Not Safe for Work

Written by guest star Adam Higgins of Kick the Squirrel improv and countless other stand-up and comedy theater collaborations before he moved to Chicago to teach his wares, this is the video short that made audiences most squeamish. Though absurd, something about the animated humping wireframe "jumped the shark." Thanks, Adam!
Get the latest video podcast here: Sodomy

Job Interview

Nick Wells, the Phantom Hillbilly, wrote this comedy short while acting as a human resources director for Marketing Decisions. His contempt for authority is palpable, yet his sympathies for those who are gatekeepers for desirous hirees are perceptible too. Directed and edited by Danny Norton, starring Lydia Carrigan, shot after hours in Portland State University's student newspaper offices. The making of this film, which was recast halfway through production, was a comi-tragedy in itself.

Baby Sushi

A man returns from a business with a most unusual confession to his wife. Written by Adam Higgins, performed by Nathaniel "Hub" Hubbard and Laura Patterson live at Portland, OR's historic Jasmine Tree tiki lounge.

Bozar: Clown from the Future

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is visited with a warning message from the future. When he refuses to take heed, violence, profanity and a coerced sexual favor ensue. Some of Nicki Toma's most inspired weird sketch writing, and a genuinely bizarre turn by Scott "Hecktow" Klatt as Arnold and The Phantom Hillbilly, Nick Wells, as a media makeover mogul.
Get the first video podcast here:Bozar: Clown from the Future

Baby Jack

Longtime friends and cofounder of Extra Medium Nicki Toma and Tatyana Zaytseva delivered sporadic delerium to the online video ether and are poised to do so again soon. This bizarre parody of Jack in the Box and other advertising features Fogotron and Danny Norton and a cast of hilarious kid's meal toys.

Get the latest video podcast here: Baby Jack

Nightly News

The Phantom Hillbilly and Danny Norton were once frequent contributors to Independent Tuesdays, a Portland filmmaker showcase with monthly themes and challenges hosted by Jef Draubaugh. After changing venues from Nocturnal to ACME to The Standard then finally, Someday Lounge, so many new alliances had been made and broken and so much attrition, that it seemed the only salvation of the scene would be to hand it over entirely to another generation, another breed of filmmaker. Which we did. They're all HD, better cinematographers and often sharper writers than we were. Here's an example: when challenged to make a short along the theme of nightly news, I had the goofy idea of lifting audio from news and dubbing it over the actions of a couple having dinner. Brilliant?

Get the latest video podcast here: Nightly News

Cokey Monster

Mr. Children's Television Workshop gives Cookie Monster some time off to hone his craft. Cookie recommends that his brother fill in during his absence, but brother Monster does not have a predilection for cookies.

Get the latest video podcast here: Cokey Monster

Ground Charlie - Shampoo

Nicki Toma and Tatyana Zaytseva collaborated on what they often called an acoustic Tenacious D tribute duo. I always thought they beat Jack and Kyle in the clever lyrics department, but that's just my hip, disaffected "Tenacious D is too popular to be cool" side talking.

Get the latest video podcast here: Ground Charlie - Shampoo (live)

Lashes

Nicki T made this make-up commercial parody with Jihad Qutub at the camera and edit with her best performing compatriot Tatyana Zayseva. It features not one, but two rubber masks of former presidents. Which is creepy.

Get the latest video podcast here: Lashes

Two Minutes to Midnight

What Phantom Hillbilly could accomplish with a couple of industrial lamps from Home Depot and iMovie always impressed me. Here he manages to spin a yarn about protagonist Sage Negadeth going to hell, precisely where he's always thought he'd go when he dies. Why? Because he's so metal!

Get the latest video podcast here: Sage: Two Minutes to Midnight

Revenge of the Sage

Longtime collaborator Nick Wells, AKA The Phantom Hillbilly produced a series of shorts for independent Tuesdays, which soonafter reran at Extra Medium's multimedia comedy showcases to a new audience. Their odd pacing and heavy metal humor were so well received that he wrote the screenplay for a Sage Negadeth feature, shot a trailer and is still pursuing budgeting it's eventual fruition.

Get the latest video podcast here: Revenge of the Sage

Attrition

As the cast of Extra Medium dwindled, were replaced, dwindled again, the final throes consisted of guest appearances at other sketch ensemble's showcases and dredging the deepest crevices for funny video. This embarrassing nugget is one of the first I made using analog 8mm tape-to-tape decks.

Get the latest video podcast here: Little Green Men

Against Free Speech

The cast of Extra Medium were so anxious to support Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004 that we made our own signs. We were then whisked away to a "free speech zone" far away from where supporters with official John Kerry signs culd see Leonardo DiCaprio and John Bon Jovi up close and personal. "Grrr," we thought. "This free speech thing isn't so free after all. Let's protest free speech with new signs!" We confused people, as would be expected. Four years late for a big, Democratic sigh of relief.

Get the latest video podcast here: Kerry Rally

Help! A Bear is Eating Me!

Friend of Extra Medium Mykle Hansen performed a glorious reading from I Heart Everything at their final live performance in December, 2006 @ Portland's Bagdad Theater. Since then, musical collaborator in The Golden Greats, Danny Norton, worked with him on a book trailer to promote his latest comic novel "Help! A Bear is Eating Me!" Mired in pathos, the timeline follows a Seattle ad executive pinned under his Rangerover for 13 chapters, being eaten slowly feetfirst. This installment sheds light on author Hansen's panache for tall tales and misinformation.

Get the latest video podcast here: Help! A Bear is Eating Me!

Punk'd Lite

It's like MTV's practical joke show, only with safer, risk-free pranks. Danny Norton's first foray into editing with Final Cut Pro @ Portland State University saw him working up an idea of Star Can't Dead's Jihad Qutub into a digital short for their multimedia comedy showcase at nearby Jasmine Tree tiki lounge.

Get the latest video podcast here: Punk'd Lite

Sex Therapy

Laura Patterson and Scott "Hecktow" Klatt have a counseling session facilitated by Adam Higgins. Performed live at Portland's historic Jasmine Tree tiki lounge, now a level plain of grass upon which cranes erecting a new student recreation center can entertain you.

Get the latest video podcast here: Sex Therapy

James Bond: Cookiepussy

The final cast of our multimedia sketch show included Adam Higgins, who traveled East to study with Second City in Chicago and teach improv. He was reticent to play a "mentally different" character until it became clear it could be pulled off a a simple goon. Masterfully written by Nathaniel "Hub" Hubbard, who also stars as James Bond a la Connery brogue.

Get the latest video podcast here: Cookiepussy

The Polls Part 1

We know it's SO November 2, 2004, but this series of videos was shown on election night 4 years ago to cheer people up. We anticipated that every vote "would count" and that the election would have a happy ending.
Get the latest video podcast here: The Polls Pt.1

The Polls Part 2

We know it's SO November 2, 2004, but this series of videos was shown on election night 4 years ago to cheer people up. We anticipated that every vote "would count" and that the election would have a happy ending.
Get the latest video podcast here: The Polls Pt.2

The Polls Part 3

We know it's SO November 2, 2004, but this series of videos was shown on election night 4 years ago to cheer people up. We anticipated that every vote "would count" and that the election would have a happy ending.
Get the latest video podcast here: The Polls Pt.3

Custard

In one of our most elaborate live sketches (OK, Condos and Lawyers had real costumes), a boardroom of company cronies must answer the CEO's demands for new marketing strategies. Written by Nathaniel "Hub" Hubbard, with Steve Libbey, Scott "Hecktow" Klatt, Laura Patterson and Danny Norton.

Get the latest video podcast here: Custard

Escape from USA

November 2, 2004 was a dark day for liberal-minded Americans anxious for John Kerry to turn the political future around. And he should have, too. Diebold delivered an empty victory as promised, so this short follows a disgruntled ex-pat who immigrates as a mail order husband.

Get the latest video podcast here: Escape from USA

Plastic Culture

OK. This is probably the strangest film collaboration in my recollection. Portland, OR's Bear Deluxe Magazine and parent environment watch organization ORLO host a yearly film competition. What possessed us to spin the theme "plastic culture" into the story of rock monolith Ted Nugent losing his hunting bow is anyone's guess.
Get the latest video podcast here: Max Gross

Vader Vacation

Another great Animation Schmanimation short courtesy of Cinema Queso's John C. Meyer, shown at Extra Medium's multimedia comedy showcase near the final installment (we hope) of George Lucas' prequel trilogy, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Get the latest video podcast here: Vader Vacation