How I Made a Short Film as a Single, Full-Time Dad When Time, Money, and Energy Are Gone
- Allan Shedlin
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Guest Post by Andrew Coughlin
Dad, Filmmaker, Cinematographer, D3F 2026 Atticus Award Winner
I didn't make The Small Hours because I thought it would win awards. I made it because I'm a single, full-time dad, and because waiting for the "right moment" usually means the film never gets made at all.
When you're the only parent in the house, there's no handoff. No backup. No one stepping in so you can disappear into a creative bubble. If you make a film, it has to happen inside the life you already have.
At the time I made The Small Hours, my role as a single father felt unusually visible and scrutinized. Rather than explain myself or retreat, I wanted to make something quiet, something about presence, attention, and showing up.
So, I worked with what I had.
One Location. No Budget.
The film was shot on a zero-dollar budget, in my apartment, with no crew and no professional actors. Just my film gear, my son, and the understanding that I had to see the project through.
As a single parent, time is the most expensive resource you have. Not money, time. You don't really get to "figure it out later." You don't stretch production across weekends. You don't overshoot and fix it in post.
Every decision has to be final.
But those limitations force clarity. You stop asking what would be nice to have and start asking what the film actually needs. Anything that doesn't serve the core idea gets cut quickly, without regret.
Making a Film With Your Child
My son appears in the film. That wasn't a creative concept; it was the reality of my life.
Sometimes, as a single parent, the only way to make work is to let parenting and filmmaking
overlap. That changes how you approach everything.
You don't push. You don't force emotion. You pay attention. You stay present. And when
something honest happens, you're ready to capture it and move on.
Working this way stripped filmmaking down to its essentials: patience, restraint, and
awareness. It also changed how I work with actors in general. I became less interested in
control and more interested in listening.
Returning to Narrative Filmmaking
I'd made narrative shorts earlier in my life, but after nearly nine years away from narrative filmmaking, I needed to re-enter the process in a way that fit the reality of being a single, full-time parent.
Making The Small Hours was about returning to the work without waiting for permission, funding, or ideal circumstances. I also chose to shoot the film in black and white, not as a stylistic flourish, but as a discipline. Limiting the visual palette helped me focus on composition, performance, and simplicity.
The Myth of "Being Ready"
A lot of filmmakers delay making work while waiting for more time, more money, or more
stability. As a single parent, you learn quickly that those conditions don't arrive.
So, you adapt.
You make smaller films. You work faster. You accept imperfections. And you finish anyway.
Finishing becomes more important than polishing. Momentum matters more than ambition. And discipline beats inspiration every time.
What the Film Gave Me
It taught me something important: that making work under real-life constraints still matters. That films made quietly, honestly, and without permission can still connect with people.
More than anything, it reminded me that I don't need ideal conditions to keep going.
Why Single Parents Should Keep Making
Single parents are often told directly or indirectly that creative ambition should be put on hold. That responsibility and art don't coexist.
I don't believe that.
I think being a single parent sharpens your instincts. You waste less time. You make decisions faster. You know what matters because you're accountable, every day, to someone else.
Making films as a single parent isn't about balance. It's about acceptance, accepting limits and working inside them with intention.
The Small Hours wasn't made to impress anyone. It was made because I needed to keep
practicing my craft in the only way available to me at the time.
That's why the film matters to me regardless of awards.
Daddying Film Festival & Forum 2027
June 21, 2026
Andrew Coughlin is a self-taught filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Originally from the Midwest, he began making short films in 2012 and has since completed 13 projects, ranging from dialogue-driven narratives with small crews to deeply personal solo works created entirely on his own.
His most recent films, The Small Hours and Grief is a Room, mark a creative turning point—crafted with no budget, no crew, and minimal gear, they reflect a stripped-down, intimate style of storytelling that has begun to resonate with festival audiences.
Andrew writes, directs, shoots, and edits his films independently, occasionally stepping in front of the camera out of necessity. His work is grounded in character and conversation, often exploring the quiet drama of everyday relationships. He draws particular inspiration from Edward Burns, whose films helped shape his understanding of story, tone, and the value of making films with whatever you have. You can follow him on Instagram.
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