SYNOPSIS—————

A man is profoundly lost after outliving his purpose in a crude espionage project. Without knowledge of his previous surveillance activities, he wanders the night through a city's dark recesses stalked by a murky assailant who is set to kill him. Memories of a cowboy act as a curious beacon home on his odd journey. Narratively akin to Pinocchio and Frankenstein, "Agent 5" explores themes of alienation. Through the character's total abandonment from his environment, he begins to discover his crude nature and special skills as he encounters dangerous events in this macabre and final night.


CAST/CREDITS—————

AGENT 5: A NIGHT IN THE LAST LIFE OF

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: ABOVE GROUND PICTURES
Eric Harty
Dustin Hooks
Matthew Desotell

WRITER/ PRODUCER/ DIRECTOR
Matthew Desotell

CHARACTER BY: Matthew Schexnyder & Matthew Desotell

CAMERA
Travis North, Matthew Desotell

CINEMATOGRAPHY | EDITING | MUSIC
Matthew Desotell

SOUND RECORDING/AUDIO/VISUAL TECHNICIAN
Daniel Alvarado

SOUND DESIGNER
Ted Hamer

MUSIC by Matthew Desotell

Produced in assistance with NORTH PROJECTS

PRODUCTION CREW:
Guyleen Castriotta [Production Manager]
Michele Jarvis Kimberly North [Production Associates]
Christopher Payne [Makeup Design]
Natalie Zinger [Make Up Artist]
Bill Leaman [Stunt | Fight Coordinator]
Amit Sidi, Eugenio Perez [P.A.'s]
Marcelle Boudreaux [Catering]
Lorna Duyn [Casting]
Jeremy Lee [Horse wrangler]

STILL PHOTOGRPAHY
Robyn Desotell
Kim North
Kristin Catalano

CAST:
Agent 5/Billy - Ryan Burnham
"Doctor" - Bill McCormack
"The Man"/Assassin - Gerold Wünstel
"Girl in Basement" - Diahnna Nicole Baxter

Informant - Kayo Zepeda
Bodyguard 1 - Bill Leaman
Bodyguard 2 - Michael Pashanyan
"Informee" - Ross Levinson
Witness - Eugenio Perez
"Homeless Man" - Regan Forston
Mugger - Jude Lancon
Woman/Victim - Katherine M. O'Connor
Sociopath in a Suit - Steven Koller
"Voyeur" - Scotty Scarboro
Car Thief 1 - Keno Deary
Car Thief 2 - Jorge Andretti
Car Thief 3 - Anthony L. Gilardi
Rancher/Cowboy - Patrick Desotell
Lost Boy/Young Billy - Janson Delaney
White Horse - "Rock"
Brown Horse - "Champ"
Truck Driver - Harold Dubois
Ranch Hand - Matthew Desotell

THANK YOU
Paul and Sheree Delaney
Bill and David Mancil
Phil Thomas
Kim Patton
Dr. Edgar Reed
Elaine Plylar
Jeremy & Heather Lee

SPECIAL THANK YOU
David Kelly
Yolanda Rambin
Amy & Alex Beard
Kate & Eirinn Erny
The Desotell Family

Agent 5 © 2007 Matthew David Desotell

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER———
Matthew Desotell, Director

What inspired you to pursue a career in filmmaking?
I came to film through making art. I loved movies from an early age, but my passion truly developed when I got the chance to work on a senior video for my graduating high school class. Through my childhood and teenage years, I drew and painted incessantly, but the video was the first time I was able to combine moving images with sound and music. I knew after this experience that my future would be working with the moving image.

I would draw faces a lot, characters with emotions, and many times write a short story for them. After taking photography classes in college, I understood the power that a still image can possess, so I began working with themes and started incorporating a sense of the narrative into the work. Image-making then progressed into more traditional film work.

In high school, I started playing guitar and music became very important to me. With the earlier film works, I would incorporate music before words. I thought directing music videos would be the most likely path, but my interest in the possibilities of narrative film grew fast and deep. I felt it was where I could meet my potential as a visual artist.

In the small town where I am from, I would have gotten a less strange look if I told people I wanted to be an astronaut so I could search for alternative fuel sources in outer space than if I said I wanted to direct movies. Not wanting to make a pastime of flirting with the idea or finding too many reasons not to, I made a strong commitment to pursue film. I remember when I made the decision, the night even—I was 21 and about to graduate—I told myself to decide now or get on with whatever else. I didn't know exactly how to, only that I had to.

What inspired you to make Agent 5?
I am fascinated by origin stories and really liked the idea of "what must have happened" to this strange character and how he came to be. The unknown, themes of abandonment, and the fear of being lost interest me. I was adopted, so I think my curiosity about these themes lures me into exploring stories like this.

I'm also fascinated by urbanity. I grew up grew up close to a bayou in the country and gradually moved to larger cities: first Lafayette, then New Orleans, now Los Angeles. The figurative and physical perspectives of rural and urban, or rural to urban and visa versa, are significant in a story like Agent 5. The urban setting's gritty alleyways and nocturnal voids represent a confused and troubled world for the character and it's contrasted by the rural setting's pastural country, which presents a sense of home and peace. Basically, country = good. city = bad. Just kidding.

What was your favorite aspect of making this film?
When it was just the lead actor, Ryan, and I alone with the camera, it felt like the purest form of movie making. Shooting and capturing this character in these found locations and environments was very satisfying. There was not one artificial set—the stains, the holes, the shadows, the rats, the insects in the pasture were all real. It was all authentic; very little was staged. Even when the crew was present, there was still a lot of guerilla filmmaking going on. It was just more challenging to try and keep your hand on your intention. Being able to collaborate one-on-one was a luxury.

As a photographer, when I capture images, it’s just the medium and I— there's nothing in between. Your hand is on "the brush," and it is on the canvas. There's very little between you and your intention. With the minimal style of filmmaking employed in Agent 5, it felt very similar to that premise. There's a lot of imperfection in a film like this but, as a result, it feels very pure. Sometimes during the filmmaking process, you're a bit removed, like the brush is in someone else's hand, and you're trying to communicate ideas in a very limited timeframe. The lack of control you have on an indie production like this is very apparent—when the problems come up, there isn't money to throw at them. Because you can't have that location tomorrow, you have to create a moment now or literally never. The challenge was to make something happen in the moment with what you have or move on. It definitely strengthens you as a filmmaker.

I really enjoyed doing the music as well. There again, it's you and the instrument. It's close to pure "mark making."

What are some of the films and filmmakers that inspired you to be a director?
Edward Scissorhands and Seven were two of the first films that made me think about the creative force behind them. I realized someone was doing quite a lot there "behind the curtain." Films weren't just playing out—someone was creating ideas, characters and worlds. Films like Silence of the Lambs, 2001, The Elephant Man and Taxi Driver were also important for me.

Tim Burton and David Lynch were two of the first directors to come up on my radar, because of their artistic style. I think Scorsese is a master at showing the inherent power of the camera when telling a story. Christopher Nolan is a director who makes films that are very kin to the ideas and themes I'm attracted to.

Whom would you most like to work with?
Heath Ledger was an actor I always "penciled in" and would picture as my characters because of his voice and the darkness of his eyes. When an actor’s eyes convey mystery and internalize emotions—it is something very interesting to watch on film. Other actors I'd like to work with one day include Robert Downey Jr., Penelope Cruz, Eric Bana, Morgan Freeman, Angie Harmon and, if Johnny Depp would ever be available, that'd be really cool.

What other film-related projects have you worked on?
I have made a few short works, and some experimental, nonverbal films in different formats. A concept piece of staged fire explosions, called Dance de Fue, won the Experimental category at the New Orleans Film and Video Festival (1997). Another short which I just called Sweep at the time, about a mythical chimney sweep character that I am a bit obsessed with, screened at the 1999 New Orleans Film Festival. I also shot commercials, as well as marketing and training films for ad agencies. I was always pretty happy when someone put a camera in my hand and let me go.

What is your background?
I received my Bachelor or Fine Arts from the University of Louisiana - Lafayette with a concentration in photography, film and media. After college, I had some interesting odd jobs. I worked at a funeral home in New Orleans for a bit—a position that satisfied some morbid curiosities. I wore a black suit and picked up the deceased from morgues and homes, then prepped and dressed them for the next stage. More in keeping with my field of study, I worked at an ad agency as a photographer and directing corporate videos, and later as the Art Director of a few small publications. I really enjoy "in the field" work, whether it's shooting aerial footage over an offshore oil rig, in an alley, or in the woods, as opposed to being in an office. I prefer live settings where things feel real and authentic. During one industrial shoot, we had to get some footage of a company’s shipyard employees. Seeing the welder's suited up in their gear, working with their equipment and tools, reminded me of cowboys and astronauts. We created larger than life images of actual characters by staging and capturing them in iconic ways.