Cofilmic 2012 - Why you should get involved

With deadline day for the 2012 Cofilmic comedy competition approaching (midday on 14th August 2012) we thought we'd catch up with founder Janet Harrison to find out more about this year's contest and also to get a heads up on what to expect from the Cofilmic Comedy Film Festival 2012, which is due to take place at the Comedy Store Manchester on the 29th and 30th October 2012.

For those that haven't been following things - Cofilmic is a competition looking for the best UK short films, filmed sitcoms and sketches. Linked to this is the organisation's festival, which runs in late October at the end of the Manchester Comedy Festival - a chance for the winners to be showcased, and for everyone involved in the contest to network and learn new things. The organisation also runs workshops, courses and other such spin-off events throughout the year.

This is the second year that Cofilmic has run. Last year was deemed a success by all involved, and thus Janet is now looking to build on that success. The structure of this year's competition is broadly similar to last year's (don't fix what isn't broken), but there are some tweaks. One change - brought in to make it easier for people to enter, and so that it's possible to showcase more entries - is that there's now a 5 minutes max run time limit for all three categories (Best Comedy Short Film; Best Sitcom/Web Series Pilot & Best Sketch).

Something that always will remain the same though - and sets apart Cofilmic from some other competitions - is the mission idea that this isn't just a competition to find out who is best - the aim is to help all those involved make the next step up the career ladder too.

Janet Harrison (pictured) says: "The whole ethos is about getting grass roots talent and matching it up with industry people. That's what we're trying to do with the competitions and courses and the more we do that the higher quality stuff will be generated I think."

It's been noted that the standard of entries in 2011 was very high. "I was expecting a lot more rough and ready entries" Janet tells us. "I was really pleased with what we got, and this year it appears that more people are making stuff specifically for Cofilmic. You can always tell the ones that have submitted 'something on the shelf' - the submissions you get in the first week, that's a clue. There's nothing wrong with that, but there are people tailoring their entires for Cofilmic now, and that's what we want to try and encourage."

Perhaps some novice directors might be looking at last year's slick winners (e.g. the smoothly executed We Are What We Drink, above) and be thinking there's no point in them submitting their more 'homemade' entry. However, Janet says it's just a coincidence that highly polished entries won last year, and it's quite possible for anything funny to come out top: "Last year a couple of the runners up were quite 'sketchy' in terms of film quality. It's more about the humour really. Ultimately we'd like to get the people making really good looking stuff together with those that can really make people laugh."

This is an interesting idea, which we ask Janet to elaborate on: "Last year we got a load of really funny sketches... but not necessarily always brilliant with the filming. Also, there were some brilliant looking films, but they could have been a bit funnier. So it's about trying to get those kind of people to collaborate. Quite a few people did meet each other at the festival last year. It's one venue, and it's a bit like you're 'locked in' there for two days, so it was quite a nice way for people to get together and meet each other."

This networking is a key aspect of Cofilmic... but the festival isn't till October, so what should someone do if they're looking to enter now but aren't particularly confident with either the filming or writing side of things? Is it still possible for someone to start now and still collaborate? Janet (pictured) says: "We've got to the middle of August, which is quite tight - but we've reduced the times to 5 minutes, so it's a bit more do-able. We have quite a big network of people saying 'look, let me know if I can do anything', so if anyone wants to ask us if they need anything, we're more than happy to try and match-make."

It's interesting to hear about the attitude of some last year's entrants. Janet tells us: "What was quite surprising last year, what I didn't anticipate, is that people were saying 'I don't care if I win or not, it's just been amazing for people to see my film'." As a result, at this year's festival Janet plans more screenings: "I want to have an additional screenings of 'the next layer' - those that weren't shortlisted. We'll be able to showcase more this year generally because of the reduced length of each film, but I want to try and have all entries shown somewhere in the building."

The festival in October - which incidentally anyone can get a ticket to, even those that haven't entered - won't just be a series of screenings. It will also, as is Cofilmic's ethos, aim to arm those attending with useful contacts and information to help them take their career forward. Part of the programme will be panel discussions. Janet says: "The panels worked really well last year. We're going to mix it up a little bit so there's more collaboration going on. It's going to be even more focused on digital content this year - we did this as a topic last year, but I really want to focus on that more."

Cofilmic won't just be inviting super-successful people to speak, but those slightly further down the career ladder at the moment. The thinking being that, whilst it's inspiring to hear from those at the top of their game, practical advice and help is likely to come from those who are currently still working their way up that ladder. Over to Janet to elaborate further: "We will be talking to people who maybe put their short film online and had a bit of success at that - how did they go about doing that, how much have they've been paid, and things like that. Simon Balch, as an example - he sells his short films here and there online. So it'd be really interesting to hear from him who he talks to, what equipment he uses, what his tips are..."

"It was great to have people like [Baby Cow boss] Henry Normal there last year, and [top TV producer] Charlie Hanson (who is going to be there again this year), but we also do want to offer voices from all different stages of their careers, to help people work out what baby steps to take."

Janet feels that some fledgling writers and directors don't market themselves enough at present. "I do find that comedians are a bit more enterprising and entrepreneurial than the filmmakers and writers - I think maybe it's because they have to get their face out there and keep going and going. Sharing those experiences is a good thing. Filmmakers can perhaps learn a few things. I'm not saying all filmmakers aren't entrepreneurial, but I think with comedy you've got to put yourself out there. It's a hard job isn't it!"

So, the festival sounds great, but what about those that can't make it to Manchester? The travel and accommodation costs for those living in places like Scotland or Cornwall are likely to be too expensive for some people. The good news is that Janet has been thinking of that: "I can't say too much yet, but we are aiming to develop Cofilmic hubs around the UK, so if someone can't get to the festival, hopefully within the year we can bring the best of the festival to them. It won't just be about showcasing - it'll be about getting new stuff made too."

Janet thinks those involved in production should meet up more regularly, and hopefully these 'hub events' would be a way of facilitating that. "It's nice doing things online, but there's something about getting together with other people and making relationships face-to-face. I don't think you can replicate the usefulness of that online. So we are hoping to be in a town near you to give a little snapshot of that and build the network!"

[i]To find out more about Cofilmic visit www.cofilmic.co.uk