How to Bootleg

There are many ways to bootleg. Here at Bootleg Film Collective we give filmmakers one-month to remake a scene they are assigned at random from a classic film. At the end of that month, teams submit their scene for compiling with the rest of the project. So what’s the timeline and process? Well…

Timeline

  • Kick-off

  • Filmmaking

  • Temperature Check

  • Drop Deadline

  • Final Screening

  • After Party

Bootleg Kick-off

Team leaders and two members of their team are invited to the kick-off event. At the kick-off attendees will

  1. Watch the original film.

  2. Meet other bootleggers.

  3. Be assigned a scene at random.

  4. Discuss the bounds of the project.

  5. Be released to make their scene.

Filmmaking

You know how to do this part. Work with whoever you like, however you’re comfortable. Reach out to other teams. Borrow equipment. Share skills. Cross pollinate your cast & creativity.

Temperature Check

After you’ve got a little time to plan, cast, write we hold a follow up event. Just making sure everything is cool and if you might need help from other filmmakers in the project. Look for cast, locations, costumes, make-up, vehicles, lights, etc.

Drop Deadline

All good productions must come to an end. After a month, we need you to submit your film. How, when, and where will change with each project.

Final Screening

It’s showtime. All scenes have been compiled, the score has been added, and all that’s left is the party. Grab your popcorn and be prepared for extra fun and maybe a few surprises.

If that all sounds good… register right now!

The Rules

Now let’s set some boundaries.

Filmmaking rules:

  1. Teams must remake their scene. You can embellish, restage, and reimagine how you feel but when the scene ends it needs to maintain the spirit of the original scene narrative and flow into the next scene with minimal narrative alteration. For example, if your scene is the ghostbusters meeting slimmer for the first time, you can’t rewrite it to be a mother putting her baby to bed. 

  2. Teams are allowed 7 minutes maximum.

  3. Costuming may be altered.

  4. Setting may be altered.

  5. Tone may be altered.

  6. Genre may be altered.

  7. Weaponry or lack-of weaponry may be altered.

  8. Dialogue may be massaged, extended, reinterpreted, translated (with English subtitles burned in), as long as it doesn’t confuse the overall narrative or connective flow of scenes.

  9. Teams may cross collaborate by any means necessary or unnecessary.

  10. Scenes with 3-5 seconds of pre-roll action. This allows for team identifier graphic in lower left quadrant of the scene to be shown before the scene gets rolling.

  11. No credits. We’ll save that for the end of the collected film.

  12. Do all the sound design, visual effects, and creative touches you want.

  13. No generative Ai. Don’t let the robots win.

  14. No score. There is a side score team that will be making a parody score. Want to join that? Let us know!