ASCENT: SPECIAL EDITION

Cast: Paul Coughlan, Samuel Mendez, Genevieve Piturro, Carl Junior
Director: Michael Sheridan
Writer: Michael Sheridan
Synopsis: A man struggles to escape two black-clad pursuers as he desperately attempt to remember who he is.
Release Date: 2004
Paul Coughlan in 'Ascent'
Paul Coughlan in 'Ascent'
This short film, shot on black and white 16mm reversal film, was the final project for my course at the New York Film Academy.

It serves as a companion piece to Shot, which wasn’t something I had set out to do. It ultimately let me to write Prologue, which was a short film I made several years later. That ultimately turned Ascent into the middle part of a trilogy.

The short was filmed at my uncle’s photo studio in Manhattan. It was very cold that day, which was torture for my lead actor who played the part in bare feet.

Several years later, I pulled a Lucas on Ascent. I redid the credits and the music. It was not changed, just re-edited digitally. A shot (which I had forgotten to get during production) was added in, as well.
Maynard Films