Yesterday, I got the green light from the owner of Oh Man! Studios to go forward with MASQUE, a film I'm directing for them at the end of March. Based (loosely) on Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death", MASQUE concerns the efforts of conservative Mr. Prospero to shield himself and his friends from an out-of-control virus tearing through the population that unleashes repressed sexual desires. To achieve this, he invites his closest friends (all male) to his mansion and bars the outside world from entering, thus keeping them uneffected by sinful thoughts and actions. To celebrate his assumed victory, he decides to hold a masquerade party, forbidding anyone from wearing the color red, which to him, signifies wicked sexual lust. But at the festivities, a mysterious figure in crimson moves through the crowd, setting libidos ablaze with a touch of his fingers. Will Prospero give in to his own repressed urges as well, or will he confront the stranger? And if he does, will he be prepared for what he learns?

MASQUE will be a feature-length orgy, in the tradition of MANHATTAN SEX PARTY and CLOSED SET. Starring a 13-man cast decked out in elaborate costumes and an expressionistic set, this has the possibility to be something very special.

So, how to get started? I look at my budget for models and create thirteen spaces with notes as to how much I can pay each one. Then I look at what kind of crew I'll need and how many days I'll need them. Where will we shoot it? Can I find the costumes? How many cameras do I need? When can we shoot the glamours?

This is a project I've wanted to do for over a year. Thanks to Bruno and Oh Man! for giving me a shot.

More to come...

JBK