Cast and Crew - Russ Werlebird

Russ Werlebird

Cinematographer, Puppeteeer, Executive Producer

With a Degree in psychology and a day job turning wrenches Puppetry seemed
to be the most obvious hobby for Russ.
When the idea to make a horror film came about he agreed it was a good idea.
When the idea to make an all puppet horror film came around he agreed it was a really fucking good idea.
When asked about his qualifications he responds with:

"Well, I attended Jiulliard. I've travelled extensively. I lived through the Black Plague, I had a pretty good time during that .  I've seen 'The Exorcist' about a   hundred and sixty-seven times, and it keeps gettin' funnier every single time I  see it! "

Cast and Crew - Manda Vasas

Manda Vasas

Puppeteer

Hi, I'm Amanda.
But I am not a man, duh.
For I have boobies!

Native of CT
Boston strong for 9 years long,
But glad to be back!

Real short and real loud
But really loving as well
I'll smother your heart :D

Science and wrestling
And the performing arts, too
Nerd? Geek? Yep, that's me!

So thank you Elmwood
It's gonna be fun, can't wait
To fist a puppet! 
Awesome!
Thanks!!!

Cast and Crew - Rick Passmore

Rick Passmore

Editor, Associate Producer, Technical Advisor







Rick Passmore was born on an ashram and never witnessed a film, let alone a puppet until he moved to Connecticut in 2011.





Just Kidding.








Born and Raised in rural Northeastern Ohio, Rick proudly proclaims that he grew up across the street from a hay field in a township.  Not a “Town”; a “Township” (Paris Township, to be exact).  When he was a child, his love of video games drove him to want a life in video games. However, his drawing artistic talents didn’t match up for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, so he opted for film school and headed west... To Toledo.






Beginning in 2005, Rick studied at the University of Toledo.  There, he developed a major appreciation for the medium, including horror films.  He also discovered that there was more to the art than Star Wars and Quentin Tarantino.  Even though a lot of his influences and favorites are still very mainstream, he doesn’t have a definitive favorite film.  He loves to experience new works, new styles and suspend his disbelief to love things the general public dislikes, but with enough knowledge and taste to loathe big budget fan favorites (Looking at you, Michael Bay).






In 2009, he acted in his first independent feature, Nine Minute Love Song (dir. Benjamin Yackshaw), playing Nolan, the ignorant best friend to antagonist and all-around terrible person Dustin (played terrifically by that not all-around terrible person Evan Sayre).  Rick also discovered that if he were to have a career in film, it wouldn’t be in the chair or behind the camera, yet with a splicer and a Steenbeck (or Adobe Premiere, in this case).  Editing was Rick’s true calling within film. 



Yet, it was his work with television that landed him in the middle of the Constitution State.  Rick was employed by UT’s Media Services department from 2007 until his graduation in 2009.  In February 2010, Rick landed a part-time gig at the local TV station in Youngstown, Ohio, and spent 18 months honing his skills that eventually would come to work on one of the most major stages in the world: ESPN.










Rick moved to Bristol in August of 2011, and met the guys of Elmwood Productions in 2012.  Although he spends over 40 hours a week on the ESPN Campus working as a Studio Camera Operator and a Video Editor, he loves the fact that he can work within his passion thanks to Elmwood.  His first directorial work with Elmwood, The Walking Path, was a horror project that was written, shot, and edited in a 24 hour window.  It re-sparked the passion and the excitement that drove Rick to film long ago, and with his position on HEAD, he looks forward to being the part of a fantastic and intriguing approach to the grungy B-Horrors that fascinated him during his college years. 





Follow Rick on Twitter! 

The Cast!

Elmwood Productions 

is happy to announce the cast for "Head"

We're bringing back our best of the best and some new hands to make the puppets come to life!

More on all the cast members in every Monday, Thursday and Saturday morning, starting tomorrow, including bios and more…

But here they are in no particular order -

Manda Vasas

Nick Foreman

Mike Finland

Sally Arlette-Garcia

Russ Werlebird

Ben Farley

Jim Williams

Rowan Hawk McDonald

Gabe Finkenstein

Jon Bristol and Keith Paul

 And this is Rick Passmore…  We don't wanna leave him out.  He's doing all kinds of stuff on the film!

Doesn't he look soooooooo excited?!?!?!  Learn all about him tomorrow!

Making Head Episode 7

In this episode some of the cast and crew are asked the classic question is asked: "What's your favorite scary movie?"

Testing...

 

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Puppet Play...

June 25th some of us got together and did some test shoots and goofing off!

Table Read

"HEAD" had it's first official table read with 90 percent of the cast on June 18th!

Here's a few pictures from Jon from that nite!

Puppeteer Gabe - looking at some of the puppet in progress

We had assigned seating!

Gabe, again, looking at Ebay for explosives

Puppeteer Manda fell ill…  So we put her seat on the game system!

The table read!

Starting with the face looking at the camera and going left around the table - 

Mike Finland, Rick Passmore, Nick Foreman, Ben Farley, Rowan Hawk McDonald, Gabe Finkenstein, Jim Williams, Russ Bird, and Sally Arlette Garcia

(cast not pictured are Jon Bristol and Manda Vasas)

Jim making faces at Jon

Nick inspecting a puppet in progress 

Rick and Russ.  Just being Rick and Russ

The script!

Ben.

Ben shot first.

Rick doing his "Daria" impression

Mike is a "Top Gun" Puppeteer

Nick.  Smiling.

Puppets in Progress… More!

Here's another peak!

Shhh…  Don't tell anyone!

Puppets In Progress!

Within the next couple weeks we'll start posting pictures and bios of our cast and crew, along with behind the scenes fun.

Today though we'd like to share a peek into the puppet making currently going fast on all gears at The Elmwood Puppet Studio!

 

      

       

 

Making Head Episode 6

In this episode Gabe comes up with a terrible idea, Jon then babbles on about what's been going on for the past year, then Jon and Ben location scout, and finally - Manda stabs her hand but plays it cool.  As cool as a hungry suicidal cowboy.