DIAL TONE PICTURES
Dial Tone Pictures, based in New York City, was formed in 2008 by three filmmakers and old friends-- Max Azulay, Matt Porter, and Phil Primason. Our short film “More Perfect Union” (2011) competed at the DeadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City, Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival, and was shown as part of the NewFilmmakers screening series at the Anthology Film Archives on the Lower East Side. We are currently producing a series of short comedies for the web, released monthly on the “Shorts” section of our site.
Experienced as both a writing team and, working with a large pool of talented collaborators, an in-house production team, we have worked primarily in the field of character-based narrative comedy. Our approach is influenced in part by comedy institutions like the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Onion, where we cut our teeth studying and working. Mostly, though, we aim to tell accessible, well-crafted stories that might make you laugh or remind you of home.
Experienced as both a writing team and, working with a large pool of talented collaborators, an in-house production team, we have worked primarily in the field of character-based narrative comedy. Our approach is influenced in part by comedy institutions like the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Onion, where we cut our teeth studying and working. Mostly, though, we aim to tell accessible, well-crafted stories that might make you laugh or remind you of home.
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Shiksa
The familiar rigmarole of Ben's family Passover Seder is shaken by the mysterious presence of a beautiful young Blonde. 12 min.
COMING SOON // CREDITS
Dial Tone Pictures Presents
"Shiksa" Written by Matt Porter, with Phil Primason and Max Azulay
Produced by Joe Greco
Directed by Matt Porter
Cinematographer - Andrew Ellis
Gaffers - Praveen Elankumaran, Ryan Nethery
1st AC - Peter Steusloff
2nd AC - Ainura Kazhkarimova
Production Designer - Alix Pentecost-Farren
Art Director - Charlie Hankin
Wardrobe - Ann Hacket
Location - Julia Schwartz-Leeper, Joel Weinberg
Craft Service - Gail Topol
Production Assistant - Ruby Kirby
Editor - Matt Porter
Color - Vlad Kucherov
Sound Design - Jonathan Seale
Liz Holtan as The Blonde
George Kareman as Greg
Joel Weinberg as Uncle Rich
Maura Shapiro as Aunt Ellie
Lea Osiason as Aunt Phyllis
Sam Rappoport as Uncle Ira
Peter Knobler as Charlie
Phyllis Topol as Nancy
Lewis Porter as Gene
Starr Shapiro and Parker Shapiro as the Children
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First Time
When Jay shambles into an early morning meeting with his English professor, their conversation takes an unexpected turn. 8 min.
WATCH // CREDITS
Dial Tone Pictures Presents
"First Time" Written by Max Azulay, with Matt Porter and Phil Primason
Produced by Matt Porter, Phil Primason, and Max Azulay
Directed by Matt Porter and Max Azulay
Cinematographer - Ryan Nethery
1st AC - Alix Pentecost-Farren
Sound - Phoebe Ryan
Will Dagger as Jay
Mark Blum as Professor Reinsch
Kate Armstrong Ross as the Girl
Featuring "Terrifying Family" by Krill
And "The Truth" by Twain, Courtesy of ShyDad Records
myspace.com/twain -
The Fellow
Oscar, a student whose tuition is paid for by the Windham Ross fellowship, meets the shadowy figure who has been bankrolling his education. 9 min.
WATCH // CREDITS
Dial Tone Pictures Presents "The Fellow"
Written by Phil Primason, with Max Azulay and Matt Porter
Produced by Matt Porter, Phil Primason, Max Azulay, and Victor Suarez
Directed by Matt Porter and Phil Primason
Cinematographer - Victor Suarez
Art - Alix Pentecost-Farren, Tara Perry, Ann Hackett, and Meredith Lippincott
1st AC - Justin Kaplan
Gaffer - Julien Lasseur
Grip - Dan Erickson
Sound - Alan Gordon
Editor - Matt Porter
EJ Bonilla as Oscar Vergara
Kevin O'Rourke as Windham Ross
Rich Topol as Gabriel Sussman
Robert Evers as The U.S. Marshall
Yonatan Gebeyehu as Chris
Jennifer O'Neill as the Sign-in Alumna
Charlie O'Rourke as the Spitting Waiter
Donors and Fellows:
T. Boomer Tibbs, Edis Delgado, Portia Racasi, Ernest Perry, Don Leftt, Cheryl Stark, Sam Gonzalez, Justin Avila, Giselle Hyland, Jordan McGill, Madara Kanele, Victoria Stevens, Anna Lewgood, Michael Mitchell, Colin Drummond, Heather Wahl, Dave O'Brien, Eugene Dmitriev, Colin Hylander, Tom Corbisiero, Jess Brecker, Sara Amri, Riley Hooper, and Denis Jasavic
Music by the Due Diligence
iwillwreckyourlife.com -
The Homage
At a baby shower, a young and expecting couple pull their old friend Carlton aside to deliver an important piece of news. 8 min.
WATCH // CREDITS
Dial Tone Pictures Presents "The Homage"
Written by Max Azulay, with Matt Porter and Phil Primason
Produced by Phil Primason, Matt Porter, and Max Azulay
Directed by Matt Porter and Max Azulay
Cinematographer - Andrew Ellis
1st AC - Katrina Sorrentino
Gaffer - Esteban Pedraza
DIT - Evan Polivy
Art - Meredith Lippincott
Makeup and Costumes - Carrie Crowell
Max Azulay as Carlton
Tom Levin as Rich
Diana Kolsky as Diane
Music by Ian Davis and Gabriel Gall
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More Perfect Union
Hank, fresh off of a potentially relationship-ending argument with his girlfriend, decides to go alone on a trip they had planned together, to a quaint and isolated bed & breakfast run by an elderly Indian couple.
WATCH // TRAILER // POSTER // CREDITS
Dial Tone Pictures Presents "More Perfect Union"
Starring Max Azulay, Arish Sahani, Neena Sahani, and Kate Eastman
Written by Matt Porter, Phil Primason, and Max Azulay
Cinematography by Andrew Ellis
Production Design by Tara Perry
Poster by Alix Pentecost-Farren
Music by Ian Davis and Gabriel Gall -
Argyle
Aspiring filmmaker Charlie Feinman reluctantly agrees to return to the small town where he was raised to investigate the origins of a notorious serial killer who also grew up there.
You can also watch "Gunderson's", one isolated storyline from the film.
WATCH // TRAILER // GUNDERSONS // CREDITS
Dial Tone Pictures Presents "Argyle"
Starring Harry Zittel, Max Azulay, Alexey Novikov, Greg Zittel, Lucia Brizzi
Written by Matt Porter, Phil Primason, Mallory Westfall and Max Azulay
Color by Alan Gordon
Sound by Arjun G. Sheth
Music by Ian Davis and Gabriel Gall
