The Association of Independent Creative Editors’ (AICE) Detroit chapter is getting its second annual Filmspotting competition in gear. Filmspotting is modeled after the Trailer Park competitions that other AICE chapters have adopted; the purpose is to give assistant editors at AICE-member houses the chance to showcase their prowess as editors.
Filmspotting requires entrants to conceive, design and execute a spot using footage from three feature films–spanning different genres–as source material. This year’s movie selections are Roshoman, Moulin Rouge and Sideways. Footage from all three films must be incorporated to create either a 30- or 60-second commercial for any real-world or fictional product. The work will be judged by a panel of directors and ad agency executives.
AICE Detroit chapter president Stewart Shevin, an editor at Mad River Post, Detroit, related that the competition provides assistant editors with “an opportunity to show what they can do and compete against their peers, as well as celebrate the creative editorial community in Detroit.”
Shevin said that the Detroit chapter was “extremely pleased” with last year’s participation from the assistant editors, as well as with the agencies’ involvement in the judging process.
Last year’s winner, assistant Mark Campbell, works for Dennis Kutzen, president of Kutz, Inc., Detroit. Kutzen noted, “The editors vow to stay uninvolved with the entries, to really make it the assistant’s own work. Mark hadn’t been with us very long [at the time he entered the inaugural Filmspotting competition] and he came from a producing background, as opposed to an editing background. We were very proud when he won. The goal of this competition is to be fun, highlight the skills of the young talent in Detroit, and build camaraderie within the member companies.”
Assistant editor entries are due on Oct. 3. They are to be submitted to AICE Detroit treasurer Etta Menlo of Universal Images. Judging is scheduled for Oct. 10. The winners will be announced on Oct. 20 during the AICE Detroit-sponsored screening of this year’s Sony HD “Dreams” shorts.
