What do you do if you’re not happy with the state of the cinematic landscape? What if you think that the industry doesn’t do enough to support emerging talent? What if you think the old-fashioned distribution model is rigged in favour of the status quo? Most people would just sit back and do nothing. But not PlayStation.
Instead, they went out and recruited six of the world’s hottest young directors for PlayStation Shoot!, an ambitious short-filmmaking competition that represents a bold step forward for the medium.
Each director was commissioned with a one-word brief that represented a core aspect of the PlayStation essence: Play, Create, Share, Connect, Discover and Challenge. Brief in hand, and supported by award-winning executive producers including Michael Winterbottom and Thomas Vinterberg, they were free to create a short film whose only limitation would be their imagination.
At the end of the project, which culminates in a finale event in Berlin on February 13, a winner will be announced. But the real prize for each film is that it will be available to download for free, in high definition, over the PlayStation Network.
Why should you care? Because PlayStation has kicked down the doors of the traditional distribution model and created its own Third Way. All of a sudden, short filmmakers are potentially looking at a brand new platform through which they can reach thousands of enquiring new minds.
Over the next week, we’re going to be introducing you to all of the filmmakers and their movies, but for starters, check out our interview with Michael Winterbottom – British filmmaking legend and exec producer of the short film Bitter.
Check out the official site for more info, and keep your eyes peeled for our first director interview, which’ll be landing on the site tomorrow.
