I always enjoy Romantic Dramedies. Probably because all my relationships have most likely been those. But never have I heard of one where something goes up somebody’s rectum and they end up figuring out more than ever through conversation (closer I ever came to that was being threatened with bodily harm but that’s not important). Corey Shurge has recently made a short film about such an incident and it got so popular in viewership he has decided to make it into a feature. Back while he was still living in Toronto, he made the film and he currently resides in Los Angeles. I talked to him about his new home and this funny film over Zoom and it was quite an insightful conversation we had.
HNMAG: So I understand you reside in LA currently. When did you move there from Toronto?
Corey: About 2 years ago.
HNMAG: Have you considered taking future productions to Toronto?
Corey: Yeah, absolutely. There’s so many great crews and so many great actors in Toronto that I totally foresee coming back to do a film. Maybe a TV series if I’m fortunate enough to have that opportunity.
HNMAG: Possibly bring some cast and crew along as well?
Corey: Yes. Right now Toronto is fully loaded with US productions. You flash some of that US currency up there and you get a lot done.
HNMAG: How does the film industry differ in LA?
Corey: There’s more than 3 places you can take a project if you have something to pitch. Also those places will get back to you within a week rather than two months. Overall there just seems to be a vibe. They take the business of making things more seriously down here.
HNMAG: You do have quite a background in Canadian productions. What was one of the best productions you worked on?
Corey: The best was actually my first. My first Network TV job was on the first season of Saving Hope. That was such a great opportunity for a writer, it was top of the top in terms of Canadian TV. It was a co-pro with NBC that season. There was a good budget, and a good cast behind it, and at the time some of the best TV writers in Canada were on the show. I got to learn from the show runners at the time, Malcolm MacRury and Morwyn Brebner who are two fantastic writers and creators who are still running their own series. So my first experience learning from them and other guys, it was just a great group and the best first gig you could hope for when breaking into film.
HNMAG: So you’ve really transitioned from crew work to your other content. Did that take some time?
Corey: Yeah, I worked in TV for years and still do, but I started creating my own content. What happened was I was starting to get a bit antsy because for years I was just writing other people’s shows and I come from an independent background where I was accustomed to making my own projects. When it came to do Stuck, that idea for the production was something that I wanted to make, not just write something and hand it off for somebody else to make. That’s not just how I transitioned back into writing, but directing and producing as well.
HNMAG: Do you ever think of moving back to Toronto?
Corey: Never say never. We’ll see what happens. Currently, America is enjoying a bit of a bounce back over the past 4 years so that makes it a whole lot easier. Mostly, it depends on the work opportunities. I would like an excuse to do a show in Toronto so I could not just be in a city I enjoy, but see my family who’s out there and friends. I’m always keeping my eyes open in the opportunities, especially in the summer. I’m not a fan of Canadian winter and hopefully I never have to experience one of those again.
HNMAG: How has COVID affected work lately? Are you still keeping steady in the industry?
Corey: Fortunately, my day job as a screenwriter has been so COVID-proof and it doesn’t depend on being on a set necessarily. Over the course of the pandemic, I was lucky enough to have some work lined up where it was just me at home writing which I would’ve been doing even if there hadn’t been a pandemic going on.
HNMAG: And about Stuck itself. Was this made before or after your move?
Corey: Before. We shot that in December 2017.
HNMAG: Have you ever heard of a similar experience like in the movie?
Corey: Yeah, I’ve heard stories. It’s a bit of an amalgamation of things you hear and then of course there’s the actual sex toy mishap that launches the story and quickly gives way to philosophies on love and relationships.
HNMAG: How did you find the two actors? What was the casting process like?
Corey: So I’m good friends with Kristopher Turner. He and I did a feature length of mine called The Triumph of Dingus McGraw: Village Idiot. He was the lead of that film, that was back in 2007. We became good friends after that, we were roommates for a couple of years. So we had been looking for an opportunity to do another project again. I wrote Stuck and we discussed it, so he was going to play the lead, which took care of half of it. Then we did auditions for the role of Natalie, that ultimately went to Ruth Goodwin. Kris was at the auditions and he would read so we could see how he’d jive with his scene partners. Then ultimately we saw the chemistry he and Ruth had.
HNMAG: How long did filming take?
Corey: That was a two-day shoot. One day on location, a couple different locations in Toronto. And then the second day we did a studio shoot in Hamilton. The hospital was set up in a film studio.
HNMAG: And how many crew members did you have?
Corey: I think we were around… 20.
HMMAG: I see that the high viewership has inspired you to make a feature that’s similar. Can you tell me a bit more about the film’s subject?
Corey: Yeah, I mean I can tell you that the tone is quite similar, romantic dramedy again. I’m also the superstitious sort that tends not to talk too much about a script while it’s in the first draft. Can’t tell you much more than that without jinxing it.
An enjoyable short film, you can check it out here. But also be sure to be on the lookout for Corey’s feature among many other films as he continues to progress as a Canadian in the United States. There’s no telling what he could do next.