Everyone has a hobby or favorite pastime that differentiates them from others, but some hobbies involve talents that can turn into much more..
On December 1st, filmmaker and Caveman Brian Curtis released a short film called Blood Money. He had been working on this for quite some time, and it is in this film in which his hard work surely paid off. This piece of art follows the predicament between Marcus Thompson, Allison Wallace, Elliot Cole and Johnathan Rodriguez, who are played by Curtis, Kylee Duncan, Happy Emmons, and Carlos Default respectively. Marcus Thompson makes a deal with two hitmen, Elliot Cole, and Johnathon Rodriguez, to allow him to win a blackjack match after they kill two men standing in his path. The hitmen are promised ten percent of what Thompson wins, and things sail smoothly for Thompson and the tournament. Unfortunately for him, after the hitmen become displeased with a few of Thompson’s actions, things take a tragic twist, his wife Allison Wallace becomes involved, and everything heads downhill.
Blood Money itself is an amazing work of art that projects the storyline that Curtis has created. Complete with an excellent build-up, use of plot devices, acting and even music, the film is truly pleasing to watch. But as with anything, Blood Money took a great deal of effort on all ends, putting Curtis through a lot to produce the film.
Curtis began working on the story for Blood Money all the way back in January of 2015. He created a basis for the storyline but rewrote the piece over and over, adding and removing elements to shape the story he yearned for. Once June hit, he and Happy Emmons, Co-Writer and Producer, had finalized a script for the movie. Unfortunately, they had a difficult time casting the other two parts for the film, but were lucky enough to have Carlos and Kylee step up to the bat. They began filming in late August and ended in October. Curtis had finally gathered everything he needed for the film and was then left to edit it together. Simon Monroe composed the soundtrack for the film, working with Curtis to develop the right feel for each scene. When asked about his thoughts on film creation and its processes, Curtis expressed “You get to put your ideas on screen, and see what you've written come to life. It's a satisfying feeling, and I got to work with great people.”
Curtis claims that he has been interested in film since he was very young. “Ever since I was a kid, no older than the age of 5, I was intrigued by movies, and if I had the chance to watch one, I would take it. This is a passion that I still hold to this day,” Curtis adds. He intends to pursue a career in the film industry after high school and encourages others to try new experiences and work with film, as one may never know their ideal career choice until after they branch out and find it.
Blood Money is a magnificent film that Curtis has put close to a year’s worth of work into. You can watch the film yourself on Youtube under Curtis’ account “Bboystudios97,” and understand and appreciate all that he has done to create the film. Curtis is one of many talented artists involved in any field, whether it be film, music or art, and there are many more out there to be recognized; Mishawaka High School holds only a great number of these individuals.