My filmmaking journey from idea to film festival run

Most of my ideas arrive like digital downloads straight into my brain. I never really know where they come from. That is simply how my creativity works. Ideas hit me when I am walking along the beach or swimming or taking a shower or washing the dishes. Something mundane sparks something bigger.

The idea for Alien Echo began as a simple image: a father and a daughter listening for alien signals. That was the seed. Then I started asking the important question, what is the drama here? The answer came when I imagined jumping forward in the daughter’s life and showing her repeating the same mistakes as her dad. She has to recognise those patterns and break them or she will end up like him, living a life he never managed to fix.

The filming experience for Alien Echo has been a really fascinating challenge. I needed a family from the past and a workshop from the past. I needed a futuristic science lab. And I needed our external night locations like the one we filmed at tonight. Three completely different environments for one short film.

One of the biggest blessings was putting out a call for old technology. A guy who collects vintage radios reached out and said I should come see his collection. I went to his house and not only could I borrow a radio, but he had a fully functioning workshop. I realised if we dressed it with 1990s costumes, hair, makeup, and a young girl, it could become Lola’s dad’s workshop. He was happy for us to film there, and it became the perfect setting.

We filmed the happy family sequence with Scott, Stacey, and Taylor. Then we shot Lola in all her lab scenes. Tonight we filmed Lola in her dark night of the soul, roaming the city streets and hitting rock bottom. Three shoots, three energies, all working together to shape the story. Great actors and an awesome crew. I have been very happy with what we have created and the stills so far look fantastic.

What excites me most about Alien Echo is making an entertaining science fiction drama that also carries a core message. In all my writing, I want audiences to think about the purpose of the story. I never want to make something that is just entertainment. I want to talk about real issues — problems with parents, the way we lean into addictions like alcohol or drugs, and how we question authority. Authority can be parents or religion or government. In Alien Echo I hope I deliver that message inside a gripping and emotional sci fi short.

Once the film is finished, it will begin a 12 month film festival strategy. I always try to match the film to festivals locally and globally and get it in front of as many eyes as possible. After that festival run, it goes online — onto YouTube and social media and anywhere my filmmaker presence lives.

If you’d like to follow my filmmaker journey, from behind‑the‑scenes moments through to festival screenings, subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I’ll be sharing updates, insights, and the creative process as the documentary comes to life.

Be a creative punk.