Senior Week! Filmmakers Take On the Ocean City Ritual

Ryan: True independent filmmaking. We paid $500 for a 20-year-old car, but in the end it was worth it.

How does one make a coherent, polished, commercially viable feature for under 100 grand?

Ryan: It's about letting go of the pride of "I'm a film director" and saying, "I have no money, but I have something I believe in." . . . From Day One we said, "Okay, we are not a major studio, we don't have a bunch of money, so let's be completely honest. Let's say we have nothing, but it's a really good idea and we have the ability to carry it out." And that's how we were able to convince an amazing cast and crew and Ocean City and equipment-rental places in New York. Everyone we approached with that attitude saw how passionate we were, and they helped us out.

If you could have someone's career in the industry, whose would it be?

Matt: Robert Evans. His early career -- how he rose to the top of Paramount and brought them from No. 9 to No. 1 with films like "Chinatown" and "The Godfather."

Ryan: I think every film guy wants to be Paul Thomas Anderson. And Michael Winterbottom is another one of my favorites. He constantly does different projects, with different tones, style, and has a lot of style and heart, in every frame, with every character interaction.

What will locals recognize in your movie?

Ryan: We filmed at Seacrets, which is the bar in Ocean City. Greene Turtle, where everybody loves to go and drink. Old Pro Golf -- our cast and crew played putt-putt there two to three times a week. Filmed at Dumser's, the famous ice cream shop. Bumper cars, Skee-Ball on the boardwalk. It's an authentic Maryland film because it's our lives. All those locations, they add not just production value, but they add the authenticity.

Matt: We worked with everyone on the boardwalk. The people in restaurants were out watching us, and that was the most pivotal moment for me: being down there. Up until then it didn't feel real, but when we walked out on the boardwalk and started shooting, I was like, "Yes, we're in Ocean City making the movie."

Any advice to people who are trying to produce their own shorts or features on a low budget?

Ryan: Ask questions, ask for help, ask other people who've done this before how they did it. Know what you don't know, admit how much you don't know and seek out people who can fill in those gaps and are as passionate as you.

Matt: Also put fear and insecurities on the back burner. You cannot have that when you go into a project of any scope.

Ryan: You can't stress out about, "Is this going to win any awards?" You have to buckle down and say, "I believe in this," and make the project for the exact same reasons you wanted to initially write or direct it. Make it the best it can be, and don't worry about any of the stuff that comes after.