June 24, 2025 • 43 mins
Ever wondered how independent filmmakers create high-production value films on tight budgets? Join us as director Emelie Claxton and producer Cindy Allen reveal the ingenious strategies that transformed their short film “Doggone” from an impossible dream into a festival success story. From raising an impressive amount through crowdfunding to turning one movie theater into six different shooting locations, they share the practical wisdom they gained along the way.
This episode unpacks the power of collaboration, the importance of working with specialists rather than doing everything yourself, and the game-changing “big board” technique that kept everyone on set informed and aligned. You’ll hear how breaking traditional filmmaking rules, rekindling old friendships for fundraising, and trusting in specialized talent created a film that audiences are falling in love with.
Whether you’re an actor, filmmaker, or film enthusiast, this conversation offers valuable insights into maximizing resources and creating meaningful stories that connect with audiences. Don’t miss their final inspiring advice: “Don’t say no to yourself.”
For our listeners, CFA’s teamed up with We Make Movies to get you a discount on production management services, including access to comprehensive production insurance and workers' comp for your next shoot.
Visit wemakemovies.org/insurance and use code CFA23 on your intake form for 10% off your quote.
Calling all actors! Take 25% off your membership at WeAudition with code: CFA25
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Cinematography for Actors is a community aimed at bridging the gap between talent & crew through our weekly podcast & community events. Our weekly show supports the filmmaking community through transparent, honest & technically focused interviews with the goal of elevating the art of effective storytelling.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sorry, guys, we're gonna hold off a little bit for
the reason I keep teasing whileyou guys are here, because there
were also other wonderfulthings on set.
Like you guys had a chef therethe whole time what?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
This is the Cinematography for Actors
podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
More than a podcast.
Cinematography for Actors is avibrant community devoted to
bridging the gap between talentand crew.
Each week, our show offerstransparent, insightful
conversations with industryleaders, for Actors is a vibrant
community devoted to bridgingthe gap between talent and crew.
Each week, our show offerstransparent, insightful
conversations with industryleaders.
We unveil the magic behind thescenes, from candid discussions
about unique filmmakingprocesses to in-depth technical
exploration.
(00:38):
Join us in unraveling theintricacies of filmmaking, one
episode at a time.
It's more than just cameras andlenses.
We aim to inspire, educate andempower as we peel back the
curtain on the art of effectivestorytelling.
Now on to the episode.
Hello, welcome back to anotherepisode of Cinematography for
(00:59):
Actors podcast, which I guess weshould just call CFA podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, because we're going to change the names, uh
heads up everybody yeah anothername change for our businesses
stay cfa because we love ourlogo and people know it as cfa.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
But, like it's just, we've grown past it's
cinematography and actors andpeople are confused now yeah,
however, this chat is going tobe quite cinematography for
actors, because I've had thisidea for about two years, coming
on two years now to talk to youguys.
Let's talk about who's herewith us.
I'm Hayley Royal, your host,indiana Underhill is over there,
(01:36):
another host, and we have someguests here, very special guests
, who I've been planning to haveon this podcast for a couple of
years now.
Emily claxton, director, goahead say hello, hi, okay yeah,
go ahead, you're allowed greatstart just killing it, and cindy
(01:59):
allen producer, and is thatyour producer?
And then, do you also do otherthings you want me to tell
people about?
I was also the second ad, that'sright, right, that's important
and that's probably actuallywhat brings us here, because the
thing that blew my mind wassomething the second ad put on
(02:23):
set to help ad better and helpeveryone be on the same page,
which we'll get to, um, but I'mexcited.
So I've invited you herebecause I worked with you two on
a short film a couple of yearsago and now it's about to screen
(02:45):
at dances with films.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Yeah congratulations, thank you.
Thank you so much.
I'm so excited you guys havethe red carpet coming up.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
A carpet, yeah, a carpet, imagine so we, you know
what we earned it you guysearned it and I earned it a
little you, you're like thefirst shot, you're the second
shot of the film is just yourface and all that skincare you
do paid off Because you lookgreat.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
You set the tone.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Not only that, like even when you weren't in a scene
, you came to set to help.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
That's right, you were like extra.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Like I was an extra Three hours, I'll come Did you
shoot November?
We had like, we had twoweekends with like a month in
between.
That One was in October and onewas November.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So this is what you missed Camerimage for yes, I
remember, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So we booked our second Camerimage trip, yeah,
second camera trip, yeah.
And then I had as I want to dowith my uh adhd, I improperly
read the shoot dates and we hada pre like a production meeting,
we had a table read, yeah, andyou guys said the shoot dates
(04:00):
and my whole body went cold.
I was was like no, because we'dbooked our flights, we'd booked
our, like I was going.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
But she was so excited about this movie yeah, I
wasn't about to miss shooting.
It was just fun to likecontextualize it for me because
I just remember she was like I'mshooting, I won't be able to
make it, and I was like she's anactor, that's fine.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
But, like, at the same time, I was like, why, like
, don't you want to go to Polandin November?
Come on man, I mean, I thinkanyone who's ever listened to a
single episode of this podcastknows that, yes, we do want to
go to Poland in November, maybemore than anything else.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
We really love Poland in November like no one else, I
guess, but no, um, and Iremember this and so it's so
cool to then go to the premiere,so thanks for having us there.
And then also, um, now have youguys on the podcast.
So this is great because it'slike full circle.
I had the context, but I justremember it as this, like, oh,
hayley's shooting and me beinglike how was the shoot, you know
, like getting to ask about it,and she said it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
So and there were so many great things about that
shoot.
Not to sorry guys, we're gonnahold off a little bit for the
reason I keep teasing while youguys are here, because there
were also other wonderful thingson set, like you guys had a
chef there the whole time.
What?
Speaker 4 (05:11):
that was amazing.
Yeah, there was a chef.
We got like the universe justlike smiled upon us and we got
so lucky because this was likewe did have an extremely tight
budget.
But it just so happened thatone of our producers really good
friends was like is in theprocess of breaking into
becoming a private chef and shewas like I need content, I need
(05:33):
experience.
She was about to launch hercareer and so we were.
I mean, she did it all.
It was so long to get footagefor her own brand and to get the
experience, and it was amazingit was so much fun to walk in
there and be like what do yougot?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
today she's like what do you want?
Speaker 4 (05:51):
like she had everything and she'd make
something for you you wantedspecial things and like she
would pay attention to what youliked and make sure you had that
the next day it was.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
It was amazing it's like you know, when you're on
like a like at a big studio onlike a big shoot or something,
and you go to the back of thecatering truck and you're like,
can I have this?
Yes, taylor, like that was herapproach to absolutely
everything.
I was like would you buy me oneapple Because?
I think, I want a green apple.
Yeah, she was like yes, do youwant it cut Like, do you want it
(06:20):
?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
with a little peanut butter Some raisins Taylor Hall.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
We can shout out Taylor.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Hall.
Yeah, I think her Instagram isat Taylor Hall's Kitchen, hall's
Kitchen.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Hall's Kitchen.
Hall's Kitchen, I was wrong.
Wait, can we talk about firsthow Dogon was made?
How did you come up with it?
What is the process of bringingeach other on?
Well, you brought her onto theproject, yeah, um, let's talk
about what doggone is about, aswell as like, how did it come
together?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
the whole process.
And then I want to talk aboutthe, the years after and what
you've been doing in the yearsafter to keep this film keeps
living and giving.
So let's talk about all of it.
Oh my gosh okay, well, doggone.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Um, this this is really funny because I just I
had a friend who was a dogsitter and a writer and we had
all these conversations aboutsort of just like that, the like
day job versus the dream jobkind of duality when you're
starting out in LA, and to me Iwas like, oh my God, like a dog
sitter be a great job for awriter, because something
(07:25):
happens for you and thensomething.
It takes a little longer for thenext like for your best friend
(07:49):
to go to the next level and, um,so that kind of became like the
heart of the story was thisfriendship that initially was
just sort of a like a littleframing device and it was all
about this dog mapping andreally like, draft after draft,
um, the core relationshipbetween Jamie and Saf sort of
like took over and, uh, I lovethat because it created such a
(08:10):
like emotional story and it, um,you know, got got this great
like friendship moment at theend.
Um, and I I wrote this basicallythinking like, okay, it's a
film about a dog, I'll nevermake this.
Like, I'll never make this,like there's no way.
So I'll just one rule no number, no pets, no kids, like I'm
just gonna write this, I'm justgonna have fun with this draft,
(08:35):
and I don't even have to worryabout how, how it gets made,
because I'm never gonna makethis and it just like.
But people kept liking it,people kept like, you know,
connecting to the script, and Ikept working on it and working
on it and eventually I reached apoint where it was like okay,
am I going to make this Likelet's, let's figure it out, and
(08:55):
I it.
I knew that it was going to bebig and after a while that
started to really excite me,because this was sort of right
after the pandemic and I'd donea couple really small scale
films where it was just like insomeone's apartment.
It was only with people we knew, um, just like people doing
favor, we would like cast like ahusband and wife team, because
they were in a bubble, like itwas all very, um, like what,
(09:19):
what we could do, uh, withinstrict limitations.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Good for you for still making stuff during the
pandemic, by the way, andputting it together, because
that's a lot of work, but it'snice to use the resources you
have, especially as independentfilmmakers.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
So good on you for doing that, thank you, and
that's kind of what I wasn'treally into comedy until that
happened, and it kind of waslike the world was such a dark
place.
But I started working on thesecomedy projects that were like
little sketches and it and itlike I think it was like the
first time we were able to havean in-person screening, getting
(09:53):
like the crowd laughing, yeah,at my film, like that was like a
drug and I was like, okay, yeah, I gotta, I'm gonna chase that
high, um.
And then, uh, got got excitedabout the challenge of making
something bigger and so wereally tried to.
It was like, okay, well, wehave this dog, we know it's
(10:14):
going to be a bigger thing.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
We have a dog, we have a dog yeah, um, yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
So so we started pushing it and, uh, taking on
bigger and bigger crew and wedid a crowdfunding campaign.
That was like the first timeI'd ever done such a huge
crowdfunding campaign.
Um, that was really tough.
And bringing on cindy was ahuge sort of elevation in the
project, because that sort ofwas when a lot of things that we
had hoped for right became real, because we had someone who was
(10:43):
like okay, I'm great and I'mgoing to execute on all of this.
It was awesome.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah, I feel like you really like fed that in me,
though, cause I read the scriptand I was just like so hungry
for like working on something,and you know, I was still
freelancing at the time, so Iwas in between projects and I
was just like I need something,and this script was so big and
it did break those rules that Ihad been taught, you know, and I
(11:09):
was like you know what I've gotthe time and like I know that
this is a person who ispassionate about it as well with
Emily, and so I just knew thatit was going to happen and I
don't know, it was kind offreeing, like not being employed
and this just being anincredibly robust passion
project, that I just that really, really fueled me, like seeing
(11:32):
how passionate you were andknowing that, no matter what
this was going to get made, ifit was on the timeline that we
hoped for, you know great, but Iknew that Emily was not backing
down from this, and I reallyneeded that, because I had lived
in LA for probably like fouryears at that point and I hadn't
worked on a single likepersonal project.
(11:53):
I'd like been freelancing, but Ihadn't, like I was writing my
own stuff here and there, butthis was the first thing that I
was able to actually see come tolife in LA and that was really
huge for me, and that's ofthat's the main reason that I
emailed Emily and I was like hey, I want to work on this.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
That's so great to hear, because you fall into this
sort of trap, I think when youhave, when you have a small
budget, when it's a passionproject, you feel like you're
asking for so much and you arelike you truly are.
You're asking for people's time.
You're asking for their muchand you are like you truly are.
You're asking for people's time.
You're asking for their talent,their passion and even like
even casting actors like there'sjust this feeling of like oh
god, like I can't you know Ican't pay people as much as they
(12:32):
deserve and like they're gonnahave to take, give their time.
But, um, like the process ofdoing this project really sort
of showed me that there arepeople who really love that.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, like hailey, shows up three hours early side,
though, it's like people whosee the story and go like, oh, I
want to be part of that.
I don't care like they see yourvision and it's.
You're no longer asking themfor a favor.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You're building something together as a team can
we also talk about, about yourso we're you know it keeps
coming up like Passion Project,like there wasn't a lot of
resources, but like it's a highproduction value film the way it
turned out Can we talk aboutfor those that are listening and
doing their own projects, whatyou think it is that led to such
a kind of insane productionvalue on the screen.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
I mean, emily has definitely spent years building
these relationships, um, withour DP, uh, patrick, we actually
had a split DP team, patrick,uziel and and so I think that
that really came into play andmy connections as well.
It's.
It's interesting because Emilycomes from commercial directing
(13:44):
and, um, I came from freelancingjust as like a PA on network TV
shows and things like that, andso we both had these different
like experiences that when theycame together, I think they just
aligned so perfectly.
You know, because I it was easyto communicate.
Yeah, cause I knew like how, uh,you know, 10 season running
(14:07):
show operated, and so I was like, okay, like theoretically I
know how to execute this, butit's going to be on a smaller
scale and Emily is just like apowerhouse of creating content
and stuff.
Like, you have so many projectsunder your belt, which is
really incredible, and I think,like because you have that
ability to navigate and andbring your own projects to life
(14:28):
with the resources you have.
And I had this experience oflike okay, here's how people
with million dollar budgetsexecute these kinds of things,
the smart things they do right,like we kind of picked and chose
what worked the best for us,and I mean the crowdfunding
campaign.
Emily like absolutely killedthat.
We raised an insane amount ofmoney.
It's the most successfulcrowdfunding campaign I've ever
seen wow what was your, what wasyour approach there?
Speaker 4 (14:52):
yes to be able to do that everyone, everyone is very
going back, I guess, about a tonof money through, like I mean
it's, it's like the secret is,so on.
Like unsatisfying it really isto just like tell every single
person you've ever met in yourentire life like go to them and
(15:15):
ask them for money which isbravery at its finest, and
confidence, because, like, it'sreally hard to do that.
I mean, it was like it was.
I had a lot of really greatadvice.
It was like one month, 30 days,making sure that there was like
a strict timeline, that you hadlike targets to hit, and then
(15:36):
just having having a team likeCindy came on.
I think halfway through thecrowdfunding campaign was when
you joined up.
Halfway through thecrowdfunding campaign was when
you joined up.
But having like the producersand just people in my life who
are not in the film industry,just sort of casting a wide net
and really just sort of um, ifyou're like the director or
you're the, the main, um, theperson leading the ship, like
(16:00):
you just have to know that youare going to put more work into
it than anyone else and be okaywith that and be like you just
have to push it.
And it was, you know, it waslike emails that would go out
like every, every other.
You know, every week therewould be a huge mass email and
then you'd be facebook messaginglike old classmates from like
high school like hey girl,what's up?
(16:21):
I haven't spoken to you in likea decade.
Will you give me money?
It feels crazy and you feelcrazy and honestly, it was like
the hardest part of the process,but it was really.
I mean it really opened a lotof doors to like people that I
hadn't.
I mean it was kind of cool,like you, did you rekindle any
(16:42):
old dormant friendships?
Yeah, I mean it was likestarted conversations, got
coffee with some people Like Idid, yeah, my long distance
friendships from, like highschool and college.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I was like hitting them up, like I'm doing this
thing, like I know I'm askingyou for something, but I do want
to know how you're doing aswell.
Yeah, and yeah, I mean I hadlike a three hour FaceTime like
a friend from college that Ireally hadn't spoken to in like
you know, in depth for a longtime.
So I think it's just a matterof like.
I think we all know that, likeeveryone has seen a crowdfunding
(17:14):
campaign come across their feed.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
No matter what, especially in LA, as filmmakers,
yes.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
But, like everybody is crowdfunding, crowdfunding
for anything now, and so we allknow that the question is going
to arise of can you help me withthis?
Can you donate, like donatesome financial assistance to us?
And so for me I guess it's justlike maybe delusion, but I was
like well, everybody knows that,like people crowdfund, I'm just
gonna ask yeah, yeah, and.
(17:39):
I think that you just have tokind of adopt that, like you
were saying.
You know that, like for thedirector putting in more work
than anyone else, um, you haveto kind of adopt that, like you
were saying.
You, you know that, like forthe director putting in more
work than anyone else, um, youhave to know that some people
are going to say no, and that'sfine some people are not going
to answer you, and that's fine,but and so who?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
cares.
Yeah, yeah, some people, somepeople surprise you.
Yeah, parents of friends willlike donate so you might share.
Yeah, yeah and reject.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
It's kind of like rejection therapy.
Yes, definitely, it's like thepeople that like lie on like a
yoga mat on the sidewalk andsomeone walks down like what are
you doing?
They're like rejection there,yeah, and it's like that's what.
That's what crowdfunding iseveryone?
Um, but I side tangent.
I do a lot of these today, I'verealized.
But uh, have you guys heard ofrepublic?
(18:22):
no, the restaurant republic,republic, fantastic stuff.
No, republic is something welearned at Cannes, heard from
the founder, no, the marketingguy or something.
But Republic is instead ofdonations and crowdfunding.
It's crowdfunding for equity.
So you actually are askingpeople to invest in your movie
(18:45):
Crowdinvesting and it's aplatform that handles all the
contracts and is it FIDC, fdic,fdic all of like the forms and
paperwork and validate yourbuyers and control your
waterfall.
So you retain your percentagesas the filmmakers, but then the
pool investors um it, it does itfor you.
(19:07):
So you actually can sign up onthe website and then like get
backed by your investors.
You can send it out to peopleand now be like hey, do you want
like a back end if it makes anymoney, instead of just like
donating?
Yeah, and that's something I'vebeen researching.
That's why I bring it up,because I'm like crowdfunding
feels like this weird like thingthat's almost too done now,
like we've done it right andit's successful and it's like
(19:28):
done, but I'm like what is thenew thing?
And obviously we have fiscalsponsorship Right.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Like crowdfunding, is like the baby kindergarten
framework of something likefiscal sponsorship right.
Because, you're asking peopleto just like give you money and
get nothing back Maybe like amovie ticket or a hat or
something.
Right, because you're askingpeople to just like give you
money and get nothing back maybelike a movie ticket or a hat or
something.
It's not incentivized.
It's not that incentivized, soyou could incentivize it through
fiscal sponsorship or you cango this other route with
(19:54):
crowdsource investing, yes, andthen they're like getting their
money back yeah sometimes.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
So I bring it up only because it's something I've
been researching a lot and whenwe're talking about crowdfunding
, I'm like I feel like this willbe the next wave for like
features or features, becausethat's where you would actually
maybe make your money back.
But you know, I feel likethat's the next iteration for a
lot of like the filmmakingcareers of independent film
we're going to see, because wealready have that network we
know to reach out to that.
We're not afraid to be like hey, this did well.
(20:20):
Yeah, do you want to come onfor the full?
Speaker 1 (20:22):
like so now, on top of crowdfunding and begging
people to give you money, nowyou can be like yes, I'm asking
you for money, but you're aninvestor.
There's a possibility.
It's a little bit sexier.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
That's really cool.
The crowdfunding.
I think it is fueled by likethe someone told me early on
that, um, people genuinely wantto help each other.
Yeah, and like that's why itworks.
Yeah, and that was like huge.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And I think that's like.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
The reason this project exists was like trying
to was figuring that out, andjust like, oh okay, Like yeah.
There's a whole world of peoplehere who, like, genuinely just
want to make stuff and want tohelp each other and want to see
the story that you're talkingabout because it's fun.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
So what did you like?
So, okay, yeah, let's get tothe thing.
So cinematography for actorsit's early.
It's it's early incinematography for actors like
my.
It's like my first thing thatI've booked after started
cinematography directors withIndie.
So I'm thinking how do I makethis process for me fit into
(21:31):
what I've been talking about,that I need and want?
So I don't know if you guysremember, but I feel like I was
very annoyingly early up frontbeing like, yes, can't wait, so
excited to do this with you,would love to see any visual
planning that you have.
Like, yes, can't wait, soexcited to do this with you,
would love to see any visualplanning that you have.
Like, please send through anystoryboards to me, please send
(21:51):
through any kind of visual,anything Like, if you have,
what's the vision boarding oranything.
And I asked about that a lotbecause I was like I want to
know the context of things.
And then we were really lucky,I feel like, because we got a
couple of rehearsal days even,which were so much fun yeah,
(22:14):
which because we got the tableread and then we got two
rehearsal days with Jonah and meto work through the bar scene.
Yeah, that was so much fun.
I so that was so much fun.
I remember that it was so muchfun and then I felt so prepared
to come on set and be like Iknow exactly what they want.
And then the big thing thatblew my mind was I walk on set
(22:39):
that day and there's a big foamboard what are you talking about
?
The doctor painted the big foamboard.
That was the project we wereshooting a commercial, but it
was great because it's longer,it's narrative, and then there
were big X's through the setupsthat were already done.
So it didn't matter where I'dbeen, if I'd been in makeup or
just like hanging out, I couldcome to set and I never even
(23:02):
once said what are we doing, orlike felt like I were.
I was lost.
I knew I could walk.
The AD in me was like this wasthe thing.
I knew.
I could walk straight to thatboard and be like we're doing
exactly the shot right now and Iknew from rehearsal what that
meant for me.
What made you guys decide to do?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
that that was Emily.
Truly no.
Full credit goes to Nick Ibarra.
He's an AD that I've workedwith on on countless commercial
jobs and he is just like agenius and he loves a big board
and usually it's just like ashot list or a.
It's a schedule broken down byshot list so that we can so
throughout the day like he'sstanding at it and like making
(23:42):
notes or like crossing thingsout or moving things, but like a
physical, tangible, becauseit's like, oh well, we all have
that on our ipad.
Or like, oh, anyone can like golook at a producer's laptop
guess who can't do that?
Speaker 1 (23:53):
actors.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Yeah, that's right sorry, um, but it literally
creates like a.
It's having a physical space onset and literally we'll do like
the dp will put a light on it sothat it has a little light and,
um it, it creates a gatheringspace and it's kind of this
weird like ritual, sort ofsacred little little pocket of
(24:14):
like.
Okay, now we're gonna go overthe big board, we're gonna talk
about what we're doing and forthis it was awesome because we
had, we did almost the entire,we storyboarded almost the
entire thing.
There was like one sequence wecould not storyboard because we
couldn't scout.
We like lost a location.
It was crazy.
We kind of had to wing it.
But yeah, we did a lot ofstoryboards, we did a lot of
previs and that was superhelpful because we were also one
(24:38):
of the things you asked aquestion about maximizing your
production value.
We had sort the the the ace inthe hole for us was we had this
location that was actually amovie theater in downtown LA, um
, and our producers had, like,worked with them before.
So we had this sort ofrelationship and this access to
(24:58):
the space and we used this onemovie theater for like six
different locations it was somodular.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah, the kitchen was in there too, like the big
kitchen, the taylor was coffeeshop scene, the bar scene, the.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
There was like saff's photo shoot scene.
There was like we did a greenscreen setup, we did the club
scene.
Um, we did that last scene, allthe back seats.
We, we used pipe and drape tobuild a series of hallways and
dressing rooms.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
It looked so good.
It looked like it was just likea backstage.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
There's a whole fashion show element, right,
yeah, the set with the likestage, and it was amazing.
I was like trying to remember,since I watched it, all of the
locations.
I was like you had a lot goingon I forgot about it.
Like I remember looking and Iremember it was like visually
dynamic but like there was a lotof variety.
But I was like, oh my god, yeah, the whole fashion show party
(25:52):
backstage part and the animalstuff like throughout, yeah,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
And then also a great holding space for background
for the day I worked, backgroundon entire theater with comfy
seats.
Yeah, yep, it was.
It was really amazing yeah,yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
And that was also like this great moment, cause I
was really resistant when I waswriting it to like I I got
feedback where it was like oh,we have to see Jamie get fired
at the coffee shop, like, wehave to see like.
And I wrote the bar scene withyou, um, which I love so much.
But I wrote that in a draft.
I was like everyone's going totell me to cut this, like no, I
know we won't get to shoot thisbecause it's like in a bar?
(26:27):
it's not really plot heavy.
It's more like a mo.
It's a very like emotionalscene.
It's very funny, but like it'sa bar, right, don't you like a
coffee shop, a bar?
Like there are certainlocations that you just like are
not supposed to plan for if youhave low budget but you already
had a dog, we had a dog,whatever we'll go anywhere like
figuring out that the coffeeshop only had to be a shot,
(26:49):
reverse shot.
Yeah, we only had to dress twolittle like and it really was.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Yes, it was with a board and a pump pot and I was
like coffee shop, amazing, yeahthat little sign you did.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
yeah, we had like a little like sunlight to make it
feel like a window.
It was actually it's theconcession stand at the movie
theater and the projection booth.
We like shot light through theprojection booth window and that
felt like a sliding glass door.
What was that scout?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
like who went on that scout with you and how many
people had ideas in there to beable to that was so.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
That was our first scout and I was there.
Emily was there.
Um, our other producer, daniel,was there.
Caitlin design yes, ourincredible production designer,
who is a huge reason why thisspace was so functional for us,
because she just was like, ohyes, I know how to do all of
that with this blank space,right, right, and I remember
(27:51):
looking at it and my husband hadworked at the theater, so I was
very familiar with the space.
And we go in and we're standingat the concession stand like,
okay, this is a coffee shop.
And I'm like there with my iPadlike where, where's the coffee
shop and where are all theseother 10 places also in here?
You know, and Caitlin, justkind of you know, production
(28:12):
designer-esque, she breaks outthe, the measuring tape.
She's like, oh, we can justbuild a very small little plug,
like a four foot plug to put ontop of this bar on the back wall
, and that is like the menu,that's where all the coffee like
accessory things are.
And that that's kind of when Iwas like, okay, this is gonna
work, like everybody here knowshow to do this.
(28:33):
Patrick's talking about going upon the roof, like because there
are skylights in there, andtalking about making the
production or the um, theprojection booth, work as a
window and like a light source.
And I think that's kind of whenit all started to click for us.
And I do remember that dayspecifically.
I think that our tech scoutthere, just at that location,
(28:53):
was about six hours.
Whoa, that sounds right.
I do remember all of us beinglike, okay, I gotta eat, um, and
then I can go to the nextlocation.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Let me go somewhere else.
Yeah, oh, my gosh.
Yeah, so that is like figuringout what you actually need to
tell the audience.
Coffee shop you might not needlike the full location.
That was like a huge thing formaximizing the budget, I think,
for the bar we literally have,like you did, your, I'm about to
(29:26):
she's about to Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Don't need the full location.
What's in the frame?
Do your visual slam?
Speaker 2 (29:34):
That's all you need.
The importance of prep yeah,that's why we're here.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
And finding people to do the jobs that you don't know
how to do.
That's often lost on, like whenyou're starting out.
I know.
For me it was yes, I was like,oh, I have to do everything, I
have to pick the costuming andthe you know the set design and
the transportation.
I have to figure all that outand the food, and I don't know
how you found all of thesewonderful people.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
This was my first narrative project where I had
had a dedicated productiondesigner, which, in my life,
yeah, yeah, like, oh wow, whichis insane.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I, when we shot Murphy's Ranch here, we did a
short I that I produced and Idon't need a production designer
, and I just went, really, andhe goes, yeah, like I can do it,
and I went, okay, and I juststarted listing all the things.
Okay, what about this prop thatneeds to be handmade, that
doesn't exist in this world?
What about these labels?
(30:30):
What about the tubing they'recarrying on their shoulder?
What about, like, where they'resitting, where is he smoking?
Where, like what on the secondfloor?
Like, are we gonna add curtains?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
because, like it doesn't work for what you want
indy is really good at it'smaking you feel like shit
Hearing the decision you'retrying to make and making you
feel really nervous about itreally quick.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Immediately he was like, oh yeah, I didn't think
about that.
And I was like, yeah, you don'thave the energy to work with
five actors and a location, with30 crew and build all of his
own props and do all the props.
You just like aren't gonna wantto do that and also like you're
gonna hate it in the final editbecause you're gonna notice some
(31:13):
shit is not there, and it'slike production design.
I think.
Like for yeah, for shorts ishuge and it just shows how you
could maximize your locationsbecause you had a good
production designer thinkingahead that we wouldn't normally
be able to like break down, no,just a coffee shop, no worries.
Like save yourself that by likehaving the best collaborators,
(31:33):
which means not doing ityourself, but like that is a
lesson you have to learn by likemaking that mistake once you
know, learning to let go too,because I remember walking in
and thinking like okay, danieland I know this space the best
right, we've been here the most.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
And like he and I are having these conversations
about like, what about, like thecountertop?
Like how are we going to dothis?
Will this work?
Like can we scooch this pieceof furniture, whatever?
And then I'm on the stout andCaitlin is there and like this
is not my lane.
The role of a good producer anda good director, I think are to
(32:09):
is to bring on people who canhandle the things that you can't
handle.
Yeah, and that is such animportant thing to accept when
you're making these kinds ofprojects is like it can be your
baby, but you don't have to bethe one to do absolutely
everything.
It will not turn out the waythat you want if you're doing
that, because having an outsideperspective is just invaluable
these kinds of things it was.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
It was working with people on this film that like,
really, because it's not, it'snot necessarily that you can't
do it, like, you could likefigure it out right, but it was
working with, like, like Patrickand Caitlin.
Um, patrick, one of thecinematographers, like he, he
this was a moment that reallystruck me.
He didn't want me to have thegear loaded into my car, he
(32:52):
didn't want me to have to staylate overnight and pack
everything up and I just I waslike oh, what, what?
Speaker 1 (32:58):
like I thought it was helping.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
I thought it was like help, you know, like I can, I
can, like I know I can, but hewas like no, I want you to be
able to like have the space andlike, yeah, there's, it's, it's,
it's sort of that understandingof like, oh no, I have a
different job.
That's really that's important,forever to make all this other
work worth it and efficient andyou're barely gonna have enough
time to do your own job, rightyou know like so doing anything
(33:22):
else added on is just like likea nightmare.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
But moving to that transition could be difficult,
right, Because we all come froma world where it's like
independent film.
We all work hard, we all pitchin, we all put Gak in our car
and we're like pulling away fromthat, to be like, wait, I don't
have to do that anymore.
Like that almost feels bad,like it almost feels like you're
(33:44):
telling everyone else you'renot working hard with them
anymore.
But that's not what it?
Is, but it's like it's a hardtransition to make yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Well, you have a responsibility to be good at the
job that you've taken on and ifdoing you can't, you have no
responsibility to be good atsomeone else's job.
Yeah, right, and so I thinkthat it's kind of like similar
to the crowdfunding I feel likeI just put on like my armor of
like I'm a producer.
I am asking my friends that Iwent to elementary school with,
as Cindy, their elementaryschool cohort, whatever, but I'm
(34:15):
asking them as a producer andwhen I'm on set, I am a producer
and I know that I am executingthat well, because I'm worried
about the things that I need todo.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
And I have finally gotten to a point in my career
where I can let go of the thingsthat I don't need to do.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
If someone asks for help, obviously I'll say yes,
but or to have the person who'syou know like facilitate the yes
, yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
And so what has been the response from audiences?
Speaker 3 (34:45):
People laughing out loud they love it.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Yeah, I love sochi.
There's like a first shot.
The first shot of sochi is whois the dog the dog?
Yes yes, um, it's just, itkills a lot of yes, so many
squeals.
Yeah, it's incredible, yeah,it's great, I love it.
I love getting to like and thenpeople coming up afterwards and
talking about it and I think alot of people are surprised at
(35:12):
the um like, at the relationshipthat happened, like the
friendship yeah being the core,like I've had people ask me like
oh, I did not expect.
I thought it was just going tobe like a funny dog napping
caper, which it starts off as,but then there there's.
You know there's a little moreto it.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Friendship.
There's a little bit ofeveryone, especially people who
live in LA.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Yep, la types.
Yeah, exactly, so people canwatch it really soon.
They buy a ticket, I mean thisone.
It dances with them before.
Oh it will.
Are you going to?
Yes, spend it with Lester?
Yes, oh my God, that's apromise I made Before, when,
before the 24th.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Oh yeah, You're fine.
I thought it was in two days.
No filmmaker party, Somethingelse.
It's like I can't do today.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Technically, the film festival kicked off today, but
our screening is on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
We'll get it out in time before the screening right?
Speaker 3 (36:08):
yeah, I promised awesome that's her workflow.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
After receiving this, tell us how we did.
Yeah, I love that.
What is, uh?
What's next for you guys?
Speaker 4 (36:14):
oh, my goodness um.
I am working on a feature filmcool, horror feature amazing
check out republic.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
I will I know yeah this is literally horror, right,
yeah yeah that's a good one,yeah, and what are you doing?
Oh, what am I not doing?
Speaker 3 (36:31):
I've had too much coffee um, I am actually going
to be relocated to chicago laterthis year.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Big we were just there, awesome congratulations.
Are you from Chicago?
What's the Chicago vibe Like?
Why are you headed just there,why, why, tell me about it.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Yeah, I love Chicago.
I never shut up about it.
I'm wearing my Wild WestMidwest shirt.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Looking at it for so long during this.
I love it.
Thank you so much.
I keep reading it too, and Ilove it, thank you.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
I went to school in Chicago and my husband's family
lives there and I just amexcited for a change.
I'm really thankful that I metEmily and had the opportunity to
collaborate with her here, butI'm really excited to go kind of
bring that energy to Chicago,and I also am still going to.
(37:22):
I work for an agency here andit's remote, thank gosh, so I
will be keeping that job, soI'll be back and forth, which is
fantastic, but so exciting.
Yeah, when are you going?
Wow, september or October?
Do you have a house, we do not,no, no, but I'm going to sell
someone.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
You're a producer, You'll be fine, it's such a cute
area.
You're a producer.
It's such a cute area.
We were there.
What's the area I liked thathad the little knitting shop or
whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
It was really cute it was there.
Were you near water?
There was a few hills, livingthere.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Were we near water?
No, no, we really had fun.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
We had a good time, but we don't know where we were.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Yeah, amazing, tell your joke, the bean joke, the
chicago joke, it is soinappropriate.
It's fine, it's our podcast, wecan do.
Okay, all right uh.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
I got in a taxi and I said to the driver the male
driver, uh, take me to the bean.
And he said I don't know whereit is.
And I said typical good shecame up with that that is really
good, because I wanted to gosee the bean, and we did see it
in a taxi actually so it's cold.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
So I just said I'll take a photo like as we're
passing, and I timed worry aboutwhat's in the frame.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
We went to the bean.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
We did so we'll probably see you in Chicago next
time we go, because we went fora convention.
I did so.
We'll probably see you inChicago next time we go, because
we went for a convention.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
I would love that.
Yeah, there's an awesome filmscene there.
My husband is starting atheater there like a brick and
mortar theater so we'll talkabout that later she ran a pub
theater in London.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
I did oh we will talk about this I have a lot to say,
please.
I have a lot to hear.
Yeah, I have a lot to say and alot to ask.
Yeah, that's going to be great.
I'm going to be in Chicago soon.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Bye everybody, because she's also doing improv,
so maybe you could fulfill that.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
There you go, and if you need a comedian who has one
Chicago show To open everything,I'm also good at singing
Chicago, but you can find it onour Instagram.
So I want to talk about thingswe learned here today.
Pool your resources andrekindle old friendships and ask
(39:34):
directly for money.
Don't be scared.
Rejection therapy is good.
Also, have a big board on set,please.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Every actor begs you because, when we come out yeah,
that's what I like.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
Yeah, but it's lit and everyone goes to everyone
goes there, so you can be likethis is next right and yep, yeah
and it doesn't have to be huge.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
I mean, it's a piece of old, it's like a board yeah
with an old like yeah with older, the better the oldest tape,
raggedy cardboard.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Yes, you can find in a car stand and you know yeah,
have someone pop, that's it.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
We're really hurting for that, because the the most
terrible feeling on set is beinglet out of holding and you're
in your costume and you're readyto do a good job and you're
standing there and they're allset up and they're like, okay,
let's go.
And you're like what are wedoing?
Like no one told me where weare and I've been away in my
(40:31):
trailer and holding.
I haven't been on set.
Which actors?
You can spend more time on setif you want, um, but sometimes
it feels like we're not allowedto.
Um, coming out and not being onthe same page with everyone is
terrifying.
So that big board is a big partof things we learned about
(40:52):
Republic.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
We also learned about having good collaborators and
being able to let go of control,hiring the people you work with
Work with women.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:01):
Always, forever.
And drink your diet Pepsi in ateacup cheers any other tidbits
you want to leave us with today?
Speaker 3 (41:14):
um, I guess I would just say reading this script was
the longest short that I'veever read and it has so it had
so many huge things in it and itkind of, like you know, set off
a few little alarm bells for mewith the dog and I don't know.
I just I think there's alwaysgoing to be a reason to say no.
(41:37):
There's always going to besomething that someone has told
you you shouldn't do becauseit's going to be too difficult,
but you might as well at leasttry.
I remember what we werescouting one day and we were
talking about doors at at thethe location and they had these
big bars on the windows and weneeded them to open a certain
way.
And I looked at emily.
I was like why don't we justtake it off the hinges?
And that really has stuck withme.
(41:59):
I said it, my, I'm so inspiringto myself um, I do that too.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
I laugh at my own jokes and people are like you're
the only one that laughed and Isaid that's the point of life.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Yeah, yeah, you know, just if you look at it in a
different way, in a way that'snot, yeah, thinking that it's
impossible, then you'll find asolution to it.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
You know, don't say no to yourself yes, yeah don't
say no to yourself, give it tous again, emily.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
Don't say no to yourself well and that's all
that's me wait, wait, no, she ohnc doggone.
Uh yeah, at dances with filmson tuesday at 7 pm at the
chinese theater, at the tclchinese theater, get a ticket
for an entire shorts block.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Come for dogggone, stay for the rest of them.
Actually, I think Doggone isthe last, isn't it?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (42:51):
We don't know.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Come and see it at some point Also.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Drop your Instagrams, please, if you want, mine is
CindyAllen02, I think.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Mine is my name, emily Claxton, e-m-e-l-i-e we'll
put them in the show notes soyou can find these wonderful
creators awesome.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Thanks, guys.
Thanks for coming.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
Bye everybody join us in bridging the gap between
talent and crew.
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(43:36):
make it easier for otherlisteners to find us.
Sorry, guys, we're gonna hold off a little bit for
the reason I keep teasing whileyou guys are here, because there
were also other wonderfulthings on set.
Like you guys had a chef therethe whole time what?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
This is the Cinematography for Actors
podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
More than a podcast.
Cinematography for Actors is avibrant community devoted to
bridging the gap between talentand crew.
Each week, our show offerstransparent, insightful
conversations with industryleaders, for Actors is a vibrant
community devoted to bridgingthe gap between talent and crew.
Each week, our show offerstransparent, insightful
conversations with industryleaders.
We unveil the magic behind thescenes, from candid discussions
about unique filmmakingprocesses to in-depth technical
exploration.
(00:38):
Join us in unraveling theintricacies of filmmaking, one
episode at a time.
It's more than just cameras andlenses.
We aim to inspire, educate andempower as we peel back the
curtain on the art of effectivestorytelling.
Now on to the episode.
Hello, welcome back to anotherepisode of Cinematography for
(00:59):
Actors podcast, which I guess weshould just call CFA podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, because we're going to change the names, uh
heads up everybody yeah anothername change for our businesses
stay cfa because we love ourlogo and people know it as cfa.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
But, like it's just, we've grown past it's
cinematography and actors andpeople are confused now yeah,
however, this chat is going tobe quite cinematography for
actors, because I've had thisidea for about two years, coming
on two years now to talk to youguys.
Let's talk about who's herewith us.
I'm Hayley Royal, your host,indiana Underhill is over there,
(01:36):
another host, and we have someguests here, very special guests
, who I've been planning to haveon this podcast for a couple of
years now.
Emily claxton, director, goahead say hello, hi, okay yeah,
go ahead, you're allowed greatstart just killing it, and cindy
(01:59):
allen producer, and is thatyour producer?
And then, do you also do otherthings you want me to tell
people about?
I was also the second ad, that'sright, right, that's important
and that's probably actuallywhat brings us here, because the
thing that blew my mind wassomething the second ad put on
(02:23):
set to help ad better and helpeveryone be on the same page,
which we'll get to, um, but I'mexcited.
So I've invited you herebecause I worked with you two on
a short film a couple of yearsago and now it's about to screen
(02:45):
at dances with films.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Yeah congratulations, thank you.
Thank you so much.
I'm so excited you guys havethe red carpet coming up.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
A carpet, yeah, a carpet, imagine so we, you know
what we earned it you guysearned it and I earned it a
little you, you're like thefirst shot, you're the second
shot of the film is just yourface and all that skincare you
do paid off Because you lookgreat.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
You set the tone.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Not only that, like even when you weren't in a scene
, you came to set to help.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
That's right, you were like extra.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Like I was an extra Three hours, I'll come Did you
shoot November?
We had like, we had twoweekends with like a month in
between.
That One was in October and onewas November.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So this is what you missed Camerimage for yes, I
remember, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So we booked our second Camerimage trip, yeah,
second camera trip, yeah.
And then I had as I want to dowith my uh adhd, I improperly
read the shoot dates and we hada pre like a production meeting,
we had a table read, yeah, andyou guys said the shoot dates
(04:00):
and my whole body went cold.
I was was like no, because we'dbooked our flights, we'd booked
our, like I was going.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
But she was so excited about this movie yeah, I
wasn't about to miss shooting.
It was just fun to likecontextualize it for me because
I just remember she was like I'mshooting, I won't be able to
make it, and I was like she's anactor, that's fine.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
But, like, at the same time, I was like, why, like
, don't you want to go to Polandin November?
Come on man, I mean, I thinkanyone who's ever listened to a
single episode of this podcastknows that, yes, we do want to
go to Poland in November, maybemore than anything else.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
We really love Poland in November like no one else, I
guess, but no, um, and Iremember this and so it's so
cool to then go to the premiere,so thanks for having us there.
And then also, um, now have youguys on the podcast.
So this is great because it'slike full circle.
I had the context, but I justremember it as this, like, oh,
hayley's shooting and me beinglike how was the shoot, you know
, like getting to ask about it,and she said it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
So and there were so many great things about that
shoot.
Not to sorry guys, we're gonnahold off a little bit for the
reason I keep teasing while youguys are here, because there
were also other wonderful thingson set, like you guys had a
chef there the whole time.
What?
Speaker 4 (05:11):
that was amazing.
Yeah, there was a chef.
We got like the universe justlike smiled upon us and we got
so lucky because this was likewe did have an extremely tight
budget.
But it just so happened thatone of our producers really good
friends was like is in theprocess of breaking into
becoming a private chef and shewas like I need content, I need
(05:33):
experience.
She was about to launch hercareer and so we were.
I mean, she did it all.
It was so long to get footagefor her own brand and to get the
experience, and it was amazingit was so much fun to walk in
there and be like what do yougot?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
today she's like what do you want?
Speaker 4 (05:51):
like she had everything and she'd make
something for you you wantedspecial things and like she
would pay attention to what youliked and make sure you had that
the next day it was.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
It was amazing it's like you know, when you're on
like a like at a big studio onlike a big shoot or something,
and you go to the back of thecatering truck and you're like,
can I have this?
Yes, taylor, like that was herapproach to absolutely
everything.
I was like would you buy me oneapple Because?
I think, I want a green apple.
Yeah, she was like yes, do youwant it cut Like, do you want it
(06:20):
?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
with a little peanut butter Some raisins Taylor Hall.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
We can shout out Taylor.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Hall.
Yeah, I think her Instagram isat Taylor Hall's Kitchen, hall's
Kitchen.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Hall's Kitchen.
Hall's Kitchen, I was wrong.
Wait, can we talk about firsthow Dogon was made?
How did you come up with it?
What is the process of bringingeach other on?
Well, you brought her onto theproject, yeah, um, let's talk
about what doggone is about, aswell as like, how did it come
together?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
the whole process.
And then I want to talk aboutthe, the years after and what
you've been doing in the yearsafter to keep this film keeps
living and giving.
So let's talk about all of it.
Oh my gosh okay, well, doggone.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Um, this this is really funny because I just I
had a friend who was a dogsitter and a writer and we had
all these conversations aboutsort of just like that, the like
day job versus the dream jobkind of duality when you're
starting out in LA, and to me Iwas like, oh my God, like a dog
sitter be a great job for awriter, because something
(07:25):
happens for you and thensomething.
It takes a little longer for thenext like for your best friend
(07:49):
to go to the next level and, um,so that kind of became like the
heart of the story was thisfriendship that initially was
just sort of a like a littleframing device and it was all
about this dog mapping andreally like, draft after draft,
um, the core relationshipbetween Jamie and Saf sort of
like took over and, uh, I lovethat because it created such a
(08:10):
like emotional story and it, um,you know, got got this great
like friendship moment at theend.
Um, and I I wrote this basicallythinking like, okay, it's a
film about a dog, I'll nevermake this.
Like, I'll never make this,like there's no way.
So I'll just one rule no number, no pets, no kids, like I'm
just gonna write this, I'm justgonna have fun with this draft,
(08:35):
and I don't even have to worryabout how, how it gets made,
because I'm never gonna makethis and it just like.
But people kept liking it,people kept like, you know,
connecting to the script, and Ikept working on it and working
on it and eventually I reached apoint where it was like okay,
am I going to make this Likelet's, let's figure it out, and
(08:55):
I it.
I knew that it was going to bebig and after a while that
started to really excite me,because this was sort of right
after the pandemic and I'd donea couple really small scale
films where it was just like insomeone's apartment.
It was only with people we knew, um, just like people doing
favor, we would like cast like ahusband and wife team, because
they were in a bubble, like itwas all very, um, like what,
(09:19):
what we could do, uh, withinstrict limitations.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Good for you for still making stuff during the
pandemic, by the way, andputting it together, because
that's a lot of work, but it'snice to use the resources you
have, especially as independentfilmmakers.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
So good on you for doing that, thank you, and
that's kind of what I wasn'treally into comedy until that
happened, and it kind of waslike the world was such a dark
place.
But I started working on thesecomedy projects that were like
little sketches and it and itlike I think it was like the
first time we were able to havean in-person screening, getting
(09:53):
like the crowd laughing, yeah,at my film, like that was like a
drug and I was like, okay, yeah, I gotta, I'm gonna chase that
high, um.
And then, uh, got got excitedabout the challenge of making
something bigger and so wereally tried to.
It was like, okay, well, wehave this dog, we know it's
(10:14):
going to be a bigger thing.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
We have a dog, we have a dog yeah, um, yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
So so we started pushing it and, uh, taking on
bigger and bigger crew and wedid a crowdfunding campaign.
That was like the first timeI'd ever done such a huge
crowdfunding campaign.
Um, that was really tough.
And bringing on cindy was ahuge sort of elevation in the
project, because that sort ofwas when a lot of things that we
had hoped for right became real, because we had someone who was
(10:43):
like okay, I'm great and I'mgoing to execute on all of this.
It was awesome.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah, I feel like you really like fed that in me,
though, cause I read the scriptand I was just like so hungry
for like working on something,and you know, I was still
freelancing at the time, so Iwas in between projects and I
was just like I need something,and this script was so big and
it did break those rules that Ihad been taught, you know, and I
(11:09):
was like you know what I've gotthe time and like I know that
this is a person who ispassionate about it as well with
Emily, and so I just knew thatit was going to happen and I
don't know, it was kind offreeing, like not being employed
and this just being anincredibly robust passion
project, that I just that really, really fueled me, like seeing
(11:32):
how passionate you were andknowing that, no matter what
this was going to get made, ifit was on the timeline that we
hoped for, you know great, but Iknew that Emily was not backing
down from this, and I reallyneeded that, because I had lived
in LA for probably like fouryears at that point and I hadn't
worked on a single likepersonal project.
(11:53):
I'd like been freelancing, but Ihadn't, like I was writing my
own stuff here and there, butthis was the first thing that I
was able to actually see come tolife in LA and that was really
huge for me, and that's ofthat's the main reason that I
emailed Emily and I was like hey, I want to work on this.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
That's so great to hear, because you fall into this
sort of trap, I think when youhave, when you have a small
budget, when it's a passionproject, you feel like you're
asking for so much and you arelike you truly are.
You're asking for people's time.
You're asking for their muchand you are like you truly are.
You're asking for people's time.
You're asking for their talent,their passion and even like
even casting actors like there'sjust this feeling of like oh
god, like I can't you know Ican't pay people as much as they
(12:32):
deserve and like they're gonnahave to take, give their time.
But, um, like the process ofdoing this project really sort
of showed me that there arepeople who really love that.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, like hailey, shows up three hours early side,
though, it's like people whosee the story and go like, oh, I
want to be part of that.
I don't care like they see yourvision and it's.
You're no longer asking themfor a favor.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You're building something together as a team can
we also talk about, about yourso we're you know it keeps
coming up like Passion Project,like there wasn't a lot of
resources, but like it's a highproduction value film the way it
turned out Can we talk aboutfor those that are listening and
doing their own projects, whatyou think it is that led to such
a kind of insane productionvalue on the screen.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
I mean, emily has definitely spent years building
these relationships, um, withour DP, uh, patrick, we actually
had a split DP team, patrick,uziel and and so I think that
that really came into play andmy connections as well.
It's.
It's interesting because Emilycomes from commercial directing
(13:44):
and, um, I came from freelancingjust as like a PA on network TV
shows and things like that, andso we both had these different
like experiences that when theycame together, I think they just
aligned so perfectly.
You know, because I it was easyto communicate.
Yeah, cause I knew like how, uh,you know, 10 season running
(14:07):
show operated, and so I was like, okay, like theoretically I
know how to execute this, butit's going to be on a smaller
scale and Emily is just like apowerhouse of creating content
and stuff.
Like, you have so many projectsunder your belt, which is
really incredible, and I think,like because you have that
ability to navigate and andbring your own projects to life
(14:28):
with the resources you have.
And I had this experience oflike okay, here's how people
with million dollar budgetsexecute these kinds of things,
the smart things they do right,like we kind of picked and chose
what worked the best for us,and I mean the crowdfunding
campaign.
Emily like absolutely killedthat.
We raised an insane amount ofmoney.
It's the most successfulcrowdfunding campaign I've ever
seen wow what was your, what wasyour approach there?
Speaker 4 (14:52):
yes to be able to do that everyone, everyone is very
going back, I guess, about a tonof money through, like I mean
it's, it's like the secret is,so on.
Like unsatisfying it really isto just like tell every single
person you've ever met in yourentire life like go to them and
(15:15):
ask them for money which isbravery at its finest, and
confidence, because, like, it'sreally hard to do that.
I mean, it was like it was.
I had a lot of really greatadvice.
It was like one month, 30 days,making sure that there was like
a strict timeline, that you hadlike targets to hit, and then
(15:36):
just having having a team likeCindy came on.
I think halfway through thecrowdfunding campaign was when
you joined up.
Halfway through thecrowdfunding campaign was when
you joined up.
But having like the producersand just people in my life who
are not in the film industry,just sort of casting a wide net
and really just sort of um, ifyou're like the director or
you're the, the main, um, theperson leading the ship, like
(16:00):
you just have to know that youare going to put more work into
it than anyone else and be okaywith that and be like you just
have to push it.
And it was, you know, it waslike emails that would go out
like every, every other.
You know, every week therewould be a huge mass email and
then you'd be facebook messaginglike old classmates from like
high school like hey girl,what's up?
(16:21):
I haven't spoken to you in likea decade.
Will you give me money?
It feels crazy and you feelcrazy and honestly, it was like
the hardest part of the process,but it was really.
I mean it really opened a lotof doors to like people that I
hadn't.
I mean it was kind of cool,like you, did you rekindle any
(16:42):
old dormant friendships?
Yeah, I mean it was likestarted conversations, got
coffee with some people Like Idid, yeah, my long distance
friendships from, like highschool and college.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I was like hitting them up, like I'm doing this
thing, like I know I'm askingyou for something, but I do want
to know how you're doing aswell.
Yeah, and yeah, I mean I hadlike a three hour FaceTime like
a friend from college that Ireally hadn't spoken to in like
you know, in depth for a longtime.
So I think it's just a matterof like.
I think we all know that, likeeveryone has seen a crowdfunding
(17:14):
campaign come across their feed.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
No matter what, especially in LA, as filmmakers,
yes.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
But, like everybody is crowdfunding, crowdfunding
for anything now, and so we allknow that the question is going
to arise of can you help me withthis?
Can you donate, like donatesome financial assistance to us?
And so for me I guess it's justlike maybe delusion, but I was
like well, everybody knows that,like people crowdfund, I'm just
gonna ask yeah, yeah, and.
(17:39):
I think that you just have tokind of adopt that, like you
were saying.
You know that, like for thedirector putting in more work
than anyone else, um, you haveto kind of adopt that, like you
were saying.
You, you know that, like forthe director putting in more
work than anyone else, um, youhave to know that some people
are going to say no, and that'sfine some people are not going
to answer you, and that's fine,but and so who?
Speaker 4 (17:53):
cares.
Yeah, yeah, some people, somepeople surprise you.
Yeah, parents of friends willlike donate so you might share.
Yeah, yeah and reject.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
It's kind of like rejection therapy.
Yes, definitely, it's like thepeople that like lie on like a
yoga mat on the sidewalk andsomeone walks down like what are
you doing?
They're like rejection there,yeah, and it's like that's what.
That's what crowdfunding iseveryone?
Um, but I side tangent.
I do a lot of these today, I'verealized.
But uh, have you guys heard ofrepublic?
(18:22):
no, the restaurant republic,republic, fantastic stuff.
No, republic is something welearned at Cannes, heard from
the founder, no, the marketingguy or something.
But Republic is instead ofdonations and crowdfunding.
It's crowdfunding for equity.
So you actually are askingpeople to invest in your movie
(18:45):
Crowdinvesting and it's aplatform that handles all the
contracts and is it FIDC, fdic,fdic all of like the forms and
paperwork and validate yourbuyers and control your
waterfall.
So you retain your percentagesas the filmmakers, but then the
pool investors um it, it does itfor you.
(19:07):
So you actually can sign up onthe website and then like get
backed by your investors.
You can send it out to peopleand now be like hey, do you want
like a back end if it makes anymoney, instead of just like
donating?
Yeah, and that's something I'vebeen researching.
That's why I bring it up,because I'm like crowdfunding
feels like this weird like thingthat's almost too done now,
like we've done it right andit's successful and it's like
(19:28):
done, but I'm like what is thenew thing?
And obviously we have fiscalsponsorship Right.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Like crowdfunding, is like the baby kindergarten
framework of something likefiscal sponsorship right.
Because, you're asking peopleto just like give you money and
get nothing back Maybe like amovie ticket or a hat or
something.
Right, because you're askingpeople to just like give you
money and get nothing back maybelike a movie ticket or a hat or
something.
It's not incentivized.
It's not that incentivized, soyou could incentivize it through
fiscal sponsorship or you cango this other route with
(19:54):
crowdsource investing, yes, andthen they're like getting their
money back yeah sometimes.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
So I bring it up only because it's something I've
been researching a lot and whenwe're talking about crowdfunding
, I'm like I feel like this willbe the next wave for like
features or features, becausethat's where you would actually
maybe make your money back.
But you know, I feel likethat's the next iteration for a
lot of like the filmmakingcareers of independent film
we're going to see, because wealready have that network we
know to reach out to that.
We're not afraid to be like hey, this did well.
(20:20):
Yeah, do you want to come onfor the full?
Speaker 1 (20:22):
like so now, on top of crowdfunding and begging
people to give you money, nowyou can be like yes, I'm asking
you for money, but you're aninvestor.
There's a possibility.
It's a little bit sexier.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
That's really cool.
The crowdfunding.
I think it is fueled by likethe someone told me early on
that, um, people genuinely wantto help each other.
Yeah, and like that's why itworks.
Yeah, and that was like huge.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And I think that's like.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
The reason this project exists was like trying
to was figuring that out, andjust like, oh okay, Like yeah.
There's a whole world of peoplehere who, like, genuinely just
want to make stuff and want tohelp each other and want to see
the story that you're talkingabout because it's fun.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
So what did you like?
So, okay, yeah, let's get tothe thing.
So cinematography for actorsit's early.
It's it's early incinematography for actors like
my.
It's like my first thing thatI've booked after started
cinematography directors withIndie.
So I'm thinking how do I makethis process for me fit into
(21:31):
what I've been talking about,that I need and want?
So I don't know if you guysremember, but I feel like I was
very annoyingly early up frontbeing like, yes, can't wait, so
excited to do this with you,would love to see any visual
planning that you have.
Like, yes, can't wait, soexcited to do this with you,
would love to see any visualplanning that you have.
Like, please send through anystoryboards to me, please send
(21:51):
through any kind of visual,anything Like, if you have,
what's the vision boarding oranything.
And I asked about that a lotbecause I was like I want to
know the context of things.
And then we were really lucky,I feel like, because we got a
couple of rehearsal days even,which were so much fun yeah,
(22:14):
which because we got the tableread and then we got two
rehearsal days with Jonah and meto work through the bar scene.
Yeah, that was so much fun.
I so that was so much fun.
I remember that it was so muchfun and then I felt so prepared
to come on set and be like Iknow exactly what they want.
And then the big thing thatblew my mind was I walk on set
(22:39):
that day and there's a big foamboard what are you talking about
?
The doctor painted the big foamboard.
That was the project we wereshooting a commercial, but it
was great because it's longer,it's narrative, and then there
were big X's through the setupsthat were already done.
So it didn't matter where I'dbeen, if I'd been in makeup or
just like hanging out, I couldcome to set and I never even
(23:02):
once said what are we doing, orlike felt like I were.
I was lost.
I knew I could walk.
The AD in me was like this wasthe thing.
I knew.
I could walk straight to thatboard and be like we're doing
exactly the shot right now and Iknew from rehearsal what that
meant for me.
What made you guys decide to do?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
that that was Emily.
Truly no.
Full credit goes to Nick Ibarra.
He's an AD that I've workedwith on on countless commercial
jobs and he is just like agenius and he loves a big board
and usually it's just like ashot list or a.
It's a schedule broken down byshot list so that we can so
throughout the day like he'sstanding at it and like making
(23:42):
notes or like crossing thingsout or moving things, but like a
physical, tangible, becauseit's like, oh well, we all have
that on our ipad.
Or like, oh, anyone can like golook at a producer's laptop
guess who can't do that?
Speaker 1 (23:53):
actors.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Yeah, that's right sorry, um, but it literally
creates like a.
It's having a physical space onset and literally we'll do like
the dp will put a light on it sothat it has a little light and,
um it, it creates a gatheringspace and it's kind of this
weird like ritual, sort ofsacred little little pocket of
(24:14):
like.
Okay, now we're gonna go overthe big board, we're gonna talk
about what we're doing and forthis it was awesome because we
had, we did almost the entire,we storyboarded almost the
entire thing.
There was like one sequence wecould not storyboard because we
couldn't scout.
We like lost a location.
It was crazy.
We kind of had to wing it.
But yeah, we did a lot ofstoryboards, we did a lot of
previs and that was superhelpful because we were also one
(24:38):
of the things you asked aquestion about maximizing your
production value.
We had sort the the the ace inthe hole for us was we had this
location that was actually amovie theater in downtown LA, um
, and our producers had, like,worked with them before.
So we had this sort ofrelationship and this access to
(24:58):
the space and we used this onemovie theater for like six
different locations it was somodular.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah, the kitchen was in there too, like the big
kitchen, the taylor was coffeeshop scene, the bar scene, the.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
There was like saff's photo shoot scene.
There was like we did a greenscreen setup, we did the club
scene.
Um, we did that last scene, allthe back seats.
We, we used pipe and drape tobuild a series of hallways and
dressing rooms.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
It looked so good.
It looked like it was just likea backstage.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
There's a whole fashion show element, right,
yeah, the set with the likestage, and it was amazing.
I was like trying to remember,since I watched it, all of the
locations.
I was like you had a lot goingon I forgot about it.
Like I remember looking and Iremember it was like visually
dynamic but like there was a lotof variety.
But I was like, oh my god, yeah, the whole fashion show party
(25:52):
backstage part and the animalstuff like throughout, yeah,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
And then also a great holding space for background
for the day I worked, backgroundon entire theater with comfy
seats.
Yeah, yep, it was.
It was really amazing yeah,yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
And that was also like this great moment, cause I
was really resistant when I waswriting it to like I I got
feedback where it was like oh,we have to see Jamie get fired
at the coffee shop, like, wehave to see like.
And I wrote the bar scene withyou, um, which I love so much.
But I wrote that in a draft.
I was like everyone's going totell me to cut this, like no, I
know we won't get to shoot thisbecause it's like in a bar?
(26:27):
it's not really plot heavy.
It's more like a mo.
It's a very like emotionalscene.
It's very funny, but like it'sa bar, right, don't you like a
coffee shop, a bar?
Like there are certainlocations that you just like are
not supposed to plan for if youhave low budget but you already
had a dog, we had a dog,whatever we'll go anywhere like
figuring out that the coffeeshop only had to be a shot,
(26:49):
reverse shot.
Yeah, we only had to dress twolittle like and it really was.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Yes, it was with a board and a pump pot and I was
like coffee shop, amazing, yeahthat little sign you did.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
yeah, we had like a little like sunlight to make it
feel like a window.
It was actually it's theconcession stand at the movie
theater and the projection booth.
We like shot light through theprojection booth window and that
felt like a sliding glass door.
What was that scout?
Speaker 1 (27:21):
like who went on that scout with you and how many
people had ideas in there to beable to that was so.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
That was our first scout and I was there.
Emily was there.
Um, our other producer, daniel,was there.
Caitlin design yes, ourincredible production designer,
who is a huge reason why thisspace was so functional for us,
because she just was like, ohyes, I know how to do all of
that with this blank space,right, right, and I remember
(27:51):
looking at it and my husband hadworked at the theater, so I was
very familiar with the space.
And we go in and we're standingat the concession stand like,
okay, this is a coffee shop.
And I'm like there with my iPadlike where, where's the coffee
shop and where are all theseother 10 places also in here?
You know, and Caitlin, justkind of you know, production
(28:12):
designer-esque, she breaks outthe, the measuring tape.
She's like, oh, we can justbuild a very small little plug,
like a four foot plug to put ontop of this bar on the back wall
, and that is like the menu,that's where all the coffee like
accessory things are.
And that that's kind of when Iwas like, okay, this is gonna
work, like everybody here knowshow to do this.
(28:33):
Patrick's talking about going upon the roof, like because there
are skylights in there, andtalking about making the
production or the um, theprojection booth, work as a
window and like a light source.
And I think that's kind of whenit all started to click for us.
And I do remember that dayspecifically.
I think that our tech scoutthere, just at that location,
(28:53):
was about six hours.
Whoa, that sounds right.
I do remember all of us beinglike, okay, I gotta eat, um, and
then I can go to the nextlocation.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Let me go somewhere else.
Yeah, oh, my gosh.
Yeah, so that is like figuringout what you actually need to
tell the audience.
Coffee shop you might not needlike the full location.
That was like a huge thing formaximizing the budget, I think,
for the bar we literally have,like you did, your, I'm about to
(29:26):
she's about to Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Don't need the full location.
What's in the frame?
Do your visual slam?
Speaker 2 (29:34):
That's all you need.
The importance of prep yeah,that's why we're here.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
And finding people to do the jobs that you don't know
how to do.
That's often lost on, like whenyou're starting out.
I know.
For me it was yes, I was like,oh, I have to do everything, I
have to pick the costuming andthe you know the set design and
the transportation.
I have to figure all that outand the food, and I don't know
how you found all of thesewonderful people.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
This was my first narrative project where I had
had a dedicated productiondesigner, which, in my life,
yeah, yeah, like, oh wow, whichis insane.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I, when we shot Murphy's Ranch here, we did a
short I that I produced and Idon't need a production designer
, and I just went, really, andhe goes, yeah, like I can do it,
and I went, okay, and I juststarted listing all the things.
Okay, what about this prop thatneeds to be handmade, that
doesn't exist in this world?
What about these labels?
(30:30):
What about the tubing they'recarrying on their shoulder?
What about, like, where they'resitting, where is he smoking?
Where, like what on the secondfloor?
Like, are we gonna add curtains?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
because, like it doesn't work for what you want
indy is really good at it'smaking you feel like shit
Hearing the decision you'retrying to make and making you
feel really nervous about itreally quick.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Immediately he was like, oh yeah, I didn't think
about that.
And I was like, yeah, you don'thave the energy to work with
five actors and a location, with30 crew and build all of his
own props and do all the props.
You just like aren't gonna wantto do that and also like you're
gonna hate it in the final editbecause you're gonna notice some
(31:13):
shit is not there, and it'slike production design.
I think.
Like for yeah, for shorts ishuge and it just shows how you
could maximize your locationsbecause you had a good
production designer thinkingahead that we wouldn't normally
be able to like break down, no,just a coffee shop, no worries.
Like save yourself that by likehaving the best collaborators,
(31:33):
which means not doing ityourself, but like that is a
lesson you have to learn by likemaking that mistake once you
know, learning to let go too,because I remember walking in
and thinking like okay, danieland I know this space the best
right, we've been here the most.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
And like he and I are having these conversations
about like, what about, like thecountertop?
Like how are we going to dothis?
Will this work?
Like can we scooch this pieceof furniture, whatever?
And then I'm on the stout andCaitlin is there and like this
is not my lane.
The role of a good producer anda good director, I think are to
(32:09):
is to bring on people who canhandle the things that you can't
handle.
Yeah, and that is such animportant thing to accept when
you're making these kinds ofprojects is like it can be your
baby, but you don't have to bethe one to do absolutely
everything.
It will not turn out the waythat you want if you're doing
that, because having an outsideperspective is just invaluable
these kinds of things it was.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
It was working with people on this film that like,
really, because it's not, it'snot necessarily that you can't
do it, like, you could likefigure it out right, but it was
working with, like, like Patrickand Caitlin.
Um, patrick, one of thecinematographers, like he, he
this was a moment that reallystruck me.
He didn't want me to have thegear loaded into my car, he
(32:52):
didn't want me to have to staylate overnight and pack
everything up and I just I waslike oh, what, what?
Speaker 1 (32:58):
like I thought it was helping.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
I thought it was like help, you know, like I can, I
can, like I know I can, but hewas like no, I want you to be
able to like have the space andlike, yeah, there's, it's, it's,
it's sort of that understandingof like, oh no, I have a
different job.
That's really that's important,forever to make all this other
work worth it and efficient andyou're barely gonna have enough
time to do your own job, rightyou know like so doing anything
(33:22):
else added on is just like likea nightmare.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
But moving to that transition could be difficult,
right, Because we all come froma world where it's like
independent film.
We all work hard, we all pitchin, we all put Gak in our car
and we're like pulling away fromthat, to be like, wait, I don't
have to do that anymore.
Like that almost feels bad,like it almost feels like you're
(33:44):
telling everyone else you'renot working hard with them
anymore.
But that's not what it?
Is, but it's like it's a hardtransition to make yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Well, you have a responsibility to be good at the
job that you've taken on and ifdoing you can't, you have no
responsibility to be good atsomeone else's job.
Yeah, right, and so I thinkthat it's kind of like similar
to the crowdfunding I feel likeI just put on like my armor of
like I'm a producer.
I am asking my friends that Iwent to elementary school with,
as Cindy, their elementaryschool cohort, whatever, but I'm
(34:15):
asking them as a producer andwhen I'm on set, I am a producer
and I know that I am executingthat well, because I'm worried
about the things that I need todo.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
And I have finally gotten to a point in my career
where I can let go of the thingsthat I don't need to do.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
If someone asks for help, obviously I'll say yes,
but or to have the person who'syou know like facilitate the yes
, yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
And so what has been the response from audiences?
Speaker 3 (34:45):
People laughing out loud they love it.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Yeah, I love sochi.
There's like a first shot.
The first shot of sochi is whois the dog the dog?
Yes yes, um, it's just, itkills a lot of yes, so many
squeals.
Yeah, it's incredible, yeah,it's great, I love it.
I love getting to like and thenpeople coming up afterwards and
talking about it and I think alot of people are surprised at
(35:12):
the um like, at the relationshipthat happened, like the
friendship yeah being the core,like I've had people ask me like
oh, I did not expect.
I thought it was just going tobe like a funny dog napping
caper, which it starts off as,but then there there's.
You know there's a little moreto it.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Friendship.
There's a little bit ofeveryone, especially people who
live in LA.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
Yep, la types.
Yeah, exactly, so people canwatch it really soon.
They buy a ticket, I mean thisone.
It dances with them before.
Oh it will.
Are you going to?
Yes, spend it with Lester?
Yes, oh my God, that's apromise I made Before, when,
before the 24th.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Oh yeah, You're fine.
I thought it was in two days.
No filmmaker party, Somethingelse.
It's like I can't do today.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Technically, the film festival kicked off today, but
our screening is on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
We'll get it out in time before the screening right?
Speaker 3 (36:08):
yeah, I promised awesome that's her workflow.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
After receiving this, tell us how we did.
Yeah, I love that.
What is, uh?
What's next for you guys?
Speaker 4 (36:14):
oh, my goodness um.
I am working on a feature filmcool, horror feature amazing
check out republic.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
I will I know yeah this is literally horror, right,
yeah yeah that's a good one,yeah, and what are you doing?
Oh, what am I not doing?
Speaker 3 (36:31):
I've had too much coffee um, I am actually going
to be relocated to chicago laterthis year.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Big we were just there, awesome congratulations.
Are you from Chicago?
What's the Chicago vibe Like?
Why are you headed just there,why, why, tell me about it.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Yeah, I love Chicago.
I never shut up about it.
I'm wearing my Wild WestMidwest shirt.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Looking at it for so long during this.
I love it.
Thank you so much.
I keep reading it too, and Ilove it, thank you.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
I went to school in Chicago and my husband's family
lives there and I just amexcited for a change.
I'm really thankful that I metEmily and had the opportunity to
collaborate with her here, butI'm really excited to go kind of
bring that energy to Chicago,and I also am still going to.
(37:22):
I work for an agency here andit's remote, thank gosh, so I
will be keeping that job, soI'll be back and forth, which is
fantastic, but so exciting.
Yeah, when are you going?
Wow, september or October?
Do you have a house, we do not,no, no, but I'm going to sell
someone.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
You're a producer, You'll be fine, it's such a cute
area.
You're a producer.
It's such a cute area.
We were there.
What's the area I liked thathad the little knitting shop or
whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
It was really cute it was there.
Were you near water?
There was a few hills, livingthere.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Were we near water?
No, no, we really had fun.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
We had a good time, but we don't know where we were.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Yeah, amazing, tell your joke, the bean joke, the
chicago joke, it is soinappropriate.
It's fine, it's our podcast, wecan do.
Okay, all right uh.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
I got in a taxi and I said to the driver the male
driver, uh, take me to the bean.
And he said I don't know whereit is.
And I said typical good shecame up with that that is really
good, because I wanted to gosee the bean, and we did see it
in a taxi actually so it's cold.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
So I just said I'll take a photo like as we're
passing, and I timed worry aboutwhat's in the frame.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
We went to the bean.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
We did so we'll probably see you in Chicago next
time we go, because we went fora convention.
I did so.
We'll probably see you inChicago next time we go, because
we went for a convention.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
I would love that.
Yeah, there's an awesome filmscene there.
My husband is starting atheater there like a brick and
mortar theater so we'll talkabout that later she ran a pub
theater in London.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
I did oh we will talk about this I have a lot to say,
please.
I have a lot to hear.
Yeah, I have a lot to say and alot to ask.
Yeah, that's going to be great.
I'm going to be in Chicago soon.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Bye everybody, because she's also doing improv,
so maybe you could fulfill that.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
There you go, and if you need a comedian who has one
Chicago show To open everything,I'm also good at singing
Chicago, but you can find it onour Instagram.
So I want to talk about thingswe learned here today.
Pool your resources andrekindle old friendships and ask
(39:34):
directly for money.
Don't be scared.
Rejection therapy is good.
Also, have a big board on set,please.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Every actor begs you because, when we come out yeah,
that's what I like.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
Yeah, but it's lit and everyone goes to everyone
goes there, so you can be likethis is next right and yep, yeah
and it doesn't have to be huge.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
I mean, it's a piece of old, it's like a board yeah
with an old like yeah with older, the better the oldest tape,
raggedy cardboard.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
Yes, you can find in a car stand and you know yeah,
have someone pop, that's it.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
We're really hurting for that, because the the most
terrible feeling on set is beinglet out of holding and you're
in your costume and you're readyto do a good job and you're
standing there and they're allset up and they're like, okay,
let's go.
And you're like what are wedoing?
Like no one told me where weare and I've been away in my
(40:31):
trailer and holding.
I haven't been on set.
Which actors?
You can spend more time on setif you want, um, but sometimes
it feels like we're not allowedto.
Um, coming out and not being onthe same page with everyone is
terrifying.
So that big board is a big partof things we learned about
(40:52):
Republic.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
We also learned about having good collaborators and
being able to let go of control,hiring the people you work with
Work with women.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:01):
Always, forever.
And drink your diet Pepsi in ateacup cheers any other tidbits
you want to leave us with today?
Speaker 3 (41:14):
um, I guess I would just say reading this script was
the longest short that I'veever read and it has so it had
so many huge things in it and itkind of, like you know, set off
a few little alarm bells for mewith the dog and I don't know.
I just I think there's alwaysgoing to be a reason to say no.
(41:37):
There's always going to besomething that someone has told
you you shouldn't do becauseit's going to be too difficult,
but you might as well at leasttry.
I remember what we werescouting one day and we were
talking about doors at at thethe location and they had these
big bars on the windows and weneeded them to open a certain
way.
And I looked at emily.
I was like why don't we justtake it off the hinges?
And that really has stuck withme.
(41:59):
I said it, my, I'm so inspiringto myself um, I do that too.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
I laugh at my own jokes and people are like you're
the only one that laughed and Isaid that's the point of life.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Yeah, yeah, you know, just if you look at it in a
different way, in a way that'snot, yeah, thinking that it's
impossible, then you'll find asolution to it.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
You know, don't say no to yourself yes, yeah don't
say no to yourself, give it tous again, emily.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
Don't say no to yourself well and that's all
that's me wait, wait, no, she ohnc doggone.
Uh yeah, at dances with filmson tuesday at 7 pm at the
chinese theater, at the tclchinese theater, get a ticket
for an entire shorts block.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Come for dogggone, stay for the rest of them.
Actually, I think Doggone isthe last, isn't it?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (42:51):
We don't know.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Come and see it at some point Also.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Drop your Instagrams, please, if you want, mine is
CindyAllen02, I think.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Mine is my name, emily Claxton, e-m-e-l-i-e we'll
put them in the show notes soyou can find these wonderful
creators awesome.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Thanks, guys.
Thanks for coming.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
Bye everybody join us in bridging the gap between
talent and crew.
Start by subscribing on yourpreferred podcast platform.
Sign up for our newsletter tostay up to date on vendor
discounts, community events andnew podcast releases.
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discounts, community events andnew podcast releases.
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(43:36):
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