About Ruff Ruff Dog
“What is stopping us from making films?”
This simple question set us on a journey of discovery.
But we were not just starting our careers. We’d been running software and non-profit theatre companies for more than 20 years.
How can we short-circuit the learning curve of filmmaking? We realized that we needed to take a leaf out of the software industry playbook and apply a “fail fast” approach to filmmaking.
So that’s exactly what we did. Force ourselves to go through the entire process of making a film - conceive, write, shoot, edit, and finish a complete film - in 48 hours. Then debrief on what worked well, what sucked, what we’d do different next time, and what were the top 3 things that we learnt from the experience.
Then do it again. And again. And again. 36 times and counting since 2015.
That discipline of write it, shoot it, finish it, then be honest about what didn't work is what running 36 productions actually teaches you: how to make decisions fast, keep a set moving, and finish what you start. It's also exactly what we're now building on. Three feature-length scripts are in active development, including All Downhill, now in production planning for Scotland/UK.
Making films still brings us joy, on any scale, from a 48-hour sprint to a feature shoot. We love collaborating with everyone involved, in front of and behind the camera, and we hope what we make brings you the same joy, whether that's in a darkened theatre or gathered with friends around whatever screen you've got.
Meet the Team
Producer
Susan has produced every film in the Ruff Ruff Dog Productions catalog, from the company's earliest shorts through its current slate. She is also the founder and producing artistic director of And Toto Too Theatre Company, Denver's longest-running theatre company dedicated exclusively to new works by women playwrights, now in its third decade. Under her leadership the company has premiered nine full-length original plays, staged work internationally in the UK and Canada, and won four Marlowe Awards.
Writer / Director
Darren has directed every film in Ruff Ruff Dog Productions catalog and written many of them, including "5 Minutes," "Solemates," "How Ariel Got Her Muse Back," and "The Cradle", which won Best Editing at the Rush After Dark Film and Catacombs Festivals, with Darren as editor. He has written three feature-length films, including "All Downhill," which is both set in and to be produced in Scotland.