Make a Film in a Flash

Want to try the challenge? Even if you have little experience? Even if it means skipping work that Monday because you're so . . . bloody . . . tired? Even if you'd probably end up with a soundless, nonsensical quasi-comedy that makes "Bio-Dome" look like "Vertigo"?

There's still room. As of press time, 180 teams from around the world had signed up for the NFC, leaving space for 70 more. Jump onto http://www.filmchallenge.com , read the rules, complete the online form by Oct. 20 and pay the flat fee of $125.

At 7 p.m. local time on Oct. 20, a Friday, organizers will fire off e-mails to assign teams a genre, a character, a prop and a line of dialogue that must appear in the film. The competition will be underway through that Monday, when films -- sent in on DVD, VHS or miniDV -- must be postmarked.

Peter Mattson, Bobby Koeth III, Anne Brown and Bob Payne offer tips to survive the 72-hour sprint:

Get inspired. See the 2005 winners for free at http://www.filmchallenge.com , surf the catalogues at http://www.48hourfilm.com or buy DVDs from Factory 515, an independent media distribution company based in Silver Spring. "The Best of 48 Hour Film Project 2005" and "National Film Challenge 2003" are available for $20 each at http://www.factory515.com .

Cast a net. Most everyone wants to be in pictures, so it shouldn't be hard to rustle up a crew. Send e-mails to friends or post on Craigslist, which worked for Koeth. "It's a great way to find people," he says. "One guy showed up the first night, and then he worked with us all three days." Or try the solo approach espoused by Mattson, who makes one-man short films and posts them on his Web site, http://www.taquetfilm.com .