Meet Alex & Alonzo Smith of West LA/Mid City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex &  Alonzo Smith.

Hi Alex and Alonzo, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
We grew up loving films.
Our parents were big movie buffs so every Friday night we would order pizza and watch movies that we rented from Blockbuster video (where coincidently Alonzo worked at in High School).
In 1994 we watched a film called Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.
In the film there’s a scene where Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks), who is suffering from AIDS and embroiled in a bitter discrimination lawsuit against his former employer, is in midst of cross examination prep with his attorney Joe Miller (Denzel Washington). Andrew is distracted by the voice of Maria Callas as she sings “The Aria La mamma morta” from the speaker. Joe observes as Andrew slowly becomes enraptured by it. While translating the Italian lyrics for Joe, Andrew gets increasingly lost in the area that connects to his own sense that the end of his own life is near.
As it crescendos, Andrew’s hands rise to meet the soprano’s high note, moving Joe to near tears.
It’s hard to pinpoint which moment shaped our journey as filmmakers, due to there being so many. However, this moment stands out above the rest.

As we grew older, our interest in storytelling increased as Alonzo worked as background in movies filming in New Orleans and Alex attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York/Los Angeles to study acting.

Once we were both in Los Angeles, the pull to tell our own stories felt too strong to ignore.
We collaborated together for the first time in 2013 on the short film “About Today”. It was a great experience and we learned a lot. Using the lessons from our first film, we wanted to raise the bar and thus came “Hello, Again”. A short film about a widower struggling to move forward with his life. This garnered attention at film festivals from Los Angeles to Atlanta to the UK.

Our third short, Hidden, follows a couple struggling to keep their heads above water as they live in their car.
So many of the stories we tell are about relationships and the human struggle. The fact that our parents got to watch us make films akin to the ones we would watch on movie night is a source of pride for us. Our goals are to continue telling stories about subjects that interest us, working with our friends and frequent collaborators, and evoking the same emotional impact that the scene in Philadelphia had on us.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When trying to break into film and tv there are quite a few barriers to entry.
Having no prior connections to anyone in the industry, we’ve had to build our contacts from the ground up.
Another obstacle is having to fund our own projects. Having skin in the game as indie filmmakers means that we are putting a lot of our own money into these films. A lack of funds could have the potential to limit the scope to the story you want to tell, but the heart of the story should be easy to manage financially.
Another obstacle we see creatively is the urge to chase what is selling in town. The desire to make a career in this industry to persuade one to abandon the stories that matter the most to them and to hop on the thing that tending.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

We’re currently focused on the feature length version of our latest short film Hidden. The concept was born out of the harsh realities we saw in our city of LA. Too often when we speak of the unhoused, the immediate thought goes to people living in tents on the street, and to be sure that is one aspect of our housing crisis. We, however, wanted our story to shine a light on those who work full time jobs, but live out of their cars. The characters in Hidden are folks we see everyday. They’re your co-workers, the people you see every day on the train, and the person who always rings you up at the local coffee shop. This film captures the emotional toll that this crisis has on relationships.  How does it feel to not be able to provide for your partner. What does that feel like? What does that look like? What are you willing to do? How much are you willing to sacrifice?

We were, and are, still moved by stories that capture the depth and breadth of the human experience. Directing together came out of our need to tell the stories that we wanted to tell.  No matter the story we want to leave it feeling changed. We feel that’s what we have done with Hidden.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
When you send a film out into the world, you have no control over how it will be received. Is it going to piss people off? Are they going to think it’s terrible? Did it move them? Not knowing how people will respond to something that you put your whole heart and money into, can feel risky. But if you have something to say, and you won’t be able to sleep until you say it, then it’s worth the risk.  

Additional risk of filmmaking is money. When you’re in the indie world, you’re raising money or using your own. You’re asking friends to participate in something that will not give them their full rate. You’re working with and leading a group of individuals who are looking to you for the direction of the project. They’re there because they believe in what you have to say.  

You have to have everyone on the same page, pulling in the same direction at the same time and the pressure mounts quickly. They are taking some sort of a risk with you. Their names and reputation are apart of your story. It’s stressful and risky to make a film, but it’s worth it. 

We believe that playing it safe and not being true to yourself is the real risk.

Contact Info:

• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60AbzaN34Fk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hidden_shortfilm?jpgsh=NTc4MTlwNjQ2YQ==

Image Credits
Nice Head Shots – Alyssa Kearney