Dear friend,
I just got out of the shower.
I’m wearing my book nerd shirt.
I’m heading to book club soon – in fact, I am already late.
But I had to record this before I lost my nerve.
Here you have it, the first official announcement:
I am making a short film.
And I’m sharing the budget with you today.
Which is really scary! Not because it’s high (although it’s not cheap…) but because this means it’s all real.
I haven’t made an actual film since film school. As you can see in this video, I’m so nervous I’m shaking.
But I did my two-year life reset at the end of 2025.
I made my North Star question and declared it publicly:
Will this get me closer to winning an Oscar surrounded by people I love?
I am following my own Creative Life Blueprint and practicing what I preach.
But just because I’m doing the damn thing, doesn’t mean I’m not scared $#@!less!
It is so scary to no longer wonder if I can do it, and take the leap of faith to find out.
It’s so scary to enter back into an industry that has historically been unsafe for people like me – to go for a job I’d assumed I hadn’t been brave enough to pursue.
In this video I walk you through everything that goes into a micro-budget short film — from the DP and sound tech to the script supervisor I didn’t even know I needed, to festival submission fees, to feeding people because hangry crew members are nobody’s friend.
I don’t have the money to make this film right now. I don’t have the crew, or the cast, or the gear. I don’t remember most of what I learned in film school.
But I have my North Star. I have my Creative Life Blueprint.
And every time I get scared I come back to the same reminder: I never thought I’d have a book in airports across the country either.
If I can get Because Fat Girl out in the world after years of rejection, I can make a movie.
And in the end, I’d rather fail trying to do something I love than die never having tried.
If you want to define your own North Star, I’ve got two ways to help you:
I’ve outlined the full thing for free in this Substack post.
I’m offering a one-time only, small group coaching program to walk you through the process. It’s seven weeks long, and we start April 21. Interested? Reply to this message and I’ll send you the details.
I’m sharing both my Creative Life Blueprint process and behind-the-scenes of this movie with you to hopefully go out there, be brave, and do the boldly creative thing you dream of in your life.
Because the world needs our stories now more than ever.
With nervous excitement,
Lauren
P.S. As promised, here’s a screenshot of the general budget I’m working with. I don’t have the costs in, because … well it felt too scary to share just yet! But this gives you a general idea:
