Movie in the Making

Charlie Cleveland
  • 5.0 (3)
  • TV & Film
  • Updated Weekly

A fully transparent behind-the-scenes look at the making of a movie. Like video game "early access", but for Hollywood!I'm Charlie Cleveland, the creator of Subnautica. Please join us in our journey as we make a movie fully in the open. https://instagram.com/abyssal.filmshttp://www.abyssal.co

  1. Mar 6

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Bonus - The Writers Arrive on Set

    In this interview from Day 16 of filming, the writers of Nutmeg & Mistletoe discuss the "surreal" experience of seeing their characters and locations come to life on set.  Surreal Arrivals: Writers Jen and Deb describe the "magical" experience of meeting the cast and seeing the bed-and-breakfast set, which perfectly matched their visual imaginations.The Development Journey: The project involved a year of development and approximately 12 script rewrites before filming.Character and Costume Praise: The writers felt the casting for Mistletoe and Nutmeg was perfect and were particularly "tickled" by the "incredible" costume designs.Defining Magic Rules: A key discussion centered on the specific "rules" of elf magic: Clarence can slow or stop time at a future cost, Nutmeg must understand mechanics before fixing them, and Mistletoe’s beauty-focused magic sometimes conflicts with physics.Fresh Perspectives: The film stands out from holiday tropes by featuring two flawed female leads as the primary Christmas elves.On-Set Details: The writers were delighted by character-specific prop choices, such as a cupcake-eating habit and a hilarious sleeping mask with open eyes to show a character's "wired" nature.The "Imperfect" Message: The story explores the idea that even beings who live for hundreds of years, like elves, suffer from the same insecurities and blind spots as humans.Favorite Holiday Films: The group shares their top Christmas movies, including A Christmas Story (despite the "horrible" source book), Christmas Vacation, A Muppets Christmas Carol, and the 2004 film Noel.Jen Bascom Deb Dodge Also see their first interview video (or listen to Season 1 Episode 3) Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

  2. Feb 25

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Day #18 of 18

    We started our 18-day shoot of our Christmas comedy called "Nutmeg and Mistletoe." I decided I would just hit the record button, usually at the end of each day, with my thoughts what was happening that day? What I learned, and generally what being on set for 12 hours a day is like. It is quite unfiltered and unedited (with the occasional beep) - hope you enjoy being backstage! In this episode: Celebrating a birthday on the final day of the shoot, moving to the "Disney lot" at Golden Oak for Santa’s Workshop, $500 sets of prosthetic elf ears , operating C-cam to "steal" interstitial footage, using metal balls and color palettes for VFX reference, hacking the script to manage $50,000-per-hour overtime costs, performing "mental gymnastics" for a reverse-motion letter catch, the "contingency" fund, changing the penultimate scene on the fly, wrapping everyone and life "on the road". Time to start post. A framed shot of Santa's workshop: https://imgur.com/a/C1hzwjg Our prop master, Kesli: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5507420/ Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

  3. Feb 24

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Day #17 of 18

    We started our 18-day shoot of our Christmas comedy called "Nutmeg and Mistletoe." I decided I would just hit the record button, usually at the end of each day, with my thoughts what was happening that day? What I learned, and generally what being on set for 12 hours a day is like. It is quite unfiltered and unedited (with the occasional beep) - hope you enjoy being backstage! In this episode: Navigating the "C-Cam" vs. Second Unit distinction, learning lessons about shooting background actors, the "disgusting" reality of the poo truck cleaning out the bathroom trailers, long-standing "last call" traditions with flowers and selfies for wrapping actors, "Snow Globe Gate" where a prop smashed and was fixed in 15 minutes, and filming the Electronic Press Kit (EPK) interviews. Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

  4. Feb 23

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Day #16 of 18

    We started our 18-day shoot of our Christmas comedy called "Nutmeg and Mistletoe." I decided I would just hit the record button, usually at the end of each day, with my thoughts what was happening that day? What I learned, and generally what being on set for 12 hours a day is like. It is quite unfiltered and unedited (with the occasional beep) - hope you enjoy being backstage! In this episode: Misty and Nutmeg’s "frenemy" antagonism during the town play, using emergency floodlights and reflectors to film a power outage monologue, hearing about Jen’s work on Disney’s Galactic StarCruiser, Sarah and Madeline treating the crew to a mid-afternoon coffee cart, debating a "startup-style" invite-only launch strategy for distributors, team getting more efficient, and deciding whether to show actors rough assemblies to avoid "hurt feelings", using Shotdeck. Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

  5. Feb 20

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Day #15 of 18

    We started our 18-day shoot of our Christmas comedy called "Nutmeg and Mistletoe." I decided I would just hit the record button, usually at the end of each day, with my thoughts what was happening that day? What I learned, and generally what being on set for 12 hours a day is like. It is quite unfiltered and unedited (with the occasional beep) - hope you enjoy being backstage! In this episode: Four-hour rehearsals for the complicated stage play scene, pre-lighting the set to beat the schedule for the first time, meeting screenwriters Jen and Deb in person after eighteen months of Zoom, viewing the first 45-minute rough assembly, concerns over the "Christmas feel" without snow or reindeer, and leaning on "North Star" faith to get through the uncertainty of production. Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

  6. Feb 19

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Day #14 of 18

    We started our 18-day shoot of our Christmas comedy called "Nutmeg and Mistletoe." I decided I would just hit the record button, usually at the end of each day, with my thoughts what was happening that day? What I learned, and generally what being on set for 12 hours a day is like. It is quite unfiltered and unedited (with the occasional beep) - hope you enjoy being backstage!  In this episode: Earning a SAG card with the "Groundskeeper Chucky" speaking role, the high-risk relief of swapping out a key production member mid-shoot, capturing "stunning" footage of the misfits in the first falling snow, the camaraderie of "$5 Fridays" where the pot reached $2,700 for three different winners, and a visit from Peter’s viral-video-star mother. Peter's viral Mom: https://www.tiktok.com/@barbiejh?_r=1&_t=ZP-93vLosJe0OU Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

  7. Feb 18

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Day #13 of 18

    We started our 18-day shoot of our Christmas comedy called "Nutmeg and Mistletoe."  I decided I would just hit the record button, usually at the end of each day, with my thoughts what was happening that day? What I learned, and generally what being on set for 12 hours a day is like.  It is quite unfiltered and unedited (with the occasional beep) - hope you enjoy being backstage!  In this episode: Festive dance scenes at Church of the Chimes with disco balls and punch bowls , witnessing the mechanical nature of on-screen kisses, listening to Justin Jesso’s (https://www.justin-jesso.com/) original song "Waiting for Christmas" on repeat, Nia Vardalos’s "big fat script" advice for overcoming writing resistance, Big Magic (https://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond/dp/1594634726), fixing uncomfortable personnel drama on set, and legendary producer Rachel Winter providing guidance on high-level emotional tones. Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

  8. Feb 17

    Shooting Nutmeg & Mistletoe Day #12 of 18

    We started our 18-day shoot of our Christmas comedy called "Nutmeg and Mistletoe." I decided I would just hit the record button, usually at the end of each day, with my thoughts what was happening that day? What I learned, and generally what being on set for 12 hours a day is like. It is quite unfiltered and unedited (with the occasional beep) - hope you enjoy being backstage!  In this episode: Heartbroken leaf-raking in 80-degree weather, funny dialogue in the Bed & Breakfast, "school" and teacher on set, receiving scripts from crew members, interest from **** theaters regarding distribution, P&A, and calculating the "4x" investment hurdle required to break even in theatrical releases, the film business is broken. Send a text Questions or thoughts? => charlie@abyssal.co Get daily work updates on Instagram

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A fully transparent behind-the-scenes look at the making of a movie. Like video game "early access", but for Hollywood!I'm Charlie Cleveland, the creator of Subnautica. Please join us in our journey as we make a movie fully in the open. https://instagram.com/abyssal.filmshttp://www.abyssal.co

Information

  • Creator
    Charlie Cleveland
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Movie in the Making
  • Show Website
    Movie in the Making