Logan and Blu and Ebi and Dad and Cazaluff and Rico and me entered in the 48 Hour Film Project Machinima Contest. This was COOL… but it seems that forty-eight hours is a long time for humans to stay up and there was not much rest and it was all I could do to keep Logan awake until the end.

First we went to the “Kick Off” Event at the “Fly In Cinema” (where the space ships park so the people in them can watch films) and we hung out with some weird looking people and some normal looking people and a girl who could not stop dancing and we waited to find out what we had to have in our film.

Hanging out at the Kick Off

• Prop: Beach Ball
• Character: Pat Mitchell, a painter
• Line of Dialogue: “I need a drink”

• Our Movie Genre: Holiday Film

Me and Logan and Rico and Dad at the Kick Off

When the Kick Off was done we all went to Rico’s island to brainstorm for ideas. Well, that’s what they said they were doing, but I saw a lot of people lying around on the floor and stuff. Oh and I saw this…

I’m still not quite sure what this was all about, but I don’t think we were allowed to make that sort of a movie anyway, in case some other people’s kids saw it or something.

Anyway, we made up this story about a boy who wanted a bear for Christmas, but he got the wrong one and he was grumpy about it, like forever and had a big row with Santa Claus.

Ebi played Santa Claus

Blu built some cool sets with Diddi…

Diddi and Dad played the Elves that worked in Santa’s Warehouse

But Dad also had to play the part of Pat Mitchell and he was changing his costume but he screwed up and took most of his kit off without putting any more on. He was standing there almost naked and everyone was cheering and laughing.

Back on the set with the little village, there was this snowman who kept talking to anyone that came near. He wasn’t like good AI or anything and he talked crap mostly, but he thought he was too good to talk to me and when I spoke to him he ignored me.

Of course he may have been ignoring me because I was shouting at him because he was talking rubbish and distracting the crew who were supposed to be working. So anyway, I got a bit wound up and things got a bit heated and I erm…… well, I flamed him. And then he looked like this:

I don’t recall there ever being a scene written where Santa Claus steals Pat Mitchell’s truck and races off in it and crashes into some trees. But, here is Santa, in the truck, crashed into the trees and… taking a picture of himself.

In one scene Dad had to be Pat Mitchell and sit at the table in his house looking very, very glum. But he was having a bit of a fit and he ended up sitting in the drawer of the table looking very, very stupid. So I took a photo of that too.

You’re probably wondering what the hell Logan was doing, right? (Apart from carrying me of course) You’re probably thinking “where is that lazy goodfernuthin Logan?” Well although it would be quite natural for you to think that, on this occasion she was actually making herself useful and she made a set too. She made the set for the warehouse scene. Actually, it was just a building that she made really, and a conveyor belt, it only became a set when everyone got in there and put all the toys and all the gifts in. Then it looked really good.

Elves in the warehouse

Decorating the warehouse

I had to send Logan to wikipedia to look up about Kris Kringle so that she would understand about how it is a corruption of ChristKindl or Christ kindel (the Christ Child) which is what they call the Christmas time gift bringer in various parts of the world. Anyway, once she had got it into her head, I could make her make the sign for the warehouse.

Global Distribution, geddit?

Here is a picture of Santa reading Pat’s letter, Pat says he wants a live bear for Christmas.

If you look carefully in the top of this photo, you can see Blu. She is lying on an invisible physical box. She has to hold it up so that it does not fall to the ground and Ebi (Santa) has to move it and Logan has to film. It was part of the special effects, you can see the result in the film.

Blu and Logan were relieved when they realised that there was only one more scene to shoot…

…but wait, WHERE is Dad?

Everyone had been working for a long time and everyone was tired, so Dad just went to lie on the bed “for a moment” and listen for when it was his scene again. But, he must have gone to sleep because no one could make him hear…

Santa with a machine gun is standing on Pat’s head whilst Blu and Logan do the Onigokko and everyone is making as much noise as they can, shooting and playing sounds and music and doing Hooooooo and Yayyyyy*…

…oooops Blu and Logan crash into eachother. And look at Cazaluff… she was just standing there pretending that she is not a lunatic or anything. Ha!

Dad woke up again after about fifteen minutes and we got him back to do the last scene. After that me and Logan had to stay up for hours more to edit the film and put in the music and make the titles and upload it, which takes like FOREVER!

Of course, there were LOADS of photos that I didn’t think to take and a lot of stuff that I have missed out of the story because I can’t remember so please send me links to where your photos are… or send me more photos!

A few days later we were back with the weird looking people and the normal looking people at the screenings in the Fly In Cinema, to watch all the cool 48 Hour films.

You can see our film at the 48 Hour Film project site, look for the link to Machinima and our film is called “A Very Bear-y Christmas”

And this is the Director’s Cut, which if you don’t know, is where I have to stand over Logan and make her do it again properly.

And if you’re really keen, you can download the full fat version from Logan’s account on blip.tv.

*I hate Yayyy, I get Logan’s hair up my nose.