Filmmaker of the Week – Andrew De Burgh
Episode 48 of Filmmaker of the Week featuring Andrew De Burgh!
Give us a brief introduction of yourself, where you’re from originally and where you are now if different
I’m an independent filmmaker currently based in Los Angeles. I’ve been grateful to have been doing this professionally since 2015 and have worked on short films, commercials, animation, VR and features. I’ve been lucky in my career to have received virtually unanimous critical acclaim. For example, two of my films, “Just One Drink” and “The Bestowal”, scored a 100% and 78% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively. The animated short film “The Legend of Santa”, which I directed and co-produced, also qualified for a BAFTA. Originally, I’m from England but have been living in the United States since 2006.
What is it that first got you into the world of filmmaking?
I remember seeing “Batman Begins” on the big screen in 2005 and being so blown away by the cinematic brilliance that I decided then that I truly wanted to be involved in the film industry. I had been obsessed with films long before seeing that film but that was somewhat of an aha moment for me. Before I became a filmmaker, I was a professional actor from 2012 to 2015. The first professional project I did as a filmmaker was the 2015 short psychological thriller film “Just One Drink”, which starred Barbara Nedeljakova from “Hostel” and miraculously managed to score a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes! Since then, it has been far from plain sailing but I’ve been grateful to have worked on a number of projects since!
Share a little bit about your specialty in the film world
I primarily do three things professionally: writing, producing and directing. Directing is what I truly love to do the most as I feel like it gives me the ability to concisely shape the entire world of a film in a deeply layered way. I also like to dabble in many areas of filmmaking, including editing, casting, production design, costume design etc. I wouldn’t call myself an auteur but I enjoy the idea of some level of creative control over every aspect of the film as it all serves the story.
What has been your most challenging project to date?
I’ve worked on a number of challenging projects but I would say the hardest one was probably my 2018 science-fiction feature film “The Bestowal”. Embarking on a feature for the first time was always going to be a challenge but due to the low budget, I also had to perform various tasks in addition to writing, producing and directing, include casting, costume design, production design and being Digital Imaging Technician! In the end, the hard work was worth it as the film scored a 78% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, won awards on the film festival circuit and was released on streaming platforms including Tubi, Amazon Prime, Google Play and YouTube Movies through our amazing distributor Indie Rights!
Tell us a bit about your latest project.
My most recent project is the short psychological thriller “The Tortured Soul” which stars Hong Kong actress Bianca Stam and tells the tale of a woman who confronts the serial killer who murdered her husband. It was heavily inspired by Korean revenge films like “Oldboy” and stars Hong Kong actress Bianca Stam. It was also praised by “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” producer Shin Shimosawa who called it “fascinating and tragic”! It’s currently on the festival circuit and recently played on the big screen at the 2022 McMinnville Short Film Festival. I also run a boutique advertising agency called Sacred Ember Commercials that does commercials for businesses, brands and films!
What is one moment you’ve had in any part of the filmmaking process where you learned a really valuable lesson?
When I was shooting my first short film “Just One Drink”, I was accidentally stabbed in the leg but because of budget constraints, I had to keep on filming through the pain. The full story of what happened was covered in MovieMaker Magazine if you’d like to hear more about it:
https://www.moviemaker.com/
Ultimately, I learned that you have to keep going no matter how difficult things get if you want to achieve your dream of making a film!
What are some of the 5-year goals for you as a filmmaker/creative?
I’m looking to shoot my second feature “The Twisted Doll”, a Bollywood-Hollywood thriller which is actually based on a 2017 short film I wrote and directed that screened at the Polish Film Festival Los Angeles in addition to several others. I also hope to get more work as a commercial and film director! Lastly, I hope to continue to meet and work with talented, hard working and down to earth people in the industry.
If you could work with one idol of yours, who would it be?
I would love to be able to work under Christopher Nolan in some capacity. To me, he’s the greatest filmmaker of all time and to work with him would truly be a dream come true!
Name three films that have inspired you most in your journey.
Several films have inspired me greatly in my journey as a filmmaker but perhaps my three favorites that I consistently look back to because of how brilliant they are would be “Interstellar”, “The Dark Knight” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”.
Where can folks find out more about you online?
My IMDb page Andrew de Burgh as well as the website of my commercial agency Sacred Ember Commercials (secommercials.com) has a lot of information about me and the projects I’ve done / am doing / will do in the future!
Any last thoughts or pieces of advice to filmmakers out there?
To not give up. I know it sounds cliched but there will be so many difficult and demoralizing days in this industry that will test one’s limits when it comes to passion and willpower but it’s so crucial to stick with filmmaking and believe that better days will come because they will. Another piece of advice I would give is that no matter how talented or hard working you are, you can always get better at your craft by practicing, learning and doing it again and again. It’s easier said than done but it’s very important to separate the ego from the self and keep trying to learn.
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Cool interview! Keep inspiring us with your fantastic career!