Slivers

In 2016, I was twice-allowed to step my toes into filmmaking and find out if I was ready for the stage. Both times were so rewarding on so many levels that I knew it was time to toss off the training wheels and get ready to face down the Fame Monster.

My first short, DEATH IS FOR LOSERS!, is a talky, absurd comedy about two friends who find out how screwed up the other is. I like writing dialogue, so I gave the kid his candy by letting the words flow. I wanted to do something visually that was deceptively simple at first, but tells a story if you pay attention. Lexi McKean (Illeana) and Nadia Trousdale (Freya) are the stars and did awesome jobs at rattling off my batshit dialogue as if it was normal.

My second short, RAE’S REVERIE, involved a little more swagger. I wanted to make one that was nothing but alliteration, with “R” as the lucky consonant. For the visuals, I wanted to try two things and my cinematographer, Leonardo Fallucca, worked his magic. One didn’t execute as well as I would’ve liked (a diagonal VERTIGO shot), but the other was executed spectacularly (the green-orange look inspired by Bowie’s “Jump They Say” video, directed by Mark Romanek). Katarina Gajic deserves all the praise I can give for wrapping her mind around one long tongue-twister, for shaping Rae’s look, and for making believable that alliterative lovesick lady.

Thanks a bunch for watching.