Dobler's Pen has made 8 short films since 2003. We write and film our own movies and use actors local to the Baltimore-Washington area, including many members from our group.
Five of the films were created as part of the 48 Hour Film Project competition held annually in cities worldwide. A team has just two days to write, shoot and edit a complete film, using a genre picked from a hat. A specific line of dialogue, prop and character must also be used in each movie. Given the randomness and the time constraint, It is quite the challenge.
We are extremely proud that all of our 48 Hour films have won competition awards. Our final 48 Hour movie was The Date, and was filmed as part of the 2006 Baltimore competition. You can find all five of our 48 Hour films on our YouTube site.
Matchbook, Full Circle and Where's Duff? are our longer short-film projects and showcase our evolution as filmmakers. They've been accepted into several festivals, including the Maryland and Annapolis Film Festivals. Where's Duff? premiered in March of 2007.
2008 begins with the debut of our latest project, Indie vs Studio, a series of parody ads lampooning the studio filmmaking process.
Check out the News for information.
Read more about each film below.
_____________________________________________________________________
2003 (12 min)
written by Dobler's Pen
directed by Matt Mickelson
Ted hates his job and coworkers. From the oddball janitor and the perpetually sick colleague, to the windbag boss and the fascist mailroom clerk.
But what keeps Ted's sanity? Sarah, the woman of Ted's dreams.
Will Ted finally decide the time is right to make his move?
The film that created Dobler's Pen, 6:41 was our first entry in the 48 Hour Film Project of Washington D.C.
Best Of DC, 48 Hour Film Project
Best Cinematography, 48 Hour Film Project
______________________________________________________________________
2004 (30 min)
written and directed by
Dan Franko
Joe has it all. A good job, the house in the suburbs, a beautiful wife and kid, and a dog…the perfect life.
But Joe has a hidden side, one that takes him into the depths of the underworld run by a mob boss named Sergei. After years of juggling identities, lies and truths, Joe wants out. But what will it cost him?
Official Selection, 2004 Frederick Festival of Film
Official Selection, 2004 Annapolis Film Festival
______________________________________________________________________
2004 (10 min)
written by Dobler's Pen
directed by Matt Mickelson
While completing an assignment for her photography class, Grace finds a blurry figure has worked its way into her shots.
Is it a faulty camera, double exposure, or something ominously worse? The answer may cost Grace and her friend Amy more than a passing grade.
Shutter was Dobler's entry in the 2004 DC 48 Hour Film Project. It was our second 48 Hour film and won an Audience Favorite Award.
Official Selection, 2004 Frederick Festival of Film
_____________________________________________________________________
2005 (7 min)
written by Dan Franko, Bethany Hoffman, Matt Mickelson, Chester Stacy & Kasandra VanDeventer
directed by Matt Mickelson
A ransom phone-call at the end of his work day thrusts Guy into a race against the clock. Will following the kidnappers instructions lead him to his wife or something worse?
For our third 48 Hour Film, Dobler's drew the Silent Flim genre. m.o.s., a Hollywood term meaning 'without out sound' was the result.
Best Of DC, 48 Hour Film Project
Best Cinematography, 48 Hour Film Project
Behind the scenes photos of m.o.s.
______________________________________________________________________
2005 (20 min)
written by Dan Franko
directed by Matt Mickelson
Ever wonder how seemingly inconsequential events impact the lives of those around you? Full Circle follows the ripple effects of those random encounters one Fall Baltimore day.
Full Circle was our second non-48 Hour movie and was filmed in Frederick and Baltimore.
Featured are four original songs by Maryland musician Wes McDonough, including "Loathe" which can be heard on Baltimore area stations. Full Circle also features great Jazz music by The Eric Byrd Trio
Official Selection, 2005 Frederick Festival of Film
Official Selection, 2005 Annapolis Film Festival
Official Selection, 2006 Maryland Film Festival
Behind the scenes photos of Full Circle
More behind the scenes photos of Full Circle
______________________________________________________________________
2006 (8 min)
written by Dan Franko, Chris Mueller, Matt Mickelson, Gerry Paradiso, and Kasandra VanDeventer
directed by Matt Mickelson
A murdered priest. Mysterious messages written in blood. A clueless detective. L. Ron Hubbard.
What does all of this have to do with the lesbian restoring the church's stained glass?
Yeah, that's right, lesbian.
Follow Detective Humphrey, part Frank Drebbin, part Monk, as he pieces the clues together to reveal the shocking mystery.
DieAnetics was Dobler's fourth 48 Hour film and was our entry for the 2006 Washington DC competition. Cop/Detective was our genre, which became a Law and Order spoof.
Best Of DC (Top 10), 48 Hour Film Project
Watch DieAnetics on YouTube
______________________________________________________________________
2006 (6 min)
written by Kasandra Bibaz, Dan Franko, Chris Mueller
directed by Cucillo Consad
A man, a woman, their date, 6 friends and 2 versions of the same story?
The Date is a comedic Rashomon-style take on a first date and the inevitable dissection by the couple's friends.
The Date is Dobler's fifth and final 48 Hour film. It was our entry for the 2006 Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project.
Audience Favorite Award, 48 Hour Film Project
Best of Baltimore, 48 Hour Film Project
Behind the scenes photos of The Date
______________________________________________________________________
2007
written and directed by
Gerry Paradiso
What if your life passed before your eyes...and you didn't remember any of it? Would it still be your life?
Where's Duff? is the story of a husband, father, friend...and a man with Alzheimer's Disease.
As his family gathers around to bid him farewell, he takes us on a journey into his past and into his mind.
Where's Duff?is our most serious film. Gerry Paradiso dedicated the movie to his late father-in-law Eugene "John" Duffy , who suffered with Alzheimers.
Watch Where's Duff? on Google Video
______________________________________________________________________
2008
written and directed by
Chris Mueller
Can Independent Picture stand up to Studio Picture and his cadre of corporate minions? Will the sly Marketing, Studio's main man, send Indie over the edge?
See what happens in:
Episode 1: Funding (Studio advises Indie on how to finance his film)
Episode 2: Synergy (Studio shows off his latest marketing ploy - er, film)
Episode 3: Crew (Studio and Indie meet while making their latest movies)
Episode 4: Awards (Studio and Indie discuss the Oscars)
Indie vs Studio is a series of short films parodying those great 'Get a Mac' television ads. The series pokes fun at Hollywood and the Studio filmmaking process.