Last year Tim’s enchanting 90 second short The Launderette won the Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award at the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival. DepicT! is open to anyone, anywhere in the world, on any budget, and in any genre. There is only one caveat: the film must have a maximum running time of 90 seconds. That’s it – we really are looking for the shortest of the short.

Each year the shortlisted DepicT! films get priceless exposure at Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival. One of the fantastic things about Encounters are the incredible opportunities to network and speak to real industry professionals: it was this experience that proved crucial when Tim began working on his ideas for The Pitch.

The Pitch challenges up and coming filmmakers to pitch their film ideas: Tim made it to the last 10 finalists and was invited to the legendary Pinewood Studios where judges editor-at-Large of Empire Film Magazine, Nev Pierce, Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park, and screenwriter Stuart Hazeldine declared Tim the winner.

Tim will now receive mentoring from filmmaking professionals who will help develop his idea, Samson, into a 20 minute short film due to be recorded during the summer. Once filming has wrapped he will fly to Tinseltown where he’ll have a private meeting with Producer Ralph Winter (X-Men, Fantastic Four) for yet more invaluable industry tips and advice.

Tim says:

Winning an award last year at DepicT! gave me such a boost of confidence and self-belief: it certainly encouraged me to dream big and has increased my ambition to want to go on and do bigger and better films. DepicT! and Encounters in general provided such a great opportunity for me to meet other filmmakers who are at a similar stage or a few stages further on – that is invaluable when you’re looking to progress as a filmmaker.

If you want a brilliant, credible place to start your career in film, I’d wholeheartedly recommend entering a film into DepicT! – it did wonders for me, and I’m sure it’ll do wonders for you too!

You too could be jetting off to Los Angeles some day: DepicT! is open for submissions now – enter your film for free online before Mon 9 July and keep those fingers crossed!

Every year, the shortlisted DepicT! filmmakers are given the opportunity to network at the Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival (18-23 Sept 2012) where they get to meet distributors, producers, funders, exhibitors, other filmmakers and, of course, enthusiastic short film fans. The role of Encounters for the development of short-film careers is paramount – “The cinematic Trojan horse returns, smuggling short film-makers into the big league, even more so now it’s a qualifying festival for the Oscars and Baftas.” (The Guardian on Encounters 2011)

DepicT! is now in its thirteenth year and we pride ourselves on the quality of our little gems. Just make sure your tiny film is hugely distinctive, imaginative and engaging. We’re always amazed by the huge amount of creativity that can be packed into such a short amount of time so whatever your background – go for it.

Previous DepicT! winners have regularly gone on to be screened at other international film festivals and been picked up by commercial distributors, and some have carved themselves successful careers in the film industry – even being recognised as Stars of Tomorrow by industry magazine Screen International. Sarah Cooper from the magazine and a member of the International DepicT! Jury in 2011 says about the festival: “With a host of talented UK and international short film-makers mingling with buyers, producers and industry bigwigs, it felt like a great place to make contacts, talk business and spot potential stars of tomorrow…”

The 2011 DepicT! winner Nick Fogg shares her take on the competition:

“It’s brilliant, and very exciting! There’s been such a positive response to the film so far. And hopefully it will now be screened in lots more places. DepicT! is a very accessible competition with a fantastic set of prizes.”

You have until Mon 9 July to upload your short film which gives you plenty of time to read the rules and also get a little inspiration by checking out our archive of over ten years of snappy shorts. If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to drop us a line on depict@watershed.co.uk

PLUS: Our friends at Shooting People, the international networking organisation dedicated to the support and promotion of independent filmmaking, are offering every filmmaker who submits a film into DepicT! a discounted membership!

Now time to put that thinking cap on, go out and make those films!

A huge thank you to the sponsors, partners and supporters of DepicT! who enable us to run the competition, and also to all the filmmakers who submit their 90 second films without which we wouldn’t have a competition!

Keep up to date with the latest DepicT! news…
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Do you have a film that’s longer than 90 seconds? Filmmakers and animators from around the world are invited to submit to the 18th Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival competition between 1 March – 6 June 2012 for a chance to win a major prize or a prestigious award nomination including BAFTAs, Cartoon d’Or, European Film Awards & Oscars® for which Encounters is a qualifying festival. For more info, visit: encounters

Out of a dizzying 500 films from 30 countries, 14 tiny films were shortlisted for their distinctive, imaginative and engaging qualities.

DepicT! is a brilliant opportunity for filmmakers to challenge themselves to come up with a strong, imaginative idea to engage audiences in less than 90 seconds. It’s the original ultra-short film competition in this country offering a space for quality and ambition, giving short-listed filmmakers priceless exposure, through networking and development opportunities at Encounters, the UK’s leading short film festival.

Juror David Sproxton of Aardman Animations and Screen International’s Sarah Cooper presented the main DepicT! Award of £1,500 to Nick Fogg for her documentary film ‘Wake’ about 87-year old Lis who is still determined to live life to the full.

Winner Nick Fogg says:

It’s brilliant, and very exciting! There’s been such a positive response to the film so far. And hopefully it will now be screened in lots more places. DepicT! is a very accessible competition with a fantastic set of prizes – the prize money will be a huge help towards the budget of my next project. Thank you DepicT!

Jury member Sarah Cooper says:

After presenting the DepicT! Award, I headed to the festival’s buzzing Brazillian themed wrap party…with a host of talented filmmakers mingling with buyers, producers and industry bigwigs,Watershed felt like a great place to make contacts, talk business and spot potential stars of tomorrow – albeit in a cool informal setting. It was also a great finish to a festival which is doing an increasingly important job in providing a showcase for short films in a climate where funding for shorts is increasingly hard to come by, and traditional distribution becomes more limited.

Maddy Probst, Watershed Programme Producer, says:

With a record number of over 500 entries from 30 countries, we had a really tough time getting the shortlist down to the final fourteen. I was delighted with both the quality and range of work in this year’s shortlist and was particularly impressed with the British entries. It’s also great to see a documentary pick up the main Award, a first in DepicT!’s history.

BAFTA-winning director Patrick Collerton announced the British Special Mention Award winner Michelle Arbon for her film ‘Above as Below’. As a winner, she receives a great package of support from BAFTA, the National Film and Television School, The British Council and Shooting People. The jury also decided to give a special mention to Ben Jacobson for ‘Candy Crime’.  

Winner Michelle Arbon says:

I feel very privileged that my short film was selected. It was an honour to win and the career development opportunities accompanying this award present an incredible opportunity for me within the industry. I am very excited and feel this will help me to pursue my career goals as a writer and director.

Jury member Patrick Collerton says:

The jury thought that the winner is a beautifully timeless and timely animation that brings home the horrors of war in a poetic, cinematic and evocative way. In storytelling terms it’s that hardest of things to achieve – a simple story well told that lingers in the memory. We feel that it’s lovely to be able to give these further opportunities to someone who already has such a strong directorial vision.

Last but not least, the Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award went to Tim Bassford for ‘The Launderette’.  Tim will receive a lifetime membership to Shooting People, along with a selection of DVDs and other goodies.

Winner Tim Bassford says:

It’s an absolute honour to win the Audience prize amongst some really stiff competition. I think DepicT! is a real trail blazer in getting film makers to think hard about how to be as concise as possible in telling a story. The whole experience has certainly inspired me to increase my ambition and submit some more films next year. I’m a massive fan of Shooting People anyway so the prize will help me make future connections and raise the profile of my future projects for many productive years to come!

Our congratulations go to all three, as well as to all the DepicT! shortlisted filmmakers. We’d like to thank the jury for their work in coming to decisions on this fine selection of films. The jury felt that the films were ‘all worthy to be shortlisted’ which resulted in a very lively discussion. The jury were: David Sproxton, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Aardman Animations, Gina Fucci, MD of Films at 59, Nik Powell, Film Producer, Director of the National Film and Television School and Deputy Chair of BAFTA Film Committee, Christine Bardsley, Head of Film for the British Council and Sarah Cooper, reporter for Screen International.

A huge thank you to the sponsors and supporters of DepicT! who enable us to run the competition, and also to all the filmmakers who submitted their 90 second films without which we wouldn’t have a competition!  If you’re thinking ahead to next year already, we anticipate DepicT! 2012 will launch earlier than usual – in January as Encounters is happening in September. If you haven’t yet had a chance to see the films yet, they are still available online at depict.org/watch-films.

With Remembrance Day on Sunday 13 November Michelle Arbon’s moving short about a young solider is timely, poignant and thought-provoking. Read below for an insight into the director’s choice of topic and what inspired her to make this film.

Firstly, can you briefly explain what your film is about?

Above as Below is a short animation about Fredrick, a young soldier and his first experience of war. With his head full of tales of heroism and valour, he is unprepared for what he finds.

What made you choose this particular theme?

I wanted to show that the romanticism of war does not necessarily always reflect the reality. Automatically a soldier is expected to be brave, bold, heroic but, many of those men and women that went to war, were completely unprepared for what they would face. People were ashamed of those soldiers who injured or killed themselves deliberately to escape the war. I wanted to show Fredrick’s reaction to the situation and how it lead him to make the decision that it he did and that perhaps this was an understandable reaction to the horrors that he faced.

How do you hope your film will resonate with your audience?

My hopes are that people would be able to put themselves into his situation and perhaps understand the horrors that he was going through and why he chose the path that he did.

Can you give us some information about your background – what made you choose to get into film?

I currently work as a Camera Assistant within the Television and Film industry, working on a variety of Films, TV commercials and TV dramas. I have always had an interest in creative writing and in 2007 I completed a Master Degree in Screenwriting at the Northern Film School. Since completing this degree, I have split my time between Camera Assisting and pursuing my passion for Writing and Directing.

Are there any cinematic works that have inspired you or influenced you in some way?

I have an eclectic taste when it comes to cinema and enjoy taking inspiration from a variety of genres. For ‘Above as Below’ I took inspiration from a selection of WWII films and poetry of that era. The style of this piece was inspired by the opening sequence of L’ Armata Brancaleone, the 1966 film directed by Mario Monicelli. I felt that a cut out style animation would be an engaging way to portray a story set within WWII without being too graphic.

What have you been up to since filming?

I have continued to work as a Camera Assistant since completing this Short Animation. As well as this work, I have secured funding to write and direct two live action short films, one of which has now been completed and the other is currently in pre-production.

Still from Dutch animation De Lijn

If filmmaking is something you’re new to, or have thought about trying out, this interview with Dutch illustrator Sjaak Rood shows that you can enter the industry without necessarily having a filmmaking background and that with a bit of creativity you can produce something engaging and imaginative.

Firstly, can you briefly explain what your film is about? De Lijn (The Line) shows the balance between line, drawing and animation. The film is made from just one drawing of a line of figures. One by one the figures are centered in their frames, thus creating a series of coincidental compositions. These compositions form the basic loop for the film.

The line of figures was drawn very quickly and intuitively, making the movement quite unpredictable. The simple story of the film, a line gets lost in the drawing and comes back at the end of the film, is only one layer in the film. The atmosphere created by the combination of the movement and the stills is what really fascinates me. I guess that’s what the film is really about.

What made you choose this particular theme? The film was made for a contest at the Central Museum in Utrecht (The Netherlands). The commission was to make a short film titled De Lijn. When I started to play around with the theme I got this idea.

How do you hope your film will resonate with your audience? I hope the audience is interested in the mystery of the film, and that the viewer connects to the atmosphere of the film.

Can you give us some information about your background – what made you choose to get into film? Until 2004 I was working as a theatre technician and light designer. I also made animations for theatre productions. I quit my job to use all the time for my own projects. From 2009 until 2011 I was artist in residence at the Netherlands Institute for Animation Film NIAf. During that period I made two short animation films: Fast Forward Little Red Riding Hood (2010) and De Lijn (2011). A third film, KOFFIE (COFFEE) is on the way.

Are there any cinematic works that have inspired you or influenced you in some way. Very many. important ones; Flux by Chris Hinton, lots of films by Paul Driessen. And many more….

What have you been up to since filming? I’m finishing my current film KOFFIE. I’ve also done some illustration assignments.

If you’re interested in animation shorts and want to learn more about this industry come on down to Animated Encounters at Arnolfini, part of the Encounters Film Festival where  highlights include a special appearance by  legendary animator John K of Ren and Stimpy fame on Thu 17 Nov at 14:00, an Aardman Model-making and Rapid Prototyping workshop on  Thu 17 Nov 11:00 as well as a selection great animated shorts throughout the week.

• David Sproxton, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Aardman Animations. Together with co-founder Peter Lord, he has overseen the development of the company from a two-man partnership to one of the pre-eminent animation houses in the industry. David has served as a producer, director or cinematographer on a number of animated projects at Aardman.

• Christine Bardsley, Head of Film for the British Council. Christine became a Film Adviser at the British Council in 2001, working to promote new British work to international audiences. She curates programmes and advises on selection for screenings of British short and feature films at international festivals and events. She is currently Head of Film Department..

• Nik Powell, film producer, Director of the National Film and Television School and Deputy Chair of BAFTA film committee. One of the UK’s leading film producers, Nik Powell embarked on an entrepreneurial career in the 1960s, when he set up Virgin Records with Richard Branson. His long partnership with Stephen Woolley brought an unrivalled slate of award-winning features to the screen, including Company of Wolves, Mona Lisa and The Crying Game. Nik became Director of the NFTS in September 2003.

• Patrick Collerton, director. Patrick Collerton is an Emmy, BAFTA and RTS award winning documentary director who has now moved into drama and film. His feature length ITV drama, Joe Maddison’s War, was a critical and ratings success last year and his debut feature written by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) is moving into pre-production

• Gina Fucci – Managing Director of Films at 59 Four-times nominated for Broadcast Award’s Best UK Post Production House, Films at 59 is one of the South West’s leading post-production companies  specialising in supplying technology to video and film-makers throughout the world. Gina joined Films at 59 in 1989 and, in 1994 her considerable experience and knowledge of the media industry, on both sides of the Atlantic, made her a natural choice to join Jeanne Thomson as a company director.

• Sarah Cooper, Screen International. Sarah Cooper trained as a lawyer before realising that life was too short to spend it reading contracts and left to pursue a career which made her poor but happy. She joined Screen International as a reporter in 2008 where she specialises in the UK production sector and is a regular attendee at film festivals around the world.

The panel will be selecting films based on how distinctive, imaginative and engaging they are with three prizes up for grabs; the main DepicT! Award of £1500 as well as UK distribution of the winner’s film through the Digital Screen Network  (thanks to Arts Alliance); the Shooting People DepicT! Audience Award providing lifetime membership to the international networking organization as well as other goodies, and the British Special Mention Award, which comes with a full training package, designed to develop your skills.

Maddy Probst, Watershed Programme Producer, says:

“DepicT! offers a brilliant opportunity for filmmakers across the world to challenge themselves to come up with a strong, imaginative idea and work out a way to engage global audiences in less than 90 seconds.  As the short form on the web is increasingly about the cult of the amateur, DepicT! – the original ultra short film competition in Britain – offers a space for quality and ambition, giving short-listed filmmakers priceless exposure, networking and development opportunities at Encounters International Festival, the UK’s leading short film festival, and beyond. “

To learn more about short and feature filmmaking, why not get a Delegate Pass for the Encounters Bristol International Film Festival where you can attend a fantastic selection of workshops and talks, as well as watch some outstanding short films.

Can you briefly explain what your film is about?
Experiments in Parahypnosis is about experiments conducted on patients with sleep disorders at the Schlaf Institute in East Berlin, c. 1973. As the result of a tragic fire, Dr Wolfgang Schlaf stumbled upon a theory about his participants’ ability to foresee the future in their dreams.

What made you choose this particular theme?
I don’t believe in psychic abilities but I am attracted to the idea of synchronicity in the world and hypnosis in films. I recently read that recorded premonitions of disasters and terrible events outnumber predictions of happy events. I find this interesting because you could suggest that either precognitive abilities are at play or the subconscious is just a cesspit of anxiety and strange feelings, and either idea is fascinating. When dreams intersect with our waking life (like a coincidental encounter after a dream) it seems deeply meaningful and the boundaries between our waking and sleeping life are blurred. It’s an obvious thing to say, but I think cinema is the best medium for exploring these ideas.

How do you hope your film will resonate with your audience?
I want the film to reel the audience in then hypnotise them. On the one hand, it’s a fairly straightforward narrative about an event that took place. But I also wanted to make it convincing, by conveying a subliminal sense of danger – as if just watching the video could be harmful in some way. Although I don’t personally feel like I completely achieved this effect, I hope it retains a strange and unsettling quality.

Can you give us some information about your background – what made you choose to get into film?
I studied Religion at university, which I don’t regret but I always wanted to get back to creative writing. I loved cinema but had no idea how to get into the film industry. I’ve always written stories in one form or another so I decided to try and figure out how to write screenplays, which led to a period studying screenwriting. I’ve since been selected for a number of development initiatives and worked on independent short films.  Which are these and where were they + what did you get out of them?

Are there any cinematic works that have inspired you or influenced you in some way?
With this film I suppose I drew on a fascination with fictional organisations within films and TV. I like it when companies loom large on stories as murky, powerful and malevolent forces, like the Tyrell Corporation in Blade Runner or CIVIC-TV in Videodrome. As a child, I was intrigued by the Acme Corporation in Looney Tunes, which is kind of freaky because, in that world, it’s where you have to get everything. Like only being able to shop at Tesco and all their products explode in unexpected ways at inopportune moments, which is more or less the world we’re living in.

What have you been up to since filming?
Writing scripts. I’m working on a feature-screenplay called Bitter Memoirs and trying to find some funding support for a short film I’ve written called Exiles. I haven’t given up my day job yet, so I’m still shovelling popcorn in an old Edinburgh cinema and watching lots of movies.

These 14 tiny films have been selected for their ability to be hugely distinctive, imaginative and engaging. They are all in the running for the three prestigious prizes, which will be announced during the Encounters International Film Festival (Wed 16 – Sun 20 Nov). These include the main DepicT! prize of £1500, the British Special Mention Award and the Shooting People Audience Award.

The Existential Pleading of the Inner Heart

The Shooting People Audience Award is where you come in – watch, vote, and comment on the shortlisted films online to help determine the winner!

The DepicT! ‘11 films will have their big screen premiere on Sat 19 Nov at 15:00 at the ever-popular DepicT! Showcase at Watershed, Bristol. The DepicT! showcase is always hugely popular: it gives everyone a chance to see the films in a cinema setting, meet the talent behind them and find out more about the competition. Tickets are on sale now so snap them up to see these super shorts in their full splendor!

Last but not least, if you are a young filmmaker aged 21 or under, or part of an organisation working with under 21s, we’re delighted to invite you to submit your films to Electric December, an online advent calendar showcasing shorts by new talent from all across Europe.

The deadline has been extended to Mon 24 Oct so if you want to submit your short film (this time five minutes or less!) head on over to electricdecember.org now.

Every year, the shortlisted DepicT! Filmmakers are offered a prime industry platform at the Encounters International Film Festival (16 – 20 Nov 2011) where they get to meet distributors, producers, funding bodies, exhibitors, other filmmakers and, of course, enthusiastic short film fans.

DepicT! is now in its twelfth year and we pride ourselves on the quality of our little gems. Just make sure your tiny film is hugely distinctive, imaginative and engaging. We’re always amazed by the huge amount of creativity that can be packed into such a short amount of time so whatever your background – go for it.

Winning DepicT! films have regularly gone on to be screened at other international film festivals and been picked up by commercial distributors while DepicT! filmmakers have gone on to carve themselves successful careers in the film industry – some DepicT! alumni have even been named Stars of Tomorrow by industry mag Screen International.

Get a little inspiration by checking out our archive of over ten years of snappy shorts. You have until Mon 5 September to upload your short film – read the rules before you go ahead. If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to drop us a line on depict@watershed.co.uk

Kiron’s dark, dreamy short Slick Horsing was one of the 15 shortlisted films while Aidan’s silent film-style animation The Gentleman’s Guide to Villainy picked up the main prize of £1500.

Aidan McAteer's DepicT! '10-winning film The Gentleman's Guide to Villainy

Oscar® nominated animator Bill Plympton recently picked Aidan’s winning DepicT! short as his favourite out of all the animations submitted to Atom Films. His film has also been selected to be shown at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, the Dam Short Film Festival (Las Vegas) and the Savannah International Animation Festival – so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that juries across the pond will recognise the same gift of comic timing and great style we did! Aidan has said that DepicT! made his idea a reality by providing him with a suitably unique outlet, an achievable length (the 90 second maximum running time) and an all-important deadline.

Kiron’s DepicT! film, meanwhile, scooped the Best Experimental Film Prize at the London Short Film Festival last week – a brilliant achievement for a first-time filmmaker.

Kiron said: “DepicT! plucked my weird little film from obscurity and gave me the confidence to continue experimenting – a billion thank yous!”

DepicT! has a long history of supporting filmmakers at that crucial early stage in their career – some, like Kiron, make their first ever films for the competition – by providing priceless industry exposure and opportunities.

Winning films have regularly gone on to be screened at other international film festivals and have been picked up by commercial distributors while the filmmakers have gone on to carve themselves successful careers in the film industry – some DepicT! alumni have even been named Stars of Tomorrow by industry mag Screen International.

DepicT! ‘11 will be open for entries in the Spring – keep a look out on here at depict.org for all the latest news and updates. DepicT! is Watershed’s super-short filmmaking competition as part of Encounters International Film Festival, and received over 400 entries for the 2010 competition.