Lakewood Ranch is out of this world

The setting couldn’t have been more perfect for actor Mike Kradlak.

Although he looked a bit out of place in his astronaut costume as shell-filled trucks rumbled past, Kradlak also looked like he was exactly where he should be — on another planet.

“It’s a perfect setting for a desperate man in a desperate setting,” Kradlack said, standing in front of a 20-foot tall pile of white sand.

Sarasota filmmaker Austin McKinley on Aug. 26 shot portions of his short science fiction film, “Life in a Glass House,” at SMR Aggregates, a subsidiary of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch that mines and sells aggregates such as shell and sand.

In the film, Kradlak portrays a deep space miner, left for dead in an alien world, as he struggles to make it home before his air runs out.

“The story is really great,” Kradlack said. “It kind of reminds me of a great episode of ‘Twilight Zone.’”
Dirk Manning, author of “Nightmare World,” a psychological horror anthology, wrote the film, which McKinley is directing.

“(This piece) has the most dramatic turns,” McKinley said, noting “Nightmare World” has a built-in following, who he hopes will enjoy the film, as well.

McKinley said “Life in a Glass House” will allow him to test out processes, such as color treating scenes, for creating longer science fiction films in the future.

“When we get done with it, the sky will be green like an alien world,” McKinley said.

“This is the most amazing setting,” he said. “Nobody knows it’s out here. The minute I saw it, I knew it’d be perfect (for a film like this). These are the biggest mountains in Florida.”

Once the film is completed — hopefully by the end of October — McKinley plans to send it to filmmakers he met in Los Angeles (see sidebar). He also hopes to enter it into film festivals and use it to garner interest and donations for his next short film or longer-form film projects.

“(We want to make) sure everybody who has a passing interest in seeing it gets a chance to do so,” McKinley said. “It’s a calling card, and a stepping stone, hopefully.”

A former illustration student at Ringling College of Art and Design, McKinley has worked as a freelance artist, writer and video production assistant since 1998. His graphic work has appeared in dozens of indie comic books as well as on album covers for local bands.

Individuals interested in the film can follow its progress on the Facebook page, “Life in a Glass House — Short Film.”

A&E Editor Heidi Kurpiela contributed to this report.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

WINNING WAYS
In March, Austin McKinley won the grand prize for the Sarasota County Film and Entertainment Office’s inaugural “TV ME!” pitch contest. Industry professionals ranked three of nine television pitches McKinley submitted for the show in the top 12. His serial “dramedy,” called “Quixotic,” earned him a grand prize trip to Los Angeles, where he met with a handful of network executives to discuss the series and other concepts.