The Prodigal Son

Mr. Straight has captured the son of a powerful politician in the name of vengeance.

  • Jamison Jones
    Director
  • Matthew Wayne Roberts
    Writer
  • Kelly Love
    Producer
    That's My Time
  • Matthew Wayne Roberts
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Straight"
    That's My Time
  • Alexander Bozicevich
    Key Cast
    "Dopey"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jamison Jones

Born in Rochester, Michigan, but has lived and worked local AND abroad. From the Midwest to Germany, to Scotland, and to California, Jamison's passion for the arts, acting, and filmmaking has driven him from stage to pen to camera, in front of and behind. A true auteur of the storytelling arts. He also runs a Masterclass in Acting in Los Angeles, CA where he coaches actors to be the most present and effective actors they can be.

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Director Statement

Prodigal Son follows a hardworking pig farmer who believes his family has been destroyed by people in a corrupt political system. After the death of his father, our “Bad Guy” farmer lures an unsuspecting young drug addict from a politically-connected family onto his property to exact his revenge.

In my collaboration with the writer, the goal was to give a specific intent to every action and choice of our “Bad Guy,” played with subtle intensity by Matthew Wayne Roberts. His behavior had to have deep motivation, so we could instill the idea that wrongdoing has consequences, which can lead good people to do bad things far beyond the wrong that was done to them. We know that audiences are extremely perceptive and we wanted them to see the reason in the bad guy’s behavior. With that in mind, the writer and I worked together to cultivate a script, which revealed motivating factors from the past. And in doubling the wrong done to him, we developed a final reveal that is far more horrible than what we imagined for his retaliation - this heightened the story to a genre of elevated horror.

A dark, ominous and slightly nondescript setting was important in creating the environment for the film. This allowed us to confuse the unsuspecting victim, make it feel like this could happen anywhere and honor the writer's vision. The tight framing choices were designed by our DP Adam LeBrie to invite the audience inside the mind of the characters, to let them experience both the desperation and the motivation. Shooting through the jail cell bars helps put the audience inside the victim’s perspective and gives our bad guy the power he desires.

I hope you enjoy this dark exploration into our motivations to protect what is ours and fight back against those who do us wrong. Revenge can be a horror.

-Jamison Jones