Check Out Greg Porper’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Porper.

Hi Greg, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always loved watching TV and movies. As a kid, I was glued to the screen, especially drawn to comedy, character, anything unexpected. Some of my favorite shows growing up were Seinfeld, The Simpsons (I’d seen so many episodes so many times I could recite them verbatim), and Malcolm in the Middle. But it wasn’t until I was a teenager that it clicked. This wasn’t just something I loved. This could actually become a career.

I grew up in New Jersey, right outside New York City, and moved to Los Angeles in 2012. I started working as an executive assistant at a reality TV production company. Not exactly where I imagined myself after graduating from Northwestern, but I was hungry to break in and willing to do whatever it took. I didn’t come from Hollywood connections. No shortcuts. Just years of learning how this business actually works. While I was working a day job answering phones, ordering lunches for other people, and sitting in on pitch meetings, I was also creating comedy on the side- writing pilots, directing short sketches and web series, and submitting shorts to film festivals.

Eventually, those side projects started opening doors. I pitched a scripted short-form web series idea to my boss at the reality company, a concept I had shot with a few friends, and to my surprise, she greenlit it. That project became Worst Birthday Ever, which I sold to The CW and ran as showrunner for its ten-episode digital season. In a matter of months, I went from being the assistant who scheduled meetings to the guy with his own office, and the guy that one of my former supervisors was suddenly reporting to.

That experience didn’t just build confidence. It reminded me that taking creative swings can pay off. I kept writing and then directing the things I’d write, or getting hired to produce and direct ideas that other people wrote, and eventually, I teamed up with my frequent collaborator John to create a no-budget web series called Don’t Tell Larry, which starred a few of our friends—one of whom, Kiel Kennedy (who plays Larry), also happened to be a former real-life co-worker. The web series turned out better than we could’ve expected. It had a very successful festival run and led to lots of meetings with now-defunct networks and studios that encouraged us to expand the idea and turn it into something bigger.

The web series was scrappy, absurd, and fun—but the more we developed the concept, the more I realized it had real potential as a feature film. That’s when everything leveled up. We expanded the characters, deepened the story, and really pushed the tone into something that felt distinct and exciting.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I decided to make Don’t Tell Larry into a feature, I didn’t have a studio behind me. I didn’t have a greenlight or a big name attached. What I had was a belief in the story, a vision for how to make it, and an obsessive willingness to do whatever it took to bring it to life.

I formed an LLC, wrote the business plan, opened a bank account, and personally pitched over 500 people to invest in the movie. I emailed friends, family, friends of friends, friends of family, family of friends, cold-called old family acquaintances, and even reached out to my childhood Little League coach and a former co-worker’s ex-girlfriend. I ended up raising nearly 40 individual investments, every single one from someone who believed in me just as much, if not more, than the film itself. Most of the investors were people I initially knew, but a handful came from referrals, or from people I tracked down by reaching out to my network, then my network’s network, and in some cases, my network’s network’s network. I also put my own money in first. I wanted people to know I wasn’t asking them to take a bet I wasn’t willing to take myself.

We originally wanted to shoot the film in LA. That was the ideal scenario: sleep in my own bed each night after filming, work with local crew I already knew, and keep things close to home. But when I started breaking down the budget, it just didn’t make sense. Also, the film takes place in Wisconsin, and between all the exterior shots and our very real zero CGI budget, there was no easy, inexpensive practical way to make the SoCal desert landscape look like a Midwest winter tundra. Every attempt to cheat it looked fake. Eventually, we pivoted to Dallas, which had more workable locations, a local crew base, and actual weather that could pass for the Midwest. It was the right call, but it added layers of logistical complexity we had to solve on the fly. I scouted nearly 75 different office buildings before finding an office in Hurst, Texas, which was an abandoned architecture firm, to be the on-set location for the movie. Also, because of COVID, we still had to adhere to strict COVID guidelines, so not only did we need to have an office location for our main set (since the movie is an office comedy), but we also needed a production office, offices for COVID testing, office space/suites for cast members for dressing rooms, and offices where cast and crew could eat food without masks while also remaining socially distant.

Even after the financing came together, things didn’t get easier. We were shooting during the height of the Omicron wave, and two weeks in, COVID started hitting the set hard. I made the tough call to postpone production as more crew tested positive and we became short-staffed. This led to financial setbacks, the loss of some locations, recasting actors due to scheduling conflicts, and hiring new crew as others had jobs booked immediately after. I had to essentially re-prep everything. It felt like making two movies back to back.

In multiple cases, locations ended up falling through last minute (a homeowner had cold feet, a restaurant we were going to film in, literally closed down three days before we were scheduled to film there. When this key party scene fell apart logistically, I rewrote it overnight and moved it to a rooftop of a building I had previously scouted, where it ended up playing better. A hailstorm took place on the day when we were scheduled to be driving around downtown Dallas on a process trailer. A nearby fire filled the air with smoke, ruining visual continuity and forcing us to re-think our filming schedule on the fly.

And on top of writing and directing (and fortunately I had a co-writer and co-director to help navigate these creative and logistical challenges), I was the lead producer of the movie, running payroll, negotiating with vendors, updating investors, and trying to operate as a functional human despite averaging less than 4 hours of sleep a night for two straight months. At one point I climbed into a dumpster to recover boxes for an un-used space heater return that Amazon wouldn’t accept otherwise.

This wasn’t a “producer” title in name only. This was full-on trench warfare indie filmmaking and the most stressful experience of my life. The process also exposed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder I’d been living with my whole life but hadn’t fully recognized until then. Yet, strangely enough, despite all these challenges, I loved every second of it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At the heart of Don’t Tell Larry is a simple idea: one small lie can spiral into chaos. It’s a dark comedy about ambition, taking things way too far, and the kinds of weird coworkers we all pretend not to be. The tone dances between absurd and grounded, with moments that make you laugh out loud and cringe one second and gasp the next. The final film ended up being weird, grounded, and unexpected, equal parts Coen Brothers tension, Mel Brooks irreverence, and Christopher Guest-inspired moments of improv. It’s a story about karma set in a quirky office environment, meant to be an escape from real life and a roller coaster ride of a viewing experience that’s unpredictable and will keep viewers engaged and at the edge of their seats. The film is self-aware, edgy, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a movie for anyone who’s ever tried too hard to cover something up… or convinced themselves they’re not the office weirdo (spoiler: you might be). Every office has that one weird co-worker, and if you don’t know who it is… it’s probably you. That is what this film is ultimately about.

We wrote the role of Larry specifically for Kiel, since we wanted to replicate the erratic, oddly lovable energy he brought to the character in the web series. His improv instincts took the script to a whole new level. We leaned into that during production, structuring scenes to allow for improvisation and casting comedic powerhouses like Patty Guggenheim, Kenneth Mosley, Ed Begley Jr., and Dot-Marie Jones to riff and play off each other.

Post-production was its own creative beast. I spent three months in my co-director John’s living room, both of us working in Avid, as he did the primary editing and I sifted through raw footage to help reshape and finesse certain moments to identify the best possible version of every beat, finding hidden gems that may have been missed on set. We hosted over a dozen test screenings in living rooms and small theaters. I also oversaw the music mixes, color, ADR, took the film all over the country to various film festivals, pitched the finished product to over 40 distribution companies, received 13 offers, spearheaded negotiations, and ultimately handled delivery of all distribution materials. This was my baby, start to finish.

But I didn’t want Don’t Tell Larry to just be a movie. I wanted it to feel like a brand, something that people could experience beyond just watching it on a screen for 90 minutes.

We launched it with a tone-forward brand identity that extended into social media, podcasts, merch, interactive character LinkedIn profiles, toys, and more. I built partnerships with influencers and local businesses and business owners, initiated brand conversations with companies like Sun-Maid and Applebee’s, and created QR code shirts I literally wear around L.A. to start conversations. I’m also working on a Don’t Tell Larry podcast, themed office supplies, a book about the journey, and even a video game based on the film’s world.

The movie premiered on June 20th, and we just wrapped a limited theatrical run. To be able to make a movie and have it play in over five cities in theaters is one of the things about this movie I’m most proud of, especially in today’s Hollywood. Don’t Tell Larry is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. The film premiered at Austin Film Festival and won both Best Feature and the Audience Choice Award at the Pasadena International Film Festival. The feedback has been overall positive, and we’ve had some really great press opportunities and exposure in outlets like The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Entertainment Weekly.

The goal has always been the same: tell bold, funny, offbeat stories that push people out of their comfort zones. And as a filmmaker, I’m so thankful for the opportunity and am so glad I took the risk.

The movie is currently available to purchase/rent on Amazon Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Tell-Larry-Greg-Porper/dp/B0F45BXJ39

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
To find a mentor, start by identifying someone who has the job or life you want and look for any mutual connections who might help you connect with them organically. If you don’t have mutual contacts, don’t hesitate to reach out directly with a simple and genuine message, such as an Instagram DM or email. Even if your message is left unread or unanswered, making the effort is important. Keep trying by reaching out to others in similar roles or fields until you connect with someone. Also, seek advice from people you already know like friends, family, coworkers, or former colleagues because mentors can come from unexpected places. Seek out people who seem like genuinely good people. Building these relationships takes curiosity and persistence, so keep putting yourself out there.

Pricing:

• Purchase Don’t Tell Larry on Amazon: $9.99
• Rent Don’t Tell Larry on Amazon: $6.99

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gregporper.com AND www.DTLthemovie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregporper/ AND https://www.instagram.com/dtlthemovie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DontTellLarry/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-porper-71302424/
• Youtube: http://youtube.com/@DTLthemovie/