While Hollywood spends millions chasing the next prestige hit, a group of talented actors and a crew of 2-3 just made one for the price of a second-hand car.
In other projects, the focus has been on our limitations and how to break through them.
With MOUSE, it was about knowing our limitations and leaning into them.
After all was said and done, the 14-episode first season of MOUSE was filmed for about $7,000 across 27 shoot days over 8 months. Most days, our crew was no bigger than 2–3 people. Some days were long. Most were hard. But every person involved kept the creative fire burning.
In high school, my film teacher put it bluntly… and I’m sure many of you have heard some version of this:
“You have three ways to make a movie: cheap, fast, good. Pick two.”
We didn’t have a studio budget to crash cars or build massive sets, so we filmed miniatures and built what we could ourselves (we will deep dive more into this at a later post).
We didn’t have a location budget, so we called around, asked favors, and found places that gave the story texture (same here).
We didn’t have huge set pieces or sweeping views, so we got more intimate with our shots.
The result is something I’m proud of, but more importantly, I’m proud of the effort. The commitment. The people who showed up, day after day, to help make something bigger than what we had on paper.
Where we focused our budget:
• We leaned into our limitations, cataloguing what gear we have and crafting shots to that
• We wrote to our access, definitely a challenge, but an exciting one that forced us to come up with story arcs that we never would have found otherwise
• We called friends, businesses, and knocked on doors to find locations, police cars, props... THIS TOOK TIME. We didn't rush it.
• We rented where we absolutely needed to, typically generators, costumes, and picture cars (they are cheaper than you think!)
• FOOD. Keep the cast and crew fed well. Of the total budget, roughly 30-40% of it was food. No joke.
• Occasional Home Depot runs, this was unavoidable.
Next we focused on PRESS:
• We wrote to publicists about our project, most passed, some chatted, one came through believing in the project and the vision.
• We structured BTS for the instagram reels, TikTok, and Youtube shorts.
• Depending on the outlet, we catered the important information.
"MOUSE is a 14-episode psychological crime thriller that has no business being this good. Shot guerrilla-style with a crew of two to three people and a budget of under $7,000, the series delivers the kind of dark, gripping drama that television executives spend fortunes trying to manufacture."
- COMPLEX
"This was one of the most fun and creative experiences of my life with an amazing cast and crew," said actor PJ Schulte.
At its centre is Lanny Joon — the Korean-American actor best known for Baby Driver — as Detective Sam Park, a haunted cop trying to keep his demons buried while they claw their way back up. Opposite him, Shélah Larson is electrifying as Joey, a character whose quiet menace keeps you permanently off balance.
Larson is not just the lead — she's the co-founder of Short Snacks Entertainment, the indie production company we launched on a philosophy that's almost radical in today's industry: don't wait for permission to create. Just go do it.
"The industry system was crowded," said Larson. "The only way to get anything made was to have the big crews, big money, and most of all, permission. We reminded ourselves of why we got into this business — to make movies."
The supporting cast of characters found the mission appealing and their passion for making movies went beyond the "business" of the business. Syra McCarthy (Grey's Anatomy, Josephine), Shane Yoon (Modern Family), Linc Hand (42, Imperium), Danny Parker-Lopes (Minority Report), plus Jennifer Ekpunobi, PJ Schulte, Mark Shiva, Trent James, Hidekun Hah, and Kevin Kemp. And their passion definitely shows.
The series will be distributed across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Just a proper crime thriller, made properly, on its own terms.
The full 14-episode season is out this summer.
