“I Just Wanted to Make Art with My Friends”: Producers Luke Patton & Joe Camerota on Didn’t Die
In Meera Menon’s Sundance Midnights selection Didn’t Die, a podcast host in a post-apocalyptic finds herself faced by challenges both familial and professional. Didn’t Die was produced by Menon; her husband, co-writer, VFX supervisor and DP Paul Gleason; Erica Fishman; Luke Patton; and Joe Camerota. Camerota and Patton are both first-time producers, and below, they talk about the beauty of making small art with friends and the value in pressing on until you find solutions.
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?
Camerota: I met Meera Menon, our director, at the University of Southern California. We both received our MFA from USC for Cinematic Arts Production. Paul Gleason and Luke Patton, two other producers of Didn’t Die, also went to USC with us and received the same degree. Paul is also the cinematographer of our film. All four of us are part of a very close group of friends from our time at USC. Meera and Paul are married.
Meera and Paul wanted to film Didn’t Die on the east coast, and I live on the east coast. Meera and Paul came to me with the Didn’t Die script. They asked if I wanted to start doing some development work on the idea to see if I could find enough good deals to justify greenlighting the project. I came on board to do that, and it worked out.
Patton: I was asked to produce this film by former classmates and collaborators from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. We were in the MFA Film Production program together years ago and have stayed close ever since. Meera Menon and Paul Gleason brought me on board during pre-production as they were preparing for principal photography in New York.
Filmmaker: How long a process was it to produce the film, and if you could break it into stages, periods of time, what were they? Can you also discuss how the financing came together and how long a process that was?
Camerota: After I received the script and agreed to come on board, it all came together quickly. Meera, Paul and I had a pre-production meeting where we discussed all the elements of the film and the ideals of Meera’s vision.
I then met with a wonderful woman named Nora Martinez at the Orange County, New York Film Office to discuss all the legalities and contacts regarding filming in the area. We found that you did not need a permit in towns that have not adopted film laws. We just needed an agreement from the landowners. That was a savings of money for us.
But the big break in cost savings was when I met Chief James Watt, chief of police of the Village of Goshen, New York. Because our film is a zombie movie, we needed control of a town to shut down streets and sell a zombie apocalypse world. Shutting down streets is costly anywhere. Fortunately, I kid you not, chief James Watt’s life dream was to have a zombie movie film in the Village of Goshen. And because of chief Watt’s dream, we only had to pay state fees to film. Most of the town fees were on the house, courtesy of chief James Watt. This cost savings was a huge tipping point of getting the film to greenlight.
Shortly after that, Luke Patton came on board, and Luke became a key producer in getting people to play zombies. One of the key parts of being a producer is finding ancillary actors, especially for a zombie film. As a producer, knowing actors willing to come out for what are essentially featured extra positions is key. It is all about selling the world. Actors who commit, no matter how ancillary, are invaluable to a film because they help sell the world.
Patton: The production spanned a couple of years. Principal photography began in November 2022, and we recently completed the film. The process can be broken into key stages: principal photography, a few rounds of reshoots and pickups, and post-production. We focused on keeping costs low and being deliberate with every step, ensuring we told a complete story. It required dedication, persistence and teamwork to pull everything together.
Filmmaker: Did you have important or impactful mentors, or support from organizations, that were instrumental in your development as a producer?
Camerota: A woman named Brenda Goodman was my mentor at USC. I can not brag enough about this woman. USC struck gold when they hired her. She is a producer. She was my first professor there. She taught me that filmmaking does not have to be traditional Hollywood, nor should it be. Filmmaking can just be friends coming together. People who love each other, making art together. When you see Didn’t Die, you will be drawn to the film throughout. You will be drawn to the film because it has a heart. We are friends who love making movies, and we came together to make a movie.
Patton: My most impactful mentors were my friends from USC film school and my peers in the industry. They’ve guided me and acted as my support system throughout this journey. Learning from their experiences and having them by my side made all the difference. Their creativity and resilience have been the best education I could ask for.
Filmmaker: What was the most difficult aspect of producing this film?
Camerota: I will say, for me, it was finding the people to come out to commit to zombie extra roles. We were able to find some actors through the traditional actor websites. But because the roles are not speaking roles, and because we are a SAG ultra-low-budget film, and because we were shooting in upstate NY (most actors are in NYC)—because of all of these reasons—it was hard to find zombie extras. And, of course, with a zombie movie, the more zombies, the better. Luke Patton became key in getting friends of his to come out to commit to zombie roles. But I will say this: of those zombie extras I could find locally through actor websites, two of them ended up with speaking roles in the film. So, if you are an actor on Backstage or Actors Access, respond to extra roles in projects you like. You might end up with a speaking role in a film at Sundance.
Patton: Producing an indie film comes with endless challenges, and it often means calling in a lot of favors. We shot in December in the freezing cold of upstate New York, which was tough. On the other hand, filming in Joshua Tree in 110-degree heat during the summer was another extreme. Long hours are just part of the job, but being surrounded by some of my favorite people in the world made the hard work worthwhile. It wasn’t one specific obstacle—it was the accumulation of daily hurdles that we overcame together.
Filmmaker: What single element of the film do you take the greatest amount of pride in, or maybe we’re just most excited by, as a producer?
Camerota: I know this is vain, but I have a speaking role in the film. Meera and Paul wrote the role, and I asked Meera if I could rewrite the lines a little as long as I make my beats. She graciously agreed. I am a stand-up and improv comedian, and I am a long-time comedian friend with our lead actress, comedian Kiran Deol. I became a comedian myself at the suggestion of my mentor Brenda Goodman, an—believe it or not—Norman Lear, who I once had a one-on-one meeting with when I was at USC. Brenda and Norman encouraged me to become a performer to meet and understand performers. And I guess that acting in a scene opposite Kiran made me realize that that advice worked out.
Patton: Collaborating with my creative friends in the industry is the element of the film I take the most pride in! I’m so lucky to know these amazing people and to be a part of the artistic process with them after all these years. Back at USC, we were making five-minute silent movies. Now we’re heading to Sundance with a feature film we made together. It’s surreal and a dream come true.
Filmmaker: What surprised you or was unexpected when it came to the production of the film?
Camerota: Well, I talked about it a bit above. But when I was scouting towns, taking pictures for Meera, in the Village of Goshen, NY, I met the chief of police there, chief James Watt. His favorite shows are The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead (Meera has directed episodes of both). Upon finding out that I planned to produce a film of his favorite genre with a director who has directed episodes of his favorite shows, he just started giving me a bunch of free or low-cost locations, including officers, at no cost, to shut down streets. chief James Watt is a big hero of our film. He is also the opening zombie in Didn’t Die.
Patton: I was surprised by how people showed up for us and worked so hard! The community that came together around our movie was inspiring. I have classmates from high school, college and grad school and family all somehow involved in this movie.
Another unexpected part was just how much the project evolved. No matter how much you plan, indie filmmaking throws curveballs, and you have to adapt. The resilience of our team and the creative ways we found solutions constantly surprised me—in the best way.
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?
Camerota: I will say this. I have made this movie, Didn’t Die, with my friends, and I loved/love doing that. I have worked in Hollywood proper as an assistant before. Many of the producers I met during that time treated Hollywood like high school. They were always worried about being included in events that had little to do with making movies. I left that world because I just wanted to make art with my friends. That led to me making this film. This film is a work of art I made with my friends. I am very proud of it. So, on the one hand, my world is too small to answer this question, but on the other hand, maybe my small world is the solution.
Patton: For new producers, the biggest challenge is navigating the shifting financial and distribution landscape. The rise of streaming has created new opportunities but also significant uncertainty, particularly for indie films. Greater support for emerging voices—through grants, accessible financing or innovative distribution models—could help smaller projects find their footing.
The future of filmmaking relies on nurturing bold, creative talent. To ensure the industry thrives, producing must become a more sustainable practice. This includes better protections for workers, fairer deals for independent filmmakers, and fostering an environment where creative risk-taking is prioritized over the pressure of financial constraints.
Filmmaker: Finally, what advice would you pass on to a future new producers preparing to embark on their first production?
Camerota: My advice to new producers would be to not think too much about how the project will come together. Just start building the project. Do that until you reach a tipping point that causes others to believe in the project. I live in New York City. I do not have a car. When Meera and Paul asked me to try to see if I could find enough good deals to justify making this movie, I got on a bus more or less the next day to the area of New York they wanted to film in to meet with location owners and the film office. If someone offers you a chance to make art you wanna make, move forward. Do not think, do. If you overthink less and act more, you will meet chief James Watt. And chief Watt will give you the keys to his cillage to create a zombie world.
Patton: Don’t be afraid to lean on your network. Filmmaking is a collaborative art, and no one does it alone. Be resourceful, stay adaptable, and always focus on the story you want to tell. And most importantly, enjoy the ride. The process is just as rewarding as the final product.