No Extra Time needed for 48Hours Film award winner

On set with some of the cast from short film Extra Time. Donovan Bixley (lying down), Denise Edmonds (left), Jonathon Boniface (centre), Joanna Bixley (right). The Great Lakes Film Society won the Bay of Plenty Vista Foundation 48Hours film competition. Photo / Supplied

They made a cool movie and even cooler memories.

It was topped off last week when the Great Lakes Film Society won the Bay of Plenty Vista Foundation 48Hours Film award with their short film Extra Time.

Cinematographer Joel Corbett said the society formed specifically to enter the competition, with some members drawn from the Taupo Writers Group.

"It's a platform for creative-minded people to connect."

Competing against 22 other teams from the Bay of Plenty, the prize was made up of a cash grant for filmmaking, production packages, a free year's membership to Women and Film in TV, script consultancy, a colour grading package, admission to a New Zealand Writers Guild seminar, annual membership to Digital Pigeon Online, and a trophy.

On the weekend of June 14 to 16 the Great Lakes Film Society gathered at Denise Edmonds' Taupo home.

At 7pm contestants all over the Bay of Plenty were notified of the genre for their film. The Taupo Film Society were told to make a time travel movie.

"It's quite a tricky topic. Angela Alexander came up with a good idea. We all went away for five minutes and came up with an idea to present."

Corbett's concept was voted the best and for the next 48 hours they scripted, directed, found props and filmed a five-minute film titled Extra Time. Technical requirements for 2019 were that the short film contain laughter, a double take, an overhead shot and wind.

The main characters were played by Lindsey Seaton, Donovan Bixley, Angela Alexander and her 1-year-old daughter Izzy. Other cast members were Jonathon Boniface, Dewi Smith and Roy Bowers. The movie was scripted by Edmonds, directed and filmed by Joel Corbett, produced by Joanna Bixley and Kerence Stephen was in charge of props.

"Extra Time is light-hearted and entertaining. A hilarious romp through time, suitable for a family audience," Corbett said.

Bathrobes were the costume and some outdoor filming at a home in Sunset St led to a thumbs down in the Taupo & Turangi Weekender, with one onlooker apparently confusing it with an adult movie in production.

It was followed a week later by a thumbs up, with the writer offering to help out on the set of the "adult" movie.

Alexander screen-shot the newspaper thumbs up and posted it on the VF48Hours forum web page.

"It got kinda famous, people were saying they would vote for us," Alexander said.

The Great Lakes Film Society was looking forward to attending the grand final event in Auckland on August 17 at The Civic.

"The main character [played by Donovan Bixley] wears a bathrobe and an All Blacks beanie. To make it more fun we are all going to turn up in bathrobes."

The next project for the society was to write a pilot episode for a web series based on a movie written by society member Roy Bowers.

"It's about the antics of some residents in a retirement home."

Corbett said it was all about failing fast so they could move to the next level.

"What other times do adults get together and play make-believe for a bit?"

Plans were afoot for Extra Time to screen as a trailer for a charity movie event at Starlight Cinemas in August. Keep an eye on The Great Lakes Film Society Facebook page.