Nick Patch’s short movie “Painted” is not of the feel-good variety.
“At first glance, it’s basically a movie about a serial killer, but if you look deeper, it’s about how hard it is to change your life for the better, and how much easier it is to change for the worst,” he said.
“It’s a dark movie, rated for mature audiences,” he added. “It’s very bloody.”
Patch, 19, of Tooele, is writer and director of the 25-minute short film, which is his first. It premieres Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ritz Theatre in Tooele.
The entire process took about 11 months, he said.
“It really should have taken only five months to complete, but we just had to do it as we had the time and means,” he said.
One person, who worked at Brigham Young University, gave him some old sound equipment to use for the film, he said. Patch is an aspiring filmmaker who graduated from Stansbury High School.
He said most of the movie was filmed indoors in Tooele, but people should recognize an outdoor location near Stockton.
Patch started to write a full-length screenplay as a freshman, but never completed it. He opted for a short film instead. He is fond of the intricacies of motion pictures.
“When I would go to a movie, I just didn’t watch the movie,” he said. “I sort of looked at it as a screenwriter who sees it from every angle. It is like seeing it from God’s view — God sees everything.”
Patch said the Ritz Theatre was kind enough to allow him to rent the theatre for the premiere at a minimal fee.
“Eventually, I would like to see if I could get it into a film festival, such as the Park City Film Festival or another film festival,” he said.
Patch said there will be a red carpet event and meet-and-greet with the cast and crew at 7:30 p.m. The movie should start about 8 p.m. or 8:15 p.m.
The film features three main characters and four secondary characters, he said.
The movie is free, but seating is limited to 250. Some people have received special invitations to attend, said Patch.