The Rich Kid Rules (Ep. 1: 362 Rules of a High School Dropout), 59min., USA
Directed by A.L. Pruitt, Makenna Perkal
A new kind of coming-of-age crime drama series with horses, dance, a dysfunctional family, and an upstairs/downstairs romance with a reverse Cinderella story twist.

http://therichkidrules.com/
https://www.instagram.com/therichkidrules

Get to know Writer/Producer Thomas Willoughby:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I was a high school dropout, and over the years, I jotted down helpful "rules" that kind and tough mentors have taught me. I told my wife that I was thinking about writing a book (362 Rules of a High School Dropout), and I had already codified and created a draft manuscript, but she said, "Nobody will buy a book about High School Dropout Rules"). So I said, OK, I'll shoot a documentary -- she gave the same answer and said I had to shoot a TV Series or Film to get anyone to watch it. So the idea was formed.

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

From the beginning of my writing down the rules, over 20 years. From my wife's tough love advice, since 2018 (7 years approx.). One of my first steps was to go back to community college and sign up for film classes part-time (at age 25, with no high school degree, I had gone to community college, then UCLA, then UC Davis Law School), so it was a logical first step and I got my AA in 2025.

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

Enlightening Paths

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

Communicating my vision for the project!

Everybody loved the script, but once we shot it, we were four steps in front of the audience instead of one or two steps ahead. We had to reshoot a softer intro to the modern universe of professional kids who don't attend schools (e.g., varsity athletes used to be the best; now, kid pros competing on traveling teams are the best, and many don't attend school). With the reshot soft intro to this universe, how these kids interacted with the crime drama made so much better sense, and the Pilot worked to set up multiple interesting storylines.

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

We had a premiere a week before at Grauman's (fka Manns, now TCL) Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, and there were over 150 in attendance. We had a great after-party with many not connected to the project, and the feedback there was so positive and specific. We wanted to see how that feedback matched the WILDsound feedback, and it turned out to be virtually identical, with many of the same issues discussed (e.g., 1st scene, some loved others, others didn't).

The feedback from both was very positive. Everyone wanted to know what happens next to their favorite characters, and pretty much everyone was surprised at how the multiple physical universes somehow meshed: Dance, Horse Show Jumping, Stall Mucking, Big Business, and Crime. Not to mention the cast with Young and Old characters, all of whom had multi-layered characters; we honestly had no idea if it was going to work, and it did at the Premiere and in the Wildsound feedback.

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

I started shooting on an 8mm (not even a Super 8) ski racing at Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts in SoCal/ in the early 1970s, and my wife is a horse trainer. Between ski racing and horses and all our kid's sports, I have been shooting on film, then VHS, then the Nikon camera with an autozoom and autofocus long ago, and it has continued my whole life. We shot this film with my Red Komodo X with Zeiss lenses.

I shot a five-minute promo film for my wife's stable, where our pilot was shot, and a short film in community college before this one. But, as for actually doing a real project like this (We got SAG AFTRA approval for the film and used SAG and Indie actors), that started when my wife told me to do a film not a book.

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

Apocalypse Now

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

I loved having the Premiere at the Grauman's (fka Manns now TCL) Chinese Theatres. What a great thing for the crew and actors, basically we used it as a focus group and a wrap party that we had never had. All but one of the cast made it, and lots of the crew.

The feedback video from Wildsound is hugely helpful. I worry whether they ever give bad reviews if they don't like it; they were just so positive about ours.

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

It's a great platform, no problems.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Anything Keto friendly -- trying to eliminate processed foods.

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

I would love to produce or coproduce the rest of the series (or even host another production company shooting the series at our farm/stable). We are open to any and all ideas.