ASS Studios or Art Star Scene Studios is an American independent film production company founded by Courtney Fathom Sell and Reverend Jen Miller in 2011.[1] Their films are often produced on no-budget, involve guerilla style D.I.Y. tactics upon shooting, take place on the Lower East Side, and commonly premiere at the Bowery Poetry Club. The studio has shot numerous short films that often feature various Art Stars such as Reina Terror, Stormy Leather, Mangina, and most frequently Faceboy. [2]
In an article published in Filmmaker Magazine, Sell commented:
"Without Faceboy, it is clear to both Rev and I that our no-budget film company would most likely not succeed. A master of comedic timing, pratfalls, and jumping immediately into every insane character we would write for him without hesitation caused him to become our go-to guy; ... He became the official “Fairy Grant” of ASS Studios."[3]
In the same article, Sell continued:
"Our main goal was mostly to create work that would be so outrageous, so over-the-top, and so incredibly cheesy that it could receive a chuckle from Big Chief from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. We began cold calling every Art Star in a five-mile radius of our official office, the nearby dive bar, seeking willing actors for our first project."
Infamy arose for the Studio when, during the official launch party, members of the audience were attacked by performers with stunguns. [4]