After Checks and Balance opened my eyes to the possibilities of low-budget filmmaking, the next logical leap was producing a feature for even less than my previous short. I knew this endeavor would require a bit more ingenuity so I opted to build the entire project around the sole asset I had: my childhood MiniDV HandyCam.

While this may have been considered a hindrance to some, it ended up being the driving force of the whole movie. As an avid lover of found footage, vérité cinematography, and naturalistic performances, this was the chance to break away from the traditional style of filmmaking used for CAB and integrate more of my biggest influences. I also had recently gone through the COVID-exacerbated fallout (or fade away, if you’re lucky) of many college friendships that no longer had the same vigor now that it was up to us to maintain them, so I was seeking a destination for that reflection. Throw in a shifting relationship with Los Angeles, the city I had lived in for nearly a decade yet never called “home,” with a desperation to just go out and make something after COVID, and you’ve got the foundation of Big Break.