Interview with Burleigh Smith, Short Filmmaker (FIXED)

It was very pleasing to hear the feedback from WILDsound. I was flattered. I’m glad our film was well-received by Canadian audiences.

– Burleigh Smith, on the WILDsound experience (Review)

WATCH the Audience FEEDBACK Video of “FIXED” from the February 2015 Film Festival:

Matthew: What motivated you to make this film?

Burleigh: The film was made as part of a class assignment with students at our film school, SAE Institute.

We discussed different audiences for films and decided to make a short film for dog lovers.

Matthew: From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Burleigh: We took about two months writing the screenplay and in pre-production. The shoot lasted six days. And then a further two months of post production. But our editing schedule was very relaxed, we weren’t working on it full-time. So about four months in total.

Matthew: What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Burleigh: Dealing with film student egos. Our five-year-old star and the dog were much more professional than some of the crew!

Matthew: I joked in the moderation that you they advice filmmakers not to work with kids and pets. You did both. Were they any issues when filming with either or? And how did you find that terrific girl?

Burleigh: Both Amara and our dog were perfect. Couldn’t have been better-cast. There was a scene that didn’t make the final cut, where Amara dresses her pet in fishnet stockings, a bra and leather skirt. And the dog happily obliged.

We met Amara during an open casting call and it was very quickly clear she had talent.

Matthew: What film have you seen the most in your life?

Burleigh: I’ve seen a lot of Woody Allen films again and again. There’s so much one can learn from such a talented filmmaker. “Sweet and Lowdown” is my favourite. Sean Penn plays such a self-centred, egotistical, obnoxious character. I could really relate to him.

Matthew: What is next for you? A new film?

Burleigh: Amara and I are shooting a feature. It’s a comedy titled “Daisy’s Getting Married”. I wrote it in the space of a month, inspired by our work on “Fixed”. Amara plays Daisy, a little girl who causes endless trouble when she decides she wants to marry her father.