The Night Before – Filming Soapy Secrets & Wash Me Down

Thoughts the night of June 7, 2025

Tonight is different.

I’ve filmed projects before, they were client bookings or just B cam but this time? These are my thoughts from my iPad Notes to Reality. Soapy Secrets and Wash Me Down are the first shorts from Black Arc Studio I’m directing entirely on my own, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. But honestly? I’m more excited than anything.

This kind of project is new territory for me. No full crew. No official backing. Just a vision, a few dedicated people, and a whole lot of passion. It’s the kind of pressure that makes you double-check every battery and rehearse every shot in your head before you even hit set.

Gear-wise, I’m locked in. Both cameras are prepped. My Blackmagic Pocket 6K Pro is already rigged up on the gimbal. It’s going to help me knock out a lot of the establishing shots and float through those close-ups when the dialogue heats up. Fluid. Fast. Efficient.

What I’m really hyped about is finally using my Blackmagic Pyxis 6K. This thing feels like an extension of my eye. I’ve got three DZOFilm primes ready. Thanks to my boy TP, I’ve got a 25-85mm T3.2 zoom cine lens in my bag. That lens? Game changer.

The vision I’m chasing with these shorts is bigger than just these two films. I’m trying to lock in a shooting style. Something signature. Something cinematic but grounded, raw but intentional. These two shoots are my sandbox. My kitchen test. While I know it won’t be perfect. It’s my first time doing it all this on my own and it feels like the right first step.

I don’t know exactly how tomorrow’s going to go. I’ve done the prep, but I don’t have a full crew. Still, I’ve got this gut feeling people are going to show up. People believe in the vision. And that’s what keeps me pushing through the nerves.

No turning back now.

See y’all on set.

Follow @BlackArcStudios for behind-the-scenes, updates, and exclusive footage from the shoot.