He Made His Bed Film Spotlight
Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film He Made His Bed directed by Maddy Freeman.
What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?
The title of the film is “He Made His Bed.” This title is inspired by the idiom “he made his bed,” which refers to the fact that our actions have consequences, and we must live with the effects of the choices we make.
Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.
The story follows a divorced father trying to juggle two long distance families.
The logline is: When he realizes how he hurt the son he left behind, a divorced man must choose between his two kids from his separate marriages. The synopsis is: Tom seems to have everything: a beautiful house, a nice car, an incredible wife, and a wonderful son. However, his life is not as perfect as it seems—Tom is divorced and has another, older son living on the other side of the country. When Tom travels to New York City for a business trip, he visits his older son, Connor, and sees that he is doing well. However, as he continues to spend time with Connor, Tom realizes just how much his absence has hurt his son. Tom does not want his younger son to end up the same way, and he recognizes the harm that can come from spending so much time apart. Because of this, Tom decides he must choose between his two children, hoping that focusing all of his time and energy on his younger son will ensure that at least he will be okay.
This is my director’s statement (which explains why I am making this film and why it is relevant now):
My parents are divorced, and my father is remarried. He now has two kids with his current wife, and his family lives in Hong Kong. However, my sister, brother, and I grew up in New Jersey with our mother. In the years since my parents’ divorce, my father has been traveling back and forth between the United States and Asia. Even so, my father spends more of his time in Hong Kong—especially now due to the pandemic.
Due to Hong Kong’s travel restrictions, I haven’t been able to see my father since January 2020. My father has not been able to come to the United States, and I have not been able to visit him in Hong Kong. It has been two years since I have last seen him, and even more time will pass until I can finally see him again. This is the longest I have ever gone without seeing my father. I know I am not alone—today, there are more families than ever dealing with separation. Due to everything going on in the world keeping families apart and tearing apart others (including my own), I not only know that this is the story I need to tell, but that now is the time to tell it.
Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?
This story for the film is inspired by a situation that occurred in my own life—having divorced parents who live on different continents—more than any particular film. However, in terms of comparable projects, He Made His Bed deals with similar subject matter to that explored in some of Noah Baumbach’s films, including Marriage Story and The Squid and the Whale. The film can also be compared to Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, which similarly depicts a mostly long distance relationship between a divorced father and his son.
What is the goal of the film for you?
Most films about divorce highlight the process of divorce and/or focus on the couple getting divorced. It is rare to find stories that showcase the aftermath of divorce, including the long-term effects it can have on children from both first and second marriages. Our goal is to depict what happens after divorce. We intend to show the lasting effects it can have on an entire family, not just the parents.
What has the journey been like getting the film into production?
We are currently in pre-production for the film, and it has been an exciting journey so far. We have been hard at work getting everything in place for our shoot next month. We are thrilled with the progress we are making and we’re looking forward to moving into production. We will be shooting the film over the course of five days, from March 25 to 29. Our biggest task at the moment is fundraising for our film. The crowdfunding page for the film launches on February 8, 2022. Help us reach our goal!
One thing you learned from this project?
One thing I learned from this project is the importance of organization during pre-production. When making a film, there are so many elements that need to be considered and taken care of before production can occur, including locking locations, finding cast and crew members, and renting equipment, for example. There is a lot of paperwork that needs to be filled out when completing these tasks. In order to keep track of everything that needs to be done, organization is paramount.
How can folks find you and your film online?
Please consider contributing to our project. We are currently running our crowdfunding campaign, which is available at the following link:
https://seedandspark.com/fund/hemadehisbed
If you are not already, please follow our page on Seed&Spark, and don’t forget to share our campaign. If you are unable to donate at this time but are still interested in supporting our project, please spread the word by sharing our campaign. We can’t do this without your help, and we greatly appreciate your generosity and support!
You can also connect with us on social media. Like our Facebook page (@HeMadeHisBed), follow us on Instagram (@hemadehisbedfilm), and follow us on Twitter (@HeMadeHisBed).
If you have any additional questions about this project, please reach out to
hemadehisbedfilm@gmail.com.
For more information about Maddy Freeman, please visit
https://www.maddyfreemanproductions.com/.
Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?
One piece of advice I would give filmmakers is to pick projects you really care about rather than making films for the sake of it. Filmmaking is a long process, and you may be working on a project for years after deciding to create it. Having passion for the project you are working on will help you stay motivated to complete the project. If you truly care about telling the story you are trying to tell, you will want to stick with it even when you face challenges that make the process difficult.
For more reviews and content stick with To Tony Productions and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to stay up to date!