Life on set
Every single time I take on a new project and step onto that set I learn something new. Somehow different obstacles and unforeseen victories seem to simultaneously pop up on every film and it's been quite the ride meandering through them.
A Storm's Wrath - August 2024
My first international film! This was an exciting project. I spent the summer in Berlin taking an 8-week directing workshop course at the MetFilm School. When I say this was an international film, I mean it in every sense of the word. Not only was the location of the shoot overseas, but my cast and crew was built up of people also from all over the world form Iceland to Chile and everything in between.
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Our final project involved making a short film. We had 3 hours of rehearsal with the actors and then 3 hours to actually shoot the film. For a 5 minute movie that's a tight schedule to stick to, but we managed.
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Working with actors where English was not their native language was a bit of a challenge on its own simply because it made it harder for them to memorize a 4-page script that is pretty dialogue heavy, however, somehow they managed to do it with only a single night of preparation.
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The school had this set in a sound-proof studio and it resembled a rundown cottage, which was perfect for a feature film I had been writing. I decided to use my opportunity with the school's resources as a chance to make a proof-of-concept short film for that feature. I tweaked a scene from the full-length script and away we went. Given the short time we had, some things were rushed and I couldn't get all the shots I would've liked, but in the end I'm happy with how it turned out and since it's publication on YouTube, it has become my best performing video with nearly 11 thousand views and counting!
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It makes me very optimistic for when I start working towards the feature!
Shadows of the Condemned - May 2024
After wrapping up "Ugly Habits", my lead actor, Stanley Agbalizu, approached me with this story concept about a Detective who ends up working on his partner's homicide case. What initially intrigued me about this story was that we were learning about it as he explains what happened to the police department's psychologist.
I felt that it added another layer to the Detective Murder Mystery genre. I had a lot of fun turning this idea into a fully realized script with fully fleshed out characters. This short film is actually a proof of concept for a potential feature of this story and we hope to use it to not only generate interest in the film, but to also help us pitch it to potential producers, production companies, and studios to turn this into a full-length feature.
This was a really nice and relaxing set to work on. Given the shorter days on set and the simpler scenes (at least compared to some of my past films), everyone was able to work their absolute best and have a blast. I had a chance to work with people I knew and I got a chance to meet new filmmakers. Everyone on set got along super well and it was a great environment on set.
Balance - November 2023
This film marks my first time directing and producing a film I had not written myself. Vishnu, an actor I had worked with on Desperate Measures approached me with the screenplay and asked if I was interested in directing it.
The story was fantastic and a little different from what I had done in the past, so naturally I jumped at the opportunity. This project was a true joy to work on. My crew was incredibly experienced and prepared, and my cast was amazing. I actually also had the chance to work with Matt again whom I had previously cast in Desperate Measures.
This film presented itself with certain challenges, particularly given that it required so many different scenes in different locations in downtown Toronto, but we managed to get it all in just 2 days. I could not be more impressed with my team!
Once we have finished editing the film, our plan is to submit it to film festivals both locally and internationally, and to submit it to the CBC short film face-off competition for a chance to have the short streamed on national TV!
The Night Before Halloween - October 2023
This was an enjoyable set to work on. The cast and crew got along famously and everyone was so talented. This was my first time co-directing and co-producing a film.
My partner Damian brought a lot of knowledge of the horror world to this film. This was also my first time working with child actors and I could not be more impressed by their talent, focus, and professionalism, especially given the darker themes of ths film.
While shooting the film, we also shot a music video written exclusively for the movie by Damian and performed by his band LST IN HLYWD. While it made our schedule tight trying to squeeze in get both the scenes and the music video shots at the same locations, it was certainly worth it.
This was an ambitious project, and I'm blown away by my team's dedication and passion for the film. "The Night Before Halloween" was premiered at the TIFF building and will be made available to the public next year after the festival circuit.
Desperate Measures - April 2023
This film was one of my favourite sets to work on. It was my first time to use crowdfunding to fund a film and my first ever overnight shoots. The hours were long, but the crew and cast were a true dream team.
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It was encouraging when I won Best Screenplay at the Monthly Indie Awards right before going into shooting. I truly felt we had something special here.
This film was much more ambitious in both budget and the team I lead, and it could not have gone better. I'll admit I was incredibly nervous going into the shooting since I had never overseen such a large group before, but working with some old classmates from my time at Queen's University helped considerably to ease my concerns.
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This film pushed me to be a better director and filmmaker, and I cannot wait to premiere the final cut.
Santa's Little Slayer - December 2022
This little film was such a joy to work on. I had the delightful opportunity to make another film with my very good friend, Katie, and I got the chance to make a Christmas film which was always on my bucket list, although I never imagined it would be a horror film.
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This entire film was created in 48 hours. We were on a tight deadline to get this written, shot and edited in order to submit it to the Bloody Horror International Film festival Xmas Contest on time. On top of all the fun we had making this film, we also placed as a semi-finalist.
Ugly Habits - October 2022
Very intimidate cast and crew, but it was very fun and I felt like I learned a lot from my actors. This was my first film where I put out a casting call and I was very pleased with the response I received, and I am so happy with the cast I chose.
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Despite the tough subject matter, we managed to keep the atmosphere on set light. As a director it was incredibly important to me that the actors feel safe and comfortable, even while filming some of the darker, and even disturbing scenes.
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This film truly wouldn't be the success it is without my actors.
Hunted - June 2022
This award-winning short film was essentially my thesis for my very last university project. I had never taken on such a big project before and I certainly learned a lot from this experience.
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Making a film on a shoestring budget and minimal crew is one of the best ways to learns the ins and outs of each aspect of filmmaking as I not only had to handle the directing, but I also worked the camera, the sound, the editing, and even acting.
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I was so amazed by how successful this film was in its festival circuit having been accepted by over 10 festivals and winning 4 awards. This has given me so much confidence in my abilities as a filmmaker and I can't wait for what's to come next.
It has been a very rewarding process for me and has encouraged me to keep pushing myself.
The Great Awakening - May 2021
This short film was made during lockdown and I missed making films and being a part of storytelling at university and with my friends.
I was grateful to The Mandy Network for creating their short film competition because it pushed me to be creative again and to make something of my own. The theme was "Where do we go from here?" which I think most people were asking themselves over the past few years.
My interpretation of this was to look inward at what we really want and what came of that is this short, experimental film.
Hell's Hotline - January 2021
This was my third year participating in the 72 hour Focus Film Festival, and there was a lot of uncertainty with how we'd be able to make a short film in such little time when everyone was in lockdown and most people weren't even on campus.
My group, all four of us were in different cities/towns during it, but we managed to overcome this little obstacle by writing and recording a short film completely over zoom. This was a little tricky since the entire film could only be done over 1 take, but we got it, and I'm still pretty impressed with what we created given our little time and few resources.
Contact
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+1 (647) 967-0002