Ethan Hunter

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Ethan Brandon Hunter (born April 24, 1980) is an American screenwriter, author, film director, producer and the founder of 207 Pictures.

Contents 1 Personal life 2 Feature films 2.1 For Catherine 3 The Details 4 Student films 4.1 Ultimo Hombre Parada 4.2 Side to Side 4.3 Zero 5 Short scripts 6 Books 6.1 Double Spaced Anachronistic Propaganda in Times New Roman 7 Other projects and appearances 8 Hired Writer 9 On The Internet 9.1 Blog 9.2 E’s Thoughts of the day-ish 9.3 Stoopcast 9.4 Metroid Metal 10 References

[edit] Personal life

Hunter was born in Hayesville, North Carolina to parents Donald, Director of Social Services for Clay County, NC, and Guinnell Hunter, a teacher and administrator in the Hayesville School System. He has an older sister, Erin, an older brother, Ryan and a younger sister, Eden. He attended Hayesville Elementary, Middle and High schools before graduating and continuing his education at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.^{[citation needed]}

It was while studying in Asheville that Hunter would meet future filmmaker Craig Thieman and actor Travis Barkley, with whom he continues to work closely. The three quickly became friends while sharing a dorm room (room 207, where the company name comes from) and began making student films together almost immediately.^[1] Hunter is unmarried.

[edit] Feature films

[edit] For Catherine

For Catherine is Hunter’s debut Feature Film.^[2] A no-budget affair (reportedly made for under $5,000)^[3] inspired by his relationship with his then girlfriend, as well as by all of his close friendships with the likes of Barkley and Henry, For Catherine is often described as an “un-romantic comedy.” The film stars Grant Henry and Travis Barkley as well as Hunter’s real-life ex girlfriend Catherine “Katie” Campbell and was shot entirely on location in and around Asheville, NC.^[2] After playing in several film festivals across the country, and screening on every continent except Antarctica,^[4] For Catherine was acquired by New Jersey based Passion River Films for distribution in May of 2007.

[edit] The Details

In a panel at the Asheville Film Festival Hunter spoke briefly about his next feature film. It is to be an Action/Comedy titled The Details. It is an original script from Hunter to be directed by old friend Craig Thieman^[5] and produced through Thieman’s company, Inspire Creative Studios. The budget, Hunter said, will be in the one to two hundred thousand dollar range. There has been no public discussion about casting except a few veiled references in Hunter’s blog about trying to get Kristen Bell involved in some capacity apparently because she is Hunter’s “most favorite actress.” As of January 2008 the film was slated as being in pre-production.

Hunter is also said to have completed a script for “An old school film noir set in modern day” but apparently has no concrete plans for when production will begin.^[6]

[edit] Student films

While in School, Hunter, Thieman and Barkley (at this point working under the name “Diesel Productions”) along with a host of outside talents wrote and produced a number of student films. Among which were: Ultimo Hombre Parada, Side to Side, and the cult favorite “Zero.”^[7]

[edit] Ultimo Hombre Parada

Ultimo Hombre Parada is a silent film set in a post apocalyptic wild west. It was the first collaboration of what would eventually become 207 Pictures. Hunter directed a script by Theiman. The film starred Barkley and Hunter in some bizarre pistols-at-dawn scenario. Hunter, with a water pistol faced off against Barkley who had a "real" gun. Barkley, of course, won the contest, but Hunter refused to die, instead constantly using his water-pistol to douse the matches Barkley would try to light a cigar with.

[edit] Side to Side

Side to Side is a “Behind the Music” style documentary about the up and coming rock band “Minivoid” Hunter directed and edited the film and Theiman did everything else (DP, Camera Operator, sound etc.). Hunter claims to still be proud of the movie, despite that fact that it seemed to be the straw that broke the proverbial camels back as the band dissolved before the movie was even complete. This project’s greatest importance, though, is almost certainly that it was during the production that Hunter became friends with Grant Henry, the lead singer and guitarist for Stemage, who would go on to star in many of Hunter’s subsequent films including playing the lead (Duo Black) in For Catherine.

[edit] Zero

Zero is the last student film the three would work on together. It tells a story that is, in some virtually inexplicable way a reinterpretation or at least an allusion, to The Divine Comedy. Starring Grant Henry, Ethan Hunter, Travis Barkley and Benji Searcy, directed by Craig Theiman from a script by Ethan Hunter, it’s the comedic tale of pair of slackers (Hunter and Henry) who refuse to leave their apartment juxtaposed with the story of a pair of privileged over-achievers (Barkley and Searcy) that descends into minor bloodshed and, perhaps, gives us an opportunity to re-think our roles in society.

[edit] Short scripts

Hunter has placed several of his scripts for short films on his website and allows anyone to take them and read them or produce them so long as he is given proper credit and a copy of the finished work.^[8]

They are described on his website as such:

Zero was originally written and filmed for a final in a film class in 01. Our version turned out pretty well, but I’m sure many of you out there who, you know, actually know what you’re doing can do something even more amazing with it. Some of the “Bond” references date this script a bit, but only serve to make it classic. Um…yeah. Breaking the Rules was written circa 99 after I had just wasted thirty dollars and about three hours of my life on a book on screenwriting. I decided, in order for the whole thing not to be a total waste, to write a short based on doing everything the book told me to absolutely under no circumstances do. I think this script is one of the funnier things I’ve done and I’ve always regretted I never made it. I really hope someone does this one up right. Castling was written for a local production company in 05 who contacted me because they wanted to do a short for the festival circuit. I don’t know why it never materialized, but it didn’t. It was in the process of writing this that I discovered there’s a fifth ocean now. Once Upon a Time in a very F@©ked Up Mind is a brand-new script, and quite the killer I feel. This one I wrote for myself just a few months ago, thinking I’d fill in the gap between features with a short, and because film festival entry fees are much smaller for short films, but I just don’t have the time. Still, this thing could be something special in the right hands. Unreal Currency is very dumb. It was written for a contest a friend of mine wanted to enter on a Monday but when Tuesday came, and I had already written the damn thing, he decided he was too busy. So it goes. It makes me laugh and would be pretty easy to do. You know, if you hang out with snakes.

[edit] Books

[edit] Double Spaced Anachronistic Propaganda in Times New Roman

While in college Hunter wrote a novel entitled Double Spaced Anachronistic Propaganda in Times New Roman. He said in a recent blog that he’s never tried to have it published for various reasons, but has offered it as a free download to anyone whose asked for it. He will finally self-publish the book in 08 for “anyone who just wants to have a copy on their shelf.” He promises to make it publicly available for free download simultaneously, though, for those who don’t want to pay.^[9]

"Propaganda", as Hunter frequently refers to it, tells the story of a disaffected young writer trying to find his place in the world. It takes this writer, Ash, through many different adventures culminating with Ash becoming something of a media messiah through his platform of hate and rage.

Hunter also hinted recently that he was planning on writing a comedic book about Religion, but would not go into details.

[edit] Other projects and appearances

Along with Christopher Arbor, Hunter Co-wrote and edited the art and layout for a one-shot comic book titled Breach which was briefly available on the 207 Pictures website.

Hunter wrote and rapped on the single Requiem for a Pistol under the name "Conspiracy of Geeks" which was a band he and Grant Henry, who produced and also sings on the track, formed just for that one song. Requiem for a Pistol is a comedic song that mocks the video game Halo 2, and, more specifically, the X-Box live community. The song is estimated to have been downloaded over ten million times and has been made into several different fan videos.^[10]

"Inside the Minds of the Filmmaking Minds of Film" is a one-off short video project Hunter did with Editor and Photographer Evan Schafer to promote “For Catherine.” It is a fake television talk show where Hunter interviews himself. Hunter said he had hoped the video would become a viral hit, but this was not the case.^[11]

[edit] Hired Writer

Hunter frequently works on re-writes of others scripts for short films, feature films and television shows, though he does so almost universally without accepting credit and is reluctant to specifically site which projects he has had his hand in.

He also writes commercials here and there, though he is again reluctant to mention for which companies and products he has written.

[edit] On The Internet

[edit] Blog

Hunter keeps a regular blog, called “The 207 Bloggity Thingy” both on his own website (www.207pictures.com) and on his myspace page where he updates fans on upcoming work, screenings, and public appearances of himself and his friends. He also uses this blog to express his thoughts and feelings about whatever is on his mind and/or to simply discuss what he’s been up to.^[9]

[edit] E’s Thoughts of the day-ish

Said to be updated on "the rigorous when-I-get-around-to-it schedule," E’s Thought of the Day-ish is a humorous observation or story that Hunter Sends out to his Myspace friends almost daily.

[edit] Stoopcast

In mid 2007 Hunter and Barkley began a podcast entitled "Stoopcast". Inspired by the untold hours Hunter and Barkley have spent sitting on their stoop and talking, they decided to occasionally let their fans in on the fun of their scatter shot conversations. Grant “Stemage” Henry and Hunter’s personal assistant “Olivia “Poops” Bergman have both appeared as “special guests.” By 2008, the podcast has evolved to include regular “monologue jokes” in the vein of a late night talk show, updates on news and events and regularly features Hunter and Barkley answering reader mail. The podcast is available on Hunter’s website as well as iTunes and Feedburner.^[12]

[edit] Metroid Metal

"Metroid Metal" is a project begun by Hunter’s good friend and star of For Catherine, Grant Henry, wherein Henry remixes the video game soundtrack of the Metroid video games as metal music. Hunter can regularly be found posting on the message board for Metroid Metal.^[13]

[edit] References