Throwing spaghetti against the wall may be a good metaphor for San Antonio filmmakers Taylor James Johnson and Dylan Cody Altman. The act itself would likely find a welcome home in one of the duo’s short films, which often take the form of pop culture parodies, full of outrageous behavior. Whether it’s a mash-up of “Taken” and Stephen Spielberg’s “Hook,” or lending a hand as an actor in a fellow filmmaker’s sci-fi genre film, the camera loves Johnson, and he loves working with the camera. And the duo are prolific, releasing over a dozen films online this year so far.
“Our generation was raised on pop culture, so I’m trying to capitalize on that,” says Johnson, whose day job is producing the Jack Riccardi show on KTSA 550 AM. “Pop culture and reality tend to blend together in my world [at the radio station],” explains Johnson.
Johnson and his filmmaking partner Dylan Cody Altman, use costumes and setting as inspiration for improvisation. Johnson says he has a trunk full of outfits—literally. His car is often stocked with Halloween leftovers, as is his closet. “It’s fun to not be me,” he says. “To completely make a fool of myself.” Of the process, Altman adds that he and Johnson sometimes don’t know what their films will be until they start shooting, and get the material they want.
Both Johnson and Altman are avid proponents of social media. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the primary channels they use to promote their projects. Johnson says that new media has also changed the filmmaking world.
“It used to be a 15 minute film is the perfect short film, and now it’s like the 45 second film is the perfect short film.”
See more of the long and short of it online at http://taylortrashproductions.com/
