k.
picture’s up productions presents…
Director’s Statement
Is it dramatic to say that a short film saved me? If so, consider me dramatic, because, when it comes to “k.”, it’s the truth.
During my freshman year of high school, I found myself in a state of depression accompanied by a brutal creative slump. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to write anything that felt good enough to produce. I doubted my worth as a filmmaker, artist, and person.
Along came k.; as far as inspiration goes, it was lightning in a bottle. Suddenly feeling motivated and inspired enough to do so, I wrote the entire script in a matter of a few minutes. I shot it the next day while visiting my grandparents’ house and edited it the day after that.
This was the first Picture’s Up original film, the first of my films to ever play in a theater, the first to win a major film festival award, and the first to show me that the world might just be receptive to the work that I have to offer. It was the film that shifted Picture’s Up Productions’ focus towards filmmaking, changing the course of the channel (and my life) forever.
trivia
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The bad weather ended up being a happy accident; I think it adds to the film's look and feel.
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On a trip to my grandparents' place, I decided to pack all of my filmmaking gear. I was in a creative slump and, frankly, tired of not making things, so I gave myself a clear setting and deadline for shooting. I wrote the film on a few sheets of notebook paper during the 6-hour drive.
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I say this somewhat jokingly, but I also mean it.
The film won the Austin Film Festival's Young Filmmakers Competition. The festival flew me out to Texas so that I could attend their Awards Luncheon, where I was in the presence of professionals much more experienced and knowledgeable than me (including Michael Schur, creator of The Office and Parks and Recreation, who I had the chance to meet). I was sixteen at the time and couldn't fathom the idea that I deserved my place among these people.
Would k. be a one-time thing? Would I see similar success ever again? At the time, I was terrified to find out.
Austin Film Festival (Judge 1)
“I got a real sense of the characters through their letters and found the contrast in their personalities to be so fun and comedic.”
Austin Film Festival (Judge 2)
“Well edited, well written, got the job done efficiently. It was so funny and entertaining!”
Austin Film Festival (Judge 3)
“Bravo! The film's strong characters, story structure, and comedic overtone would make this a great one to play at the festival.”
