The Secrets Behind "Doggone": From Crowdfunding to Red Carpet Success

Ever wondered how independent filmmakers create high-production value films on tight budgets? Join us as director Emelie Claxton and producer Cindy Allen reveal the ingenious strategies that transformed their short film “Doggone” from an impossible dream into a festival success story. From raising an impressive amount through crowdfunding to turning one movie theater into six different shooting locations, they share the practical wisdom they gained along the way.

This episode unpacks the power of collaboration, the importance of working with specialists rather than doing everything yourself, and the game-changing “big board” technique that kept everyone on set informed and aligned. You’ll hear how breaking traditional filmmaking rules, rekindling old friendships for fundraising, and trusting in specialized talent created a film that audiences are falling in love with.

Whether you’re an actor, filmmaker, or film enthusiast, this conversation offers valuable insights into maximizing resources and creating meaningful stories that connect with audiences. Don’t miss their final inspiring advice: “Don’t say no to yourself.”

For our listeners, CFA’s teamed up with We Make Movies to get you a discount on production management services, including access to comprehensive production insurance and workers' comp for your next shoot. 

Visit wemakemovies.org/insurance and use code CFA23 on your intake form for 10% off your quote.

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Cinematography for Actors is a community aimed at bridging the gap between talent & crew through our weekly podcast & community events. Our weekly show supports the filmmaking community through transparent, honest & technically focused interviews with the goal of elevating the art of effective storytelling.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

Sorry, guys, we're gonna hold off a little bit for the reason I keep teasing while you guys are here, because there were also other wonderful things on set. Like you guys had a chef there the whole time what?

Introduction to the CFA Podcast

Speaker 2 0:15

This is the Cinematography for Actors podcast.

Speaker 1 0:18

More than a podcast. Cinematography for Actors is a vibrant community devoted to bridging the gap between talent and crew. Each week, our show offers transparent, insightful conversations with industry leaders, for Actors is a vibrant community devoted to bridging the gap between talent and crew. Each week, our show offers transparent, insightful conversations with industry leaders. We unveil the magic behind the scenes, from candid discussions about unique filmmaking processes to in-depth technical exploration. Join us in unraveling the intricacies of filmmaking, one episode at a time. It's more than just cameras and lenses. We aim to inspire, educate and empower as we peel back the curtain on the art of effective storytelling. Now on to the episode. Hello, welcome back to another episode of Cinematography for Actors podcast, which I guess we should just call CFA podcast.

Speaker 2 1:04

Yeah, because we're going to change the names, uh heads up everybody yeah another name change for our businesses stay cfa because we love our logo and people know it as cfa.

Speaker 1 1:15

But, like it's just, we've grown past it's cinematography and actors and people are confused now yeah, however, this chat is going to be quite cinematography for actors, because I've had this idea for about two years, coming on two years now to talk to you guys. Let's talk about who's here with us. I'm Hayley Royal, your host, indiana Underhill is over there, another host, and we have some guests here, very special guests, who I've been planning to have on this podcast for a couple of years now.

Meeting the Guests: Emily and Cindy

Speaker 1 1:46

Emily claxton, director, go ahead say hello, hi, okay yeah, go ahead, you're allowed great start just killing it, and cindy allen producer, and is that your producer? And then, do you also do other things you want me to tell people about?

Speaker 1 2:07

I was also the second ad, that's right, right, that's important and that's probably actually what brings us here, because the thing that blew my mind was something the second ad put on set to help ad better and help everyone be on the same page, which we'll get to, um, but I'm excited. So I've invited you here because I worked with you two on a short film a couple of years ago and now it's about to screen at dances with films.

Speaker 4 2:47

Yeah congratulations, thank you. Thank you so much. I'm so excited you guys have the red carpet coming up.

Speaker 1 2:53

A carpet, yeah, a carpet, imagine so we, you know what we earned it you guys earned it and I earned it a little you, you're like the first shot, you're the second shot of the film is just your face and all that skincare you do paid off Because you look great.

Speaker 2 3:11

You set the tone.

Speaker 3 3:13

Not only that, like even when you weren't in a scene, you came to set to help. Yeah.

Speaker 1 3:19

That's right, you were like extra.

Speaker 4 3:23

Like I was an extra Three hours, I'll come Did you shoot November? We had like, we had two weekends with like a month in between. That One was in October and one was November.

Speaker 2 3:34

So this is what you missed Camerimage for yes, I remember, oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 3:39

So we booked our second Camerimage trip, yeah, second camera trip, yeah. And then I had as I want to do with my uh adhd, I improperly read the shoot dates and we had a pre like a production meeting, we had a table read, yeah, and you guys said the shoot dates and my whole body went cold. I was was like no, because we'd booked our flights, we'd booked our, like I was going.

Speaker 2 4:08

But she was so excited about this movie yeah, I wasn't about to miss shooting. It was just fun to like contextualize it for me because I just remember she was like I'm shooting, I won't be able to make it, and I was like she's an actor, that's fine.

Speaker 1 4:26

But, like, at the same time, I was like, why, like, don't you want to go to Poland in November? Come on man, I mean, I think anyone who's ever listened to a single episode of this podcast knows that, yes, we do want to go to Poland in November, maybe more than anything else.

Speaker 2 4:35

We really love Poland in November like no one else, I guess, but no, um, and I remember 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 you guys on the podcast. So this is great because it's like full circle. I had the context, but I just remember it as this, like, oh, hayley's shooting and me being like how was the shoot, you know, like getting to ask about it, and she said it was great.

Speaker 1 4:55

So and there were so many great things about that shoot. Not to sorry guys, we're gonna hold off a little bit for the reason I keep teasing while you guys are here, because there were also other wonderful things on set, like you guys had a chef there the whole time. What?

The Origins of Doggone Film

Speaker 4 5:11

that was amazing. Yeah, there was a chef. We got like the universe just like smiled upon us and we got so lucky because this was like we did have an extremely tight budget. But it just so happened that one of our producers really good friends was like is in the process of breaking into becoming a private chef and she was like I need content, I need experience. She was about to launch her career and so we were. I mean, she did it all.

Speaker 4 5:39

It was so long to get footage for her own brand and to get the experience, and it was amazing it was so much fun to walk in there and be like what do you got?

Speaker 1 5:49

today she's like what do you want?

Speaker 4 5:51

like she had everything and she'd make something for you you wanted special things and like she would pay attention to what you liked and make sure you had that the next day it was.

Speaker 3 6:00

It was amazing it's like you know, when you're on like a like at a big studio on like a big shoot or something, and you go to the back of the catering truck and you're like, can I have this? Yes, taylor, like that was her approach to absolutely everything. I was like would you buy me one apple Because? I think, I want a green apple. Yeah, she was like yes, do you want it cut Like, do you want it?

Speaker 1 6:20

with a little peanut butter Some raisins Taylor Hall.

Speaker 4 6:25

We can shout out Taylor.

Speaker 1 6:27

Hall. Yeah, I think her Instagram is at Taylor Hall's Kitchen, hall's Kitchen.

Speaker 2 6:31

Hall's Kitchen. Hall's Kitchen, I was wrong. Wait, can we talk about first how Dogon was made? How did you come up with it? What is the process of bringing each other on? Well, you brought her onto the project, yeah, um, let's talk about what doggone is about, as well as like, how did it come together?

Speaker 1 6:51

the whole process. And then I want to talk about the, the years after and what you've been doing in the years after to keep this film keeps living and giving. So let's talk about all of it. Oh my gosh okay, well, doggone.

Speaker 4 7:03

Um, this this is really funny because I just I had a friend who was a dog sitter and a writer and we had all these conversations about sort of just like that, the like day job versus the dream job kind of duality when you're starting out in LA, and to me I was like, oh my God, like a dog sitter be a great job for a writer, because something happens for you and then something.

Speaker 4 7:26

It takes a little longer for the next like for your best friend to go to the next level and, um, so that kind of became like the heart of the story was this friendship that initially was just sort of a like a little framing device and it was all about this dog mapping and really like, draft after draft, um, the core relationship between Jamie and Saf sort of like took over and, uh, I love that because it created such a like emotional story and it, um, you know, got got this great like friendship moment at the end.

Speaker 4 8:18

Um, and I I wrote this basically thinking like, okay, it's a film about a dog, I'll never make this. Like, I'll never make this, like there's no way. So I'll just one rule no number, no pets, no kids, like I'm just gonna write this, I'm just gonna have fun with this draft, and I don't even have to worry about how, how it gets made, because I'm never gonna make this and it just like. But people kept liking it, people kept like, you know, connecting to the script, and I kept working on it and working on it and eventually I reached a point where it was like okay, am I going to make this Like let's, let's figure it out, and I it.

Crowdfunding Success Strategies

Speaker 4 8:57

I knew that it was going to be big and after a while that started to really excite me, because this was sort of right after the pandemic and I'd done a couple really small scale films where it was just like in someone's apartment. It was only with people we knew, um, just like people doing favor, we would like cast like a husband and wife team, because they were in a bubble, like it was all very, um, like what, what we could do, uh, within strict limitations.

Speaker 2 9:22

Good for you for still making stuff during the pandemic, by the way, and putting it together, because that's a lot of work, but it's nice to use the resources you have, especially as independent filmmakers.

Speaker 4 9:32

So good on you for doing that, thank you, and that's kind of what I wasn't really into comedy until that happened, and it kind of was like the world was such a dark place. But I started working on these comedy projects that were like little sketches and it and it like I think it was like the first time we were able to have an in-person screening, getting like the crowd laughing, yeah, at my film, like that was like a drug and I was like, okay, yeah, I gotta, I'm gonna chase that high, um. And then, uh, got got excited about the challenge of making something bigger and so we really tried to. It was like, okay, well, we have this dog, we know it's going to be a bigger thing.

Speaker 2 10:16

We have a dog, we have a dog yeah, um, yeah.

Speaker 4 10:21

So so we started pushing it and, uh, taking on bigger and bigger crew and we did a crowdfunding campaign. That was like the first time I'd ever done such a huge crowdfunding campaign. Um, that was really tough. And bringing on cindy was a huge sort of elevation in the project, because that sort of was when a lot of things that we had hoped for right became real, because we had someone who was like okay, I'm great and I'm going to execute on all of this. It was awesome.

Speaker 3 10:49

Yeah, I feel like you really like fed that in me, though, cause I read the script and I was just like so hungry for like working on something, and you know, I was still freelancing at the time, so I was in between projects and I was just like I need something, and this script was so big and it did break those rules that I had been taught, you know, and I was like you know what I've got the time and like I know that this is a person who is passionate about it as well with Emily, and so I just knew that it was going to happen and I don't know, it was kind of freeing, like not being employed and this just being an incredibly robust passion project, that I just that really, really fueled me, like seeing how passionate you were and knowing that, no matter what this was going to get made, if it was on the timeline that we hoped for, you know great, but I knew that Emily was not backing down from this, and I really needed that, because I had lived in LA for probably like four years at that point and I hadn't worked on a single like personal project.

Speaker 3 11:53

I'd like been freelancing, but I hadn't, like I was writing my own stuff here and there, but this was the first thing that I was able to actually see come to life in LA and that was really huge for me, and that's of that's the main reason that I emailed Emily and I was like hey, I want to work on this.

Speaker 4 12:11

That's so great to hear, because you fall into this sort of trap, I think when you have, when you have a small budget, when it's a passion project, you feel like you're asking for so much and you are like you truly are. You're asking for people's time. You're asking for their 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 feeling of like oh god, like I can't you know I can't pay people as much as they deserve and like they're gonna have to take, give their time. But, um, like the process of doing this project really sort of showed me that there are people who really love that.

Speaker 1 12:43

Yeah, like hailey, shows up three hours early side, though, 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 your vision and it's. You're no longer asking them for a favor.

Speaker 2 13:00

You're building something together as a team can we also talk about, about your so we're you know it keeps coming up like Passion Project, like there wasn't a lot of resources, but like it's a high production value film the way it turned out Can we talk about for those that are listening and doing their own projects, what you think it is that led to such a kind of insane production value on the screen.

Speaker 3 13:23

I mean, emily has definitely spent years building these relationships, um, with our DP, uh, patrick, we actually had a split DP team, patrick, uziel and and so I think that that really came into play and my connections as well. It's. It's interesting because Emily comes from commercial directing and, um, I came from freelancing just as like a PA on network TV shows and things like that, and so we both had these different like experiences that when they came together, I think they just aligned so perfectly. You know, because I it was easy to communicate.

Speaker 3 14:02

Yeah, cause I knew like how, uh, you know, 10 season running show operated, and so I was like, okay, like theoretically I know how to execute this, but it's going to be on a smaller scale and Emily is just like a powerhouse of creating content and stuff. Like, you have so many projects under your belt, which is really incredible, and I think, like because you have that ability to navigate and and bring your own projects to life with the resources you have. And I had this experience of like okay, here's how people with million dollar budgets execute these kinds of things, the smart things they do right, like we kind of picked and chose what worked the best for us, and I mean the crowdfunding campaign. Emily like absolutely killed that. We raised an insane amount of money. It's the most successful crowdfunding campaign I've ever seen wow what was your, what was your approach there?

Maximizing Production Value

Speaker 4 14:52

yes to be able to do that everyone, everyone is very going back, I guess, about a ton of money through, like I mean it's, it's like the secret is, so on. Like unsatisfying it really is to just like tell every single person you've ever met in your entire life like go to them and ask them for money which is bravery at its finest, and confidence, because, like, it's really hard to do that.

Speaker 4 15:22

I mean, it was like it was. 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 had like targets to hit, and then just having having a team like Cindy came on. I think halfway through the crowdfunding campaign was when you joined up. Halfway through the crowdfunding campaign was when you joined up.

Speaker 4 15:46

But having like the producers and just people in my life who are not in the film industry, just sort of casting a wide net and really just sort of um, if you're like the director or you're the, the main, um, the person leading the ship, like you just have to know that you are going to put more work into it than anyone else and be okay with that and be like you just have to push it. And it was, you know, it was like emails that would go out like every, every other. You know, every week there would be a huge mass email and then you'd be facebook messaging like old classmates from like high school like hey girl, what's up? I haven't spoken to you in like a decade. Will you give me money?

Speaker 4 16:27

It feels crazy and you feel crazy and honestly, it was like the hardest part of the process, but it was really. I mean it really opened a lot of doors to like people that I hadn't. I mean it was kind of cool, like you, did you rekindle any old dormant friendships? Yeah, I mean it was like started conversations, got coffee with some people Like I did, yeah, my long distance friendships from, like high school and college.

Speaker 3 16:52

I was like hitting them up, like I'm doing this thing, like I know I'm asking you for something, but I do want to know how you're doing as well. Yeah, and yeah, I mean I had like a three hour FaceTime like a friend from college that I really hadn't spoken to in like you know, in depth for a long time. So I think it's just a matter of like. I think we all know that, like everyone has seen a crowdfunding campaign come across their feed.

Speaker 2 17:15

No matter what, especially in LA, as filmmakers, yes.

Speaker 3 17:19

But, like everybody is crowdfunding, crowdfunding for anything now, and so we all know that the question is going to arise of can you help me with this? Can you donate, like donate some financial assistance to us? And so for me I guess it's just like maybe delusion, but I was like well, everybody knows that, like people crowdfund, I'm just gonna ask yeah, yeah, and.

Speaker 3 17:39

I think that you just have to kind of adopt that, like you were saying. You know that, like for the director putting in more work than anyone else, um, you have to kind of adopt that, like you were saying. You, you know that, like for the director putting in more work than anyone else, um, you have to know that some people are going to say no, and that's fine some people are not going to answer you, and that's fine, but and so who?

Speaker 4 17:53

cares. Yeah, yeah, some people, some people surprise you. Yeah, parents of friends will like donate so you might share. Yeah, yeah and reject.

Speaker 2 18:01

It's kind of like rejection therapy. Yes, definitely, it's like the people that like lie on like a yoga mat on the sidewalk and someone walks down like what are you doing? They're like rejection there, yeah, and it's like that's what. That's what crowdfunding is everyone? Um, but I side tangent. I do a lot of these today, I've realized. But uh, have you guys heard of republic?

Speaker 2 18:22

no, the restaurant republic, republic, fantastic stuff. No, republic is something we learned at Cannes, heard from the founder, no, the marketing guy or something. But Republic is instead of donations and crowdfunding. It's crowdfunding for equity. So you actually are asking people to invest in your movie Crowdinvesting and it's a platform that handles all the contracts and is it FIDC, fdic, fdic all of like the forms and paperwork and validate your buyers and control your waterfall. So you retain your percentages as the filmmakers, but then the pool investors um it, it does it for you.

Speaker 2 19:07

So you actually can sign up on the website and then like get backed by your investors. You can send it out to people and now be like hey, do you want like a back end if it makes any money, instead of just like donating? Yeah, and that's something I've been researching. That's why I bring it up, because I'm like crowdfunding feels like this weird like thing that's almost too done now, like we've done it right and it's successful and it's like done, but I'm like what is the new thing? And obviously we have fiscal sponsorship Right.

Speaker 1 19:33

Like crowdfunding, is like the baby kindergarten framework of something like fiscal sponsorship right. Because, you're asking people to just like give you money and get nothing back Maybe like a movie ticket or a hat or something. Right, because you're asking people 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 that incentivized, so you could incentivize it through fiscal sponsorship or you can go this other route with crowdsource investing, yes, and then they're like getting their money back yeah sometimes.

Speaker 2 19:59

So I bring it up only because it's something I've been researching a lot and when we're talking about crowdfunding, I'm like I feel like this will be the next wave for like features or features, because that's where you would actually maybe make your money back. But you know, I feel like that's the next iteration for a lot of like the filmmaking careers of independent film we're going to see, because we already have that network we know to reach out to that. We're not afraid to be like hey, this did well. Yeah, do you want to come on for the full?

Speaker 1 20:22

like so now, on top of crowdfunding and begging people to give you money, now you can be like yes, I'm asking you for money, but you're an investor. There's a possibility. It's a little bit sexier.

Speaker 4 20:39

That's really cool. The crowdfunding. I think it is fueled by like the someone told me early on that, um, people genuinely want to help each other. Yeah, and like that's why it works. Yeah, and that was like huge.

Speaker 1 20:55

And I think that's like.

Speaker 4 20:56

The reason this project exists was like trying to was figuring that out, and just like, oh okay, Like yeah. There's a whole world of people here who, like, genuinely just want to make stuff and want to help each other and want to see the story that you're talking about because it's fun.

Speaker 1 21:10

So what did you like? So, okay, yeah, let's get to the thing. So cinematography for actors it's early. It's it's early in cinematography for actors like my. It's like my first thing that I've booked after started cinematography directors with Indie. So I'm thinking how do I make this process for me fit into what I've been talking about, that I need and want?

Speaker 1 21:34

So I don't know if you guys remember, 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 planning that you have. Like, yes, can't wait, so excited to do this with you, would love to see any visual planning that you have. Like, please send through any storyboards to me, please send through any kind of visual, anything Like, if you have, what's the vision boarding or anything. And I asked about that a lot because I was like I want to know the context of things. And then we were really lucky, I feel like, because we got a couple of rehearsal days even, which were so much fun yeah, which because we got the table read and then we got two rehearsal days with Jonah and me to work through the bar scene.

Speaker 1 22:23

Yeah, that was so much fun. I so that was so much fun. I remember that it was so much fun and then I felt so prepared to come on set and be like I know exactly what they want. And then the big thing that blew my mind was I walk on set that day and there's a big foam board what are you talking about? The doctor painted the big foam board.

The Big Board: Visual Planning on Set

Speaker 1 22:43

That was the project we were shooting a commercial, but it was great because it's longer, it's narrative, and then there were big X's through the setups that were already done. So it didn't matter where I'd been, if I'd been in makeup or just like hanging out, I could come to set and I never even once said what are we doing, or like felt like I were. I was lost. I knew I could walk. The AD in me was like this was the thing. I knew. I could walk straight to that board and be like we're doing exactly the shot right now and I knew from rehearsal what that meant for me. What made you guys decide to do?

Speaker 4 23:20

that that was Emily. Truly no. Full credit goes to Nick Ibarra. He's an AD that I've worked with on on countless commercial jobs and he is just like a genius and he loves a big board and usually it's just like a shot list or a. It's a schedule broken down by shot list so that we can so throughout the day like he's standing at it and like making notes or like crossing things out or moving things, but like a physical, tangible, because it's like, oh well, we all have that on our ipad. Or like, oh, anyone can like go look at a producer's laptop guess who can't do that?

Speaker 1 23:53

actors.

Speaker 4 23:54

Yeah, that's right sorry, um, but it literally creates like a.

Speaker 4 23:59

It's having a physical space on set and literally we'll do like the dp will put a light on it so that it has a little light and, um it, it creates a gathering space and it's kind of this weird like ritual, sort of sacred little little pocket of like. Okay, now we're gonna go over the big board, we're gonna talk about what we're doing and for this it was awesome because we had, we did almost the entire, we storyboarded almost the entire thing. There was like one sequence we could not storyboard because we couldn't scout. We like lost a location. It was crazy. We kind of had to wing it. But yeah, we did a lot of storyboards, we did a lot of previs and that was super helpful because we were also one of the things you asked a question about maximizing your production value.

Speaker 4 24:42

We had sort the the the ace in the hole for us was we had this location that was actually a movie theater in downtown LA, um, and our producers had, like, worked with them before. So we had this sort of relationship and this access to the space and we used this one movie theater for like six different locations it was so modular.

Speaker 1 25:05

Yeah, the kitchen was in there too, like the big kitchen, the taylor was coffee shop scene, the bar scene, the.

Speaker 4 25:14

There was like saff's photo shoot scene. There was like we did a green screen setup, we did the club scene. Um, we did that last scene, all the back seats. We, we used pipe and drape to build a series of hallways and dressing rooms.

Speaker 1 25:28

It looked so good. It looked like it was just like a backstage.

Speaker 2 25:31

There's a whole fashion show element, right, yeah, the set with the like 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 going on I forgot about it. Like I remember looking and I remember it was like visually dynamic but like there was a lot of variety. But I was like, oh my god, yeah, the whole fashion show party backstage part and the animal stuff like throughout, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 25:53

And then also a great holding space for background for the day I worked, background on entire theater with comfy seats. Yeah, yep, it was. It was really amazing yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 26:05

And that was also like this great moment, cause I was really resistant when I was writing it to like I I got feedback where it was like oh, we have to see Jamie get fired at the coffee shop, like, we have to see like. And I wrote the bar scene with you, um, which I love so much. But I wrote that in a draft. I was like everyone's going to tell me to cut this, like no, I know we won't get to shoot this because it's like in a bar?

Speaker 4 26:27

it's not really plot heavy. It's more like a mo. It's a very like emotional scene. It's very funny, but like it's a bar, right, don't you like a coffee shop, a bar? Like there are certain locations that you just like are not supposed to plan for if you have low budget but you already had a dog, we had a dog, whatever we'll go anywhere like figuring out that the coffee shop only had to be a shot, reverse shot. Yeah, we only had to dress two little like and it really was.

Speaker 1 26:54

Yes, it was with a board and a pump pot and I was like coffee shop, amazing, yeah that little sign you did.

Speaker 4 27:04

yeah, we had like a little like sunlight to make it feel like a window. It was actually it's the concession stand at the movie theater and the projection booth. We like shot light through the projection booth window and that felt like a sliding glass door. What was that scout?

Speaker 1 27:21

like who went on that scout with you and how many people had ideas in there to be able to that was so.

Speaker 3 27:28

That was our first scout and I was there. Emily was there. Um, our other producer, daniel, was there. Caitlin design yes, our incredible production designer, who is a huge reason why this space was so functional for us, because she just was like, oh yes, I know how to do all of that with this blank space, right, right, and I remember looking at it and my husband had worked at the theater, so I was very familiar with the space.

Finding Your Collaborators

Speaker 3 27:55

And we go in and we're standing at the concession stand like, okay, this is a coffee shop. And I'm like there with my iPad like where, where's the coffee shop and where are all these other 10 places also in here? You know, and Caitlin, just kind of you know, production designer-esque, she breaks out the, the measuring tape. She's like, oh, we can just build a very small little plug, like a four foot plug to put on top 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 I was like, okay, this is gonna work, like everybody here knows how to do this.

Speaker 3 28:33

Patrick's talking about going up on the roof, like because there are skylights in there, and talking about making the production or the um, the projection booth, work as a window and like a light source. And I think that's kind of when it all started to click for us. And I do remember that day specifically. I think that our tech scout there, just at that location, was about six hours. Whoa, that sounds right. I do remember all of us being like, okay, I gotta eat, um, and then I can go to the next location.

Speaker 4 29:04

Let me go somewhere else. Yeah, oh, my gosh. Yeah, so that is like figuring out what you actually need to tell the audience. Coffee shop you might not need like the full location. That was like a huge thing for maximizing the budget, I think, for the bar we literally have, like you did, your, I'm about to she's about to Okay.

Speaker 1 29:29

Don't need the full location. What's in the frame? Do your visual slam?

Speaker 2 29:34

That's all you need. The importance of prep yeah, that's why we're here.

Speaker 3 29:40

And finding people to do the jobs that you don't know how to do. That's often lost on, like when you're starting out. I know. For me it was yes, I was like, oh, I have to do everything, I have to pick the costuming and the you know the set design and the transportation. I have to figure all that out and the food, and I don't know how you found all of these wonderful people.

Speaker 4 29:59

This was my first narrative project where I had had a dedicated production designer, which, in my life, yeah, yeah, like, oh wow, which is insane.

Speaker 2 30:09

I, when we shot Murphy's Ranch here, we did a short I that I produced and I don't need a production designer, and I just went, really, and he goes, yeah, like I can do it, and I went, okay, and I just started listing all the things. Okay, what about this prop that needs to be handmade, that doesn't exist in this world? What about these labels? What about the tubing they're carrying on their shoulder? What about, like, where they're sitting, where is he smoking? Where, like what on the second floor? Like, are we gonna add curtains?

Speaker 1 30:38

because, like it doesn't work for what you want indy is really good at it's making you feel like shit Hearing the decision you're trying to make and making you feel really nervous about it really quick.

Speaker 2 30:51

Immediately he was like, oh yeah, I didn't think about that. And I was like, yeah, you don't have the energy to work with five actors and a location, with 30 crew and build all of his own props and do all the props.

Speaker 2 31:08

You just like aren't gonna want to do that and also like you're gonna hate it in the final edit because you're gonna notice some shit is not there, and it's like production design. I think. Like for yeah, for shorts is huge and it just shows how you could maximize your locations because you had a good production designer thinking ahead that we wouldn't normally be able to like break down, no, just a coffee shop, no worries. Like save yourself that by like having the best collaborators, which means not doing it yourself, but like that is a lesson you have to learn by like making that mistake once you know, learning to let go too, because I remember walking in and thinking like okay, daniel and I know this space the best right, we've been here the most.

Speaker 3 31:46

And like he and I are having these conversations about like, what about, like the countertop? Like how are we going to do this? Will this work? Like can we scooch this piece of furniture, whatever? And then I'm on the stout and Caitlin is there and like this is not my lane. The role of a good producer and a good director, I think are to is to bring on people who can handle the things that you can't handle. Yeah, and that is such an important thing to accept when you're making these kinds of projects is like it can be your baby, but you don't have to be the one to do absolutely everything. It will not turn out the way that you want if you're doing that, because having an outside perspective is just invaluable these kinds of things it was.

Speaker 4 32:28

It was working with people on this film that like, really, because it's not, it's not necessarily that you can't do it, like, you could like figure it out right, but it was working with, like, like Patrick and Caitlin. Um, patrick, one of the cinematographers, like he, he this was a moment that really struck me. He didn't want me to have the gear loaded into my car, he didn't want me to have to stay late overnight and pack everything up and I just I was like oh, what, what?

Speaker 1 32:58

like I thought it was helping.

Speaker 4 32:59

I thought it was like help, you know, like I can, I can, like I know I can, but he was like no, I want you to be able to like have the space and like, yeah, there's, it's, it's, it's sort of that understanding of like, oh no, I have a different job. That's really that's important, forever to make all this other work worth it and efficient and you're barely gonna have enough time to do your own job, right you know like so doing anything else added on is just like like a nightmare.

Speaker 1 33:24

But moving to that transition could be difficult, right, Because we all come from a world where it's like independent film. We all work hard, we all pitch in, we all put Gak in our car and we're like pulling away from that, to be like, wait, I don't have to do that anymore. Like that almost feels bad, like it almost feels like you're telling everyone else you're not working hard with them anymore. But that's not what it? Is, but it's like it's a hard transition to make yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 33:52

Well, you have a responsibility to be good at the job that you've taken on and if doing you can't, you have no responsibility to be good at someone else's job. Yeah, right, and so I think that it's kind of like similar to the crowdfunding I feel like I just put on like my armor of like I'm a producer. I am asking my friends that I went to elementary school with, as Cindy, their elementary school cohort, whatever, but I'm asking them as a producer and when I'm on set, I am a producer and I know that I am executing that well, because I'm worried about the things that I need to do.

Speaker 2 34:24

Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 3 34:29

And I have finally gotten to a point in my career where I can let go of the things that I don't need to do.

Speaker 4 34:32

If someone asks for help, obviously I'll say yes, but or to have the person who's you know like facilitate the yes, yeah.

Speaker 2 34:40

And so what has been the response from audiences?

Speaker 3 34:45

People laughing out loud they love it.

Speaker 4 34:49

Yeah, I love sochi. There's like a first shot. The first shot of sochi is who is the dog the dog? Yes yes, um, it's just, it kills a lot of yes, so many squeals.

Speaker 4 35:01

Yeah, it's incredible, yeah, it's great, I love it. I love getting to like and then people coming up afterwards and talking about it and I think a lot of people are surprised at the um like, at the relationship that happened, like the friendship yeah being the core, like I've had people ask me like oh, I did not expect. I thought it was just going to be like a funny dog napping caper, which it starts off as, but then there there's. You know there's a little more to it.

Speaker 2 35:26

Friendship. There's a little bit of everyone, especially people who live in LA.

Speaker 1 35:33

Yep, la types. Yeah, exactly, so people can watch it really soon. They buy a ticket, I mean this one. It dances with them before. Oh it will. Are you going to? Yes, spend it 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. It's like I can't do today.

Speaker 4 35:55

Technically, the film festival kicked off today, but our screening is on Tuesday.

Speaker 2 36:07

We'll get it out in time before the screening right?

Speaker 3 36:08

yeah, I promised awesome that's her workflow.

Speaker 2 36:10

After receiving this, tell us how we did. Yeah, I love that. What is, uh? What's next for you guys?

Speaker 4 36:14

oh, my goodness um. I am working on a feature film cool, horror feature amazing check out republic.

Speaker 2 36:22

I will I know yeah this is literally horror, right, yeah yeah that's a good one, yeah, and what are you doing? Oh, what am I not doing?

Speaker 3 36:31

I've had too much coffee um, I am actually going to be relocated to chicago later this year.

Speaker 2 36:39

Big we were just there, awesome congratulations. Are you from Chicago? What's the Chicago vibe Like? Why are you headed just there, why, why, tell me about it.

Speaker 3 36:50

Yeah, I love Chicago. I never shut up about it. I'm wearing my Wild West Midwest shirt.

Speaker 2 36:54

Looking at it for so long during this. I love it. Thank you so much. I keep reading it too, and I love it, thank you.

Speaker 3 37:01

I went to school in Chicago and my husband's family lives there and I just am excited for a change. I'm really thankful that I met Emily and had the opportunity to collaborate with her here, but I'm really excited to go kind of bring that energy to Chicago, and I also am still going to. I work for an agency here and it's remote, thank gosh, so I will be keeping that job, so I'll be back and forth, which is fantastic, but so exciting. Yeah, when are you going? Wow, september or October?

Speaker 3 37:36

Do you have a house, we do not, no, no, but I'm going to sell someone.

Speaker 2 37:41

You're a producer, You'll be fine, it's such a cute area. You're a producer. It's such a cute area. We were there. What's the area I liked that had the little knitting shop or whatever it was.

Speaker 1 37:50

It was really cute it was there. Were you near water? There was a few hills, living there.

Speaker 2 37:56

Were we near water? No, no, we really had fun.

Speaker 1 37:59

We had a good time, but we don't know where we were.

Speaker 2 38:01

Yeah, amazing, tell your joke, the bean joke, the chicago joke, it is so inappropriate. It's fine, it's our podcast, we can do. Okay, all right uh.

Speaker 1 38:15

I got in a taxi and I said to the driver the male driver, uh, take me to the bean. And he said I don't know where it is. And I said typical good she came up with that that is really good, because I wanted to go see the bean, and we did see it in a taxi actually so it's cold.

Speaker 2 38:34

So I just said I'll take a photo like as we're passing, and I timed worry about what's in the frame.

Speaker 3 38:40

We went to the bean.

Speaker 2 38:42

We did so we'll probably see you in Chicago next time we go, because we went for a convention. I did so. We'll probably see you in Chicago next time we go, because we went for a convention.

Speaker 3 38:47

I would love that. Yeah, there's an awesome film scene there. My husband is starting a theater there like a brick and mortar theater so we'll talk about that later she ran a pub theater in London.

Speaker 1 39:00

I did oh we will talk about this I have a lot to say, please. I have a lot to hear. Yeah, I have a lot to say and a lot to ask. Yeah, that's going to be great. I'm going to be in Chicago soon.

Speaker 2 39:09

Bye everybody, because she's also doing improv, so maybe you could fulfill that.

Speaker 1 39:14

There you go, and if you need a comedian who has one Chicago show To open everything, I'm also good at singing Chicago, but you can find it on our Instagram. So I want to talk about things we learned here today. Pool your resources and rekindle old friendships and ask directly for money. Don't be scared. Rejection therapy is good. Also, have a big board on set, please.

Speaker 2 39:43

Every actor begs you because, when we come out yeah, that's what I like.

Speaker 1 39:48

Yeah, but it's lit and everyone goes to everyone goes there, so you can be like this is next right and yep, yeah and it doesn't have to be huge.

Speaker 3 39:55

I mean, it's a piece of old, it's like a board yeah with an old like yeah with older, the better the oldest tape, raggedy cardboard.

Speaker 2 40:03

Yes, you can find in a car stand and you know yeah, have someone pop, that's it.

Speaker 1 40:11

We're really hurting for that, because the the most terrible feeling on set is being let out of holding and you're in your costume and you're ready to do a good job and you're standing there and they're all set up and they're like, okay, let's go. And you're like what are we doing? Like no one told me where we are and I've been away in my trailer and holding. I haven't been on set. Which actors? You can spend more time on set if you want, um, but sometimes it feels like we're not allowed to. Um, coming out and not being on the same page with everyone is terrifying. So that big board is a big part of things we learned about Republic.

Speaker 2 40:53

We also learned about having good collaborators and being able to let go of control, hiring the people you work with Work with women.

Speaker 1 41:00

Yeah.

Speaker 2 41:01

Always, forever. And drink your diet Pepsi in a teacup cheers any other tidbits you want to leave us with today?

Speaker 3 41:14

um, I guess I would just say reading this script was the longest short that I've ever read and it has so it had so many huge things in it and it kind of, like you know, set off a few little alarm bells for me with the dog and I don't know. I just I think there's always going to be a reason to say no. There's always going to be something that someone has told you you shouldn't do because it's going to be too difficult, but you might as well at least try. I remember what we were scouting one day and we were talking about doors at at the the location and they had these big bars on the windows and we needed them to open a certain way. And I looked at emily. I was like why don't we just take it off the hinges? And that really has stuck with me. I said it, my, I'm so inspiring to myself um, I do that too.

Speaker 2 42:03

I laugh at my own jokes and people are like you're the only one that laughed and I said that's the point of life.

Speaker 3 42:09

Yeah, yeah, you know, just if you look at it in a different way, in a way that's not, yeah, thinking that it's impossible, then you'll find a solution to it.

Speaker 1 42:18

You know, don't say no to yourself yes, yeah don't say no to yourself, give it to us again, emily.

Wrapping Up: Final Thoughts

Speaker 4 42:26

Don't say no to yourself well and that's all that's me wait, wait, no, she oh nc doggone. Uh yeah, at dances with films on tuesday at 7 pm at the chinese theater, at the tcl chinese theater, get a ticket for an entire shorts block.

Speaker 1 42:44

Come for dogggone, stay for the rest of them. Actually, I think Doggone is the last, isn't it? I don't know.

Speaker 3 42:51

We don't know.

Speaker 1 42:52

Come and see it at some point Also.

Speaker 3 42:57

Drop your Instagrams, please, if you want, mine is CindyAllen02, I think.

Speaker 1 43:05

Mine is my name, emily Claxton, e-m-e-l-i-e we'll put them in the show notes so you can find these wonderful creators awesome.

Speaker 2 43:13

Thanks, guys. Thanks for coming.

Speaker 5 43:15

Bye everybody join us in bridging the gap between talent and crew. Start by subscribing on your preferred podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on vendor discounts, community events and new podcast releases. And sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on vendor discounts, community events and new podcast releases. And educate yourself through our free course releases on YouTube. It all starts at cinematographyforactorscom, and if you liked this episode, consider leaving a review to make it easier for other listeners to find us.