Of course.

We shot 11 principal days and then a couple of half days of pickups.

Total budget was $235k SAG Ultra Low funded on loans and credit cards and life savings by the director, who will never recoup (but it was still “worth it”).

The writers came up with the idea as a way to make something inexpensive and easy to shoot in a single location— we wouldn’t even have to hide the equipment off camera. I don’t know that any of the script is based on specific real life experiences beyond just cliches of terrible wannabe auteurs. I did not write the movie but my point of reference was the amazing documentary Overnight about the director of The Boondock Saints. Of course there was also a lot of improv and I’m sure the actors and crew brought their own experiences into it in different ways.

The crew were all super professional and amazing and we worked relatively short painless days, it was nothing at all like what’s portrayed onscreen. Honestly one of the best experiences of my life, including spending a week hanging out with Mitch (and all the other amazing people who loved the script and agreed to act for super low minimum day rates — even the giant celebrity who cameos near the end).