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Young Filmmaker Working On Sci-Fi Movie That Will Feature Aliens
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
It’s been a banner year for short filmmaker Dominic Smith and his company Shooter Productions.
Last December at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Fest, his sci-fi short film “Reset” took home awards in four categories: Best Film, Best Visual Effects, Best Short Film Director, and Audience Choice – Short Film.
In the movie “Reset”, 12- year-old Jaywon is grieving the death of his father and trying to fit in at a new school where he’s bullied. After yet another bullying incident, Jaywon discovers a time- traveling device in his father’s belongings. He uses it and it changes his life, but not in the way he’d imagine.
In November, Smith will return to his hometown of Kalamazoo, Mich. where “Reset” will have its own pre- miere at the Kalamazoo Val- ley Community College.
Smith, 29, said he’s look- ing forward to “Reset” earn-
ing more accolades when it screens at the Long Island In- ternational Film Festival next month.
At the height of what would appear to be a streak of success as a filmmaker, Smith said he’s decided to no longer make short films.
But he’s not giving up his passion for moviemaking. In- stead, he’s moving into mak- ing more feature-length films.
After making dozens of short films, the success of “Reset” convinced him it was time to tackle bigger goals.
“It was definitely a mo- ment where this is telling me I’m good enough to make fea- ture films,” he said.
Smith, who moved to Tampa six years ago, said he’s always been creative, but never imagined he’d become a filmmaker.
As a kid, his family rented movies every week. A sketcher, Smith said he was more fascinated by the covers of the movie cases than the actual films.
“I was hooked on the cov- ers, and it was always the sci-
fi and horror,” he said. “I was convinced I would be a comic book artist.”
But his interest in comics waned and he moved on, tak- ing classes at the Art Institute of Tampa in photography, acting, and music production.
Smith said he realized a common thread among all of his interests.
“The connection was I was always telling a story,” he said.
At school, Smith said he found the group of like- minded creatives he needed to flourish in the medium.
“I wanted that frat, that brotherhood that would last a lifetime,” he said.
In 2007, Smith shot his first film, “Brown Paper Bag.” He’s since gone on to direct, produce, and edit 34 short films and one feature film.
Michael Brown, co- founder of Tampa-based pro- duction company Digital Caviar, said as a director, Smith empowers his team to follow his vision and encour- ages them to walk in their
own gifts.
“Dominic has a way of
not only being creative, but also finding ways to get it done utilizing the resources that he has,” he said. “It re- sults in a good project.”
During movie screenings, Smith – who works as a free- lance video editor – said he doesn’t watch the film – he’s watching the audience.
The audience’s reaction at key moments in the movie – jumping when a character is
scared, gasping when a plot- line is revealed – is fascinat- ing, he said.
“There’s nothing that equals to that,” he said.
Smith, who is married and the father of twin girls, said he’s now working on a full-length sci-fi movie that will feature aliens.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’ve put a lot of my money, a lot of time, a lot of everything into this movie.”
DOMINIC SMITH
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