48 hours, one film and a hippo fish

A whole weekend of making a film with the entire team.
Not as a client case. Not as a campaign. Simply because we wanted to see what happens when you combine creativity, time pressure, and a team full of makers.
Well, quite a lot happens.

With FU, we entered the 48 Hour Challenge Arnhem: a film project where you create a complete short film in 48 hours. From genre to script. From shooting to editing. All in one weekend.

This is what that weekend looked like.

Friday started at a beautiful location in Vreeland.
And the rest? We knew nothing yet.
Part of the group set off early for the location where we would shoot the next day. That was the only certainty: this was the place where it had to happen.
The draw only took place in the evening. That is when you find out your genre. And the mandatory elements that all teams must include in their film: a line of dialogue, a character, and a prop.

But to be honest, the genre determines everything.
Our options?
Mockumentary
or
Single room movie

We chose mockumentary. Because when you get a genre like that, you naturally choose a very serious subject. So we went with the hippopotamus fish from the Okavango Delta in Botswana, reportedly spotted in Vreeland.
It seemed logical to us.

From that moment on, everything took off. Choosing a concept. Writing the script. Sourcing props at high speed. Creating a shooting schedule. Calling actors. Everything at once, deep into the night.

While the writing team developed the story in the hunting lodge, others were already thinking ahead about visuals, scenes, and planning.
As Sem, our DOP and initiator, later said:
“Our collaboration was incredible. It was extra special for me that my father was there, a full circle moment. On Friday evening, while the writing team was shaping the story in the lodge, we prepared the shot list. At that moment, I realised we were truly doing this together.”
That feeling stayed with us all weekend.

Saturday was about shooting, quick decisions, and moving forward.
The entire team was gathered before dawn.
Everyone had their own role. Familiar territory for some, completely new for others. But that hardly mattered. Five minutes before everyone arrived, the script was practically finished. Scenes were set up. Actors studied their lines. People sourced props, checked shots, arranged costumes, sound, scheduling, and coffee.

Especially coffee.
Suddenly, we had a well-oiled machine. Not because everything was perfectly prepared. That is impossible in 48 hours. But because everyone stepped up exactly where needed.
Nine, stylist, captured it beautifully:
“We are colleagues, so we understand each other perfectly without needing words. Everyone focuses on their role. There was an immediate magic.”

We started with all the indoor shots. Highly practical. Capturing what we could while waiting for the daylight outside.
After lunch, we moved outdoors onto the grounds in Vreeland. The location worked beautifully. Green, spacious, cinematic, and just awkward enough for a mockumentary about a fictional fish with a serious mission.
We shot the final scenes in the evening light. One of those moments when everyone is tired, but also senses that we are onto something good.

Along the way, characters and lines emerged that you do not easily forget. Claar, screenwriter, had a clear favourite:
“I would have to say Lodewijk van Basten Batenburg. His line ‘What nature teaches you about leadership. The Fish. The Vision. Vreeland. It just comes to me.’ sounded even better coming from him.”

There is little to add to that.
Once the shooting day was over, part of the team went home.
But not everyone.

The editing team still had to assemble an entire film. The story had to flow. The best shots had to be selected. Colour grading was needed. Sound design. Music. A poster. Titles. Export. Check. Double-check. And finally, submission.

That is the strange thing about such a weekend: everyone sees the day of the shoot, but the film is truly made in the edit.

That was where everything came together. The choices from Friday. The energy of Saturday. The small coincidences that suddenly worked perfectly. And the moments where you thought: we have no idea if this will work, but we are going to try.
Why do you willingly give up your weekend for this?

Donnie, executive producer, explained:
“Because these moments show how well you can work together. Going through something like this builds a team. I gladly make time for that. Even on weekends.”

Exactly that.
And then it is done. You have made a film in 48 hours.
Two weeks later, we attended the screening and awards ceremony.
Always exciting. You know what you created. You know the blood, sweat, editing hours, and sandwiches that went into it. But then, suddenly, a room full of people is watching it too.

And we were rewarded. Generously so.
We were nominated for:

• Costume design

• Acting ensemble

• Original score

• Sound design

• Cinematography

• Directing

And we won:

Lead actor

Color grading

Audience award

And the greatest compliment?
Third place for Best Film.

We are proud of that. Proud of the awards, of course. But mostly proud of the weekend itself. The quick thinking. The collaboration. Helping out, carrying gear, acting, and adapting together.
Because that was exactly why we took part.
To make something together. Under pressure. With joy. And with a result we truly stand behind.

The film?