In the late summer of 2010 I decided that, after years of being a slightly successful indie music artist who made a steady stream of pocket change from the songs that I wrote and recorded, that I would like to return to making films---as I had done in my childhood.
Movies had always fascinated me---the ability to shoot something totally out of order and put it together and tell a story was endlessly interesting to me. So with that in mind I did a great deal of research on the latest camera technology and, in short, quickly was won over by the revolution then happening (and now continuing) in the realm of HDSLR still cameras which also featured amazing video technology.
Movies had always fascinated me---the ability to shoot something totally out of order and put it together and tell a story was endlessly interesting to me. So with that in mind I did a great deal of research on the latest camera technology and, in short, quickly was won over by the revolution then happening (and now continuing) in the realm of HDSLR still cameras which also featured amazing video technology.
I snapped up a Canon 550D or if you prefer the Rebel T2i as it is sometimes known---and then went looking for good prime lenses to shoot some tests. I wrote a script which none of my friends or acquaintances wanted to have anything to do with (although they were encouraging) and then I threw out that script but kept the core idea and ended up shooting a 3 minute short that was never intended for the festival circuit or even to be seen by very many people.
I just wanted to reacquaint myself with what it felt like to light a scene, set up a tripod, choose an appropriate lens and then shoot something, move on and shoot more and then put it all together in Final Cut Pro and maybe score some music for the track. All of that I eventually did. And it was hard---and also a huge amount of fun.
That little experimental film became THE MAN IN 813 and has gone on to become an official selection of several U.S. film festivals including the rather prestigious (Washington) DC Shorts Film Festival. It was chosen from 1,200 submissions to be among 145 films shown in September 2011. The film also went on to win Outstanding Local Film at that festival, something I never dreamed of happening.
Now I'm getting ready for the release of my second short GO WITH THE FLOW about a guy named Parker Krendall---whose girlfriend has just been visited by "Aunt Flo". As the film opens she is leaving a somewhat angry message on Parker's answering machine saying, "I only wish you men knew what it was like!" Shortly after that Parker's nose begins to bleed. And bleed. And bleed some more.
The full short will be out in January 2012.