After deserting, a Union soldier finds refuge with the wife of his dead comrade.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Caroline Smith

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

The original reason I had wanted to make Somebody’s Darling was actually because of a dress. My lead actress and co-writer, Delaney Sauer, had been begging me to make a period piece. She happens to make dresses from different time periods in her spare time, and was wanting to put them to use. I was interested in the challenge, so we got to work.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Audience members should watch this film because it shows what you can be capable of without having a huge budget. We had a $300 budget and a small crew, so we formed the story based on what we had access to and where we could film. I believe though that even an additional, larger budget would not have affected the overall outcome of the film.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

If I were to broaden the overall theme of the piece I’d have to say it’s based on love and loss, two universal feelings people are able to relate to, but at its core it’s more complex. The subtlety of gazes between characters and their reluctance to commit to one another shows an unrequited love, with it’s base not consisting of romance but of caring. Although it does take place during the Civil War, the story itself is about the bond that two characters from within a month.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

We had originally written a much longer script, but had to cut it down for a show at our school called The Tiger Show, which is only 30 minutes in length. Throughout writing the script and having to cut the story down, we went through various endings and cut out many scenes to make it fit for the timeline. I know if we could do it again we would have made at least a 30 minute film. However, this is by far the most ambitious project my cast, crew, and I have attempted, and we are thrilled with the end product.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Like most student-made short films, Somebody’s Darling isn’t perfect. It would take me at least an hour to point out everything wrong with it. So of course, we have received constructive criticism, which I am grateful for. However, our peers and the people within our community are shocked by the film, and we have received much praise for it, often times from strangers. Only a handful of people are involved in filmmaking in our town, so seeing people get excited over our films is really amazing.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I believe that all the positive feedback has really inspired me to keep making films. It helps to temporarily erase the doubt that all artists have with their work. It was with this film that I finally thought maybe what I’m doing isn’t so bad. But overall, I most appreciate the negative feedback I have received. I will be honest, I ignored it at first. I had finally made a product that I thought was fairly good. I wanted to enjoy feeling happy with something I had made. But now that I look back, I of course see the mistakes, and I appreciate the suggestions. Even though I have only made one film since Somebody’s Darling, I can already see myself fixing some mistakes I had made before.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I’m hoping that having my film on this site will increase overall exposure for my work. After attending college, I wish to continue working on films of a much bigger scale, and the only way to do that is to increase the number of possible collaborators that see my work.

I believe that the Citizen Jane Film Festival has already amplified the message of my film. Although increased exposure would be amazing, I know that Somebody’s Darling has gotten as far as it needs to go. While this film continues to thrive thanks to Citizen Jane, I can let it live its own life now while I start the life of a new film.

I would like this film to inspire other people to challenge themselves. When you put forth a huge effort, you can make any film you want to make, whether you have a $300,000 budget or $300 budget. Whether you have a cinema camera or a DSLR. Whether you have the budget for fancy costumes and props or you use whatever you can find. As long as the passion is there for it, you can make the product you wish to.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

I honestly don’t know if this film can be debated. It is, overall, just a 12 minute student film, so I don’t have a question to put here.

Would you like to add anything else?

I can’t think of anything else to say. Just thank you for the opportunity you have given me!

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Currently the rest of the crew has not pursued video. Mallory Nicas and Dakotta Hunt are now enrolled in classes at our local college, while Jack Hale is attending a school in state. Delaney Sauer and I continue to work together, and after finishing our latest music video, we are now planning our next short film.

Interview; October 2017

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Somebody’s Darling

After deserting, a Union soldier finds refuge with the wife of his dead comrade.

Length: 11 minutes 52 seconds.

Director: Caroline Smith

Producer: Caroline Smith

Writers: Caroline Smith, Delaney Sauer, Jack Hale

About the Writers, Director, and Producer:

Jack Hale: Jack Hale is currently a freshman at Mizzou majoring in Spanish. He has acted in and written many of Caroline Smith’s videos and has also been involved in show choir and theater productions in high school. Jack was one of the writers for this film.

Delaney Sauer: Delaney Sauer is a senior in high school who has been in 29 stage productions and several videos with Caroline Smith. She plans to go to college for molecular biology with the goal to go to medical school. Delaney helped write the film and was in charge of costuming.

Caroline Smith: Caroline Smith is currently a high school senior who plans on majoring in cinematography or editing upon graduation, and wishes to one day make a feature length film. Caroline directed, produced, and wrote the film.

Key Cast: Jack Hale, Delaney Sauer, Dakotta Hunt

Social Media Handles:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/creativeC1

Portfolio: https://www.csmithcinematography.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/creativecaroline1/featured

The film will be screening at the Citizen Jane Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri on October 29th, 2017.