Today my DP Casey and I flew up to Seattle for a second round of location scouting for my upcoming short film, The Lost Fortune of Oliver Brody—the one I’ve been documenting on the channel.
You might remember our first scout up in Lake Tahoe.
Beautiful place. Great vibes. Totally unusable.
For a number of reasons we had to go back to the drawing board on our hunt for the perfect location.
Since then, we’ve done a full test shoot of our shot list, black box theater style (YouTube video coming soon) and learned a ton about what we’re creating, the flow of the shots, and what specific locations we actually need for this thing.
So now we’re headed to a remote stretch of river near Seattle, and—real talk—this is the last stop.
One of these locations will be where we shoot. Because we simply don’t have the budget or time to pivot again.
And honestly, at every step so far, this has not been a practical film to make.
But that’s kind of the point.
Big Swings
Most of my recent projects have been designed around what I already have—locations, friends, props, time. That’s what I teach in Wrapped in 30 Days: how to make great, sustainable short films based on your real-world resources.
This film? It’s based only on things I don’t have. Locations. People. Props. Time. Etc.
And yet, I do have the confidence to take a swing at something this big, because of all the smaller projects I made first.
All the films that cost me almost nothing. The ones that taught me how to move fast, adapt, and tell a good story without waiting for permission.
This one’s different.
It’s 5x the cost of my last five short films combined. And at the end of the day it will make me $0.
So why do it?
Because I’ve been carrying this character around for years, and this story is about something personal: the idea of sacrificing everything—your health, your relationships, your life—for some ill-defined version of success.
Because it’s a chance to push my visual storytelling, test out horror techniques and a genre twist, and build toward my next feature.
Because I get to shoot in a jaw-dropping location, make memories that will last a lifetime with great collaborators, and finally cross something off my bucket list – hike through the Pacific Northwest – and for a tax-deductible reason😉.
Because if done well, the film can open doors to other opportunities that DO make money.
And when it’s done maybe I’ll submit it to some of the major festivals… I’ve always wanted one of those rare laurels…
But maybe not.
The truth is, I’m not sure that traditional route is even worth it anymore. These days, more and more, the truly independent filmmakers are online, building audiences, connecting directly with other filmmakers and fans.
That’s where I’m at, and I’m truly grateful to be here.
And none of this—none of it—would be happening without the low-budget, stepping-stone films I made along the way. That’s why I created Wrapped in 30 Days—to help other filmmakers build that same momentum, fast.
If you want to make your own crowd-pleasing short film—cheaper, better, and faster—alongside a community of passionate filmmakers all striving toward the same goal at the same time, now’s the time.
Doors close at the end of the month for the April session of Wrapped in 30 Days.
After that, the next round won’t happen until late this year after I’ve wrapped The Lost Fortune of Oliver Brody.
Interested? Save your spot and get lifetime access before the doors close.
👉 Click here to join Wrapped in 30 Days 👈
More updates on this film and the scout coming soon, stay tuned.
Let’s make some movies,
Kent