A Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: Black Ghost Son
Genre: Short, Drama
Date: 2020
Director: Chris Low
Producer: Tiffany Jackman
Writer: Chris Low
Cinematographer: Chris Low
Editor: Chris Low
Sound: Frederik Herre
World Premiere: Tribecca Film Festival
Awards: N/A
Website: https://www.blackghostson.com/
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Chris Low (CL): Black Ghost Son is a family drama I finished in January 2020. I wrote, shot, and directed the film, with Tiffany Jackman producing through my production company, Chi Productions.
The film follows Troy, a black boy, and his father, Eddie, who is Chinese-American, coping with their difference in race. As Troy is starting to reflect on his identity and his families’ prejudices, Eddie becomes aware of his own biases and is at a loss on how to approach some difficult questions. When he witnesses officers accost a group of black youth near his home, fears are stirred within him about his son’s future and his ability to prepare Troy for life as a black man.
The Official Teaser Trailer for Black Ghost Son written and directed by Christopher Low
Tell us about the festival run, marketing and sales?
Chris Low (CL): This was my first short that I would be sending through the festival circuit as a director, so I decided to bring on Kimberley Browning as a consultant. She was instrumental in coming up with a festival strategy and really helped me push the film to places where it had the best chances of succeeding. Despite the fact that this is an unusual year for festivals, with almost all of them being virtual, I felt I got a lot out of them. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Narrative Short. It was also nominated for best short at One Screen Short Film Festival, Walla Walla Movie Crush, and won the Grand Prix at the Lower East Side Film Festival as well as Best Short at the Philadelphia Asian Film Festival. Gary Luk won best supporting actor at the DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival.
Development & Financing?
Chris Low (CL): The impetus for the short was when my father showed me some family photos where I noticed a single black boy surrounded by my Chinese relatives. My father told me it was my cousin’s son and this immediately sparked my curiosity. Being Chinese-American and growing up in a largely Afro-Carribbean neighborhood, I was acutely aware of the tension between black and Asian communities. I knew my cousin’s parentage of a black child was tremendously controversial and I thought it would be a fascinating way to explore themes of prejudice and identity. For the script, I interviewed my cousin and his family extensively, and considering the material is so nuanced and sensitive I passed it along to a few friends from the black community for their take. One of those was my producer, Tiffany Jackman. I wound up writing a feature, and the short is a small segment of that which I decided to make as a proof of concept.
Production?
Chris Low (CL): The most challenging thing about the production of the film was most likely the casting. We didn’t have the budget to hire a casting director, and the responses we received for the lead roles – in particular the Chinese roles, were limited. We lucked out though as Tiffany was friends with Gary Luk – and while he isn’t an actor by trade, we felt he fit the role perfectly. Onset a lot of the process was working to strip down the performances of Kavon, who played Troy, and Gary so that the silences spoke for them.
Aside from that, there might have been some concern about me playing the dual role of director and cinematographer on set – but our environments were largely controlled, and I’m really accustomed to doing both jobs on set, so I don’t believe it was an issue. I storyboarded and walked through the scenes with my camera operator, Nardeep Khurmi, and my gaffer Maksim Brenner, so everyone had a clear idea of what I wanted and I could focus on performances on the day.
Advice from the Filmmaker?
Chris Low (CL): For those who are waiting to make their film, do not wait. You’ll regret it. And for those who have made their film(s), focus on what the film is doing for viewers. If you get caught up in what the film is doing for you, your career or prestige – even if your film is successful, I think you’ll struggle to fully enjoy the process.
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