Movie making in 48 hours

Jones and Prediger sit on the back porch of the house she shares with Botwin, working through the shock of drawing silent film, but warming to the possibilities. They won't have to worry about dialogue. Botwin joins them.

Around 9 p.m., three other ideas people, Len Schmitz, Brian Levy, and Anna Collins, have joined the trio and brainstorming is in full fury. It is a scene surely playing out among other teams across the city. A consensus emerges at 10:30. The film will be series of vignettes about moments everyone faces - the awkward silence. The film is Charlie Chaplin meets the Farrelly Brothers: No words, but the scenes are meant to elicit laughs by relying on a moment of dishabille, bodily functions, and personal phobias.

The team works to incorporate the required character of R. Moellering, a hypochondriac; the prop, a bottle of wine; and the line of dialogue: "It was like that when I got here." By midnight the first scene is sketched out.

Scene 1
R. Moellering, hypochondriac, goes through his routine of taking a handful of pills. He looks in the refrigerator for milk, only to feel something stuck to his forehead. Looking in the mirror, he sees only disfigurement and, of course, fears the worst. He rushes, screaming, from his house. But a woman sees the "tumor" is only a prune, peels it off his head, and feeds it to her dog. Moellering is mortified.

The final scene comes together quickly. It is the easiest to sketch and draws considerable laughter from the tired crew.

Scene 3
A group of friends are gathered at a table enjoying dinner and drinks. Suddenly, one of the diners experiences an enormous bout of flatulence. Everyone freezes, not saying a word but casting accusatory glances at one guest. He is not the guilty party; actually, it's his date. Her heart pounds with embarrassment as she adjusts her dress. The party slowly resumes.

"[These] jokes never get old. They're universal," says Prediger.

Just before 2 a.m., the group is confident enough about the film's outline that they can spare the luxury of a few hours sleep. Prediger sends an e-mail at midnight for a 7:30 a.m. crew call. She crawls into bed at 4 a.m.

A steady rain falls at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, as the cast and crew of nearly 30 begin to arrive at Underpants Central. Some of the cast members are aspiring actors, while others are friends returning for their second production with I See London, I See France. Crew members scramble to set up lights for the first scene as Jones and Stephen Lyons, director of photography, go over the list of scenes to shoot.

Actor Dan Deluca, the star of Scene 1, shaves off his goatee, slicks back his hair, and begins his transformation into R. Moellering, hypochondriac.

Jones and Prediger watch Mr. Deluca on a monitor and cast members gather around. Jones shouts directions and Deluca responds. His performance elicits uproarious laughter. With no dialogue, success rides on Deluca's ability to communicate with his body. After three takes, the first section of the first scene is in the can at 10:55 a.m.

By 1:30 p.m., the crew is back in the kitchen for close-up shots to complete Scene 1. "We're moving at 48 Hour Film speed now," declares Botwin.

"I think we should wrap by 7 p.m., have everything digitized by 9 and have an assembly cut by 2 a.m.," Jones predicts.

Botwin is hopeful but laughs, knowing they cut their final scene at midnight the year before.

Finally, at 6:30 p.m. filming of the final scene begins. It is clear Jones's self-imposed deadline will be missed.

Lyons moves in for the final major scene, the dinner party interrupted by flatulence-induced awkward silence. He shoots wide and tight, moving around the room to create the right mood. The eight actors around the table have a great time drinking, talking, and reacting. Alexandra Walker, cast as the gassy woman, actually gets flushed with embarrassment during the scene. When played back on the monitor, the effect is just right.

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