Lookit-Intense Films

Bach-Finck Tag

Lookit-Intense Films (LIF) used to be the name under which myself and my friend, Ron “AAlgar” Watt, posted our creative film and video efforts to the world. It was also the name of my team for the Washington, DC 48 Hour Film Project in May 2006.

In April of 2007, the domain name, lookit-intense.com, expired, and I decided it wasn’t worth the effort to pay for and upkeep a separate site anymore, especially since it was updated so infrequently. Not to say that AAl and I will never collaborate again (hard as it may be, living on opposite coasts), but all future entertainment events will appear on one or both of our respective sites (either here or at AAlgar.com).

In the interest of keeping at least some of the material available, here is a much condensed list of shorts that we created over the years (the ones that we’re not completely ashamed of):

Weather Man (2003)

  • The winner of the 2003 Washington, DC 48 Hour Film Project, Weather Man was created by The Fuzz (of which I was a member). Competing teams picked a film genre out of a hat at 7pm on a Friday night and had to deliver a completed film between 7 and 10 minutes long by 7pm on Sunday night. We delivered our winning entry at 6:15.
  • Download MPEG-4 (63.5 MB)

Hit the Bottle (2005)

  • Another go at the 48HFP as a member of The Fuzz, this time as an actor. Marvel at my nose-blowing skills! Cringe at my hammy acting! Wonder at the really good post-credits joke that got left on the cutting room floor and got replaced by something “more safe”! I have to say, though— the acting was pretty damn fun.
  • Download MPEG-4 (48.5 MB)

AAlgar for President 2008: LIVE from Inside the Internet (2007)

  • In the wake of several presidential candidates announcing their candidacy *on* the internet, AAlgar announces his from *inside* the internet — the realm of penis pills and creepy MySpace. AAl did the speech and the 3D head; all the other crap floating around is from my ADD brain.
  • Download MPEG-4 (33.0 MB)

The Missing Sock (1994/97)

  • Karl Parker stars as Ned Fielding, a mild-mannered accountant who daydreams of being a film noir detective— until he finds a real mystery. I wrote and directed this in 1994, but re-edited it in 1997 when Karl let me come over and use his NLE in the evenings (which explains the “Parker Pictures” production credit, in thanks).
  • Download MPEG-4 (55.8 MB)

Life’s Dying Light (1994?)

  • That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Way back in ’94, before Star Wars fan films were all the rage, Bob, Karl and Ash got together and produced this two-minute epic lightsaber battle. Take that, internet!
    Karl’s cousin Ash brought his dashing charisma to the table, and Karl spent many an hour tracing over lightsaber blades in Photoshop (not to mention cutting my head off) to bring you this masterpiece. Also, credit must go to Karl for the first-ever *purple* lightsaber!
  • Download MPEG-4 (6.0 MB)

Agave No.5 (2004)

  • Evan Mather once posted on his website a challenge of sorts: Write away for copy of the footage from his open source tequila advertisement, Agave, edit your very own version according to the Dogma 2.0 rules, and he would link to your film. After nearly a year of sitting on the disc, Joel and I finally knocked it out in less than five hours. Evan linked as promised, and all is well with the world.
  • Download MPEG-4 (3.9 MB)

The Ray Gun (1993?)

  • My acting debut (along with my first prop design credit) was in this experimental film about a colorizing ray-gun and it’s consequences in a black & white society. From Karl Parker, the director who brought you The Defect (tagline: “It’s like petting a gorilla!”) and My Own Private Monorail.
  • Download MPEG-4 (15.6 MB)

Houlihan’s-in-a-Packet (2001)

  • I came up with this idea circa 1993, while sitting in a Houlihan’s restaurant in Pennsylvania. In October 2000, AAl, Lauri and I shot the footage, and then I sat on my lazy arse for ten months or so before getting around to editing and doing the effects for it. The dirt falling off the roof was created by building a black foamcore model of the restaurant, pouring salt over the model, then inverting the footage of the model so the white salt became black dirt before compositing.
    “Houlihan’s” and the Houlihan’s logo are, of course, the trademarks of the Houlihan’s restaurants, their parent corporation(s) and their owners. We are in no way affiliated with them, nor in any way claim any sponsorship or even authorization regarding this short film. Usage of the Houlihan’s logo and restaurant image in this short are for parody purposes only. In fact, we think probably it could be construed as free advertising, if they consider that a good thing. If not, we’ll stick with the parody line.
  • Download MPEG-4 (2.8 MB)

Other Crap That You Might Be Looking For Because It Was On the Old Lookit-Intense.com Website, But Either I Didn’t Really Have a Hand In, or That I Don’t Necessarily Recommend Actually Watching

  • AAlgar 2000, this one’s all AAlgar’s handiwork (4.2 MB)
  • Aerosol Nights, which is actually quite good, but I had very little to do with, despite the Special Thanks credit (72.0 MB)
  • A Big Blue Pain in the Ass, a behind-the-scenes mockumentary of PressTime, below (87.4 MB)
  • From Hal to Eternity, my first entry into the 48HFP as a co-director with my group Rebels Without a Car. Surprisingly, it made the “Best of DC” screening for 2002, but I’m guessing it’s that the field just wasn’t that strong. (17.9 MB)
  • Moving On, Lauri’s brainchild about how we might move on to something other than PressTime-related projects. (1.4 MB)
  • PressTime, our re-re-re-edited high school scifi opus that’s so derivative, it’s painful. Still, there’s a few good lines here and there, and the disco-stick-fight at the end remains inspired. (59.1 MB)
  • PressTime: The MiSTing, like a director’s commentary track, if the director hated his own movie and was forced to watch it after being shot into space. Features a wisecracking guy with a hole in his head instead of wisecracking robots. (58.6 MB)
  • Queens State of Mind, I cut this at no charge for the film-school-attending nephew of a co-worker who would later stab me in the back and lie to my boss about my performance. Looking back on it, it was written by someone who had watched Boyz in the Hood one too many times, and for as long as it was, it contained way too high a percentage of pointless dressing/dancing montage. But then, I was young and naïve. Also, my first experience with dual-system sound. Yay. (25.7 MB)
Half Man, Half Tiki Man