Director’s work may air on IFC

Published 6:35 pm Thursday, March 15, 2007

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It doesn’t take many to make a film. Just talent and a few people who work well together. Filmmaker Josh Skierski, 29, can attest to that. He has directed several short films with as few as three people on a set — six at the most.

For Skierski, it’s simple. Gather a few friends to his apartment and make it happen. His mother Jessie Skierski said he has a network of friends — actors/actresses, cinematographers and editors — who work closely together on such projects.

While most of them have their own talents, they take turns writing scripts.

“Someone will go in a room for a few days and come out with a script,” said Skierski.

The group has proved successful. In addition to winning numerous awards for their work, the group’s film “Me!!Me!Me,Me.Me…” was recently posted on the Independent Film Channel’s website for a contest where the winner will have his/her film featured on IFC.

“Me!!Me!Me,Me.Me…” was made with three people and was produced in Skierski’s apartment in Jacksonville. Skierski’s girlfriend Vivian Stone is the actress. A co-worker, Paul King is the cinematographer. Skierski directed.

The film is about a girl who is trapped in a parallel universe and forced to exist in a 30-second repeating loop where she constantly has to interact with herself.

The film is about making use of special effects to trick the viewer’s eye.

“I watched a lot of television as a kid. I liked the idea you could capture reality and create stuff in the viewer’s mind that appears real,” said Skierski.

Jeh Howell of Live Oak has served as make-up artist for several of Skierski’s films.

Skierski is not new to filmmaking. He has been making films since the 11th grade.

“I got with friends to do experimental stuff, like man on the street interviews,” he said.

His mother said his film career started way before that. In the third grade, his teacher let him video the pledge of allegiance, and later in school he filmed the school’s morning show.

“He would skateboard over a video camera on the ground,” to capture special angles, she said.

Skierski, a 1994 Suwannee High School graduate, works at First Coast News as a photojournalist. He graduated from Full Sail film school in Orlando in 1999.

“I’ve always liked controlling the camera and the idea of production,” he said.

Skierski’s goal is to direct and produce feature films. He is the son of Joe and Jessie Skierski of Live Oak.

To view and rate Skierski’s seven-minute film “Me!!Me!Me,Me.Me…” log onto http://www.undergroundfilm.org/films/detail.tcl?wid=1029080.

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