With Ian Foster
How did this film come together?
I won an Arts and Letters Award for short fiction for "Hang in There!" and converted it to a screenplay. With the help of a small budget of $2k that was made possible through PictureNL, we were able to shot this low budget two hander short through the ACTRA independent program and still pay the small crew. We shot the whole film on an iPhone 15 pro, using their new log format feature that allowed for professional colouring later by Laura Alexander at NIFCO. I created all the 'inspirational quotes' using canva.
Did anything unexpected happen as you were making this film?
One of the true 'meta' elements of this film in terms of modern filmmaking discussions is that I used AI tools to build the inspirational quote images used in the film. This felt interestingly 'empowering,' as the central premise of the story is how much these quotes miss the mark in addressing patient needs. So ultimately, the more off the mark and strange the images turned out, the better for the story!
What's the best filmmaking advice you've ever received?
As a composer, 'score the subtext.' As a writer/director, 'show don't tell.'
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I think there is always a way to get your movie made, and while some would say it requires compromise, one could swap that word for creativity: of location, of camera choice, of script, and more.
Elling Lien
