After months of writing, planning, casting, and rehearsing, we are now entering the final stretch before production begins. The many moving pieces that make up a film are steadily falling into place, and the energy around the project has begun to shift. As we prepare to step onto set in April, the focus is no longer just on preparation, but on execution.
It is an exciting and humbling stage in the life of any film. With rehearsals nearing completion, a location finally secured, and schedules being finalized, the team is fully engaged in getting ready to film Room 627.
Rehearsals Nearing Completion
Our rehearsal process has been moving steadily forward and is now beginning to wind down. With only two rehearsals remaining before production begins, the progress made by the cast has been encouraging to watch.
One of the most rewarding aspects of these rehearsals has been watching Deacon and Finnegan gradually step into their roles. Both come from strong theater backgrounds and are seasoned stage performers, yet the transition from stage acting to film acting is not always simple.
Theater requires projection, broader physicality, and performances that must carry to the back of a large room. Film often asks for the opposite. The camera sits close, capturing the smallest movement, the quietest reaction, and the subtle shifts in expression that might go unnoticed on stage.
What has been particularly impressive is how naturally both Deacon and Finnegan have adjusted to those differences. Their instincts for their characters have been strong from the beginning, and they have approached the work with curiosity and humility.
By the time we step onto set, the work done in the rehearsal room will allow the actors to focus less on the mechanics of performance and more on simply inhabiting the moment and responding to one another honestly.
Our Location Is Locked
One of the most important pieces of the production puzzle has finally fallen into place. After a long and sometimes frustrating search, we are excited to say that our filming location is officially secured.
Because Room 627 takes place almost entirely inside a school setting, finding the right environment has been one of the more challenging aspects of preparing this film. Originally, the plan was to film during spring break, but scheduling conflicts with actors and several crew members made that timeline increasingly difficult to maintain. In order to make sure everyone essential to the production could participate, we made the decision to shift our filming dates into April.
Over the course of the past several weeks, we reached out to and spoke with more than ten different schools while exploring possible filming options. Eventually, after many discussions and a great deal of persistence, the right opportunity finally presented itself.
I would also like to personally thank several people who played an important role in making this possible. Autumn Grasty and Amy Broyles, the mothers of Deacon and Finnegan, devoted an incredible amount of time and energy helping search for potential locations and making connections within the community. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Teresa Robinson, affectionately known to our team as “Mama T,” who worked tirelessly alongside us, helping explore options and keeping the momentum going when the search began to feel discouraging.
With the location now secured, one of the biggest remaining questions surrounding the production has been answered, allowing the team to move forward with renewed focus as we prepare for filming in April.
A Strong Cast and Crew
Another encouraging aspect of this production has been the strength of the team assembling around it. Room 627 is being brought to life by a group of talented individuals from across the Midwest, each bringing their own experience and perspective to the project.
Everyone involved understands the weight of the material and the responsibility that comes with telling a story like this. That shared understanding has created a collaborative environment where ideas are exchanged openly and the focus remains on serving the story.
Final Preparations Underway
As production approaches, the final pieces of preparation are beginning to fall into place. Shot lists are being refined, prop elements are being completed, and the many logistical details that shape a filming day are being finalized.
We are especially pleased to once again be working with our Unit Production Manager, J. Penberth Rabold, known to many of us simply as Jason. Jason will be traveling all the way from Pittsburgh to Louisville for both weekends of filming, and having him back on the team brings a great deal of confidence to the production.
Jason previously worked with us as the Unit Production Manager on Jackson's Run nearly thirteen years ago. Anyone who was part of that production remembers just how challenging the schedule was. In many ways, his work behind the scenes helped make Jackson's Run possible. Without his structure, discipline, and steady presence on set, I honestly do not believe we would have finished the film.
Fortunately, Room 627 presents a very different kind of schedule. The story is contained and focused, allowing us to work at a pace of roughly two and a half pages per day rather than the intense eight to twelve page days we faced on Jackson's Run.
Having Jason back on the team feels like more than simply bringing on a crew member. He is not only a trusted collaborator, but an important part of our production family.
Getting ready to film Room 627
With rehearsals nearing completion, the location secured, and the schedule taking its final shape, the focus now turns fully toward the work ahead. Every rehearsal, every conversation, and every adjustment made along the way has been building toward the days when the camera begins to capture the story.
There is also a growing sense of anticipation among the cast and crew. For months the story has existed in scripts, rehearsals, and conversations about what the film could become. Very soon, it will begin to exist in front of the camera.
With the final preparations coming together and the production dates now close at hand, the work ahead feels both exciting and humbling. Soon the cameras will roll, and the story that has been carefully developed over the past months will begin to unfold frame by frame.