Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘Frugalman’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
My neighbors, co-workers, and even my family thought I had lost my marbles when I left the corporate world, sold my house, and set off to make movies with no formal background. My career has been anything but ordinary. I’ve been an International Executive flying to Latin America, a Loan Officer, a leadership development coach, and even a clown at a corn maze. But I never thought I’d end up here—making films.
Leaving the corporate world behind was the riskiest move I’ve ever made, and it all started with one simple question from my wife: “What do you want to do for work in 20 years?” Without even thinking, I answered, “I want to own a successful film company. I want to make movies.” The moment I said it, I knew deep down that I’d never be fully satisfied doing anything else.
Since I was a kid, I loved making films with my dad. We’d create stop-motion videos with my toys, and later, I spent hours on an ancient 3D movie-making program creating quirky characters like Bongo the Homeless NBA Player and Ross the Boxing Detective. But in 2023, my wife and I made the biggest decision of our lives—we sold our house to go all in on my dream. It was terrifying, but I knew that no one else would make films the way we would. I wanted to create films that are clean, creative, and inspire people in a way that’s positive and meaningful.
We started with a feature-length superhero film called DayHero. It’s about a guy who wakes up every morning with a new superpower and no memory of the last ten years. By day, he’s a hero, but by night, he’s unknowingly leading the organization he’s trying to destroy. We shot the entire thing on an outdated iPhone, with a budget of only $600. Filming DayHero wasn’t just about saving money—it was about pushing creativity to its limits. Every scene was a challenge, but it taught me how to do more with less and be resourceful in ways I never thought possible.
After DayHero, we continued making smaller films, like Dear Money, which won first place at the SheMoney Summit Short Film Challenge, and The Santa Who Hated Christmas, which became a top news story. These projects solidified my belief that storytelling has the power to connect with people, no matter the budget.
After a theater showing of DayHero, I was approached by Cody Harrison, a professional and award-winning cinematographer. He saw potential in our work and wanted to collaborate. I showed him a list of film ideas, but it was Frugalman that stood out to him. Together, we set out to bring this musical comedy to life.
At its core, Frugalman is about money trauma. The man has fears about spending - fears I’ve struggled with myself. But the film is also a reflection on our subscription-based, consumer-driven society, and how frustrating that can feel.
Every film I’ve made, from DayHero to Frugalman, reminds me that storytelling is my purpose. Whether I’m working with a big budget or a tiny one, it’s the connection with the audience that drives me. Filmmaking isn’t just what I do—it’s who I am, and I’ll never stop pushing myself to tell the best stories I can, no matter the obstacles.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
My dad and his brother, my uncle Dee, made these incredible short films that I grew up watching. They were legends to me. Sadly, my uncle Dee passed away when I was young, but his creative spirit left a lasting mark on me. He never got to see the impact he had on my life, but I owe so much of my passion for filmmaking to him. One the names he made his films under was ‘Pollard Pictures’ and that’s the name we use today, in some way I think he would be happy to see a Pollard still making films today.
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
I would love to make a the full feature of Frugalman, with the additional songs and story twists we have planned. We put together a budget minimum of $250,000 and would love to see the full story get told. But if I had a really BIG budget just to do whatever, I’d probably make another superhero movie.
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
Many all-nighters. Seriously. In every production, I figure out how long I think something will take, then multiply that by three—because things always go wrong, and they always take longer. You have to plan for the unexpected, whether it’s equipment issues, last-minute rewrites, or just sheer exhaustion.
But the biggest thing I do to stay on schedule is simple: I push forward and don’t stop until it’s done. In the final stages of Frugalman, we pulled about three days straight to get it to the finish line. Adrenaline and the sheer excitement of hitting deadlines are pretty powerful motivators.
What was the hardest part of making ‘Frugalman’.
There were practical challenges, like finding affordable locations on a tight budget and dealing with props that broke—like the van that was supposed to drive but didn’t, forcing us to tow it and fix everything in post. We planned a scene with 15 cast members, and only 3 showed up. Balancing the help I could afford with the talent the scenes required was a huge hurdle.
But beyond the logistics, the most difficult part was the emotional toll. I had many discussions about whether Frugalman was truly worth making. We had sold our house and invested months of time and savings into this project, and there were moments when we questioned if we were on the right path. Some scenes were almost cut on the day of shooting because we debated if they were significant enough to justify the cost of filming.
Throughout the scriptwriting, filming, editing, and even submitting it to film festivals, to be honest, I often felt scared and overwhelmed. The question of whether Frugalman would ever bring a financial return and good opportunities—or if it was just a passion project—was always lingering. Despite all the practical and emotional challenges, though, we kept pushing forward, driven by the belief that this story needed to be told.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?
Once we secure adequate financing, we'll bring the feature film of Frugalman to life!
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