About Video Trend Associates & Me

Local filmmaker strike platinum on tiny budget By Jeff Potts of The Northwestern Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, George Lucas, Ron Bullock. Which one of these is not quite like the others? If you guessed Oshkosh’s Ron Bullock, you’re right. He hasn’t made a million-dollar blockbuster or won countless Academy Awards — not yet — but after 25 years in the business, Bullock has left the same footprint in the film industry that once propelled Spielberg, Stone, and Lucas to greatness. “Really, it does nothing for us, but at least people can’t say we’ve been wasting our time anymore,” chuckled Bullock from the Washington Street offices of Video Trend Associates, the film company he founded in 1980. Truthfully, what Bullock refers to so casually is actually one of the biggest honors in the independent film industry — a platinum Remi award, for Best Short Film, from WorldFest-Houston. “We thought maybe a bronze, possible a silver,” said Dan Davies, who wrote and starred in the four-and-a-half minute short “Killer Carrots from Hell.” Davies’ smile lights up the room when he recalls sitting at the awards ceremony awaiting their names to be called. Tension built as awards were given out in the first three categories, but when “Killer Carrots” wasn’t called, Davies started to worry. “I thought (Bullock) screwed something up, like not getting paperwork in on time or something,” he said. “It never dawned on me we won the big one.” Their “mockumentary” on the lost last episode of Star Trek became one of the most talked about films of the festival, and it wasn’t just the catchy title. They describe a David vs. Goliath atmosphere where industry insiders gravitated towards the two Wisconsin natives, not because they had made an award winning film, but as Davies puts it “we were real.” “Just two dummies from Wisconsin,” he joked. “Everybody was rooting for the underdog.” With filmmakers from 37 countries including some serious Hollywood heavyweights, “Cowboy” and “Patches” —they earned the nicknames because Davies wore a cowboy hat and Bullock an eye patch — held private screenings of the movie in their hotel room, which became a sort of social lounge in between formal events. Their down-home attitude helped them stand out in a convention filled with big budgets and big egos. They recall talking with another platinum Remi-winning filmmaker who spent $80,000 to make his movie. “When we told him our budget, he almost passed out,” said Davies, who splits his time between Appleton and Las Vegas. Two dollars on carrots and five dollars on sparklers were the only expenses required to produce “Killer Carrots from Hell.” Actors were recruited from family members and friends. The shooting location was Davies’ sister’s house. “We got kicked out after three hours because I plugged the toilet,” he modestly explained. After a month of editing, the idea Bullock first conceived as a film student was complete. Since joining forces in 1993 for a television show profiling small Wisconsin town for the UPN network, Bullock and Davies have produced more than 30 projects including “Sports Cooking” with Sara White, the wife of late Packers great Reggie White. Bullock is also known for producing “It’s Your Environment,” a talk-show on UPN32 with attorney George Curtis. From his Oshkosh production studio Bullock keeps busy with television and commercial shoots, but each summer he said he dedicates to some sort of “fun project.” Last year it was “Killer Carrots.” The year before, he produced “Beyond the Untold Story,” a documentary film about his time performing with the Jules Blattner band. That film won an award from Video Maker Magazine in 2004. He hopes to package both award-winners together for distribution. It’s a good match, as the “dance number” in “Killer Carrots” uses an audio track by Jules Blattner. Bullock is also starting to reap the benefits of his time spent as a musician. Producers of “CSI: Miami” sample a Blattner track as part of their opening music. “It’s pretty cool to get a check for something I did years ago,” Bullock said of the royalties. This summer the duo plan to travel to Mexico to shoot a science fiction, mystery, horror, thriller titled “Mushroom Man.” It’s the story of a Bigfoot-like creature of who stalks and kills eight people. They hope to market it as a pilot episode for cable television. Rubbing shoulders with network producers and executives while in Houston also has them on the fast track for a new show on the Food Network. They describe the idea as a television talk show about cooking — “Letterman meets the Galloping Gourmet,” said Davies. Possible segments include “cook-a-likes” where celebrity look-a-likes cook and “prison cuisine.” “We had the idea before Martha (Stewart),” said Bullock. “It’s perfect for a captive audience.” Jokes aside, these two are serious about taking their passion to the next level. The proliferation of cable and satellite television has opened a world of possibility, said Bullock. “Anytime a new network goes on the air it gives another chance to filmmakers,” he said. “You’ve just got to follow your dream and doors will open. I just didn’t think it would take this long.”