Lizzie Logan Discuses Her Romantic Comedy People People

Hoo boy. Well. I wrote People People in fits and starts, because I wanted to see how much of a romantic comedy I could fit into, essentially, one location with very little outside forces driving the plot. Just pure character motivation. And, it was definitely based on my tendency to stay inside a lot, and how that’s not, like, considered a very cool way to be, if that makes sense.

Once it was written, I reached out to Josh Ruffner, a friend who is a DP, because he was open to collaborating, and some friends helped me put a casting together, and suddenly the ball was rolling and couldn’t be stopped! And honestly, things just went organically from there. Everyone who worked on this was recommended by someone who is a friend or a friend of a friend.

When we finished shooting I just said “I need an editor!” and Marissa appeared. Then I needed a sound mixer, and Roni appeared. Then I needed to submit to festivals, so Liz and I got on Withoutabox and started poking around. It’s been intense, but fun.

Watch The Trailer for People People directed by Lizzie Logan

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indieactivity: Did you start writing with a cast (You or any) in mind?
Lizzie Logan (LL): I sort of picture myself in the lead role, but more to get the voice, not with any intention of casting myself. Rachel Pegram, who plays Casey, I always had in mind for the part, but she was the only one!

How long did you take to complete the script? (Do you have a writing process?)
Lizzie Logan (LL): Over a year, but I was also working and graduating from NYU at that time, I wasn’t working on the screenplay full-time.

When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its formation?
Lizzie Logan (LL): I don’t have a production company.

What was the first project out of the gate?
Lizzie Logan (LL): People People

During production, what scene (that made the cut) was the hardest to shoot?
Lizzie Logan (LL): Good question. Honestly, any time two actors are kissing, you can’t film their faces. Not being able to film a face is pretty difficult, so that was a challenge on People People!

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What works better in this latest production that mightn’t have worked so well in the last one you did?
LL:This is my only feature to date, so I can’t compare, but I’m really happy with how it turned out, and a lot of the credit goes to Josh, the DP. With very little by way of set up, he made the shots look professional, and was so patient with me, too.

You produced and directed the film, what measure of input did it take to don these hats?
LL: It’s basically like having multiple full-time jobs.

Is there anything about the independent filmmaking business you still struggle with?
LL: All of it? I’m like a baby to this business. I just want to sit in a corner and write things.

Where do you think your strengths lie as a filmmaker?
LL: Dialogue and working with actors. I do improv, sketch comedy, some acting, I’ve written plays and stuff before, basically I’m just all about dialogue and people. When it comes to gear, shots, any kind of visual, I keep it really simple so I can focus on language and performance.

Let’s talk about finance. How did you finance the film?
LL: My grandmother died and left me some money.

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How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
LL: Basically, whenever we ran out of money, we’d just hit pause on the post-production process, and then after I got paid from my day job I’d get more of the movie done. That’s part of why we were in post for so long, ha ha.

How important is marketing? Do you think a project can make any dent without it these days?
LL: Depends on your goal. If you want to reach a mass audience, of course you need marketing, but if you aren’t looking to recoup a huge investment you can get away with less.

Can you tell us about your marketing activities on the project – and how it’s gone for you?
LL: Since it’s such a small operation, we’ve mostly been relying on word of mouth and social media, which ended up being way more work than I expected! Running an Instagram account for a project seems like a no-brainer, but I have to remind myself to post and use hashtags and all that. It’s a never-ending task.

What do you hope audiences get from your film?
LL: Laughter is the number one thing. It’s a comedy, so if you laugh, it’s doing its job.

What else have you got in the works?
LL: Lots of comedy writing! Go to Lizzie Logan to see it.

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