Last week we officially completed production on our new feature film teacher’s petthe project has been underway for more than a year.
This production is one of the best I have ever been a part of and truly exceeded my expectations in every way. To say I am grateful to our team for making this possible would be a massive understatement.
I learned more from this film than any other because its size, scope, and complexity were greater than any film I’d ever done before. But it’s still very much an independent production, benefitting from some of my usual DIY strategies.
Whenever I finish a work, I like to evaluate things retrospectively. While it’s still very new, I thought I’d share some of my first takeaways with you all.
This experience was so rich that I could never try to capture it all in one blog post (more on that soon, expected)…but today I’m going to share a few immediate takeaways that were top of mind of.
How it started: Getting approved
Prior to making this film, I spent over a decade blogging about filmmaking, sharing my experiences in a newsletter, recording hundreds of podcast episodes, and making numerous extremely low-budget DIY feature films.
It was the culmination of all this effort that finally made this project a reality, which I think is worth noting. A project often begins years before you even realize it. The more active you are in filmmaking—in almost any aspect—the better.
I met our star, Luke Barnett, and indirectly our lead producer (Sheldon Brigman) through the podcast. I met two of our key crew members through the filmmaking community (on location). My previous DIY feature helped us find some actors.
These are just a few examples. But in almost every way, this project is the result of seemingly unrelated efforts that laid the foundation for such a project.
I’m not suggesting that everyone follow my path—or anyone else’s.
But it’s worth pointing out that smaller efforts may manifest in unlikely ways in larger projects in the future. There is no one way. The key is to find what works for you and stick with it until everything works.
For me, making DIY films, recording films, and building a filmmaking community was all I needed.
Bringing DIY strategies to larger-scale production
My previous feature films (missing boy) is the smallest film I’ve ever made. There is actually no crew. That experience was so liberating and completely reshaped the way I thought about production for so many reasons.
when we set foot on teacher’s petit was important to find ways to tap into that same DIY feature-filmmaking spirit.
Ultimately, I found this balance by:
- I directed and photographed this film myself
- Looking for versatile crew roles
- Unique flexibility in how scenes are shot and covered
There are many other variables at play, but some of them are the biggest. Below, I will break it down in detail one by one.
Directing and shooting feature films
On by default missing boy Since there was no crew, I served as both director and DP. While I thoroughly enjoyed the process, I’m not sure it would work on a larger production.
Initially, I discussed the possibility of shooting a new film with several DPs. Everyone has incredible talent behind the scenes and a wealth of experience.
But after some preliminary discussions, I feel that introducing a more traditional DP may not be the right choice. Mainly due to the unconventional nature of the project.
Given the way I like to shoot, minimal lighting, and my preference for smaller teams, a traditional cinematographer didn’t seem like the answer. I don’t want to ask anyone to give up their usual tools and methods to work within my particular framework.
Ultimately the best option, and the only option, was to make the film myself. This will allow me to bring out some of the spontaneity I experienced on the last film. And still improving the visuals with some better gear and more on-site support.
Still, I’m fighting an uphill battle. exist missing boywe had plenty of time to shoot and I was using my little Fuji X-T4 Mirrorless camera, very easy to use.
This time we had more settings, less time, and a bigger camera bag. All of this adds complexity to the shoot and potentially reduces the time I have to work with the actors/focus on directing.
To mitigate any potential problems, I made three important choices:
- Brought two amazing air conditioners (Jeremiah Chow and Travis Hayward)
- Always keep lighting to an absolute minimum
- Shooting with Alexa Mini makes on-set lighting/color matching easier
We used just a few LED panels and tube lights to illuminate the entire movie. This was a major variable that kept us on track and avoided editing footage.
The combination of simplified lighting and the other variables mentioned above allowed me to direct and DP at the same time. And it doesn’t feel like I’m cutting corners.
I will be sharing a detailed blog post about this process soon, so stay tuned.
Hire a versatile team
I pride myself on being a multi-talented person and in recent years I have been looking for collaborators who can thrive in multi-faceted roles.
On this project, many of us have experience in areas very different from our professional roles.
Our first vice president (Dave Fairman) was a director himself. One of our first ACs was also a great cinematographer. BTS filmmaker Josh Pafchek starred in my last film and is a talented writer/director. Our sound recordist is a film editor and is also our DIT! Just to name a few…
Having versatile people in every position means we can keep the team small without feeling understaffed.
Everyone basically serves as their own department. We all feel comfortable sharing ideas back and forth because there are no strict boundaries.
Not every director enjoys working this way, but I certainly do. Giving people ownership of their roles by letting them play to their strengths will only benefit the final product.
Flexible coverage and creativity
I didn’t use shot lists on this film. Instead I created a “shooting plan” This allowed me to think more broadly about how to cover scenes.
Then, that day I would have the actors rehearse to see how it went, adjust blocking, and figure out the shots I needed.
I find this to be a more intuitive way of working as it allows new ideas to emerge on the spot. If we have extra time one day, we can get creative and add some coverage. If we’re a little behind, we can simplify easily without feeling like we’re dropping the ball.
This flexibility extends to other aspects of production as well.
There were many scenes that were supposed to be shot indoors but were shot outdoors to take advantage of the sunlight. Some night scenes are flipped to daytime. We even rewrote the entire climax the night before shooting and made further adjustments on set to optimize the location.
Being less strict about how you shoot will only make the process more intuitive and will definitely result in a better movie.
Planning is important – don’t get me wrong. We had more plans for this movie than any other movie I’ve made. But the plan is there so you can abandon it if you need to. The more willing you are to do this, the more likely creative opportunities will appear.
Don’t think twice about making lots of small changes—as long as they fit the overall tone, story, and theme.
Actor first
When you’re making any film, it’s important to recognize which single element is most important to you. Of course, it’s always a matter of balancing everything. But in those moments when sacrifices must be made, you need to have a framework for making decisions.
For me, the most important thing is always the actors. Movies are performances. higher than any other element.
Many of the technical choices I made, including shooting with almost no lighting, were made to prioritize performance. Less time moving lights = more time filming actors.
But we also have partnerships with talent both on and off set. Whether it’s through character discussions, adjusting dialogue/scene direction based on feedback, or letting actors lead blocking on set.
There are so few directors who actually care about their actors, and it baffles me. Actors are the most critical element of a film and in many cases the first thing that makes it possible to make it.
If there’s one thing I’m most grateful for in this production, it’s that we had such a great cast who all had great ideas.
Our amazing cast includes: Michelle Torian, Luke Barnett (based on faith), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, from beyond, you are next) Clayton Royal Johnson (stranger things), Kevin Markley (young rock), Drew Powell (Gotham, suppress your enthusiasm.), Sara Tomko (foreign residents), Alex-Anne Godin, Josh Pavcek, Makena Jean.
5 minute rule
Thanks to input from one of our producers, we developed a small workflow on set that helped speed things up.
After completing any given scene, I spend 5 minutes alone at the next location imagining the next scene. This helps me think quickly about shading, lighting, and potential issues that could arise. Before that, I would be bombarded with 100 questions about everything from gear to lunch to DIT.
After my 5-minute window, we bring in the actors and block the scene together. I either let them completely dominate the lockdown, or I give them my version and ask for input.
This will continue for another 5 to 10 minutes, and by the end we’ll have come up with the best version of the scene. From there, the actors can go into costume/makeup while we set up the cameras and lights.
Many scenes could have spiraled out of control if not for that brief period of time. It allows for maximum creative input while avoiding unnecessary changes to settings and lighting.
Final Thoughts: Packaging Production
We shot the film in 15 days, which was almost never more than 10 hours a day. And still manages to capture plenty of coverage, great performances, and spontaneous ideas. With the right settings, anything is possible.
Remember, this is not about imitating what we do on a micro level. It’s about taking a holistic approach to your film. Know what’s most important to you and incorporate that philosophy into everything—from the people you hire, to the filming equipment you use, to your workflow on set.
Stay tuned for more. I’ll be breaking down the writing process, casting, camera setup, DIT workflow, and loads more over the next few weeks.
If there’s anything in particular you’d like me to write about, please leave a comment below!
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