Those Hidden Amongst Us: Bar Tab - Paranormal Mockumentary

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/