2022: “The Meticulous Mission of One Mr. Manco” (Short Film)
“What if Wes Anderson made a Spaghetti Western?” That is basically the premise behind the final short film project I made during my time at UST. A love letter of a film that sought to combine the zany characters and worldbuilding of Wes Anderson, with the grittiness and setting of Sergio Leone. It was ultimately part of a class assignment where we had to make a short film in the style of a particular director or in this case directors. The process behind this shoot was pretty much the same as “The Night Shift”. A month of scriptwriting and post-production, a month of principal photography, and a month of editing that involved a rather surprising number of VFX shots, some which unfortunately remained a bit rough due to time limitations. This project is especially noteworthy as it involved filming in various unique locations and in one scene even involved the usage of live animals. And finally, like with “The Night Shift”, the film could also have never been made without the help and talent of some wonderful people from both the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. Additionally, special thanks to Cory Spawn for his expert camerawork.