MAILER DAEMON - E-MALE SEEKS E-STEEM

Do you know where emails go after they're sent, and before they’re received? Well, if you think you do, think again. Or better yet, check out the following interview I did with my friend, John Mudge, who’s just finished a short film about the demons who handle our emails when we're not looking.





1) What are your own origins, John?   I'm from Belle Chasse, Louisiana, and I graduated from Louisiana State University before working in the film industry as a production assistant on ‘NCIS: New Orleans’. After some time as a PA, I made the jump to the grip department, and have been gripping ever since. In my free time, I also try to develop personal projects with the intention of one day becoming a fully-fledged film director.

2) What inspired you to create, ‘Mailer Daemon’?   Actually, the idea for ‘Mailer Daemon’ originally came from a friend of mine back in college, Seth Di Salvo, and I loved it so much, we both got together and embarked on a journey to see this idea become the short film that it is today.

3) In your own words, how would you describe this story?   On a conceptual level, I’d say this story is about how people strive for love and adoration through their work, and how dismal one's existence might appear if consumed by a seemingly hollow desire. Thematically, we take these issues and apply them to the computing world, wherein our story, emails are delivered not by basic computer functions, but rather, by demonic creatures who perform these tasks every day.

Our hero, Todd, is a mailer daemon at the Lighthouse Mail Company, and he strives to be appreciated by sorting out all of the emails he receives to the best of his abilities. But one day, when he's sent an undeliverable message from a young girl seeking guidance, he uses this opportunity to attain the appreciation he constantly craves, which in turn, leads him down a path that might result in fatal consequences.

4) What song would you say best represents this film and why?   This is a tough question to answer because the overall tone of ‘Mailer Daemon’ is pretty light, despite its darker themes. But having said that, the one song that comes to mind would be the melodic melody composed by Radiohead, 'No Surprises', as they’re both somewhat insular and self-contained.

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   Well, Steven Soderbergh is a pretty big name and he has significant ties to Louisiana, so I guess I'd choose him because he has connections in the film industry and could help me develop my career.

6) What have you learned about yourself through this endeavor?   I like to think that the one thing I've learned about myself is that I'm a fairly diligent person because I managed to make this film without having gone to film school. In fact, this film was my film school, and even though my lack of a formal education can be fairly discouraging at times, I still believe that I have the right attitude to make further advancements in my career. I also love the joint effort required when making a movie, and in this case, I was lucky enough to have many talented people on board to help me make this one. Seriously, I owe them a lot!

And on that note, I would like to thank John for telling us about his film, 'Mailer Daemon', before encouraging you to check out his official Facebook page.