The Merger
The Merger is a dark comedy featuring two wealthy and competitive corporate CEOs who meet to discuss a merger between their companies. What starts out as a simple disagreement about branding becomes something more sinister — friendly barbs turn to cutting jabs, and sportsmanlike sparring devolves into a shocking display of savagery.
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Nick AndersonDirectorThe Bust, The Change
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Skyler HenryDirector
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Nick AndersonWriterThe Bust, The Change
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Skyler HenryWriterThe Bust
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Nick AndersonProducerThe Bust, The Change
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Skyler HenryProducerThe Bust
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Edward HightowerKey Cast"Wally White"
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William Springhorn Jr.Key Cast"Gary Grey"
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Courtney ConklinKey Cast"Secretary"
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:9 minutes
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Completion Date:April 1, 2022
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Production Budget:2,500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital 4K
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Nick Anderson and Skyler Henry are childhood friends who have been telling stories together since they met in 3rd grade. Over the years, they’ve teamed up to create graphic novels, plays, songs, music videos, skits, and short films.
Nick Anderson attended film school at Chapman University and also worked in development at Warner Bros before moving back to Sacramento. In 2017 Nick founded Bright Coast Productions and enlisted Skyler Henry's talents as a video editor.
Their first short film was the Change, an ambitious sci-fi/horror short featuring an all-child cast. Written and directed by Nick, Skyler came on board in post to edit and design sound for the short film. After the Change saw a fair amount of success in the festival circuit, Nick and Skyler teamed back up for a sophomore effort, The Merger. Unlike The Change, The Merger is a joint venture from the ground up and was co-written, co-directed, and co-produced by Nick and Skyler.
Shot during the pandemic, the Merger is finally ready to make its debut, and Nick and Skyler are thrilled to bring it to a screen near you.
The Merger is an exploration of unfettered capitalism reaching its inevitable conclusion. We wanted to delve into the absurdity, as well as the brutality, of glorifying the unending competition that permeates modern society. Enter Gary and Wally. As our characters race towards the bottom, courtesy turns to hostility, thinly-veiled annoyance to uncontrollable rage- culminating in a shocking display of primal dominance. When we allow greed to guide us, violence is the only possible destination.