A few weeks ago I wrote about a short film I was making called Legacy. Here’s where things stand.
We’re 75% funded. Through a combination of individual donations and a major gift from someone who believed in the project, we have the budget to make this film the right way. I’m not going to get into the exact numbers but we’re in good shape.
I’ve written before about filmmakers who don’t pay their cast and crew. I’ve been pretty vocal about it. Deferred pay, copy credit and meals, all that. I think it’s exploitative and I’ve said so. So when it came time to make my own film, I had a choice to make. I could have done what a lot of first-time directors do and asked everyone to work for free because it’s a passion project. I didn’t. Every cast member and every crew member on Legacy is getting paid. Not a lot — it’s still a micro-budget short — but real money for real work. That matters to me.
We have a SAG actor attached to the lead role of Danny. We’re currently in the SAG signatory process so he can work on the film legally. We’re shooting after July 2026 in Atlanta.
We’re still looking for Michael Chen — 25 to 35, Chinese or Chinese-American, male. He’s Henry’s son. Guarded, complicated, not the villain but not easy either. If you know someone who fits, send them to our Instagram.
Follow the film at @legacyshortfilm26 on Instagram for updates as we move into production.
More soon.
— Simon
Simon Shih 