EP413 | Casting, Creatures & Chaos | THEY LIKE THE DARK

Mike Pecci is coming to you from Jersey City, where his first feature film, They Like the Dark, is deep in pre production and getting closer to cameras rolling.On this episode of In Love with the Process, Mike jumps behind the mic for another real time dispatch from inside the making of the film.What's it actually like to wake up every morning and prep your first feature?Mike walks you through his day to day life as a director in pre production, the meetings, decisions, problems, discoveries, and constant conversations happening as dozens of artists begin turning the movie that's lived inside his head into something real.He also gets into how he works with his art teams, how he communicates a visual idea without simply telling talented artists what to do, and why directing at this stage is about establishing a creative compass that allows everyone around you to explore, experiment, and bring something unexpected back to the film.And we've got NEWS.Mike drops an exclusive piece of casting news for They Like the Dark and reveals the iconic creature designer who has officially joined the film to help bring its terrifying world to life.The team is growing. The designs are becoming real. The movie is taking shape.If you've been following the They Like the Dark journey from the beginning, you're going to fucking love this episode.Welcome to Jersey City.Let's make a movie.► Mike's IG► ILWP's IGMusic: Code Elektro | Mitch Murder——SPONSORS——► FujiFilm10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems & INTEL► Blackmagic Design► Freenote ClothInlovewiththeprocess.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Day 01 of They Like the Dark.Mike Pecci's first feature film is officially in pre production, and he's bringing In Love with the Process listeners along for the entire ride.Mike catches us up on where the film stands, what happens next, and some of the lessons he's already learned getting to this moment.He talks about trusting your gut, recognizing when something isn't right, fighting for the movie you believe in, and why the relationships you build while coming up in this business can become one of your greatest resources when the opportunity finally arrives.Most importantly, Mike takes a minute to celebrate.Years of work led here.Day 01.Let's make a movie.► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on In Love with the Process, Mike Pecci sits down with one of his favorite comic book artists and writers, Sean Murphy, the punk rock creative force behind Batman: White Knight, Punk Rock Jesus, Tokyo Ghost, The Wake, Joe the Barbarian, Chrononauts, Zorro: Man of the Dead, and more. Sean's new book, The Last Driver, checks pretty much every box Mike has. Awesome cars. Anti tech rebellion. Big action. Incredible artwork. And cinematic storytelling designed in a widescreen format that practically feels like storyboards for the greatest action movie that hasn't been made yet.The story takes place in a near future where a robotic transportation network called the GRID has made cars obsolete and illegal, until an outlaw named Clutch gets behind the wheel again. Image describes it as Escape from New York meets Vanishing Point, which should tell you immediately why Mike loves this thing. But this conversation quickly becomes about something bigger.Mike and Sean turn into two old guys sitting on a porch screaming into the darkness about modern cars, tech bros, subscriptions, automation, and a future where you might not actually own the things you buy.They talk about the relationship between a driver and a great car, and why the automobile has become the modern equivalent of the cowboy's horse. Man and machine working together. Every vibration, rattle, bump, sound, and imperfection connecting you to the road and the world around you.Because the ability to throw your shit in a car, turn the key, and drive wherever the hell you want represents something bigger: freedom.This is a conversation about cars, comics, cinema, technology, action heroes, and fighting to preserve the things that make life tactile, imperfect, exciting, and human.Fight for the future. Fight for great action heroes. Fight for killer comic books.And keep driving.► Sean's IG► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Pecci takes a quick break from prepping They Like the Dark for another real time check in from the trenches of making his first feature film.This week Mike digs into a directing skill that almost nobody teaches you: how to talk to people.Over the years, Mike has learned how to sit across from another artist, whether it's on Zoom, over coffee, or in a production office, and figure out how they see the world. How do you listen instead of waiting for your turn to speak? How do you ask the right questions? How do you get a glimpse inside someone's creative toolbox and understand what their years of experience could bring to your movie?And just as importantly, how do you get them excited enough to want to jump into the madness with you?As Mike continues building the team for They Like the Dark, he shares what he's learned about communicating a vision, inspiring collaborators, reading the room, and recognizing when there's a genuine creative connection.Because directing isn't just about lenses, storyboards, and shot lists. You're asking dozens of talented people to bring their experience, ideas, and creativity together to make something that started inside your head.Learning how to talk to those people might be one of the most important tools a director can have.It's the kind of filmmaking insight you didn't know you needed.► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on In Love with the Process, Mike Pecci dives back into the editing room with one of the most exciting editors working in horror today, Greg Ng, CCE, editor of Backrooms, Keeper, The Monkey, and Longlegs.Mike is a huge fan of Backrooms, especially its voice, pacing, atmosphere, and willingness to be scary without constantly falling back on the same tricks we've seen in countless horror movies. A huge part of creating that feeling happened in the edit, so Mike wants to know: How the hell did they do it?Greg takes us inside the process of cutting Backrooms, finding tension in patience, allowing strange moments to breathe, and helping create a cinematic language that feels fresh, unsettling, and unpredictable. The film presented unusual editorial challenges, including integrating its liminal spaces and slow burn tension into a feature length experience.Mike and Greg also get nerdy about how learning to edit shaped both of them as filmmakers, how an editor develops taste, and why understanding the cutting room can completely change the way you approach production.Mike connects all of it back to his current experience preparing They Like the Dark and the decisions he's making before cameras ever roll.This is a deep dive into horror, editing, creative instinct, and finding your own voice as a filmmaker.Get ready to enter the backroom of filmmaking.► Greg's IG► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The They Like the Dark journey continues, and this week Mike Pecci is deep in the realities of prepping his first feature film.Mike talks about one of the hardest parts of directing: watching the movie in your head change as it collides with the realities of production. The ideas started with unlimited imagination, then became storyboards, and now those boards have to survive the real questions. How many days do we have? How much money? How much crew? What scenes have to go? Can three shots become one?It's heartbreaking, exciting, and all part of making a movie.Mike also gets into the importance of patience, collaboration, and problem solving, and why having an experienced crew around you completely changes the creative process. Instead of sitting alone endlessly trying to solve a problem, sometimes the answer comes from calling someone on your team whose own life and set experience gives them a solution you never would have discovered alone.That's the magic of making something with other human beings.Mike also talks lighting, working with your gaffer, what makes a great lighting team, engaging with your crew, and how a director keeps everyone moving toward the same movie while allowing the film to evolve.Oh, and Mike breaks his teeth and has to go to the dentist.It's another jam packed look inside the highs, lows, compromises, discoveries, and insanity of actually making a feature film.Welcome back to They Like the Dark.► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The They Like the Dark journey continues!On today's In Love with the Process, director Mike Pecci checks in from the middle of pre production on his first feature film and catches us up on where the movie stands, what he's working on, and what he's learning as the team comes together.This week Mike goes deep into one of the most important jobs a director has: building and inspiring your crew.How do you find incredible artists and technicians? How do you convince talented people to take a chance on your movie? And once they're on board, how do you communicate a strong vision without telling everyone exactly what to do?Mike talks about establishing a creative compass for the film, giving every department a clear understanding of the world, tone, characters, and visual language, then encouraging those artists to explore, discover, and bring ideas back that Mike never could have imagined on his own.Because directing isn't about having every answer.It's about knowing what movie you're making, communicating that vision clearly, and surrounding yourself with people who can make it better.If you're a filmmaker who wants to understand how feature films are actually built, this is the stuff you rarely get to hear about.Welcome back to the making of They Like the Dark.► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The journey to make They Like the Dark continues, and this week Mike Pecci is searching for one of the most important creative collaborators a director can have: the editor.Joining Mike is acclaimed film editor Josh Ethier, ACE, whose credits include Companion, Don’t Move, Orphan: First Kill, Gretel & Hansel, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, VFW, Bliss, Mayhem, and Christmas Bloody Christmas.As Mike prepares his first feature film, he’s bringing ILWP listeners along for the ride as he meets potential collaborators and builds the team that will help bring They Like the Dark to life.Today, Mike and Josh go deep into what a feature film editor actually does, and some of the answers might surprise you.What should a director look for in an editor? What makes an editor want to take on a project? How much of the movie is discovered after production? What makes a great director and editor relationship? And what happens when you finish your first cut and realize the real work is only beginning?Mike and Josh nerd out about horror cinema, rhythm, performance, test screenings, getting past that first pass, and learning how to find the movie hiding inside all that footage.They also talk about the hunt for great collaborators. How do you know when someone understands your taste? How do you find people willing to challenge you? And how do you build a creative relationship where everyone is pushing toward the same movie?And because this is In Love with the Process, things naturally go off the rails.Mike also gets into something everyone apparently needs a refresher course on: how to interact with celebrities when you see them in public, how to treat famous people like normal human beings, and how NOT to act when you recognize someone.Filmmaking, horror movies, editing, collaboration, celebrity encounters, and plenty of classic ILWP tangents.If you're a filmmaker, this conversation will give you a completely new insight into how movies are cut together and how to find the people you want beside you while making one.If you're a movie nerd who wants to know what really happens after someone yells "cut," welcome to the editing room.► Josh's IG► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For over nine years, In Love with the Process host and director Mike Pecci has promised listeners that when he finally got the opportunity to direct his first feature film, he would bring them along for the entire ride.Well, here we go.Welcome to the They Like the Dark journey.As Mike moves deeper into pre production on his first feature, he takes you inside the actual process of building a movie from the ground up. No polished behind the scenes package after the movie is finished. You're hearing it while it's happening.This week, Mike talks about traveling to New Jersey to hunt for the perfect location for his horror film, walking through old industrial spaces and imagining how the world of They Like the Dark can come alive inside them.But finding a location is only part of the job.Mike also dives into one of the most important parts of pre production, finding your heads of department. He talks about meeting potential collaborators, figuring out who understands the movie, and why a director's job isn't simply to hire talented people. You have to communicate the vision, get them excited, and inspire them to join you on the insane journey of highs, lows, compromises, discoveries, and problem solving that comes with making an independent film.How do you know when someone is right for your movie?How do you communicate what's inside your head?How do you inspire great artists while still giving them room to bring something unexpected to the film?This is where filmmaking actually happens.If you're trying to become a better director, this series gives you real lessons you can use. And if you're simply a movie nerd who wants to understand how Hollywood actually works, you're getting a front row seat.The movie is getting real.Come along for the ride.► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder, Ron Cannon——SPONSORS——► Freenote Cloth► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on In Love with the Process, Mike Pecci sits down with cinematographer James Kniest (The Haunting of Bly Manor, American Horror Stories) and Annabelle)James joins Mike to celebrate the release of his latest film, The Devil's Mouth, arriving on Amazon this week. But this conversation goes far beyond the new movie.Mike and James dive deep into the preparation that happens long before a camera ever rolls. They discuss how years of experience teach you to anticipate problems before they happen, why confidence comes from preparation, and how cinematographers learn to fight for the tools, time, and support they need to execute a vision.James also shares incredible stories from shooting The Devil's Mouth, explaining the unique challenges of filming in and under water, how lighting behaves beneath the surface, and the technical and creative problem-solving required to capture performances in one of the most demanding environments imaginable. Drawing on his background in underwater cinematography, he offers practical insights that every filmmaker can learn from. Whether you're a director, cinematographer, or creative trying to level up your craft, this episode is packed with hard-earned wisdom about preparation, leadership, confidence, and learning to execute your vision on bigger and bigger stages.This is what In Love with the Process is all about.► James IG► Mike's IG ► ILWP's IG Music: Code Elektro, Mitch Murder——SPONSORS——► FujiFilm 10% off Accessories (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/accessories/) and Merch (https://shopusa.fujifilm-x.com/brand-merch/) Promo code PROCESS10► Puget Systems► Blackmagic Design Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.