BEHIND THE SCENES AND Q&A > FISTS OF VENGEANCE
Fist of vengeance
Q&A WITH CREATOR ALEX SHIFMAN
1. What is your background in sketch/comedy/film?
I’ve already talked about this in my previous write ups so I’ll move on. 2. Tell us about some of the challenges of making your film. This was surprisingly easy to make.There was some frustrating stuff revolving around creating the visual effect but none of it was so difficult as to be impossible. Also lets not forget the hardest part, the backgrounds, Dan Dobransky did. 3. What would you do differently if you were to make this film again? If I were doing this again I’d play with it more. make sure I got even more characters. Some of the best characters we got were improvised and some of the ones that I felt hit the hardest on the page didn’t hit as hard as I would have wanted. 4. What's next for you? What's your next film project going to look like? Whatever I do next you can bet Nathaniel will be a part of it...whether he wants to or not. Working with Nathaniel Moore has been the best thing to come out of my life in comedy. Everyone does their best work with a partner. You can find us on Facebook or Funny or Die as A+N. 5. Tell us about the Magnet Video lab and its role in making this film happen. In each of the three sessions the lab has inspired me to do things I never would have done otherwise. In the previous two sessions I got weird...really weird, and while I stuck to a more traditional sketch style with this video I still allowed myself to be more adventurous with the characters and the technical aspects. 6. Where did the inspiration for this video come from? I love list sketches. They prove such a perfect excuse to say things that make little to no sense; “I’m more than just a man with two dicks, I’m a father and a fighter” ,“Hey it’s me the disco clown, lets do some party drugs”. In any other context that’s meaningless. Who’s ever said those words before. Key and Peel’s East West bowl is a perfect example of this kind of sketch but the group Superego does it best on their podcast. Just loads of gibberish that sound so right. I grew up playing the fighting game Soul Caliber which has the host of specific characters with weird things they say, between catchphrases and dialogue, and it felt like the perfect place for a list sketch. 7. How did the Magnet Video Lab help you grow as an artist from Season 2 to Season 3? The video lab keeps me growing by providing constant support in ways I could only dream of. In any other world I would have had to pay a ton for the sketch. Cameras cost a lot, animation costs a lot, even the stands for the green screen cost a lot. And it’s more than just cost. Having other people around with creative abilities that aren't part of your group, even in the technical aspects of filmmaking, is invaluable. |
VIDEOS
Alex and Nathaniel can't wait to play the new Fist of Vengeance Game, but they're not sure about all the new characters.
Premiered at Magnet Theater on January 25, 2015 A sketch by A+N Running Time: 02:18 Cast: Alex Shifman, Nathaniel Moore (Special appearance by Denis Feitosa) Written and Directed: Alex Shifman, Nathaniel Moore (A+N) Voice Acting: Brian Hansbury. Director of Photography: Denis Feitosa Visuals: Dan Dobransky Special Thanks: Magnet Theater & Magnet Video Lab BEHIND THE SCENES GALLERY |