Western Satire film

THE BALLAD OF DUSTY RHOADES


When my squad and I decided to make a Western satire film, we had no clue it would turn into such an epic adventure. Picture this: we're diving headfirst into the world of cowboys and duels, but with a twist—everything's got a comedic spin. From dreaming up a script that flips Western clichés on their head to decking out in costumes that are part homage, part joke, we were all in. Our brainstorming sessions were wild, filled with ideas for goofy characters and plots that took turns no one saw coming. Working with our awesome cast and crew, we turned those ideas into reality, laughing and problem-solving our way through the shoot. Sure, we hit a few bumps trying to keep the humor on point without stepping on toes, but what we found was way more valuable than just making a funny movie. We grew closer, honed our filmmaking chops, and discovered that when you mix creativity with a tight-knit group, you get something truly special. Looking back, it wasn't just about the laughs or the film we made—it was about the ride we took together and the memories we created. 

Jumping into our Western satire, we didn’t just play around with the story and costumes; we got super creative with our camera work too. Picture this: one minute we're pulling off dramatic eye shots that would make Sergio Leone proud, then we're switching it up with wide shots that capture the vast, open landscapes. We had a blast experimenting with low-angle shots, that brought comedic shots.. We'd jump from a tense standoff to a close-up of a character's face. Using a handheld camera for some of our scenes added this mockumentary feel, making every stumble and exaggerated action even funnier, kind of like we were poking fun at the seriousness of traditional Western chases. And for dialogue, we played with back-and-forth shots that exaggerated the pauses and reactions, stretching out the moments for comedic effect, like a verbal duel before the actual shootout. 

Here's our film: