How many people does it take to make a movie?
Lots. What about writing, producing, directing, shooting, editing and promoting a full-length feature film from scratch, for the first time, within 12 months?
At Participate Film Academy it took just 10 passionate students to achieve that result during the school’s one-year, part-time feature film course. Their finished 90-minute movie, Sweet Marshall, premieres at Hoyts EQ in Sydney, on 22 April 2009.
This original production by the Participate class of 2008 is a racy crime drama about a modern-day Robin Hood, with a black-and-white sense of justice – so says the film’s synopsis.
Marshall has it all: money, women, designer suits and sports cars. But one thing tops the list: his high-paying job in bank security. It all comes crashing down when Marshall is imprisoned for a robbery he did not commit ...
“We’ve had so much fun making this movie,” says the producer, Sarah Foster-Hogg. “It’s been extreme, but we’re very proud of the film we’ve created. I think audiences will enjoy it too – and that’s what this industry is all about.”
The Participate course is intensive and practical. Each student gains real filmmaking experience and specific filmmaking skills, as well as a world-recognised feature credit that will open doors to a rewarding career.
Participate is the only school in the world that teaches you how to make a movie, while you actually make a movie, from pitching the story idea to staging the red carpet premiere.
“Did I say ‘extreme’?” Despite the gruelling effort required at times to pull this project together, Sarah and her fellow crew reckon they would do it all over again.
Tickets to the Sweet Marshall premiere are on sale now at participate.com.au/store/tickets.html. More about the film is available at www.sweetmarshall.com.
You too could experience the thrill of making a feature film from scratch. The next course for up to 50 students includes a new diploma option and starts in April 2009.
Go to www.participate.com.au for full enrolment details.
Participate Film Academy
... where dreamers become movie makers
