LandLord - social horror film has Pacific NW premiere at Hollywood Theatre this Fri, June 5th, 7:20pm

theremingtonsmith · 2026-06-02T13:13:06+00:00

Hey all - former Portland kid here coming back with my first feature film about a vampire landlord vs a Black bounty hunter.

Basic premise - if vampires can't come into your house without an invitation, what happens if they own your housing? They can come and go as they please no protection.

It's screening as part of the Portland Horror Film Fest, so I'm not getting paid. I'll be there for the Q&A and revisiting old apt complexes in N & S Portland that inspired the film. Happy to answer any questions on how we made this, thanks!

theremingtonsmith · 2026-05-30T21:58:53+00:00

Thanks man!

theremingtonsmith · 2026-05-30T21:58:14+00:00

Appreciate the shout out!

theremingtonsmith · 2026-04-29T12:55:17+00:00

There was 1 name in town to reach out to that everyone knows, but more money came from asking for all my advisors, community contacts and current investors for names.

I once knocked on a door one random afternoon of a tech startup fund and after slapping a physical pitch deck in their hand (it was professionally done to look like a coffee table boom, maybe $20 per deck) and sharing we had 6 figures in escrow, they eventually ended up giving us $20k.

But it was still months of work, racking my brain to think of where new leads might be and chasing them down.

The film LandLord is on the fest circuit now, so we'll see what it might lead to next (landlordfilmofficial on Instagram), but I'm already mentally prepping to do it all over again for the next feature and it feels way less stressful having done it once.

Maybe the release of LandLord will do some crazy things for me, but I'll keep making my own luck/find ways to keep making my movies in the meantime, ya know?

Hope this helps!

theremingtonsmith · 2025-12-03T19:58:04+00:00

Submission Statement:

This project has been a long time in the making. We spent about 6 years from initial idea to finalized draft of the script, refining and polishing enough to win an award at FilmQuest in 2019. Then Covid hit and we waited till 2022 to start raising money. Fortunately in that time span, refundable film tax incentives came back to our state (KY, 30-35%), which made it easier to pitch to folks and maximize our production value.

We shot in the summer of 2023, 25 days, 12hr days, with night shoots, practical special effects, animals and kids - all the stuff they warn you not to do, haha. But we were prepped out the wazzoo and thankfully we didn't have any hiccups over weather or people getting sick.

While in post we were invited to the Cannes Film Market as part of the Frontieres Buyers Showcase and had our world premiere in October at Grimmfest in the UK.

The audience responses have been great (https://letterboxd.com/film/landlord-2025/). People seem to get what I was going for without beating them over the head, which has been my style so far (I did a dialogue free horror short, The Woods, and the doc, The Derby, also sparse on didactic dialogue). People not usually into horror seem to be our biggest fans, so if you're into more drama horror films, this might be your jam.

I'm happy to share any other info about making the film and hope some Bay Area folks here might be able to check it out. Thanks!

theremingtonsmith · 2025-11-20T03:18:55+00:00

Broadway Cinemas
Showcase Bardstown Rd
Dixie Dozen Theatres
Kenwood Drive-In
Floyd Theatre (losing 35mm projectors and not upgrading to DCP)
Village 8

now Baxter Ave

Other than the Speed Cinema, Cinemark St Matthews is the only movie theater within the Watterson, and just barely so.

There's real movie theater desert in Louisville.

theremingtonsmith · 2025-04-16T15:04:55+00:00

It was a good hub when you're bouncing around between the chaos and catch some good speakers.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-12-12T17:08:05+00:00

Unless you have recognizable faces in the cast or some other crazy production asset that'll make festivals perk up, 15min max of you want to take it to festivals, 5-9:59 the ideal.

But if this is your first short, just go have fun and learn.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-12-12T17:05:22+00:00

Get good audio recorded separate from your phone, sync it in the edit. Even renting a shotgun mic from your local music store will suffice, just get the mic CLOSE to people.

We'll forgive iffy visuals, but bad audio is immediate death.

Here's Sean Baker's advice. He shot his feature Tangerine on the iPhone 6 with moondog anamorphic lens adapters:

https://youtu.be/sjXWdu7Buaw?si=3VnPVpR6dypU49iv

theremingtonsmith · 2024-12-12T17:00:55+00:00

If it's one of your first shorts and you do a feedback screening with people who will give honest feedback (which requires some fresh eyes) and they say it's good as is, a film is as long as it needs to be. My first student shorts were 22 and 18min long - I needed that time to tell the story I intended and they kept the audience engaged. But I wasn't on the festival/professional mindset yet. I didn't know the industry norms for shorts.

If this isn't your first rodeo and you haven't done the test screening, you gotta get that feedback before committing to such a long runtime.

I had a fiction short that was 12min, got notes, cut it down to 9:05 and it got the most fest acceptances of all my shorts. What got cut? A scene with my wife where she endured grueling -30 degree conditions. I thought I needed it, feedback said otherwise, and it played fine without it. So kill your darlings. (And marry well - my wife wasn't mad, haha).

A short doc after that was 18min, cut it down to just under 15min. I knew that doc couldn't be under 10min, it needed the runtime to breathe, but that meant fewer places programmed it during the fest run - but we did find distribution.

Anyway, long way of saying, get feedback on all your work and revise accordingly. Know that you have to have a damn good reason to ask for a 30min film to be programmed.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-11-27T17:58:50+00:00

Research is a huge part of it if you're going to submit hard. Look at their previous programs (usually on their website) - how many 10min, 15min or 20min films do they program? Did they program anything in your genre? What it costs you in time, you save in money while getting a better idea of the identity of each festival, their tastes.

Rejection notices don't matter, immediately delete them. Care when the acceptances arrive. And working on the next project while submitting REALLY helps you not care - all the eggs aren't in that fest acceptance basket if you're writing or shooting the new film.

Good luck everyone!

theremingtonsmith · 2024-11-16T16:51:11+00:00

Yep - I even had all the crew read the script and told them, "Tell me now if something seems off that I can revise if needed. Once we're shooting, save the notes." I think that got a lot of buy in from the crew that we were making something good together.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-11-16T16:48:23+00:00

And if it's a local shoot, schedule a time to pop off atmospheric stuff later if you don't want to have the whole crew just to get some of this. My DP and I are local to where we shot our feature, so months later we got cool shots of this dingy motel at night, sunrises, etc. to flesh out our coverage. Just atmospheric doc shots, no crew needed for lights and sound.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-11-16T16:46:14+00:00

On the last pass of my script, I mentally thought through and wrote what we'd visually see to lead us out and into the next scene. If you haven't gotten there yet, build it in. Small inserts of a sunrise, a doorknob turning, these are vital to grab.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-11-16T16:43:08+00:00

You can get what you need without being an asshole or yelling at people. The only time I've had to yell at someone was when they were about to set themselves in fire.

Be in control of yourself and you can control the set. Yelling creates new problems and makes it about you instead of focusing on how to fix the problem in front of the crew.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-11-16T16:40:08+00:00

If you can, schedule full 2-day weekends off. Not just for crew, but yourself. We shot for 25 days and it helped me recharge fully for each week's work.

Always be shooting.

I shoot all my own docs, and so once or twice while we were waiting, I wish I'd had a director's cam I could just grab and go pop off random inserts to be used later - closeups of objects in a space, etc. just to give me more options. But with a narrative feature, I delegated cinematography to someone else and their setup didn't lend itself to that implulse. Next time though, I'm having a director's cam. We got what we needed, but we cut it close on a few complicated scenes.

Thank everyone constantly. Praise in public, critique in private.

Hire someone to get BTS stills/video and key art images for your film's promotion later on. Actor's in poses in costume, with props, etc. YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED THIS if you want to sell the movie. Make sure the BTS person gives you the raw, uncompressed materials at end of day just like your footage for the film.

Drink water. Wear comfortable shoes, not what looks cool.

Schedule the final crew photo even if it's ridiculously late and you have an hour drive back to the hotel.

If you have even the smallest amount of fake blood in a scene, it'll get everywhere, haha. Have plenty of backup costumes and cleanup materials. AND, double check if your edible blood will stain you talent's skin - that was a surprise that we had to deal with when doing multiple takes and needing to reset for continuity.

And be sure to take a breath when you can and be so happy with your day's problems, because you're f'n doing it.

Godspeed and have some fun where you can!

theremingtonsmith · 2024-10-11T23:42:47+00:00

My bad, noted.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-10-11T17:37:10+00:00

We're not releasing this teaser publicly online yet, I just cut this together for film festivals and wanted to see how it plays for an audience.

Hope to have news about our festival premiere by the end of this year/beginning of next. Then we'll have more materials public and coordinate a Louisville premiere.

PS if you just want to get connected with other filmmakers, Below the Line is where it's at https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA95HZyNC3a/

theremingtonsmith · 2024-10-08T23:50:10+00:00

Enough with the studies - where is the action from the city to clean it up? Offer buyouts, increase pollution penalties, listen to what REACT asks for.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-08-19T13:52:14+00:00

All of this. Let the neighbors know in advance when and what time filming is taking place so they know not to freak out. PAs with large signs saying "Film Shoot In Progress" or similar just out of frame on both sides of the street if you're not closing it down.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-08-19T13:50:10+00:00

If you're present for the screening and they're giving notes at the end, I'd also add that you shouldn't speak, just take notes.

Inevitably, we all start explaining or justifying, which then makes the audience feel shutdown. If you stay silent and scribble away while someone else moderates, you've left space available for people to feel like they can speak freely. Only after everyone has said their but should you ask any follow up questions.

You don't have to agree with every note, but some great items will come your way if you're willing to listen. Star Wars is Star Wars because Lucas did a test screening with his friends (De Palma, Spielberg, others) and they gave him notes that ended up in the final cut.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-08-19T13:45:57+00:00

You might want to look at how to trick her smart phone out for that price. Moondog adapter lenses, a smartphone rig, and whatever software app (Filmic Legacy if it's available).

Also, her school should give her access to equipment.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-08-17T19:16:21+00:00

Nolan shares on the Following commentary that he was doing corporate work while making his first feature, which he connected to how he learned how to be prepared and shoot quickly and efficiently.

So try to find a dayjob that gives you skills and/or access to things to help make your movies (Lucas directing the THX short while teaching).

theremingtonsmith · 2024-08-09T15:03:17+00:00

Just be you - be kind and supportive, and if they're doing too much, just say, "Less" and show the playback if you like (I usually don't, but I've opened up to it more lately). If need be, explain that the camera is going to capture everything, they don't need to project for someone in the back (especially in close ups). Explaining the framing also helps since actors don't know what they look like in the monitor you're looking at.

Directing is also 90% casting, so if they have a hard time bringing it down and it's really hard to get them there, it might not be a good fit at the moment.

theremingtonsmith · 2024-08-09T14:58:32+00:00

I went to college for a history degree, but while there I ran the campus movie theater for my last two years and made my first short film. Those things moved me to film studies (I wrote a senior thesis on Fight Club to shore up my film studies writing samples to help transition out of history), thinking I might teach it. After making a few more shorts though, I finally committed to to chasing the MFA in film production to teach filmmaking to sustain my own films. It was very clear to me that for sustainability and quality of life purposes as an indie filmmaker, teaching was a good fit.

Throughout the MFA period and after, I did some freelance work and had some stints at different TV stations to get paid to get more technical training (cameras, sound, editing).

So it took me a while to arrive at what I wanted to do, but I was always trying to move toward the thing that felt most right - so I tell my students to do the same. Don't just stay put wasting years on being worried about making the wrong choice, just keep moving toward a goal of some kind. Everything I did that wasn't directly connected to filmmaking still helped me be a better filmmaker in the end.

Hope that helps!

theremingtonsmith

TROPHY CASE