Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year (2012)

On October 26, 2012 we were awarded the Champaign Chamber of Commerce 2012 Small Business of the Year award.  It was truly humbling to have received this recognition and we want to give a massive thank you to the Chamber and this incredible community for what they’ve given us.

SUGAR (2007)

In 2007, Shatterglass Studios produced the award winning short film Sugar. The film is about a waiter, just your average Joe, becomes so infatuated with his mysteriously beautiful customer, Jane, that he cannot focus to do his job correctly. Upon her request for sugar in her coffee, his imagination creates elaborate fantasies about a life with her including romantic walks in the park, a marriage proposal, wedding, etc. Lapsing in and out of reality and fantasy, comedy ensues on all fronts. In the end, though, was it ALL just in his head?

Since that time, Sugar has been an official selection in over 15 film festivals and won such awards as “Best Cinematography”, “Best Editing”, “Best Short Film” and “The Grand Jury Prize”. The film has been viewed over 25,000 times on Youtube (and other sites) and has been seen in festivals around the world and has appeared on the front page of Funny or Die.

LEADING LADIES (2009)

In 2009, members of Shatterglass Studios (Luke Boyce & Brett Hays) were the Co-Producers and Production Managers of the award winning dance-musical Leading Ladies.  The film is an infectious comedy about two sisters (newcomers Shannon Lea Smith and Laurel Vail), their gay best friend (So You Think You Can Dance Season 2 winner Benji Schwimmer), and their overzealous stage mom (Melanie LaPatin, Choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Last Days of Disco). The Campari family’s life revolves entirely around ballroom dancing, so when one sister gets pregnant and the other plans to waltz out of the closet, their mom’s pursuit of the Midwest Regional Ballroom Competition is in severe jeopardy. Cinematography was by Pete Biagi (The Company and A Prairie Home Companion) and costume design was by Tony Award winning costume designer Markas Henry (Elf, Thoroughly Modern Millie & Beauty and the Beast).

The film won the 2010 Showcase Award at the Sonoma International Film Festival, played two nights at Newfest, received a positive review in Variety Magazine & recently screened at the Cannes Independent Film Festival. The film was picked up for distribution and is available for purchase/rental from: Netflix, Blockbuster, iTunes, Amazon & Wolfe.

You can see more information on the film as well as behind the scenes photos on their Facebook page. Click Here to view the trailer.

Leading Ladies on Netflix

Finding Virginia (2009)

In 2009, Shatterglass Studios producer, Brett Hays, produced and managed a feature film called Finding Virginia. The film was shot in Decatur, IL over the course of only 10 days and was filmed with 3 cameras at once.

From Illinois’ quiet cornfields comes a story inspired by true events of suffering and sacrifice. Finding Virginia examines the balance of sight, perception, and truth as a community grapples to discover what led to the disappearance of a sweet, loving member. New light is shed upon the year-old investigation, when an already imprisoned young man gloats to his cellmate of his first-hand involvement. Framed within the context of the prisoner’s interrogation room visits, a tragic nightmare reveals itself. Over the course of eighteen hours, kidnapper Nathan Daniels torments and intimidates a young single mother, pushing the very boundaries of her faith. Abducting Virginia Cutler “Ginny” from a crowded parking lot in broad daylight, Nathan coerces her into driving him around town in a wicked game. Threatening deadly consequences to her loved ones and strangers alike, Nathan cruelly tempts Ginny to flee and succumb to her instincts of self-preservation. Through insight into this horrific journey we come to realize the true nature of Virginia’s character.

The film recently screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival and was chosen as one of five films for the “New Filmmakers Forum Emerging Filmmaker Award“.

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THE DRUNK (2011)

In 2011, Shatterglass Studios producer, Brett Hays, co-produced and managed a political comedy starring Tom Sizemore and Gov. Jesse Ventura called The Drunk. The Drunk is a political comedy and fictional account of the hard drinking grandson of legendary labor leader, Eugene V. Debs, who gets arrested for drunk driving one night. When he discovers that the corrupt prosecutor, played by Tom Sizemore, is trying to put him in jail for political reasons, he decides to run against him for governor of Indiana. The film is currently in post-production and is scheduled for a fall 2012 release.

You can see more information on the film as well as a trailer and behind the scenes photos on their Facebook page

SEARCHING FOR VENICE (2012)

In the Fall of 2012, Shatterglass Studios (Brett Hays & Luke Boyce) co-produced yet another feature film called Searching For Venice. The production has taken our crew from the beaches of Indiana, to the vineyards of Wisconsin, to the streets of Chicago.

SEARCHING FOR VENICE is an ensemble film that follows a diverse collection of characters, all of whom are eccentrically flawed and part of the same dysfunctional family. Tragic, comedic, and romantic, this narrative explores what it means to live, love, and be a family in contemporary society.

For more information about the film, visit http://searchingforvenice.com

COMMERCIAL AWARDS

• Telly Awards: 32nd Annual (2011) :: Bronze Winner for Excellence in Cinematography

Telly Awards: 32nd Annual (2011) :: Bronze Winner for Excellence in Corporate Image

Telly Awards: 33rd Annual (2012) :: Bronze Winner for Online Documentary/Promotional