The Week in Frame — vol. 01: Grief, Greenlights, and Building a Drive-In
This week in frame covers the pivot to micro-budget filmmaking, the launch of a production log, and early steps toward creating a community drive-in.
From the Parent Pick Up Line.
Thursday, December 11th
Dear Reader,
This week was defined by one word: Movement.
For a long time, I’ve felt stuck in the “absence of light” that comes with grief.
But this week, I realised that waiting for the perfect conditions—the perfect budget, the perfect package—wasn’t just bad business; it was delaying my own healing.
We covered a lot of ground in the last 96 hours. Here is the recap of what went down at The Modern Filmmaker.
1. The Realization: Moving from Business to Healing
On Tuesday, I shared a deeply personal essay about the roadblock I’ve been hitting for five years.
My film, BURYING DORIS, was originally scoped as a $1 million dark comedy.
But trying to package it perfectly has turned it into a dirge.
After a tough conversation with my collaborator Chris, I realized the truth: I can’t grieve my grandmother until I make this movie.
The goal is no longer just ROI; the goal is closure.
We are pivoting to a micro-budget model.
It’s time to choose creation over stagnation.
2. The Commitment: Production Log #001
Realizations are useless without action.
Immediately following the decision to pivot, I launched the Production Log.
This will be a real-time, year-long journal tracking the evolution of BURYING DORIS from a stalled script to a finished film.
In this first entry, I discuss:
Uncovering the real goal for 2026.
What worked (writing to unravel the mess).
What didn’t (avoiding the investment work).
The feeling of being bruised, but clear.
3. The Wild Card: Drive-In Dispatch
Because one impossible project isn’t enough, I also announced a new venture.
I am building a micro drive-in movie theatre.
The goal?
To turn a cinema desert into an oasis.
I’ll be documenting this build process as well, proving that even when plans go astray, the work is worth doing.
The Takeaway
If you are waiting for permission, or for a million dollars, or for the grief to fade before you start your work—don’t.
The work is what gets you through.
The Week in Frame:
A stalled film came back to life, a long-buried truth surfaced, and a backfield became the birthplace of a tiny cinema.
Let’s get moving.
Together, with Faith.
M.P. Rekola
P.S. How I Sustain the Work
I’m an independent creator. I don’t have a studio overhead or trust fund backing this work. I earn my living through:
Affiliate links and views
Sales of The Modern Filmmaker’s On-Set Filmmaking Dictionary on Amazon
Producing industrial and commercial work through Goodworks (you can hire us)
Consulting on individual projects (email me)
And a micro drive-in movie theatre, I’m currently building
None of this is separate from the art.
It’s what allows the art to keep happening.
