How This SXSW Director Secured Locations (and More) on a Budget

Creators have a beautiful (and timely) opportunity to share their experiences through their work. We talk a lot here about having a point of view and a voice. These are the things that will help you stand out as a filmmaker and on the page.In this year’s pilot competition at SXSW, JJ Herz created a love letter to sibling dynamics in R&R, featuring a character based on her brother. Herz, who also directed and produced, plays one half of the sibling duo, with Kevin Iannucci opposite. The proof-of-concept pilot had a crew of 16 and was shot in three days on a $10,000 crowdfunded budget in Los Angeles.We chatted with both about the project. Dive into their experience below and enjoy their trailer, exclusively on No Film School! Should You Write Big, or Start Small?The pilot features a slew of locations as the siblings move through the city. At one point, they stop to get gas—a moment any filmmaker will notice, especially if you've ever shot in LA. How did they do that on a budget?"Everyone actually told me to rewrite it because I had written without a budget in mind," Herz said. "Because people tell you to do that, to just write, you have any budget in the world. And at the end of the day, I only had 10K. I find it hard to limit myself. I had written a gas station scene, and everyone was like, 'There's no way you'll find a Los Angeles gas station that'll let you shoot there for your budget.'" Iannucci added, "I'm like, 'Okay, how she's going to do this?'"Initially, Herz was driving around to various gas stations in the city and just asking managers, but as Californians know, a location like that could easily eat up an entire budget. They finally found a place through a production assistant who knew someone who owned a car wash who knew a gas station owner, and they were able to shoot very early on a Sunday morning.In the end, Herz didn't have to limit her script or ideas, through persistence and networking. R&R behind the scenesProvidedWhy Representation MattersAs mentioned, Herz based the characters on her relationship with her brother, Griffin. She wrote the script because she didn't see that representation already."I'd never seen anything that looked like my family, and I really wanted to showcase someone like my brother Griffin as a whole adult, as a funny, witty, a little bit neurotic adult," Herz said, "and I think there's just no media out there that represents especially disabled adults and what they're doing in life and how they exist in the world."The two characters riff throughout about disability and queer identity. Iannucci said he wasn't sure about his comfort level with some of those lines initially, but he embraced the challenge."This project is so, so genius because it shows not only diversity and inclusion, [but] her brother, Griffin. And it is going to mean a whole lot to audiences, all different people, to show and say that this is real life." R&RCourtesy of JJ HerzWhy SXSW is an Important Festival for FilmmakersSpeaking of networking, both Herz and Iannucci spoke to SXSW's value as a place to connect with other filmmakers. "SXSW does a really good job of putting all of these people that are willing to take huge risks in one room," Herz said. "It's all the people that crowdfunded themselves and made these projects that no one else would finance."At the Filmmakers' Brunch at the start of the festival, Herz said she was inspired by the talent around her."I am the person that decided from scratch that this project was going to exist, and I raised money, and I produced it and I was in it," she said. "And you turn over and the next person next to you did the same thing, and the next person. It's the go-getters. Every room feels buzzing with that kind of energy."Iannucci agreed."What I'm trying to do is to get more into film and TV, not just doing this project that I'm doing, this big collaboration with [JJ], but I am just getting out there meeting all these different people that have other directors to meet. And hopefully, I can get in there someday and actually work, because I can see myself being in something that doesn't represent me having Down syndrome, but having a role would be a much better way to do it."

Mar 10, 2025 - 20:58

How This SXSW Director Secured Locations (and More) on a Budget

Creators have a beautiful (and timely) opportunity to share their experiences through their work. We talk a lot here about having a point of view and a voice. These are the things that will help you stand out as a filmmaker and on the page.

In this year’s pilot competition at SXSW, JJ Herz created a love letter to sibling dynamics in R&R, featuring a character based on her brother. Herz, who also directed and produced, plays one half of the sibling duo, with Kevin Iannucci opposite.

The proof-of-concept pilot had a crew of 16 and was shot in three days on a $10,000 crowdfunded budget in Los Angeles.

We chatted with both about the project. Dive into their experience below and enjoy their trailer, exclusively on No Film School!

Should You Write Big, or Start Small?

The pilot features a slew of locations as the siblings move through the city. At one point, they stop to get gas—a moment any filmmaker will notice, especially if you've ever shot in LA. How did they do that on a budget?

"Everyone actually told me to rewrite it because I had written without a budget in mind," Herz said. "Because people tell you to do that, to just write, you have any budget in the world. And at the end of the day, I only had 10K. I find it hard to limit myself. I had written a gas station scene, and everyone was like, 'There's no way you'll find a Los Angeles gas station that'll let you shoot there for your budget.'"

Iannucci added, "I'm like, 'Okay, how she's going to do this?'"

Initially, Herz was driving around to various gas stations in the city and just asking managers, but as Californians know, a location like that could easily eat up an entire budget.

They finally found a place through a production assistant who knew someone who owned a car wash who knew a gas station owner, and they were able to shoot very early on a Sunday morning.

In the end, Herz didn't have to limit her script or ideas, through persistence and networking.

R&R R&R behind the scenesProvided

Why Representation Matters

As mentioned, Herz based the characters on her relationship with her brother, Griffin. She wrote the script because she didn't see that representation already.

"I'd never seen anything that looked like my family, and I really wanted to showcase someone like my brother Griffin as a whole adult, as a funny, witty, a little bit neurotic adult," Herz said, "and I think there's just no media out there that represents especially disabled adults and what they're doing in life and how they exist in the world."

The two characters riff throughout about disability and queer identity.

Iannucci said he wasn't sure about his comfort level with some of those lines initially, but he embraced the challenge.

"This project is so, so genius because it shows not only diversity and inclusion, [but] her brother, Griffin. And it is going to mean a whole lot to audiences, all different people, to show and say that this is real life."

R&R R&RCourtesy of JJ Herz

Why SXSW is an Important Festival for Filmmakers

Speaking of networking, both Herz and Iannucci spoke to SXSW's value as a place to connect with other filmmakers.

"SXSW does a really good job of putting all of these people that are willing to take huge risks in one room," Herz said. "It's all the people that crowdfunded themselves and made these projects that no one else would finance."

At the Filmmakers' Brunch at the start of the festival, Herz said she was inspired by the talent around her.

"I am the person that decided from scratch that this project was going to exist, and I raised money, and I produced it and I was in it," she said. "And you turn over and the next person next to you did the same thing, and the next person. It's the go-getters. Every room feels buzzing with that kind of energy."

Iannucci agreed.

"What I'm trying to do is to get more into film and TV, not just doing this project that I'm doing, this big collaboration with [JJ], but I am just getting out there meeting all these different people that have other directors to meet. And hopefully, I can get in there someday and actually work, because I can see myself being in something that doesn't represent me having Down syndrome, but having a role would be a much better way to do it."