A Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: FROM THE MAKERS OF…
Genre: Dark Comedy
Date: 2020
Director: Daniel Fissmer
Producer: Danny Cullen, Jarad Kopciak, Arlo Sanders, and Daniel Fissmer.
Writer: Daniel Fissmer
Cinematographer: Nate Gold
Production Company: Kid Cactus
Budget: Approx. $7,500, + lots of favors from close professional friends of mine
Financing: Crowdfunding (Kickstarter) also providing financing for a few other short films I was producing.
Shooting Format: Digital
Screening Format: Digital
World Premiere: N/A
Awards: N/A
Website: N/A
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Daniel Fissmer (DF): From The Makers Of… is a satirical piece that comments on the odd, bizarre, yet strangely alluring infomercials of the 1990s. The idea was spawned on a trip to Lake Crescent in northern Washington with my sisters and mother. My younger sister Amy showed me this hilarious joke that played on the idea of having different products from the makers of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.” We were howling with laughter in the car on our way home and the joke really stuck with me. I found myself thinking about how to frame this joke to make it into something larger so that there would be some actual substance behind it, and it dawned on me that a ’90s inspired infomercial would be perfect. Since the dawn of social media, I’ve found myself observing that as a society, we’ve become enveloped by an overbearing consumer culture, and I wanted to comment on this. I thought that an infomercial would be a great vehicle to use for this film as ’90s advertising and advertising today are closely linked. They’re both a hollow projection of happiness, coupled with the idea that superfluous consumption will lead to a more complete sense of self. To me, this is what the film truly represents.
Tell us about the festival run, marketing and sales?
Daniel Fissmer (DF): To date, the film has premiered at the Chicago Comedy Festival and Hollyshorts. We’re in the process of waiting to hear back from other festivals and have been excited to receive positive feedback on it. The piece is going to be included in a one-hour comedy special produced by the production company Kid Cactus, which is an amalgamation of shorts with a connected through-line of animation. I’m excited to see where this film takes me over the next year.
Give the full Official Synopsis for your film?
Daniel Fissmer (DF): The film begins as a ’90s style late-night infomercial where a host introduces a new product from the makers of “I Can’t Believe It’s NotBbutter.” It continues on with subsequent hosts introducing more products from the same product line. As the piece moves forward with each host offering a new product to our audience, it begins to spiral into a hellish nightmare. The hosts become more and more aggressive in their pitches as the audience becomes crazed and hypnotized by the products they seemingly need. After a long descent, the film eventually crescendos to all out pandemonium.
Development & Financing?
Daniel Fissmer (DF): The film was written and Directed by myself so we had no issues with securing rights. As for financing, my company Kid Cactus raised a small budget for a series of shorts and From The Makers Of… was one of the projects included in that series. We allocated a specific amount for From The Makers Of… and then, I came up with creative solutions to produce the best project I could make within the budgetary constraints I was working with. A lot of close friends gave their all to the project, working within our low budget, and I have to give a big thanks to all who contributed their time and talent.
Production?
Daniel Fissmer (DF): I originally wrote the project six months before we began production. After that, we all decided to allot around eight weeks to pre-production and production. The main actors (being the host) were all producers on the project, so for the first two weeks, we rehearsed heavily as the final moments of the film end in simultaneous four-person monologue. Arlo Sanders, my co-producer, then helped me quickly cast the rest of our actors. While this rehearsal process was going on, I was working closey with my DP, Nate Gold, and Technical Director, Justin Preston, on designing the set and how everything would function with the shots we planned.
Two weeks into our process, a very important opportunity came up for my technical director, Justin, that he had to take. We had six weeks left of production, but now Justin had to leave in three. Justin was an integral part of the process, especially with the lighting since he’s a lighting programer, and our design of the space was lit to mimick a live studio setting. After a small momentary lapse of “Is this going to !@!#$ work!?!?!?” I talked with my producers, and we all agreed we would have to put in twice the work by working 15-hour days, but it was what had to be done! My co-producer, Jarad Kopciak, was my right-hand man in this process, and he really helped keep me sane gathering all the necessities.
We built the set in less than three weeks and then shot principal photography in one incredibly long 16-hour day. My DP, Nate Gold, my AD, Michael Coursey, my Technical Director, Justin Person, and my stunt coordinator, Jarad Hughes were so prepared that we accomplished everything we set out to do. After the initial shoot, we had a day of pick-ups for shooting the products, and then I worked extensively with my Visual Effects supervisor, Danica Tan, who did such a fantastic job on our graphic design and special fx. After we wrapped our pick-ups, Danny Cullen took on the behemoth job of editing everything together which took a few months, and then we shipped it off to sound design and score.
This was done by Matt Scwartz and Erik DeLong, both of whom are incredible artists, and this took a few months to perfect. We weren’t on a timeline for a studio, so I really wanted my post-production team to feel that they had a lot of room to experiment as the piece really allows for that. The entire process was a slow-burn, but the result provided great satisfaction at the end. As a young filmmaker, I realize that in the future you are beholden to a studio’s schedule or a release deadline, so it was nice to recognize that the piece was truly just for us and enjoying the process as much as possible was a part of the journey.
The Release?
DF: The movie first premiered at the Chicago Comedy Festival, followed by Hollyshorts. It has yet to be publicly released since it’s going to be included in Kid Cactus’ one-hour comedy special that will be released in 2021. Be on the lookout for the release of Kid Cactus’s upcoming one-hour comedy special “What Is Art?” and you will be able to see it there in the near future!
Advice from the Filmmaker?
DF: My advice for a short film is to surround yourself with people you know you can trust. Even with our production schedule cut in half, I knew that my team was not only capable but willing to give their best because of their good nature. My production company is made up of myself, two friends I have known for fifteen years, and another I have known for seven. They’ve helped me through dire situations in real life, so I know they’ll be able to accomplish and overcome any obstacle we come across on set. The film is made from passion and love, and the love starts with your core team. Find people you absolutely love working with. Also, for short films, I’ve found rehearsing to be a Godsend. A lot of the time you’re on a time crunch due to budget constraints for shorts, so a rehearsal period previous to the shoot day (even if it’s only for a few hours) with actors can go a long way.
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