Field Notes

Essay

What making films in New York City has taught us

A year in. What we got right, what we got wrong, and what the city itself keeps teaching us about how to make work that matters.

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Essay

Difficult, funny, and very much alive: what we mean by that

Those three words are on our site. They're not marketing copy. Here's where they came from and what they actually mean for how we make films.

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Production

What you actually need to shoot a film in NYC (and what you don't)

First-time directors show up with gear lists built from YouTube rabbit holes. Here's what a real shoot in this city requires — and what you can leave behind.

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Production

How to fund your indie short film in New York City

Grants, fiscal sponsorship, crowdfunding, and the options nobody talks about. A practical breakdown of how NYC indie shorts actually get financed.

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NYC

NYC locations that never look like New York on screen

The city has a double life on camera. These are the spots that read as somewhere else entirely — and why that's more useful than it sounds.

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Essay

Why short films still matter in 2026

Everyone said the short film was dead. Here's why that's wrong, what the format actually does that nothing else can, and why we keep making them.

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Essay

What to look for when hiring a film production company in NYC

Not all production companies are the same, and in New York City the differences matter more than anywhere else. What to actually evaluate before you sign anything.

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Production

Film permits in NYC: what we've learned after years of production

The Mayor's Office, the NYPD, private locations, and the unwritten rules that don't appear in any official guide. Real permit knowledge from real shoots.

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Production

Music video production in NYC: what artists actually need to know

From one-day guerrilla shoots to multi-location productions with choreography and permits. How music video production in New York City actually works.

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NYC

The best neighborhoods in NYC to shoot a film

Not a tourist list. A working breakdown of what each borough and neighborhood actually offers a film crew — light, texture, logistics, and the things that surprise you.

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Production

What it actually costs to shoot a short film in NYC in 2026

Real numbers from real productions. Equipment, crew, locations, permits, post — the full breakdown with the wide variance explained.

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Essay

Why we only work in New York City

Every production company says they work everywhere. We built the opposite rule into the studio from day one — and it's the best creative decision we've made.

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