Sony Providing HD Video Cameras For Duke City Shootout Filmmakers

The Duke City Shootout is getting a nice tech boost this year, courtesy of Sony. The company is providing a new set of Sony PMWEX1 cameras to the Shootout’s videographers and is the official camera sponsor of the week-long filmmaking festival. Sony provided its DHW-F900 Cin Alta cameras in 2004 to the Shootout and all the event’s productions have since been shot in high definition. Other sponsors include Intel, Adobe, Entertainment Partners, Hampton Inn & Suites, the city of Albuquerque, Laru Ni Hati, Tractor Brewing Co., the ARTS Lab at the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College.

Representatives from Sony and John Britt, a cinematographer with KNME-TV in Albuquerque and a former Shootout award winner, hosted a series of bootcamp sessions on using the equipment for participants, who are busy shooting and editing their creations for a grand unveiling on Aug. 2 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The Duke City Shootout is the only high-definition digital filmmaking competition that takes an artist’s vision from script to screen in one week. It’s now in its ninth year and this year, Hollywood actors Elaine Hendrix and Basil Hoffman will star in Shootout films.

Hendrix has appeared in “The Parent Trap” and “What the Bleep Do We Know?!” as well as the TV series “Joan of Arcadia.” She will star in the Shootout film “Food for Thought.” Hoffman will star in the Shootout film “The Bakers Road Killing.” He has been in a number of films and TV series, including “Communion,” “The Milagro Beanfield War,” “All of Me,” “My Favorite Year,” and “Ordinary People.”

The Shootout receives several hundred scripts each year for short films of 12 minutes or less in length. Winners are brought to Albuquerque where they get a cast, crew, cameras, catering, equipment and an industry mentor to make the project happen in exactly one week. Seven finalists have been selected for 2008. The gala premier takes place August 2 at 7 p.m. in the Kiva Auditorium in the Albuquerque Convention Center, where one lucky winner receives the Palm de Grease Award for the top film. (Rumor has it some stars from the national television productions filming in Albuquerque will be on hand for the festivities.)

For more information, go to www.dukecityshootout.org.