Three years ago, Blue Dragon Studios was mired in a debilitating slump.

Significantly, I was created only two years ago.

Yeah, sure. Take credit for everything. In any case, things were dire. While 2009 saw the completion of a feature film, only a single project was produced in 2010: Tragedy of the Blue Dragon. It took nearly a year and a half for Blue Dragon Studios to return.

But, return we did! In a big, big way. Starting in June 2011, I vowed to complete at least one short film every month for an entire year. I am proud to say that I was successful in realizing this aspiration. Many of our coolest projects-

Read: the ones starring myself.

-were completed in pursuit of this goal. Among these is a personal favorite of mine: the 1920's gangster short Pen, Paper, and Six in the Chamber.

Pen, Paper, and Six in the Chamber was shot on August 20, 2011 in Columbus' Neil House Brewery (owned and operated by Blue Dragon Studios alum Pat Kelleher). It was a long shoot, even with the time saved by transitioning from on-set practical effects to post-production computer-based effects.

One of your few wise decisions.

Really? See, I would actually prefer to do more of my effects practically. However, with the limited time and money at my disposal, the choice isn't always as simple as real versus digital. More often, it's a choice between digital or nothing at al-

Foolish human. You are adding needless complexity to the issue. Work performed by a machine will always be superior to work performed by an organic.

Well, whatever the case, it's an issue further explored in the Pen, Paper, and Six in the Chamber commentary, where I'm joined by friend/actor/producer/engineer/Blue Dragon Studios veteran Kevin Crawford.