48-Hour Shootout to continue amid COVID-19 pandemic, with adjustments
As with many things during this pandemic, the annual 48-Hour Shootout, held by the School of Media Arts and Studies (MDIA), is going virtual. While the event normally occurs during February, coordinators chose to wait to see how things played out with the news of the vaccine and other considerations before making any decisions. With declining case numbers and increasing vaccination rates, the faculty team determined it would be possible to host the weekend-long MDIA tradition with some COVID-conscious adjustments. Team sizes will be limited to 10 members, masks will be required during all stages of production, and COVID testing will be strongly recommended, although participants don鈥檛 have to disclose their results due to privacy reasons.
This year, the shootout will be held April 9-11. This provides students with more advantages than in years past. As participants will be encouraged to shoot outside as much as possible, the spring weather will allow students nicer temperatures and more daylight so outdoor filming can continue into the evening. The equipment rooms will still be available for 91视频 students and equipment must be picked up by 5 p.m. on April 9.
Besides filming, all meetings will be held virtually, with a virtual premiere April 15. The premiere will be live-streamed in real time for anyone to view (including parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.). And in keeping with tradition, a host will be live from Studio 15 to provide commentary between films.
With some students still learning from home, submissions by students not currently in Athens will be accepted as long as they follow team guidelines. That is, at least 75% of a team must be comprised of students from the School of Media Arts and Studies. Another concern with remote submissions is a lack of access to equipment. Coordinator and judge Andie Walla said the judges are more focused on how well entrants use their prop, genre, and line of dialogue rather than on the quality of shots: the way it鈥檚 鈥渁lways been done.鈥 She recommends that students focus on their creative side if they want to go home with an award.
Sign-up deadline is April 2, with a captain鈥檚 meeting April 6. For further questions, contact Andie Walla at walla@ohio.edu.