Twenty-five film producers hit the Renton streets last weekend as a part of the city’s annual 50-hour film competition.

While not all of the teams finished Renton FilmFrenzy III, 18 made it in time for the Sunday deadline

“We’re going for first place this year,” said producer Jessica Schmitt, 17, at the beginning of the filmmaking Friday.

Eight of the entries this year were submitted by youths. The teens also have their own awards category, competing for trophies and cash prizes.

Schmitt entered the competition with Dalena Pham, 17, two years before.

They won third place the first year, and second place and a woman’s filmmaker award last year. Their goal is to continue moving up to first place.

“It’s scary when you know who the other competitors are and you see their YouTube videos,” Pham said.

Friday evening they waited in a Starbucks cafe for the 5 p.m. start, which is an e-mail with three “curve ball” requirements for the video.

Providing the twists – a place, phrase and piece of art – ensures groups can’t begin filming before the start time.

“We’re probably going to have to say something cheesy,” she said of the challenge.

The e-mail arrived, and the phrase was “DTR,” a popular acronym for Downtown Renton.

“What’s DTR?” Schmitt asked with a laugh.

Pham also had no idea.

But they continued their planning.

The two Renton High School seniors were in the midst of writing college entrance letters and decided to make a film about one student who decided to tell a few lies in her letter.

One scene shows Pham whiting out bad grades, another pretending to be homecoming queen in a toilet paper dress.

After the curve balls were announced, the two headed to Pham’s house to plan and to film what they could inside.

The sun sets early, making most of the filming difficult to start until Saturday morning.

With how heavy the rain fell Saturday, it’s surprising that 18 groups still turned in their projects, said Suzanne Dale Estey, organizer and Renton Economic Development chief. “It was brutal.”

It was especially hard on the girls.

Pham was driving to Schmitt’s home Saturday afternoon, when she turned too fast for the slick roads. Her car slid, hit a curb and flipped into a ditch in downtown off of Talbot Road South.

Pham walked away from the incident with only a scratch on her hand, Schmitt said. “She was really lucky.”

However, Schmitt had to continue on without her. Even with a new actor, she didn’t have time to finish.

“I was really disappointed that I wasn’t able to finish, because I was really looking forward to bringing home first place this year. But I was glad she (Pham) was OK,” Schmitt said after the competition.

Five people are judging the videos this year, which will be shown at a live film gala Oct. 26.

Schmitt was looking forward to the competition aspect of the frenzy because she doesn’t compete anywhere else, she said.

It’s also exciting to see the film screened, she said. “You’re wondering how other people are interpreting it.”

All of the producers will screen their films at various locations downtown as a part of the FilmWalk Oct. 27-28.

Voting for the People’s Choice Award will begin Oct. 29 at RentonReporter.com. The award will be presented at the Renton City Council meeting Nov. 15.