Russell Bates - Clown Killer - (2009) :60 (SPEC)

FROM DIRECTOR RUSSELL BATES:
I was hanging around with some friends after surfing, and we got to talking about the various addictions that everyone faces at one time or another. Probably because my wife has a long-standing and very deep fear of them. I said, "man, I wish I could quit killing clowns." Someone at the table liked this a lot, and encouraged me to turn it into a spot.


A month or so later I had a two-day shoot on the Paramount back lot, and my DP Marc Laliberte pointed out that we might be able to squeeze in some extra work at the end of our second day. I wrote the dialogue, called an actor I know who works in the same collaborative, give-and-take style that I do, and the next day we shot Clown Killer in about 45 minutes of quickly fading sunlight. The rest of the cast consisted of friends from my art and make-up departments.

Crossroads Owner/EP Cami Taylor comments, "Clown Killer is very typical of Russell Bates - hysterically funny and exceedingly dark. I love it."

Spot Title: Clown Killer
Air Date: Spec
Prod Company: Crossroads
Director: Russell Bates
DP: Marc Laliberte
EP(s): Cami Taylor, Carole Hughes
Editor: Russell Bates
Colorist: Stephen P. Arkle, Technicolor
Title Design: Ismael Obregon, Oishii Creative
Shoot Location: Paramount Studios