We LOVED watching all the short films from the OklaHomies Short Film Contest. There were so many creative ideas that we were curious about who was behind the smartphone. We did a quick social-distance Q&A with Josh Mindemann, the first place winner in the shorts category. Learn about his inspiration for “Wiped Out“, a short satiric nature mockumentary on toilet paper. If you haven’t seen it yet, we highly recommend checking it out! 

CNFO: Where did your inspiration come from for your short film?

Josh Mindemann: “I made the film “Wiped Out” with the help of my wife, Tish, and my friend Josh Hill. I love watching nature documentaries with my family, and I’m particularly fond of the series, “Planet Earth”. I was joking with my wife about toilet paper becoming “endangered,” and it sort of sparked the whole idea. Of course, if we were going to do a nature mockumentary, we needed our own David Attenborough to bring it to life, so I pitched the idea to my friend, Josh. He’s British, currently living in Tokyo, and I thought his voice would be perfect for the project. I wrote out the script and sent it to him to record. While we waited on that we were able to take advantage of the beautiful scenery around Robber’s Cave State Park a few miles from Wilburton, where we currently live. I’m very thankful that we still have the opportunity to get out and experience nature while remaining safe and socially distancing. We have twin, 4-year-old boys, and it’s a great way for them to run off some energy.” 

What did you use to shoot and edit your film? 

“I shot everything handheld with my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I used the FilmicPro app to manually adjust my settings to 120 fps because the slow-motion helps smooth out the footage. I did process the footage using Adobe software on my computer but then imported it back onto my phone to assemble the final film using InShot. I’m used to editing projects in Adobe Premiere, so it was more of a challenge to cut the film together on a phone app.”

Do you currently work in the film industry, and if so, what’s your role? 

“I currently teach photography and design at Eastern Oklahoma State College but I do some film work as a freelancer. I’ve shot a few commercials in Lawton and Oklahoma City, most recently a spot for Wagyu Japanese BBQ. This was a great experience and a welcome escape from the monotony of isolation. I thoroughly enjoyed watching everyone’s videos and having a good laugh; the levity was much needed. There were several very creative, funny, well-shot videos. I would like to say that everyone that competed should be proud of what they accomplished.”

The OklaHomies Short Film Contest is sponsored by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture.

#OklaHomieContest #OkieFilm #InThisTogether

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A Note from One of Our Judges

“I was so excited to be a part of this. I’ve been watching the videos over the last few days, and I’m blown away by how fun, creative and incredible each and every one of them is. It’s been so hard to judge them!

One of them just made me cry like a baby, and this has just been such a fun and inspiring experience. This process has been the highlight of my week, and I can’t wait to jump back in and watch more of the short films now.”

Even though the contest is over, you can still have some fun and enjoy the fun of filmmaking. All you need is a smartphone and some creativity. This is about learning new skills and having fun. Never made a film before? We’ve gathered helpful resources with tutorials to help you create your movie magic. Read our tips on our app suggestions blog. 

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