Associated Films History

any of you are probably wondering, "Who the heck are these guys? Where did they come from?" The answer is they've been there the whole time. Associated Films is a group of friends who have decided to come together and create something out of their common interest: movies. Bloody Ratt Combining the experience and training gained from their seperate walks of life to consolidate their talents, the group was formed in the year 2000. Their convergence is what will drive Hollywood in to a new era of independent film.
The men and women of Associated Films started off individually and came together first as friends. They learned that they all had a love for filmmaking and for movies, and acknowledged each other's diverse abilities. It was only natural that they would form one of the greatest independent film companies to date.
The company has many roots. Two founding members, S. Dylan Kirkland and James Soeffner, began their formal training in film at California State University, Fullerton. At the same time and at the same university, Kelly Merrell and Benjamin Johnson were studying the craft of acting and found themselves working as actors and producers with BAK Entertainment in 1996. Even as early as 1991, Anthony! Ardisone started his film career along with Matthew Clark in Los Angeles when they formed the now defunct Flomar Pictures. These core groups came together and, with the addition of various other talented individuals, the film group took form.
Though there is some dispute as to who actually created the title, Associated Films is named after the street on which the company was founded and where many of the first films were made.
"I want to say it was I who had come up with the idea to call it Associated Films," Anthony! Ardisone says. "But if it were true or not, the rest of them wouldn't believe me because they would not want to give me that much credit for coming up with another badass idea."
P3 Gang Regardless of the origin, the name is here to stay. The original logo of the orange bars and the blue lettering was developed by James Soeffner. The logo has maintained its appearance through time, with the exception of a few small changes in capitalisation and color hues. The official form is to have it all lower case, in dark blue, with the orange bars positioned squarely above and below the letters "OC."
The company's first film is also another topic of debate. While some say it was 1-2-3 Potato, many argue that Ben's Big Drink was the first Associated Film. Regardless, both are good examples of the fedgling studio's early work. After these two movies were shot, Associated Films was contacted by the Orange County Tobacco Use Prevention Program and commissioned to create several short anti-smoking public service announcements. This marked the first time their product was used by an outside source.
Still, Associated Films had not yet hit the big time. It wasn't until the premiere of their first completed short feature, Horachata's Commandos, that the company appeared on the Hollywood richter scale... and they buried the needle. The attendance was strong the night of October 21st, 2001. America had suffered a horrible loss the month earlier, and it was time for the masses to get their hopes up and look to a hero who could make a difference in the battle between good and evil. There couldn't be a better group of heroes to look up to than Lieutenant Horchata and his famed Commandos. Fans of all ages left the theater singing the theme songs and were anxious for a sequel. Horchata's Commandos was Associated Films' first big box office success.
The recessing movie industry did not affect the growing company. Still working with hardly a dollar in the budget, the producers relied on their ability to be resourceful and figured out cost-efficient ways to shoot films. In keeping with these methods, three members went out to Los Angeles one night and filmed The Pursuit. They filmed in secret, even from others in the group, and revealed a finished product for a private release in January of 2002. Commando Crew The movie was a large success, and the trailers for the sequel were well received. The series brought a new and exciting filming angle that reshaped Hollywood. The Soeffneric method was born.
To film in the Soeffneric style, a phrase coined by actor Michael Magdalena, means to film shots which look appealing or could possibly have a purpose, with no pre-conceived script or storyboards. The filmmaker then takes the unsequenced shots to the editing room and creates the story there. True forms of the Soeffneric method are the all of The Pursuit series of films and Operation 3 Hole Rodeo.
The film company has always found new ways to keep itself ahead of the game. As a result, their success is consistently growing. Their 2nd year of business, the year 2002, was testament to that. The 2nd Annual Show was more popular and played to a much larger audience than the first. The show was more diverse and eclectic, flexing all the creative muscles Associated Films has to boast. Its strong points came with the release of the Riverman Documentary and Pursuit 3. The documentary exemplified the comedic antics of the group. and Pursuit 3 sampled the group's ability to capture action and emotion without dialogue. The show was, without a doubt, one of the greatest shows to date.
As the company doubles and triples in popularity, we can expect to see new faces and new characteristics develop over time. When this new blood is coupled with the group's Hollywood-hardened veterans, we can only expect the work from Associated Films to get better. With these changes in staff, we also see a change in direction: from the era of zero-budget, in-house productions, to a new dawn of longer and more detailed films. Despite this radical growth, we can always expect their dedication to bringing quality film entertainment to the audience to be their ultimate goal.
-AJA for the Associated Blast, March 2003.
Revised by BJ and AJA, April 28th, 2004