BABY PROOF, 6min., USA
Directed by David Maddox, David Blood
A troublemaking toddler tests the limits of child safety.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The co-writer/co-director, David Blood, pitched the concept to me after coming up with it while sitting in a hotel room. At that point, I had an 11 month old baby who was crawling, but I wasn't sure for how long. So I said, "Let's shoot it. But we have to do it right now!"

It also just seemed like a way to point out something ridiculous about society is an unusual way, which I always love doing. In this case, how America is so concerned about product safety, but when it comes to guns, we've just given up. A topic which sadly never stops being relevant.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

We shot it on and off over about a month. And then it took about three years for me to finish all the post.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Second Amendment!

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Obviously, working with a baby is challenging. I used to joke that our star was a diva! "She couldn't say her lines. Kept missing her marks. Demanded naps in the middle of the day. Required a specialty beverage out of a special type of bottle."

But she rarely did anything the same way twice. Which made the editing process kind of like putting together a wildlife documentary.

The other big hurdle was figuring out how to animate the baby's mouth for the last line, as well as what the voice should sound like. Some of the early voices we tried didn't work at all.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I make films for audiences. So it's great to see how people react. And to see how they all get different things and interpretations of the film. But mostly I'm glad when they simply enjoy it. That it makes them laugh, smile, or think.

I wish more festivals would do this. But this is what makes WILDsound one of my favorite festivals.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Around middle school. When my stepdad got our first video camera and I started screwing around with it.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Probably Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Which despite being over 60 years old, still holds up to this day! I see something new every time I watch it.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

The more people that watch the films, the better.

This is my favorite film festival to enter. Whenever I'm stuck on a script, or losing my way in a story, I'll sometimes watch one of your reviews to remind myself, "This is why I'm doing this."

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I love it. I'm old enough to remember submitting films back when you had to send out tapes or DVDs. FilmFreeway makes it so easy. All that annoying data entry used to have to be re-entered for every film festival entry. Now you do it once, and you're done.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Breakfast food: Pancakes & waffles.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

In development of a feature length horror/thrilled titled "In the Dark" which we plan to shoot early next year.