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Reconnecting and the 48-Hour Spark

This journey started when my Columbia College film school buddy, Daniel J. Pico, asked me to be in his wedding. In May 2023, Dan was preparing to marry his high school friend Nicci (who would end up doing art direction, wardrobe, and co-catering management on our film).

During the pandemic, Dan and Nicci reconnected, prompting him to move back to the Midwest from Los Angeles. Shortly after, my wife and I gave up our beach-adjacent condo and made the exact same move back to Chicago.

Instead of a traditional bachelor party, Dan suggested competing in the 48 Hour Film Project the week before his wedding.

The weekend was exhausting, but exhilarating. The physical and mental exertion reminded me why I had originally stepped away from indie films, long hours, aching feet, zero sleep, and set life fatigue. Though we didn't place high, audiences responded strongly to our entry, The Weight. Crucially, it marked our first time collaborating with producers Sydney Possinger and Mic Frommet (who both went on to take roles in The Withering).

From L.A. Burnout to Midwest Inspiration

Having spent over a decade in Hollywood—taking scripts to the American Film Market (AFM), submitting to the Black List, and running entertainment marketing projects for major franchises—moving back to Chicago without getting a feature off the ground initially felt like an unfulfilled dream. I used to tell people, "I don't know how I like L.A. I just work here," while logging 60-hour weeks with a quiet feeling of failure despite working on major Hollywood campaigns.

Little did I know, I would become more active as a filmmaker back in the Midwest than I ever was in California.

Our team continued with 48-Hour competitions, placing higher every year. Eventually, our group earned several nominations and placed in the Top 5 of the "Yes We Cannes" category in Lisbon, Portugal, earning a showcase at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. That bucket-list milestone led directly to securing initial financing and internal investments for our next venture.

Production on 'The Withering'

In mid-2025, Dan approached me with a concept executive produced by Cleopatra Entertainment. It had the distinct feel of a Stephen King novel and aligned perfectly with a story concept I had been wanting to make.

We shot the majority of the film over a two-week period across Janesville and Beloit, Wisconsin. Our rough cut ran over two and a half hours. Despite losing a couple of locations on the fly, we adapted without losing a shot, damaging gear, or injuring anyone. (The only casualty was my on-screen character, Dr. Hank Romay, who died a quiet death on the cutting room floor).

Production was not without its wild moments. During a night shoot in Beloit, I had to de-escalate a confrontation with an aggressive local on a public sidewalk who threatened the crew. Despite being four hours behind and wrapping at 5:00 AM before losing lead actor Gareth Tidball to travel schedule conflicts, we held the set together, secured the footage, and backed up the drives as the sun rose.

Full Circle

Twenty-five years after meeting as students at Columbia College, three friends stood on a hill overlooking Janesville, Wisconsin, framing the final shot of our feature film—realizing a dream we had been chasing together for over two decades.

The Withering premiered at the Sogo Film Festival outside Madison, Wisconsin, surrounded by family and crew (including my sister and brother-in-law, who crafted the key prop amulet and psychic paintings praised in reviews). And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my supportive wife who held down the fort back in Chicago for close to a month, giving me the breathing room to make it work.

At Dan’s wedding, I offered a toast: "Here's to making meals, making memories, and making movies." On The Withering, we managed to do all three.

Watch it now on Amazon Prime.