Genres
The year 2013 brings a lot of fun new genre changes! This year we introduce Crime/Gangster and Mistaken Identity! Goodbye Detective/Cop, Film de Femme, Mockumentary and Silent Film - at least for this year. We're also bringing back the popular genres Buddy Film and Superhero. And it wouldn't be the 48 Hour Film Project without those three beloved words: Musical or Western!
After genres have been selected, filmmakers will be given the option to trade in their genre for a Wild Card Genre. Once you switch, you can't switch back! Wild Card Genres will be randomly assigned to each city. (See the list below.)
At the Kickoff Event, each team draws one of these genres from a hat.
- Buddy Film
- Comedy
- Crime/Gangster
- Dark Comedy
- Drama
- Fantasy
- Horror
- Mistaken Identity
- Musical or Western
- Romance
- Sci Fi
- Superhero
- Thriller/Suspense
- Vacation or Holiday Film
If you are the lucky team that draws Musical or Western, you have the choice of making either a Musical or a Western. Or a Musical Western. (Or even a Western Musical!)
Your film must be true to the genre you have selected—and no trading with other teams! You may combine genres (e.g., a silent comedic buddy film).
2013 Wild Card Genres
This year the wild cards are, well, WILD! We've added some tough ones: Martial Arts and Operetta! We've also added some crowd pleasers: Zombie and B Movie. We are happy to introduce our new test genre - Found Footage! You're going to have a good time with these.
- B Movie
- Film de Femme (see below)
- Found Footage (see below)
- Martial Arts
- Mystery
- Operetta (see below)
- Sports/Games/Competitions
- Spy
- Zombie
Film de Femme
Never heard of a Film de Femme? That's because we invented it! This genre is specifically designed by the 48HFP to encourage strong roles for females in 48HFP films. A Film de Femme is a film featuring one or more strong female characters. Romantic comedies or "chick flicks" are included in this genre, but are only a subset.
What's a strong female character? Think Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty, Angelina Jolie in Salt, Pam Grier in Jackie Brown, or Ellen Page in Juno. Smart and complicated. Try to avoid having a woman doing a man's job like a man would do his job. And contrary to public opinion, strong women characters are not required to kill someone!
Found Footage
Found footage is a genre of filmmaking in which part of a film is presented as discovered film or video recordings, sometimes left behind by missing or dead protagonists.
Often, the events on screen are seen through the camera of one of the characters involved. But there are many kinds of "found" footage including security and nanny-cams.
Popular examples are The Blair Witch Project (1999), Paranormal Activity (2007) and Cloverfield (2008). All footage, although appearing to be found, must be shot within the 48 Hour Film period. The film does not have to be a horror film.
Operetta
All dialogue must be sung.
