Mad Dog Movies » Rochester Movie Makers

The King of Cups wins RMM Script-A-Palooza

Mike — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:49:49 +0000

2012 Winner: The King of Cups

For the third consecutive year, a short script by yours truly has won at Rochester Movie Makers Script-A-Palooza. There were 9 screenplays read (performed!) that night by our troupe of talented actors. I was impressed with the continuing quality from our small community. The dramatic pieces were really strong, too, which doesn’t always come across since script readings generally favors comedy.

My piece, THE KING OF CUPS, is something I wrote in response to one of our RMM Writers Workshop challenges. I ignored my usual sense of practicality for this one and set it in New Orleans during a hurricane. Would I ever change it to, say, Rochester during a light drizzle? Eh, I don’t know. Without giving anything away, there are some plot elements that seem to fit New Orleans… After the reading, someone described it to me as being like a Twilight Zone episode, and I suppose he’s right.

Read The King of Cups.

I’m a pepper

Mike — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:29:29 +0000

I’m a pepper… but not for long. The Dr. Pepper lunchboxes I bought in bulk are metamorphosing into something much more sinister. (These boxes are being used as props in many of Rochester Movie Makers’ short films this summer.)

First, all the shiny metal parts are masked off with blue tape.

Then I break out the primer.

It takes a few days to apply coats of primer and spraypaint. I often get bubbles and drips of paint. If they’re really bad, I sand them down, but since these lunchboxes are meant to look old, I’m not troubled too much by a rough surface.

Next, my friend Frank prints my artwork on sticky vinyl and I apply it to the boxes.

A little acrylic paint is dry-brushed on for an antique effect, especially on the metal to make it look rusty.

Mad Monster is not the only design. Here’s a look at some artwork I did for the short “Boxed In,” which has a sci-fi/magical plot. The first piece is a space image crossed with some atomic imagery, combining the macro and micro worlds.

The next two are Nalli and Hitchcock, two “Boxed In” characters in cartoon form.

The film “Lunchbreak” requires a Bride of Mad Monster box. After sketching a feminine version of the loveable green guy, I inked and scanned her to Photoshop. I’m now halfway through coloring — no texture or shading yet.

Croquet The Trailer! Croquet The Website!

Mike — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:20:47 +0000

Behold!

And what’s a movie without a website, right?

Click below to experience the agony and the ecstasy:

http://maddogmovies.com/croquet

CROQUET THE MUSICAL will be screening as part of a night of 72 Hour Films at the Little Theatre on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010.

The RMM 72 Hour Mind 2 Movie Exhibition and Awards Ceremony

The Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue Rochester, NY.
Social hour in the cafe: 6pm.
Showtime: 7pm.
Awards: 8pm.

Tickets are available now at the Little Box Office to see all 10 films for $5.00.

25 Hour Horror Feast

subterranea — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:47:54 +0000

Meanwhile, in Rochester, two of my films will be playing as part of The Little Theatre’s 25 Hour Horror Feast. The event starts Halloween Eve with a zombie walk, followed by a marathon of horror movies that continues through Halloween. A special horror-themed edition of Rochester’s Emerging Filmmakers Series will play that Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm.

Kicking off the EFS is the premiere of Skeletal Remains, which acts as both a tribute to classic horror movies and as a music video for 1970s rock group Aviary. (It was Matt Guarnere, a friend of Aviary’s Brad Love, who first suggested I try such a film.)

Someday I’d like to work some animation into Skeletal Remains, but I’ve had friends tell me the current live action cut plays pretty well. My approach was to borrow (steal) scenes from public domain movies like The House on Haunted Hill, The Last Man on Earth, and The Screaming Skull, then remix them to depict a fun little horror story. Now I get to brag that my film stars Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and Vincent Price!

Later on in the show is Mike Russo’s Virgin Fang, which starred me(!) as Draculess, king nerd of vampires. Mike threw this at me back in August, when many of us Rochester Movie Makers were in the midst of multiple other summer short projects. He invited me to play the lead in this silent horror-comedy, and I was too flattered to refuse.

It was a challenge for me to “act,” even if it was only hamming it up pantomime style. I helped Mike by knocking out some storyboards, then editing the piece in Final Cut Pro at Animatus.

Virgin Fang also stars the beautiful Becky Herber, with camera duties performed by RMM head honcho Stan Main.

Come out October 31st to The Little, 240 East Avenue, Rochester! For a complete run-down of the event, click here.

Trailer and Poster for ONE KILL

subterranea — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:57:49 +0000

Rochester filmmakers Mike Russo and Derrick Petrush have posted the trailer for the slasher parody, “One Kill.” It’s a hysterical horror comedy short produced as part of last year’s Rochester Movie Makers summer challenge. I was not involved in the production, but this gives me an excuse to post the poster image I made for their DVD screeners (see below).

My friend Mars did the score for the final piece, although the trailer uses old timey organ instead.

Watch for it this Monday, April 27th at Emerging Filmmakers!