
“Moviemaking on a Hyper-Condensed Timeline”: Producer Laurel Thomson on Serious People

Co-directors Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson made a work of autofiction about the former’s expectant fatherhood and work-life balance in Serious People, about a music video director who hires a lookalike to take his place at work while his wife is pregnant. Serious People is also Laurel Thomson’s first feature film as a producer. She discusses what made this film so different to produce from other films she has worked on and the ensuing “baptism by fire” to get the film ready for Sundance, where it screens as part of the NEXT section.
See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here.
Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film?
Thomson: I’ve known Pasqual and Ben for a long time. I met both through my husband Brandon [Kapelow], who’s been friends with them forever. The first eight years of my film career, I worked in film finance & distribution and then as a development exec, so I’ve developed a pretty good understanding of how the creative and business sides of our industry fit together. In 2024, I decided to go out on my own, founding Long Holiday to produce under my own banner so that I could work more closely with and support friends who are coming up in the industry. I first heard about Serious People when Pasqual and Ben put out a call for friends to come be extras on this “meta/autofiction” film they were shooting about Pasqual’s life. I loved the idea, and pretty soon after that, Ben called me up saying they needed help plotting “the road to Sundance.” The timing was kismet, and I’m grateful they trusted me to help them realize that dream. One year later, we’re premiering the film at Sundance, so it’s been super rewarding.
Filmmaker: What was the most difficult aspect of producing this film?
Thomson: The speed at which everything came together! I’ve worked on projects that take years to germinate and materialize—and some never do. Serious People came together in a matter of months because the guys needed to shoot while Christine was still pregnant. And getting the film ready in time to submit to Sundance meant we were flying the whole time. When we got the news that we were being invited to play NEXT, things ratcheted up even more. One of the first things we did after we accepted was to ask Sundance for an extension on our DCP delivery. It’s been moviemaking on a hyper-condensed timeline compared to any other film I’ve worked on. Super fun, but holy shit.
Filmmaker: What single element of the film do you take the greatest amount of pride in, or maybe were just most excited by, as a producer?
Thomson: We got to make a film with a group of friends about a group of friends. That’s a first for me and exactly what I was looking to do when I stopped being an executive.
Also, for most of my career I’ve worked at companies with entire departments of talented coworkers handling film legal, physical production, sales, marketing, delivery, accounting, etc. I’ve been really lucky to learn and absorb a lot from them over the years, but this was the first time I had to help get a film over the finish line without that infrastructure in place, and it was a good baptism by fire as a producer. I’m really proud we were able to get it done.
Filmmaker: What are the challenges facing new producers entering the business right now at this unique historical moment? And what could or should change about the film business to make producing a more sustainable practice?
Thomson: I think independent cinema lives or dies by the strength and variety of buyers/distributors willing to take a chance on emerging directors and producers and choosing to support those projects—not only in release, but also in the development phase. It’s been a tough few years, but this business is also cyclical, and it does feel like we’re entering a sea change with the next gen of distributors coming on the scene. MUBI, Metrograph, Memory, etc.—all feel really fresh and modern to me and that gives me hope.
Filmmaker: Finally, what advice would you pass on to a future new producers preparing to embark on their first production?
Thomson: If you’re not obsessed with it, don’t do it. And, honestly, have a separate income stream.