EXT. THE MIDWEST – GOLDEN HOUR
Midwest Movie Makers.
We make movies. Sometimes for brands.
(The branded films pay for the original films. Everybody wins.)
Chicago · Grand Rapids · CincinnatiTC 00:00:14:06
INT. DEVELOPMENT – DAY
Now in active development
We’re Bursting With Stories.
We have a lot of ideas. Some of them are bad. Some of them are good. But some of them just won’t leave us alone, and those are the ones we’re fighting hardest to get out into the world.
(We keep the bad ones in a drawer. It’s a big drawer.)
What we need now is the right partners: producers, distributors, talent, brands, and venues who believe in these stories as much as we do. If you’re that person, reach out.
(Not you, Mom.)
The Slate
Love & Improv
An ensemble comedy about love, risk, and the chaos of improv, set in Chicago’s comedy scene.
Directed by Drew Dull & Justin Strandlund
The Life & Debt of a Liberal Arts Major
A buddy comedy heist: a broke college grad and his friends rob a bank to pay off his student loans.
Official Selection · Cindependent 2026 (Screenplay)
The Sheriff’s Son
Adapted from Jim Clay’s memoir about growing up inside the Van Wert County Jail, where his dad was the sheriff.
INT. 2 EAST 8TH – CONTINUOUS
We came up in comedy and never fully left.
We’ve produced web series with Second City Training Center students, made a short with a Netflix series regular, and heard our screenplay performed live at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine.
(We cried a little. Professionally.)
Now we make original films, and branded films for businesses that would rather be watched than skipped. Same crew. Same obsession with character.
INT. SCREENING ROOM – NIGHT
Small Films. Big Swings.
(Free to watch. Popcorn not included.)
Sid Penrose
Charlie finds an unexpected way out of his depression when the mysterious man he’s been drawing knocks on his door.
The Peek-A-Boo Man
A new father faces off against an unseen entity that entertains his son just out of frame of the baby monitor.
From the vault
From the Archive
Where we try things first: new voices, new genres, new ways to make an audience laugh or flinch.
INT. EDIT BAY – 2 A.M.
House Rules.
01
Story first.
Even a 30-second spot needs someone who wants something.
02
Straight talk on budgets.
We tell you what your budget buys and what it doesn’t, before anyone signs anything.
(People find this weirdly refreshing.)
03
No buttheads.
We’re easy to work with, and we look for clients, cast, and crew who are too.
(First rule of improv: make your scene partner look good. Buttheads skipped that class.)
04
Have fun.
Making movies is fun, and it should be. When it’s fun on set, it shows on screen.
(The most important rule. That’s why it’s last.)
INT. YOUR BUSINESS – DAY
Your Brand. Directed Like a Film.
We make branded films for small businesses and startups that want to stand out. We find the person at the center of your story and build the film around them, the same way we’d build a feature.
(The skip button is our nemesis.)
What we make
- Founder stories
- Comedy spots
- Commercials
- Launch films
- Social campaigns
How we work
One film
One story, one shoot, one edit.
The retainer
The same crew every month and a library that keeps growing.
(It’s where we do our best work.)
EXT. THE MIDWEST – MOVING
Local Roots. Wider Reach.
(We like the drive. We bring snacks.)
41.88° N, 87.63° W
Chicago
Where we started, and where we still shoot. Also the improv scene behind Love & Improv.
42.96° N, 85.67° W
Grand Rapids
Where Justin lives, and our door to West Michigan.
39.10° N, 84.51° W
Cincinnati
Where Drew lives, and where we’re growing next.
The triangle
Everywhere in between
South Bend, Kalamazoo, Fort Wayne, Muncie, and the rest of the map.
INT. CLIENT INBOX – FRIDAY, 4:59 P.M.
What People Are Saying.
(Mostly “Can we see a cut by Friday?”)
★★★★★ Google review
“Every single project has exceeded my expectations… They ask an extremely fair price for the work they do.”
Matthew Douglas Lamson
Client for 5+ years
★★★★★ Google review
“They did such an excellent promotional video on our non-profit budget, it turned out so amazing and really helped with our marketing.”
Jackelyn Hoy
Nonprofit client
★★★★★ Google review
“Justin and Drew did a fantastic job making a video for our company. They’re professional, hit their deadlines, and provided a high quality end product.”
Gary Spagnoli
Branded video client
★★★★★
Four five-star reviews on Google, from restaurants and comedy clubs, a nonprofit, and clients who’ve come back for years.
INT. YOUR INBOX – EVERY SO OFTEN
The 2 East 8th newsletter
The Call Sheet.
What we’re making, new posts from the blog, invites to screenings and events, a little industry gossip, and the films we can’t stop talking about.
(No spam. We’re too busy in the edit bay.)
Unsubscribe anytime. What’s in it?
INT. A FIRST CALL – SOON
Have a film, a brand, or a weird idea?
(Weird ideas get priority.)