# Partnering With Joe Swanberg & Shooting A Puppet Horror Feature In 11 Days - With Aidan Leary & C.R. Thompson

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/show-don-t-tell-micro-budget-filmmaking-809490/partnering-with-joe-swanberg-shooting-a-puppet-horror-feature-in-11-days-with-aidan-leary-c-r-thompson
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/show-don-t-tell-micro-budget-filmmaking-809490/partnering-with-joe-swanberg-shooting-a-puppet-horror-feature-in-11-days-with-aidan-leary-c-r-thompson.md
Podcast: [Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking](https://stenobird.com/podcast/show-don-t-tell-micro-budget-filmmaking-809490)
Published: 2026-07-05T23:32:24+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/partnering-with-joe-swanberg-shooting-a-puppet-horror-feature-in-11-days-with-aidan-leary-c-r-thompson--72832850
Audio file: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72832850/show_dont_tell_ep277.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3856

## Resource

In this episode, I'm joined by Aidan Leary and C.R. Thompson, the writing team behind Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round . A micro-budget horror feature pitched as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood meets Evil Dead 2, produced by mumblecore legend Joe Swanberg. Throught the episode Aidan and C.R. share the wild origin story of the film, from a screenplay written in just two weeks, to them living in the back of Joe Swanberg's video store just two months later after he bought it. We also get into the nuts and bolts of the 11-day shoot: directing without a first AD, running a crew of about a dozen people inside the Chicago Children's Theater, hiring set builders straight off PBS, and their lightning fast post-production process. Topics covered include: Turning a childhood nightmare about an evil monkey puppet into a feature Four-act structure vs. three-act structure, and the South Park method Using Joe Swanberg's own pitching technique to sell him the script Joe's best advice: the only wrong decision is no decision Intentional continuity breaks as a creative safety net Editing lessons: temp sound effects, test screenings, and killing your darlings Why editors often make the best directors Much more! Links from this episode: Film on Instagram Aidan Leary on Instagram C.R. Thompson on Instagram Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

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