Esteemed filmmakers to judge 2024 ShotDeck Recreations contest

ShotDeck reveal a distinguished panel of judges for the 2024 ShotDeck Recreations Contest which is still open for submissions until midnight, July 15, 2024.

This year’s impressive lineup of Academy Award-nominated filmmakers, include writer/director/actor Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter), Rachel Morrison, ASC director of the upcoming The Fire Inside and cinematographer on Mudbound, Black Panther, Fruitvale Station, cinematographer Matthew Libatique, ASC (Black Swan, Maestro, A Star is Born), and production designer Karen Murphy (Elvis, A Star is Born, Chevalier), among other acclaimed industry professionals.

“I’m so excited about this year’s annual ShotDeck Recreations Contest! It’s truly one of the highlights of our year, uniting our amazing community to have fun, get inspired, and be creative,” says Lawrence Sher, ASC, Academy Award-nominated cinematographer of Joker (2019) and creator of the ShotDeck Recreations Contest. “Thanks to our fantastic sponsors, this year’s prizes have exceeded previous years. We can’t wait to see the incredible talent from participants out there, delivering outstanding recreations.”

Sher launched the contest in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as the “Shot in Isolation” challenge, encouraging filmmakers to recreate famous movie shots at home using DIY methods. Now in its third official year, the contest has gained viral popularity, drawing submissions from across the globe. This year, ShotDeck is offering over $75,000 in filmmaking gear from many industry sponsors. The complete list is available here.

ShotDeck’s lineup of esteemed creatives on the 2024 judging panel include:

Maggie Gyllenhaal – Writer/Director/Actor, The Lost Daughter, upcoming The Bride

Polly Morgan ASC BSC – cinematographer, Back to Black, A Quiet Place 2, Legion

Jay Holben – Co-author, The Cine Lens Manual, American Cinematographer’s Shot Craft

Raffi Sanchez – Gaffer, Joker: Folie à Deux, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sideways

Ula Pontikos BSC – cinematographer, Russian Doll, Film Stars Don’t Lie in Liverpool

Justin Simien – Director, Dear White People, Bad Hair, Haunted Mansion

Marina Starke – Colorist, The Empress, Mayyas: Horra music video

Rachel Morrison ASC – Director, upcoming The Fire Inside; cinematographer, Mudbound, Black Panther, Fruitvale Station

Matty Libatique ASC – cinematographer, Black Swan, Maestro, A Star is Born

Karen Murphy – Production Designer, Elvis, A Star is Born, Chevalier

Shane Hurlbut ASC – cinematographer, The Babysitter, Need for Speed; Filmmaker’s Academy co-founder.

Lawrence Sher ASC – cinematographer, Joker, The Hangover Trilogy, Garden State

Submitters have the opportunity to win awards in various categories, including Most Accurate Lighting, Best Production Design, Most Creative Setup, and more. This year’s Top Prize is an FX6 Grand Prize Camera Package offered by Sony, along with other Grand Prize awards from Aputure, Filmlight, Rosco, Filmmaker’s Academy, and the new docu-series Hollywood Black. Also sponsoring prizes are Creamsource, Blackmagic Design, Atomos, Tiffen, OWC and American Cinematographer, among other major filmmaking brands.

Filmmakers can submit their recreations through the official landing page hosted by ShotDeck, a comprehensive cinematic image database featuring over 1 million reference shots from films, series, music videos, and commercials. Entries are due by midnight, July 15, 2024. Information and submissions a can be accessed via ShotDeck.