Hey Stage 32 Fam,

If you've ever stared at your script, day-job schedule, and empty production calendar, wondering how first-time filmmakers actually get a feature off the ground, especially while bootstrapping in a place that's not Hollywood, you're in good company. I'm Jayson Johnson, a Richmond, CA-based filmmaker and founder of Strike Five Films, and right now I'm deep in pre-production on my debut feature, R.O.G.E.R. & Me.

It's a quirky rom-com about resilience, second chances, and the unexpected ways we connect: a young Black coding savant from Richmond falls asleep at the wheel, crashes into a tropical fish store, and gets sentenced to carry a live goldfish named R.O.G.E.R. (complete with GPS tracker) everywhere for 30 days. What starts as absurd community service becomes a heartfelt journey through grief, growth, and finding community, very much a love letter to my adopted city of Richmond.

This post shares my experience of pushing through the pre-production grind as a first-timer, the real, unglamorous hurdles, the small daily wins, and the lessons that have kept me going when doubt creeps in. If I can go from a $35 eBay camera, short films at 90+ festivals (with six awards), and years freelancing for Netflix/Amazon/Hulu to packaging a feature while working city maintenance, anyone grinding can find a way forward, too.

The Spark: How a Goldfish Became My Muse

My path started over 15 years ago in Chicago, studying radio, TV, and film, then landing my first set experience acting in an indie sci-fi feature. That glimpse of the "secret world" hooked me. I moved to the Bay Area in 2008, worked for Francis Ford Coppola (marketing, prop master, festival admin), and freelanced across big platforms.

Freelance unpredictability hit hard post-2020, so I settled in Richmond for steadier city work. That's when Roger, the real goldfish, came into my life. During a rough patch of self-doubt and imposter feelings, I bought him to have something alive and steady on my desk while I wrote. He swam quietly as my silent support system. When he passed months later, the grief was real; it echoed the isolation many creators face chasing dreams without constant validation.

That loss fueled R.O.G.E.R. & Me. The film's not plot-autobiographical, but the themes of perseverance, reframing mistakes, and human connection are straight from my experience. Shooting in Richmond is intentional, too. This city's at a positive crossroads, rich in people, history, businesses, and culture. I want to highlight that pride and help shift narratives for locals.

Pre-Production Hurdles: What No One Tells You

Pre-production sounds exciting: script tweaks, casting, scouting, but it's mostly showing up through roadblocks.

Funding and Packaging on a Shoestring

Shorts gave me festival cred, but features demand more to stand out in a sea of similar stories. I did create a proof-of-concept trailer to capture the tone and vision; it definitely helped spark interest and show collaborators what the film could feel like. But here's the more solid truth from my experience: while a POC can be a useful pitch tool, what truly cuts through the noise is authenticity. Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. Write and make something that's authentically different, rooted in your unique voice, perspective, and life. In a pack of carbon-copy films chasing trends, genuine originality generates real buzz and draws people in (producers, crew, investors) because it feels fresh and necessary. My film's absurd-yet-heartfelt goldfish premise came straight from personal grief and Richmond life—no formula could replicate that. Lean into what only you can tell; that's what turns heads and builds lasting interest.

Building a Team in a Non-Traditional Hub

Richmond isn't LA or Atlanta, so connections take effort. Local events changed everything for me: Cinemama happy hours (welcoming spaces for Bay Area filmmakers to connect and share ideas), Bay Area Film Mixer quarterly gatherings (off-set mingling to inspire collaboration), and SF Film-related mixers/programmer events through SFFILM. These helped me meet like-minded creators open to teaming up on R.O.G.E.R. & Me. Crucially, networking can't be all "what can you do for my project?" Get out there and add value first, PA on someone else's short, volunteer on sets, give feedback, share resources, support screenings. When you help without score-keeping, trust builds. People remember who showed up for them, and that reciprocity opens doors to stronger collaborators, crew, and support for your own work.

Balancing Day Job and Dream

Full-time maintenance work meant odd-hour writing and planning. Burnout lurks, so I built routines: daily pages (even 300 words), small-win celebrations like a good scout, consistency over perfection.

Imposter Syndrome and Resilience

Imposter syndrome was real, especially after Roger's passing, when my quiet cheerleader was gone and a feature felt huge. But I pushed through by accepting a truth: no one has everything figured out, not the legends I've worked with, not the pros, not me. We're all winging it to some degree. The game-changer? Committing to one thing a day, writing a scene, emailing a contact, refining dialogue. Those small, consistent actions built momentum and proved progress comes from showing up, not certainty. Surround yourself with reminders of your "why" (for me, Roger's memory and Richmond stories), and keep moving. Doubt is part of the process, inaction doesn't have to be.

Actionable Takeaways for Your Indie Journey

• Draw from Real Life: Authentic stories resonate. What's your "Roger"—the small thing grounding you through doubt?
• Prioritize Authenticity Over Trends: Write what's uniquely yours; originality stands out in a crowded field and draws genuine interest.
• Build Proof Early (But Let Story Lead): A trailer helps visualize, but your personal voice is the real magnet.
• Own Your Location, Shoot Local; authenticity adds depth. Tap regional events for connections.
• Network Generously: Add value first, work on others' projects, support the community. Reciprocity follows naturally.
• One Step at a Time: Accept imperfection, do one thing daily, celebrate progress. Community (like Stage 32) amplifies it, shares struggles and wins. Momentum builds quietly, leading to bigger doors opening.

Wrapping Up: Keep Swimming

R.O.G.E.R. & Me is moving forward in pre-production, table reads, scouting, and team-building, with production on the horizon. While I don't have everything figured out (who does?), the consistent daily actions have paid off in real ways: I've secured a seasoned producer to help guide the project, started sitting down with distributors to explore paths forward, and even begun pitching to Silicon Valley VCs who see the potential in indie stories with heart and local roots. Every hurdle reinforced resilience: show up consistently, give generously, stay true to your voice.

Whether you're in shorts, pilots, or dreaming of features, remember: good things come from perseverance, real connections, small daily actions, and being unapologetically you (maybe with a quirky companion for company).

Drop your pre-production stories, favorite networking tips, or ways you've leaned into authenticity in the comments. Let's lift each other up.

Thanks for reading, and huge thanks to Stage 32 for this space. Keep the indie fire burning.

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