How to Make an Indie Film with 8‑Hour Days and On‑Set Childcare
Description
In this episode, GG Hawkins speaks with writer-director-producer Nora Fiffer about her debut feature Another Happy Day, and how she achieved a rare feat in indie filmmaking: shooting on strict eight‑hour days while providing on‑set childcare. The two explore how this family-friendly approach—driven by Fiffer's own journey into motherhood—shaped every stage of production, from scheduling and budgeting to set morale and creative decision-making.
In this episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins, and guest Nora Fiffer discuss…
The personal impetus behind Another Happy Day—how motherhood inspired the story and production values
Creating a collaborative, theater-informed mindset that fueled preparation and efficiency
Concrete strategies for implementing eight‑hour shooting days and on‑set childcare as non-negotiables in budget and schedule
How fewer setups, lean shot lists, and actor preparation maximized time and morale
Using fixed creative constraints as generative tools—not limitations
Securing talent like Lauren Lapkus, Carrie Coon, and Marilyn Dodds Frank through personalized writing and deep connections
Pitching the film to investors with equity and inclusion baked into its DNA (childcare prominently featured, even in opening credits)
The importance of making such practices visible to normalize them across the industry
Lessons learned in post-production—how the same efficiency and clarity from production didn’t automatically carry over
How Fiffer plans to carry this ethos forward in future projects
Memorable Quotes
“What the priority was emerging to shoot eight‑hour days, in addition to providing childcare, this now impacted how we were going to shoot it even before we got to production.”
“By prioritizing childcare and the eight‑hour days in the budget… that was untouched.”
“Everyone came with fresh ideas.”
“I planned every moment, every beat… I knew the script, the story, the characters and the edit in my head so well.”
Guests:
Nora Fiffer — Writer, director, producer, actor of Another Happy Day
Resources:
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