Self Tape

"Self Tape" is a short film borne out of a hunger to create, at the expense of dignity. While its protagonist and I don't have as much in common as one might expect - I'm too proud to endure the continuous rejection of the audition process - what we do share is a keen fascination with the painfully quotidian.

Presently, I write an autofictional newsletter, "I Could Care Less," similar in tone to "Self Tape." It consists of half-humorous, half-poignant vignettes which mine the specific world of an L.A. malcontent's day-to-day to suggest a universal struggle with modern-day anxieties. This 'Malcontent' character, who shares a name with the actor in "Self-Tape" (and myself), is one who can be grafted onto many an uncomfortable and highly relatable scenario.

I envision this project's future as a microbudget feature, in the style of early-aughts mumblecore dramedies. The viewer tracks the Malcontent, who believes he is getting nowhere fast, as he "fails upward" with the help of friends and loved ones, who are given a fuller portrait than the brief phone call in the short.

As I pen the newsletter each week, I am also steadily working on feature screenplays and manuscripts which further explore my voice and range. While I prefer to work with key creatives in our collective, The Script House, to produce films, additional resources would be used to elevate production value. The aim is to introduce a persona, like Issa Rae or Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose eccentricities ring true across all audiences.

-Stanley Swindling