Change

Following a missed connection at a laundromat, a young man attempts to reconnect with his love interest by finding unique ways to create more dirty laundry, but he might go broke first!

Creative team

Writer: Shooter McNally
Producer/director: Shooter McNally, Matthew Delaney

Filmmaker’s statement

Shooter McNally says:

“The film for me is very much an admission of my being a hopeless romantic.

I’ll shamelessly admit I’ve checked Craigslist more than a few times looking for that ‘missed connection’ and often amuse myself over fantasies of elaborate executions of affection for other people – very much like the characters in this film.

It was a story that just ‘fell out’ of me onto paper in little under an hour but that might also be because of the tight deadline put on us for this project.

The 72 Hour Film Challenge was one of the most challenging creative projects I’ve taken on in long time. It was a true test of our abilities – from the creative side and logistics all the way to working over 50 hours with no sleep while hurtling towards a very unwelcome deadline.

I can recall the moments before and after submitting the film to Dropbox with only seconds to spare. Our editing suite, littered with empty coffee cups, energy drinks and candy bars. On the brink of hallucination. Matt and I both experiencing a roller coaster of emotions.

I’ve never screamed at a computer so much in those final minutes while we rushed to create credits, colour grade and then waited for our film to render.

After arriving home, now on my eighteenth wind, I remember laughing hysterically in the dark, while on the edge of my bed, at the insanity of the previous 72 hours, with my bewildered cat staring at me.

For those of you not familiar with the challenge, it’s exactly what it sounds like: 72 hours to produce, shoot and edit a short film with a maximum run time of 11 minutes. On top of that – on the night of the challenge – you’re given a variety of ‘curve balls’ in a secret envelope as you run from the venue to start your film. These curve balls – which range from props, phrases, themes and music – all have to be included in your final piece or you face disqualification.

Our curve balls included the Canadian penny (RIP), the theme of freedom and the line ‘Take a penny, leave a penny.’ Also the number five.

One of the things that makes this event even more collaboratively exciting is the inclusion of the Ottawa Rock Lottery Organizer and music supervision of Samantha Everts who compiles a variety of tracks from willing Ottawa musicians to be included in each production. All films must feature a minimum of 10 seconds from at least three tracks.

This will remain one of my most treasured creative experiences. It has given me the reassurance that even with no time or money, it’s still possible to create a personally rewarding film.”

About the directors

This is the first 72 hour film challenge and the first time directing a narrative short for both Matthew Delaney and Shooter McNally.

Shooter is a photographer/cinematographer/producer/director from Ottawa, Canada specializing in documentaries, music videos and short films.

Matthew has worked on many films and television shows as an AD including Midnight’s Children by Academy-Award nominated director Deepa Mehta. Matthew is also a member of the Directors Guild of Canada.