I've been making independent movies since 1996. My first production right after graduation from college was a shot-on-video horror feature titled Terror Of The Master, which really served as a crash course in underground moviemaking. I then wrote and directed three short horror movies: Night Therapy (approximately 24 minutes),
The Green-Eyed Monster(approximately 25 minutes), and finally 3 To Murder (approximately 40 minutes). After these movies were completed I produced a cable access TV special promoting them and helped organize an area filmmakers movie festival (all of which are described on the Acting Creditspage). These horror shorts have been screened over the years several times in Upstate New York's Capital Region, and additionally, 3 To Murder was shown on independent television station DUTV-54 in Philadelphia. I've also appeared onscreen in movies from other filmmakers (which is also described on the Acting Credits page). My most recent feature-length directorial effort was The Temptress (see "The Temptress" Page), which was shot
and edited in the digital video format. The Temptress is my biggest production to date, and both myself and my production partner James Carolus are very excited about the movie. The Temptress Special Edition DVD can be purchased through filmbaby.com.
(see the Merchandise page for more information). Also, the most recent short film I've
written and directed is a 39-minute comedy titled Of Theatre & Bikinis, which was completed and screened in Upstate New York (see the Upcoming Movies page).
See my most recent Official Filmmaker Biography further down on this page.
My Movie Influences:
When it comes to the question of how I got interested in moviemaking, I believe quite a few things were factors in it. First, I have always been a fan of cinema. From a young age movies were always a great source of entertainment for me. As far as horror movies are concerned, one film I can remember really frightening me when I was younger was Jaws. Another one would be The Exorcist. However I didn't
become a fan of the horror genre until about 1986, during my teenage years. Surprisingly enough,
one single movie drew me into the genre. As I remember, I was sitting around the house one day with my girlfriend at the time, and we decided to rent a movie. I don't know who picked it (probably her), but we wound up watching A Nightmare on Elm Street. I was totally fascinated by that movie. Something about the story of an average teenage girl fighting to stay alive and overcome a terrifying and seemingly unstoppable force just hooked me. Soon after that I started watching horror movies and have been a huge fan of the genre ever since. (The Nightmare on Elm Street films in particular are still some of my favorite pictures to date, and as much as I enjoy all the self-referential horror movies of today, nothing beats the films of the 80's for my money.)
I didn't ever entertain the idea of actually making my own movie until many years later. I had become interested in acting and had taken several classes in it, which led me to audition for some local movie productions. Around that same time I was attending college studying communications and took some classes in video production. After producing some short videos, and talking to an area filmmaker whom
I had come to know, it occurred to me that it might be possible to actually produce my own movies. To make a long story short, everything just came together and I began making movies.
Moviemaking can be a wonderfully rewarding experience, and I plan to continue making both short and feature-length independent digital movies in the future.
Anybody who would like to correspond can contact me by e-mail.
Here are some notable updates to my biography for the year 2003:
I completed and premiered my feature The Temptress in January. See "The Temptress" Page
for details about the movie. To view the trailer see the Movie Trailers page. See Out & About Page 1 to view photos from the Upstate New York Area Premiere, and the Media page to read newspaper coverage of the event.
The independent filmmaking documentary Every Pixel Tells A Story from writer Peter Hanson
was issued on DVD in April 2003, and was broadcast on WMHT in July 2003. For more information about this production, which profiles myself and other filmmakers from the Upstate New York area, see the Acting Credits page.
Production on Of Theatre & Bikinis (my first non-horror picture) wrapped in October. See the
Upcoming Movies page for details on this movie. (Please note: This page used to be called the
Current & Upcoming Movies page before the April 2006 site redesign.)
I completed the editing on filmmaker Joe Bagnardi's anthology feature The Edge of Reality.
The picture premiered in Upstate New York in October and is scheduled to be distributed by Brimstone Productions in 2004. For information on this movie see Other Projects Page 1.
To view the trailer see the Movie Trailers page. See Out & About Page 1 to view photos from the Upstate New York Area Premiere, and the Media page to read newspaper coverage of the event.
(Please note: movie posters for The Edge of Reality, which were originally on a separate promotional page before the April 2006 site redesign, are now on Other Projects Page 1.)
For Halloween weekend Upstate New York filmmakers Joe Bagnardi, Bruce G. Hallenbeck and I hosted Shocktoberfest: A Hometown Horror Film Festival at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. See the Media page to read newspaper coverage on this two-day long horror film festival, and Out & About Page 1 to view photos from the event.
Here are some notable updates to my biography for the year 2004:
I was fortunate to get good press coverage for several movie projects as 2004 began:
January saw the broadcast of a story about the independent feature The Edge of Reality
on Albany, New York-based cable news station Captial News 9. Video clips from the movie were
shown as producer-director Joe Bagnardi and I discussed the post-production process. A link to the story is posted on the Media page.
Also, on February 4th, I was a guest on filmmaker Les Sekely's internet radio show B+ Moviemaking. See the Banners page to connect to the Adrenaline Radio website which hosts the show.
On April 30th I had the privilege of being a judge at a student film competition at Ichabod Crane High School in Valatia, NY. Independent filmmakers Joe Bagnardi and Bruce G. Hallenbeck were also judges at the event.
Press coverage continued in July as Very Scary Productions was featured in the Summer 2004 issue (issue #2) of UK-based fanzine The Scream. A photo of the fanzine cover can be found on the Media page. The website for The Scream fanzine is listed on the Banners page.
Also in July: Two VHS copies of my feature The Temptress were given away in a contest on the website Vamps Carnival Of Chaos (see the Links page), where the movie received a favorable review. For more information on The Temptress see The Temptress Page. To view the trailer
Area Premiere, and the Media page to read newspaper coverage of the event. (Please note: movie posters for The Temptress, which were originally on a separate promotional page before the April 2006 site redesign, are now on "The Temptress" Page.)
In the summer of 2004 I served as a cinematographer on the independent feature The Drowned, which was written and directed by Upstate New York-based filmmaker Bruce G. Hallenbeck. Principal photography was completed in the fall. Also, in addition to my behind-the-camera duties, I acted in the movie. For more information on The Drowned see Other Projects Page 2. For information on my appearance in the movie see the Acting Credits page.
I completed the editing on filmmaker Bruce G. Hallenbeck's feature London After Midnight.
For more information on this movie see Other Projects Page 1. To view the trailer see the
page to view photos from my appearance in the movie.
Below are notable updates to my biography for the year 2005:
The year 2005 started out with excitement in January when I was fortunate enough to take part in
The Dead of Winter Free Film Festival at The New York State Museum in Albany, NY. I joined organizers/promoters Bruce & Rosa Hallenbeck and other Upstate New York independent filmmakers
at the museum, where we screened our movies over the course of the last two weekends in January.
A big highlight of this well-publicized (and well-attended) festival was the Upstate New York Area Premiere of Mr. Hallenbeck's long-in-the-works feature London After Midnight, which I spent much
of 2004 editing for Pagan Film Productions. Needless to say I was as excited as anybody to see it premiered. Hopefully the movie will see wide release in 2006. I'm also very hopeful about the prospect
of being involved in future successful collaborations with the good folks at The New York State Museum. To view pictures from The Dead of Winter Free Film Festival see Out & About Page 2.
For the latest news on London After Midnight visit the Pagan Film Productions website listed
To view photos from my appearance in London After Midnight see the Acting Credits page.
In 2005 production began on Shadow Tracker: Resurrection. I'm assisting writer/director
Joe Bagnardi in producing this sequel to his 1998 vampire epic Shadow Tracker: Vampire Hunter. Production on the film is expected to continue in 2006. In my July 2005 Thoughts For The Month column
I discussed the beginning of production on this feature. See the Thoughts For The Month Archives2005 page to read the column. For updates on Shadow Tracker: Resurrection see Other Projects Page 2.
I branched out in a new direction this year when I began working with Upstate New York-based singer Katrina Marie on a music video for the song "You Gotta Believe", which comes from her self-titled debut EP. Production on this music video is expected to be completed in 2006. For more information
and to view a photo from the shoot see Other Projects Page 3. Katrina's website can be found listed on the Links page.
I also had a nice television appearance in 2005. I was a guest on the Upstate New York talk show
The Subject Matters, where I discussed independent filmmaking and showed clips from the horror features The Temptress and The Edge of Reality. See August 2005 on the Past Updates page
to read my thank-you note to the producers of the show. For information on the The Temptress and
And speaking of The Edge of Reality, this Joe Bagnardi-directed horror anthology feature became available for viewing at Video On Demand (www.vod.com), a website which offers streaming rentals and full downloads for films. I served as Associate Producer & Editor on the movie and also appear in the
film. Links to the Video On Demand page for the movie have been added to the Merchandise page.
See the Acting Credits page for information on my appearance in the film.
It was also nice to see another film I acted in become available for purchase this year. I make a cameo
in the vampire feature Bloodlust from independent filmmaker Michael Kazlo II. The movie can now be purchased through his website as well as at several Upstate New York area Borders book stores.
For more information on this movie see my Links page to connect to the Archangel Productions website.
And for information on my appearance in Bloodlust see the Acting Credits page.
And finally in 2005, I returned to The New York State Museum along with filmmakers Joe Bagnardi and Bruce & Rosa Hallenbeck to host The Classic Horror Film Festival. This was the first such event of its kind to be held at the museum, and it was a pleasure to spend a whole day watching and talking about four classic horror films from the 1950's and 1960's. Hopefully this will become a yearly tradition.
On this page I talk about my background, how I got into making independent movies in the first place, and what horror movies influenced me while growing up. This page also contains a large section of yearly biography updates, as well as several promotional and behind-the-scenes photos from my movies.
Jeff Kirkendall - Filmmaking Background & Biography
All images, photographs and videos contained within this website are copyrighted material.
My Yearly Biography Updates - Currently there are biography updates for the years 2003-2006.
Please Note: These yearly updates include not only my own filmmaking activities, but also post-production (editing) jobs I've done for other filmmakers, and also acting roles I've had.
Very Scary Productions
The website of independent digital filmmaker Jeff Kirkendall
Jeff Kirkendall - Official Filmmaker Biography (updated for 2008)
Jeff Kirkendall is a prominent independent filmmaker and actor residing in the Upstate New York Albany area. Jeff has been passionately involved in making and promoting independent movies since 1996, and since that time has written, produced & directed six movies, two of them being features. His most recent feature was the action/horror movie The Temptress and his most recent short film was the comedy Of Theatre & Bikinis, both produced entirely in the Capital Region of Upstate New York utilizing local talent. In addition to his own directorial projects, Jeff has served as Associate Producer & Editor on movies produced by other area filmmakers, including the features The Edge of Reality and London After Midnight, among others. Jeff was also featured in the independent documentary Every Pixel Tells A Story from Times Union writer Peter Hanson, which includes interviews with several leading Capital Region filmmakers shooting in the groundbreaking digital video format. Additionally, he has been involved in promoting area filmmaking for many years by organizing events such as 1999's Area Filmmakers Fantastic Film Festival and 2003's Shocktoberfest, both held at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY. Most recently Jeff was a featured filmmaker at the 2005 Dead of Winter Free Film Festival and the 2006 Independent Film Festival, both held at the New York State Museum in Albany, NY. These events received extensive media coverage in publications such as The Gazette, Metroland and the
Times Union newspapers, among others, and television stations such as Capital News 9. Jeff has also hosted independent film screenings at the Historic Madison Theater in Albany, New York, including the successful
2007 Night Of B-Movie Indies show held in November of that year. On the acting front Mr. Kirkendall has appeared in many independent movies including Shadow Tracker: Vampire Hunter, The Edge of Reality, Bloodlust, The Drowned and Corruption, among others, as well as many of his own directorial projects.
More information about Jeff Kirkendall can be found on his website: www.veryscaryproductions.com
Jeff Kirkendall - Filmmaker Credits
The Drowned - Feature - Associate Producer, Editor, Co-Cinematographer (2006 - Pagan Film Productions)
"You Gotta Believe" Music Video - Producer, Director, Editor (2006 - Butterfly Entertainment)
London After Midnight- Feature - Associate Producer, Editor (2005 - Pagan Film Productions)
Of Theatre & Bikinis - Short - Writer, Producer, Director, Editor (2003 - Very Scary Productions)
The Edge of Reality - Feature - Associate Producer, Editor (2003 - JB Film Productions)
The Temptress - Feature - Writer, Producer, Director, Editor (2003 - Very Scary Productions)
Area Filmmakers Showcase- TV Show - Associate Producer, Co-Writer (1999 - Malinda Productions)
3 To Murder - Short - Writer, Co-Producer, Director, Co-Editor (1998 - Very Scary Productions)
The Green-Eyed Monster - Short - Writer, Co-Producer, Director, Co-Editor (1998 - Very Scary Productions)
Night Therapy - Short - Writer, Director, Co-Editor (1997 - Very Scary Productions)
Terror Of The Master - Feature - Writer, Producer, Director, Editor (1997 - Very Scary Productions)
Please Note: More details about the status of many of these productions can be found on the various movie pages on this site as well as below. Also, the above list includes my behind-the-scenes credits only.
For a detailed look at my on-camera appearances see the Acting Credits page.
Below are notable updates to my biography for the year 2006:
My first large undertaking in 2006 was to redesign the Very Scary Productions website. I consolidated several related movie pages, which I believe has given the site a more orderly layout. I also changed the design of the main menu. For more details on the April 2006 site redesign, see March/April 2006 on the Past Updates page.
My acting career continued on in 2006 as I appeared in the independent feature film Corruption from Upstate New York-based filmmaker Christopher R. Bishop. The movie is set to premiere in Upstate New York's Capital Region in early 2007. For more information on my acting role see the Acting Credits page. A link to the movie site for Corruption can currently be found on the Links page.
Also, another movie I acted in was shown at an advance cast and crew screening at the historic Madison Theater in Albany, New York in September. The film I'm referring to is The Last Round from Capital Region independent filmmakers The Masucci Brothers. This tense psychological drama is a feature-length version of their earlier short film of the same name. Information on my cameo appearance in the movie can be found on
the Acting Credits page. A link to the website for The Last Round was added to the Links page.
This year two films I worked on were featured at the annual Albacon festival, held in early October in Albany,
New York. Albacon is all about science fiction, fantasy and horror, and for the second year I attended the film screenings and viewed some interesting offerings from several different independent filmmakers. The two movies I worked on were both ones I edited. The feature London After Midnight from director Bruce G. Hallenbeck was shown, as was the "Dead Man" segment in the horror anthology The Edge of Reality
from filmmaker Joe Bagnardi. For more information on The Edge of Reality, now available for viewing at
Video on Demand (www.vod.com), see Other Projects Page 1. A link to the Video on Demand page for the film has been added to the Merchandise page. For the latest news on London After Midnight visit the Pagan Film Productions website listed on the Links page. For more on the movie see Other Projects Page 1.
For information on my appearances in both films see the Acting Credits page.
The Albacon festival turned out to be the tip of the iceberg for 2006, because during late October and early November I took part in three more film festivals. First on October 28th was The 2006 New York State Museum Independent Film Festival, which was a follow-up of sorts to The 2005 Dead of Winter Free Film Festival
held at that same venue. The 2006 festival featured a whole day of screenings from Upstate New York Capital Region filmmakers. The big highlight of the event was the premiere of the psychological ghost story
The Drowned, a feature I edited for independent filmmaker Bruce G. Hallenbeck. I also showed off two new projects of my own by screening the short comedy Of Theatre & Bikinis, as well as the music video I directed for the song "You Gotta Believe" from Upstate New York-based singer Katrina Marie. To view pictures from The 2006 New York State Museum Independent Film Festival see Out & About Page 3. For the latest news
on The Drowned visit the Pagan Film Productions website listed on the Links page. For more on the movie
The second festival I took part in was held on Halloween night at The Madison Theater in Albany, New York.
My friend filmmaker Michael Kazlo II was the organizing force behind THE BLOOD, FANGS AND CLAWS
FILM FEST, where he screened his vampire-action feature Bloodlust, and I screened my vampire feature
The Temptress. Both movies were shown twice and the whole evening was a night of b-movie fun. To view pictures from this film festival see Out & About Page 3. For information on my feature The Temptress see
Also, a link to Michael Kazlo's website can be found on the Links page.
The third festival, which took place on November 11th, was very exciting. Filmmakers Bruce G. Hallenbeck,
Joe Bagnardi and I returned for a second year to host The 2nd Annual Classic Horror Movie Festival at
The New York State Museum in Albany, New York. This time we focused on the 1980's, again showing four classic horror films. The big news this year however was our special guest. Actress Betsy Palmer appeared at the show to talk about her role as Mrs. Voorhees in the 1980 horror classic Friday the 13th. She also stayed to watch the movie with us, and afterwards graciously signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.
Below are notable updates to my biography for the year 2007:
The feature film Corruption which I appeared in (see year 2006 updates below) had its official Upstate
New York Area Premiere at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, NY on February 25th. The movie also had a week-long run at Albany's Historic Madison Theater during the month of September. Both movie screenings were very enjoyable. Congratulations go out once again to filmmaker Christopher R. Bishop of Crown of
Thorns Productions, Producer Mary Shinners and everyone else involved with the film. For more information
on my acting role see the Acting Credits page. A link to the movie site for the independent film Corruption
