josh lay

aboveaverage:

The OJ Simpson story told by a truly primary witness.

Watch previous episodes of The Trunk here!

I made this with some amazing folks. Please watch. Narrated by SNL’s Jason Sudeikis featuring Jeffrey Joseph. 

Episode 2 of our Above Average series The Trunk!

Narrated by SNL’s Jason Sudeikis, ft. Mister Barrington’s Owen Biddle (formerly of The Roots) Auto Tune the New’s Michael Gregory!

SPOILER: I wear multiple wigs.

Directed by: Edmond Hawkins 

Shot by: Sean Donnely

Starring: Cory Cavin, Bill Grandberg, Marcus Terry

mikeantonucci:

ryansimmons:

paulbriganti:

DEAR TUMBLR!

HERE IS MY SHORT FILM, “Speechless”.

It’s 15 minutes short, looks pretty, and has ROMANCE, BETRAYAL, and GRANDMAS!

I would LOVE IT if you wanted to REBLOG and REVIEW IT! Please give it a review! Be honest! I want to hear your real thoughts and how it does or doesn’t relate to you. I want to hear your critiques and what you would have done differently. I understand I may be asking for trouble, but I think overall I will benefit from this experience.

I want to learn—This is why I make these things.

If you don’t feel comfortable posting a review but still want to give me your thoughts, feel free to email me at paulbriganti {at} gmail dot com.

 

And if you’re interested, HERE is why I made it:

Seven years after graduating high school, I’ve learned that friendships are like how my dad describes the stock market: “It’s got ups and downs, but in the end, gets stronger”. He has no official knowledge of the stock market, but he has read a book on it once, I think.

During Christmas 2011, I realized I was having what people on the show Girls call a “mid-twenties crisis”. Like a delicious dish of Mexican fried ice-cream, I was shedding the deep fried, sweet shell of youth, bringing to light the doughy, better-dressed young man I have become today. But at the core of my crisis was the supposed death of a friendship.

After being strangers in the same high school, my best friend and I met and made weird, funny movies during our junior and senior years. In college, we stayed in touch. We knew there was something cool about the small network of filmmaking comedians that had grown among us.

After college, our friendship began to fizzle out. As they say on The Hills, we had “falling outs”. Through friends we’d hear insults, and eventually the only thing we had in common was hatred for each other. We were strangers once again.

It was around this time that I was asked to give a speech at my sister’s wedding. I was excited and honored. It was a challenge to attempt a connection with a room full of buzzed people who just wanted to eat, dance, and possibly kiss a stranger.

So instead of making TWO MOVIES (because that’d be insane, seriously who am I), I crammed those two experiences together and explored them with a film. With the help of my production company Landline, Sam Marine, and generous Kickstarter contributors who let me raise a portion of the budget, I wrote and directed what you see here. It’s mainly about a dude trying to give a speech at a wedding while some crazy uncle gets in the way, but what it means to me is much more.

SPEECHLESS stars some of the most special, brilliant actors I’ve come to know and love. In here you’ll see Michael Antonucci, George Basil, Hannah Pearl Utt, Ryan Hunter, and many more. It was produced by my incredibly gifted friend Sam Marine and co-produced by Dan Schoenbrun, and coordinated by “girl wonder” Caitlin Raftery. The photography is the handiwork of “boy wonder” Noah Yuan-Vogel and was gaffed by “man wonder” Zack Poots. Key grip was “man down under” Dylan Laziza, grip was Joe Poulos. The music is the beautiful work of Samuel Nobles and his group Mean Lady. Sarah Scheld was the art director, Jeff Gaumer did sound. Aleks Arcabascio was the assistant director, and the camera assistant was the mighty Kenny Wu. PAs were Adam Wagner, Ben Warheit, and Richard Walker, and Alan Gordon did the color grade. Also a million thanks to the artistically brilliant and hilarious Glenn Boozan for designing the poster and introducing me to new fonts every day.

Also a bunch of friends gave me very helpful notes on this, especially Anu Valia and Matt Kazman. I bothered them a lot and am astonished by their patience.

Since I’ve made this, my friend and I have become close again. Last Christmas we drank very strong whiskey and played board games. We may have problems again, but like the stock market, we’ll come around.

And after watching and reviewing “SPEECHLESS”, I guarantee you’ll feel better about that friend you lost touch with for whatever reason.

Or you might feel exactly the same.

 

 

Just watch the film.

Please. It’s funny.

Thanks!

I drunkenly asked Paul at a party a few months if there was any way I could watch this because I had seen the trailer and it looked great. He sent me the Vimeo link and the password and I watched it the next day and I was floored. This thing is so funny and touching and just well-done. Well done!

If you didn’t get to see Paul Briganti’s film Speechless when it screened CHECK it out here! You get to see my nipples at one point. I’m not gonna tell you when. You just have to watch to find out.

This is great. A lot of great/talented people made it happen. Watch.

paulftompkins:

MORE SPEAKEASY WITH PAUL F. TOMPKINS: TONY HALE

Pause your binge-watching of Arrested Development to watch Tony Hale talk about Arrested Development. Not to mention many other topics, discussed in a funny, frank and thoughtful way! Then things get weird.

Big fan of both these dudes.

Excited about my new Above Average series that just came out today! Narrated by SNL’s Jason Sudeikis and starring a really awesome wig I wear. 

Created by Cory Cavin, Bill Grandberg and myself. Directed by Edmond Hawkins. DP: Sean Donnelly. 

Starring: Cory Cavin, Bill Grandberg, Josh Lay, Natalie Knepp, Joanna Simmons, Mike Antonucci, Dan Spenser.