Agent Dare stands in the middle of a deserted restaurant. His girlfriend has just been taken hostage and three henchmen stand before him. After some witty banter with his arch-nemesis, Yellow Jacket, Dare jumps aside as one of the goons lunges forward to attack. Agent Dare flips his first assailant before kicking a second and slamming the third’s face against a nearby table.
Though this seems like a scene straight out of a big-budget Hollywood action flick, it’s not. This is the work of two college students, a group of their friends and an event that hopes to bring as many of these kinds of stories to the rest of the world: Campus MovieFest.
Campus MovieFest is the world’s largest student film festival. Started in 2000 by four Emory University students, CMF travels from campus to campus providing students with the equipment necessary to make a five-minute short film. CMF lends students filming equipment, computers and whatever support they may need to complete their project in one week.
This year's festival has brought together 100,000 students, 50 campuses and $400,000 in prizes. Winners have the chance to play their entries on the big screen at individual school red carpet finales and one huge International Grand Finale at the end of the year.
Arizona State University students Chris Nash and Martin Anthony are no strangers to Campus MovieFest. Having won Best Comedy and Best Drama, respectively, last year, the pair teamed up thanks to the power of modern technology — more specifically, Facebook.
Nash had been working on another project when his then film partner bailed out on him. With nothing but a tiny flip cam, he took to Facebook.
“It started with a Facebook message saying 'I just got this cool camera. It sucks. I’m going to make something,’” says Anthony, who contacted Nash soon after.
Originally an engineering student, Anthony decided to switch his major to film and media studies after heavy consideration.
“I was making little films since I was in high school, even grade school, and it was just something I always wanted to do,” says Anthony. “I just thought about it really hard one day and just said ‘I’m going to do it.’”
At the time of Nash’s Facebook message, he had a camera and he wanted to make something too. They’ve been working together ever since.
It’s 5 a.m. when I arrive at Caffé Boa. Though the rest of the Mill Avenue establishments are rightly closed, the lights inside the local restaurant are still on.
Inside, ASU students Chris Nash and Martin Anthony are creating their movie, "Yellow Jacket."
Modeled after a classic James Bond flick, "Yellow Jacket" pulls heavily from 1950s spy movies while incorporating aspects of modern action films like "Troy" and "The Bourne Identity."
"From the audience’s point of the view, the man and the women are having a dinner,” Nash says. “And then the woman is abducted, and the man handles himself (in this case, fighting off said abductors) so you have a feeling he knows what he’s doing.”
Upon arrival, I’m ushered in hurriedly and made to sit on a corner. There is no time for words, as Nash and Anthony race to finish the take.
It is the last day of filming. They need to be out of the café by 10 a.m.
Early this morning, the restaurant is unrecognizable. Save for some upturned tables and chairs, the spot usually intended for upscale dining now serves as the stage for the student film’s fight scene.
The cast and crew look tired. They've been filming since 11 p.m. the night before. Every second matters and there is no time for resting. The next five hours are to be filled with shooting, shooting and more shooting — all this for a five-minute film.
By the time "Yellow Jacket" is complete, Nash and Anthony believe they will have completed 22 hours of filming. The fight scenes are rehearsed multiple times before each shot, with Nash giving his actors suggestions on how to approach every punch, kick and flip.
With a tired but willing cast and crew, Nash and Anthony soldier on even when sunlight starts creeping into the establishment.
It is a little over a week before I meet with Nash and Anthony again. Looking much more relaxed in Nash’s apartment than they did on location, they talk freely about the film and their experience.
“You came on the day when we were the most stressed,” says Nash. “We were originally quoted one day maybe two. Then I asked for four days and they said yeah.”
Trouble arose with Caffe Boa's management regarding scheduling and the filmmakers had to adjust their filming schedule.
But the pair encountered no trouble following the guidelines of the competition, obtaining release forms to show logos and music copyright papers. Nevertheless, they certainly had to go the extra mile to make their action flick. Campus MovieFest has restrictions against dangerous activity, so Nash and Anthony had to take the necessary steps to make sure they could follow the rules while creating cinematic action.
“We had to find people that had years of training and experience in armed fighting and martial arts,” Nash says. “And then we made them all [sign] waivers and rehearsed for four nights prior to the shooting... We had a six inch rule. Not a single punch was allowed to come within 6 inches of anybody.”
The pair’s job didn’t end that night at the restaurant. They still had the arduous job of editing before they could turn in their submission for CMF.
“If you do it correctly, editing should take either the same amount of time or twice the amount of time of filming,” says Nash. “I think we did it in half the time, maybe 11 or 15 hours editing. We didn’t have enough for that.”
Even after one week and five minutes, Nash and Anthony are not yet done with their project. They plan on making a director’s cut version.
Campus MovieFest will host a screening of the top 16 student films — including "Yellow Jacket" — on Oct. 25 at MADCAP Theaters. Following the screening, prizes will be awarded for best comedy, drama and overall film.
The screening begins at 8 p.m., doors open at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
