Indie filmmakers, get ready to be jealous. Mike Costanza, an emerging independent filmmaker, just recently completed his feature length thriller, “The Collingswood Story”, for under $25,000 and now he has the help of Award-winning full-service interactive design and production studio EMA Multimedia. EMA created the package design, promotional elements, Web design, DVD menu system and special features for HBO Home Video’s release of the four-disc set “From the Earth to the Moon” (Best Educational DVD Discus Award, Best Packaging Discus Award). EMA’s more than 275 DVD interface designs for studio titles also include: “OZ: The Complete First Season”, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, The Fifth Element, “Elmo’s World”, Wild Wild West, “Gods & Monsters”, “The Mask”, “Starship Troopers”, Tomorrow Never Dies (Best Consumer DVD Discus Award), and “Spawn” (DiVi Best Video Movie, DVD People’s Choice Award).
Campaign elements designed by EMA for “The Coolingswood Story” include designing and finishing the film’s opening title and credit sequences, designing key art in print and interactive media, DVD packaging design and label artwork and DVD menu design, production and authoring for a limited-edition DVD screener. The DVD creatively packages the feature with production notes, cast and crew biographies and the film’s trailer. Finally, EMA also provided production facilities for editing and finishing the film.
“I first met Mike Costanza when I did key art for his short film ‘Mama Said,'” explained EMA’s founder and senior creative director Michael Pace. “In ‘Collingswood,’ his very effective use of modern technology to tell an eerie tale of terror that plays on people’s subconscious fears of the psychic realm and of the internet makes this film especially spooky.”
“First, I was really lucky to have the opening and closing titles of the film created by EMA – an outstanding group of talented individuals who make miracles happen,” Mike Costanza said. “EMA’s production of the DVD has me tickled beyond belief. Mr. Pace is a brilliant man,” Costanza added. “His designs along with his marketing knowledge are extremely impressive and his work on ‘Collingswood’ is monumental.”
“The Collingswood Story” follows two college students who chat frequently using their webcams. While “cam surfing” on the ‘net, they make contact with an online psychic who initiates a deadly reign of terror over their lives.
The film stars Stephanie Dees (The Gift, “Halloween IV”), Johnny Burton (HBO’s “10% of a Ghost”), Grant Edmonds (“Seventh Heaven”, The Drew Carey Show”) and Diane Behrens (“Gas Food Lodging”).
Costanza’s short film “Mama Said” screened at the Sundance Film Festival and at Cannes and also competed at many international film festivals, winning the Best Short Film Award at Italy’s Turin International Film Festival. Nominated for the Golden Palm Award at Cannes, the film aired on The Sundance Channel. Costanza’s short “There’s No Place Like Homegirl” also appeared on The Sundance Channel, as well as on The Movie Channel. “The Last of the Wine” has aired on USA Network.
Costanza is now seeking distribution for “The Coolingswood Story.”
Visit the “Collingswood Story” website to watch the trailer.
