Victoriahope McAuliffe

As the co-founder of Fat Foot Films, Ryan Convery has 15 years of professional experience in video editing, and 20 years of experience creating his own films. Despite beginning as just something fun for a group of friends to do together, it has become a powerful endeavor that involves focusing on various aspects of the production process. 

For Ryan, “the audience reaction for me is the most nerve-wracking and exciting moment you will have creating a horror or comedy film.  You know instantly if your joke fell flat, or if your scare didn’t hit the audience the way you intended.  On the other hand, if your joke or scare worked the way you intended it’s an amazing feeling.”

Ryan Convery wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he knew art would be involved somehow, “At an early age I loved art, and when I was about to graduate high school my parents asked, “College or full-time work?”  Without thinking twice about it, I thought “How cool would it be to do special effects on Hollywood movies?” After graduating, I moved out to Los Angeles and attended Make-Up Designory, a school for special effects makeup…I graduated a year later, just as Hollywood was entering a transitional period where special effects shops were closing their doors and turning to computer animation.  Being broke and homesick I moved back home…I decided to go to college in Boston for computer animation and found my true passion, video editing.”

Ryan and his friends used to shoot Jackass type sketches, as well as horror/comedy skits while they were still college guys just hanging out. Ryan’s passion was to ensure he used his special effects makeup skills during their shoots, to reinforce the horror angle or make an injury believable. Ryan and his co-founder of Fat Foot Films, Ed Gutierrez shared a Worcester apartment at the time which allowed him to teach Ed how to edit his own videos. According to Ryan, “Eventually we had enough short sketches that we turned into a variety show called “Sutton’s Top Dogs” that had a five episode run on the Sutton Access Channel, which was when I decided it was time we create our first full-length feature film.”

The filmmaking friends had yet to choose an official title for themselves– so how exactly did they come up with the name “Fat Foot Films”? Ryan shared with me that it all goes back to when he was 12 years old, “I went to a podiatrist, and he told me I had the fattest feet he’d ever seen in 30 years. I thought, let’s use those fat feet and turn it into something positive! When I presented the name “Fat Foot Films” to my filmmaking friends they thought, “Why not!”

Fat Foot Films focus is primarily comedic horror, horror & thriller, and comedy genres, the inspiration for this came from, “Peter Jackson’s first movie “Bad Taste”, he had passion for creating special effects and made his first movie over a four year span with his close friends.  That is exactly how our first film “Mourning Wood” was created, with close friends, a ton of special effects and was finished in a four year time frame.”

Fat Foot Films is set to release its most recent project “Mercy” in the Fall and according to Ryan, “”Mercy” is the project I am most passionate about because that’s what I am putting all my energy into right now. If you asked that question while I was working on our last project, I would also say the project that I am working on at that moment. Passion is what keeps me driving to succeed. Our biggest hope for “Mercy” is that it catapults us and 256 Films Dan Rosario to the next level by getting funded and turning this short film into a TV series or movie.”

Filming for “Mercy” took place during Covid, which presented its own unique barriers for the filmmakers during production, “the biggest challenge was being patient, and when we felt it was safe to shoot again, we did. While doing so we kept the production team to a bare minimum, wearing masks and taking all the necessary precautions.” Despite the challenges of Covid, Ryan is grateful he’s had the opportunity to work with new talent who share the same passion and excitement about his projects.  The excitement of others is what keeps us motivated to create the best films we can. 

Ryan’s advice for actors and other creatives looking to get involved in local films within Massachusetts and New England is to, “dive headfirst and don’t think twice.  As of right now there are so many talented filmmakers in and around Massachusetts.  If you are not ready to be on a set, grab a camera, watch some YouTube videos, and make your own movie. That’s how we started, and it’s been a most excellent adventure!”

To follow Fat Foot Films, you can visit them on Instagram @FatFootFilms, their Facebook page www.facebook.com/fatfootfilms, and online at www.fatfootfilms.com.