ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS KILL ONE GUY, 9min., USA
Directed by Jason Dugre
Two stay-at-home dads who take on some side-hustle assassin work sit and wait for their first target to come home, debating about the best way to do the job.

Get to know the filmmaking team:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Jason Dugre (Director/Writer/Actor): Bryan Coffee and I had an idea years ago for a pilot. We decided to pick the most pivotal scene to write so we could turn it into a proof of concept. The goal was to shoot the scene and have a finished product also be able to live on its own as a short film and sort of lure in the audience and leave them wanting more. It took finding the right Producer, who happens to be a friend of mine from High School, Michael R. Duffy, to realize our project.

Michael (Producer & Editor): The brilliance of Jason Dugré and his commitment to the project. It's extremely hard to find a writer who, first, is talented, but two, isn't making up reasons for not committing. When Jay and I had lunch in April 2022, opining being cogs on other's projects, it became crystal clear we should make something together, as adults, as professionals. I'm very proud of the results of that lunch.

Bryan Coffee (Writer/Actor): like Jay said this idea came to be years ago with a larger story in mind, but when the desire to just make something strikes it strikes hard. I clearly remember sitting across from Jason talking about what was next with the various projects we had, there was a thoughtful quiet moment in the conversation, Jason came to and declared "we are going to film something!" We selected this pivotal scene and from our favorite project and from there things slowly started to click into place. Teaming up with Michael was definitely the biggest click.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Jason: About 5 years. But if you erase the COVID-19 PANDEMIC, which threw us a curveball, I would say 3 years.

Michael R. Duffy: But, if you consider the day Jason and I got together and decided to actually make something together, about 10 months from our lunch in April 2022, with some time-off for good behavior.

Bryan: yes the creative process took its time, but truly once the declaration was made it really happened quickly.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Jason: Bad Choices.

Michael: Secretly Relatable.

Bryan: Jurassic. Park.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Jason: Getting the comedic timing down. Bryan and I rehearsed for a week before the shoot. And again with the editor, Michael R. Duffy, fine tuning the quiet beats and the peaks and valleys of the dialogue was time consuming. But worth it.

Michael: For me personally, as a low budget film, the Onlining process was a slog of technical difficulties that had me sweating, angsty and regularly exhausted and it was only an eight and half minute piece. But the end product looks and sounds beautiful. Our DP Clint Lealos has an eye I would die for and our friends at Wild Woods Picture and Sound produced an engaging and full 5.1 mix.

Bryan: I really wanted to make sure both our characters were hitting all the right emotional notes. Comic timing is important and we were working the details of the script up until shooting to make sure that happened, but making sure the right emotional tone was being hit within the comedy would really seal the deal. Of course I was never really too nervous about either of these things because of the second hand comedic nature and rapport Jason and I have.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Jason: I would like to watch that video everyday! Or when I need a nice pick-me-up, or if I'm doubting my abilities while shooting another project. It's a wonderful video full of wonderful people saying wonderful things about our film. I love it so much.

Michael: So very affirming of our project. A project I'm proud to be a part of and proud to have a team that was dedicated and talented. It's pure motivation to keep producing bigger and better content.

Bryan: I have it on a loop playing in every room throughout my house.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Jason: When I was in second grade I knew I wanted to be an actor. When I was in high school, I figured out I wanted to create my own films and when I was attending Emerson College I found out that I could be funny, was a decent writer and a pretty good director. I have been honing all of those crafts ever since.

Michael: I also knew from 7 years old, when I got up on my Mom's lap one day and told her I wanted to make TV when I grew up. Entertaining has been something I've been doing ever since, from plays in grade/middle school (and high school with Jason) to radio shows, journalism, singing and dancing, to a coffee house in Hollywood I built to host comedy, music and artists galleries, to all my years in the salt mines of Reality TV, I've been entertaining. It's my life.

Bryan: Once I figured out acting is what I wanted to do with my life in my 20's, doing it in film, TV or theater is where it's done. The quickest way to get into any of those mediums is to write it myself or with great friends like Jason and teaming up with great producers like Micahel.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Jason: It's three-way tie between It's a Wonderful Life, John Carpenter's The Fog and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Honorable mentions: The Empire Strikes Back, Weird Science and The Exorcist. I have a hard time picking favorites and life is all about balance.

Michael: I stopped counting after I got to 100 times watching The Matrix (the first one only, the sequels are just not the same.)

Bryan: For years when I was younger every weekend I would watch Hardware Wars (a short film spoof of Star Wars), Better Off Dead and Amazon Women on the Moon.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Jason: Multiple screening times! My favorite part of any festival is the social aspect. I love seeing other films and discussing them with the filmmakers. Oftentimes when you meet someone interesting, their film has either already screened or it's only screening at a time I can't attend. If there was a secondary option for each film, it would help a great deal.

Michael: Agreed Jay! I'm new to festivals, but it's so great to hear and meet other filmmakers and learn about their experiences. I wish there was a function to receive private links to everyone's work who are an "official selectee" of a festival.

Bryan: Free plane tickets to Paris with a complimentary two week hotel stay.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Jason: Amazing! I love the convenience of having all of the fests on one site and the ability to create one profile for your film that can be used for each submission.

Michael: Word to that, Jay.

Bryan: Jay said it best!

Jason: Yeah, Jay's the best!

10. What is your favorite meal?

Jason: I like a nice Teriyaki bowl with pineapple.

Michael: Pepperoni Pizza, but I'm also a big fan of lobster & steamed clams with drawn butter. Oh man, now I'm hungry.

Bryan: Now all I'm thinking about is Teriyaki, pineapple, pizza, Lobster and steamed clams!

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Jason: We are currently in pre-production on another, more ambitious, short film that we would like to shoot later this year. In the meantime, we will be attending other festivals we have been accepted to and pitching our treatment and pilot script for All We Have to Do Is Kill One Guy as a television show or a feature film to production companies. We will also consider birthday parties.

Michael: Our next project is also a scene from a project we are developing as a near future, sci-fi leaning television series.

Bryan: Along with the development of All We Have to Do Is Kill One Guy and being a part of the other projects with Jason and Michael, I'm in early pre-production on a feature film that I will be directing from an original script that I wrote.