Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Rea
Hi Patrick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I became interested in filmmaking at a very young age back in the 1980s because of films like Star Wars, Jaws and Indiana Jones. But I was obviously too young to have a camera, so I used toys to act out scenes from movies in my backyard. It wasn’t until high school in the 90s that I started using a video camera to make little movies and air them on a channel that broadcast out of my school. That’s where I officially caught the bug.
Eventually I attended film school at the University of Kansas where I majored in Film Studies and minored in Communications. I was making short films on 16mm and also digital video and sending them off to film festivals around the country. After graduation in 2002, I took a part time job working at a TV studio called Free State Studios. It was here that I made several short films that garnered Heartland Emmy Awards.
In 2009, I began production on a horror film “Nailbiter” which was shot mostly around the Lawrence, KS area. The film took 4 years to complete and was eventually released through Lionsgate in 2013. After that film, I co-wrote and directed the horror thriller “Enclosure” which was retitled “Arbor Demon” upon it’s release in 2017 from Gravitas Ventures. The film stars Fiona Dourif, Kevin Ryan and Jake Busey and was lensed in Charleston, SC. Immediately after completing that film, I decided that I was ready for a change of pace and directed a family feature titled “Belong to Us.”
In 2021, I had a horror film titled “I Am Lisa” receive an exclusive Redbox release and later began streaming on Peacock and Screambox and is currently featured on the Syfy Channel in France. In 2023, I wrote and directed a supernatural thriller in Kansas titled “They Wait In The Dark” which received a positive review from The New York Times. The film is currently available on Crackle, Tubi and Fandango At Home.
Currently, I’m completing a found footage horror feature titled “The Night Is Young” and a dark comedy horror film “Super Happy Fun Clown”. Both are set for film festival releases later this year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been quite a journey so far. I say ‘so far’ because I feel like I’m just now hitting my stride.
Making a film is extremely challenging and at times daunting and discouraging. There is always obstacles to deal with, that either have to do with the limited budget and the constant restraints that come with it, or something as simple as mapping out the logistics of scheduling actors and hiring crew. Since I have chosen to make a lot of my films in the Midwest, the unpredictable weather has almost always been a factor that proves challenging.
Life is a continuous balancing act between raising a family, being an indie filmmaker and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Juggling all those elements in away that feels comfortable has never ceased to be challenging. However, it’s all rewarding in the end.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an indie filmmaker based out of the Kansas City, Missouri area. I have chosen to make films here in the Midwest since 2003.
Over the course of my career I’ve directed films that either I have had a hand in writing or other writer’s work. Because I have been working in the indie film world, I tend to also produce the films along with great collaborators. While making a film, I tend to multi-task by helping raise funds, find locations, cast the talent, storyboard, and visualize the film with the cinematographer. It can be all encompassing.
After the film is shot, I tend to be the main editor on the film. I have been editing my own work for years and find it helps the post production process on a limited budget go smoother.
Once the film is 100% complete, I select film festivals to try and screen at. This tends to attract distributors, which will release the film on streaming platforms worldwide. I always tell people that they better really want to make their movie, because it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You are with that same movie for a year or more and even after the film is released, you have to make sure the film is promoted and keep track of the money it potentially will make.
If I were to say something that I’m most proud of, its being able to complete these projects with a team that I’ve worked with for over a decade. We manage to have a lot of fun on set, and still get the job done. But I tell any filmmaker that finishing a movie is so challenging and that they should be proud no matter what.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think if you want to work in the entertainment industry in any way, you have to be willing to take some risks. You have to sort of have your blinders on sometimes while making a film. You can’t let other people convince you that it’s a bad idea. There will always be naysayers, so you have to keep focused and see your film through to the end.
One of the biggest risks involving making your own film is financial. If you are not spending your own money, you are most likely using investors money to create your project. Always take this very seriously while also trying to make the best film you possibly can.
For me, the biggest gamble to take is the loss of feeling comfortable, which tends to come with a regular 9 to 5 job. Any artistic field comes with a ton of uncertainty, especially filmmaking. If you can handle that constant anxiety that can follow the calculated risks, then you are built for the industry.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: patrickmrea
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.rea.7/
- Twitter: @patrickmrea
