Enthusiastic teams from the Bay of Plenty will be out filming this weekend, with the hope of winning regional and national prizes in this year's hp48Hour film challenge.
Twelve local teams from Opotiki, Rotorua, Te Puke and Tauranga are competing, with BOP Film managing the BOP regional entries.
The BOP launch event was held at Ignition in Grey Street, Tauranga. Teams gathered during the hour before the competition started, with BOP Coordinator Annmarie Lawler explaining the competition rules. The use of camera drones, copyright, public spaces, and health and safety requirements were also covered. Many teams have competed before.
'Last year our team won ‘The Incredibly Strange' Award,” says Gary Benner. 'We also won the $100 award for product placement for hp.”

Maree Bieleski and Gary Benner

Matua residents Alastair McLean and his son Hamish, age nine, have named their team ‘Too much noise, not much sense'.
'I think ‘Too much noise, not much sense' suits us quite well,” says Alastair.
'Dad said he may have accidentally entered us,” says Hamish, smiling.

Lucie Locke (10) with mum Erin Locke

Lucie Locke, age ten, attends Omokoroa N.o. 1 School, and is entering the 48 Hour film competition with her mum Erin Locke.
'We did it last year,” says Lucie.
'We absolutely loved it,” says Erin. 'And we got second choice in ‘people's choice'. We're going to win this time!”
Asked if they had been practising for the weekend, Erin said they hadn't. She and Lucie were hoping for either horror or sci-fi as their genre.
'We're going to get creative tonight,” says Erin. 'All weekend.”

Team Candyfloss Cloud Productions - Jacob Day, Lochie Barton, Ashleigh Ngow, Eli Wichmann, Anmol Gill and Vishpinder Sidhu – all from Te Puke.

Jacob Day, Lochie Barton, Ashleigh Ngow, Eli Wichmann, Anmol Gill and Vishpinder Sidhu are the six team members from Te Puke, who make up the keen Candyfloss Cloud Productions team. In 2017, they won ‘Best Cinematography', and were runner-up for the Bay of Plenty.

Team Poleland Productions - Amber Rodgers, Cameron Macintosh, Kylie Bertelsen, Stephanie Sidebottom – from Otumoetai College.

Team Poleland Productions also competed in 2017. Team members are Amber Rodgers, Cameron Macintosh, Kylie Bertelsen, and Stephanie Sidebottom. All students of Otumoetai College, Team Poleland came first in 2017 in the school teams, winning ‘Best technical element' and ‘Best sound effect' Dressed again in their onsie's, this is their third consecutive year entering the hp48 competition.

At 7pm, the competition started, with teams being given their genres, ranging from monster movie, high school movie, the fish-out-of-water movie, wish movie, technological thriller, star-crossed lovers, splatstick, time travel, heist, anti-romcom, the last day on earth movie, back from the dead movie, the film that spans more than ten years, and the musical. Teams were also all told they must include three elements in their short film – a door slamming, a silhouette or shadow, and a puddle.
Competitors are expected to return to Ignition in Grey Street, Tauranga from 4pm onwards on Sunday afternoon. They must have their entry in by 7pm at the latest, otherwise they will be disqualified.
Each team was given a tray of V drink to take away with them, and can win spot prizes over the weekend. Photos and team updates can be viewed by following the hashtag #HP48