- 5/12/2025
Lila McLaughlin is a screenwriter based in her hometown, Los Angeles. She currently writes for TV/Film projects for various producers in comedy, action, thriller, drama and sci-fi. She has a university Bachelors degree in Political Science and is also an alum of the renowned The Second City. She has sold and written for independent productions and studios including CBS Films and has previously been invited into studio writing roundtable teams for Universal Pictures and Fox Studios, helping to shape scripts in development for production. She was the 2nd Unit Director and Assistant Director on the award-winning independent feature film Hero Man. Lila has 3 comedy feature films optioned with Voltage Pictures, Fortitude International, and Big Cat Productions, in various stages of prep. Lila is also a recent published author in 2018 with her book G.I. Hollywood published by Heritage Builders Publishing and sold on Amazon, in Barnes & Noble and bookstores nationwide.
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01:08where you can listen to it anytime, share with your friends, your family, your co-workers.
01:12And this episode, you're definitely going to want to be sharing because we are talking about
01:17all great things. Lila McLaughlin, Brave Maker Film Festival. And I know you want me to hit it,
01:29but I got to hit it in a natural way because I did it the first time when we chatted.
01:33But seriously, can I say it's a cinematic hit? It's cinematic. It's cinema, right, Lila?
01:40Yes, yes. It's beyond noteworthy. We're going to be talking about Don't Let Them Out. I had the
01:48exclusive privilege and pleasure to screen this privately. I'm telling you, I am beyond grateful
01:56to have a home theater, not TV. If you got to watch it on TV, if you have to watch it on your cell phone,
02:04you're going to be immersed in all of the greatness of what this film and cinema is all about. But
02:12ultimately, if you have a big hundred screen TV or you have a nice projection screen that I have,
02:19it is a must, must, must dive into. I'm telling you, Lila, if I was able to inject myself in this film,
02:28especially one of the most powerful and impactful moments in this film where you were not able to
02:39see what was hitting the main character, the main woman in this. I'm telling you, you would not only
02:46hit the box of nails through the board with one hammer swing on that scene, but man, I'm telling you,
02:55the level of excellence to understanding sound quality and how to impact when you're not able
03:06to see, she was not able to see anything in that dark scene. She had the flashlight,
03:10but that flashlight wasn't showing us anything. Wow.
03:15So welcome Lila McLaughlin to the show. Lila, thank you for being with us today. I'm proud of you.
03:26I'm excited for you. You not only have, don't let them out as part of your, your repertoire,
03:34your, your season director. And I have to pull up your exact writer, season writer, season writer.
03:41Yes. Just, this is my first feature film. Are you also known as director and producer? I do see
03:48that added in your credit or now. Yes. I did some short films when I was at second city, the second
03:58city, I actually am alumni of that. And I did some short films there. One of them actually did end up
04:04in some festivals as well, but this is my first feature film. So it's really exciting.
04:11Is it going to be like, say the Chinese theater, where is the opening happening or did it happen?
04:17Did I miss it? Did we miss it? No, not yet. Actually we're in our festival journey right now. We're in
04:22the festival run. So we're kind of doing that first. Cause you know, sometimes festivals don't want
04:30certain premieres in certain places and things like that. So we're kind of writing that out first
04:35and then we'll do a big, you know, premiere after that happens. To just start off, uh, don't let them
04:43out. Once again, I believe, did you get a official answer from brave maker film festival is.
04:51Yes, we officially just got, um, the answer that we got an official selection. We're, we're going to be
04:58doing that festival as well. So thank you. And, uh, we're so grateful. Um, but thank you. And thank
05:05you for having me on your show, Steve. It's, it's really a pleasure to meet you and be on here talking
05:09to you as well. You was, yeah, we had a wonderful private conversation. I enjoyed it very much.
05:16And big shout out to Tony over there at brave maker film festival. I, there's no reason how it
05:21couldn't make it. Well, yeah, I mean, it's been, we've been getting some really great,
05:30you know, um, really great feedback on it. I mean, we had a world premiere at Cinequest film
05:36festival, which, you know, Cinequest is a really great festival, really great filmmaker festival,
05:41very, you know, it's, it's in the movie maker magazine, same as brave maker, you know, um,
05:47really renowned festival. So we were really happy about that. And then we just finished at the Indie
05:53Vegas film festival where, um, our amazing actress, Bonnie root, uh, she just won best actress for the
06:02whole festival for feature film. And that's not even a genre festival. It's an actual, you know,
06:08everything festival. So, um, it was a really amazing, um, surprise, but not really a surprise
06:14because I mean, you saw her performance. She's an amazing award-winning acclaimed actress. So,
06:19um, and, and a friend of mine. So, um, and also she produced, helped produce this film as well with
06:25me. So, um, so yeah, that was a really great thing to happen. And so the feedback that we're getting,
06:31you know, being nominated, winning the awards, and this is, we just started our festival run in March.
06:36So it's a really good sign of, you know, that, you know, the, the film's having a connection and
06:42some kind of impact, as you said, you know, on people, this film is so extraordinarily brilliant
06:49that you can watch this without even listening to it, meaning that this could be a silent film.
06:56And it felt like a silent film, even with all of the, this, the sound and the movement,
07:03it's very crisp. It's clear. The definition does not need to be touched at all.
07:12Because it's so finite in a way when she was looking for her cell phone, uh, when she found
07:20that note on her vehicle and then all that gooey stuff was coming off of it.
07:26Okay. Not too many spoilers.
07:28Not too many spoilers. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
07:30No, but keep going. It's fine.
07:32I'm just, I'm, I'm, I'm diving back, back into the, the emotional realm of what I felt when I first
07:40watched it. And when I viewed it for the second time, that there were moments where I did turn
07:46off the volume and I could, I was always told that a film, a true film should be able to capture
07:57someone, whether you hear it or you listen to it in silence. And this is a film that is not only felt
08:05like it could be silent within its heard moments, but it was also to where it's so kinesthetic.
08:17It's extremely kinesthetic where you don't need a lot of language. That's what's the, this is where
08:24I can browbeat this Lila so much is that it spoke to me and it speaks to, I would say to, to the
08:34audience where you don't need a lot of jibber jabber to try to prove a point. It makes the point.
08:39It has its statements, even towards the end with the walking, when she gets out, when she walks,
08:47it's like, I just want to sit here. I don't want, I don't need to listen to anything.
08:52What is she going to do next? I want to see movement.
08:59Right. Right. And I love that you said that you, you, you really honed in on, it's almost like you
09:06were in my brain because when we first set this, when we first set out to do this, I told, you know,
09:13Bonnie, my actress, I told the crew, I told our DP Trey Betts. I, I told everybody like,
09:19I want to hear her fear. Like, this is what we're trying to make is we want to hear her fear.
09:24And this movie is supposed to be silent. She's out there alone. And we want to create that atmosphere
09:30for everyone else. Like yourself, like you felt that. And so I'm, I'm really pleased to hear that
09:35because that was really the intention of this film, not to, you know, dumb it down or feed the audience.
09:41We don't need that. We just need to see her reaction. And how would you react and feel the
09:47themes of this film, which are very relatable themes of today. I think I mentioned, you know,
09:52debt, desperation, being displaced, guilt, grief, generational trauma, all the things that,
10:01you know, surround her once she's on this property. And then, you know,
10:06she's thrust into this harrowing nightmare, basically of, um, these psychological twists
10:13and turns that lead her down this rabbit hole that, you know, um, threaten her safety and sanity,
10:20basically. So, um, I'm really pleased to hear that you felt all those things.
10:25If I may ask Lila, uh, cause this is what was slightly perplexing to me when watching a film,
10:32and I'm not giving a giveaway here, at least I'm not on the paper. It said when she was on her
10:39treasure hunt, 25,000 or 250,000. And I understood, understood the context, but if I may ask, was it
10:51really $250,000 or can, or you don't even have to answer that? Or do you, or I don't, you know what,
10:58Steve, I'm not going to answer it for you to decide that's for the audience to decide whether
11:04it really was 25 or 250. And that's, that's why you want to watch it and see, because again, not to
11:10give away any spoilers and people will probably think like, what are they talking about? But it
11:14really is to go, go watch the movie and see and decide for yourself what, what it was, you know? Um,
11:20so, you know, I'm not going to tell you.
11:22As I was like, what I was thinking to myself and I'm being serious. Like, am I getting confused as
11:29well? Or am I meant to be confused by this? Because the way it was written out, that's,
11:34I understood how she read it. And I thought to myself, wait a minute, really? And I felt upset for
11:44her. I felt upset for her. Right. Because you also don't know, is there more out there? Was that
11:53it? Yeah. There's a lot of questions. I mean, it's funny when I was at Indy Vegas, um, this man came up
11:59to me after, and he was so taken by the movie. It was at this giant, you know, the galaxy theater.
12:05It's almost like an IMAX screen. It was so huge. And, you know, the scares hit everything. And he was
12:10so moved by it. He was like, there's more questions. And that's what I love about it is
12:15there's more questions than answers. And so when you walk away, it's really great because there's
12:20all these conversations you could be having with people of, well, did she imagine all of this?
12:26Was it really happening? Did this, you know, there's so many things. And so, um, without giving
12:30it away again, it's just, it's really for you to decide what happens and have those conversations.
12:36And if you watch it again, the more you watch it, there are some Easter eggs, you know, laid out
12:41and things that are a little bit spelled out, but you can really read between the lines. So
12:46and determine for yourself what was really happening, you know? So I honestly encourage
12:51everyone, everyone who is going to fall in love with this film or who have already watched this film
12:57to watch it in silence, because I'm telling you sound isn't always our ally.
13:05It can be confusing. And as you said, like those, those little Easter eggs, I believe they're
13:12going to be found if you turn the sign sound off, but you got to watch it with the sound on first.
13:16Yeah. You got to watch it with the sound and then with the sound on first, but this
13:19you got to watch it in a theater setting. If you can. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I mean, this film.
13:25Um, I can't, I don't want to be in a position to say not to watch it on your cell phone or iPad.
13:35There are iPad lovers out there that swear that they rather watch something on iPad better than TV,
13:43but man, this is screen ready. This is theater must have. I can only imagine what the lead actress would go,
13:55go through. If, if, or when she's at a red carpet or at a party, she's going to have to be bombarded.
14:03There's there's, this isn't, Oh, you did such a good job. I'm so proud of you. No, this is to where
14:10like for myself, if I saw her, I would be like, hi, how are you? Great. But I want answers.
14:15Yeah. I know Lila's in the room. I don't want to talk to Lila. I want you to get me the juicy. I
14:22don't think she's going to tell me. I need you to tell me, I need you to give me the spoiler.
14:26Yeah, no, no, it's funny. No, she's also sworn to secrecy, but no, you're right. I mean, it's,
14:32it's tough these days because we're, you know, we have laptops and cell phones and things like that.
14:38And one thing is, you know, when you send out the screeners, unfortunately you are being,
14:42a lot of these films are being watched on a laptop. And so you're not getting like for this film.
14:48We have, we, we spent the money in posts. We have a beautiful color grading. We have film grain
14:55color grading, very expensive process. We have 5.1 Dolby surround, you know, all the things that
15:01make it shine and, and, and cinematic and moving. And so it really does dull it down when you watch
15:09it on a laptop or cell phone, because you're not getting those things, those amazing things that
15:15those extra things that really help to convey the story and the tone and the feel and the mood.
15:22It does, it is color and sound, like you said, it's a whole package. And so that's why I think
15:29it's important to watch it, you know, on a bigger screen or, um, in a theater setting. Like I was
15:36saying, I hope that if, uh, some of these festivals that we get into in other cities, that people do go
15:43see it on a, um, in a theater and just see how spectacular it looks on screen. And like you said,
15:48you, you watched it on your big projection and you, um, it had a bigger impact. And so I know that
15:55not everybody has access to that, but I do hope that at least they watch it on something. That's
16:00not a cell phone. Well, if screen, if a projector sales start going up, I may want, you may want to
16:08investigate into that because seriously, I mean, there's not a film out there that would meet to
16:18the must have to go to, to search online, to buy projection, except for this film.
16:25You have to, you just have to, I'm going to read something here. This is from brave maker film
16:30festival where you wrote in the director's notes. My thought in making this film included to relate
16:37and challenge our own worries, fears, and real life horrors that some face daily with the themes
16:44mentioned a character, desperate in debt, lacking identity and dealing with possible psychosis present
16:52a character. Who's never been nurtured. She's been in survival mode all her life. Let the audience
16:59put the pieces together through her personality and actions, which are both deep rooted in struggle
17:05and generational trauma, man. I'm telling you, if this came out during a pandemic,
17:14everybody would be on this because all of those notes hit. That's what it reminded me of the pandemic.
17:23All of those notes in debt, lacking identity, dealing with possible psychosis. I mean,
17:28two years who wasn't living like that. Right. Right. Did you, was that somewhat in mind? Did that,
17:35did the pandemic influence this somewhat? Yes. I mean, it was kind of written before
17:41the pandemic. I just, and put it away, but yes, the pandemic, I did bring out this and other material
17:48that I really polished up and I wanted to shoot this for that reason. I wanted to direct this for that
17:54reason myself because I, I really felt it. Yes. Like during the pandemic, there was a moment where
18:01you don't even know if we had an industry anymore. You know, the entertainment industry was really,
18:08it was struggling and it was, it, it could have been like a non-existent thing anymore. And so you start to
18:15question yourself, well, what, what would I do? Because this is what I love to do. What, where,
18:20what else could I do? What else would I want to do? Um, and also just the unknowns, the scariness
18:27of everything and feeling isolated, not being able to see people, you know, we all felt those things
18:33and some people being displaced, you know, and, um, all those, all those fears and challenges and things
18:43like that. So, yeah, I mean, that, that brought a lot of these emotions, but also even after the pandemic,
18:47you see people today, we're all still kind of in some way struggling. We're all still
18:54feeling the emotions of that, but it's lingered onto our everyday lives and everyone is struggling
19:02in some way. Um, and so I wanted to tell it through this real woman. This woman is, you know, not
19:11a 25 year old, the normal you see in like a horror thriller film or whatever. This woman is,
19:16uh, 40 something woman. She's had a tough life. Um, she's never really had a win in her life.
19:24And so she goes to this property that she inherited thinking that this is her win. She's going to sell
19:31it. She's going to make some money. She's going to have this better life. And unfortunately, you know,
19:35what happens, you know, terrifying events ensue. So, um, it's kind of those things that
19:44those expectations that we also have in life, you know, we have very high expectations for things to
19:49go our way and sometimes they don't. So, um, I wanted to kind of tell this story through this woman's
19:57eyes, through this woman's POV and that she's a real raw character. And I wanted to take the gutsy,
20:03bold approach of, again, casting somebody who's not, you know, the, the normal 25 year old. It's
20:10somebody who, who is like a real woman with real problems. And that's what we kind of set out to do,
20:15because I wanted her to connect with audiences. I wanted her to connect with people, um,
20:21based on, you know, her actions and, and, you know, things like that. Everything you mentioned
20:26in my statement, basically the process of making a film, uh, as your first feature you touched on it,
20:35Lila, would you like to expand a little bit more? Yeah, it's, um, it's the most amazing feeling.
20:45It's the most amazing thing. Um, but it's all it's, I always say it's the most challenging and the most
20:50rewarding. Um, it is like being on a desert island by yourself and having to climb this gigantic
21:02mountain to get off of it. Basically that's, that's in a nutshell, making a feature film,
21:09um, an independent feature film where you don't have the security and safety net of a studio,
21:14you know, to bail you out at any point. No, this isn't, this was like really raw,
21:18independent filmmaking. Um, but I loved it because I learned so much. I would have never learned
21:25this much just being a writer or on set or, um, or not doing it. I think that, um,
21:34the experience was amazing. And obviously we had a lot of challenges, you know, like logistics and
21:40weather and things like that, but you learn how to get through those really crucial, critical
21:46moments of, Oh my gosh, do we need to shut down? Do we need to, you know, you really tap into,
21:52and there's so many great, and you have to surround yourself with so many great people
21:56who know how to get you out of those situations too. Like we had a really great first AD, Marissa Vaughn.
22:01She, um, she knew how to schedule a film very great, you know, so that we hit our days and things like that. So
22:07it was very challenging, but again, having the right people at helping you along the way gets
22:15you to the finish line as well. So, um, I don't know if that was answering all of your question
22:21or all your points, but I would say the other thing I would say too, is it, it, it's incredibly
22:26difficult to make a feature film, except especially your first, you know, obviously you have to bring
22:31in investors and things like that, you know, um, find the funding. And so I often see, you know,
22:38people criticize films, you know, um, and filmmakers. And I just think it's, it's a little bit,
22:46if you haven't made a film yourself, you shouldn't be criticizing because unless you go on set and see
22:52how incredibly difficult it is, because it's not, it's, it's just not fair to be like criticizing.
22:59Like I see it now, how incredibly difficult it is. So I don't criticize anybody's film because I know
23:04there were obstacles and challenges that they had to get through. So, um, I just say that, um, basically
23:13not knowing and taking into consideration how incredibly difficult it was and giving respect
23:20that the filmmaker even made the film and put it out there. It's not easy to do it all. So.
23:24So were you impressed by the level of excellence with this film? Because it feels perfect yet.
23:33It wasn't about perfection. It was about connection.
23:40Well, thank you for saying that. I don't, I mean, obviously, you know, you look at your work
23:43and you're like, it's never perfect. You know, there's other things you can tweak and do with
23:48things like that. Um, but yeah, I feel like it is about connection and, um,
23:56sorry, your answer was, is it? So what was your question again about that?
24:00It wasn't about perfection. It was about connection and, uh,
24:07and it's slightly paraphrasing. Is it, did it meet to the goals and expectations to the level of
24:12excellence that you are going for? Because it is cinema ready. It is theater ready. Not every film
24:19and every project you would consider seeing in a theater. This is a must have to, this is to where
24:28don't tell me you're going to just be putting it distribution on Netflix or Apple TV. No,
24:32this has got to go straight to see regal.
24:40I mean, I hope that we definitely do get, um, you know, we're in the festival
24:45rounds right now and we have, uh, uh, several sales and distribution. Um,
24:53they have reached out to us. So hopefully we're still getting a few more and things like that.
24:58So hopefully we do get an opportunity to have some kind of limited or small theatrical
25:02run with this. I think to your point, yes, it's absolutely effective to see it on a big theater
25:09screen, as we mentioned before too. And, um, yeah, I think that, I think that for first film,
25:15I think I did a pretty good job. You know, I don't. Yeah. I mean, if I had millions of dollars,
25:23it would be a completely different film. Obviously we know because I would have a lot more at my
25:28disposal, but, um, for first film with, um, the limited budget and, you know, um,
25:35like I said, the challenges of independent filmmaking, I think it came out pretty good,
25:39you know, and pretty effective if, if, you know, it's connecting with you and connecting with other
25:43people and getting into festivals. I think that we can all kind of be proud of what we did.
25:48Wouldn't you say, and I've had this conversation before with, with directors and actors I've
25:54interviewed, isn't it a bit cliche to think you need millions of dollars to make a film when
26:02realistically there are people who make films, high quality films or short films in 24 hours,
26:09because there is, there are, uh, uh, festival runs of 24 hour film and they look like it was
26:20half a million dollars had been put into it. And I'm being told now 5,000, 10,000, 8,000. So isn't
26:29it unrealistic to think that you need millions? My question is millions of dollars to make a film.
26:34I think correct. You don't need millions of dollars to make a film. You're right. You don't.
26:41I think what, um, there's two parts to this. One is that the people that make films for, for,
26:48like you said, like some people, some filmmakers can go out there with $10,000 and make a cinematic
26:52masterpiece. I think they're truly gifted and I respect them. I think to do something like that
26:57is almost impossible. And the fact that they can pull it off and do it is incredible. And I applaud
27:04them. Um, I think it's the industry that really kind of, you know, and the buyers that have an
27:10expectation of a film looking a certain way, or if it wasn't made for millions, then is it even worth,
27:16you know, us buying it and selling it, you know, and things like that. So it could just be something
27:21like that where there's an expectation that if a film is not made for millions, then is it any good?
27:27But like you said, as we're seeing, you don't have to, from the filmmaker's point of view,
27:31we don't have to have, no, we don't have to have millions of dollars. Um, but I hope that
27:37we get the same respect, you know, um, of filmmakers that do, you know, Sean Baker is a
27:44really great example. You know, Anora, Sean Baker, his first films, or even, I mean, he made film after
27:52film after film, and then Tangerine hit, and that's a really great film. And he made those on iPhones.
27:57And then now he gets to Anora where he, his budget was still, it was only $6 million,
28:03but it was, he made such an amazing film that obviously won Oscars and, um, you know,
28:10Neon picked it up and came with a huge budget to promote it. So going that route and seeing the
28:18success that he has, you're right. He, you don't need millions of dollars. You just need to make a
28:22really good film. Yeah. On a con, uh, the contrary to the belief about the millions,
28:29there are many, many films where there have been
28:35a gross amount of money put into it and it flopped. Oh yeah.
28:41Flop. So what was, it's like, what's the point? And I just think and believe for
28:47upcoming filmmakers, those that are currently in university, getting out of university,
28:52probably graduating as we're talking right now. And in general, that's a lot of stress to put on
28:57someone to go, go to university, get training, or, or even if someone's learning on YouTube,
29:04there's a lot of amazing, uh, film, uh, directors and producers out there that just watched YouTube,
29:10or they're watching films like yours. And they're wanting to find out how can they emulate your level
29:17of excellence. So for what it's worth, I say, follow your, your own cord of what, what, and where your
29:26sound moves you. And you can't go wrong in your project. You know, don't let them out proves that
29:34when we look and consider Lila, your writing background, and, uh, you're known for writing in
29:40different genres. What are you most drawn to? And where does your reflection allow you to
29:51either escape from yourself, not purposely, but escape from yourself to find other additional layers
29:59and persons of who Lila McLaughlin is?
30:04How often do you go there in your writing? Um,
30:13well, okay. So my writing background, I mainly, you know, started out writing comedy. I, I love
30:20writing comedy. I I'm, I'm, you know, an alumni I mentioned is the second city. I, um, I can write
30:28rom-coms. I can write broad comedy. I can write grounded, uh, every type of comedy. I love it.
30:34I've been successful at it. I've sold comedy, so I'm good at it. I know that world very well.
30:41I think that is a really, um, kind of grounding space for me to write comedy.
30:47But what happens was you also want to challenge yourself. So I started writing other genres
30:53because you don't want to just also be writing the same thing over and over again.
30:58Um, and so I kind of started writing action and action thriller, and I noticed I was good at that
31:04too. I, um, I had a script called sinkholes that has, you know, gone around and actually is still,
31:11um, going around right now. And that's an action thriller. And then, then from there, I, you know,
31:18I kind of surprised myself by writing this one. This is a psychological horror thriller, but, um,
31:23but again, it's, it's challenging yourself and not staying stagnant in just one genre,
31:29I think is important. But the main thing is finding a story that you really, that really resonates with
31:36you and then wanting to tell that. So everything can have its moment. You know, obviously if you're
31:41writing sci-fi or whatever, there has to be something grounding, whether a character or the story,
31:45something that connects and resonates with people. And I think that's where I find kind of my truth
31:50in writing is who's this character? Why am I telling this story? What are they struggling with?
31:56What are the themes that I'm trying to put out there that connects with other people that say,
32:02I see myself in this guy. Um, which actually happened to me several times. I had a,
32:08a romantic comedy script about this guy who's struggling with the fact that all his friends are
32:15growing up and having children and kind of alienating his space of, you know, um,
32:20he's losing his friends to parenthood. And I had many, many, you know, studio execs who read that and
32:26said, Oh my God, I see myself in this guy type of thing. So having that people saying that and reading
32:33those types of, uh, reading my, my scripts and saying that to me, it just feels good because it feels like,
32:39oh my gosh, I'm tapping into something that they also have felt in their lives. So, um,
32:46so yeah, I hope that answers your question, but I've, I've really found that getting out of my comfort
32:52zone is now my thing, you know, and to write different genres. Um, I still love comedy. I
32:58still write it, but I I've noticed that I actually now love the horror thriller space and I love the
33:04thriller space. Um, it challenges me in a way that's exciting. So, so yeah,
33:12the, I should remember her name off the top of my head and you may know it. I would enjoy watching
33:21a film of yours, Lila, that has the actress in it. That was in Pearl. Do you know what I'm talking
33:29about? No, who is the actress in Pearl? I'm going to go ahead. Let's Google. I love my Google
33:39film. And I hope I don't chop up her name. Where is she? Mia goth. Oh yes. Oh, I love me.
33:50You have her like all over you, the energy and vibe. Oh really? Well, if she's listening,
33:59I want to see a film of yours. Yeah. We love you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mia goth. Seriously,
34:09anyone who's listening to this, come on now. I know I got producers and directors and people.
34:15I don't know if me as representatives are, but we can reach out. Yes. Yeah. I would love that. No,
34:23she's amazing. Yeah. No, I, I would love to do. Yeah. Anything with, um, an actress like her or,
34:33or similar for sure. You wrote, when did you write this? This was February 19th, 2024.
34:47I've always been a storyteller writing short stories or scenes all through my youth to teen to adult
34:54years. In college, I went with, went with a traditional major political science, having no
35:01connections to the entertainment industry. I decided maybe I should become a political speech writer
35:08with visions of one day crafting influential speeches for the president. But after taking a few
35:16film classes, I added film as part of my major, I was hooked on the idea of film, not just as an art
35:23form, but also an influencing tool for storytelling. My focus quickly shifted. A speech is easily
35:32forgotten. A film is forever. I said that. Yep. A film is forever. I love that. That's beautiful.
35:41Thank you. How do you feel hearing that, that you wrote that?
35:46I'm like, wow, I can't, I was, uh, I still stand by it. I love it. No, I, I do feel that strongly.
35:55And that really did have an impact on me. It's like, it's like, you know, you just read, I I've always
36:02been incredibly, like maybe overly ambitious a little bit where I'm like, well, you know, people need to
36:10see something that they really feel and connect with and things like that. And, and maybe it is
36:14the presidential speeches or things like that. But, uh, but I soon realized that no, it's, it's film.
36:20And I remember seeing, you know, all the films that you see in, um, in college, like the Manchurian
36:26candidate and Casablanca and things like that. And, and it's, they're so timeless still, you know what I
36:32mean? It's, it's just, they, they just are so amazing in that the message is still relatable today.
36:41And that's where I really felt, okay, a film is forever. And that's what I want to be doing.
36:48I want to put out something that, you know, 50 years from now, somebody watches and it's still
36:54kind of resonates in some way with them. Um, so I do still feel strongly about that. I mean,
37:01we watch films all the time and in a theater sometimes, and we're like crying, you know,
37:06and we're embarrassed. We're sitting next to a stranger and we're like crying, but then you look
37:10at them and they're doing the same thing. So it's the human connection too, that I, I kind of
37:16want to get from filmmaking, you know? Um, I don't know. So those are, those words ring true to me.
37:26Maybe it's like, it's like tattooed in my brain, but that's how I feel.
37:31It should be something that you write after your autograph.
37:38I'm sure. I love it. I'm sure I didn't make that up, but like, I'm, I, maybe I did. I don't
37:42know. We'll have to Google it to see if anybody else has ever said that. But, um, but yeah, I, I
37:48feel very strongly that if you make a film, someone somewhere is going to have some connection to it.
37:59So, and you know, like I always say, like, you know, people own buildings or restaurants and then
38:07they sell them. And then you never know who, who was there, who lived there, who had a business
38:13there, but like a film, it's like, you look at these old films from like the thirties or forties.
38:17And you see like, who was the makeup artist or who was, you know, like this, the set decorator.
38:23I mean, it's, it's these people that made these films come to life and it's a film is forever.
38:29It truly is fast forward. This is what you wrote quote, fast forward to today. My main focus is
38:42creating more female driven content. I've mainly written comedy. It's what I've told or what it's
38:49what I've sold and optioned the most, but what also sets me apart is that I have recently written
38:57other genres, drama, thriller, horror, sci-fi that have gotten equally praised, which made me realize
39:07that it doesn't matter what genre you may be good at writing. What matters is to just write a good story.
39:20Yes, that's true. But it's, and to, like you were saying, anybody in college or going to film
39:26school or, or even just starting their career or even, you know, years in their career, it's,
39:31we always say like, it's the story, the story that matters. I mean, Hitchcock did, did say the
39:36most important thing is the script, the script, the script, remember? And so to me, it just feels like
39:43without the script as your blueprint and a really good story, it, how is it going to transfer onto the
39:51screen? You know, so you really have to have a really great script and a really good story and
39:56really put like your heart and soul into it. And research, a lot of my work is research,
40:05research, research, research, because I need to know how people think, how they would react to
40:10certain things. You know, I'm not a, you know, 35 year old white male, but how would that person react
40:16to certain things? You know, like going and being around people who, you know, hearing them talk,
40:22listening to, you know, like your friends or strangers or things like that. It's a lot of
40:26research, whether it's like out in the field research or like Googling research, like it's a
40:32lot of that as well. And going back to the other thing you said about that quote was, what was the
40:39other part of it? You said writing different genres. Yeah, we, I explained that the different genres,
40:45it's, it's getting outside of your comfort zone and really, if you're good at comedy,
40:50write comedy, but if you feel like you're good at something else, also writing whatever story you
40:56feel is powerful and talking to you in that moment as well.
41:02As a writer, I would start a tour around Los Angeles, going to comedy store or laugh factory to
41:10see a good standup show. There's also Largo where lots of comedic actors or actresses host group
41:19standup shows that are always amazing to see. Like to also take them shopping at two of my favorite
41:26bookstores, book soup.
41:28Yeah, that's from the interview. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Those are just little LA spots. But yeah, I think
41:38kind of immersing yourself in, like I was saying, immersing yourself in the city, the community,
41:45like it helps to kind of like open those creative, you know, doors in your mind and your head and to
41:53really start to think of like, how do, how do people, what do they do? How do they act? How do
42:02they eat? You know? So, and then kind of like things will start to spark, you know, that's how
42:06the story that that's probably what that article is from, right? It's from your shout out LA article.
42:12Oh yes. Yes.
42:13Yes. I learned a lot of good things about you. A lot of good gems, even reading this and seeing
42:22your reaction, your response, because once again, this was back in February of 2024. So that was over
42:30a year ago. That was right. Yeah. That was right before we shot this movie. I mean, we shot this movie
42:37in March of 2024. Yep. This was February 19th, 2024. Yeah. That was when we were in the throes of
42:50still pre-production. Yeah. And we shot this, we shot, don't let them out in March, 2024.
42:58We just finished it March, 2025. So that's the other thing too, was, was getting it done in such a
43:08quick manner was really a feat, you know? I mean, wasn't quick. I mean, it took a year, but still,
43:13you know, usually sometimes films take much, much longer to come out. But I think it was important
43:20for me to continue and see it through, you know, like have it not just sit and marinate, but really
43:29like I wanted to tell this story, um, and have it come out and people see something that I've done
43:36and something that I've directed. Um, the other thing too, is you mentioned something about, um,
43:41um, women's voices. And I think it's important behind the camera and in front of the camera.
43:49It's why a lot of my storytelling has kind of now touches more on female leads and things
43:57like that. I want to kind of tell those underrepresented stories and shine a light
44:03on those underrepresented voices. Um, so like the next film I'm working on is actually a psychological
44:10thriller with a female lead again. Um, and so it was important to kind of comment this from,
44:18okay, this was female written. This was female directed. This was female produced and it's female
44:23starring. It was very important for me to put something out there that was like, that is my first
44:28film. Um, just to say, yes, I can do this and take it to the, to the finish line. I can execute
44:35something. I was doing, you know, I, I can produce something where, um, I've worn the hats of pretty
44:45much everyone on set, you know, and everyone, you know, pre-production to production to post-production.
44:51I know how every department works. I know it was really important for me to do that, especially as
44:56a female too, because I want to be able to be knowledgeable and be able to talk to people and
45:02know what I'm talking about. You know what I mean? So it was important for me to do all that.
45:08How does it feel
45:11considering where you were February 19th of 2024 and now today, a lot's changed and grown
45:18within you and outside of you. Hasn't it? It has, it truly has. It's funny. You say that
45:24you must've seen something in the, yeah, it truly has. Um, I don't, you, you have this, um,
45:31um, it's almost like you can in a way like, um, exhale. It's weird. It's, I, I don't know how to
45:39explain it exactly, but it's like a, it's like an exhale, you know, um, you have this amazing,
45:46it's like your eyes are opened and you know what things, you know, what things, how a movie
45:55comes together and what it takes. And then also your personal strengths and how it pushes you
46:03to go to the depths of areas where you didn't think you could do this or, you know, um,
46:12in some aspects, you know, it, it makes you in a way surprised that you had this kind of
46:19strength to get through certain things that you didn't think you could get through.
46:23Um, like I said, there was a lot of challenges to making a film. It's, it's not easy. Um,
46:30but there was a lot of obstacles too. And, and sometimes you're like, what am I going to do?
46:34And then, but you get through it and then you surprise, you're surprised that, wow, I got through
46:40that. And now I have the tools to get through these other things in my life because I got through that.
46:46So yeah, it's, it's incredibly rewarding and to see myself before and after is, um,
46:54I would hope that people think that I've grown and changed. I think that I have. So, um,
47:02I think that that is the takeaway that I, I hope that people get to do something that
47:08is out of their comfort zone to really challenge themselves and grow from it too,
47:13and see it as a learning experience and a rewarding experience.
47:17Is there anything else before we close out Lila, for those that are tuning in here on live on air
47:22with Steven Cuoco on power 98.5 satellite radio, we have writer and you also carry the credit.
47:30If I may say a director and producer, I love McLaughlin. I keep checking in with myself that I'm scared.
47:39I'm going to chop up your last name, but I did it. I did it. No, you did not. It's good.
47:44It's almost like, can I have someone in this year repeating the name over and over again? So I don't
47:50mess it up. I'm very, I believe in not chopping up someone's name. You never know how you, how you can
47:58see it or read it. Um, we touched on a lot of things, but I know, uh, it was important to you
48:04and we've covered it a couple of times, but just in case Lila, um, you know, once again,
48:09we've got a writer and film director and producer, Lila McLaughlin with us, her latest and greatest
48:17film. That is a must see, no matter how you watch it, just watch it. But if you can
48:24view it in a theater or, or theater setting, you have a projector, don't let them out an extraordinary
48:30film movement impact. Uh, it's deliciously and profoundly, uh, intuitive and, uh, empathic.
48:43You needed a lot of empathy and intuition for this film because there's a, it, there's so much
48:49movement standing still internally and movement, a lot of movement externally, but it goes so well
48:59together. Seeing it in a theaters. And then also at the same time, Lila, is there anything that you
49:08feel is extremely important in today's age since we are now in 2025 compared to 2024 that you've learned,
49:19but you feel that it still needs talking points in general, whether it's women, it's equal
49:27collaboration. What should we still talk about when we think about filmmaking, watching it in theaters, but
49:36also being a great support system for each other. Wow. I think that's a great question. I have
49:42two parts to that. One is the, on the filmmaker side of it, um, really important. Like you said, empathy,
49:50you know, um, the empathy of things, um, women, you know, um, whether behind the camera, in front of the
49:58camera and really understanding, um, the whole, you know, ageism thing, you know, that, um, a person doesn't have to be
50:10discarded if they're over a certain age, you know, like I said, my lead is a 40 something, uh, character
50:16and she's just as relevant in a horror thriller or a psychological horror thriller. Um, a real person
50:23a real person with real problems. Um, also, uh, the empathy thing, like you said, um, really kind of
50:34understanding that things are complex. There's a lot of complexities to characters and you have to
50:41have a lot of, um, kind of care and understanding for certain, um, characters. And I think this is
50:51one of those characters is understanding her and that if she comes off maybe moody or things like
50:58that, it's because, well, there's the whole story of why that happens. And so it's understanding the
51:05character and putting yourself in the position of saying, how would I react? How would I feel,
51:11you know? Um, and those things kind of need to change the judging that this and that, you know,
51:17the ageism, the sexism, obviously among the other big things, but really I feel like being a little
51:27more, um, open to those type of characters and not so shut off letting them into your life because
51:34you might connect with them somehow and you might not know why or how, but you might connect with them
51:39in some way. The other thing too, is I wanted to mention that it's really important as a filmmaker
51:45to have a really trusted village around you. We had a really great cast and crew. I'm so thankful
51:51and grateful for them. They, um, they worked so incredibly hard. Our crew was just
51:57so great. Um, and just getting through the challenges, they really brought their a game.
52:02But, um, what I really also felt is filmmaking is a very lonely process, you know, especially after the
52:09film is done. And then now you go into post, we had an amazing post-production team, very seasoned
52:14post-production, um, studio team. And, but yourself, but you're by yourself the entire time,
52:21you know, as a director or writer, you know, um, so it's really important to have a very trusted
52:28village of people. I was fortunate to have, you know, my lead actress, who's also my friend and
52:33producing partner, Bonnie Root. I had, you know, I had my husband, Cole, who really helped me so much
52:39in getting the location and he was there like physically making the props and everything.
52:44And so, and also he was a trusted ear, you know, that I could bounce things off of. And then I also
52:49had my co-producer, David Fillmore, who is, um, he's a really good friend of mine who came on board
52:58and really shined and helped me with the post-production of being an ear that I can bounce
53:03ideas and thoughts off of. And these people were very trusted and it's very important to have
53:09that in this process or just in general, have these trusted people that you can go to and you
53:14know, they're not going to like sell you out. They're not, they're not going to like stab you
53:18in the back or sell you out or tell your, you know, or look at you any different or judge you or
53:24think you're weak because you're asking them some question or that you should already know or things
53:28like that. I think if the takeaway is find your tribe, find your people, find your supporters,
53:35find your fans, um, and just make a really great film that comes from the heart. Don't chase the
53:43money, chase a really good story. That's what I would say.
53:49I love it. Thank you, Lila, for being a guest here on live on air with Steven Cuoco. It's an honor.
53:55Congratulations on the film. Congratulations in making it to brave maker film festival here this
54:01year in 2025. Thank you so much, Steve. It was an honor and pleasure to talk to you as well.
54:07Thank you. And thank you to everyone. And remember in order to live a fulfilling life,
54:14find people and be amongst people that are going to help you grow. That will challenge you,
54:20but challenge you in a good way, in a good way. If you're not growing independently and amongst the
54:27community, change the scenery, change the location, change your thought, change your attitude. Either
54:33way, we are here to evolve. We're here to expand. We're here to learn. And we're also here to inspire.
54:42Enjoy your week.
54:45Find us on your socials and let's connect.
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