I Made A Movie Once
September 9, 2023
During college, I gathered enough money to buy the iconic Canon 5D mark ii and started working on my first professional feature film, Ecdysis (2015): a multi-genre feature film accompanied by a multi-dimensional soundtrack. It was an ambitious project, but I dived right into it with limited... everything. I had no sets, crew, funds, actors, writers, or editors; only a desire to make a movie.
A few good friends took on acting roles when I needed them most and helped me make this movie. We used to make feature films leisurely in our teenage years and this was my first professional take on a movie. It took some time to complete because the lead actors, also known as my friends, had their own lives and schedules - my antagonist was an investment banker so you can imagine the burden of working with his schedule. We managed to have a successful premiere right around graduation on July 5, 2014 at the Royal Cinema in Toronto, Canada.
Attendees at the Premiere
I'll never forget when my mom scared the crap out of me walking in with that damn skin mask, I thought movie idea! I was young, ambitious, full of energy and I didn't need anyone's approval to make this film. I do wish I had a team for this dream. I was the writer, editor, director, camera operator, sound designer, and color corrector. I remember telling everyone at the premiere that I hope you won't see that 1 person made this movie, and I think that turned out to be true. I do have a strong taste in music and wanted to display that in the film - but with no dedicated composer, it was a challenge. I spent hundreds of hours (and thousands of dollars) listening to, and acquiring licensed music and doing my best to make it sound coherent in the mix. The film plays like it has its own unique soundtrack as I tried to stay consistent with music from 2 or 3 composers.
Main Lead - Demetre Vasilounis
As I aged with my film, my experience with storytelling and editing has also evolved. Looking back, there's a lot I would have improved on, but it was too late to change anything as we were well into production. It's a story written by a 19-year-old and finished by a 23-year-old. I may have been too ambitious at the time, but more importantly, I was not a fully developed filmmaker during production- I'm still learning.
We aged our antagonist
The journey paid off in more ways than I could imagine, and I'm grateful for the experience it brought. Only a few will understand the goliath task of undertaking an entire feature-length film on oneself. It took over 4 years as I worked with 50+ actors, shot in 20+ locations, and kick-started my commercial agency throughout the process. A joint effort with my closest friends and industry professionals has led me to create this quirky, multi-genre, "cult classic candidate", fun and adventurous film.
"I'd rather be an idiot than be depressed."
Thanks to all who contributed! It was a fun ride and a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Main Cast
A Bit About My Filmmaking Journey:
I've been producing my own films since the age of 14. By 17, I completed 4 feature-length films that made their way into the community. Some still talk about the legendary "Corruption of Bathurst & Steeles" movie - a true cult classic in the community.
My stories have evolved from past experiences, and I would love to share them with the world. My ideas are out-of-the-ordinary but are still human-like, relatable, witty, soulful, and entertaining. Unfortunately, with limited budgets and no access to distribution, I feel that my stories would be compromised in pursuing them.
So, here's an open call to the world, if you happen to be in the industry, or you are super affluent and have always dreamed of making a movie, then I'm your guy. I grew up with immigrant-level work ethic and developed a strong eye for quality work and quality people. I'm able to produce content efficiently and push the production value with what I have to work with. I can organize and execute the entire feature film process and bring on the right team players to fulfill the tasks I cannot. I bring a lot to the table as I have experience in writing, casting, scouting, planning, shooting, directing, editing, color correction, sound mixing and more.
I appreciate mastery in films by auteurs such as Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese and aspire to their standards of filmmaking. With the right tools, resources, and studio or individual backing, I know I can affect people through my stories. If you think we can be a good fit, you want to hear one of my stories, or you want to just chat, please feel free to reach out to me.
Kind regards,
Lior Hanev