Saxe Hall trio hopes to make a name for themselves in the film world
Mike Miserendino's passion for filmmaking with Third Floor Productions has not gone unnoticed.
At the National Broadcasting Convention in New York City this week, Miserendino's film, "A Name for Myself," is up for an award in the category of Best Comedy Program in addition to two other nominations.
Miserendino, Chris Hutchinson and Steve Hart formed their own production company, Third Floor Productions, when they were freshmen living on the third floor of Saxe Hall.
Their mutual love for cinema instantly brought them together, and in no time they began having regular movie nights and filming together.
"In a perfect world, I'd continue to work with these guys and be able to work with them on a budget," said Miserendino, a Shelby Township junior who is a BCA major and a cinema studies minor.
Miserendino said "A Name for Myself" is a comedy that comments on how a college degree is not all it is cracked up to be sometimes.
In the film, two friends go their separate ways, with one going to college and one opting not to. In the end, the guy who secures a job with an advertising company is, ironically, the one without a college degree.
Miserendino has been writing scripts since age 14. In high school, he received honors for his theatrical performances and still considers himself a performer.
Inspiration for Miserendino's scripts usually come from his personal life.
"I'll write something and it will be a reflection of how I'm feeling," Miserendino said. "I always try to think of something that's worth paying $7 to see at the movies."
Celebration! Cinema showed "A Name for Myself" in the fall, and the theater was almost completely full, with about meeting 150 people in attendance, said Hutchinson, a Bloomfield Hills junior.
"It's is our first film, so it has errors, but that's where experience comes in," said Steve Hart, a Novi junior.
Hart was the director of photography for the film and is in charge of running the camera, adjusting the lighting and collaborating with Miserendino as well as Hutchinson, the group's editor.
After three weeks of shooting, Hutchinson spent an additional six weeks cutting clips into scenes, adding music and color correcting, he said.
"The hardest part about filming is getting the location, but Mike is the best at getting locations," Hutchinson said. "He is really good at talking to people and making sure everything goes smoothly."
Third Floor just wrapped up shooting "The Luckiest," a drama about a guy in college who is depressed and struggling trying to find his way.
When talking to a priest does not seem to alleviate his troubles, saving the life of a young boy gives him a tremendous sense of purpose.
Miserendino typically finds actors to carry out his characters roles, but since he found himself very closely tied to the main character, he decided to fulfill the role himself.
lifeline@cm-life.com
