With Bridget A. Ricketts
How did this film come together?
Our film This Hour Has 5 Minutes was created for the Atlantic Canada 48 Hour Film Project last fall. We were given the choice between “Cooking Show” and “Mockumentary.” We’d been hoping for something a bit more serious. I still remember our faces as we looked at each other dismayed! The required elements were the prompt “I had a dream” and the character Jay Knockwood, a travel agent. We quickly ruled out cooking, then scrambled to figure out what exactly a mockumentary was. Drawing from personal experience as parents of adult children still living at home, we came up with an idea about a fictional new syndrome called “Failure to Launch.” We had a script ready by midnight, filmed all day Saturday, edited on Sunday, and submitted just before the deadline. The film was nominated for 'Best Use of Prop' - a feather."
Did anything unexpected happen as you were making this film?
Everyone was on set by 8 a.m. Saturday, bright-eyed and ready to roll—until our microphones flatlined. After nearly two hours of head-scratching, panic, and a heroic dash to Long & McQuade, we discovered the culprit: a unidirectional cord. Classic rookie move. Lesson learned: always double-check your gear...
What's the best filmmaking advice you've ever received?
‘Sometimes you have to kill your darlings.’ At first, we thought they meant the actors... but no, just our favourite shots and clever lines. Still stings, but the film is usually better for it.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
At the end of the 48 hours, we were both surprised and genuinely pleased with our little film. It made us laugh, and we realized it actually had some pretty good moments. For something created under pressure, with little sleep and no budget, we were proud of what we pulled off. We often wonder just how much better it could have been if we actually had money and weren’t racing against the clock.
Elling Lien
