Hello cherished and devoted Atrophy fans!

Actually, I think I’m starting off all wrong. I’m supposed to be a sociopathic, megalomaniac would-be dictator of a dying Steampunk world, of which could make Stephen King’s vision of a world that’s moved on, weep for its mother and curl up shaking in the corner.

So. How ‘bout we try this again:

Boot heels, plebeians and maggots, lend me your ears!! OR I SHALL RIP THEM OFF YOUR HEADS AND FEED THEM TO YOUR STARVING CHILDREN!!

There we go! That’s an entrance befitting a Captain

If you haven’t already put it together, my name is Jonathan West and I had the honor and pleasure to work with Imminent Entertainment as one of the villains in their feature film, “Atrophy”. The character I had the absolute delight to portray was “The Captain”, and I couldn’t have had more fun on the production if I tried. Not to give too much away about the film or my character, but the Captain arrived in the Atrophy world quite some time ago and though he was curious about where it was he had been brought to, he was even more interested in how he could go about running things. Fast forward quite some time to where the Captain has been able to amass an army that’s feared and hated throughout the land; ruling and pillaging all, through his own unique brand of terror, respect, and command.

The entire I.E. team was one of the most talented and incredibly nice group of people that I’ve ever worked with, and I could never say enough about how blown away I was by how things are being done on the west side of the state. Born and bred on the southeast side of Michigan, I’ve been writing since the 90’s and producing in academia all of the 2000’s, but only recently started up in front of the camera. The extremely talented cast I worked alongside was primarily trained in theatre, and they brought with them the larger than life performances that were necessary to make the world of Atrophy, one to behold. Jason was a phenomenal director, working diligently with the equally impressive Troy (DP), constantly refining and reworking shots to get the exact feel that they wanted. Once there Jason would mold the actors accordingly, searching for the perfect performance to accompany such similar framing.

Two things that still stick with me (and that I consistently brag about to other productions) were the I.E. team’s ability to get jaw dropping locations that they did, and the deep sense of friendship and family that developed among the cast and crew. When you get the chance to see the film, and you WILL see the film, take note to every single blade of grass and every single spec of sand, because odds are, the production did just that in getting it to look right, all for your viewing pleasure. The expanses that we shot at had me marveling at their beauty and left me astounded in the productions ability to secure such prime shooting arenas (trust me; it’s way, way, WAY harder than you could think, and the I.E. team made it look easy). The production design was amazing – Will and Rob were amazing when it came to props and construction, and the productions promotional material belongs right there next to the most iconic of movie trailers and posters; they’re just that damn good. I could list every single crew member and their job, and gush about how excellent they were but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. I’m more than happy with my experiences on set, and as I get the chance, I’m looking forward to hanging out with the cast and crew whether we’re filming or not; they are all just great people to know, and wonderful individuals to be around.

At any type and level of film, I place the I.E. team in high regard and look forward to the day that I’m able to work with them again!! I hope that you all enjoy everything that the team has put together; I can tell you first hand, that these people live and die for Steampunk, and in my humble opinion, shouldn’t everyone?!

Hope to see you soon, as long as the Automaton doesn’t get to you first!

Yours truly,
Jonathan West

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