Quick Fix
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
“Quick Fix” begins as your classic Autozone style car commercial. A man trying to take care of his things. We quickly learn he's in a bit over his head with this job. As his frustrations mount, he thinks back to a recent breakup that's making him question buying the car to begin with.
Quick Fix
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Comedy, Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $12,770 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
116 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
“Quick Fix” begins as your classic Autozone style car commercial. A man trying to take care of his things. We quickly learn he's in a bit over his head with this job. As his frustrations mount, he thinks back to a recent breakup that's making him question buying the car to begin with.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"Quick Fix” begins as your classic Autozone style car commercial... It plays off the idea of taking care of your things, getting sweaty and dirty, and being unafraid to tackle big tasks with confidence as long as you have the right tools. Our lead, the “Dude” begins working on his car with all the confidence a man is “supposed” to have, but quickly learns he's in a bit over his head with this job.
(references for "Quick Fix" on the left, actual stills from "Quick Fix" on the right)
As the film progresses, we learn that what our protagonist is trying to fix isn’t so much his car, but the pieces of his life after a breakup. We start to see glimpses of a relationship that ended not out of toxicity or disdain, but simply because one person saw a future and one didn't. A situation where the relationship itself isn’t really fixable because there wasn’t really anything wrong with it. We’re taken through more flashbacks of a happy couple and the rides they took in this car, to pushing the car to its limits after heartbreak.
Ultimately, we find that after this type of loss, this type of grief, you have to take care of yourself. Just like you have to take care of your vehicle to reliably get you from point a to point b.
Over the past 6 years in LA I have acted in multiple projects, including prominent roles in my first two feature films, a number of short films, and even a few commercials. I now have a script I’m confident in directing and starring in myself.
“Quick Fix” first started as a sketch for a comedy group I'm a part of, but the longer I lingered on it, the more I felt there was something deeper to it. “Quick Fix” is at its core a comedy, but what it’s based on is less so. I hope that “Quick Fix” can resonate with anyone who’s made an impulsive purchase during a low period that didn’t completely end in regret, but became a reminder of what you’re capable of. Over the past few years, I have experienced long term romantic relationships ending. In addition, I’ve gone through two major car crashes in two years. Since then, I’ve had this strange connection between my car and my romantic life.
(references for "Quick Fix" on the left, actual stills from "Quick Fix" on the right)
I think “Quick Fix” encapsulates the journey I went on with these cars through the trials of my own life, including a break up. In the wake of it, I've been contemplating what could have gone differently, what could have been fixed. But in the end, it was just one of those things that didn't work out. The act of trying to fix something that can’t really be fixed is integral to this film.
I'm making this film now because when inspiration hits, you have to run with it. In the wake of my breakup, I found myself with so much love, and nowhere to put it. In as much a genuine way as I can describe, I tried to channel my feelings in this script. The goal has been to work through the feelings I’m dealing with at the moment, which any artist can attest as being a tough task. With my amazing team, who have believed in this story, I believe we are making something special, and I also hope it’s incredibly cathartic for others as well.
For those of us in LA, the industry is in a precarious moment, where whether it’s on the largest studio scale or the independent scene, it’s hard to know what the formula is for getting films seen nowadays. I feel the best we can do is make personal projects and hope it resonates with an audience. This story is very personal to me, and something I believe I can bring a lot of passion to. One of the best ways to promote yourself as an actor is to make your own material and I hope to do that justice here. I hope this film reaches anyone who’s been through a heartbreak or is dealing with grief and struggling to know where to put a lot of difficult, unexplained, unpredictable feelings. You’re going to stumble, you’re going to fall, but hold out a belief that while it won’t be a “Quick Fix,” you will get through it.
We're looking to raise $12,000 for this project to cover the costs of production and post-production. The donations will all be going toward what's important, what you see on screen, what's integral to get this story done and out there. Toward the following:
- Equipment Rentals including camera, lights, sound equipment
- Production Insurance
- Transportation
- Cast & Crew
And valuable post-production needs such as:
- Editing services
- Hard drives for storage and data transfer
- Sound mixing services
- Color correction services
- Music Licensing
- Creating an Original Score
And finally, for film festival submission fees. Film festivals are an opportunity for films like mine to be showcased at week-long events, gain new audiences, potential awards, selection for prestige, online short-film showcases, and opportunities for my team and I to gain connections in our career. Between my team and I, we have many years of experience submitting and attending festivals, which benefits "Quick Fix" greatly. Our film has the advantage of being a comedy, a car-focused film, and a romance drama.
Here's how some of the budget is divided:
Some 35mm shots taken by our producer Joe Blank during our set in November 2024!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Music Licensing
Costs $500
Licensing for use of music for the film. The song "Car" by one of our favorite bands, It Looks Sad.
Score
Costs $750
Score for the film. Produced by Will's high school friend, Connor Schon
Cast & Crew
Costs $1,100
Accommodating cast & crew for their work on the shoot in November 2024.
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $2,000
Camera & Lighting Equipment we used for our shoot in November 2024.
Colorist
Costs $500
To give the film proper color correction, telling the story through grading.
Film Festivals
Costs $3,000
Fees for film festival submission fees, film festival travel. These are essential for getting the film out there, and garnering attention!
Editing
Costs $500
Putting together the cut, getting the story actually made in the editing room.
Hard Drives
Costs $400
Essential storage for the film!
Miscellaneous Expenses
Costs $800
This includes meals, gas, props, items for production design, costumes, and more essential fees needed to get this film done.
Production Insurance
Costs $544
Insurance necessary for a film shoot to insure equipment and safety!
DCP
Costs $500
To create a DCP, the highest-quality projection export of the film that's standard for most theaters and festival exhibitions.
Legal
Costs $1,000
Legal fees needed for contracts, distribution, deal memos in the future!
Sound Mixing and Re-Recording
Costs $500
Essential mixing and re-recording for the audio of the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
If there is one thing I know I'm good at, it's surrounding myself with wonderful people. This project is no different. I am pulling people together from many of my walks of life. The friends I made at Syracuse will be paramount in making this project the best it can be. I will also be using people from my time in the Upper Valley. With post sound being provided from Thetford, VT and a score from Hanover High School. Your network is your net worth and I am wealthy.
Will Smart - Actor/Director/Writer
Will Smart has been acting since Kindergarten when he took the role of "Old Man" in Tiki Tiki Tembo in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Since then he studied Film at Syracuse University with a minor in theater. Will left his rural roots of the northeast to pursue a career in the entertainment industry in 2018 when he moved to LA. Will has held lead roles in feature films such as MONTH TO MONTH and the upcoming horror film THE COMPLETE HOWARD FRENCH COURSE. In addition to acting, Will teaches film to 5th through 8th grades in a valiant effort to inspire creativity in the youth. He enjoys the outdoors, scuba diving, and attempting to work on his car.
Joe Blank - Producer
Joe is a filmmaker originally from the suburbs north of New York City. Growing up, he made comedic shorts with friends through filmmaking courses at the esteemed Jacob Burns Film Center. He studied Film at Syracuse University, where he even produced Will's thesis film "It's in the Woods". After graduating, Joe lived in Brooklyn, NY where amongst other works wrote and directed his first feature film ROMAN CANDLE, a romance drama that went on to have a successful festival run. ROMAN CANDLE won Best Director at the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, and Best Drama through Film Invasion LA amongst other nominations at 12+ domestic film festival screenings. Joe's second feature film FRIENDS FROM HOME is a road-trip comedy that he co-created with Mike Koslov on a real cross-country road trip from NY to LA. FRIENDS FROM HOME premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival in 2023 and won the Spirit of Independent Filmmaking award through Stony Brook Film Festival. Joe is currently in pre-production on his next feature film ONE OF THESE DAYS, a comedy set in LA.
Logan Regnier - Director of Photography
Logan is a cinematographer from Northfield, Minnesota, now residing in Los Angeles, CA. His notable recent credits including shooting the feature film MONTH TO MONTH, music video for Fortuno WANNA BELIEVE YOU, which was featured on Eyecandy and Director's Library, as well as music videos for Dizzy Fae and other short-form work. He is a proud owner of a Canon C500, and enjoys mountain biking.
Collin Hotchkiss - Editor
Collin Hotchkiss is an editor and producer based in Los Angeles. He most recently helped produce the independent comedy MONTH TO MONTH, and produced and edited the drama ROMAN CANDLE and the upcoming ONE OF THESE DAYS. He has also worked in other post production roles on the feature films CRATER and THE NIGHT HOUSE. When he is not stationed behind an Avid, you can find him reading a book or on a sunny walk.
Connor Burns - Colorist
Connor Burns is a colorist originally from Syracuse, NY. He has colored many shorts and features, including producer Joe Blank's romantic drama ROMAN CANDLE (2021), the road-trip comedy FRIENDS FROM HOME (2023), the slacker comedy MONTH TO MONTH (2024). He's worked on commercial spots including a Sharp magazine piece with Jeff Goldblum, and music videos for Juice. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Hannah Hedrick - Actor
Hanna Hedrick was born and raised in Los Angeles. She has had acting training since her childhood. In college in Texas she studied advertising, writing and painting. She returned to LA to pursue acting during the pandemic. In addition to acting, Hannah is a writer, improviser, and painter. Hannah enjoys combing all her creative loves in different projects. She is currently represented by SMS Talent and Untitled Entertainment.
Julia Rome - Production Designer
Julia Rome is also a filmmaker herself who often works in the art department, but has recently also shifted her career to acting and performance. Like Will, and others, she is a Syracuse VPA Film graduate and has done set design and art direction for countless narrative shorts, commercials, music videos, and a couple features. Her understanding of design and aesthetics has really helped all aspects of her filmmaking career.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
"Quick Fix” begins as your classic Autozone style car commercial... It plays off the idea of taking care of your things, getting sweaty and dirty, and being unafraid to tackle big tasks with confidence as long as you have the right tools. Our lead, the “Dude” begins working on his car with all the confidence a man is “supposed” to have, but quickly learns he's in a bit over his head with this job.
(references for "Quick Fix" on the left, actual stills from "Quick Fix" on the right)
As the film progresses, we learn that what our protagonist is trying to fix isn’t so much his car, but the pieces of his life after a breakup. We start to see glimpses of a relationship that ended not out of toxicity or disdain, but simply because one person saw a future and one didn't. A situation where the relationship itself isn’t really fixable because there wasn’t really anything wrong with it. We’re taken through more flashbacks of a happy couple and the rides they took in this car, to pushing the car to its limits after heartbreak.
Ultimately, we find that after this type of loss, this type of grief, you have to take care of yourself. Just like you have to take care of your vehicle to reliably get you from point a to point b.
Over the past 6 years in LA I have acted in multiple projects, including prominent roles in my first two feature films, a number of short films, and even a few commercials. I now have a script I’m confident in directing and starring in myself.
“Quick Fix” first started as a sketch for a comedy group I'm a part of, but the longer I lingered on it, the more I felt there was something deeper to it. “Quick Fix” is at its core a comedy, but what it’s based on is less so. I hope that “Quick Fix” can resonate with anyone who’s made an impulsive purchase during a low period that didn’t completely end in regret, but became a reminder of what you’re capable of. Over the past few years, I have experienced long term romantic relationships ending. In addition, I’ve gone through two major car crashes in two years. Since then, I’ve had this strange connection between my car and my romantic life.
(references for "Quick Fix" on the left, actual stills from "Quick Fix" on the right)
I think “Quick Fix” encapsulates the journey I went on with these cars through the trials of my own life, including a break up. In the wake of it, I've been contemplating what could have gone differently, what could have been fixed. But in the end, it was just one of those things that didn't work out. The act of trying to fix something that can’t really be fixed is integral to this film.
I'm making this film now because when inspiration hits, you have to run with it. In the wake of my breakup, I found myself with so much love, and nowhere to put it. In as much a genuine way as I can describe, I tried to channel my feelings in this script. The goal has been to work through the feelings I’m dealing with at the moment, which any artist can attest as being a tough task. With my amazing team, who have believed in this story, I believe we are making something special, and I also hope it’s incredibly cathartic for others as well.
For those of us in LA, the industry is in a precarious moment, where whether it’s on the largest studio scale or the independent scene, it’s hard to know what the formula is for getting films seen nowadays. I feel the best we can do is make personal projects and hope it resonates with an audience. This story is very personal to me, and something I believe I can bring a lot of passion to. One of the best ways to promote yourself as an actor is to make your own material and I hope to do that justice here. I hope this film reaches anyone who’s been through a heartbreak or is dealing with grief and struggling to know where to put a lot of difficult, unexplained, unpredictable feelings. You’re going to stumble, you’re going to fall, but hold out a belief that while it won’t be a “Quick Fix,” you will get through it.
We're looking to raise $12,000 for this project to cover the costs of production and post-production. The donations will all be going toward what's important, what you see on screen, what's integral to get this story done and out there. Toward the following:
- Equipment Rentals including camera, lights, sound equipment
- Production Insurance
- Transportation
- Cast & Crew
And valuable post-production needs such as:
- Editing services
- Hard drives for storage and data transfer
- Sound mixing services
- Color correction services
- Music Licensing
- Creating an Original Score
And finally, for film festival submission fees. Film festivals are an opportunity for films like mine to be showcased at week-long events, gain new audiences, potential awards, selection for prestige, online short-film showcases, and opportunities for my team and I to gain connections in our career. Between my team and I, we have many years of experience submitting and attending festivals, which benefits "Quick Fix" greatly. Our film has the advantage of being a comedy, a car-focused film, and a romance drama.
Here's how some of the budget is divided:
Some 35mm shots taken by our producer Joe Blank during our set in November 2024!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Music Licensing
Costs $500
Licensing for use of music for the film. The song "Car" by one of our favorite bands, It Looks Sad.
Score
Costs $750
Score for the film. Produced by Will's high school friend, Connor Schon
Cast & Crew
Costs $1,100
Accommodating cast & crew for their work on the shoot in November 2024.
Camera & Lighting Equipment
Costs $2,000
Camera & Lighting Equipment we used for our shoot in November 2024.
Colorist
Costs $500
To give the film proper color correction, telling the story through grading.
Film Festivals
Costs $3,000
Fees for film festival submission fees, film festival travel. These are essential for getting the film out there, and garnering attention!
Editing
Costs $500
Putting together the cut, getting the story actually made in the editing room.
Hard Drives
Costs $400
Essential storage for the film!
Miscellaneous Expenses
Costs $800
This includes meals, gas, props, items for production design, costumes, and more essential fees needed to get this film done.
Production Insurance
Costs $544
Insurance necessary for a film shoot to insure equipment and safety!
DCP
Costs $500
To create a DCP, the highest-quality projection export of the film that's standard for most theaters and festival exhibitions.
Legal
Costs $1,000
Legal fees needed for contracts, distribution, deal memos in the future!
Sound Mixing and Re-Recording
Costs $500
Essential mixing and re-recording for the audio of the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
If there is one thing I know I'm good at, it's surrounding myself with wonderful people. This project is no different. I am pulling people together from many of my walks of life. The friends I made at Syracuse will be paramount in making this project the best it can be. I will also be using people from my time in the Upper Valley. With post sound being provided from Thetford, VT and a score from Hanover High School. Your network is your net worth and I am wealthy.
Will Smart - Actor/Director/Writer
Will Smart has been acting since Kindergarten when he took the role of "Old Man" in Tiki Tiki Tembo in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Since then he studied Film at Syracuse University with a minor in theater. Will left his rural roots of the northeast to pursue a career in the entertainment industry in 2018 when he moved to LA. Will has held lead roles in feature films such as MONTH TO MONTH and the upcoming horror film THE COMPLETE HOWARD FRENCH COURSE. In addition to acting, Will teaches film to 5th through 8th grades in a valiant effort to inspire creativity in the youth. He enjoys the outdoors, scuba diving, and attempting to work on his car.
Joe Blank - Producer
Joe is a filmmaker originally from the suburbs north of New York City. Growing up, he made comedic shorts with friends through filmmaking courses at the esteemed Jacob Burns Film Center. He studied Film at Syracuse University, where he even produced Will's thesis film "It's in the Woods". After graduating, Joe lived in Brooklyn, NY where amongst other works wrote and directed his first feature film ROMAN CANDLE, a romance drama that went on to have a successful festival run. ROMAN CANDLE won Best Director at the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, and Best Drama through Film Invasion LA amongst other nominations at 12+ domestic film festival screenings. Joe's second feature film FRIENDS FROM HOME is a road-trip comedy that he co-created with Mike Koslov on a real cross-country road trip from NY to LA. FRIENDS FROM HOME premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival in 2023 and won the Spirit of Independent Filmmaking award through Stony Brook Film Festival. Joe is currently in pre-production on his next feature film ONE OF THESE DAYS, a comedy set in LA.
Logan Regnier - Director of Photography
Logan is a cinematographer from Northfield, Minnesota, now residing in Los Angeles, CA. His notable recent credits including shooting the feature film MONTH TO MONTH, music video for Fortuno WANNA BELIEVE YOU, which was featured on Eyecandy and Director's Library, as well as music videos for Dizzy Fae and other short-form work. He is a proud owner of a Canon C500, and enjoys mountain biking.
Collin Hotchkiss - Editor
Collin Hotchkiss is an editor and producer based in Los Angeles. He most recently helped produce the independent comedy MONTH TO MONTH, and produced and edited the drama ROMAN CANDLE and the upcoming ONE OF THESE DAYS. He has also worked in other post production roles on the feature films CRATER and THE NIGHT HOUSE. When he is not stationed behind an Avid, you can find him reading a book or on a sunny walk.
Connor Burns - Colorist
Connor Burns is a colorist originally from Syracuse, NY. He has colored many shorts and features, including producer Joe Blank's romantic drama ROMAN CANDLE (2021), the road-trip comedy FRIENDS FROM HOME (2023), the slacker comedy MONTH TO MONTH (2024). He's worked on commercial spots including a Sharp magazine piece with Jeff Goldblum, and music videos for Juice. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Hannah Hedrick - Actor
Hanna Hedrick was born and raised in Los Angeles. She has had acting training since her childhood. In college in Texas she studied advertising, writing and painting. She returned to LA to pursue acting during the pandemic. In addition to acting, Hannah is a writer, improviser, and painter. Hannah enjoys combing all her creative loves in different projects. She is currently represented by SMS Talent and Untitled Entertainment.
Julia Rome - Production Designer
Julia Rome is also a filmmaker herself who often works in the art department, but has recently also shifted her career to acting and performance. Like Will, and others, she is a Syracuse VPA Film graduate and has done set design and art direction for countless narrative shorts, commercials, music videos, and a couple features. Her understanding of design and aesthetics has really helped all aspects of her filmmaking career.