0:01:00 – Speaker 2
Greetings and salutations, welcome to Embrace your Storm. My name is Jonathan Nadeau, I’m your host and, as always, we’ve got an awesome episode. We are going to be speaking with Brayden and he’s got a short film that’s going to be in the festival here called I Love your First. And don’t forget the film festival. The Tornado Music and Film Festival is going to be at Foxwood’s Castino August 26, 27, and 28. So we expect all of you to be there. We can’t wait to see you. And so, brayden, thanks for coming on and tell us how did you even start getting involved into making films, because it’s funny that you said before the interview you come from a place in Alberta where everyone thinks you have to be rich and famous in order to make a movie. So how did you get involved? How did you start doing this?
0:01:48 – Speaker 3
I got involved and started doing this when I was around 13 or 14. I had a film class in junior high school and I wanted to make a Halo fan film with all my friends.
Like, this is like yeah, like this is the year that Halo 4 was just coming out, you know, really hyped to see Master Chief’s next journey and we all wanted to make a Halo fan film. So there’s a few friends and I making like car bowlsuits and whatnot and we started going around to different places to try to find props and I needed a better camera. So, like, I went to Best Buy in the City to try to find a camera and this dude was telling me about not only the camera but this cool Star Wars short film he was working on.
0:02:30 – Speaker 2
Oh, that’s cool.
0:02:31 – Speaker 3
Yeah, he’s like, yeah, it’s called Darth Bane, path of Destruction, and I’m like, oh, that’s pretty cool, as I was familiar with the Darth Bane books and I was like that sounds pretty sweet. Have best of luck on your project Bought a little camcorder and when I came back to my hometown because we went to Edmonton to go and do this- To go and find the camera.
0:02:50 – Speaker 2
Nice.
0:02:51 – Speaker 3
So we went back to my hometown, which is a few hours away from Edmonton. We were looking for more props, and so we went into a thrift store and I was talking to the owner and he was telling me about how him and his buddies are making a Star Wars film.
0:03:05 – Speaker 2
I think I see where this is going.
0:03:11 – Speaker 3
And I was just like that’s so funny. I was just talking to a guy at Edmonton that I met at Best Buy about this, and then I’m like I think his name was Nathan and he’s just like yeah, you know, nathan. I’m just like well, now I do apparently.
0:03:22 – Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah, tomorrow we’re on.
0:03:26 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and then I was like well, best of luck on the project. And my buddy Jason Thompson, he showed it to him. He’s just so sweet and amazing. So him and I became like good friends over the course of a few weeks and we were trying to make this Halo fan film, which just did not work out at all, like we didn’t really get to shoot it because we were just planning it. And you know, young filmmakers, we try to go over the top. We’re like how are we going to make the grunts work, the drop pods?
Yeah, exactly, exactly, and it’s just like all these Hollywood VFX that we can’t even pull off for $5. And so we kind of just scrapped it. And then I got a call from Jason going hey, man, you want to be a PA? Yeah, on the Star. Wars short film, and so I was like sure. So car pulled with him to Edmonton. We shot this awesome Star Wars fan film. We had like a $20,000 budget.
0:04:17 – Speaker 2
No kidding.
0:04:18 – Speaker 3
Yeah, if anybody wants to check it out, it’s called Darth Bane. Path of Destruction. Fan Film on YouTube by JD Buzz and Century Arc Entertainment. Absolutely fantastic visual effects and everything.
0:04:29 – Speaker 2
No kidding.
0:04:30 – Speaker 3
Yeah, Like. So we were there, Like immediately in the morning I went and introduced myself to the director because you know, very small crew and the third AD wasn’t able to make it that day. So it’s like, hey, kid, you want to be an AD? And I’m like what’s an AD? You’re going to learn.
And so I went to go introduce myself to the cast and the hair and makeup artists were just passing on information to me, going like, yeah, they’ll be done in 10 minutes. I’m like okay. And then I basically just copying that went right up to the first 80, is like yeah, they said they’ll be done in about 10 minutes. And I was just passing on information and had no idea that I was doing an, an ad job, correct.
0:05:06 – Speaker 2
Right.
0:05:09 – Speaker 3
Ever since then I’ve been kind of like working in the industry, like doing my own stuff. I think my biggest step, though, into like the union world was like. All throughout high school I was, you know, trying to get more and more into the film industry to the point where I lied to my parents and got my own acting agent. I got my own headshots and everything done by my photography teacher in school.
0:05:37 – Speaker 2
Nice.
0:05:37 – Speaker 3
And we did a resume, I submitted it to agencies and I ended up getting picked up by a Calgary agency and I booked some featured background days on a TV show called Heartland.
0:05:49 – Speaker 2
Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:05:50 – Speaker 3
For season 10. And so I was doing like featured background. But on my first day, when I got the call that they wanted to book me, I was like, ok, cool, I like to see you guys tomorrow. And we’re shooting in Calgary, in my hometown’s, four and a half hours away from.
0:06:04 – Speaker 2
Calgary oh no.
0:06:06 – Speaker 3
So as a 14 year old who does not drive, right, whose parents don’t know.
0:06:11 – Speaker 2
Yeah, an actor. That that’s funny, dear.
0:06:17 – Speaker 3
That was a problem. So I, I, I talked to my parents about it and I’m like, I’m like no, dad, I’ll get my agent to call you. And he’s just like, sure, sure, you have an agent. Yeah are they your manager? Two of them like yes, but that’s not the point.
0:06:35 – Speaker 2
That is funny, man. That is so funny. So did you end up going and recording on the show?
0:06:40 – Speaker 3
Yeah, we ended up going and recording on the show.
0:06:42 – Speaker 2
Nice.
0:06:44 – Speaker 3
Like the episode aired a few months later and like people even though I had no lines just when they’d see me on TV with the cast and stuff like that, because I was like. I was like what are you right beside all the main cast? For a lot of the stuff and was reoccurring in that sort of aspect where they’re just like you’re actually on TV.
0:07:01 – Speaker 2
Right, right. That’s pretty crazy, huh.
0:07:04 – Speaker 3
Yeah, so that was. That was pretty cool, but I got to the point where I was on set too much to the point where, like, we had to have a conversation about me passing.
0:07:14 – Speaker 2
Yeah, like, like school and everything right.
0:07:17 – Speaker 3
Yeah, they’re just like, because like I was getting caught up in everything, but for drama class. Rightly so, yeah, like for drama class I had a 100 percent mark and I’d always. My teacher would always mark me as present.
0:07:30 – Speaker 2
That’s funny. Yeah, yeah, he’s doing drama, he’s all set.
0:07:34 – Speaker 3
Yeah, pretty much it’s just like when him and I talked about he’s like, he’s like, what am I going to do? Do fail you for actually being on set Right.
0:07:41 – Speaker 2
Yeah, no, seriously.
0:07:43 – Speaker 3
So my school, luckily, was very, very accommodating and they had like their own studio to use to my friends. I would go out and make short films.
0:07:51 – Speaker 2
Like how long, how long were you like on set then Like doing that.
0:07:55 – Speaker 3
It was a good like few months, but it wasn’t like in a row is like every now and again, and between that I I did some background work on Fargo, season two. That’s cool, went on a herp season two as well.
0:08:07 – Speaker 2
Nice, yes, yeah, I see. So you were just busy. Like you know, once you got the bug and you got in, you just kind of got busy.
0:08:15 – Speaker 3
Oh, exactly, I got really really busy and like that was my first step into kind of like the bigger world and during this time in high school, my friend Marissa and I who’s one of the producers and one of the main writer if I loved her first.
0:08:29 – Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:08:30 – Speaker 3
Her and I had like a rivalry because she’s from like a redneck town in the middle of nowhere in Saskatchewan and like we were. We met through Air Cadets and we were just kind of like we had this rivalry going like the two drama student rivalries. And she was like hey Braden, I got accepted into a private drama school in Vancouver where there’s only like a few students in each class, which, like there’s a few classes and it’s only like 10 students each.
0:08:55 – Speaker 2
Yeah, so you get bragging rights if you get accepted.
0:08:58 – Speaker 3
Yeah. And so I was just like oh, you think that beats me being on TV. Well, guess what I’m like? Ok, congrats. And then I ignored her for three days. During those three days I went through the application process, I did my audition, I got accepted no, kidding. And so I sent her a photo of the acceptance letter and everything and I’m like guess what we might be in the same class.
0:09:20 – Speaker 2
Oh man, that is so funny.
0:09:22 – Speaker 3
And then after that I kind of settled down and just went. I have to move to Vancouver now and go to acting school.
0:09:29 – Speaker 2
Right, right, that’s funny.
0:09:32 – Speaker 3
Yeah, so move did acting school. Honestly, it was great because it helped me, like don’t only discover more about myself, become a better actor, but that’s kind of where I shifted more into directing.
0:09:41 – Speaker 2
Yeah. So I was going to say it’s kind of funny how it worked out that way. It brought you. It brought you like sort of into the city right, and then there’s obviously more more going on in Vancouver than where there’s a population of 8000. And so it really kind of kicked you in a high gear.
0:09:55 – Speaker 3
Oh, exactly Like it was like extremely high gear and it kept going from there. Like once I graduated from a school creative, I kind of had nowhere, nowhere to go or what to do, Like I was just I was living with my girlfriend at the time and like she was super supportive, which I was very lucky for, so I was just kind of volunteering to try to, you know, build my name and get my name out there. Like I did a short film as like a key PA called Cloaks and Daggers that’s cool and there’s just so many, there’s so many amazing people on that short film and it was a short made from like a lot of passion. So I, like you know, became good friends with people on that set. And then I volunteered at a similar film festival, which is like I think it was like, which is like. I volunteered to have a film called Vancouver Web Fest as a camera operator.
0:10:47 – Speaker 2
That’s cool.
0:10:49 – Speaker 3
And I met this guy named Steve Cameron. He he’s a. He’s a director and producer here in Vancouver, who’s absolutely sweet. He did an amazing short film called Ada, which I highly recommend. I actually worked on Ada.
0:11:02 – Speaker 2
Is that about Ada Lovelace?
0:11:03 – Speaker 3
It is.
0:11:04 – Speaker 2
Oh, nice, very good.
0:11:06 – Speaker 3
It’s one a ton of awards Like I also won, like the stage 32 awards and I’m already a fan of it, so I’d highly recommend checking it out.
0:11:14 – Speaker 2
Anyhow.
0:11:15 – Speaker 3
Steve. Steve basically noticed my some of my talent and I was a camera operator and he was just like hey, I’m actually like using like a hard worker, I’m crewing up on a Disney movie.
0:11:28 – Speaker 2
No, cannon.
0:11:29 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and I’m like, oh cool, he’s like I’m an ALM and at that time I had no idea what that that meant which is assistant location manager, so I thought he was like a really high up on the chain.
You know right right. Yeah, and I was just like. I was like, is that some sort of producer, like what the heck? Like that’s huge. And then he’s like, do you want to be a PA? I’m like, yeah, sure, I’m like, what’s the Disney movie called? He’s like I’m not sure if you’ve you’ve heard of it, but it’s called Kim possible.
0:11:55 – Speaker 2
Dude, that is so funny, Like, yeah, talk about just being it. I mean some people say, oh, it’s like the right place at the right time or whatever. But it’s just funny here in your past, Like it’s, all this stuff isn’t like circumstantial kind of thing. You know what I’m saying. It’s just it’s way too much of a you know coincidence for all these things to line up for. Yeah, you know, it’s just funny how it all unfolded that way for you.
0:12:16 – Speaker 3
Yeah, like honestly, like the more I tell you, the more insane it’s going to sound, because, like, everything like this is kind of like an example of also building your own path and like, if you stay. If you stay on that path, like the universe and life will provide.
0:12:29 – Speaker 2
Dude, thank you very much. That, no, seriously, because that right there, what you just said, that is what inhibits tornado, my nonprofit and this festival. Like follow your path. Like I believe everyone has a creative inkling in them. Follow that thing and if you’re on the right thing, everything, like you just said, it’s all going to unfold exactly how it should. Like that’s how you know you’re on the right path.
0:12:53 – Speaker 3
Exactly and it’s honestly incredible. Like after I got it, got the job on on Kim possible and had like an amazing time. Like originally I was only booked for, like it was like 10 or 12 days out of the entire shoot. They kept me for 32.
0:13:08 – Speaker 2
Wow, no kidding, and you actually do in the camp. No, no wait, you weren’t doing the camera, you’re just like a PA stuff, right, yeah it was a location, yeah yeah, okay, okay, but still that’s awesome.
0:13:18 – Speaker 3
Yeah, okay, that was a weird shoot because, like you know, when you’re, when you’re new in the industry and whatnot, you’re always scared of getting fired.
0:13:25 – Speaker 2
Right, you don’t want to do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, or whatever.
0:13:28 – Speaker 3
Like you don’t want to talk to the cast at all. You’re, like you know, avoiding eye contact, but since I was the only one close to any of the cast age, they kept trying to talk to me.
0:13:38 – Speaker 2
That’s funny.
0:13:39 – Speaker 3
And so like I was always trying to get out of the way of the grips and moving the stands and like that sort of stuff, and then Sean Jean Brony from the Goldbergs who played Ron, he’d like get tried to get out of the way.
So him and I are both trying to get out of the way and he’s trying to get to the green room, and so then, like we just start talking and I’m like, oh God, I’m gonna get fired. But Sean and Sadie and like Sean, Sadie and I, and like we became like pretty good friends by the end of the shoot I just didn’t tell my boss. We kept it all a secret. Like Sean and I went and hung out downtown on a weekend and we went like we literally went to Best Buy and he was looking at like DVDs of the Goldbergs.
0:14:24 – Speaker 2
That’s funny and like we’re making jokes.
0:14:25 – Speaker 3
So like yeah, if you went up to like the front counter and tried to buy it, do you think they’d recognize?
0:14:30 – Speaker 2
No, dude, that’s you know. That’s what’s funny. Like a lot of people would assume all you probably can’t go anywhere in public. But out of context people probably like take double or triple, takes like wait a minute, is that is that what it looks kind of like. You know what I’m saying. So you probably can get away with a lot of actually going on in public.
0:14:46 – Speaker 3
Oh you could. And like Sean is also like the sweetest, like he knew we weren’t allowed to take photos on set and so on the last day he got like our entire locations team together and like all his favorite crew members, and he took photos on his phone like with everybody, and then he sent them to the rest of the crew.
0:15:04 – Speaker 2
Wow, that’s awesome. That’s really cool to know people are down to earth like that.
0:15:07 – Speaker 3
Yeah, he’s super sweet. Like honestly, kim Possible was like a life changing event for me.
0:15:14 – Speaker 2
Well, I believe it Like.
0:15:14 – Speaker 3
that’s where I also met, like Zach Lipovsky oh it’s no kidding. Like Zach. Zach just had like a huge festival film a few years ago which got distribution and whatnot called Freaks, which is currently on Netflix. Zach was one of the directors of Kim Possible and then I co-produced a ULB, like a little budget feature that he was one of the producers on like shortly afterwards.
That’s pretty cool, yeah, and I kind of just kept working as a PA and working my way up Like I ended up getting like a job on like a Hallmark Channel movie after that.
0:15:47 – Speaker 2
Okay, so that, because we were talking earlier about a lot of the hallmarks and now I see how you got tight and all that.
0:15:53 – Speaker 3
Yeah, like. So my buddy Al Dales and I were peeing together and like we kept, like you know, kind of working together and we moved up through the locations department and then I was back and forth from AD and locations because I started AD for Hallmark and like whatnot. But at first for Hallmark I was AD for eight days and then I got poached by Warner Brothers Okay, by my good buddy Eddie Hardy he’s a great second AD like absolutely amazing and justa truly wonderful human being. Got the call because he remembered me from Kim Possible.
0:16:33 – Speaker 2
Yeah, he heard, I’m.
0:16:34 – Speaker 3
AD now, and so I ended up getting a job on Batwoman season one no kidding as a, as an on set third AD, also known like in the States. That’d be an equivalent to because we had a, we had a what we call a trainee assistant director, and so like my job was to help the first AD run that and then set and direct all the background.
0:16:54 – Speaker 2
Okay.
0:16:55 – Speaker 3
And so that’s like an equivalent to in the States. I think it’s a second.
0:16:58 – Speaker 2
Okay.
0:16:59 – Speaker 3
And so I did that for almost the entirety of season one on Batwoman.
0:17:03 – Speaker 2
Wow, man, that’s crazy.
0:17:06 – Speaker 3
Yeah, like you know, you know how crazy it is. Just like this all happened like in the span of like a year and a half, not even for me moving out of my, my hometown.
0:17:14 – Speaker 2
Wow, like, again, you know. What it all comes down to, though, also is like you executing, or you taking those steps you know what I’m saying Like you had to take the steps, that kind of keep moving forward, but as you’re moving, you’re able you know, you’re able to be guided through life and have those things unfold before you.
And not to make it sound like, oh, if you’re on the right path you don’t have any issues, or you know problems, you have struggles. I mean you said how you like, live with your girlfriend and she was kind of, I mean, not put words in your mouth, but sort of, you know, not supporting you, but help. Help when you kind of stay true to what you want to do, you know. So times get hard, but then you get things like this that unfold, you know, unfold on your path, you know, oh exactly.
0:17:53 – Speaker 3
And then, like when COVID hit, that was like a tough time for, like you know, everybody and like batwoman shut down, like I remember waking up in the morning and getting a bunch of text messages from my friends going oh my gosh, batwoman shut down. Like, are you okay? And I was just like we found this out from deadline.
0:18:08 – Speaker 2
Oh, geez, and I was just like.
0:18:11 – Speaker 3
I was like I got the call sheet last night. I’m like we’re not shut down. Like then I go into like the production check going, are we shooting today? Yeah, come to set. I’m like okay, and then we shot like for half the day and shut down. We were just trying to finish up an episode.
0:18:27 – Speaker 2
You’re trying to squeeze out as much as you could.
0:18:29 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and like just basically, and then like, yeah, we’ll call everybody back when this passes over, and then next thing, you know, nobody got really called back until like season two. But, at that. At that point I was doing other things and like I did a few days on season three. But okay. Yeah, so like that happened in, like my relationship that I was in at the time didn’t work out, so I basically, like you know, lost my job. Lost my job but being an AD on a cool winter brother show right.
And like lost my long term, like relationship at the time and I was just like had no idea what to do.
0:19:04 – Speaker 2
Put all my stuff in storage. So COVID really hit you then.
0:19:07 – Speaker 3
Oh, yeah, like yeah. I had no idea what to do and like like most of us, so I put my stuff in storage and I ended up flying back to Alberta to my hometown and I only had a suitcase and my camera bag full of my camera gear, like my Black Magic Pocket 4k kit.
0:19:25 – Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:19:26 – Speaker 3
And I promised myself that I’m not moving back to British Columbia until I until I have a feature film shot.
0:19:32 – Speaker 2
Okay.
0:19:33 – Speaker 3
Even if it’s Robert Rodriguez style.
0:19:35 – Speaker 2
There you go.
0:19:36 – Speaker 3
And that’s exactly what ended up happening.
0:19:39 – Speaker 2
No, that’s what brought you to. Is that I Love your First? Is that what that is?
0:19:44 – Speaker 3
No, I Love your. First is like a whole other story, but I directed two feature films. One of them is called Darker Than Night, which is that one we made during COVID for 12K and we did like 17 shooting days. We had like a full blown stunt team. Oh, wow. It’s a nice little movie and it should be fully done soon. There’s lots of delays because of, you know, paying your people very low. You’re kind of it’s more of an honorarium and on their own time studio.
0:20:16 – Speaker 2
Yeah, I hear you.
0:20:17 – Speaker 3
But yeah, like Darker Than Night, one looked absolutely beautiful, like we had like a full team and like the production value we got out of it. It’s honestly quite crazy Like we had stunt doubles, we had wires, we had drones, we had like full crews, we had catering, we put like literally everybody up in a hotel for a few weeks.
0:20:37 – Speaker 2
No kidding.
0:20:38 – Speaker 3
And the hotel guy gave it to us for like $40 a night.
0:20:44 – Speaker 2
Right, yeah.
0:20:45 – Speaker 3
Nobody was staying there and he even made us breakfast every morning, like so like it was just like a great like team building experience. And then afterwards we did Darker Than Night 2, which had, I think we spent like $75,000 or something like that. Oh wow.
0:21:02 – Speaker 2
According to the IMDB, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m not too, sure how much like it actually cost.
0:21:07 – Speaker 3
But that one we actually had, you know, a bit of a bigger budget and we actually made that one a union production for Axtra. Okay. And so we had some, like bigger actors, like we had Jesse Lipscomb from Netflix’s Black Summer.
0:21:23 – Speaker 2
Oh, that’s cool.
0:21:24 – Speaker 3
We had Paula Barrows. She’s from the Dragon Prince on Netflix. He plays Rela.
0:21:30 – Speaker 2
Nice.
0:21:31 – Speaker 3
And like we had like a bunch of other actors, like we were even flying some out from Vancouver and that sort of thing. So we like we filmed that this summer and that’s kind of where I just kind of went back to making homework movies and such Like after we wrapped. Like just to backtrack a bit, just because I’m trying to get to I loved her first, basically after we finished Darker Than Eight, when I flew back to Vancouver and just kept, you know, went back to to normal, like just AD’d, went and did Darker Than Eight too and just kind of like was AD’ing between all that. And then I started wanting to get into AFI as a director, just because I had some like short film experience, music video experience. But I was starting to like lose jobs because people had like actual film school, oh right, and it was like there was a few instances where they’re like, yeah, well, you two were both like equally as good, but we took this other person because they had a bit more training, even though I’m a like we’re both directors Guild of Canada members, but it’s just like okay.
And so I’ve been doing like a lot more research and you know, since AFI is like supposed to be top tier. Yeah, I was like, all right, let’s shoot for that. And so I started prepping with Marissa because she’s a screenwriter now and she was in like screenwriting classes and whatnot. And so I was like, hey, I want to make a short film, but nothing depressing, and like here are my rules, because there’s like the stereotype short films you know of, like new filmmakers, like it’s about like suicide and depression, right, like anxiety, bullying, and try to make a difference. I find that to be like the big mistakes of first short films is like immediately trying to make this very artistic mind opening piece, which don’t get me wrong, some people can pull off but it’s very hard to do, especially with the first time, Right?
0:23:27 – Speaker 2
Because the short film. You got a tight amount of time and you have to be pretty good at getting your point across in a short amount of time.
0:23:37 – Speaker 3
Exactly, and they also missed out on the character development and like the full story arcs and building and they try to be a lot more artsy and they’re like oh well, there’s like Kubrick did it and Spielberg did it for these certain things, so why can’t I? And it’s just like you’re not those people. You need to find your own signature. You need to be your own person Exactly.
So yeah, like so, we basically just kept going back and forth and I’m like I want something like hallmarky, because if I’m going to spend like a lot of money on it, I want to be able to put it on my reel and try to get work down here.
0:24:07 – Speaker 2
Right, right.
0:24:08 – Speaker 3
And something like heartwarming that will pull pull somebody strings like the whole father daughter dynamic is pretty good.
0:24:14 – Speaker 2
Yeah.
0:24:15 – Speaker 3
Like in recent years, like from what we’ve seen in Logan and like the last of us and like just a bunch of others, like it seems to be. Like that’s kind of where that market’s at, if you’re going to do something like father daughter it’s.
It’s really that relationship between the two that will really pull people. So we decided on on I loved her first and then we just kind of went back and forth with the script until we found a version that we both, like you know, really liked. And then it came to shooting and we pulled off like the entire short film for like $4,000 Canadian, which is like 3.2 K US.
0:24:52 – Speaker 2
Okay.
0:24:56 – Speaker 3
And I even had a hallmark director of photography.
0:25:00 – Speaker 2
Oh, no kidding.
0:25:01 – Speaker 3
Yeah, my buddy Justin, which did an absolute fantastic job with the short. It looks beautiful. We even shot it on a Red V. He had a dolly. We pulled out all the bells and whistles.
0:25:10 – Speaker 2
Nice, because the whole point of this was you were submitting this to AFI, right?
0:25:14 – Speaker 3
Exactly, exactly, and I was working on a lifetime movie at the time called the Cruel Instruction.
0:25:20 – Speaker 2
as an AD.
0:25:22 – Speaker 3
And basically I was just grinding away even more so to try to get an AFI, because our director is actually like an instructor at AFI.
0:25:32 – Speaker 2
Oh, really yeah.
0:25:34 – Speaker 3
And we had no idea about this, and so I was just like, oh, that’s crazy. And so he was aware about it. And our DP was also an AFI alumni from the cinematography conservatory and our director is part of the producing conservatory.
0:25:54 – Speaker 2
Oh, wow, so were they able to get you in then? Or like with recommendations and stuff.
0:25:58 – Speaker 3
No, but they did give me some very good pointers and advice, which I’ll be definitely taking into account, because I still want to go. But, just from statistics and whatnot. A very funny thing happened where I wasn’t actually able to apply to AFI in the end, Like we’re grinding for the short film to be done in time. Everything was done on time, Except for I needed an English exam because I’m technically an international student.
0:26:24 – Speaker 2
OK, OK.
0:26:25 – Speaker 3
And so I took it on DuLingo and my results didn’t come in on time. Oh no. And they wouldn’t give me an extension or anything. Oh man Like they just like I told our director and whatnot, and he was like, let me see what I can do. He couldn’t really do anything and like he’s like, well, did you email him about it? I’m like yeah, but they told me no, and better luck next year for it.
0:26:47 – Speaker 2
That’s a bummer.
0:26:48 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and Emily were kind of having a good laugh at it, because I don’t know about you, but I think I can speak English.
0:26:54 – Speaker 2
Well, yeah, that’s why I’m kind of like I thought you were going to say like whatever, like something crazy like that, and it was going to get overturned, but that’s ridiculous.
0:27:05 – Speaker 3
Yeah, so I’m like I have the short film, which turned out absolutely beautiful. I’m still going to submit it to festivals.
0:27:12 – Speaker 2
Yeah, it’s a. We’ll give a quick kind of synopsis so they can kind of hear what it’s about.
0:27:18 – Speaker 3
All right, like a quick kind of synopsis about I loved you. First is it’s basically it’s about a young woman during her wedding day where she’s like having second thoughts about basically growing up since this is a huge step in every person’s life and her father gives her some good words of wisdom but about not how only she’s grown, but how he’s grown up and how, basically, like, the hardest part of raising a child is watching them grow up and how they’re growing up together.
0:27:50 – Speaker 2
Mm, that’s very cool. Yeah, it’s really insightful. It’s neat.
0:27:54 – Speaker 3
Yeah and like, basically like the whole story about it is even unlike the verge of a huge life changing event like this, and something that’s scary is you just have to jump into it and see what journey the future holds.
0:28:08 – Speaker 2
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, very cool, Brayden. I mean, your story is pretty awesome and I love the work that you’re doing, so is there anything else you’re working on in the future and anything you’re working on now you want to talk about or mention or need help with?
0:28:23 – Speaker 3
Yeah, there’s quite a few projects. There’s a feature film that is currently shooting that I’m a co-producer on, called Parallel Forest, starring Edwin and Eldis Hodge.
0:28:36 – Speaker 2
Oh, no kidding.
0:28:37 – Speaker 3
And directed by Kru Shahari. So when that comes out, I highly suggest everyone to check it out. It’s a remake of the classic Parallel Forest film.
0:28:46 – Speaker 2
What’s that gonna be out on?
0:28:48 – Speaker 3
I believe last time I checked they’re trying for a fiat school release.
0:28:52 – Speaker 2
Oh, really that’s cool.
0:28:53 – Speaker 3
Yeah, because the Hodge brothers are some pretty decent names in Hollywood. Eldis has a big movie coming out shortly called Black Adam with Dwayne the Rock Johnson.
0:29:05 – Speaker 2
No canon.
0:29:06 – Speaker 3
Yeah, Eldis is playing Hawkman.
0:29:08 – Speaker 2
That’s cool, that’s cool.
0:29:10 – Speaker 3
So there’s that coming out. Then, of course, dark of the Night one and two. There’s quite a few projects Like there’s a short film that’s going into festivals soon Well, three. One of them is called Jane, which is based on the girl from the Yellow Wall paper. Then there’s one called Through the Mirror, which I did with my buddy, jeff Evans Todd, and then there’s another one that I did with Jeff called Forever Friend, and then Jeff and I are working on a few others right now together. Like, honestly, I’m always so busy.
0:29:39 – Speaker 2
And that’s a good thing.
0:29:40 – Speaker 3
It’s super good thing, like I’m a firm believer, that you have to make your own opportunities in order for other people to offer you with your like offer, with bigger opportunities and such.
0:29:51 – Speaker 2
Yeah, absolutely, dear 100%.
0:29:53 – Speaker 3
Like when I was on Jane, you know this little short film that we did and I was, you know, I was a producer on that. And then, as soon as I got it, as soon as we finished that some time passed by I got a call from my friend, jovana, who you know was on Jane as Jane and whatnot, and she’s just like hey, we have a bigger production coming. Do you want to be part of it? I’m like heck, yeah. I’m like what’s the budget? And she’s just like it’s a few million Nice.
0:30:20 – Speaker 2
There you go.
0:30:22 – Speaker 3
And I’m like oh OK. I’m like yeah, sure, and so I’ve been working on. Parallel Forest. Yeah, like honestly, there’s just so much and it’s just all about creating your own opportunities and keeping yourself busy Because, regardless of what happens, is that you’re still sharpening your creative mindset and your tools and you’re getting real material. You’re making those connections and that’s honestly the most important thing, like all my union jobs that I’ve got, even for AD Ing, is just by making a connection.
But, like all these, bigger opportunities that have made bigger differences in my life. Like that’s changed it.
0:30:54 – Speaker 2
A lot in my career is from these small shorts and indies that I’ve done like other people’s passion projects, and it sounds like you put yourself out there too, Like if you’re working on a project, you’d be like, oh hey, so, and so, like you said, you put yourself into opportunities, you line yourself up with that for people to see you, and that’s exactly what you have to do, Like my ex-wife used to tell me. Like it’s so annoying when you do things like that. I’m like, why? Like? Because every like no one can do one thing on their own. Like there’s always somebody out there that’s either gonna be meant to help you in some way, shape or form or you know what I’m saying or whatever like, or you’re meant to help out someone else, or whatever. Like. We’re not meant to like travel this totally alone. You know what I’m saying and so you have to have that attitude that you have is like by putting yourself in front of people and getting those opportunities you know.
0:31:45 – Speaker 3
Exactly, and even just like help train people who aren’t filmmakers, that they want to try it, to do it Give those other opportunities. Because you never know what connections they’re going to make in that sort of thing.
Like my poor girlfriend. She’s a accidental camera assistant and a bunch of other stuff. The reason I say accidental is because, like well, I film lots of like nature videos and like that sort of stuff and so we’ll be like sitting, sitting like in the bush and I’m trying to get a video as a squirrel and I want to swap out a lens, so I’ll be like kind of whisper, a yelling at her. I’m like I’m gonna 50 mil.
0:32:22 – Speaker 1
Or.
0:32:22 – Speaker 3
I’ll be doing a camera movement. I’m like pull focus. Here you go, and she’s like I don’t know, what that? Means. I’m like that’s that’s, that’s soft, that’s soft, sharpen it up.
0:32:34 – Speaker 2
Come on, that’s funny, man. But you know what, though? That’s cool, that she’s like right there along with you being like all right, I don’t know what you’re saying, but I’ll try. You know what I’m saying. Like that’s what it takes, though, to be open for stuff like that.
0:32:48 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and like she, she’s super supportive and I’m very grateful for like. When her and I first started dating, I was like I don’t date anybody within the film industry and she’s like that’s fine, I don’t work in the film industry. Yeah, exactly that’s what I thought. Yeah, perfect.
And then we so we dated for a few months, you know, and she’s like yeah, you should come meet my parents. I’m like OK, and then, like you know, walk in and I see like some, some trophies and like stuff like that inside and I’m like what, what is your parents do? And then she’s like oh, my dad’s a producer.
0:33:18 – Speaker 2
Oh gee. Yeah. Well, she didn’t lie. She’s not in the film industry. Exactly, exactly.
0:33:29 – Speaker 4
And so I was just like, at that point, I was like, oh man, I was like that, that’s like the biggest hilarious plot twist.
0:33:36 – Speaker 3
Right, You’re like I don’t think you understood what I meant.
0:33:39 – Speaker 2
Yeah, Luckily he works in animation and I work in live action, so it’s all good.
0:33:49 – Speaker 3
Yeah that’s good, but but it was just really really funny and but it’s been kind of like cool too just in a sense that, like how small of a world it is Absolutely, and like, and also just like hearing about certain like small indie problems and even like when I was working on Parallel Forest and like that sort of stuff is like all these basically what you think are indie problems but are common across every project.
Yeah, like there’s always problems with, you know, contracts, financing, chaos, schedules, and like exactly like no matter the scale, even if you have like four to five million dollars, you’re still going to have those problems.
0:34:21 – Speaker 2
No, totally.
0:34:22 – Speaker 3
Totally and so like that’s what I find also very important for new filmmakers, like for myself. I still consider myself like somewhat new, but, at the same time, like you have to, in my opinion, you have to find something that you can do. You have to find your own voice and kind of get comfortable with yourself as a, as a like, director, producer, whatever you want to do. Absolutely.
And like find your own voice and like I’m really I’m a huge advocate against film school. Funny enough, but it’s certain ones like there’s I know I heard some mixed things about like Vancouver film school and I know Capilano’s program down here is great. Like they built sound stages for their students and provide them like dollies and a bunch of other stuff and they make sure they have reels from when they graduate. But like some some film schools I’ve noticed teaches you how to direct other people’s movies and not have your own voice.
0:35:18 – Speaker 1
They’re like yeah, well, here’s like how they made Citizen.
0:35:19 – Speaker 3
Kane. Here’s like how they made El Mariachi and like, yeah, like look at all these famous directors, but it’s not teaching you how, like what you need to do to make a film.
0:35:29 – Speaker 2
Like they’re not teaching you that much about coverage. They’re going to teach you the actual art form.
0:35:33 – Speaker 3
Exactly and finding your own voice as a filmmaker.
0:35:36 – Speaker 2
Right, right. Yeah, I know what you’re saying. I mean, again, that’s what our tornado is all about is helping that person not only find their creative vehicle, but it’s sure that they find them while they do it themselves, you know, and so that way, they release whatever’s inside of them out into their creation, because that’s what it’s all about, the end of the day.
0:35:55 – Speaker 3
Oh, exactly, and even if, at the end of the day, when you make something and you submit it to festivals, my opinion a lot of people don’t really see how much a short is actually seen once it hits festivals, like if you submit it. Oh yeah. So many festivals like hundreds of people see it. So many people see it like even thousands, like for I loved your first. We submitted it to over 100 festivals in the first month.
0:36:19 – Speaker 2
Wow, wow.
0:36:20 – Speaker 3
Yeah, right, like in the first month alone, we got over 23 selections. No, can’t. Two honorable mentions, three semifinalists and two award wins.
0:36:30 – Speaker 2
Nice. Well, there you go. That’s what I’m saying.
0:36:32 – Speaker 3
Exactly and, like I know, some people can’t afford all these festival fees and whatnot. But if you, I know for some festivals, if you reach out, they’ll give you a waiver code. But it also depends on your marketing Film. Film marketing is so important, even more important so that, in my opinion, than than the movie itself.
0:36:51 – Speaker 2
See, I hear you.
0:36:52 – Speaker 3
The only reason I say that is because, no matter how bad a movie is, as soon as you got that $12, they can’t do anything about it.
0:37:00 – Speaker 2
Exactly.
0:37:01 – Speaker 3
So you just take their money learn from it and hopefully they liked it. Exactly. Hopefully they didn’t like it, that’s their problem. Right. And just make sure your investors get paid back.
0:37:12 – Speaker 2
Yeah, that’s a good approach, man.
0:37:15 – Speaker 3
Yeah, and like just take it as learning experience.
0:37:17 – Speaker 2
Not everyone’s going to like your work. Yeah, that’s true.
0:37:19 – Speaker 3
Yes, and people are going to love your work. But it’s just all about, you know, learning and continuing on. But don’t don’t think that you’re always a perfect filmmaker. Like everybody’s always learning and constantly open. Like the best director is out there that I’ve, like you know, met and whatnot are super chill and like very open and they’re still like, open to collaboration and learning new things and they don’t think they’re perfect at all.
0:37:45 – Speaker 2
Yeah, that’s the way you have to be, always have to be learning Exactly.
0:37:48 – Speaker 3
Like then you’ll get to a point where if you’re doing reference checks, you can call up famous directors or email them and get get weird replies, where you’re kind of just sitting here like shaking yourself going. Did I really just call that person? We know each other like what the heck?
0:38:07 – Speaker 2
Yeah, no. So again, if you guys look, if you’re looking forward to watching I love their first is going to be at the the tornado music and film festival held at Fox Woods casino August 26, 27 and 28. Don’t forget, there’s going to be links everywhere to buy tickets to see what’s going on. Check out tornadoorg and Brandon. Do you have any final words for the audience? Last things that you want to say?
0:38:31 – Speaker 3
Not really just. Thank you all so much for listening and make sure to check out. I loved your first at the film festival and a huge shout out to the casting crew of I loved your first. Without you guys, we would not be here and we made a very, very beautiful short film. And I just wanted to thank our casting crew on the podcast.
0:38:49 – Speaker 2
Awesome. So everyone, thank you for downloading, thank you for listening and break your storm.
0:38:54 – Speaker 1
Yeah, tornado with Jonathan Nado. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe now. So your first year, new episodes with more stories of inspiration about the highs and lows of life and how embracing the storm is so much more fulfilling of a life than being crushed by the weight of the world. And until then, we hope you’re inspired to do something, whether it’s creating, participating or learning, whatever leads you to your personal passion.
