DEATH NOTE : I am L by Bad Hombres Films

This short film was one of my earliest projects at the New York Film Academy, and one of the first times I worked with a full crew during a film production exercise. The focus of the assignment was continuity in filmmaking, ensuring that every shot clearly communicated the geography of the scene. By maintaining proper screen direction, shot composition, and character positioning, the goal was to prevent audience confusion and create a seamless flow of action. It was a challenging and rewarding experience that strengthened my understanding of visual storytelling and directing actors within a scene.

This Death Note inspired live action short film was created as part of a New York Film Academy filmmaking project focused on continuity in cinematography and shot composition. The concept explores a prequel introduction to Detective L (L Lawliet), imagining the mysterious investigator before the famous Kira investigation.

🎬 Film Details

• Starring: Won Choi as L Lawliet

• Written & Directed by: Erick Moya (New York Film Academy)

• Director of Photography: Erick Moya

• Assistant Camera: Fresna Jean Baptiste

• Lighting: Illya Cotten

• Sound: Erick Moya

• Production Assistants: Isaac Blanco, Ericka Moya

• Produced by: Bad Hombres Films

• Shot on Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York

• Camera: DJI Ronin 4D

L Lawliet, the brilliant detective from the Death Note manga and anime series, is one of my favorite characters in all of fiction. When I set out to create this short film interpretation, I wanted to write a version of the character that stayed true to the spirit of L from Death Note while also bringing my own creative perspective to the role. My goal was to maintain the integrity of the character so that fans of Death Note could still recognize and enjoy the mysterious detective, even within the format of a short independent film adaptation.

When I work on a film project, I tend to approach it with a perfectionist mindset, carefully thinking through the story, tone, cinematic style, production design, and overall visual direction. For this short film, I also wanted to explore the importance of film marketing and promotional design. To generate interest in the project among my classmates, I created a series of promotional campaign materials, including movie posters and marketing graphics designed in Adobe Photoshop. These visuals helped present the project as a fully realized independent short film production.