Wanganui teenagers focused on a career in film have made it into the Wellington region finals of the V48Hours film competition.
Calling themselves the Couch Kumaras, director Finn O'Connor said the boys were well practised because they made a film every week or two.
"It's kind of like a hobby that consists of what we all want to be. It's training us up."
Two other Wanganui teams made films during the 48 hours of the competition on May 20-22.
For Costas Thrasyvoulou and Primer Grey Productions it was a third try and first for filming in Wanganui.
His team's effort is another among the 12 finalists chosen out of the 185 videos made in the Wellington region.
The Kumaras team were Finn O'Connor as director, Josh Dey and Jared Kirkwood as actors, Jonathan Forbes in charge of field sound, and Conor Cameron composing orchestral music using computer software.
The five are all aged 16-18 and are past or present students of Wanganui High School.
The competition had much bigger teams, Finn said, and was open to people of any age.
The rules the teams were given for their 6 -minute effort was that it had to be a road film and include:
- The line "What have you got?"
- A character called Bobby Young who was a former bully.
- A piece of bent wire.
- A freeze frame ending.
The budding film-makers concocted a story about a man who comes to life from a drawing and is taught life lessons about greed and the difference between wanting and needing.
Their film was shot in Wellington, partly so Jared could take part and partly because businesses there are used to the epic film weekend and are often helpful.
The Kumaras borrowed an easel from The French Art Shop and made their movie at Makara.
It was the audience favourite of 12 screened in their heat.
They find out whether it is one of 80 nationwide going to the the national finals on Wednesday, during a screening of region finalists at Wellington's Embassy Theatre.
The boys are hoping to have Couch Kumaras T-shirts printed before the big occasion.
"Even if we don't make it through, we've still got a chance of getting prizes and things and we're still pretty proud of ourselves," Finn said.
They could win prizes for editing, acting or score - and the prize for the best road film is six months' use of a Mini Cooper Landcruiser.
Wanganui teens in the frame for film contest final
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