Rickey Bird Jr. is the owner of the film production company, Hectic Films. Since 2002, he and his friend Jason Sanders have worked on five feature films, and more than 100 Internet shorts. Both Bakersfield locals, Bird and Sanders have been best friends since elementary school.

“We grew up together from diapers,” Bird said.

Since he was a kid, Bird has always seen himself creating movies. “I wanted to act,” he said. “I saw myself writing scripts for me to act in.”

Sanders co-owns Hectic Films, along with his own company Cinescope Media. Currently, the duo is working on their newest film, “The Lackey,” with director Shaun Piccinino. Piccinino is the owner of Anvil Media Group and works on Spike TV’s “The Deadliest Warrior” as the second unit director and character William Wallace. The three teamed up with their production companies to create this film.

“The Lackey” is the story of Jude St. Clere, a low level crime thug. When he finds out that he has an eight-year-old daughter named Ella, he decides to leave the crime business in his past, but not before he does one final job that will help him provide enough money for his daughter.

This film is funded by donations, which makes filming difficult.

“‘The Lackey’ is being shot Robert Rodriguez style. No one is making money; it’s all about the art,” Bird said. “[The actors] are so willing to do things for free, just to get their name out there.”

Bird, Sanders and Piccinino are all characters in “The Lackey.” Piccinino plays the main character, Jude St. Clere. Sanders plays Vincent, who gets caught by Jude and becomes a rat for Sonny Fingers. Bird stars as Sonny, an Irish man who works for a bar owner and takes a job dealing with the French mob.

“He’s pretty much like me,” Bird said about his character.

Also featured in the movie is two-time bodybuilding champion, Mr. Australia, Guy Grundy. Grundy lives in L.A. and commutes for shooting in Bakersfield. He got the part in the film from Picinnino. Grundy also works on “The Deadliest Warrior.”

“I met Shaun on ‘The Deadliest Warrior.’ He took me under his wing,” Grundy said.

Grundy plays himself as hired muscle for the bar owners of the French mob in the film.

Piccinino not only wrote the script but got a lot of the crew to help out with his film from the television show.

Although the movie is filmed locally, many of the actors and crew members drive from L.A. and Fresno to be part of the movie.

“We work as a team, a crisp unit,” Grundy said of the crew.

They’ve filmed “The Lackey” in different parts of town. From the roof of Pyrenees Café, inside Sandrinis Bar, at the House of Flowers, Refuse to Lose gym and all over downtown Bakersfield.

“We don’t have permits, so it’s hard,” Bird said. “We try to make really good movies. We make shit happen.”

Bird expects filming of “The Lackey” to be completed in January, with editing to follow soon after. Outside of “The Lackey,” Bird wrote “Wretched Flesh” that turned into “Phase Two,” a zombie movie that he filmed inside a hotel that was being restored.

For the movie, he had 70 extras or more, three make-up artists plus the Hectic Films crew. He referred to the set of “Phase Two” as a party, not working.

“We want to keep everyone excited about the film. We make things fun,” he said.

Bird hopes that his movies will be sold to a distributor in a three-style package, which would include “Phase Two,” “The Lackey” and another film that he has yet to disclose. A premiere of the film “Phase Two” will be at the Fox Theater in late January or early February and a trailer for “The Lackey” will be shown.

Bird suggests supporting local filmmakers.

“Go see indie film festivals. Go support them,” he said. “We don’t do this to watch our shit again.”

The best part of making movies for Bird is the final production and having people watch it.

“I’d be truly happy if my movies were on DVD to show people. I’m more passionate about this than anything else in my life,” he said. “My whole life is movies.”

To get to know the characters of “The Lackey,” visit their website at www.thelackeymovie.com and view clips of the movie on YouTube.