From NYFA Thesis Film to Feature Debut: D.R. Bellard on "Shot By An Angel"

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Alumni NYFA

10.14.2026

From NYFA Thesis Film to Feature Debut: D.R. Bellard on

NYFA Alumni Network: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career?

D.R. Bellard: Hi, my name is D.R. Bellard, I'm a filmmaker, writer, producer, a theater-trained actor & part-time standup comedian from Humble, TX, 10 minutes outside of Houston. As an actor I've starred in multiple theater stage productions, independent films, national commercials and music videos.

As a filmmaker and director since 2017 I've written & directed nine short films such as "Love Stuck", "Incomplete," "The Fundraiser," and my NYFA Thesis short "Shot By An Angel."

I'm best known as the writer/director of my emotionally dramatic thesis short film "Shot by an Angel," which won a Merit Award in the "Hollywood Best Shorts" Competition.

"D.R. Bellard's Shot By An Angel" is my upcoming first full-length indie feature film based on the award-winning short.

I'm also a 10-year U.S. Air Force veteran, ex-NASA & Boeing employee, and owner/CEO of my own production company Narrow Path Productions Intl. Corp LLC.

I hold an associate's degree in Logistics from the Community College of the Air Force, a 2017 graduate degree in Theatre from Theatre of Arts Hollywood Performing Arts School, and an Associate Degree of Fine Arts in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy (Los Angeles) in 2019.

NYFA Alumni Network: What projects have you worked on since graduating?

D.R.: Since graduating I've focused mostly on acting appearing in everything from national commercials—such as playing Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in an NFL Thursday night football opening promo—to various other eccentric characters in indie films, tv shows and theater.

Regarding filmmaking, I was mostly focused on completing the script for my first feature film "D.R. Bellard's Shot By An Angel." It took about four years to write the script and seven years to make the film.

I could have definitely written it in four months or less but because I lacked funding and didn't know where it would come from at the time I felt no need to rush.

NYFA Alumni Network: Have you won any awards or been showcased in any festivals or competitions?

D.R.: The short film "Shot by an Angel" won a Merit Award in the "Hollywood Best Shorts" Competition.

NYFA Alumni Network: Tell us more about your film "D.R. Bellard's Shot By An Angel." What inspired the story?

D.R.: Well, actually while I was trying to decide what to write and shoot for my thesis at NYFA, I ran across a small-town news story on my social media about a teenager who shot a cop during a botched robbery attempt. The cop forgave him and the teenager's sentence was reduced tremendously. He would visit the young man in prison for years. Eventually, the young man turned his life around, gave his life to Christ and entered the ministry upon his release. But even to this day, I've searched the internet everywhere and cannot find the story again, which I think is really strange but I don't question God anymore. lol. So the forgiveness aspect of the story inspired me to write my own version of what I thought forgiveness and vengeance would look like through the eyes of a pastor & real man of God instead of a cop so I wrote and created the short film. I wanted a gritty, realistic look at faith, forgiveness and vengeance not just some cliché faith-based film about forgiveness.

NYFA Alumni Network: Your feature film grew out of your thesis short. What was the process of expanding the original short into a feature-length film, and what did you discover along the way?

D.R.: Oh my goodness.... The process of shooting a feature versus a short in my opinion, is night and day. It's a much longer process in terms of hours, days and weeks, and it can also be literally three times more expensive depending on the budget.

We shot the film in 30 days (21 days, excluding weekends) in about fifteen different locations here in L.A. so the permit and location fees were definitely a factor, not to mention the daily budget for my cast and crew.

That's when at least for me, it hits you the hardest mentally & emotionally because you certainly start to miss the days of student discounts while shooting at NYFA.

But the actual process of filming a feature versus a short was amazing because if you love being on set doing what you love with people you love watching your vision come true it's an unexplainable feeling of adrenaline & purpose I literally can't describe.

NYFA Alumni Network: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to this project and others?

D.R.: Everything. Literally everything. Directing, writing, shot selection, pre-production, production, post-editing, producing, gaffing, grip work. I could not have made this feature film at the level and quality I have without the formal training and two years of making short films while attending NYFA.

It gave me the confidence to take a huge leap of faith not only financially but emotionally. I felt prepared for the moment for any issues that might arise on or off set.

NYFA Alumni Network: When you step onto a set, what’s most important to you as a director? How do you guide your team to bring your vision to life?

D.R.: Great question! Probably the most important thing to me as a director is to come in as prepared as possible. To know exactly what the day requires, down to the last minute and shot, and to feel confident that I've hired the most talented professionals around me who want to excel at their jobs and expand my vision. Whether that's cast or crew.

Once I feel totally confident in my preparation and the talent around me I can focus on my vision for the scene and what I need emotionally from my actors.

NYFA Alumni Network: Are you currently working on any future projects?

D.R.: At the moment, not exactly. My focus has been finding theatrical distribution for the film and also seeing it through the current global festival run. Once that's complete in about a year or so, I can focus on my next feature called "KKKolor Blind."

It's about a genuine childhood friendship between two very young boys. One Black and one white starting at age 5, as we watch their relationship slowly separate and dissolve over about 20 years due to societal systemic racism, Black militarism, and Christian nationalism.

It's also currently a short film script that I wrote about 5 years ago, which I've always wanted to make. However, I would have to turn everything in my world off to sit down and develop the screenplay into a feature.

NYFA Alumni Network congratulates D.R. on all his success!

From NYFA Thesis Film to Feature Debut: D.R. Bellard on "Shot By An Angel"

2026-10-14 23:13:00

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2026-10-15 01:10:33

2026-10-15 01:03:33

Alumni NYFA

New York Film Academy alum D.R. Bellard is a filmmaker, writer, producer, actor, comedian, and U.S. Air Force veteran. In this interview, Bellard discusses his creative journey, the impact of his NYFA education, and the evolution of his award-winning thesis short film, "Shot By An Angel, into his first feature-length independent film. He also reflects on his experiences in the entertainment industry, the challenges of independent filmmaking, and what lies ahead in his career.NYFA Alumni Network: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career? D.R. Bellard: Hi, my name is D.R. Bellard, I'm a filmmaker, writer, producer, a theater-trained actor & part-time standup comedian from Humble, TX, 10 minutes outside of Houston.  As an actor I've starred in multiple theater stage productions, independent films, national commercials and music videos. As a filmmaker and director since 2017 I've written & directed nine short films such as "Love Stuck", "Incomplete," "The Fundraiser," and my NYFA Thesis short "Shot By An Angel." I'm best known as the writer/director of my emotionally dramatic thesis short film "Shot by an Angel," which won a Merit Award in the "Hollywood Best Shorts" Competition."D.R. Bellard's Shot By An Angel" is my upcoming first full-length indie feature film based on the award-winning short. I'm also a 10-year U.S. Air Force veteran, ex-NASA & Boeing employee, and owner/CEO of my own production company Narrow Path Productions Intl. Corp LLC. I hold an associate's degree in Logistics from the Community College of the Air Force, a 2017 graduate degree in Theatre from Theatre of Arts Hollywood Performing Arts School, and an Associate Degree of Fine Arts in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy (Los Angeles) in 2019.NYFA Alumni Network: What projects have you worked on since graduating?D.R.: Since graduating I've focused mostly on acting appearing in everything from national commercials—such as playing Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in an NFL Thursday night football opening promo—to various other eccentric characters in indie films, tv shows and theater.  Regarding filmmaking, I was mostly focused on completing the script for my first feature film "D.R. Bellard's Shot By An Angel." It took about four years to write the script and seven years to make the film. I could have definitely written it in four months or less but because I lacked funding and didn't know where it would come from at the time I felt no need to rush. NYFA Alumni Network: Have you won any awards or been showcased in any festivals or competitions? D.R.: The short film "Shot by an Angel" won a Merit Award in the "Hollywood Best Shorts" Competition.NYFA Alumni Network: Tell us more about your film "D.R. Bellard's Shot By An Angel." What inspired the story?D.R.: Well, actually while I was trying to decide what to write and shoot for my thesis at NYFA, I ran across a small-town news story on my social media about a teenager who shot a cop during a botched robbery attempt. The cop forgave him and the teenager's sentence was reduced tremendously. He would visit the young man in prison for years. Eventually, the young man turned his life around, gave his life to Christ and entered the ministry upon his release. But even to this day, I've searched the internet everywhere and cannot find the story again, which I think is really strange but I don't question God anymore. lol. So the forgiveness aspect of the story inspired me to write my own version of what I thought forgiveness and vengeance would look like through the eyes of a pastor & real man of God instead of a cop so I wrote and created the short film. I wanted a gritty, realistic look at faith, forgiveness and vengeance not just some cliché faith-based film about forgiveness.  NYFA Alumni Network: Your feature film grew out of your thesis short. What was the process of expanding the original short into a feature-length film, and what did you discover along the way? D.R.: Oh my goodness.... The process of shooting a feature versus a short in my opinion, is night and day. It's a much longer process in terms of hours, days and weeks, and it can also be literally three times more expensive depending on the budget.  We shot the film in 30 days (21 days, excluding weekends) in about fifteen different locations here in L.A. so the permit and location fees were definitely a factor, not to mention the daily budget for my cast and crew.  That's when at least for me, it hits you the hardest mentally & emotionally because you certainly start to miss the days of student discounts while shooting at NYFA. But the actual process of filming a feature versus a short was amazing because if you love being on set doing what you love with people you love watching your vision come true it's an unexplainable feeling of adrenaline & purpose I literally can't describe. NYFA Alumni Network: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to this project and others? D.R.: Everything. Literally everything. Directing, writing, shot selection, pre-production, production, post-editing, producing, gaffing, grip work. I could not have made this feature film at the level and quality I have without the formal training and two years of making short films while attending NYFA.  It gave me the confidence to take a huge leap of faith not only financially but emotionally. I felt prepared for the moment for any issues that might arise on or off set. NYFA Alumni Network: When you step onto a set, what’s most important to you as a director? How do you guide your team to bring your vision to life?D.R.: Great question! Probably the most important thing to me as a director is to come in as prepared as possible. To know exactly what the day requires, down to the last minute and shot, and to feel confident that I've hired the most talented professionals around me who want to excel at their jobs and expand my vision. Whether that's cast or crew. Once I feel totally confident in my preparation and the talent around me I can focus on my vision for the scene and what I need emotionally from my actors. NYFA Alumni Network: Are you currently working on any future projects?D.R.: At the moment, not exactly. My focus has been finding theatrical distribution for the film and also seeing it through the current global festival run. Once that's complete in about a year or so, I can focus on my next feature called "KKKolor Blind."  It's about a genuine childhood friendship between two very young boys. One Black and one white starting at age 5, as we watch their relationship slowly separate and dissolve over about 20 years due to societal systemic racism, Black militarism, and Christian nationalism. It's also currently a short film script that I wrote about 5 years ago, which I've always wanted to make. However, I would have to turn everything in my world off to sit down and develop the screenplay into a feature.NYFA Alumni Network congratulates D.R. on all his success!