48 Hour Film FestivalOfficial Rules + Day One Instructions
Welcome! You're about to make a complete short film in 48 hours using the Screenshot Method. Read this whole doc to be ready before Day One. We start Friday at July 31st at 7PM EST.
The One Rule That Matters Most
You're not going to animate a film in 48 hours, instead we're going to create a first draft of your movie using The Screenshot Method:
- Pose your character
- Place your camera
- Edit your shot in a timeline
At the beginning, focus on creating one screenshot per shot. Don't animate your camera.
You want to spend all of your time creating shots + editing them together in a timeline. That means with video + audio together!
Here's an example:
By the end of the 48 hours, your goal is to create a first draft of your movie using the Screenshot Method!
On Sunday at 7PM - we'll premiere your film with the group, everyone will vote on their favorite, and we'll announce the winner live!
Key Dates & Times
Full breakdown below
Day One: Step by Step
Write Your Premise + Logline
Fill Out Your Short Film Checklist
Don't worry about creating a "short" film. Just think of creating a single scene from a feature-length film.
- Answer the first four questions in the Short Film Checklist to write your scene
- Having trouble coming up with an idea? I'll give you 10+ ideas you can use to create a short film on the Kickoff Call
Create a Shot List
You don't need a polished screenplay. You need a shot list. So to turn your story into a movie, think of every shot as just a single sentence in your story.
1. Just think, what do you need to see in each one to tell the story?
- What are your characters doing - The action. Running, jumping, sweating, shouting, reloading. What's the verb?
- What are they seeing - Show the world through the eyes of your character. What do they see? What's their perspective or POV? What does the audience NEED to see to understand the story.
- What are they saying? - dialogue
- What are they hearing? - sound effects
- Create a bulletpoint list of what your audience will see one shot at a time
Rule of 3 Shots
usually what happens is you start to think to yourself oh well actually I can't do that, I need four shots because I need to show something else that's important to the story and you know what I say to that? GOOD! Add it. Now you're thinking like a filmmaker. The 3 shot rule is just to get your mind working, get your gears turning and start thinking in images and movies over time
Now we need to make a timeline with Video + Audio, that gives you two options:
Audio
Start with the Soundtrack
- Gather music and sound effects that match the rhythm and pace of your sequence
Video
The Screenshot Method: Pose. Camera. Edit. Repeat. For every shot:
- Pose your character in the scene
- Place your camera for the angle you want
- Take a screenshot and drop it straight into your edit
- Move fast. You're storyboarding and shooting at the same time, that's the whole point of the method!
- Remember: Don't spend time animating or building your environment!
- Focus on the filmmaking by creating new shots + editing them together
The Filmmaking Cycle
Cut it together in Sequencer or your Editing Software of Choice
Bring your screenshots into your edit and start adjusting the timing. Hold some shots longer, cut others quick. Let the visuals inspire new SFX and let the sound inspire brand new shots. This is where each static image starts to feel like a movie.
Your first draft is just that: a first draft. So keep going, iterate, try out new ideas. Just make sure you spend all of your effort in your timeline, creating new shots and editing them together.
Export and submit before the deadline. See submission rules below. Don't wait until the last 10 minutes — make sure you test your export at the end of each work day. Leave time for troubleshooting!
48 Hour Film Festival Schedule
Thursday, July 30 - Pre-game
- Live Storyboard Masterclass - time TBD
- Write Your Own Short Film - Live Masterclass at 7PM EST - YouTube
There's two types of short films, ones that get finished and those that don't. I'll show you how to write a short film you can actually finish by asking yourself four simple questions.
Friday, July 31 - Start Day
- The Contest starts at 7PM EST - show up to the Kickoff call in the UnrealForVFX Discord and we'll all start together!
- You must show up to this call for the final instructions
- If you don't have an idea for a story or short film, we'll run through 10+ ideas you can use to get started!
Saturday, August 1 - The First 24 Hours
- Support Session #1 - 12pm EST
- Support Session #2 - 5pm EST
Sunday, August 2 - End Date
- Live Session #1 - 12pm EST
- Live Session #2 - 5pm EST
- 7PM EST - Contest Ends - Submit your film before the 7PM deadline
- 8PM EST - We'll premiere your short film along with all the other contestants!
- Vote on your favorites and we'll decide the winner by the end of the night
Before Day One: What You Need Ready
Do this before Kickoff. None of it counts as "creative work," so it's fair game in advance:
- Unreal Engine installed and working (version Unreal 5.6+)
- Watch Chapter 1 of Unreal Filmmaking — know how to open a new level sequence, pose your characters, and pilot your camera
- Download the project files so you have your characters + weapons to use already in your project
- A way to record/export audio (voiceover, sound effects, music)
- A way to export your final video (screen capture or Sequencer render — .MP4 or .MOV only)
- Confirm your RSVP (see the Confirm Your Spot section below)
Not allowed in advance: posing any shot, placing any camera for a specific scene. You can prepare your story, or download any 3D models you intend to use, but the goal is to create a sequence from scratch.
Submission Rules
- Submit to: #48hff-submission channel in Discord - Title your film + post a URL to a public Google Drive link or an Unlisted YouTube video
- Length: 15 seconds minimum, 4 minutes maximum
- Format: .MP4 or .MOV
- Every shot must be a Screenshot Method shot — this is checked before your film is eligible for awards
- Deadline: Sunday @ 7PM EST, no exceptions — late submissions can still be added to the watch playlist but won't be eligible for Judges Award or Audience Award
What's Allowed / Not Allowed
Allowed:
- Pre-built characters, environments, and assets
- Pre-recorded music and sound effects
- Practicing the Pose → Place → Capture workflow beforehand on throwaway shots (not your actual story)
Not allowed:
- Any shot posed, placed, or captured before Kickoff
- Reusing a shot or scene from a prior submission
- Traditional in-engine cinematic rendering (this isn't a "make a real Unreal short film" event — it's screenshots, on purpose, to help you become a better filmmaker!)
How Films Get Judged
Two awards, two different processes:
Audience Award — at 7PM voting begins! Go to the #48hff-submission and use the ✅ emoji to vote for your top 3 favorite films. Voting concludes at 830PM EST and we'll be watching your films live in the #48hff-stage Discord room!
Judges Award — We'll score every submitted film during the audience watch window using a simple rubric (story, clarity, shot choice, sound, editing, etc).
Top films by audience vote, plus any Judges' Picks, get screened live at the Premiere.
Confirming Your Spot
Reserve your seat here: Register here
We'll ask for:
- Name + email
- Discord username (so we can get you into the event channels)
- Confirmation you have Unreal installed and working
- Any accessibility or scheduling notes we should know about
Spots are limited — you must register to guarantee your place in the Kickoff Call and Discord channels.
If the demand is there - we will open up new slows - but we're only guaranteeing 8 spots. It just means we might need to get extra coaches to help and give you guys more support.