Cat's Play (2006)
20 minutes
This story is based partially on a true story that was shared with me as a child. It stuck with me into my adult years, until I turned it into this script - with a twist. We shot for five days in Phoenix, and for a day in Bellingham, Washington. Vincent Balestri, the lead, wanted the challenge of playing a main character who never utters a word. He studied silent films to prepare for the production. The cat (Bungee) was trained by Laurel Burke, who also did a wonderful job as the production designer. What appears onscreen as one house was actually shot at four different houses, in two states.
Production Stills












Production
CAST
Vince Balestri - Human
James Allen - Game Show Host
Hashim Talic - Newspaper Boy
CREW
James Burke - writer, director, producer, music score, co-editor
David Jones - camera
Steve Rideau - assistant camera
Pat Shellenberger - gaffer
Laurel Burke - production designer, cat wrangler
Tim Schulze - still photographer
Clint Goldwater - jib operator
James Gillies - production assistant, behind the scenes footage
Tom Ensign - additional camera
Rich Monroe - editor
Bill Simpkins - sound
Eric Chauvin - visual effects
Franci Allen - animator
Andrew Park - animator
Gernot Kalcher -compositing
Mike Lyddon - 2nd unit camera
Bob Bender - 2nd unit editor
Domonique Herrin - 2nd unit production assistant
Very Special Thanks to:
Mary Ann Burke, Don Steuter, Mike Tatum, Mahmuljin Family, Jim Darling, Scott Dupras, Reel Men, EditMax, Cherie Rhind, Fergus O' Fay, Ben Schulze, Reda Tipton, The ReStore, Chad Del Rosa, Bob Ridgley, Allen Shigley