Outsiders Production

Outsiders Productions: Kenny Pitts, Jason Alexander, Adam Hampton & Chad Mathews

from the Ground Up

ALUMS MAKE THEIR VISION A REALITY

They may not be DreamWorks Studios yet but with eight films in the can since 2005, Outsiders Productions could be the next force in the cinema industry.

The independent moviemakers, made up of ECU alumni Kenny Pitts (’99 and “01), Adam Hampton (‘01) and Jason Alexander (’04) along with pal Chad Mathews, have been invited to film festivals across the country where their movies and short films have captured the imaginations of audiences, garnered the attention of the press and taken home numerous awards.

“These guys are my friends who have become my brothers and it has become a comfortable, warm place to come and do the illogical with,” Pitts said. “I have no problem letting go or exploring an emotion being around them on set.”

Hampton, who has written and directed five of the group’s films, said making movies is a passion, a fervent desire to tell the stories that bubble inside him. “It is a bloody chase but we all believe in the story - whatever that might be - and I am hungry to tell it,” he said. “I think we all are. I don’t know how smart it is, but I can assure you the love is pure.”

Nobody is in charge. The roles are dictated by each project. Every member of the team has a different skill set that the others gravitate towards.

“Jason and Chad are more technically proficient than I am, and for the most part, they don’t have interest in writing scripts,” Hampton said. “Kenny is amazing as an actor and entertainer, but he is also a gifted and adept producer. He also writes.”

EAST CENTRAL UNIVERSITY BEGINNINGS

Outsiders Productions formed in 2004 as an end of year college project for Alexander.

“I asked Adam if he’d be interested in writing a script for me that I could produce for my senior project,” he said. “He and I enrolled in an independent study, formed the company and started shooting ‘Looking for Hope.’”

The full length drama deals with a small-town factory

worker who feels snared in a mundane life but finds renewed Bones Film Festival in Muskogee. hope. Pitts joined in as actor, crew and musical supervisor. Outsiders Productions took a foray into the horror

All three alums found their calling at ECU. movie genre with “A Beautiful Day” a short film detailing the

Hampton began as an English major. devastating effects of religious fanaticism. It was showcased

“Well, it certainly started with the writing,” he said. “My at the Oklahoma Horror Film Festival in Tulsa. advisor was Dr. Mark Walling - a gifted writer and friend. I They also tried their hands at comedy with “Bowlin’Alley” learned a tremendous amount from him in terms of character which earned Best Oklahoma Film, Best Comedy and Best and pacing and he really, you know, built confidence, Poster at Trail Dance Film Festival in Duncan and the encouraged creativity in terms of short action flick “Charlie writing. I also learned a lot about “Being on a set will put a friendship in Christmas: Corndogs and voice and critique from Dr. Kevin concrete. It makes strangers friends and Justice” which was named Davis.” friends family. I will, however, suggest best short comedy at Trail

Hampton fell in love with one should never direct their wife while Dance and voted “funny’ at video production while taking some journalism courses to hone his writing. she is pregnant.” Adam Hampton FunnyOrDie.com. In addition Pitts wrote and directed the short film “Killing

“There is nothing like hearing Yourself” and they acted your words performed, seeing people share a vision from in and helped produce Walling’s thriller “When I Find Bin something out of your own head,” he said. “The words were Laden.” alive and the process excited me from day one. After that, short stories felt lonely.” TOUR DE FORCE, SO FAR

Alexander - listed as cinematographer on some of the The company’s latest work, “The Unusual (Calling of) company’s films - credits Stan Pollard for his interest in Charlie Christmas,” is a story of consequences, growth and camera work. sacrifice. It’s a dark comedy about a social outcast who

“It was under his instruction that I developed my passion believes he has a vision to be a superhero. for photography and my love of being behind the camera,” Fed up with the violence he sees at the school where he he said. works as a janitor and the domestic abuse endured by his MICRO BUDGET FILMMAKING Four years in the making with virtually no budget, the full

Financing for their movies comes out of their own length film took 60 days to shoot in Pottawatomie County. pockets with a lot of support from cast, crew and community. Fifty backers threw a “Hail Mary” and donated $7,700 to the

“It has been difficult,” Pitts said. “I’ve had full-time jobs group’s Kickstarter campaign to fund post-production. since we’ve been working on films. With a forty-hour a week “From story to finished product, we all believe it is that job and a low/no budget on each film, you have to expect next level in quality and are really pushing the avenues to long nights and you have to build up an endurance for get it the audience it deserves,” Pitts said. something that people around you may not understand.” Written and directed by Hampton, the movie stars

Because indie films don’t have big budgets for special Pitts as Charlie and Hampton as the abusive husband. It effects, or anything else for that matter, story and character premiered this summer at the 12th annual deadCenter film are everything. Hampton likes this no frills, bare bones festival in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma’s largest film festival. approach to filmmaking where real people and smart The film played the summer circuit with showings at dialogue are everything. He is known for his exploration the San Antonio Film Fest, SoonerCon 21 in OKC and the of redemption, hope and regret in characters who could Action on Film International Film Festival in Monrovia, Calif. be anyone’s small-town neighbor. He finds inspiration everywhere. THE FUTURE

“A big part of my process involves some degree of With Hampton leading the way, the group is going back trying to acknowledge something in myself or in what I see,” to the beginning for their next project, a web series about he said. “The stories come in pieces, sometimes in a fully- Oklahoma indie filmmakers. formed scene or in a line of dialogue, just one brick at a time. “I want to address some of the hilarity and heartbreak They come from issues I have - often with myself - and then of what we’ve been doing,” Hampton said. “Oklahoma has they develop over time. There are triggers everywhere.” a really colorful independent film scene and we meet and

In “The Cellar,” Hampton penned a story about three work with some truly talented artists and filmmakers along people trapped underground during a tornado who talk with some serious nutsos and crazies. I want to address the about what they want in life after it’s too late. He got the idea mindset of chasing something so huge and illogical. Maybe while stuck in traffic waiting for a wreck to be cleared up. I’m hoping the characters will figure it out for me.” The film earned “Best Picture Oklahoma Soil” at the Bare neighbor, Charlie assumes the role of a costumed vigilante.