# Making A Micro-Budget Feature In 15 Days, Directing Rachel Dratch & Building A 20-Year Creative Brand With Jason Laurits

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/show-don-t-tell-micro-budget-filmmaking-809490/making-a-micro-budget-feature-in-15-days-directing-rachel-dratch-building-a-20-year-creative-brand-with-jason-laurits
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/show-don-t-tell-micro-budget-filmmaking-809490/making-a-micro-budget-feature-in-15-days-directing-rachel-dratch-building-a-20-year-creative-brand-with-jason-laurits.md
Podcast: [Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking](https://stenobird.com/podcast/show-don-t-tell-micro-budget-filmmaking-809490)
Published: 2026-06-12T00:45:31+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/making-a-micro-budget-feature-in-15-days-directing-rachel-dratch-building-a-20-year-creative-brand-with-jason-laurits--72490900
Audio file: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72490900/show_dont_tell_ep274.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/show-don-t-tell-micro-budget-filmmaking-809490/episodes/making-a-micro-budget-feature-in-15-days-directing-rachel-dratch-building-a-20-year-creative-brand-with-jason-laurits
Duration seconds: 4143

## Resource

In this episode, I'm joined by filmmaker and graphic artist Jason Laurits to talk about his debut feature Love's Company (starring Rachel Dratch), and the unique two-decade creative journey that led him to directing his first feature in his 40s. Jason breaks down how the film started with a single absurd thought ("what would happen if you actually kidnapped a celebrity?") and grew out of his love for Misery, Sunset Boulevard, and Ruthless People. He shares how he taught himself to edit in order to cut a proof-of-concept teaser that he used to raise money, attract a team, and ultimately land his cast.We also get into the realities of shooting a 95-page feature in just 15 days on a micro-budget in Louisiana, how his line producer helped him build a crew from scratch in New Orleans, landing Rachel Dratch through a single well-placed connection, and the constant on-set math of combining and cutting shots to never once go over schedule. Topics covered include: Using a teaser, poster & pitch deck to raise money for a feature film How to shoot a 95-page feature in just 15 days Combining and cutting shots on the fly to never go over schedule What 20+ years running his brand Paste taught him about filmmaking Why getting into directing in your 40s can be an advantage The "step-by-step vs. chasing the clouds" philosophy Trusting your voice and letting go of fleeting external goals Much More! Links from the show: Love's Company - Trailer Love's Company - Instagram Jason's Brand - Paste Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

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