LATEST PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Colin McWilliams
McWilliams Digital Studios
Tel 406.388.7404
producer@psychosheep.com
www.psychosheep.com
PSYCHO SHEEP ATTACK BUTTE
BOZEMAN, MT -- Killer sheep. Stuffed aardvarks. Lithium-deprived
mental ward turnouts. Relentless debt collectors. And dark
shadows reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman.
These unlikely elements fuse together to form the world of 'Psycho Sheep of
Butte,' a new film by Montana native, Colin McWilliams, available now at www.psychosheep.com.
Described by the director as a "duct tape Gothic comedy," Psycho
Sheep chronicles the adventures of Larry the Taxidermist on a
desperate mission to save the city of Butte, and the rest of
mankind, from a motley band of strangely intelligent, hyper-aggressive sheep bent on world conquest.
But a dark and fanciful plot is only half of this story. The
way the film was made was, in some respects, an epic struggle of
its own.
That's because Colin and his wife, Cyndi are neither film
students nor industry veterans. They are simply fun-loving
suburbanites who, seeking a creative outlet, decided to make a
feature film.
A few years ago, the couple founded McWilliams Digital Studios and began
writing. Once in production, they quickly amassed over 100 hours
of digital video footage.
From bitterly cold mornings in the streets of the windswept
Mining City to sweltering summer afternoons in the Story Hills,
the crew of two filmed their homespun epic on weekends and
evenings.
Colin scouted his childhood haunts for locations, and cast
friends and coworkers in human roles, paying them in cheeseburgers
and yielding memorable, if not Oscar-worthy, performances.
The infamous woolly co-stars were procured by shooting on
neighboring ranches, and making annual pilgrimages to the Reed
Point Sheep Drive.
Once the editing and special effects were complete, Colin struck
deals with noted composer Eric Funk, mandolin virtuoso Peter
Ostroushko, and Soul Brat frontman Todd Eagle to supply the music
for the soundtrack.
"Maestro Funk was a particularly crucial discovery for us," says
Colin. "His music inspired and informed our writing process, our
production design, even our editing. He is a stratospheric
talent, and we are thrilled to include a few of his finest
compositions in our film."
Most filmmakers face the rigorous demands of studio executives,
unforgiving budgets, and strict release schedules. Or they are
film students, struggling to find a voice and make a name in
Hollywood.
But the indie-friendly, no-budget world of digital technology
presented different, less romantic challenges.
"Working a full-time job to support my film habit, while living
up to my responsibilities as a homeowner, husband, and father,"
says Colin. "Lucky thing I had my wife behind the camera, or I
wouldn't have seen her for six years!"
What is it like to produce an effects-laden feature film in your
garage, with a video camera and a home computer?
"There are many humorous ironies that you can only appreciate if
you try this. For example, when shooting an entire film on consumer-grade DV tape, keeping movie footage separate from your vacation footage can be a unique challenge," Colin advises. "Sure enough, some of our vacation footage from Hawaii actually
ended up in the film."
Although he affably dismisses the mantle of auteur, McWilliams does not come without experience. After
producing a handful of amateur films at Twin Bridges High School, he
attended two years of film school at Montana State before leaving
early.
"I wanted to make a feature, but I simply ran out of
money. So I got a job cooking Cajun at a blues club and gained some experiences
to write about. But I never let go of my passion and my dream of
making movies."
Fifteen years later, the dream is reality and on its way into
the film festival circuit and video store shelves
across the country.
Will there be a sequel? Maybe.
"It is what it is, and I'm not sure how I'd approach a follow-up," Colin chuckles. "A friend suggested a movie about psycho rainbow trout. Sort of like 'A River Runs Through It', except they're
fly-fishing for piranhas."
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