Angry Bear Film Productions

My first short film, which I produced back in 2006. I've always been fond of this film, but it definitely suffered from the technical limitations of the time, that and my lack of experience as a filmmaker. I used "Pixop" to reduce digital noise, and upgrade the visuals to full HD. The original was shot in standard definition. I've been very resistant to artificial intelligence - I've even written plenty of screenplays that focus on the risks of AI - but I'm not so stubborn as to overlook a potential tool. The film still looks far from perfect, but it's a bit better. In the end, it's the comedy of the piece that really matters. If you want to learn more about "Angry Bear Film Productions", you can check out our website at www.angrybearfilms.com.

I produced "There can be only One" back in 2008. It was the second short film I wrote/directed/produced. It was a fun one to make, with a lot of great people, but mistakes were made. The quality, of the five film I shot after this one, was much higher. I always wished I could go back and fix some of the mistakes we made on this film, because I've always been fond of it. I enhanced this film with an artificial intelligence program called "Pixop". I upscaled the video to full HD, used Pixop's denoise ai, and I added some subtle "film grain" in order to mask some of the imperfect blending. It was my intention to shoot the film in HD, but my DOP got us an "enhanced definition" camera by mistake. ED has the same definition as SD, only it used "progressive scan" rather than "interlaced" video. There was also a mistake made during a focus pull; I asked my DOP to use neutral density filters - in bright daylight - and to open up the iris in order to get a narrower depth of field. He increased the gain instead of opening up the iris, and didn't switch back the settings after the shot. This led to a loss in video quality, and an increase in digital noise. This saddened me. There were also colour temperature issues. I was so focussed on my actors, that I didn't notice any of this, until I was in post. I personally made some mistakes in post - this was the first film I edited myself - so I take full blame for that. I was a big fan of the original Highlander movie, so this film holds a special place in my heart. I at least needed to try enhancing it. Let me know what you think. Does it look weird? Do it look alright in HD. Do you have any suggestions for me? If you want to learn more about "Angry Bear Film Productions", you can check out our website at www.angrybearfilms.com.

I also loved "The Supremes", and "Baby Love" takes me back to my childhood. This parody is a bit blasphemous, but I couldn't resist. The parody makes fun of penis' that are a wee bit smaller then is practical. Let us all pray for all of the grown men out there, who suffer from the unfortunate malady that comes from possessing a "Baby Dick".

A parody of Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'". It's a bit blasphemous, and I'm sure Tom would consider this spoof song to be a true "Heart Breaker", or maybe it would merely leave him feeling petty. The original song brings my back to high school... those were dark days...

Warning: this parody is sung from the perspective of a serial killer. It's a tad bit violent. I've always loved this song; love it so much I'm willing to give it an even more sinister twist. I believe I first heard "Soft Cell's" version of the song, but the original Gloria Jones version is just as amazing. I've been wanting to record this for a while, just for the hell of it. Obviously, I just did this for fun, and it's not an example of my best work. Just one way to help myself pass the time during the pandemic.

People are going to hate me for this one, but I couldn't resist. Sometimes when I'm bored - particularly at work - I sing to myself, and come up with my own lyrics for existing songs. I'm not much of a performer, although improv comedy used to be a big hobby of mine. I'm much more a writer, but I like to entertain, regardless. You can check out more of my work at www.angrybearfilms.com.

For those who don't know, shingles is a viral infection caused by the "chicken pox" virus. After you recover from chicken pox, the virus can lie dormant for decades. It can randomly reactivate and cause a painful rash with blisters. I've been trying to enjoy my time leading up to the holidays, but unexpected challenges have derailed my Christmas cheer. Over a week ago, I started coming down with Shingles. To occupy my mind, I started to vent my anger through song. It's one way to go about it. When the shingles first hit me, I had no idea what it was I was looking at. I thought I was breaking out in hives, from some new or unknown allergy. My whining on FaceBook saved my ass, for a couple of my friends knew exactly what I was suffering from. A long fucked-up night at the hospital, and some anti-viral medication, and I'm doing a lot better. This infection could have gotten a lot worse. As the video; I'm not a big "in front of the screen" type of guy, but I love entertaining. Sometimes lyrics come to me, and they make me chuckle. I just like to share the good times.

Santa stuffs the stockings with care... Unbeknownst to Santa, a young Teddy Bear spies from out of Santa's sack. What the bear - Mr. Gregory - witnesses brings up questions of who this little girl might be, and what impact she will have on Gregory's life and destiny. Prequel to the twisted dark comedy short film affectionately titled "Grow the Fuck Up!" Learn more about "Christmas Stuffing" at https://angrybearfilms.com/christmas-stuffing/ Learn more about "Grow the Fuck Up!" at https://angrybearfilms.com/grow-the-fuck-up/ The Film: The script for "Christmas Stuffing" was originally written to be performed at a weekly cold reading event in Vancouver, BC called "The Actor's Drop-in". At the drop-in, actors would perform scenes, off the page, without rehearsals. Often, the actors would be reading the scripts fresh, without having ever read/seen the scene. Back when I attended the drop-in, I was already a seasoned improv comedian, so it was just another fun event where I could make friends. I wrote a lot of sketch comedy, so I had scenes ready to be read by actors. The screenplay for "Christmas Stuffing" was one of many. Each time it was performed at the drop-in, it generated belly laughs in my audience, so I decided to shoot the damn thing as a short film. As mentioned above, "Christmas Stuffing" is a prequel to the short film "Grow the Fuck Up!". It was meant to show how it all started. An origin story for the teddy bear, Mr. Gregory. How and why Santa Claus delivered the teddy to a troubled little girl. It's a story about love, but also a story about haunted old immortal desperate to redeem himself of a bloody past. Santa's story is a dark story indeed. I modelled my Santa Claus after Vlad the Impaler. He was a tyrannical war lord, cursed for an eternity for his sins against humanity. A curse that would have consumed him, until he found the Lord and the warm embrace of Christianity. That could have been the end of his story, but alas, Santa eventually grew tired of religion's hypocrisies. He eventually found solace in a world he found he could deeply relate to, consumerism. He became a giver; preferable to him then being a taker or a preacher. The short film is pretty light-hearted, for the most part, but the darker themes do leak through. My favourite line of Santa's is "People think Santa dreams of sugar plums, but in reality, he dreams of scorpions and rusty nails." and "Bringing joy to children is the only thing that keeps Santa from going insane." These Mr. Gregory the teddy bear short films gave me a chance to play in the genre of fantasy, but also keep my production budget low. Fantasy stories can get expensive. Special effects, makeup, and elaborate props and sets. I love the genre, but it doesn't come easy. A teddy bear puppet and a disgruntled old "elf" make for easier fare. The puppet alleviated the need for CGI, and was fun to interact with. For Santa, a couple of lighting tricks and one vfx shot of him vanishing, and all was good. Editing tricks came in handy with the puppet as well. Hiding the puppeteer under Santa's sack proved useful as well, as gross as that sounds spoken aloud. "I was built for one purpose and one purpose alone, to love", it's heartwarming.

"I'm the kind of guy who likes to fuck around." Just a stupid little parody I made around the song "The Wanderer" by "Dion & The Del Satins". The original song is so much better than my parody, but I was just fucking around for the hell of it. My performing days are long behind me. I stick to writing now; which is probably an act of mercy. I was bored tonight, and I just stumbled over this on my hard drive. I have a bunch of old short parody videos, which I recorded, again, when I was bored.

Margret is a wreck. At age thirty five, she's going nowhere. The misguided artist finds herself trapped in a prison of her own creation, as the cocaine and years of debauchery wear her down. Her poor old teddy bear Mr. Gregory is her only true comfort. Play time ends abruptly one night as Mr. Gregory pounces to life in a fit of rage. Margret questions her own sanity as her teddy lectures her on her misdeeds. It's time for Margret to grow up! A slightly condensed version of the short film shot back in 2009. Shot on the Red One digital camera. You can learn more about "Grow the Fuck Up!" at https://angrybearfilms.com/grow-the-fuck-up/ How "Grow the Fuck Up!" came to be, https://angrybearfilms.com/it-came-to-me-in-a-dream/ GTFU also inspired me to write a feature length screenplay version of the story titled "Stuffed!". Director's Notes: The original cut of "Grow the Fuck Up!" included opening credits, and a post credit flashback scene where a drunk Mr. Gregory has a run-in with a police officer. The scene was connected to a throw away line of Mr. Gregory's "Hey, nobody's perfect. I killed a cop once." In hindsight, more should have been cut from short film. The night club flashback, although impressive in its own right, slows down the film. It could have been cut. The flashback scene of a 15-year-old Margret could have been cut as well. Mr. Gregory's recitation of Margret's poem, would have sufficed. If I could go back - and maybe one day I will - I would throw in a new score with more "rock and roll". I would clean up the dialog, and include some visual effects. We originally shot some vfx plates for a couple of animated teddy bear shots, and an exploding fairy. The fairy wasn't really necessary, but some animation enhancements to the puppet could have added more surreal life to the film. Painting out the puppet's rods would have made things more believable. I was happy with our puppeteer's work, but little details and gestures in facial expression beyond the eyebrows could have added so much. "Grow the Fuck Up!" was an ambitious project. Some things fell through. Other things didn't get addressed due my inexperience at the time, and burnout that followed once production was complete.

A dark comedy hip-hop tune, with a sweet tooth. "The Ice Cream Man" is the official theme song to the feature film in development "Ice Cream Man". Learn more about the theme song at https://angrybearfilms.com/icm-theme-song/ Learn more about the feature film in development at https://angrybearfilms.com/ice_cream_man/ Lyrics Written and Performed by Wordburglar - http://wordburglar.com/ Beat Written and Produced by Coins - https://coinsmakeyoudance.bandcamp.com/ Concept Poster illustrated/painted by Ken McCuen - http://www.kenmccuen.com/ The Song: The song "The Ice Cream Man" is loosely based on the screenplay written by Chris Griffin. The theme song was created as part of a new business model for Angry Bear Film Productions. We took an aspect of the feature story, that people really liked, and we created a specific spoiler-free piece of stand-alone media. This song was designed both to entertain and to familiarize people with the concept and themes within the screenplay. The Movie: The role of an ice cream truck driver might seem like a dream job to some, but all jobs come with their challenges. Johnny, on the surface, may appear to be the ideal man for the job, but beneath that gleaming smile is a world of inner conflict. Film's summary: “With an explosive smile, Johnny dispenses tasty treats to the “wholesome” citizens of his small vacation town. One Saturday shift reveals that all is not well in Johnny’s life. He rebels against the prison that is his job and life, as the musical jingle from his truck slowly drives him towards madness.” You can view a vfx demo of one of Johnny's "Musical Hallucinations" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDIs76qyk44&feature=youtu.be The Talent: The theme song for ICM was important to me. I knew it had to represent both the movie's tone and its humour. Finding the right songwriters was a tough task. I focussed in on comedy songwriters. Unfortunately, most of the comedy songwriters I found wrote in the style of folk music. Some of their stuff was really funny, but folk music was not a fit for ICM. I was open to Rock and Roll (my favourite genre), Electronic, and Hip Hop. Wordburglar was recommended to me by a fellow film professional. Hip hop is generally low on my list, but if done well, I'll enjoy it the same as any music. Wordburglar and Coins have a style that works for me. They also have similar interests as myself, and rap about video games, comic books, and cartoons. In addition to this, the protagonist in "Ice Cream Man", Johnny, is a big science fiction geek, which comes up a lot in the screenplay. It all seemed fitting to me.

Join Paradox, a man of subtlety, mystery, and adventure, on his quest for the truth. Paradox has a talent for unlocking secrets. Over the decades, he has honed his talents and developed an infallible tool kit of methods and techniques, designed to break down the most stubborn of minds. In this segment, Paradox goes undercover (hidden camera) - with his partner Bear Hunter in tow - to uncover a world of information on a rare target. She is as beautiful as she is illusive. Paradox must dig deep into his tool kit, and woe her into submission. Like a master pickup artist on the hunt, Paradox must turn to the art of seduction as his method of choice. Why apply force to a target, when you can lull them into offering up the information by choice? The universe is a strange place, but sometimes, it's the most common of techniques that ends up getting the job done. The Film: "Bar Tab" was meant to be the pilot episode in a webseries that would ultimately connect to the short films "Grow the Fuck Up!", "Christmas Stuffing", and the vlog series "Mr. Gregory's time Capsule". Although the pilot turned out well, the interconnecting projects became too complicated and the webseries was halted after the second episode "The Big Reveal". That second episode was never released to the public. I know, this episode is incredibly sleazy, but I find it funny, so I chose to upload it to Angry Bear's official website, with the rest of its short films. It's been up on its own channel since 2015. Production: We shot the film at a Toronto night club called "The Cage". It's not in operation anymore, but at the time, it was a great venue. They hosted bands, improv shows, and furry dance parties. I was lucky enough to be able to shoot there for free. We shot everything in the bar using a "Gopro Hero Four Black" on Paradox's head, like a hidden hat cam. We also shot the VFX footage in 4K using the same camera. We couldn't hook up any monitors to the camera, so I used its mobile app. The app kept cutting in and out, so I wasn't always sure what was being captured. That was stressful, but things worked out in the end.

A sentimental last weekend at Tessa's deceased Grandparent's mansion transforms when her brother Frederick decides to set the stage for his "experiment in life perspective". Tessa, her boyfriend Phil and Frederick are plunged into the dark recesses of their pasts which lead them down the path of no return. Learn more about "Mansion of Terror" at https://angrybearfilms.com/mansion-of-terror/

Margret is a wreck. At age thirty five, she's going nowhere. The misguided artist finds herself trapped in a prison of her own creation, as the cocaine and years of debauchery wear her down. Her poor old teddy bear Mr. Gregory is her only true comfort. Play time ends abruptly one night as Mr. Gregory pounces to life in a fit of rage. Margret questions her own sanity as her teddy lectures her on her misdeeds. It's time for Margret to grow up! You can learn more about "Grow the Fuck Up!" at https://angrybearfilms.com/grow-the-fuck-up/ How "Grow the Fuck Up!" came to be, https://angrybearfilms.com/it-came-to-me-in-a-dream/

We shot "Mansion of Terror" as part of the "Bloodshots 48-Hour-Filmmaking Competition" in Vancouver, BC, in 2010. It was a fun shoot, and far too ambitious for the period of time we were allotted. I have stories of the craziness of this shoot, and I wish we had "behind the scenes" footage. I'll say this; we shot in a mansion, two hotels, and an airline warehouse. Those locations were located in three cities: Vancouver, Richmond, and New Westminster. Getting around was not easy. During our shoot, we had access to a cheap steadicam. Its owner/operator, Kevin Rosmer, was a great guy to have on set. He was a sport. During one sequence, we needed him to chase after our lead actress running forward down a hallway, pass her, spin around, and then run backwards as she ran towards the camera. The shot worked out great, the only problem was, he couldn't see where he was going, and he kept running into a wall. These collisions were hilarious for a couple of reasons. One, this was a 360 degree shot, and no crew people could stand on set. We all waited in hotel rooms, just out of sight. All we could hear, at the end of the shot, was a big bang sound. Every take was the same, with Kevin slamming into the wall. Second, we were shooting at a hotel room, in the most rundown neighbourhood in Canada. The owners gave us use of the entire floor. Even though we kept making slamming noises, no one complained. The occupants of the other floors couldn't have cared less. The good old Patricia Hotel, such a great place to shoot. I did like how the shots turned out. Unfortunately, the action in the scene didn't fit the tone of the movie. Our protagonist, Tessa, never showed the same level of panic during the rest of the story, and it felt out of place. I cut out this scene for the sake of consistency. It's sad, but I regret nothing.

The future music video will be shot live action, on a live set, and with actors. Storyboards to music, for the future music video for the theme song "The Ice Cream Man". The music video is being created to be a "spoiler free" companion piece to the feature length screenplay, and future film, "Ice Cream Man". This video is an experiment to determine how well, the creative for the video, matches up with the song itself. Will these visual gags compliment the lyrics in the song, or will they distract and confuse? I'm looking for feedback on how well they work together, or don't. So far, I've only storyboarded shots for the intro to the video, and the beginning of the song. The shots were composed using the 3D software "Frameforge Previz". 3D models used, either came with "Frameforge Previz", or were downloaded and imported from "Google 3D Warehouse" and were altered using "SketchUp". Texture maps and images were procured from various sources. Storyboard panels created by, and edited by Chris Griffin. Learn more about the feature film in development at https://angrybearfilms.com/ice_cream_man/ Learn more about the theme song at https://angrybearfilms.com/icm-theme-song/ The Theme Song: Lyrics Written and Performed by Wordburglar - http://wordburglar.com/ Beat Written and Produced by Coins - https://coinsmakeyoudance.bandcamp.com/ Intro Music: The ice cream truck jingle, at the beginning of the video, was adapted by Janal Bechthold, based on the classic tune "The Entertainer" by "Scott Joplin" . She originally adapted this song for ICM's "vfx Demo". You can check out Janal's amazing music at http://www.marcandomusic.com/

Join Paradox, a man of subtlety, mystery, and adventure, on his quest for the truth. Paradox has a talent for unlocking secrets. Over the decades, he has honed his talents and developed an infallible tool kit of methods and techniques, designed to break down the most stubborn of minds. In this segment, Paradox goes undercover (hidden camera) - with his partner Bear Hunter in tow - to uncover a world of information on a rare target. She is as beautiful as she is illusive. Paradox must dig deep into his tool kit, and woe her into submission. Like a master pickup artist on the hunt, Paradox must turn to the art of seduction as his method of choice. Why apply force to a target, when you can lull them into offering up the information by choice? The universe is a strange place, but sometimes, it's the most common of techniques that ends up getting the job done. The Film: "Bar Tab" was meant to be the pilot episode in a webseries that would ultimately connect to the short films "Grow the Fuck Up!", "Christmas Stuffing", and the vlog series "Mr. Gregory's time Capsule". Although the pilot turned out well, the interconnecting projects became too complicated and the webseries was halted after the second episode "The Big Reveal". That second episode was never released to the public. I know, this episode is incredibly sleazy, but I find it funny, so I chose to upload it to Angry Bear's official website, with the rest of its short films. It's been up on its own channel since 2015. Production: We shot the film at a Toronto night club called "The Cage". It's not in operation anymore, but at the time, it was a great venue. They hosted bands, improv shows, and furry dance parties. I was lucky enough to be able to shoot there for free. We shot everything in the bar using a "Gopro Hero Four Black" on Paradox's head, like a hidden hat cam. We also shot the VFX footage in 4K using the same camera. We couldn't hook up any monitors to the camera, so I used its mobile app. The app kept cutting in and out, so I wasn't always sure what was being captured. That was stressful, but things worked out in the end. I also have a short cameo in the film as the DJ "Fluff Daddy". I couldn't resist. I hate to admit it, but, I was also somewhat inspired by the book "The Game" when writing the screenplay for this one. That terrible and complicated commentary on modern sex and romance. Throw in a couple paranormal investigators and an immortal elf, and you've got magic. Short Stories: You can learn more about Paradox's adventures, and his discovery of a fairy people in the Torngat Mountains in Labrador, Canada, at https://angrybearfilms.com/fairies-of-the-north/

A dark comedy hip-hop tune, with a sweet tooth. "The Ice Cream Man" is the official theme song to the feature film in development "Ice Cream Man". Learn more about the theme song at https://angrybearfilms.com/icm-theme-song/ Learn more about the feature film in development at https://angrybearfilms.com/ice_cream_man/ Lyrics Written and Performed by Wordburglar - http://wordburglar.com/ Beat Written and Produced by Coins - https://coinsmakeyoudance.bandcamp.com/ Concept Poster illustrated/painted by Ken McCuen - http://www.kenmccuen.com/ The Song: The song "The Ice Cream Man" is loosely based on the screenplay written by Chris Griffin. The theme song was created as part of a new business model for Angry Bear Film Productions. We took an aspect of the feature story, that people really liked, and we created a specific spoiler-free piece of stand-alone media. This song was designed both to entertain and to familiarize people with the concept and themes within the screenplay. The Movie: The role of an ice cream truck driver might seem like a dream job to some, but all jobs come with their challenges. Johnny, on the surface, may appear to be the ideal man for the job, but beneath that gleaming smile is a world of inner conflict. Film's summary: “With an explosive smile, Johnny dispenses tasty treats to the “wholesome” citizens of his small vacation town. One Saturday shift reveals that all is not well in Johnny’s life. He rebels against the prison that is his job and life, as the musical jingle from his truck slowly drives him towards madness.” You can view a vfx demo of one of Johnny's "Musical Hallucinations" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDIs76qyk44&feature=youtu.be The Talent: The theme song for ICM was important to me. I knew it had to represent both the movie's tone and its humour. Finding the right songwriters was a tough task. I focussed in on comedy songwriters. Unfortunately, most of the comedy songwriters I found wrote in the style of folk music. Some of their stuff was really funny, but folk music was not a fit for ICM. I was open to Rock and Roll (my favourite genre), Electronic, and Hip Hop. Wordburglar was recommended to me by a fellow film professional. Hip hop is generally low on my list, but if done well, I'll enjoy it the same as any music. Wordburglar and Coins have a style that works for me. They also have similar interests as myself, and rap about video games, comic books, and cartoons. In addition to this, the protagonist in "Ice Cream Man", Johnny, is a big science fiction geek, which comes up a lot in the screenplay. It all seemed fitting to me. Doing things differently: At Angry Bear Film Productions, we choose to take the road less travelled. "Ice Cream Man" takes on a different approach to development than the average film. I really wanted to tell a story that was important and entertaining to me, and really dissect the story to determine what elements within that story impacted other people the most. I wasn't following trends or trying to cater to niche audiences. I wanted to be as authentic and as original as possible. I wanted the theme song to be just as unique as the screenplay as well. An experience that is as bitter as it is sweet. Similar Angry Bear Short Films: If "Ice Cream Man" sounds appealing to you, you can get a heaping taste of the twisted tales that "Angry Bear Film Productions" have already thrust out into the world. "Grow the Fuck Up!" - Dark Comedy Short - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me1eEsDIU6g&feature=youtu.be "Mansion of Terror" - Horror Short - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08IAuZZuRRk&feature=youtu.be