We blogged recently about Film Production grad and Foundation instructor Chad Costen‘s new short film, Death Wish and how it was headed to the Indie Memphis Film Festival for its world premiere.

Well, Chad is back at VFS and has offered to fill us in on all the details of how the screening went and the challenges of creating a dark, future Christmas classic.

What’s Death Wish all about?

Chad: Death Wish is a movie I shot in 2009 as a “calling card” short film, funded in part by BC Film and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC). My producer, Timo Puolitaipale, and I were awarded the DGC’s Kick Start grant, which supports emerging filmmakers with both partial financing and in-kind services. This allows successful applicants the chance to make a film that can compete on the professional stage (at least in terms of production quality).

It was an amazing experience and I feel really fortunate to have had the chance to show off what my team and I could do. But as far as the story goes, the synopsis of the film is simply: Death touches a little girl’s soul by granting her fondest wish on Christmas Eve.

Were you targeting the Indie Memphis Film Festival specifically? What was your promotional plan for the short?

Chad: We applied to a multitude of festivals, but it’s really hard to predict which ones will like your film, or what the programming for that year’s festival will be like. But Indie Memphis accepted us because Elvis plays a very important role.

And thanks to The King, we had a wonderful response. even though he dies. again. at Christmas. But hey, make people laugh and they will forgive you for anything!

How did it do at Memphis?

Chad: We were in the very last section of short films on the very last day of screenings, but it played to a sold out theatre and I had people bombarding me with compliments and questions about how we made it after it screened, which was incredibly flattering and a really nice surprise.

You never know how your film is going to be received when it’s out there and people other than family or friends are seeing it. But thankfully, the laughs came where they were supposed to, and sometimes where I had least expected, so I am really proud of what we accomplished and so incredibly thankful for all those who gave their time and talent to be involved.

Can you talk a bit about the huge number of VFS grads who worked on this film? How did you assemble your crew?

Chad: Teaching in the Foundation Visual Art & Design program has become sort of an unintentional recruiting ground for my films over the years. I like working with people who do the work because they love it, and who are open to experimenting and making the experience fun for everyone.

Films are a LOT of work and stress, so it is very important to be careful about whom I chose to work with and/or hire for a production. But having the opportunity to meet so many talented people, I am also able to learn who they are and how they function in a professional atmosphere. Many of my former students have become close friends, and some I even think of as family. That’s what VFS does, especially here at the Foundation campus. There is a real sense of community among most of the students and faculty. When someone is working on a project, it happens rather naturally that those around them find themselves involved.

Looking at it honestly, I probably wouldn’t be making films at all without the support of VFS and my students. Or, at least, I wouldn’t be making them my way. and that’s crucially important when you are trying to build a career and reputation doing something you genuinely love.

Besides numerous students who were enrolled at the time that came to set to help as production assistants, I have to point out that several of the key roles (right from pre-production to post-production) were performed by VFS graduates, including Foundation grad Tom Nugent and Film grad Jakub Kuczynski in Visual FX, Foundation grad Natalie Van Hest as Art Director, 3D grad Cameron Hicks animating, and Makeup Design grad Crissy Renaud on special FX makeup.

All of these individuals are essential team players in the industry now, and I am so damn lucky to call them my crew and my friends.

What were some of the specific challenges of creating the short?

Chad: At the outset, my goal was to make a new holiday Christmas special. I grew up loving the animated classics with Rudolf, Frosty, and Charlie Brown, and I really wanted to make a movie for an audience that loved those films, but had also matured with a slightly darker sensibility.

I really enjoy fun and creepy. And I am obsessed with the idea of building miniatures, so I think the two biggest challenges were maintaining that specific flavour or spirit through the costumes and art direction, etc., as well as building an entire city street in-studio that wouldn’t look like cardboard crap.

We worked our butts off in pre-production to plan everything well (over a year in advance) and in the end I think we accomplished something unique and impressive in the realm of short films, at least from an art production standpoint. Most of the compliments we get tend to point to how well everything fits together, and with so many different elements and techniques, I think that’s the best compliment a director can get!

Do you have any other plans for Death Wish?

Chad: Well, we just signed a contract with Shorts International, the world’s second largest short film distributor, and the film will be available for download on iTunes this holiday season. That’s really exciting for me because hopefully it will let the world know that we are here and working hard at making movies and telling stories that people want to see. Beyond that, my big dream for Death Wish is to see it become a new holiday classic!

But I will settle for a few more festival screenings and a smile here and there.

Congrats to everyone on a well-received screening in Memphis!

You can now check out the finished film in the iTunes Store (note: clicking the link will open iTunes on your computer).