Overview:

The Floaters is a heartfelt summer camp comedy, now on the festival circuit and seeking distribution. In the spirit of School of Rock meets The Breakfast Club, this sharp, character-driven dramedy explores identity, belonging, and artistic self-discovery against the nostalgic backdrop of Jewish sleepaway camp. A $3M feature film shot in upstate New York in 2023, it stars Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This), Seth Green (Austin Powers), Aya Cash (The Boys) and Sarah Podemski (Reservation Dogs).

Role:

As Co-Writer and Co-Producer, I was hired alongside my creative partner Andra Gordon to execute a full rewrite of Brent Hoff’s original script, delivering a new narrative vision while maintaining the project’s real-world inspiration. In addition to writing, I served as a hands-on producer, leading the casting porcess, hiring the director and crew, securing locations, and overseeing on-the-ground production throughout principal photography in upstate New York.

Deliverables Included:

• Screenplay Rewrite: Complete rewrite to reimagine the story engine, narrative structure, tone, character arcs, themes, budget and location limitations.

• Casting Strategy: Identified and secured key talent, including Jackie Tohn, Seth Green, and Sarah Podemski.

• Director & Crew Hiring: Partnered with creative leadership to recruit director and build production team.

• Location Management: Secured and coordinated multiple camp-based locations to match creative vision.

• On-Set Producing: Oversaw daily production operations, ensuring schedule and budget adherence during a multi-week shoot.

Process:

• Script Development: Delivered a ground-up rewrite to sharpen dialogue, reframe character arcs, and create a cohesive comedic tone that resonated with the cast and financiers.

• Talent Packaging: Collaborated with casting directors and agents to attract high-profile comedic actors that aligned with the film’s tone and commercial strategy.

• Director Recruitment: Evaluated and secured a director who brought both comedic expertise and logistical experience for location-heavy shoots.

• Production Leadership: Coordinated crew hires, negotiated contracts, and maintained alignment between creative vision and production realities.

• On-Location Execution: Managed daily logistics, from scheduling and union compliance to creative problem-solving on set, ensuring delivery on time and within budget.

Outcomes:

• Financing: Secured a $3M budget.

• Acclaimed Director: Our rewritten script attracted award-winning director Rachel Israel, whose previous film Keep the Change won the Tribeca Film Festival and was a coveted NY Times critic’s pick.

• Top-Tier Casting: Attached marquee cast including Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This), Sarah Podemski (Reservation Dogs), Aya Cash (The Boys), Seth Green (Austin Powers), Judah Lewis (The Babysitter), Nina Bloomgarden (It’s What’s Inside), Jake Ryan (Asteroid City), Jonathan Silverman (Weekend at Bernie’s), Jill Kargman (Odd Mom Out), Dan Ahdoot (Cobra Kai) Steve Guttenberg (Three Men and a Baby), Maxwell Jacob Friedman (The Iron Claw), Jim Kaplan (The Holdovers) and Jacob Moskovitz (Y2K).

• Completed Production: Executed a 20-day principal shoot in upstate New York, bringing the script to life with strong performances and high production value.

• Post-Production & Distribution: Positioned for release with festival submissions, and distribution strategy underway.