July 4, 2020
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‘Berkland’ Resident Wins Mastermind Grant
by Reynard Seifert
In North Oakland, or "Berkland," Waylon Bacon makes his worst nightmare into a reality. photo: Waylon Bacon ProductionsA filmmaker, painter and cartoon artist living on the Berkeley-Oakland border, which he calls "Berkland," Waylon Bacon was awarded a $2,500 S.F. Weekly 'Mastermind' grant last year.
Waylon Bacon's short film My Worst Nightmare was shot in El Cerrito in 2008. Originally made for the first annual Berkeley Community Horror Film Festival, which screened a roughcut of the film on Berkeley Public Access in October. My Worst Nightmare premiered at the Oakland International Film Festival in 2008, and went on to play a number of Bay Area film festivals including the Berkeley Video and Film Festival, S.F Underground Short Film Festival, Mission Underground Film Festival, and Vive Le Rock Film Festival, and the Fright Night Horror Film Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
Bacon's frequently irreverent writing and filmmaking featured sadistic, campy, elements which belies his sense of ethics and sensitivity for understatement. Society seems to be at odds with Bacon's characters, in one way or another, right or wrong. His 2003 short film Maggots, featuring great acting, is a Vietnam vet's monologue about the nature of decomposition and particularly interesting.
Bacon spent his childhood drawing old movie posters, so it makes sense he makes the sort of films he does. His work has been described as John Waters meets David Lynch. And Peaches Christ characterized his films as "wonderful and horrifying." Likewise, his drawings evoke the likes of R. Crumb and Bill Griffith.
Although mostly self-taught, Bacon studied filmmaking at San Francisco City College for two years before going on to write and direct a series of short films about oddball characters and unlikely circumstances.
Waylon is using his Mastermind grant to make a short film called Help Wanted, a horror movie about the working class, which is currently in production. All of his shorts are available on YouTube, or via http://www.waylonbacon.com. Posted on Apr 07, 2009 - 09:06 AM
by Reynard Seifert
In North Oakland, or "Berkland," Waylon Bacon makes his worst nightmare into a reality. photo: Waylon Bacon ProductionsWaylon Bacon's short film My Worst Nightmare was shot in El Cerrito in 2008. Originally made for the first annual Berkeley Community Horror Film Festival, which screened a roughcut of the film on Berkeley Public Access in October. My Worst Nightmare premiered at the Oakland International Film Festival in 2008, and went on to play a number of Bay Area film festivals including the Berkeley Video and Film Festival, S.F Underground Short Film Festival, Mission Underground Film Festival, and Vive Le Rock Film Festival, and the Fright Night Horror Film Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
Bacon's frequently irreverent writing and filmmaking featured sadistic, campy, elements which belies his sense of ethics and sensitivity for understatement. Society seems to be at odds with Bacon's characters, in one way or another, right or wrong. His 2003 short film Maggots, featuring great acting, is a Vietnam vet's monologue about the nature of decomposition and particularly interesting.
Bacon spent his childhood drawing old movie posters, so it makes sense he makes the sort of films he does. His work has been described as John Waters meets David Lynch. And Peaches Christ characterized his films as "wonderful and horrifying." Likewise, his drawings evoke the likes of R. Crumb and Bill Griffith.
Although mostly self-taught, Bacon studied filmmaking at San Francisco City College for two years before going on to write and direct a series of short films about oddball characters and unlikely circumstances.
Waylon is using his Mastermind grant to make a short film called Help Wanted, a horror movie about the working class, which is currently in production. All of his shorts are available on YouTube, or via http://www.waylonbacon.com. Posted on Apr 07, 2009 - 09:06 AM
