Wesleyan alumnus Ray Tintori '06 has already achieved fame that most students at the University still only dream about. In 2007, Tintori submitted his senior thesis film to the Sundance Film Festival and was selected of the 4,400 entries to be screened at the festival. His film, "Death to the Tinman," received Honorable Mention in short filmmaking. The film has also been screened at the South By Southwest Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.

The film, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum's "The Tinwoodman of Oz" chronicles the story of Bill, played by Jeff Delauter '06, and his desire to impress his love interest. The 12 minute movie was shot in Middletown. Most of the cast and crew were also Wesleyan students.

In his pre-fame interview with the Wesleyan Argus, Tintori discussed the film.

How about your thesis? What's it about?

Ray Tintori: My thesis film is an adaptation of the origin story of the Tin Woodsman from "The Wizard of Oz." It's about how he went from being a normal lumberjack to the heartless hollow rusty shell that he is. It's a really great story that almost no one knows. Baum wrote it when he was dying and delirious. It's truly dark and very romantic. It's a lot about self-destruction and lust. I moved the story to a sort of abstract America and replaced all the Baum magic with evangelical spirituality. So it's pretty vivid.

 

What was the shoot like?

RT: I spent the summer reading Herzog on Herzog and set out to make a movie where the shoot was like a Herzog shoot. On the first day, the path to our set flooded and we had to cut a path with machetes in order to carry a Wright-Brothers style airplane through the woods. At the moment I picked up the machete I realized what I had done to myself and to everyone I care about. We were dealing with boats and airplanes and the main character is an enormous special effect. Lee Pender played the Tinman and he was a real hero of mine. His suit is like a torture device, practically razorblade spandex. Everyone on the crew did amazing work under some pretty psychotic conditions.
 

Watch the full movie here or buy it on iTunes.