As someone who has a collection of more than three-thousand films, Michael Fischer has always loved watching movies. These days, the Rockdale native is now himself on screen, acting in films and working on the other side of the camera as well.
“It all started when my mom put me in acting classes in 2012,” Fischer said. “I liked it and since then, I’ve always given myself goals.”
“At first, I was just trying to find work as an extra and after I achieved that, my goal was to find an agent,” he said. “After I found an agent, my goal was to get a line (in a show) and after that, it was multiple lines. And it just kept going from there.”
In 2015, he had a few roles in big productions such as HBO’s The Leftovers, where he played a cashier and “Episode Two” of American Crime, where he played a character named Wes. Fischer got a bigger break a few years later, earning a role with multiple lines in Red 11, a Robert Rodriguez film released in 2019.
After working with Rodriguez, the famed director of Spy Kids, Sin City and Machete, Fischer was able to secure a role in Butcher’s B l u ff, a movie that sees itself as an ode to 1980’s slasher-style films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween.
It was while starring in this movie that he and fellow actor Dakota Millett talked about making their own fi l m t o ge t he r.
From there, Fischer and Millett put together a trailer featuring themselves and actors Kayla Anderson, Casey Riggs and Randy Humphrey which became their project that they’re currently in the process of financing called Up On The Housetop. The movie about a few adult siblings who accidentally murder Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and have to overcome their issues with each other in order to survive the wrath of vengeful reindeer.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the film has raised $20,896 on crowdfunding website Indiegogo with a goal of raising $25,000. People can donate money until Friday.
The crew gets to keep the money even if their goal isn’t met at their Indiegogo deadline, but they need all the help they can get due the film being a somewhat costly production.
“Even after paying for actors, crew, food and things of that nature, it’s just a very expensive movie to make,” Fischer said. “We have an animatronic reindeer which has to be operated by a human and stuff like that costs a lot.”
He also gets the opportunity to work with some seasoned veterans in the film industry for Housetop.
“We have the special effects guy from Machete and our set designer is high ly touted as well, he once received a personal message from Guillermo del Toro praising his work,” he said.
Fischer also talked about how fortunate he is to be able to do the things he’s always wanted to do in life.
“I loved films so much growing up, and to be a part of something that I love is mind-blowing for me.”
In addition to working in cinema, Fischer is also a musician. Right now, he’s the drummer for a band called Virtue.
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