Shooting a Feature in a Week, or,
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love 16-page Days

Brian Mix, Director of The Five Stages of Beer, talks about shooting in crunch-time.

"When we learned that we would be able to shoot our film using SAG actors, we were really excited. Until 
we found out what a micro-budget can do to your shooting schedule, and by micro I mean 'incredibly 
small.' We did 5SOB for less than other 'independents' spend on catering alone. Translation: it had to be 
done in little more than a week, Saturday to Sunday; nine straight days, to be exact. Doable, but planning 
was of the utmost importance. 

"Having a small, dedicated crew is probably the most important part of a shoot like this. By the end of our 
second day in the bar we, could move camera, relight, and be ready to roll before the actors could change 
costume! 

"A professional acting team is the other half of getting a nine-day feature accomplished. I call them a 'team' 
because that's exactly what they were. No lone wolves on this production. What many Directors may not 
realize is that 16 pages of dialogue-driven story is a ton for an actor to memorize, block, and perform in a 
single day, and the next day, and the next day.

"Talent had to lean on one another considerably while not in front of the camera. I never saw one of them 
outside the company of others. Every time I turned around, small groups would be running lines, 
discussing this scene or that, and just making certain that everyone was on the same page.

"As the Director on this type of production, I learned that I had very little wiggle room. I had to be certain 
of what it was I wanted from a scene or an actor. I also learned not to be afraid to move on if I thought I 
had it. Even if it was after only one take. Sure, I dreamed of shooting a full slate of coverage, but I knew 
that I had only a finite amount of time to finish the entire film, and that dictated exactly how much time per 
day I had to do it in. Nine days meant nine twelve-hour days. No overage.

"The bottom line is this: knowing which shots will be in the final cut, and just letting go of some of the 
coverage. Actually it's strangely liberating, like riding a motorcycle way over the speed limit without a 
helmet. Yes, it's crazy and stupid, but you can't help grinning like an idiot. The best part: You're the only 
one who knows that this is the only take of a scene, until you say 'moving on'; then everybody else gets 'the 
rush.'"