TICKY TACKY
SHOULD YOU? TIP JAR TICKY TACKY - 2014 Written, Directed, and Produced by Brian Petsos

It's happened to a lot of hard working, aspiring actors. You luck into a meaty role in a big budget studio movie like Body of Lies, made by a well regarded director like Ridley Scott, and ... it Tanks at the box office!

It tanks so bad.

Audiences don't dislike it so much as they just don't care.

How could they not care? It's got Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Strong and they don't care?

Okay, okay. It happens to everyone sooner or later.

Huh! Shrug it off.

Ridley Scott likes you and you are going to be in his next big picture. Besides which, your brilliant agent got you a meaty role in a big budget studio movie like Agora, made by a well regarded director like Alejandro Amenábar, and ... it Tanks at the box office.

Holy shit whatta bomb!

How can it bomb? It has genius actors like Rachel Weisz and Max Minghella!

Whew! Okay. Just move forward.

You get a meaty role in a big budget studio movie like Robin Hood, made by a well regarded director like Ridley Scott - who likes you - and it's written by Brian Helgeland. That guy is a walking, talking cash machine! So okay, the movie gets its U.S. theatrical release and ... it Tanks at the box office!

It basically takes a shit.

Audiences don't dislike it so much as they just don't care.

God damn it, how could they not care? It's got Russell Crowe! It's got Cate Blanchett!

Cate freaking Blanchett!

Okay, regroup.

Your agent, your beautiful agent, put a little work in this next one but, with talent, great negotiating, and a little luck, you score a meaty role in another big budget studio movie like SUCKER PUNCH! It's made by a well regarded director like Zack Snyder. Okay, so it has child actors in their first adult roles, but maybe that's what the audience wants. It hits the theaters and it... bombs!

It's a celluloid suicide bomb!

Audiences don't dislike it so much as they actively, aggressively hate it!

That's it then. Nobody has to tell you. Big budget movies are off the table. It's back to the low budget indie flicks for you. Fortunately you've kept your hand in there. But in premier after premier you start to notice something bad.

You're disappearing. The roles are getting smaller. Holy crap! To make ends meet you take a role where your character doesn't even have a name! You're Standard! You're Outcome 3! You take on a short film where you simply play "Man".

Damn but you have to keep it together! You've at least got the lead part in a super low budget indie movie, Inside Llewyn Davis. You're Llewyn. The Cohen Brothers love you. Hell, all the critics love you.

They're the freaking Cohen Brothers. Kinda cultish guys but man are their movies ever respected. They make movies that just stay in the public eye forever!

It tanks. One of the worst performing Cohen Brothers movies of all time.

Well of course! Of fucking course!

Well at least yur friends still love and respect you. That's important in LA, to have friends in the biz.

Short films. That's what you need. Short films will get you back on top, but you've gotta be the star. Moroever, these movies have to be quixotic: tackle settings, characters, and themes that feature films could never dare.

Those short movies, like TICKY TACKY, did just that for Oscar Isaac.

TICKY TACKY also stars Executive Producer Tim Rock, plus Julian Shatkin, Helen Rogers, and Erika Rankin.

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