Hello there, it's been a while.

It's been a loooooong time since I've written something here. I've sat down a couple times over the past couple of years and drafted a blog, but would scrap it. A lot has happened, and a lot has been on my mind... but first... a new gross photo of myself... ironically from Grossfest 2026!

Ok now that is out of the way.... "What's been going on, Will?"

Let's start with the big one first. My grandmother, who was like my mother passed May of 2024. The amount of secrets and other bizarre bull shit I discovered while being the executor of her estate was mind numbing and insane. I still love her, and still see her as a maternal figure in my life... but I also look at people and life a little differently, especially after being lied to for so many years. I won't get into it but I will say that was one of the toughest things I have ever gone through, being an executor of an estate with all the issues I faced. Financially it almost ruined me. It was tough. I don't have much family, but I am happy that the family I do have were supportive and helpful. I never really got to grieve, and it felt like the probate process drug on way too long.. almost two years. Grief is a funny thing... I still don't think I've properly grieved, in time. Stress has done some wild things to my body. And trust me, I was STRESSED. Dealing with the estate, creditors, the inheritance to the family members, the family… on top of work, trying to have a personal life and manage a film career, and friendships, relationships. It was A LOT. Maybe I'll do a full post about this. Who knows, might help some one out there going through the same thing.

Since then, I have acted in multiple films. Which is nice. I got to act in Dave Kerr's Bloody Summer Camp 2. The premiere was amazing and my experience on this film was one of my favorite experiences ever. Such talented people on this set and I even got to work with one of my heroes Joe Bob Briggs! I got to work on Snarly Yow, a film that is yet to be released. I’ve also worked on a local film called What we let in. I also did a few shorts that I’m proud of… Save a buck was a fun one, and then His Masters voice which unfortunately will never be released.

One of my favorite roles, Playing Derek in Bloody Summer camp 2: Red Horizon.

"Yow! That's snarley!" - Things are getting serious in Snarly Yow.

Doing make-up on Robert Lassardo. Johnny Cags did some of the prosthetics I'm applying.

The cast and Crew of Save a Buck. What a talented bunch of folks!

BTS from What we let in

Most recently I did a quick spot for Addison Binek’s Jack ass inspired film titled Magnum opus 2: Magnum foodus! We shot at GrossFest and I attempted to drink 4 of Steve-O’s hot sauces. It doesn’t go well, and ends hilariously!

Although I don’t think my segment is overly crazy or insane, I do think it’s funny and gross… not too too gross. Matthew Mark Hunter takes the cake for that. But we all had a blast and couldn’t stop laughing for about 25 minutes as I attempted to suck down four bottles of hot sauces. After the first one my throat closed up and rejected anything else that came after.

The Ruse, I movie I worked on came out in theaters, which was cool. I saw it with a group of friends in Salisbury, MD at the Regal. It was a cool little flick, it’s now on Tubi.

Doing my best impression of Ronnie Foster, at a showing of The Ruse.

I might do separate posts on each individual film experience, now I’m able to talk about some of these.

I also directed a couple segments in a few anthologies for producer Phil Herman. One I’m extremely proud of “Unearthed” where I directed a sci-fi segment called “Look toward the skies”. And another segment I called the Veil, for Phil Herman’s Actor’s Curse. In his film he called it the Make-up artists misfortune. I unfortunately don’t like that movie as much due to I wasn’t supossed to do it in the first place and was brought on to replace some one. I enjoyed working with Brooke Ashley on it, and feel she is going to keep getting better as an actress. But the project as a whole didn’t have my full attention or my heart into it. I did it more as a favor. I feel I did a sloppy job, and felt over all a little rushed. But I got it done, and it is what it is.

I do feel for no budget films that they aren’t bad and definitely worth watching. A lot of talent involved with those, but as some of you know… lack of any type of budget or fancy gear can be an issue. Here is what I’ll say about that. I’ve always felt that not having any form of budget sucks. You can’t technically do what you want… or cast the actors you want. But it does make you more creative with the final product. As far as having the latest, greatest and expensive gear… it’s not necessarily needed. The best camera is the one you have on you, as you grow as a film maker your tool kit will grow as well. Don’t go broke trying to get a huge camera rig until you start turning a profit. Especially with some of the uncertainty this industry has been facing. Make the movie you can with what you got, learn to be more creative and have fun with it. Nothing is ever guaranteed.

Kristina Santiago and Myself in Look towards the Skies.

Ryan W. Phillips in Look towards the sky

Joe Digristine in Look toward the Skies.

I got to play a nasty role in my segment The Veil.

One of the biggest things I’ve done recently was try to get the blurays and DVDs made for a little film I made in high school called macabre medicine. It’s been a lot of work, especially for all the aspirations I had while making it. I was always a big fan of Michael Felsher’s company Red Shirt Pictures. He made some of the best special features. My best memory being the anchor bay Day of the Dead dvd release. Whether it was for anchor bay or shout factory I always bought DVDs and blurays that red shirt pictures worked on. It was like my film school before film school. I was always excited to get a new film on dvd or bluray, back when I was a teen they were always jammed packed with commentaries and making of, and other featurettes. They were fun, entertaining and educational to a young film buff and aspiring film maker. I feel that’s what physical media is missing these days… discs jammed packed with fun special features and I’m hoping to do that with Macabre medicine. It may justify people buying it, in my opinion I hated the film, but I dislike most films I direct. I even made a 5-10 minute making of specifically for a small line of VHS tapes, similar to what Full Moon use to do after every movie. I am impressed with how the boxes turned out. Took me a while to get the look I was going for but I think it turned out well.

Derek, Nina, Phil, Myself, Heather Harlow, Ryan Phillips and Matt Okin at Primantis during Grossfest.

I have to talk about GrossFest! GrossFest is a independent film convention in Monroeville, PA run by Tim and Tom Gross, two of the nicest guys I’ve met, and very supportive! I’m not a big convention guy, I’ve been to living dead weekend, but after seeing GrossFest, I’m hooked. It’s a great networking opportunity! I saw my peers drop their egos and buy each others films, collaborate and just hang out. It’s a cool thing to see. The first year I Went to help support Phil Herman. It was great. This past year I went more to just see the convention. I highly recommend going if you get a chance!

Living dead weekend was also a blast. I’ve gotten to meet and work with a lot of people I looked up to in the industry. I’ve made new friends and have had a great support system.

Ya know… even though I’m not where I want to be… I can’t help but sit back and see that… I’ve done alot. I’ve met a lot of my hero’s, people that inspired me and they weren’t assholes.

VFX artist Vince Mactiernan. He worked on my segment Look towards the skies.

It's been a wild past few years since we last spoke, and I lost one of my biggest cheer leaders, along with multiple friends. But I am still alive, I am keeping busy trying to renovate my house. Life has been decent! Any way I promise you won’t be a stranger. I have a lot to talk about and can’t wait to share these fun things with you. If you are reading this, sing out! Let me know who you are, how you discovered this site, what you are working on! Let's network!

-Wilby D!