How do you produce a Grand Jury Prize-winning indie film? Daniel Tantalean joins John Cooke and Anthony López to walk us through the creative, chaotic, and deeply personal journey behind the making of “In the Summers.”

From cold emails and festival mixers to navigating production without a post supervisor, Daniel shares how he found his voice as a producer and why trusting your instincts (and your community) can take a project further than you'd imagine. You'll hear about the four-year path to Sundance, how “In the Summers” survived budget gaps, and what it’s like to support first-time writer-directors through their boldest work.

Key insights from this episode:

• Building trust with first-time directors
• Creative ways to stretch a limited budget
• Why your early jobs on set still matter later

Chapters:

(00:00) Meet Daniel Tantalean

(01:26) How early crew jobs guided his approach to producing

(04:07) A turning point after personal loss

(07:50) Cold email that led to “Ale Libre”

(11:52) What made “In the Summers” script stand out

(17:06) Stretching a microbudget for a complex shoot

(26:39) Story behind “Rebel Without a Pause”

(34:35) Real advice for aspiring indie producers

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