Portland stopped raining for about 12 minutes and we were like GO GO GO GO. Of course it was a night shoot. 40 degrees. Fog machines locked and loaded like we were about to summon something. Everyone’s freezing, pretending this was always the plan. Socks damp. Hands numb. Vibes… spooky. We get the scene. Fog hits. Lights cut through it. Suddenly it feels worth it. Big lesson from the universe: Never do an outdoor shoot without an irresponsible amount of plastic bags. Gear bags. Trash bags. Random bags from your trunk that have lived there since 2019. Because rain doesn’t respect art. Or schedules. Or optimism. Anyway… scene’s in the can. Nobody died. Gear survived. Absolute win. Alright, your turn—what’s the most ridiculous condition you’ve powered through just to get the shot?

The term smoke and mirrors doesn’t come from nowhere . Smoke has been used for decades as a way to see more of the light and add depth to a scene. Great way to control mood Have you ever tried using a smoke machine while shooting ?

Welcome to 2026 all we’ve passed another year and we’re moving into the future. It’s time to gear up and plan some fun new short shoots to hone our skills. Who’s up for the challenge? Grab your camera, phone , Higgsfiekd subscription lol and let’s start building ! Comment below short film idea you would like to make this year

🎬 60 SECOND CINEMA CHALLENGE 4 during Start Fresh Film Festival 🎉 New Year’s Edition @ Start Fresh Film Festival https://www.facebook.com/share/1BficuWjhk/ New year. New chaos. New excuses to make a film. We’re back with 60 Second Challenge 4, landing inside the Start Fresh Film Festival for a special New Year’s Edition screening block. You’ve got 60 seconds to make us laugh. That’s it. No filler. No mercy. ⸻ 🗓 WHEN January 4th 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM 📍 WHERE Echo Theater Portland, OR 🎟 Tickets for the screening: $10 ⸻ 🧨 THE RULES (READ THESE OR CRY LATER) Genre: Comedy Required Prop: Noise Maker (Can be anything like a little party horn, twirly noise thing, etc) Required Line: 👉 “Better luck next year.” That’s the sandbox. Build whatever madness you want inside it. ⸻ ⏰ DEADLINE 🎬 All films due by: January 1st at Midnight ⸻ ✅ ENTRY DETAILS FREE to enter your film All completed films that follow the rules will be screened Audience Vote decides the winner ✅ Teams must (Free To Enter your film): REGISTER THEIR TEAM https://forms.gle/AXTZqNdHDRoVHxzq9 UPLOAD THEIR FILM w/ RELEASES Submit actor & crew release forms Have a Team Leader sign the TEAM LEADER agreement UPLOAD FINAL FILM HERE (1:15 min/sec with credits) by Midnight January 1st https://forms.gle/WZEKFxbNFBo3ydGi8 ⸻ 🚫 CONTENT RULES • No hate speech • No X-rated material • Be funny, not a jerk ⸻ 🎥 WHY DO THIS? Because it’s: • A live audience • A real theater • A festival crowd • Zero entry fee • Maximum bragging rights Perfect for filmmakers, actors, writers, friends who think they’re funny, and people who work best under mild panic. ⸻ 🎟 Tickets to screening : $10 🎬 Deadline: Jan 1 @ Midnight 🎉 Screening: Jan 4 @ Echo Theater During the Start Fresh Festival Better luck next year… or maybe this is your year. 😏🎬

This Sunday Dec 21st, the 60 second Cinema Challenge is happening at The Art House in Eugene, Oregon at 7pm ! I created a little intro film to explain the rules to the audience since they will be our judges voting for the top 3 films ! “Santa and Krampus Holiday Film Review ‘ Santa and Krampus hanging out talking about the films I’ll post the entire video after the screening with how I made it using a few different AI video tools