Local filmmakers Cody Stauber and Steve Foran, who work for a suburban film company, and have a little side company of their own, Hazel House, have put together a short, light-hearted movie they filmed at the Packard Plant on Detroit's east side. It's about friends who do their best to kill time after the world has ended.
Besides showing some creativity, Foran says he hopes the five-and-a-half-minute production "Apocalypse Nerf," sends a message to other filmmakers.
"Detroit -- and Michigan in general -- is such a picturesque place to shoot films, and it blows our mind that incentives to do such filming are being cut, " he said. " Part of the reason we do these films each month is to showcase the unique locations the city/state has to offer. We truly believe Michigan can play a large roll in the film industry of the future, and we want to do everything we can to promote that idea."
The short film, which isn't likely to win an Oscar, is part of a monthly series each month.
"We reach out via social media for people to submit four script elements -- location, theme, line, prop -- and then we write, shoot, edit, and release a short film 48 hours after selecting a set of elements," he says. "We have always wanted to shoot inside the Packard Plant and knew that this would be a perfect set of elements for it."
The film is about six friends who do the best they can to kill time after the world ends, Foran says. In this case, they play an intense game of nerf in an abandoned factory.
"We hope the audience not only enjoys the playful nature of the film, but is intrigued by its unique setting," he says.
