Skill Shot, BABY! Feature Film Project
Shot, BABY! A Quirky Pinball Love Affair for Young Adults and Gamers of All Ages
TREATMENT
Twenty-somethings Jake and Emma find their futures at a crossroads. When the singer in Jake’s band – and Emma’s fiancé – suddenly says goodbye to them both, they are forced out of the inertia of their lives. About to be homeless and jobless, Jake takes an unexpected turn when he meets an eccentric pinball machine salesman. Emma, stifled by her comfortable job and reeling from her broken engagement, resets her course toward a new future of her own design. And when Jake and Emma connect … it’s a sputtering love spark that they will have to work hard to kindle into something more. “Skill Shot, Baby!” is a quirky comedy about life, love, pinball, and music. The characters, the setting, and the unique look of the movie – a mix of live-action and avant-garde stop-motion animation – create a refreshing update of a classic story with humor, surprises, and strong youth appeal.
ABOUT THE SSB SHORT FILM PROJECT
“Skill Shot, BABY! Pinball Epiphany” is a short film that introduces its audience to the characters and themes of the first full-length feature film made for, by, and about pinball enthusiasts, “Skill Shot, BABY!” The short presents a key scene from the planned feature film, teasing the larger work and showing off the talent, style, and entertainment value pinball fans are yearning to see on screen. It also is filled with original music and stop-motion animation that will establish the style of the feature film. “Skill Shot, BABY! Pinball Epiphany” is the stepping stone to the goal of giving pinball fans the movie they have always dreamed of.
ABOUT THE STORY
Jake McMillan delivers a pinball machine he has repaired to a bar, hoping to start a new life and career as a pinball tech and owner, but with no experience in that world. Jake has little understanding of what he has chosen out of happenstance as a “career,” floundering and with no realistic prospects of success on his own in a field that intrigues him but that he only scarcely understands. While setting up the machine, Jake encounters the ultimate coin-op man, Bart Barker.
I had the pleasure of screening my film, "Skill Shot, BABY! Pinball Epiphany," during the GAMER SHORT FILM BLOCK at 2023 Indy Gen Con. Additionally, I participated as a panelist on the PROMOTING YOUR FILM PANEL, where I had the opportunity to connect with other filmmakers and share insights. Many thanks to Jen Haire for capturing these pics.
I had the pleasure of screening my film, "Skill Shot, BABY! Pinball Epiphany," during the GAMER SHORT FILM BLOCK at 2023 Indy Gen Con. Additionally, I participated as a panelist on the PROMOTING YOUR FILM PANEL, where I had the opportunity to connect with other filmmakers and share insights. Many thanks to Jen Haire for capturing these pics.
James Moriarty at Gen Con 2023 screen SKILL SHOT, BABY!
James Moriarty on the PROMOTING YOUR FILM PANEL at the Gen Con 2023.
Skill Shot, BABY! Pinball Epiphany Crew 2022