Title: TRUMPED
Written and Directed By: MICHAEL WHITTON
Film Gauge: 16MM SUPER
Genre: THRILLER (SHORT)
Advisory: VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE
TRT: 7 MIN : 21 SEC
Language: ENGLISH
Color: COLOR
Aspect Ratio: 1.66 : 1
Film Sound: 5.1, DOLBY DIGITAL
Date of Completion: SEPT 2009 / RECUT 2011
Country of Production: USA
Country of Filming: USA
Location of Filming: LOS ANGELES, CA, USA
Budget: UNDER $10,000
Fund Source: GRANTS

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PRODUCTION WORKFLOW

Acquisition Format/Camera: Arriflex 16SR
Ratio: 12:1
Film: Kodak VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219
Telecine: HDCAM-SR
Offline: Avid DNxHD 175
Mastering: HDCAM

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Midnight. New York City, 1996. Across the street from a hotel, a random pay phone rings. The streets are empty. The ringing stops. And in that silence echoes the idea for a feature film (and play*) titled "At Gunpoint"; from this story, the short screenplay Trumped was penned.

*The three-act play "At Gunpoint" by Michael Whitton was produced on September 13, 2001 at the Elephant Space Theatre in Hollywood, California.

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DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

I believe a person can grow up by choice or chance, the latter usually in the form of a tragedy.

Such is the case in Trumped: an accident sparked by an adolescent prank triggers a defining moment for the desensitized main character, Greg, when he realizes that what he's doing is hurting others and himself.  What he does with that realization separates the boy from the man—a turning point Greg comes to when his cohort Anthony grossly misinterprets the tragedy as an opportunity.

Robert McNamara, who was the Secretary of Defense under Kennedy and Johnson, once said "To do good you have to be willing to do evil."  I disagree. "Have to" and "want to" are not the same. Doing evil is a decision, which ultimately affects and defines your character.

Do you have to kill to know that you don't want to be a killer?  For some, the answer is in the action: get a gun, shoot a man, go to jail. The action has a consequence. And the consequence, one that could have been avoided, is what inspired me to write Trumped.

So in this short film I hope you'll be able to see that it doesn't have to take a tragedy to change. You can grow up by choice. Nothing trumps the truth.

Michael Whitton
Los Angeles

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LOG LINE

An accident blurs the line between game and reality for a three-man costumed gang bent on the thrill of making snuff art of scared strangers.

CONCEPT

A gun, flashlight, DSLR camera, scary costumes, and an unsuspecting stranger; Trumped is focused around a demented, playing-card-making game that the desensitized players: Greg, Anthony, and Tommy think is harmless and the random victims believe is real; but when an accident blurs the two, Greg and his cohorts are forced to face a consequence that trumps all the rest.

SYNOPSIS

Midnight, at an apartment in Reno, Nevada, brooder GREG and his friends, intense TOMMY and manic ANTHONY, play poker with playing cards made from color photographs of random scared people at gunpoint—one specifically of a lone girl they attacked at home the night before.

Gambling ends and the guys drive to a local grocery store, where another unsuspecting stranger—this time an old lady (IMA)—is followed home and made victim to their demented, thrill-seeking game that involves an air gun, flashlight, DSLR camera, and spooky skin-tight costumes.

But when Greg runs off, he accidentally trips; Tommy and Anthony don't notice and run back to the car.

While searching for his dropped flashlight, Greg discovers Ima lying motionless on the ground. Scared that she might be dead, Greg scrambles back to the car where Anthony's proposition to photograph Ima for the ace of spades 'death card' sparks an anger in him that explodes.

Greg punches Anthony and a wild fight breaks out in the middle of the street. Tommy tries to stop it but Greg and Anthony do not let up—creating yet another potential tragedy that could be avoided.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS

The short screenplay Trumped is an original work inspired by a gang-related incident in the play-adapted script "At Gunpoint" by Michael Whitton.  All rights are owned and reserved by the author. The title "Trumped" is not trademarked, registered or known to the public in association with any other previous motion picture or works.

To further explore the property in-depth, please reference the script and a full character breakdown (APPENDIX) which is available in the book TRUMPED: A SHORT FILM.

MARKETPLACE ANALYSIS

The primary movie-going audience of young males has always had an affinity for gritty, coming-of-age pictures set among young male gangs.  From The Lost Boys and The Outsiders, to Boyz 'N The Hood and The Warriors, there has been and will remain an interest in the rituals of adolescent male bonding.  What signifies this rite of passage is usually a high-risk, high-reward purpose each group selects as its own—such as the illegal activity chosen in Trumped.

What sets this project apart from its high-testosterone counterparts in the genre is its emphasis on each character's choices in light of everyday demands—money, love, courage, respect—in the vein of more character driven films such as A Clockwork Orange, Reservoir Dogs, and Mean Streets. Not only will the audience feel the characters' adrenaline rushes, they'll sense the context and face the consequences of each action.

In the studio production cycle, financing for teen action/dramas indicates that there has been a considerable interest and investment in the genre.

Even independent films centered around pursuits of misguided youth such as the gritty Basketball Diaries, and Trainspotting found domestic and international distribution, not to mention performing to $2 million box offices in their domestic theatrical releases.  The audience for this genre of film, whether aesthetically tame or raw, heavily or minimally marketed, released wide or to limited screens, exists in the marketplace.

Bottom line—there is both an interest and an audience in the worldwide marketplace for Trumped.

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CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
/in order of appearance /

James James as GREG (BLUE)

David Whitton as TOMMY (RED)

Matt Kawczynski as ANTHONY (GREEN)

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Written, Directed, Edited by
MICHAEL WHITTON

Produced by
KELLIE MALTAGLIATI
MICHAEL WHITTON

Director of Photography
SEAN DALY

Production Designer
JAMES MCCARRON

C A S T

Greg
JAMES JAMES

Anthony
MATT KAWCZYNSKI

Tommy
DAVID WHITTON

Mia
TAMARA GSCHAIDER

Ima
KATHY CORRIGAN

Gentleman
LARRY WHITTON

Girl
JAIME WHITTON

Dude
RODNEY AMIEVA

(2009 Cut)

Mello
RAY CHAVEZ, JR.

Once
RENE ARREOLA

Keso
DAVID FERNANDEZ

C R E W

First Assistant Director (off set)
KELLIE MALTAGLIATI

First Assistant Directors (on set)
ALAN WETHERN
KOSTAS MOUSOULIS

Second Assistant Director
KELLIE MALTAGLIATI

Script Supervisor
JAMES MCCARRON

Production Manager
MICHAEL WHITTON

Line Producer
KELLIE MALTAGLIATI

Assistant Producer
KARL NICKOLEY

Production Assistants
LORA HONEY-PHELPS
LINDA WHITTON

Camera Operator
SEAN DALY

First Assistant Camera
DANIEL LANG

Second Assistant Camera
KARL NICKOLEY
WEN REN

Camera Loaders
JORDAN GAYLOR
JONATHAN DEC
MATT TURVE

Video Archivist
ZACH SETTEWONGSE

Sound Mixer
EVAN DEERY

Boom Operators
KOSTAS MOUSOULIS
JONATHAN DEC
JEREMY MARES

Gaffer
JORDAN GAYLOR

Best Boy Electric
JONATHAN DEC

Electrician
KEVIN MCNAMARA

Key Grip
DANE MARQUEZ

Grips
WEN REN
ROBERT SUMMERS

Makeup and Hair
MYRA PENATE

Pip and Digit Artist
EVAN DEERY

Playing Cards Coordinator
ZACH SETTEWONGSE

Graphic Design
MICHAEL WHITTON

Handbag Design
STACEY WHITTON-SUMMERS

Costumes
MICHAEL WHITTON

Locations Manager
KELLIE MALTAGLIATI

Sound Design and Editorial
MICHAEL WHITTON

Dubbing Consultants
SHAILI SUTARIA
TY HIGGINS

Dialogue Music and SFX Editing
MICHAEL WHITTON

Digital Media Delivery Consultants
STEVE COOK
MATT VILINES

Dolby and 5.1 Surround Mixer
MICHAEL WHITTON

S16mm Film provided by
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY

Post-Production Services
DIGITAL JUNGLE

Telecinist
TERRY W. GOINS

Color Correction by
MICHAEL WHITTON

Rotoscopist
MICHAEL WHITTON

16mm Film Processing
LASERPACIFIC

Grip and Electric Equipment
SOURCE FILM STUDIOS

Amp Rental
CINEREP AMPS

Walkies provided by
ATOMIC PRODUCTION SUPPLIES

Analog Monitor provided by
INDIE RENTALS

Catering by
FIESTA FEAST

Michael Whitton: Director, Writer

MICHAEL WHITTON started out as a self-taught musician/songwriter and transitioned to a writer/director for stage. He studied theater at the University of Nevada-Reno, acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and filmmaking at The Los Angeles Film School where he was awarded a Super 16 film grant from Kodak for his short film Trumped.

Inspired by a gang-related incident in his play-adapted script "At Gunpoint", which was shortlisted for the esteemed Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Trumped has garnered a number of film festival accolades, including: Best Drama (Ivy), Best Short (FirstGlance Online).

Nine months after graduating with a degree in film, Mr. Whitton jumped to feature film directing with Exit Strategy, an urban comedy with cameo appearances by L.A. radio host Big Boy and funnyman Kevin Hart. Despite the film's no-to-low budget, Exit Strategy received a limited U.S. release in AMC Theatres, then expanded nationwide on March 9, 2012 in Rave Cinemas and Bow-Tie Cinemas.

Michael lives in Los Angeles, California, where he divides his spare time up between music- and movie-related design, editing assets and text for in his travel-book series: From This Angle: Photographs, and screenwriting—having reached the polishing stage with two feature scripts: comedy Forever And Ever Girl, and thriller Twice.

Kellie Maltagliati: Producer

St. Louis native KELLIE MALTAGLIATI began her career as a news anchor on KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.  Her writing and press background and a love of film made for an easy transition into the entertainment industry's publicity industry.

Her entertainment career began at the agency Rogers & Cowan and she later moved to top independent sound house Soundelux, to manage all marketing and publicity activities.

In 2001, Kellie joined the marketing and distribution team of top independent production company Village Roadshow Pictures, where she managed worldwide marketing and distribution for the LA-based production division of the international entertainment entity Village Roadshow Limited, headquartered in Australia. The VRP division has successfully co-produced and distributed, mainly with Warner Bros., hits such as The Matrix* Trilogy, Ocean's Eleven franchise, Mystic River*, Three Kings, Analyze This, Training Day* and many more during her tenure.

With experience and established contacts in the entertainment industry in both production and distribution, Kellie has also served as Executive Producer of the travel television series Go Local, and began film producing with the short film Trumped.  She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. (*Academy Award® Winning)

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A CONVERSATION BETWEEN DIRECTOR MICHAEL WHITTON AND PRODUCER KELLIE MALTAGLIATI

Kellie: What inspired you to create the game the guys play in the film?

Michael: It was actually an evolution of elements. The idea began as something mischievous; and then it turned into something they would do after playing a game of poker. If you add up something mischievous, poker, creativity, and boredom, you get their game.

Kellie: Why did you use playing cards specifically?

Michael: What intrigued me about playing cards is that they're small and insignificant, you throw them around, but they represent very large ideas. Like risk. And winning. Kings used to do a type of advertising on playing cards. Now we give out flyers or postcards; but back then, they would give out cards. If you had the power to put your ideas onto them, you were on top. It was like they were giving out little pieces of information and knowledge—through something that seemed like a tool only of recreation and fun. That was power.

Kellie: Do these characters feel like they're creating little pieces of knowledge?

Michael: Well, obviously it can't be advertised because what they're doing is illegal. Anthony wants to sell the cards because he sees them as being something extremely creative and wants other people to see his creative process—but he doesn't understand, like Greg and Tommy do, that he'll get booked for a laundry list of crimes: mayhem, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, maybe even attempted murder. Actually, there are also a lot of rules now that have to do with pretending. If you only say there's a bomb on a plane, you can be charged. To pretend to kill someone now has a lot of consequence. It's a crime.

Kellie: So what is the reason they're playing the game if it's not to show what they've made?

Michael: They're playing for fun but also because they're bored. They all have jobs that they hate and need to feel alive. Some guys drink, some play video games, contact sports or pick fights, but it all ties back to one thing: doing something you hate doing will suppress your true nature and then you need an outlet. And sometimes that outlet—depending on what kind of person you are—can be violent. The guys are also coming to a point in the game for them when it isn't fun anymore. They're bored again. Their bodies are used to the drug, the learning curve has happened. Every team member has their own job and the game runs smoothly. But preparation is confidence and over-confidence is the breeding ground for mistakes, which is a key plot point. A mistake happens because they think nothing will happen—which is when something always goes wrong.

Kellie: Where did the costumes come from?

Michael: The costumes were a personal thing for me. I made them to wear for Halloween as a kid. But for these characters, the essence is different. They're wearing them to hide their identity but also to hide how they're feeling about their own lives—to cover up. The designs are tailored to each character; the patterns, shapes and colors mirror who they are as people on the inside.

BLUE: Greg's is made of monochromatic shapes and shards; his character is in pieces and those pieces have been put together in random ways. Nothing is in order or orthodox for him.
GREEN: Anthony's is flowery; sort of this ink blot design which is reminiscent of the Rorschach tests, his character delves into the psyche. He loves talking and figuring it all out.
RED: Tommy's is boxy and his character is compartmentalized, organized, and difficult to break like a brick wall. He's stubborn and needs violence to feel alive.

Kellie: How did you come up with the title Trumped and why does it fit this short film?

Michael: It was initially called AT GUNPOINT taken from the play—which is about demands. But Trumped plays on that idea that demands build on top of each other. That the actions and consequences always increase. It also plays off the cards and poker, where one card always trumps another in the end. And for these characters their actions are trumped by the final action—the end of the story—where they have to take responsibility for their actions. The film is about coming to terms with decision-making and growing up.

Kellie: (Spoiler alert!) Why does the gang come in at the end?

Michael: The gang represents the ace in the card game. In cards you have lots of "gangs"—clubs, hearts, diamonds and spades. You don't know when they're going to come up, but you know they're there. So the "pretend" gang these three guys created had to come across a "real" gang. It's random but not impossible. They come in at a time when they need to take responsibility. The odds play out.

Kellie: Why not police instead of the gang?

Michael: It would have been out of sync with what I was trying to get at. It's not a world of rules, and the odds are that gangs need other gangs to exist. That's why you run in them.

Kellie: I know you don't want to give too much away but can you tell us where the full-length story takes these characters?

Michael: The full-length script focuses on Greg and his issues with being bored in his own life. The game is what he's developed to feel alive and the feature takes you inside his life, his motivations and relationships—which are challenged, impacted, tested and reach a breaking point. There are elements of Trumped in the feature, but extending their lives beyond these 10-minutes, allows audiences to understand how these characters really play the game and come to terms with the consequences of their actions. The short is just a moment of the action. To better understand the action, you need the full 90 minutes. They think they're playing this live video game but then it comes to life and there are real consequences. And they have to deal with them.

Kellie: Do you think anyone really does this kind of mayhem?

Michael: I think guys, in their own little worlds, do their own versions of this kind of mayhem. Everyone is different, violently unique, but a number of things that guys engage in that start out as safe and fun, can turn violent and mischievous depending on your frame of mind. You're at where your head is at.

Kellie: How was the production process for you?

Michael: Enjoyable. I love the entire process of filmmaking, from brainstorming the original idea through the final deliverables. I also love the festival process and speaking with other filmmakers about their processes. The production for this short itself was over a 4-day period shot on location in Southern California: Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga, Hollywood and San Gabriel. We had a 25-person crew and 12 actors. It was an incredible experience putting this together. It was a process that started way back in 1995 for me.

Kellie: Why did you choose to shoot on Super 16?

Michael: Shooting on Super 16 was something I wanted to do from day one. My favorite films have all been shot on it from Leaving Las Vegas through The Hurt Locker. It fit with this story—gritty, dream-like and in another world. Like a parallel universe. It's like a future that played out differently and Super 16 captures that look exactly.

Kellie: What was your favorite part of the filmmaking process?

Michael: Without a doubt, it's working with the actors. I've done it. I understand it. I love it. I love actors. Listening and getting to experience the words on the page through them, working on guiding their character development, there's nothing that compares with it. I love the writer-director process as well. I like nurturing my own creative process, to see and mold the final product the way I see it in my head. The filmmaking process is extremely collaborative and I love that element as well.

Kellie: What do you hope an audience takes away from Trumped?

Michael: I hope they take away inspiration for the filmmaking process themselves. I hope they see in themselves an ability to take on a challenge. And from the story, I hope they see that there comes a point in life when you must take responsibility for your actions. That's it. That there will come a time, hopefully not a violent one, where you make a decision on things that you like to do—whether they're bad or good—and that you accept the consequences. If you can't, that process becomes cyclical. It will continue.

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TRUMPED: A SHORT FILM
by Michael Whitton

Click book above to open BOOKS page.

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TRUMPED: A GRAPHIC NOVEL
by Michael Whitton

(Designed from posterized 16mm film stills of the short film).

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