That’s a wrap (sort of)

By Peter O'Brien

It was a week ago today that we wrapped principle photography on Misery Love Company after seven weeks of filming. Actually, it was three weeks with three pick up days spread over two weeks with a two-week hiatus. The result is roughly 93-95% of the film being photographed with a few shots left for additional pick ups and re-shoots scheduled for some time in October. All in all we filmed for fifteen days in about ten different locations with a skeleton crew of about five at any given time.

The 90-page script was revised and refined over the course of several years, which constituted this projects pre-production period. The only way we were able to accomplish what we did in the amount of time we did was because of the extensive planning that went into every scene before hand. From the words on the page, to the storyboards, to rehearsals with the actors and location scouting – everything was conceived and understood before we even hit record… and that was when the problems started.

We faced a lot of challenges on Misery Love Company, everything from delayed starts and lack of time to twisted ankles and faulty equipment. Near the end we would take guesses on what would be the problem that day. Unfortunately it was always something new, so no one ever guessed it.

Despite everything the cast and crew stuck together and made it to the end, usually doing more than was required or initially agreed upon. In the coming weeks as the footage is cataloged and prepped for editing I’ll be sharing my production diary on this page for any aspiring filmmakers to learn from, any established filmmakers to identify with, and anyone interested to enjoy.

Remember, if you think filmmaking is easy, you’re probably doing it wrong.


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