"I Could Dom" by Madison Hatfield

Let's take a moment to talk about BDSM.

Wait, no, come back! It's informative!

So strap in. Er ... settle in.

From its inception, the tagline for I Could Dom, as writer-director-actress Madison Hatfield remarks, was "a sex comedy for people-pleasers," for the plight of the people-pleaser is the heart of this project.

"... and kind of my life," Hatfield adds.

"When you've been putting other people's wants and needs above your own for long enough, you stop being able to discern what your own wants and needs genuinely are. June (the lead character) is a reflection of the version of me that was the furthest down that shitty rabbit hole."

Covering multiple roles on a short, however, as we've seen many times, in turn presents multiple challenges. But letting go—allowing your cast and crew to bring your vision to life—is critical.

For Hatfield, and for a film that demands vulnerability and cringe comedy, the less micromanagement the better.

"My cinematographer and I were incredibly detailed in our prep, which meant that I hardly looked at the monitor at all while we were shooting. I trusted my producer and 1st AD to watch every take both for composition and performance (specifically mine) and give me the notes I needed (though I could usually feel when I needed a new take for myself anyway).

"It's cool being a director in a scene because you're getting to feel the performance from yourself and your scene partner(s) rather than see it on the screen, and that's what's guiding your direction. It makes for a very intuitive directing approach, and I'm drawn to that style much more than being hyper-fixated on the tiny monitor in video village ..."

Some films teach us about ourselves. Most films should, you could argue. Thus, I Could Dom served as a point of, shall we say, "awakening" for recovering people-pleaser Hatfield.

"The process of making the film was not only a moment to look back at how I've grown as an artist, but also how I've grown as a person. I know what I want now! Gold star for me!"

And:

"My entire team understood the vision and were such joys to be around, I never felt uncomfortable for a moment ... even with my fingers in another human's mouth."

Hey, if cinema can't help nudge you along your personal journey whilst knuckles-deep in someone's throat, is it even worth making cinema?

But we digress.

The writer-director herself stars (in leather) alongside a (leather-less) cast comprised of Derek Evans (Queen of the South), Hannah Alline (Doom Patrol), and Adetinpo Thomas (Hawkeye).

Odds & Ends

• All of the dating profiles that pop up on screen are photos of real people in Madison's life. She asked on Instagram if anyone was willing to donate their photo for her diabolical purposes, and boy, did they oblige!
• The final dating profile name is Gimp Bizkit, which is a layered joke because the actor playing that role is the lead singer of a Limp Bizkit cover band called Pimp Trizkit ... What a world. We're not unpacking that.
• The three dudes in the dating profile scene are three of Hatfield's best friends– the only men she felt comfortable with whispering that close to her ears. *Shout out to Chris Mayers, Markis Gallashaw, and Jonathon Pawlowski.

About Madison Hatfield

Madison Hatfield is a writer, director, and actor born and based in Atlanta, GA. Her short I Could Dom premiered at Aspen Shortsfest in 2024 and went on to play at 6 additional Oscar-qualifying festivals and more than 20 other festivals and screenings. As a writer, she is currently working on a TBA project with Unwell Productions, and she and frequent collaborator Jono Mitchell adapted the YA Novel The Sky Blues for Walden Media. As an actor she has appeared on several shows including "Chicago Med" (NBC), "Atlanta" (FX), and "The Other Black Girl" (Hulu). AND...she's directed a bunch of verticals, if that's your kind of thing. She is proudly represented by Anonymous Content and Stewart Talent.