THE SECRET JOY OF SHOOTING IN 90DEGREE HEAT

Last summer, I had the opportunity to work as the assistant director and consulting producer on a short film for my good friend Sarah Pearce. Sarah had been developing the project for a while along with her co-writer Timothy Cody, and when she asked me to come on board, it was an easy and immediate yes! The film itself was ambitious in its emotional scope despite being compact in length, and getting to help in the creative creative and and shape the logistical perspective was incredibly fulfilling. It was one of those rare collaborations where the personal trust between team members elevated the work in really tangible ways.

We shot the film over a stretch of three sweltering days—every one of them pushing past 90 degrees—but the heat somehow added to the camaraderie. There’s something about sweating through long hours with friends that creates a kind of makeshift family. Everyone pitched in beyond their roles when it was needed, whether that meant holding bounce boards, running lines, or grabbing extra water bottles between takes. It was DIY in the best sense: driven, scrappy, full of passion, and grounded in mutual respect for the project and for each other.

What I’ll remember most, though, is the energy of the set—the way we took care of one another, even when we were running on low sleep and high humidity. Independent filmmaking can be chaotic and demanding, but this experience reminded me why I love it so much. Being part of a team where everyone believes in the story and in each other is rare, and getting to help bring Sarah’s vision to life alongside that group made every sunburn and bug bite worth it.