Moving back hit me hard with having no resources or money to make my film—a real wallet-drainer considering the costs of equipment, crew, and the occasional celebratory drink. Luckily the cast and crew volunteered their time. That still left me with food and a few specific props. But then, unexpectedly, a client of mine heard about my project and, after a deep chat about filmmaking, offered to fund it on the spot. So, if you stumbled onto this story thinking you’d uncover some secret formula for getting a film fully funded in one go, think again. This was pure, unadulterated, once-in-a-lifetime luck. But we were off!
Prepping for this was wild—suits of armor, swords, props, and some hilariously bad wigs. Some amazing folks even lent us their property to shoot on. I found myself digging a trench through snow just to get that perfect mountain shot. I cast my friends, roped in some students from King Tech Career Center, and we were set.
First day of shooting was brutal. I lost my voice, struggled through my lines in the freezing cold, all while wearing 90 pounds of armor. Armor plus cold equals not fun. Sounds as crazy as a grown man playing D&D, right? But man, it looked epic.
The team pushed through three intense days in the cold. Logan, our director, had this vision and patience that just made everything work. Then, just as we were about to shoot the indoor scenes, bam—March 17, 2020, hit. Covid shut everything down. We paused for six months, picking back up with strict safety measures in place.
Talk about drama—our lead actor bailed a week before we resumed. In a stroke of genius, we cast Danielle Rabinovitch, an incredible local actress. Best. Decision. Ever.
Fast forward through post-production hiccups, me joining the military and getting deployed, and all sorts of chaos including lost audio (hello, dubbed voices!), we finally wrapped up. Nik Sharshak, our composer, nailed the music, adding the final touch to our adventure.
June 2023 rolls around, and we premiere "Botch" at Film Rant in Anchorage. The crowd went wild—cheers, laughter, standing ovations. Standing there, all I could think was, "Thank you." To James and John, Logan, and every single person who brought this crazy dream to life.
"Botch" even made it in to the Mammoth Film Festival. It's a testament to what you can achieve with an amazing team.
It took us three years, but we did it. Making a movie is a rollercoaster, and in D&D terms, we rolled a one but turned it into a critical success. This journey taught me one thing: you can't make a film without a community behind you.
For anyone out there looking to dive into filmmaking or acting, know that Alaska is ripe with opportunities. Apart from running my own production company, Bradford Jackson Films. My buddy Carl Weber and I run Film Rant, a non-profit organization aimed at giving Alaskan filmmakers a platform and improve resources for young artists across the state and one day bring back the film tax incentive.
This whole adventure has been a ride—one I’d do all over again in a heartbeat. Thanks for listening to my story. Trust me, it’s been one heck of a journey, but damn, am I glad to share it.
BRADFORD JACKSON FILMS
A local Alaskan Production Company
www.bradfordjacksonfilms.com
