Hollywood for a day in Geneva

There may have been more filmmaking going on in Geneva Saturday than on any number of Hollywood backlots.

Four filmmaking teams squared off to compete in the Geneva Film Festival "Digital Shootout." Teams got their assignments at 10 a.m. at the Geneva History Center and had 12 hours to return with a 2- to 5-minute film shot on digital video. The project included writing, directing, acting, casting and editing.

All filming had to be done in Geneva with a participating merchant in the film, even if used as just a background shot.

Shortly after 10 a.m., a Geneva High School team had set up a camera on a tripod and was studying the view north from the southeast corner of State and Third streets.

"We wrote the script yesterday. It's a romantic comedy," said Hallie Koontz, 16. Koontz was working with her co-writer Alex Johnson, 16. They were joined by Jeff Burnett, 16, and Alex Elbon, 17.

"We'll have to adapt it because we wrote it for a coffee shop, and we were assigned the Comfort Inn," Koontz said. "But that's OK. We'll fit in two of the employees there."

Koontz hopes to be a Hollywood screenwriter and a director someday. She plans to attend Columbia College in Chicago, as does Burnett. Elbon is undecided on a college but also hopes to be a filmmaker.

Shortly before 11 a.m., a team from Northern Illinois University was waiting for the opening of Mister Kitschy, a shop on State Street that advertises as specializing in pop culture, with items that are "offbeat or tacky."

The team heard about the competition from their film instructor.

"We were offered another store that was open at 10, but we wanted to wait," said Thomas K. Conlon, 20, of Joliet.

"This looks like a fun place," said Steven Stein, 21, of Buffalo Grove. "It should be a fun store to have a plot revolve around."

Unlike their younger high school counterparts, the college team didn't have a script prepared. Stein and Conlon were joined by Jerry Lindsey, 21, of Plainfield. Sarah Karones, 19, of Glen Ellyn, and Kaitlin Cross, 20, of Plainfield, were part of the team but are not studying film.

"We're here to act and share ideas," Karones said.

The Shootout competition also included a team from St. Charles North High School and an adult team. Judges will select the best film, but all the entries will be shown at the Nov. 8 Geneva Film Festival.

"The mission of the film festival is to bring independent filmmakers into Geneva," said Cheryl Klein, after handing out Saturday's assignments. She is the events coordinator for the Geneva Film Festival and the director of the television studio at Geneva High School. "We also want to educate the community on what goes into making a film. A 30-second film can take 40 hours to make.

"Plus," she added. "We're celebrating art."

For information, visit genevafilmfestival.org.