Red Tape

A real estate developer on the brink of approval watches his project collapse as bureaucratic delays force him toward a moral compromise that will change the lives of people he’ll never meet.

  • Daniel Reid
    Director
  • Bruno Jacques
    Writer
  • Daniel Reid
    Writer
  • Bruno Jacques
    Producer
  • Bruno Jacques
    Key Cast
    "James"
    Travis / Wild Wild West
  • Sam Felix
    Key Cast
    "Michael"
  • Giuseppe Calvinisti
    Key Cast
    "Richard"
  • John Cumberland
    CREW
  • Aleah Carreau
    CREW
  • Etienne Despatie
    CREW
  • Robyn Forman
    CREW
  • Nicholas Coté
    CREW
  • Nicolas Morin
    CREW
  • Ruddy Navson
    CREW
  • Marie-Mai Rodrigue
    CREW
  • Marie-Mai Rodrigue
    Extras
  • Ian Keiller
    Extras
  • Jacob Arseneault
    Extras
  • Eugene Vaselenyko
    Extras
  • Jessy Xenos
    Extras
  • Amine Zoughi
    SCORE
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Political Thriller
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 13, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    6,000 CAD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Daniel Reid

One of the world’s leading concept artists, Daniel Reid (aka @papa.png) is renowned for his inventive digital painting, iconic character designs, and online following.

With a career spanning top studios like Unity, Riot Games, Tencent, and Disney, as well as others Daniel merges cutting-edge artistry with viral appeal—pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling in games and emerging in the film scene as a rising force.

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Director Statement

I met Bruno in March, he wanted a film about real estate developers, The ones who lose sleep over permits and Red Tape, who know the weight of a handshake that doesn’t really mean anything. I liked that. It felt true.

So I referenced some work like Michael Mann’s frames—clean, exact, like a contract reviewed three times before signing, I especially reviewed the Insider. A whistleblowing story. I storyboarded every shot, as a painter it’s how I naturally remove not only the anxiety but invent interesting compositions that support the film. I also utilized some of Tak Fujimoto’s close-ups—the way a man’s face tells you everything before he does. The pause before the lie. The breath before the threat.

For sound, I thought of fhe hum of a server room, the click of a pen, the muffled cough in an elevator.
Michel Chion wrote about sound as an acousmêtre, a hidden character. Here, it’s the building itself: the groan of steel, the echo of footsteps in unfinished hallways.
You don’t see the debt, but you hear it.

This film’s for the ones who’ve sat in those rooms, who’ve held those folders, who’ve lied and been lied to. Let’s see if we can tell the difference.