Buffalo, NY, independent filmmakers and married couple Dominic Luongo and Sara Manzella achieved something remarkable—they made their first feature film, Couple in the Woods, in less than a year, without any crowdfunding, and released it just in time for the Halloween season. Their story is a perfect example of what can happen when creativity, resourcefulness, and passion come together.
The journey started simply, with the entire movie being written out on notepads before converting it to script format. This old-school approach set the tone for a production that was hands-on from start to finish.
“We didn’t have the budget to rent a cabin for the shoot,” Sara explained. “So, we had to get creative. We thought about how so many great things started in a garage—Apple, Disney, The Ramones—so why not give it a shot?” And that’s exactly what they did. Using repurposed wood and some careful framing, they built the cabin set for their film right there in their garage. The entire movie was lit with just two lights and bounce boards made from insulation boards they removed from their garage walls.
They used handmade props, recycled items from their home, and even repurposed drywall and flooring from their house to create the cabin’s interior. “We built the cabin door ourselves, and the rug inside was cut out from our home office,” Dominic added. “We took up false wood flooring and hung it on the wall for the bathroom set, and everywhere else we used any leftover paint we had.”
Filming itself was another challenge. The entire movie was shot on a Canon 5D Mark III using just three stills lenses: 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm. Without access to high-end equipment, they had to rely on their skills and creativity. “We edited, colored, and handled all the post-production on a laptop using Final Cut Pro,” Dominic said. “Our TV became our monitor and Foley was recorded right in our living room.”
The woodland setting being an hour away from their garage brought its own set of challenges. With two different locations and breaks in filming, keeping everything consistent—making sure everything looked seamless on screen—was a real task. “We had a detailed shot list and took careful notes every day to make sure nothing got lost between scenes,” Dominic recalled. This attention to detail was crucial for creating the illusion that the cabin and the woods were in the same location.
The tight schedule was another obstacle. With day jobs to manage, they could only shoot for seven non-consecutive days. “Everyone had limited availability to work with, and there are other challenges along the way,” Sara explained. “We had a rain day to reschedule, which we prepared for since we were filming outside. However, between film days one of our actors went to a wedding and caught COVID, which threw an unexpected twist in the schedule.” Despite these challenges, they managed to shoot an average of ten pages a day in order to meet their goal.
Dominic and Sara wore many hats. They weren’t just producing, directing and acting—they also handled their own stunts, so did the rest of the cast, with a futon mattress serving as their crash pad. When they weren’t in front of the camera, they were behind it, running the camera themselves whenever other crew members weren’t available. “It was a bare-bones operation,” Dominic said. “We took turns behind the camera, and most of the shots were either on sticks or handheld” (including the tracking shot of The Occultist driving). “We did call in a favor from a friend with a drone to get some aerial shots,” Sara added. Their hands-on approach was essential in getting the film made.
Their families also played a significant role in making the film. “We roped our families in for help with catering, costumes, cameos, and music,” Sara mentioned.
Despite all the challenges, Couple in the Woods came together beautifully, proving that with enough passion and creativity, you can overcome almost any obstacle. With a runtime of 65 minutes, the film captures the essence of indie filmmaking—gritty, resourceful, and full of heart. Not only did Dominic and Sara achieve their goal of completing the film in under a year, but it’s now streaming on both Tubi and Amazon, just in time for the spooky season. Their story is a reminder to all aspiring filmmakers: no matter the odds, you can make your vision a reality.
- Interview with Director Dominic Luongo: Link