Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- Adele Thomas embraced imperfection to transform a TV pilot into a dynamic short film, highlighting the power of flexibility in creativity.
- Collaborative synergy, from cast to local community support, was pivotal in bringing Yoga Pants to life under tight challenge constraints.
- Persistence through technical hurdles and time pressure underscored the importance of resilience in the filmmaking process
Adele Thomas, a Cornish filmmaker now based in Los Angeles, clinched the CFA Quarterly Film Challenge win with her short film Yoga Pants.
This sardonic and heartfelt story follows a hot-mess writer infiltrating a Venice yoga cult, unraveling deeper ties and personal healing.
Supported by a talented team including cinematographer Vincent Cerone, SOC, editor Carlo Ricci, composer Scott Doherty, and lead actress Ellen Arroyo, the film blends sharp humor with nuanced storytelling.
Q&A Interview
Did you write your script during the challenge window or beforehand? Please explain your creative process.
The CFA challenge provided the perfect opportunity to try out Yoga Pants, a TV series concept that I've been working on while removing the pressure of it needing to be perfect. Perfectionism is the killer of creativity, and until the challenge I was stuck with moving ahead into filming the pilot. Removing this obstacle changed my perspective into one that was more fun, collaborative and creative, making it a much easier jumping off point to just go shoot something. With the challenge constraints of 72hrs and the films needing to be 6-7 minutes, the idea of shooting either a web episode or proof of concept made the most sense to me. Using the half-hour pilot I'd already written, I wrote a short that would try to highlight the core characters and some of the overarching show concept.
What was your biggest creative risk or boldest decision — and did it pay off?
Deciding to cut the pilot down to a mini episode/POC felt like a creative risk. I was concerned about being able to communicate the show's core idea within the short timeframe, along with crafting a captivating enough story to draw the audience in. Choosing to focus around the cold open, thankfully was a good choice, that paid off.
What surprised you most about the process — either about yourself or your team?
So many things! But what surprised me most was how quickly and easily the team came together once I started putting out the feelers. The talented crew were people I knew or who came highly recommended. The casting proved to be a bit more challenging. However, I was fortunate about three weeks before, Victoria Ippolito, actor and LA program coordinator for We Make Movies had selected Yoga Pants for a table read. I hadn’t known about the CFA challenge then, but it certainly helped my decision to enter. I should really thank Victoria as she was the catalyst, helping my confidence in the script AND was the one that cast Ellen Arroyo to read for Kate, the protagonist, who later was secured for the short. I couldn't believe my luck! Afterwards, the alignments to the rest of the cast were so divinely orchestrated, that I felt I just needed to keep following the threads. Finally, the generosity and support of the local community and owners of Light on Lotus Yoga Studio and Hinano Cafe were the real cherries on top!
Was there a moment where you thought you wouldn’t finish? How did you push through?
I most definitely felt tremors of concern when moving into editing, as there was a lot to do and so little time to do it. One thing I had overlooked and wished I had researched prior was syncing dialogue and footage. However, once it was figured out became straightforward enough, but was a dicey moment I felt unprepared for and wasted precious time and energy. Pushing through, staying with it and trusting everything would work out was key. Most, if not all the filmmakers, were up until all hours to meet the CFA deadline, which at 3am was a comfort to know I wasn’t alone. I think it just shows persistence really pays off, as all the films were phenomenal.
Did you meet new collaborators through CFA’s Collab Sheet? If yes, tell us who and what they did!
Yes! I found the CFA collab sheet extremely helpful with both casting and looking for crew. I cast both Malinda Logan (actress) and Heather Alexander (actress/writer/producer) for parts in the film.
What gear did you use (camera, sound, editing software, etc)?
A Cam = Sony FX3 with anamorphic lenses & Ronin RS2. B-Cam = Sony A7S3 with anamorphic lenses. Sound = Mix-pre 10 Mixer. Deity & Sennheiser lavs, Sanken cos-11 microphones, DPA 4060 microphone, Sennheiser mkh416 shotgun mic, Deity digital slate. Premiere Pro editing software.
What was your shooting schedule like? How many hours did you shoot each day?
Day 1 was shot in 11 hours. Day 2 was for drone footage (2hrs).
“Perfectionism is the killer of creativity, and until the challenge I was stuck with moving ahead into filming the pilot.”
What would you do differently next time?
Next time, I would try to be less ambitious with the number of scenes on a single shoot day. I had planned to capture extra scenes in the yoga studio, however our timing in that location didn't allow for those. Thankfully, the main shots were our prerogative for the edit.
What advice would you give to someone doing this challenge for the first time?
If you're feeling a little scared, it's a sign to just do it. Don't over think, just apply, then try to keep your concept simple. Pick one or two locations, 1-2 protagonists, less is more. Everything else will fall into place, and at the end of the challenge you'll have something that didn't exist before! You'll feel accomplished and more experienced to boot.
“The alignments to the rest of the cast were so divinely orchestrated, that I felt I just needed to keep following the threads.”
Anything else we should know or include? (Shoutouts, partner organizations, fun facts?)
Fun fact: Yoga Pants was inspired by a yoga training I did in 2020. Nine months of the most ridiculous, life changing (yes somewhat culty), yoga practice. The show incorporates and plays on my experiences but amp'd up in the best way, and shows the found family of friendships also made along the way. Shout out to Cristina V Sasso for giving me the push to enter the challenge in the first place and all my friends and family for their love and support! Kate Duyn at Light on Lotus Yoga Studio for making those Yoga scenes happen. And the staff at Hinano Cafe for putting up with us at breakfast! (Talking to you Justin McHugh & Mary Alice)
“If you're feeling a little scared, it's a sign to just do it.”
Cast & Crew
- Ellen Arroyo — Lead Actress. Latina actor with a knack for bringing characters to life, especially staged violence.
- Alejandro Peña — Actor, Industry connector, producer, writer. Combines passion, imagination, and professionalism.
- Malinda Logan — Actress (cast via CFA Collab Sheet)
- Heather Alexander — Actress/writer/producer (cast via CFA Collab Sheet)
