ASIA A is the story of a recent spinal cord injury patient struggling to reconcile his sense of self-worth with his new reality as a paraplegic. It was a semi-finalist at the 45th Student Academy Awards,. It screened at the 2018 HollyShorts Film Festival. It also screened at the Los Angeles Shorts International Film Festival 2018 and Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival 2018.
Andrew Reid (AR): Hello, my name is Andrew Reid and I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Recent graduate with a Masters of Arts in Film Production at the University of Southern California (USC). I earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Advertising from the University of Florida.
At the age of 21, I became paralyzed from the chest down. A malformation of my blood vessels resulted in a rupture which compressed my spine while I was sleeping, leaving me completely paralyzed. I was told by doctors I would never walk again but with dedication and perseverance I regained movement. Today, I walk again with a cane and continue to progress in strength and health. I became an advocate for the disabled community and expanded my film production skills by moving to Los Angeles.
indieactivity: Did you start writing with a cast (You or any) in mind?
Andrew Reid (AR): No, but the cast chosen was my first choices when we reached the casting phase.
How long did you take to complete the script? (Do you have a writing process?)
Andrew Reid (AR): 4 months.
How did you develop ‘your film’?
Andrew Reid (AR): The idea for this film spawned when I became paralyzed from the chest down. Since then, I have continued to develop my skills as a filmmaker until I felt confident that I could do justice to the topic of recovery and disability.
How was it financed?
Andrew Reid (AR): It was financed through Kickstarter and grants.
Is there anything about the independent filmmaking business you still struggle with?
Andrew Reid (AR): It’s always a struggle to find financing for a project but once I am on set I am reminded that the struggle was worth it.
How long was your pre-production?
Andrew Reid (AR): 4 months
What was your rehearsal process and period?
Andrew Reid (AR): Rehearsed twice the week before shooting
You shot the film in days. How long were your days?
Andrew Reid (AR): 5 days / 12 hrs each
Did the tight shooting schedule make it harder or easier? How did it affect performances?
Andrew Reid (AR): You always want more time. However, given the time constraints I think it made everyone on set stay focused throughout the entirety of the shoot.
How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
Andrew Reid (AR): Not by much. Luckily, we received grant funding for post-production.
How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make any dent without it these days?
Andrew Reid (AR): It’s very important because you may have a good film but it gets lost in the shuffle. So much content is being created today so you have to really push your film in the market.
What was the experience like of working with such a small shooting crew (?)?
Andrew Reid (AR): Amazing. Always good to see a team put their heart and souls into a project.
The film looks stunning. How did you get such a good look when shooting so fast?
Andrew Reid (AR): The cinematographer and I worked weeks in advance to create the film aesthetic before we shot. We had a clear vision in mind for the film.
Did you look at rushes? On what format?
Andrew Reid (AR): No, we did not.
What else have you got in the works?
Andrew Reid (AR): Recently, I finished my new short film Road to Zion which is starting its run in the festival circuit. Also, we are in the process of developing the ASIA A feature film.
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