Blog #1
01/22/2026​
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As the spring semester at SMCC rolls into action, so does pre-production on the film FRET. Much of the scheduling, budgeting, writing, location scouting, and planning was accomplished during the first semester of school, but that doesn’t mean any of it isn’t subject to change. Number one on our priority list is the script. Although I have a finished version, I know it could be improved. Since the very beginning of the pre-production process, my characters have been floating in my head, with endless possibilities for how the story could go. With all that time, the characters become real before filming even begins. This stronger grasp of their motivations has provided me with more clarity in how I want them to act, react, and navigate the plot. Of course, there are no massive changes to the overall arc, but I can confidently say the story has changed for the better. Emerson Dolan, the director of photography, kindly reached out to a friend at Emerson College who has extensive knowledge of screenwriting, and he provided me with some valuable advice for the story. It felt good to have a win after what happened a few days earlier. On the second day of the semester, I received a pretty disheartening text message from the landlord of my main shooting location. He expressed concern about the contracts required for screenings of the film and was no longer willing to permit our production to film in his apartment. Luckily, I had a few backup options to reach out to. After location scouting a house belonging to a friend of a friend and finding a spot even better than the original location, CC and Quinn now have their home. Galen Neal and I took a day to film one of my original songs out on the beach for some social media promotional content. On top of that, our Indiegogo campaign was just approved and should be launching within the next week or so. Overall, jumping right back into the crashing wave of mayhem has given me a tight, white-knuckled grip on my surfboard. Although overwhelming and demanding, and a massive undertaking, the crew for FRET can’t wait to ride this wave all the way to shore.
Blog #2
01/28/2026
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Welcome back to a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming short film, FRET. Thank you to anyone who has been in support of the production so far. We couldn’t be more grateful. Week three has provided us with many unexpected challenges and opportunities. Firstly, the script has been fully finalized with the help of Pirx Rhodes, the assistant director and producer, and Winn Hamil, the lead actor, allowing us to jump headfirst into storyboards and shot lists. Every step of the way feels like a massive achievement, and this one in particular has Elliot extremely excited. Storyboards are by far his favorite part of the planning, as it allows him to fully visualize the look of the film and draw out each shot on paper. Each new drawing brings the film closer to reality as it draws closer to production.
Thanks to Galen Neal, the official FRET website is up and running, where you can see a sneak peek of the proof-of-concept, the background and story of the film, all the cast and crew, weekly blog posts, and updates on the pre-production process. FRET also now has an official Facebook and Instagram account where you can follow along for more updates and videos on pre-production, songwriting, and more. Pirx has created a Tumblr account for our weekly blog posts as well.
Elliot has been working on writing and recording the original songs, which will be featured in the film. One of which is available to see on our website and will soon be shared to our other social media platforms.
Unfortunately, Emerson Dolan had to resign from the project due to scheduling issues, so we are now in search of a new director of photography. Although not ideal, we’re rolling with the punches and pushing on with more momentum than ever.
Logan Files has signed on with Galen as a gaffer, and Leo Millechia will be on sound. For more updates regarding pre-production and BTS (behind the scenes) content, consider following us @fret_officialfilm on Facebook and Instagram.