There are some people who strive for greatness. Ken Edwards, of England, ate 36 cockroaches in one minute. Jackie Bibby, "The Texas Snake Man," sat in a bathtub with 87 rattlesnakes. Director Jon Russell Cring shot 12 movies in 20 months with equipment his wife won in a student filmmaking contest.
Cring and his wife, Tracy Cring, a cinematographer who also works on the films with him, are taking a break from their hectic moviemaking schedule to share the fruits of their labor with the world by presenting at film festivals throughout the country.
"This is kind of an experiment we're doing here," Cring said. "We've probably done about two dozen film festivals in the past year and a half or so."
His next stop - High Springs, Fla.
The Extra/Ordinary Film Festival will be held tonight at the Priest Theater, 15 NW First St., in High Springs from 1 to 11 p.m. The festival will feature an acting symposium, a directing seminar and three of Cring's films, "Budd," "Bernee" and "Four on the Floor."
"The acting and directing seminar will give people a chance to audition for my upcoming movies," Cring said. "They just need to bring a head shot and resume."
At the acting symposium and directing seminar, the director will discuss the techniques he learned in the process of making 12 feature films in 20 months. Topics will include auditioning, acting for the camera, characterization, getting the most out of your budget and the "five things every film maker needs to know."
Cring's films deal mainly with coming-of-age topics, exemplified by the three movies he chose to present at the High Spring festival.
"Budd" is a story of a teacher who humiliates his high school English class. A psychiatrist must help him delve into the past so he can move into a better future. The movie features Valri Bromfield from "Needful Things," a 1990s movie based on a Stephen King novel by the same name.
"Bernee," a comedy about a waitress and her adventures raising a daughter as a single mother in a small town, stars comedian Heather Horton, who was featured on "Last Comic Standing."
"Four on the Floor" is a story of four high school friends trying to keep their dream of becoming a famous rock band alive while learning to make a living repairing cars. The movie stars Killer Beaz, from "Last Comic Standing" and features music from four Nashville bands: De Novo Dahl, The Pink Spiders, Luna Halo and American Bang.
The films have been received well at other festivals throughout the country. "Bernee" won Best Feature at the Appalachian Film Festival, and Best Actress and Best Screenplay at the Top Ten Films In America festival.
"Budd" was an official selection at the Route 66 Film Festival and Memphis Film Festival, and "Four on the Floor" was an official selection at the Jesse James Art and International Film Festival and Washougal International Film Festival.
Cring is working on his next moviemaking blitzkrieg, "The State of Film." He's looking for talent for upcoming projects in 2010. He said he plans to go into different American states and shoot films based on local history. It will be shot, produced and premiered in a two-month period.
He will do this six times.
Not knowing where he's going to shoot, who is going to be in the movies and how he's going to pay for it are all part of his process. He is looking forward to meeting actors at the festival he can cast for his upcoming movies.
Cring said he refuses to sacrifice quality for quantity. There are too many stories he wants to tell, too many people he wants to work with, and by making 12 films, there is a better chance of someone seeing something they like.
"No one asked The Ramones why they didn't play four-minute songs. You got two-minute songs and a cloud of dust," he said. "My films are small in budget but large in scope."
