Hi Reader,
We did it!
Principal photography on my short film Room 309 is officially wrapped. And after a very intense few days, I’m tired, relieved, proud, and already thinking about everything this project taught me.
I really believe every new script you write and every new film you make should teach you something. If it doesn’t, you risk getting stuck.
And once that happens, you start repeating the same mistakes instead of getting better.
Planning matters - but so does flexibility
We had a very compressed production schedule, thanks to a mix of budget, actor availability, location access, and the simple reality that we had a lot to get done in a short amount of time.
And Room 309 was ambitious. We had multiple locations inside the hotel. Indoor and outdoor scenes. Day and night shoots. Multiple costume and set dressing changes. Background performers in full period wardrobe. Vintage cars. Streetcars... the list goes on. And all of it had to come together on a tight schedule.
We filmed at Fort Edmonton Park, a heritage park and living museum filled with actual and reconstructed buildings from different periods in Edmonton’s history.
It’s also been used for many film and TV productions over the years, including Ginger Snaps, Fear Itself, The Amazing Race Canada, and most notably, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
And since we were filming right at the tail end of tourist season, the park was also starting to prepare for its Halloween attractions.
So there were a lot of moving pieces - access, timing, traffic, equipment, wardrobe, props, vehicles, cast and crew - every one of which had to line up.
Plan vs reality
You can plan every shot, build the schedule, walk the location, talk through every detail. And then a 1928 Model A Ford decides it doesn’t feel like working anymore.
That actually happened.
We needed the car for a key shot, and right when we were ready to use it, it quit. So we waited while the owner worked on it. At the same time, we were already figuring out a backup plan using one of the other vehicles.
Luckily, he got it running again and we got the footage. But it was a perfect reminder of one of the biggest lessons in filmmaking: you have to stay flexible.
Especially when the clock is running. And trust me, the clock always runs faster than you think it will. Particularly near the end of the filming day.
That’s when you start asking questions like:
- Can we combine these two shots?
- Can we adjust the blocking so we don’t have to move the camera?
- Can we change a line instead of resetting the entire setup?
- Can we simplify this moment and still stay true to the script?
Those little decisions add up fast.
Know what you can sacrifice, and what you can’t
I think that’s another big lesson from this shoot. When time gets tight, you have to know the difference between something you want and something you need.
Maybe you wanted three angles but two will do the job. Maybe you planned an elaborate camera move, but a simpler setup gets you there faster.
The goal is not to blindly follow the shot list, but rather to get the footage you need to tell the story. That takes sound judgment, and sometimes it means making quick decisions while twenty other people are waiting for you to make them.
That’s one of the biggest responsibilities of directing.
The team makes everything possible
And I have to say, I’m incredibly proud of our entire team. Everyone came ready to work, and everyone stayed positive. Best of all, everyone kept moving, even when things changed. By the time we wrapped, people were tired, but they were still smiling.
That means so much to me.
And maybe my favorite comment of the whole shoot came from the hotel staff, when they told us straight up that we were the best film crew they’d ever had in the building, and that we were welcome back anytime.
That’s a huge compliment. Making a movie is about more than just the finished film. It’s also about how you treat the people around you while you’re making it.
Professionalism matters. Respect matters. Attitude matters. And I couldn't be prouder of how our team handled all three.
Now comes the next question: did we get everything?
And here’s the part where I have to be honest. I’m still not completely sure.
Yes, we review footage at the end of each filming day, but that review is mainly about confirming that we got the coverage we needed. It’s not a full analysis of every performance, every take, every tiny continuity issue, or every technical detail.
That comes next.
Now the editing process really begins. And over the next few weeks, I’ll be going through everything in much more detail, looking at performance, pacing, coverage, continuity, sound, transitions, and what the film actually looks and feels like once the pieces start coming together.
And I’m especially excited to talk more about the performance side of things, because we had a phenomenal cast on this short. But I’ll save that for next time!
No new video this week, but earlier this summer I discussed the lessons learned on another short film I made, Boneyard Racers.
🎥 Watch the full video here: Screenwriting Lessons from Making a Hit Short Film
And if you want help with your screenplay - on a human level, and from an experienced writer and story coach, then click one of the links below and let's talk about:
👉 My coaching calls - great for brainstorming, outlining, character work, and solving story problems early: Book Your Session today!
👉 My coverage packages - a great next step if you need meaningful developmental feedback before diving back into the draft: Click here!
👉 Rewrite to Greenlight - my ongoing developmental editing program for taking a script from almost there to funding or production-ready: Click here!
Until next time - keep writing, and stay creative!
Neil
P.S. Check out my feature film, Spin the Wheel - out now on Tubi!
Click here to watch for FREE: https://tubitv.com/movies/100030151/spin-the-wheel
And see my latest feature, Contamination, now on Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango, and Hoopla!
Learn more about storytelling, screenwriting, and filmmaking: www.neilchasefilm.com.
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