Filmmakers are storytellers. I have been a filmmaker for a
long time, and before that a storyteller.
Some of my fondest memories as a kid are playing “guns” or “cops and
robbers” with my sister Melissa and cousins Derek and Jeremiah. We would spend
hours figuring out the story to the game we were going to play. We would figure everything out and build an entire world around what we wanted to do. We would spend so much time and energy creating these stories that on many occasions, by the time we figured it all out, it was time to go home. I also remember my dad telling all us kids scary
stories around the campfire. His were always the best, no one could tell them like he could.
All us kids would take turns trying to make up good ones like his but we never could as kids. As I
grew up My love for stories grew to cartoons and movies, and as soon as I could, I wanted to make my own. I would
tell Melissa, Derek, and Jeremiah all the time how I was going to make movies when I grew up.
The first movie I was ever going to make was going to be a spoof of all
the biggest movies from our childhood and I was going to call it............... Wait for it..................
“That One Movie”. That way when people were
talking about movies, and couldn’t think of the title and they said "it was that
one movie," other people would get confused because there was actually a movie
called “That One Movie.” (I am still going to do this someday, so don’t steal
my idea!!!!!!)
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| Me, Jeremiah, Derek, and Melissa as kids having a great time. Photo by Richard Vansant |
When I actually got started making movies, I made some terrible
short films. Ones that no one will ever see! But I kept making them, making
mistakes, learning tips, secrets, etc.
Always practicing. You can’t expect to become great at
anything without practice. Or luck I guess, but anyone who know me will attest
to me having the worst luck out of anyone in the world… So luck wasn’t going to
cut it! I had to practice and learn.
I made several bad music videos, several bad short films, several
student films, etc. Eventually I started making products that I was proud of.
The first short film I Directed and produced that I was really proud of
is my short film ReRe-Animated.
http://www.rere-animatedmovie.com/
http://www.facebook.com/rereanimated
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| Comic book art work by the fantastic talented Morgan Wilson |
Bodies line the streets; zombies roam hunting for brains or
flesh, the "Zombie Apocalypse is now"... At least that is what Brian
thinks. Brian drags Wess from his bed, and out through the night barricading
themselves inside the safest place to be when zombies attack... A bar... Wess,
doubting the accuracy of Brian's recollection, tries to convince him he could
be wrong. Together the two friends wait out what could be the zombie apocalypse
arguing as their imaginations run wild.
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| More fantastic art from Morgan Wilson |
ReRe-Animated is a short film that I made with the help of a
lot of great friends and supporters. I had an amazing crew, and could not
have made it without their help. ReRe-Animated was the first real project that
I tried to direct and produce myself. It was after I graduated from film
school, and something that I spent lots of time, energy, and money to make it.
I had the best equipment, the best crew, with talented actors; it really was an
amazing experience.
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| Morgan Wilson's representation of Brian an I fighting Zombies |
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| some sweet directing/acting |
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| Brian and I giving thumbs up! |
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| All the awesome and scary Zombies |
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| Actors Wesley Alley, Michael Opal, and Brian C. Chenworth |
As amazing as the experience was and how good the film turned out, it wasn't all great. It was hard with lots of problems. Right out of the gate we
had a location fall through, so we had to find a new location very short notice. One
of my two lead actors quit after weeks of rehearsals. It was difficult to find someone else, so
I had to step up and be one of the leads. My wife wrecked her scooter! Almost everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Even the weather was against us, it rained on us everyday and I don't mean, just a little rain I mean torrential downpour. It was a very tough schedule,
and a very tough project all together. Like I said, it turned out great, and it
was the effort of all my friends and crew that really made it possible. There
is no way I could have pulled it off with out them.
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| something wicked this way comes |
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| Praying for no Rain while A.D. Keith Gaynor and Actor Brian C. Chenworth wait super patiently... |
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| Curtis braving the storm |
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| Don't worry, I got you buddy. While Production Coordinator Hillary Matheny does something coordinatory. |
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| Associate producer and Production Manager Nicholas Kramer broke out his rain gear from back when he was Captain of a fishing boat "Oh God Please No Rain"off the coast of Oregon. |
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| Nothing to do but wait for the rain to pass... So Bromantic... |
Currently, ReRe-Animated is in its film festival run, and doing
great!!!! We have won several awards including Best Horror Short Film at Shockerfest International FIlm Festival 2012, and Best Short Film Orlando FIlm Slam February 2012. We have screened at lots of pretty amazing festivals, not to mention, been seen by some pretty amazing people. Please check out the
web site to see some great quotes from people, a list of all
the film festivals and awards, as well as so much more!!!!
http://www.rere-animatedmovie.com/
http://www.facebook.com/rereanimated
http://rere-animated.blogspot.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/rereanimated
