MFJR: I conceived the idea about a year before I filmed it. I wrote it in one sitting, then let it sit for awhile before I looked at it again. After that, I set a date, found a house and crew (which was one and the same), sent an email to some friends to see if they were available and willing to work free. It came together pretty quickly after that: it took two days to shoot, with an extra half day for some exterior pickups. In the end, the biggest expense was the El Pollo Loco we bought the cast and crew for lunch one day.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
MFJR: I love the short film format but no matter how good you make it, it’s still just going to be a “calling card”. So, guaranteed, you’re going to lose money on the project. Really, the most difficult part is getting people to work for free or practically nothing.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
MFJR: The fact that I broke my wrist just three days before filming. I was in a sling, and my hand turned purple at one point.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
MFJR: Just shoot it and keep practicing.