July 29, 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 filming locations, they share the practical wisdom they gained along their filmmaking journey.
This episode unpacks the power of collaboration, the importance of hiring 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 at festivals.
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."
0:00 Intro and teaser about on-set chef
0:17 Podcast introduction
0:54 Welcome and host introductions
1:28 Meeting special guests Emelie and Cindy
2:32 Discussing the short film "Doggone"
3:36 Missing Poland trip for the film shoot
5:06 The luxury of having a chef on set
6:40 What is Doggone about?
8:58 Breaking filmmaking rules
10:10 Crowdfunding campaign success
14:00 The secret to successful crowdfunding
19:22 Republic: equity-based crowdfunding alternative
24:00 The big board that changed everything
27:19 Maximizing production value
29:19 Using one movie theater for six locations
33:20 The importance of hiring specialists
36:26 Audience response to the film
39:29 What's next for the filmmakers
42:20 Final advice: "Don't say no to yourself"
43:16 Where to watch Doggone
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.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sorry, guys, we're going to hold off a little bit
for the reason I keep teasingwhile you guys are here, because
there were also other wonderfulthings on set.
Like you guys had a chef therethe whole time what?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
This is the Cinematography for Actors
podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
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.
Actors is a vibrant communitydevoted to bridging the 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.
Join us in unraveling theintricacies of filmmaking, one
(00:41):
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
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.
I know Coming on two years nowto talk to you guys.
Let's talk about who's herewith us.
I'm Haley Royal, your host.
Indiana Underhill is over there, another host and we have some
(01:39):
guests here, very special guests, who I've been planning to have
on this podcast for a couple ofyears now.
Emily Claxton, director, goahead say hello.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I just said hi, okay, yeah, go ahead you're allowed
great start just killing it, andCindy Allen producer, and is
that your producer?
Speaker 1 (02:03):
and then do you also do other things you want me to
tell people?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
about.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I was also the second ad, that's right, right, that's
important and that's probablyactually what brings us here,
because the thing that blew mymind was something the second ad
put on set to help ad betterand help everyone be on the same
page, which we'll get to, okay,um, but I'm excited.
(02:32):
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
at dances with films.
Yeah, congratulations thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Thank you so much.
I'm so excited you guys havethe red carpet coming up.
A carpet, yeah, a carpet,imagine so we you know what?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
we earned it you guys earned it and I earned it a
little you sold the show you,you're like the first shot,
you're the second shot of thefilm is just your face and all
that skincare you do paid offBecause you look great.
Wow, you set the tone, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Not only that, like even when you weren't in a scene
, you came to set to help.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That's right, you were like extra, Like I was an
extra Three hours, I'll come.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Did you shoot November?
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We had like, we had two weekends with like a month
in between.
That One was in October and onewas November.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So this is what you missed Cameramage for yes, I
remember, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So we booked our second Cameramage trip, yeah,
second camera mosh 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, becausewe'd booked our flights, we'd
booked our, like I was.
But she was so excited aboutthis movie, yeah, I wasn't about
to miss shooting.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
It was just fun to like contextualize it for me,
because I just remember she waslike I'm shooting, I won't be
able to make it, and I was likelike she's an actor, that's fine
.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
But, like at time, I was like why?
Like don't you want to go toPoland in November?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
come on, man, I mean, I think anyone who's ever
listened to a single episode ofthis podcast knows that, yes, we
do want to go to Poland inNovember, maybe more than
anything else we really lovePoland 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,
(04:50):
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 3 (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 great to get footagefor her own brand and to get the
experience and it was amazing.
It was so much fun to walk inthere and own brand and to get
the experience and it wasamazing.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
It was so much fun to walk in there and be like what
do you got?
Today she's like what do youwant?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
like she had everything and she'd make
something for you if you wantedspecial things and like she
would pay attention to what youliked and make sure you had that
the next day it was.
Speaker 4 (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 washer approach to absolutely
everything.
I was like would you buy me oneapple, Because I think I want a
green apple next week.
She was like yes, Do you wantit cut?
Like do you want?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
me to a little peanut butter Some raisins Taylor Hall
.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
We can shout out.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Taylor Hall yeah, I think her Instagram is at Taylor
Hall's Kitchen.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Hall's Kitchen.
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?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
it come together, the whole process, and then I want
to talk about the, the yearsafter and what you've been doing
in the years after to keep it.
This film keeps living andgiving, so let's talk about all
of it.
Oh my gosh, okay well, doggone.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Um, this is really funny because I I just I had a
friend who was a dog sitter anda writer and we had all these
conversations about um, sort ofjust like that, the, the like
day job versus the dream job,kind of uh duality when you're
starting out in LA, and to me Iwas like, oh my god, like a dog
sitter would be a great job,like for a writer, because you
(07:35):
just hang out with this dog andyou just write, trying to um
like push for for a dream andsomething happens for you and
then something it takes a littlelonger for the next like for
your best friend to go to thenext level and um, so that kind
of became like the heart of thestory was this friendship.
(07:56):
That initially was just sort ofa like a little framing device
and it was all about this dogmapping and really like, draft
after draft, um, the corerelationship between Jamie and
Saf sort of like took over anduh, I love that because it
created such a like emotionalstory and it, um, you know, got,
got this great like friendshipmoment at the end.
(08:17):
Um, and I I wrote thisbasically thinking like, okay,
it's a film about a dog, I'llnever make this Like.
I'll never make this Like.
There's no way.
So I'll just Number one rule nopets, no kids.
Like.
I'm just going to write this,I'm just going to have fun with
this draft and I don't even haveto worry about how it gets made
(08:38):
, because I'm never going tomake this and it just like.
But people kept liking it,people kept, like, you know,
connecting to the script and tothe script and I kept working on
it and working on it andeventually I reached a point
where it was like okay, am Igonna make this like let's let's
figure it out.
um, and I uh it.
I knew that it was gonna be big.
Um, and after a while thatstarted to really excite me,
(09:01):
because this was sort of rightafter the pandemic and I'd done
a couple really small scalefilms where it was just like in
someone's apartment.
It was only with people we knew, just like people doing favor
we would like cast like ahusband and wife team, because
they were in a bubble, like itwas all very like what we could
do within strict limitations.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Good for you for still making stuff during the
pandemic, by the way, andputting it together, because
that's a lot, that's a lot ofwork, but it's nice to use the
resources you have, yeah,especially as independent
filmmakers.
So, like, good on you for doingthat.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
You know, thank you, and that's kind of what.
I wasn't really into comedyuntil that happened, and it kind
of it.
It was like the world was sucha dark place but it just I
started working on these comedyprojects that were like little
sketches and it and it like Ithink it was like the first time
we were able to have anin-person screening, getting
like the crowd laughing, yeah,at my film, like that was like a
(09:58):
drug and I was like okay, yeah,like.
I gotta, I'm gonna chase thathigh, 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
going to be a bigger thing wehave a dog.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
We have a dog, we have a dog, we have a dog, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
So we started pushing it and taking on bigger and
bigger crew and we did acrowdfunding 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 realbecause we had someone who was
(10:43):
like okay, I'm great and I'mgonna execute on all of this.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
It was awesome yeah, I feel like you really like fed
that in me, though, because Iread the script and I was just
like so hungry for like workingon something and you know, I was
still freelancing at the time,so I was in between projects and
I was just like I needsomething and this script was so
big and it did break thoserules that I had been taught,
you know, and I was like youknow what I've got the time and
(11:11):
like I know that this is aperson who is passionate about
it as well, with Emily, and so Ijust knew that it was going to
happen and I don't know, it waskind of freeing, like not being
employed and and this just beingan incredibly 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 II knew that Emily was not
backing down from this and Ireally needed that, because I
had lived in LA for probablylike four years at that point
and I hadn't worked on a singlelike personal 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 part ofthat's the main reason that I
emailed Emily and I was like hey.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
I want to work on this.
That's so great to hear,because you fall into this sort
of trap.
I think when you have, when youhave a small budget, when it's
a passion project, you feel likeyou're asking for so much and
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's just this feelingof like, oh god, like I can't
(12:31):
you know I can't pay people asmuch as they deserve and like
they're gonna have to take, givetheir time, but, um, like the
process of doing this projectreally sort of showed me that
there are people who really lovethat.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah, why kaylee shows up three hours early.
Oh, camera.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Mosh for this like flip.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
It's like people who see 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.
You're building somethingtogether as a team can we also
talk about your?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
so we're you know it keeps coming up like passion
project, like there wasn't a lotof resources, but like it's a
high production value film, theway it turned out can we talk
about for those that arelistening and doing their own
projects, what you think it isthat led to such a kind of
insane production value on thescreen I mean, emily has
definitely spent years buildingthese relationships, um, with
(13:27):
our dp, our DP Patrick.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
We actually had a split DP team Patrick Ouziel and
Nini Milgi, and so I think thatthat really came into play and
my connections as well, it's.
It's interesting because Emilycomes from commercial directing
and I came from freelancing andjust as like a PA on network TV
(13:49):
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 easy, yeah, easy to communicate.
Yeah, cause I knew like how, uh, you know, 10 season running
show operated.
And so I was like, okay, liketheoretically, I know how to
(14:12):
execute this, but it's going tobe on a smaller scale and Emily
is just like a powerhouse ofcreating content and stuff.
Like you have so many projectsunder your belt, which is really
incredible.
And I think, like because youhave that ability to navigate
and bring your own projects tolife with the resources you have
.
And I had this experience oflike, okay, here's how people
with million dollar budgetsexecute these kinds of things,
(14:35):
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, whatwas your approach there?
Speaker 1 (14:52):
yes to be able to do that.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Everyone, everyone is very like going back yes it's a
ton of money through like Imean 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.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah, which is bravery at its finest, it's
confidence, because, like it'sreally hard to do that I I mean,
it was like it was.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I had a lot of really great advice.
It was like one month, 30 days,making sure that there was like
a strict timeline, that you hadlike targets to hit, and then
just having having a team likeCindy came on, I think halfway
through the crowdfundingcampaign was when you joined up
(15:45):
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 ifyou're like the director or
you're the main, the personleading the ship, like you just
have to know that you are goingto put more work into it than
anyone else and be okay withthat and be like you just have
(16:06):
to push it.
And it was, you know, it waslike emails that would go out
like 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, Ihaven't spoken to you in like a
decade.
Will you give me money?
It feels crazy and you feelcrazy and honestly it was like
(16:29):
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 Likeyou, did you rekindle any old
dormant friendships?
Yeah, I mean it was likestarted conversations, got
coffee with some people.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Like I did.
Yeah, like my long distancefriendships from like high
school and college.
I was like hitting them up,like I'm doing this thing, like
I I know I'm asking you forsomething, but I do want to know
how you're doing as well.
Yeah, and yeah, I mean I hadlike a three-hour face time with
like a friend from college thatI really hadn't spoken to in a
like you know in depth for along time.
So I think it's just a matterof like.
(17:09):
I think we all know that likeeveryone has seen a crowdfunding
campaign come across their feedno matter what, especially in
LA.
But like everybody iscrowdfunding for anything now,
and so we all know that thequestion is going to arise of
can you help me with this?
Can you donate, like donatesome financial assistance to us?
(17:30):
And so for me I guess it's justlike maybe delusion, but I was
like well, everybody knows thatlike people crowdfund, I'm just
gonna ask, yeah, yeah and Ithink that you just have to kind
of adopt that, like you weresaying.
You, you know that, like for thedirector putting in more work
than anyone else, um, you haveto know that some people are
going to say no and that's fine.
Some people are not going toanswer you and that's fine, but
(17:52):
and so?
Speaker 3 (17:53):
who cares?
Yeah, yeah, some people, somepeople surprise you yeah parents
of friends will like donate soyou 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?
Speaker 3 (18:22):
no, the restaurant fantastic stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
No, uh, republic is um, something we learned at can
uh heard from the the founder,no, the marketing guy or
something.
But republic is um.
Instead of donations andcrowdfunding.
It's crowdfunding for equity,so you actually are asking
people to invest in your movie.
It's a platform that handlesall the contracts and um f is it
(18:49):
fidc, the fdic, fdic all oflike the forms and paperwork and
validate your buyers andcontrol your waterfall, so you
retain your percentages as thefilmmakers.
But then the pool for investorsum it, it does it for you so
you actually can sign up on thewebsite and then like get backed
(19:10):
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, it'slike and it's successful and
it's like done.
But I'm like what is the newthing?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
and obviously we have fiscal sponsorship, right, like
crowdfunding is like the a real, like the baby kindergarten
framework of something likefiscal sponsorship.
Right, because you're askingpeople to just like give you
money and get nothing back,maybe like a movie ticket or a
hat or something.
It's not incentivized.
It's not not incentivized, soyou could incentivize it through
(19:51):
fiscal sponsorship.
Or you can go this other routewith crowdsource investing, yes,
and then they're like gettingtheir 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?
Like thing, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
So Now, on top of crowds or crowdfunding and
begging people to give you money, now you can be like yes, I'm
asking you for money, but you'rean investor.
It's a little bit sexier, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
That's really cool.
Yeah, the crowdfunding.
I think it is fueled by, like,the fact someone told me early
on that, um, people genuinelywant to help each other, yeah,
and like that's why it works.
Yeah, and that was like hugeand I think that's like the
reason this project exists waslike trying to was figuring that
out yeah, like, oh, okay, likeyeah.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
There's a whole world of people here who, like,
genuinely just want to makestuff and want to help each
other and want to see the storythat you're talking about
because it's fun.
Yeah, 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.
My, it's like my first thingthat I've booked after started
(21:23):
cinematography for actors withindie.
So I'm thinking how do I makethis process for me fit into
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 front,being like, yes, can't wait, so
excited to do this with you,would love to see any visual
(21:45):
planning that you have.
Like, please send through anystoryboards to me, please send
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 how I want to
know the context of things.
And then we were really lucky,I feel like because we got a
(22:08):
couple of rehearsal days even,which were so much fun, which
because we got the table read,and then we got two rehearsal
days with Jonah and me to workthrough the bar scene, which was
so much fun.
I remember that it was so muchfun and then I felt so prepared
(22:29):
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
that day and there's a big foamboard are you talking about this
after the big screen boards.
That was shooting a commercial.
But it was great because it'slonger, it's narrative, and then
there were big X's through thesetups that were already done.
(22:53):
So it didn't matter where I'dbeen.
If I'd been in makeup or justlike hanging out, I could come
to set and I never even oncesaid what are we doing?
Or like felt like I was lost.
I knew I could walk.
The AT in me was like yeah,this was the thing I knew I
could walk in me, this was thething I knew.
I could walk straight to thatboard and be like we're doing
exactly the shot right now, andI knew from rehearsal what that
(23:17):
meant for me.
What made you guys decide to do?
Speaker 3 (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 it's a schedule
broken down by shot list so thatwe can so throughout the day,
like he's standing at it andlike making notes or like
(23:42):
crossing things out or movingthings, but like a physical,
tangible, because it's like, ohwell, we all have that on our
ipad.
Or like, oh, anyone can.
Like, go look at a producer'slaptop guess who can't do that?
Speaker 1 (23:53):
actors.
Speaker 3 (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
it creates a gathering space andit's kind of this weird, like
ritual, sort of sacred littlelittle pocket of like.
(24:14):
Okay, now we're going to goover to the big board, we're
going to talk about what we'redoing and for this it was
awesome because we had, we didalmost the entire, we
storyboarded almost the entirething.
There was like one sequence wecould not storyboard because we
couldn't scout, we like lost alocation.
It was crazy.
We sequence, we could notstoryboard because we couldn't
scout, we like lost a location.
It was crazy.
Um, uh, we kind of had to wingit, but uh, yeah, we did a lot
of storyboards, we did a lot ofprevis and that was super
(24:35):
helpful because we were also oneof the things you you asked a
question about, um maximizingyour production value.
We had sort of like the the.
The ace in the hole for us waswe had this location that was
actually a movie theater indowntown la um and our producers
had, like, worked with thembefore.
(24:55):
So we had this sort ofrelationship and this access to
the space and we used this onemovie theater for like six
different locations it was somodular.
Yeah, the kitchen was in theretoo, the big like the big
kitchen the taylor was coffeeshop scene, the bar scene, the
there was like staff's photoshoot scene.
(25:16):
There was a.
We did a green screen setup.
We did the club scene.
Um, we did that last scene.
All the back seats we built.
We used pipe and drape to builda series of hallways and
dressing rooms.
It looked so good, it lookedlike it was just like a
backstage.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
There's a whole fashion show element.
Yeah, yeah, used pipe and drapeto build a series of hallways
and dressing rooms.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
It looked so good it looked like it was just like a
backstage.
There's a whole fashion showelement.
Yeah, yeah, the set with thelike stage 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 at it.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
I remember I was like oh my God, yeah, the whole
fashion show party backstage,part the animal stuff, like
throughout, yeah, and then alsoa great holding space for
background.
For the day I worked backgroundon entire theater with comfy
seats.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
It was.
It was really amazing, yeah andum yeah, and that was also like
this great moment Cause I wasreally resistant when I was
writing it to like I Gotfeedback where it was like, oh,
we have to see Jamie get firedat the coffee shop, like, we
have to see like, and I wrotethe bar scene with you, which I
love so much.
But I wrote that in a draft.
I was like everyone's going totell me to cut this.
(26:23):
Like no, I know we won't get toshoot this, because it's like
in a bar where it's not reallyplot heavy.
It's more like a moat.
It's a very like emotionalscene.
It's very funny, but like it'sa bar, right?
Don't you like a coffee shop, abar?
Like there are certainlocations that you just like are
not supposed to planned foryeah, you have low budget but
you already had a dog.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
We had a dog.
Whatever, we'll go anywhereit's my potatoes.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yeah, like figuring out that the coffee shop only
had to be a shot.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Reverse shot yeah, we only had to dress two little
like and it really was just likeit was, with a board and a pump
pot, and I was like a coffeeshop.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Amazing, yeah, that little sign you did like yeah,
we had like a little likesunlight to make it feel like a
window.
It was.
It was actually, um, it's theconcession stand at the movie
theater and the projection booth.
We like shot light through theprojection booth um window and
that felt like a sliding glassdoor.
Yeah, what was that scout?
Speaker 1 (27:20):
like who went on that scout with you and how many
people had ideas in there to beable to?
Speaker 4 (27:27):
that was so.
That was our first scout and Iwas 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 oh yes, I know how to do all of that
with this blank space rightright and I remember looking at
(27:51):
it and my husband had worked atthe theater, so I was very
familiar with the space and wego in and we're standing at 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 these other10 places also in here?
You know, and Caitlin just kindof 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.
(28:32):
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, was
(28:53):
about six hours.
Whoa, that sounds right.
I do remember all of us beinglike okay, I got to eat and then
I can go to the next location.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
And then you go somewhere else.
Yeah, gosh, yeah, so.
So that is like um, likefiguring out what you actually
need to tell the audience.
Coffee shop, you might not needlike the full location.
That was like a huge thing forfor maximizing the budget
totally.
Um, I think for the bar weliterally have, like you did,
your, I'm about don't need thefull location.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
What's in the frame?
Do your visual slam?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
the importance of prep.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
Yeah, that's why we're here and finding people to
do the jobs that you don't knowhow to do.
Yeah, that's often lost on on,like when you're starting out.
I know for me it was yeah, itwas like oh, I have to do
everything, I have to pick thecostuming and the you know the
set design and thetransportation.
I have to figure all that outand the food, and I don't know
(29:57):
how you found all of thesewonderful people.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
This was my first narrative project where I had
had a dedicated productiondesigner, which in my life yeah,
Like, oh wow, which is insane.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I, when we shot Murphy's Ranch here, we did a
short 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 second floor?
Like, are we gonna add curtains?
because, like it doesn't workcurrently for what you want ind
indie is really good at makingyou feel like shit, hearing the
decision you're trying to makeand making you feel really
nervous about it really quicklyhe was like, oh yeah, I didn't
(30:54):
think about that and I was like,yeah, you don't have the energy
to work with five actors and alocation with 30 crew um, over
two build all of his own shotsand do all the props, like you
just like aren't gonna want todo that and also like you're
gonna hate it in the final editbecause you're gonna notice some
shit is not there, and it'slike production design.
(31:16):
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 andbe like this could be a coffee
shop, no worries.
Like save yourself that by likehaving the best collaborators,
which means not doing ityourself, but like that is a
lesson you have to learn by likemaking that mistake once you
(31:39):
know, learning to let go too,because I remember walking in
and thinking like okay, danieland I know this space the best,
we've been here the most.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
And like he and I are having these conversations
about like, what about, like thecountertop, like how are we
going to do this?
Will this work?
Like can we scooch this pieceof furniture, whatever?
And then I'm on the scout andCaitlin is there and like this
is not my lane.
The role of a, of a goodproducer and a good director I
think are to is to bring onpeople who can handle the things
(32:09):
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
on these kinds of things it was.
Speaker 3 (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 this
was a moment that really struckme.
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?
Like I thought it was helping.
I thought it was like help, youknow, like I can, I can, like I
know I can, but he's like no, Iwant you to be able to like have
the space and like, 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
(33:15):
work worth it and efficient andyou're barely gonna have enough
time to do your own job, rightyou know, like so.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Doing anything else added on is just like a
nightmare but moving to thattransition could be difficult,
right, because we all, we allcome from a world where it's
like independent film.
We all work hard, we all pitchin, we all put gack 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, butit's like it's a hard transition
to make yeah, yeah, well, youhave.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
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):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
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.
If someone asks for help,obviously I'll say yes.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Or to have the person who's you know like facilitate
the.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
PA yes.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
And so what has been the response from audiences?
Speaker 4 (34:47):
People laughing out loud they love it.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Yeah, they love sochi .
There's like a first shot, thefirst shot of sochi.
Who is the dog?
The dog yes yes, um, it's just,it kills a lot of yes so many
squeals.
Yeah, it's incredible, yeah,it's great.
I, 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 being the core, likeI'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's, you know,
there's a little more to itfriendship.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
There's a little bit of everyone, especially people
who live in la yep, la typesyeah, yeah, exactly, so people
can watch it really soon.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
really, they buy a ticket.
I mean this dances with thembefore.
Oh, it will.
Are you going to have a specialday with Lester?
Yes, oh, my God.
That's a promise 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.
Something else we're going todo today.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Technically, the film festival kicked off today, but
our screening is on.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Oh, perfect, we'll get it out in time before the
screening.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
great awesome that's our workflow after receiving
this tell us how we did.
Yeah, what's next for you guys?
Speaker 3 (36:14):
oh my goodness, I am working on a feature film, a
horror feature check outRepublic.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
I will.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
I know this is literally right.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's a good one, yeah, and what are you
doing?
Oh?
Speaker 4 (36:29):
what am?
I not doing um, I am actuallygoing to be relocated to chicago
later this year.
Thank you just there.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
Awesome congratulations are you?
It's wonderful?
Are you from Chicago?
What's the Chicago vibe Like?
Why are you headed just there,why?
Why?
Tell me about it.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, I want to know everything.
I love Chicago.
I never shut up about it.
I'm wearing my Wild WestMidwest shirt.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I have been looking at it for so long during this.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
I love it so much um, I went to school in Chicago.
Um, and my husband's familylives there and I just am
excited for a change.
I'm really thankful that I metEmily and had to collaborate
with her here, but I'm reallyexcited to go kind of bring that
energy to Chicago.
You know, and I also am stillgonna I work for an agency here
(37:24):
and it's remote, thank gosh.
So, um, I will be keeping thatjob, so I'll be back and forth,
which is fantastic, but, um, soexciting yeah, when are you
going?
wow, uh, september or October,amazing yeah do you have a house
?
We do not, no, no, but I'm,you're not a producer, you're
such a cute area.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
We were there.
What's the area I liked thathad the little knitting shop or
whatever it was.
It was really cute it was.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
There were near water .
Where was it?
Hills living there?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Were we near water?
No, no, we really had fun.
We went to the-.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
We had a good time, but we don't know where we were.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Yeah, we had a good time, but we don't know where we
were.
Amazing, tell your joke thebean joke, the Chicago joke.
It is so inappropriate.
It's fine, it's our podcast, wecan do it.
Okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
I got in a taxi and I said to the driver the male
driver, take me to the bean.
And he said I don't know whereit is.
And I said typical, isn't?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
that good she came up with that.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
That is really good, because I wanted to go see the
Bean, and we did see it in ataxi.
Actually, I didn't want to getout because it was cold.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
So I just said I'll take a photo of you and me
pointing Like as we're passingand I timed it.
W about what's in the frame.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
We did we'll probably see you in Chicago next time we
go, because we went for aconvention.
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.
I did oh, we will talk aboutthis.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I have a lot to say, please, I have a lot to hear.
Yeah, I've a lot to ask.
Yeah, that'd be great.
These comments in chicago.
Bye everybody, because she'salso doing improv, so maybe you
could fulfill that there you goif you need a and if you need a
comedian who has one chicago toopen everything.
I'm also good at uh, singingchicago, but you can find it on
(39:24):
our instagram.
Um, so I want to talk about thethings we learned here today.
Yeah, uh, pull your resourcesand rekindle old friendships and
ask directly for money.
Don't be scared.
Rejection therapy's good yeah,uh, also um have a big board on
set, please, please.
Every actor begs you.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Because when we come out yeah, that's what I like
it's lit and everyone goes to it.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Everyone goes there, so you can be like this is next
right, Yep.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
And it doesn't have to be huge.
I mean it's a piece of oldbounce board.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
With older, the better.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
The oldest raggedy cardboard.
Yes In a C-stand, yeah witholder the better.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
The oldest tape, raggedy cardboard, yes, in a
stand.
And you know, yeah, havesomeone pop.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
That's it.
We're really hurting for that,because the the most terrible
feeling on set is being let outof holding and you're in your
costume and you're ready to do agood job and you're standing
there and they're all set up andthey'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 on thesame page with everyone is
terrifying.
So that big board is a big partof things we learned about
(40:51):
Republic.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
We also learned about having good collaborators and
being able to let go of control.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
Hiring the people you trust.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Work with women yeah, always Forever.
And drink your diet Pepsi in ateacup cheers any other tidbits
you want to leave us with today?
Speaker 4 (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 thelocation and the 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.
I'm so inspiring to myself.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
I do that too.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
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
you know, just if you look at itin a different way, in a way
that's not, yeah, thinking thatit's impossible, then you'll
find a solution to it.
You know, don't say no toyourself yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
don't say no to yourself.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Don't say no to yourself.
Give it to us again, Emily.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
Don't say no to yourself.
Wow, and that's all.
That's the wait.
Wait, no, she did.
Oh NC Dog On at Dances withFilms on Tuesday at 7pm at the
Chinese Theatre.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
At the Chinese Theatre.
At the Chinese Theatre, get aticket for an entire shorts
block.
Come for Doggone, stay for therest of them.
Actually, I think Doggone isthe last, isn't it?
I don't know, we don't know, wedon't know.
Come and see it at some point.
Also drop your Instagramsplease.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
If you want, mine is CindyAllen02, I think.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Mine is my name Emily Claxton, e-m-e-l-i-e.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
We'll put them in the show notes so you can find
these wonderful creators.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Awesome.
Thanks, guys.
Thanks for coming.
Bye, everybody, bye.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
Join us in bridging the gap between talent and crew.
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discounts.
Thank you.
Sorry, guys, we're going to hold off a little bit
for the reason I keep teasingwhile you guys are here, because
there were also other wonderfulthings on set.
Like you guys had a chef therethe whole time what?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
This is the Cinematography for Actors
podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
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.
Actors is a vibrant communitydevoted to bridging the 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.
Join us in unraveling theintricacies of filmmaking, one
(00:41):
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
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.
I know Coming on two years nowto talk to you guys.
Let's talk about who's herewith us.
I'm Haley Royal, your host.
Indiana Underhill is over there, another host and we have some
(01:39):
guests here, very special guests, who I've been planning to have
on this podcast for a couple ofyears now.
Emily Claxton, director, goahead say hello.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I just said hi, okay, yeah, go ahead you're allowed
great start just killing it, andCindy Allen producer, and is
that your producer?
Speaker 1 (02:03):
and then do you also do other things you want me to
tell people?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
about.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I was also the second ad, that's right, right, that's
important and that's probablyactually what brings us here,
because the thing that blew mymind was something the second ad
put on set to help ad betterand help everyone be on the same
page, which we'll get to, okay,um, but I'm excited.
(02:32):
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
at dances with films.
Yeah, congratulations thank you.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Thank you so much.
I'm so excited you guys havethe red carpet coming up.
A carpet, yeah, a carpet,imagine so we you know what?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
we earned it you guys earned it and I earned it a
little you sold the show you,you're like the first shot,
you're the second shot of thefilm is just your face and all
that skincare you do paid offBecause you look great.
Wow, you set the tone, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Not only that, like even when you weren't in a scene
, you came to set to help.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That's right, you were like extra, Like I was an
extra Three hours, I'll come.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Did you shoot November?
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We had like, we had two weekends with like a month
in between.
That One was in October and onewas November.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So this is what you missed Cameramage for yes, I
remember, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
So we booked our second Cameramage trip, yeah,
second camera mosh 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, becausewe'd booked our flights, we'd
booked our, like I was.
But she was so excited aboutthis movie, yeah, I wasn't about
to miss shooting.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
It was just fun to like contextualize it for me,
because I just remember she waslike I'm shooting, I won't be
able to make it, and I was likelike she's an actor, that's fine
.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
But, like at time, I was like why?
Like don't you want to go toPoland in November?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
come on, man, I mean, I think anyone who's ever
listened to a single episode ofthis podcast knows that, yes, we
do want to go to Poland inNovember, maybe more than
anything else we really lovePoland 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,
(04:50):
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 3 (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 great to get footagefor her own brand and to get the
experience and it was amazing.
It was so much fun to walk inthere and own brand and to get
the experience and it wasamazing.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
It was so much fun to walk in there and be like what
do you got?
Today she's like what do youwant?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
like she had everything and she'd make
something for you if you wantedspecial things and like she
would pay attention to what youliked and make sure you had that
the next day it was.
Speaker 4 (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 washer approach to absolutely
everything.
I was like would you buy me oneapple, Because I think I want a
green apple next week.
She was like yes, Do you wantit cut?
Like do you want?
Speaker 1 (06:20):
me to a little peanut butter Some raisins Taylor Hall
.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
We can shout out.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Taylor Hall yeah, I think her Instagram is at Taylor
Hall's Kitchen.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Hall's Kitchen.
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?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
it come together, the whole process, and then I want
to talk about the, the yearsafter and what you've been doing
in the years after to keep it.
This film keeps living andgiving, so let's talk about all
of it.
Oh my gosh, okay well, doggone.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Um, this is really funny because I I just I had a
friend who was a dog sitter anda writer and we had all these
conversations about um, sort ofjust like that, the, the like
day job versus the dream job,kind of uh duality when you're
starting out in LA, and to me Iwas like, oh my god, like a dog
sitter would be a great job,like for a writer, because you
(07:35):
just hang out with this dog andyou just write, trying to um
like push for for a dream andsomething happens for you and
then something it takes a littlelonger for the next like for
your best friend to go to thenext level and um, so that kind
of became like the heart of thestory was this friendship.
(07:56):
That initially was just sort ofa like a little framing device
and it was all about this dogmapping and really like, draft
after draft, um, the corerelationship between Jamie and
Saf sort of like took over anduh, I love that because it
created such a like emotionalstory and it, um, you know, got,
got this great like friendshipmoment at the end.
(08:17):
Um, and I I wrote thisbasically thinking like, okay,
it's a film about a dog, I'llnever make this Like.
I'll never make this Like.
There's no way.
So I'll just Number one rule nopets, no kids.
Like.
I'm just going to write this,I'm just going to have fun with
this draft and I don't even haveto worry about how it gets made
(08:38):
, because I'm never going tomake this and it just like.
But people kept liking it,people kept, like, you know,
connecting to the script and tothe script and I kept working on
it and working on it andeventually I reached a point
where it was like okay, am Igonna make this like let's let's
figure it out.
um, and I uh it.
I knew that it was gonna be big.
Um, and after a while thatstarted to really excite me,
(09:01):
because this was sort of rightafter the pandemic and I'd done
a couple really small scalefilms where it was just like in
someone's apartment.
It was only with people we knew, just like people doing favor
we would like cast like ahusband and wife team, because
they were in a bubble, like itwas all very like what we could
do within strict limitations.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Good for you for still making stuff during the
pandemic, by the way, andputting it together, because
that's a lot, that's a lot ofwork, but it's nice to use the
resources you have, yeah,especially as independent
filmmakers.
So, like, good on you for doingthat.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
You know, thank you, and that's kind of what.
I wasn't really into comedyuntil that happened, and it kind
of it.
It was like the world was sucha dark place but it just I
started working on these comedyprojects that were like little
sketches and it and it like Ithink it was like the first time
we were able to have anin-person screening, getting
like the crowd laughing, yeah,at my film, like that was like a
(09:58):
drug and I was like okay, yeah,like.
I gotta, I'm gonna chase thathigh, 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
going to be a bigger thing wehave a dog.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
We have a dog, we have a dog, we have a dog, yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
So we started pushing it and taking on bigger and
bigger crew and we did acrowdfunding 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 realbecause we had someone who was
(10:43):
like okay, I'm great and I'mgonna execute on all of this.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
It was awesome yeah, I feel like you really like fed
that in me, though, because Iread the script and I was just
like so hungry for like workingon something and you know, I was
still freelancing at the time,so I was in between projects and
I was just like I needsomething and this script was so
big and it did break thoserules that I had been taught,
you know, and I was like youknow what I've got the time and
(11:11):
like I know that this is aperson who is passionate about
it as well, with Emily, and so Ijust knew that it was going to
happen and I don't know, it waskind of freeing, like not being
employed and and this just beingan incredibly 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 II knew that Emily was not
backing down from this and Ireally needed that, because I
had lived in LA for probablylike four years at that point
and I hadn't worked on a singlelike personal 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 part ofthat's the main reason that I
emailed Emily and I was like hey.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
I want to work on this.
That's so great to hear,because you fall into this sort
of trap.
I think when you have, when youhave a small budget, when it's
a passion project, you feel likeyou're asking for so much and
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's just this feelingof like, oh god, like I can't
(12:31):
you know I can't pay people asmuch as they deserve and like
they're gonna have to take, givetheir time, but, um, like the
process of doing this projectreally sort of showed me that
there are people who really lovethat.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Yeah, why kaylee shows up three hours early.
Oh, camera.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Mosh for this like flip.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
It's like people who see 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.
You're building somethingtogether as a team can we also
talk about your?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
so we're you know it keeps coming up like passion
project, like there wasn't a lotof resources, but like it's a
high production value film, theway it turned out can we talk
about for those that arelistening and doing their own
projects, what you think it isthat led to such a kind of
insane production value on thescreen I mean, emily has
definitely spent years buildingthese relationships, um, with
(13:27):
our dp, our DP Patrick.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
We actually had a split DP team Patrick Ouziel and
Nini Milgi, and so I think thatthat really came into play and
my connections as well, it's.
It's interesting because Emilycomes from commercial directing
and I came from freelancing andjust as like a PA on network TV
(13:49):
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 easy, yeah, easy to communicate.
Yeah, cause I knew like how, uh, you know, 10 season running
show operated.
And so I was like, okay, liketheoretically, I know how to
(14:12):
execute this, but it's going tobe on a smaller scale and Emily
is just like a powerhouse ofcreating content and stuff.
Like you have so many projectsunder your belt, which is really
incredible.
And I think, like because youhave that ability to navigate
and bring your own projects tolife with the resources you have
.
And I had this experience oflike, okay, here's how people
with million dollar budgetsexecute these kinds of things,
(14:35):
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, whatwas your approach there?
Speaker 1 (14:52):
yes to be able to do that.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Everyone, everyone is very like going back yes it's a
ton of money through like Imean 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.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Yeah, which is bravery at its finest, it's
confidence, because, like it'sreally hard to do that I I mean,
it was like it was.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I had a lot of really great advice.
It was like one month, 30 days,making sure that there was like
a strict timeline, that you hadlike targets to hit, and then
just having having a team likeCindy came on, I think halfway
through the crowdfundingcampaign was when you joined up
(15:45):
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 ifyou're like the director or
you're the main, the personleading the ship, like you just
have to know that you are goingto put more work into it than
anyone else and be okay withthat and be like you just have
(16:06):
to push it.
And it was, you know, it waslike emails that would go out
like 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, Ihaven't spoken to you in like a
decade.
Will you give me money?
It feels crazy and you feelcrazy and honestly it was like
(16:29):
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 Likeyou, did you rekindle any old
dormant friendships?
Yeah, I mean it was likestarted conversations, got
coffee with some people.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Like I did.
Yeah, like my long distancefriendships from like high
school and college.
I was like hitting them up,like I'm doing this thing, like
I I know I'm asking you forsomething, but I do want to know
how you're doing as well.
Yeah, and yeah, I mean I hadlike a three-hour face time with
like a friend from college thatI really hadn't spoken to in a
like you know in depth for along time.
So I think it's just a matterof like.
(17:09):
I think we all know that likeeveryone has seen a crowdfunding
campaign come across their feedno matter what, especially in
LA.
But like everybody iscrowdfunding for anything now,
and so we all know that thequestion is going to arise of
can you help me with this?
Can you donate, like donatesome financial assistance to us?
(17:30):
And so for me I guess it's justlike maybe delusion, but I was
like well, everybody knows thatlike people crowdfund, I'm just
gonna ask, yeah, yeah and Ithink that you just have to kind
of adopt that, like you weresaying.
You, you know that, like for thedirector putting in more work
than anyone else, um, you haveto know that some people are
going to say no and that's fine.
Some people are not going toanswer you and that's fine, but
(17:52):
and so?
Speaker 3 (17:53):
who cares?
Yeah, yeah, some people, somepeople surprise you yeah parents
of friends will like donate soyou 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?
Speaker 3 (18:22):
no, the restaurant fantastic stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
No, uh, republic is um, something we learned at can
uh heard from the the founder,no, the marketing guy or
something.
But republic is um.
Instead of donations andcrowdfunding.
It's crowdfunding for equity,so you actually are asking
people to invest in your movie.
It's a platform that handlesall the contracts and um f is it
(18:49):
fidc, the fdic, fdic all oflike the forms and paperwork and
validate your buyers andcontrol your waterfall, so you
retain your percentages as thefilmmakers.
But then the pool for investorsum it, it does it for you so
you actually can sign up on thewebsite and then like get backed
(19:10):
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, it'slike and it's successful and
it's like done.
But I'm like what is the newthing?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
and obviously we have fiscal sponsorship, right, like
crowdfunding is like the a real, like the baby kindergarten
framework of something likefiscal sponsorship.
Right, because you're askingpeople to just like give you
money and get nothing back,maybe like a movie ticket or a
hat or something.
It's not incentivized.
It's not not incentivized, soyou could incentivize it through
(19:51):
fiscal sponsorship.
Or you can go this other routewith crowdsource investing, yes,
and then they're like gettingtheir 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?
Like thing, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
So Now, on top of crowds or crowdfunding and
begging people to give you money, now you can be like yes, I'm
asking you for money, but you'rean investor.
It's a little bit sexier, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
That's really cool.
Yeah, the crowdfunding.
I think it is fueled by, like,the fact someone told me early
on that, um, people genuinelywant to help each other, yeah,
and like that's why it works.
Yeah, and that was like hugeand I think that's like the
reason this project exists waslike trying to was figuring that
out yeah, like, oh, okay, likeyeah.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
There's a whole world of people here who, like,
genuinely just want to makestuff and want to help each
other and want to see the storythat you're talking about
because it's fun.
Yeah, 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.
My, it's like my first thingthat I've booked after started
(21:23):
cinematography for actors withindie.
So I'm thinking how do I makethis process for me fit into
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 front,being like, yes, can't wait, so
excited to do this with you,would love to see any visual
(21:45):
planning that you have.
Like, please send through anystoryboards to me, please send
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 how I want to
know the context of things.
And then we were really lucky,I feel like because we got a
(22:08):
couple of rehearsal days even,which were so much fun, which
because we got the table read,and then we got two rehearsal
days with Jonah and me to workthrough the bar scene, which was
so much fun.
I remember that it was so muchfun and then I felt so prepared
(22:29):
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
that day and there's a big foamboard are you talking about this
after the big screen boards.
That was shooting a commercial.
But it was great because it'slonger, it's narrative, and then
there were big X's through thesetups that were already done.
(22:53):
So it didn't matter where I'dbeen.
If I'd been in makeup or justlike hanging out, I could come
to set and I never even oncesaid what are we doing?
Or like felt like I was lost.
I knew I could walk.
The AT in me was like yeah,this was the thing I knew I
could walk in me, this was thething I knew.
I could walk straight to thatboard and be like we're doing
exactly the shot right now, andI knew from rehearsal what that
(23:17):
meant for me.
What made you guys decide to do?
Speaker 3 (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 it's a schedule
broken down by shot list so thatwe can so throughout the day,
like he's standing at it andlike making notes or like
(23:42):
crossing things out or movingthings, but like a physical,
tangible, because it's like, ohwell, we all have that on our
ipad.
Or like, oh, anyone can.
Like, go look at a producer'slaptop guess who can't do that?
Speaker 1 (23:53):
actors.
Speaker 3 (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
it creates a gathering space andit's kind of this weird, like
ritual, sort of sacred littlelittle pocket of like.
(24:14):
Okay, now we're going to goover to the big board, we're
going to talk about what we'redoing and for this it was
awesome because we had, we didalmost the entire, we
storyboarded almost the entirething.
There was like one sequence wecould not storyboard because we
couldn't scout, we like lost alocation.
It was crazy.
We sequence, we could notstoryboard because we couldn't
scout, we like lost a location.
It was crazy.
Um, uh, we kind of had to wingit, but uh, yeah, we did a lot
of storyboards, we did a lot ofprevis and that was super
(24:35):
helpful because we were also oneof the things you you asked a
question about, um maximizingyour production value.
We had sort of like the the.
The ace in the hole for us waswe had this location that was
actually a movie theater indowntown la um and our producers
had, like, worked with thembefore.
(24:55):
So we had this sort ofrelationship and this access to
the space and we used this onemovie theater for like six
different locations it was somodular.
Yeah, the kitchen was in theretoo, the big like the big
kitchen the taylor was coffeeshop scene, the bar scene, the
there was like staff's photoshoot scene.
(25:16):
There was a.
We did a green screen setup.
We did the club scene.
Um, we did that last scene.
All the back seats we built.
We used pipe and drape to builda series of hallways and
dressing rooms.
It looked so good, it lookedlike it was just like a
backstage.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
There's a whole fashion show element.
Yeah, yeah, used pipe and drapeto build a series of hallways
and dressing rooms.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
It looked so good it looked like it was just like a
backstage.
There's a whole fashion showelement.
Yeah, yeah, the set with thelike stage 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 at it.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
I remember I was like oh my God, yeah, the whole
fashion show party backstage,part the animal stuff, like
throughout, yeah, and then alsoa great holding space for
background.
For the day I worked backgroundon entire theater with comfy
seats.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
It was.
It was really amazing, yeah andum yeah, and that was also like
this great moment Cause I wasreally resistant when I was
writing it to like I Gotfeedback where it was like, oh,
we have to see Jamie get firedat the coffee shop, like, we
have to see like, and I wrotethe bar scene with you, which I
love so much.
But I wrote that in a draft.
I was like everyone's going totell me to cut this.
(26:23):
Like no, I know we won't get toshoot this, because it's like
in a bar where it's not reallyplot heavy.
It's more like a moat.
It's a very like emotionalscene.
It's very funny, but like it'sa bar, right?
Don't you like a coffee shop, abar?
Like there are certainlocations that you just like are
not supposed to planned foryeah, you have low budget but
you already had a dog.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
We had a dog.
Whatever, we'll go anywhereit's my potatoes.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yeah, like figuring out that the coffee shop only
had to be a shot.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Reverse shot yeah, we only had to dress two little
like and it really was just likeit was, with a board and a pump
pot, and I was like a coffeeshop.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Amazing, yeah, that little sign you did like yeah,
we had like a little likesunlight to make it feel like a
window.
It was.
It was actually, um, it's theconcession stand at the movie
theater and the projection booth.
We like shot light through theprojection booth um window and
that felt like a sliding glassdoor.
Yeah, what was that scout?
Speaker 1 (27:20):
like who went on that scout with you and how many
people had ideas in there to beable to?
Speaker 4 (27:27):
that was so.
That was our first scout and Iwas 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 oh yes, I know how to do all of that
with this blank space rightright and I remember looking at
(27:51):
it and my husband had worked atthe theater, so I was very
familiar with the space and wego in and we're standing at 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 these other10 places also in here?
You know, and Caitlin just kindof 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.
(28:32):
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, was
(28:53):
about six hours.
Whoa, that sounds right.
I do remember all of us beinglike okay, I got to eat and then
I can go to the next location.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
And then you go somewhere else.
Yeah, gosh, yeah, so.
So that is like um, likefiguring out what you actually
need to tell the audience.
Coffee shop, you might not needlike the full location.
That was like a huge thing forfor maximizing the budget
totally.
Um, I think for the bar weliterally have, like you did,
your, I'm about don't need thefull location.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
What's in the frame?
Do your visual slam?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
the importance of prep.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
Yeah, that's why we're here and finding people to
do the jobs that you don't knowhow to do.
Yeah, that's often lost on on,like when you're starting out.
I know for me it was yeah, itwas like oh, I have to do
everything, I have to pick thecostuming and the you know the
set design and thetransportation.
I have to figure all that outand the food, and I don't know
(29:57):
how you found all of thesewonderful people.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
This was my first narrative project where I had
had a dedicated productiondesigner, which in my life yeah,
Like, oh wow, which is insane.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
I, when we shot Murphy's Ranch here, we did a
short 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 second floor?
Like, are we gonna add curtains?
because, like it doesn't workcurrently for what you want ind
indie is really good at makingyou feel like shit, hearing the
decision you're trying to makeand making you feel really
nervous about it really quicklyhe was like, oh yeah, I didn't
(30:54):
think about that and I was like,yeah, you don't have the energy
to work with five actors and alocation with 30 crew um, over
two build all of his own shotsand do all the props, like you
just like aren't gonna want todo that and also like you're
gonna hate it in the final editbecause you're gonna notice some
shit is not there, and it'slike production design.
(31:16):
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 andbe like this could be a coffee
shop, no worries.
Like save yourself that by likehaving the best collaborators,
which means not doing ityourself, but like that is a
lesson you have to learn by likemaking that mistake once you
(31:39):
know, learning to let go too,because I remember walking in
and thinking like okay, danieland I know this space the best,
we've been here the most.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
And like he and I are having these conversations
about like, what about, like thecountertop, like how are we
going to do this?
Will this work?
Like can we scooch this pieceof furniture, whatever?
And then I'm on the scout andCaitlin is there and like this
is not my lane.
The role of a, of a goodproducer and a good director I
think are to is to bring onpeople who can handle the things
(32:09):
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
on these kinds of things it was.
Speaker 3 (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 this
was a moment that really struckme.
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?
Like I thought it was helping.
I thought it was like help, youknow, like I can, I can, like I
know I can, but he's like no, Iwant you to be able to like have
the space and like, 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
(33:15):
work worth it and efficient andyou're barely gonna have enough
time to do your own job, rightyou know, like so.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Doing anything else added on is just like a
nightmare but moving to thattransition could be difficult,
right, because we all, we allcome from a world where it's
like independent film.
We all work hard, we all pitchin, we all put gack 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, butit's like it's a hard transition
to make yeah, yeah, well, youhave.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
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):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
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.
If someone asks for help,obviously I'll say yes.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Or to have the person who's you know like facilitate
the.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
PA yes.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
And so what has been the response from audiences?
Speaker 4 (34:47):
People laughing out loud they love it.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Yeah, they love sochi .
There's like a first shot, thefirst shot of sochi.
Who is the dog?
The dog yes yes, um, it's just,it kills a lot of yes so many
squeals.
Yeah, it's incredible, yeah,it's great.
I, 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 being the core, likeI'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's, you know,
there's a little more to itfriendship.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
There's a little bit of everyone, especially people
who live in la yep, la typesyeah, yeah, exactly, so people
can watch it really soon.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
really, they buy a ticket.
I mean this dances with thembefore.
Oh, it will.
Are you going to have a specialday with Lester?
Yes, oh, my God.
That's a promise 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.
Something else we're going todo today.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
Technically, the film festival kicked off today, but
our screening is on.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Oh, perfect, we'll get it out in time before the
screening.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
great awesome that's our workflow after receiving
this tell us how we did.
Yeah, what's next for you guys?
Speaker 3 (36:14):
oh my goodness, I am working on a feature film, a
horror feature check outRepublic.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
I will.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
I know this is literally right.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's a good one, yeah, and what are you
doing?
Oh?
Speaker 4 (36:29):
what am?
I not doing um, I am actuallygoing to be relocated to chicago
later this year.
Thank you just there.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
Awesome congratulations are you?
It's wonderful?
Are you from Chicago?
What's the Chicago vibe Like?
Why are you headed just there,why?
Why?
Tell me about it.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, I want to know everything.
I love Chicago.
I never shut up about it.
I'm wearing my Wild WestMidwest shirt.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
I have been looking at it for so long during this.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
I love it so much um, I went to school in Chicago.
Um, and my husband's familylives there and I just am
excited for a change.
I'm really thankful that I metEmily and had to collaborate
with her here, but I'm reallyexcited to go kind of bring that
energy to Chicago.
You know, and I also am stillgonna I work for an agency here
(37:24):
and it's remote, thank gosh.
So, um, I will be keeping thatjob, so I'll be back and forth,
which is fantastic, but, um, soexciting yeah, when are you
going?
wow, uh, september or October,amazing yeah do you have a house
?
We do not, no, no, but I'm,you're not a producer, you're
such a cute area.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
We were there.
What's the area I liked thathad the little knitting shop or
whatever it was.
It was really cute it was.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
There were near water .
Where was it?
Hills living there?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Were we near water?
No, no, we really had fun.
We went to the-.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
We had a good time, but we don't know where we were.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Yeah, we had a good time, but we don't know where we
were.
Amazing, tell your joke thebean joke, the Chicago joke.
It is so inappropriate.
It's fine, it's our podcast, wecan do it.
Okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
I got in a taxi and I said to the driver the male
driver, take me to the bean.
And he said I don't know whereit is.
And I said typical, isn't?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
that good she came up with that.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
That is really good, because I wanted to go see the
Bean, and we did see it in ataxi.
Actually, I didn't want to getout because it was cold.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
So I just said I'll take a photo of you and me
pointing Like as we're passingand I timed it.
W about what's in the frame.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
We did we'll probably see you in Chicago next time we
go, because we went for aconvention.
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.
I did oh, we will talk aboutthis.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
I have a lot to say, please, I have a lot to hear.
Yeah, I've a lot to ask.
Yeah, that'd be great.
These comments in chicago.
Bye everybody, because she'salso doing improv, so maybe you
could fulfill that there you goif you need a and if you need a
comedian who has one chicago toopen everything.
I'm also good at uh, singingchicago, but you can find it on
(39:24):
our instagram.
Um, so I want to talk about thethings we learned here today.
Yeah, uh, pull your resourcesand rekindle old friendships and
ask directly for money.
Don't be scared.
Rejection therapy's good yeah,uh, also um have a big board on
set, please, please.
Every actor begs you.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
Because when we come out yeah, that's what I like
it's lit and everyone goes to it.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Everyone goes there, so you can be like this is next
right, Yep.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
And it doesn't have to be huge.
I mean it's a piece of oldbounce board.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
With older, the better.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
The oldest raggedy cardboard.
Yes In a C-stand, yeah witholder the better.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
The oldest tape, raggedy cardboard, yes, in a
stand.
And you know, yeah, havesomeone pop.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
That's it.
We're really hurting for that,because the the most terrible
feeling on set is being let outof holding and you're in your
costume and you're ready to do agood job and you're standing
there and they're all set up andthey'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 on thesame page with everyone is
terrifying.
So that big board is a big partof things we learned about
(40:51):
Republic.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
We also learned about having good collaborators and
being able to let go of control.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
Hiring the people you trust.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Work with women yeah, always Forever.
And drink your diet Pepsi in ateacup cheers any other tidbits
you want to leave us with today?
Speaker 4 (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 thelocation and the 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.
I'm so inspiring to myself.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
I do that too.
Speaker 4 (42:04):
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
you know, just if you look at itin a different way, in a way
that's not, yeah, thinking thatit's impossible, then you'll
find a solution to it.
You know, don't say no toyourself yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
don't say no to yourself.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Don't say no to yourself.
Give it to us again, Emily.
Speaker 3 (42:29):
Don't say no to yourself.
Wow, and that's all.
That's the wait.
Wait, no, she did.
Oh NC Dog On at Dances withFilms on Tuesday at 7pm at the
Chinese Theatre.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
At the Chinese Theatre.
At the Chinese Theatre, get aticket for an entire shorts
block.
Come for Doggone, stay for therest of them.
Actually, I think Doggone isthe last, isn't it?
I don't know, we don't know, wedon't know.
Come and see it at some point.
Also drop your Instagramsplease.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
If you want, mine is CindyAllen02, I think.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Mine is my name Emily Claxton, e-m-e-l-i-e.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
We'll put them in the show notes so you can find
these wonderful creators.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Awesome.
Thanks, guys.
Thanks for coming.
Bye, everybody, bye.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
Join us in bridging the gap between talent and crew.
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