The Brick House is a live-action independent film that reimagines the classic three little pigs tale as a fantasy-western drama. It was shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a local cast and crew, and largely funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. Most who worked on the project juggled several roles; mine included co-producer, director and editor.
Production had a very tight budget to work with that did not leave much flexibility for things like re-shoots or alternate scenes, which is something that was mitigated with lots of shot planning, storyboarding and pre-viz.
One of the biggest challenges was the ambitious character designs. With custom-made prosthetics from Canadian creature shop NorthFur FX, the talent of local makeup artists applying them practically, and digital vfx touch-ups, the characters were made possible on screen.
Locations across the greater Tulsa area were generously loaned to be dressed and become the many sets in the film. Many cast and crew members were first-time filmmakers who dedicated an incredible amount of work to make the film a reality. Principle photography took place over three months and post-production took another year.
The Brick House drew press from several news outlets and entertainment blogs around the country, and earned four awards during its international film festival run, including best original soundtrack before releasing on streaming platforms including Amazon Prime and VHX.
The film was a passion project that came together successfully thanks to the hard work and collaboration of many, and even served as a professional springboard for some involved.
