Darkroom - Web Series

In February of 2021, fellow Producer Justin Bell asked if I would be interested in Line Producing season one of a narrative teen web series called Darkroom. It would be a series of 14 episodes, each targeting a different existential dilemma that teenagers struggle with today. Directed by Jesse Oxford of OX Creative, it was an ambitious project that would span most of the year, with production in week blocks every two months. However, I was excited about the challenge of working on a narrative series with this level of commitment. So in March of 2021, we filmed the pilot episode with the remaining episodes split between multiple weeks in June, August, and November of that same year.

Creating a series amid the COVID pandemic took an incredible amount of work. There are so many stories I could tell about this project as a whole, from overnight weeks where we would never see daylight, due to filming night exteriors and sleeping all day, to the chaos of multiple daily location moves while trying to keep everything organized and running smoothly, to filming in buildings on the south side of Chicago that looked like a bomb had gone off inside and making sure everyone stayed safe.

It was a riot, for sure! But what made this project so wonderful was getting to work with the same core crew each episode, creating such a bond between us. Of course, there were frustrating moments of friction. Still, the way the crew rallied in weather extremes, and at times against multiple odds to accomplish this momentous project, made it such a beautiful experience.

Another joyful part of this project was seeing so many young actors come through our sets and give their all in each performance. The hustle these kids have to make their dreams come true was inspiring. Sometimes actors would fly in from out of state to be a part of what we were doing. It reminded me of my career and my wholehearted belief that you can make anything happen for yourself if you do the work. It’s a mantra that has led me to where I am today and has given me countless opportunities that continue to manifest. As I strive to up the ante in my career, I always ask myself, what’s next?