A full-length feature film, shot in a single day. No crew. No script. Just a camera, a few actors, and an insane idea that refused to leave my head. The result? An 80-minute psychological thriller, or at least, that’s what I was aiming for.
How It All Started
Those who follow my work know that I’m obsessed with filmmaking. I’m not in it for the glamour or film festivals. I love the craft. The sweat. The long nights where you forget what day it is. One day, I came across a bizarre and scary news story… A history professor who liked to dress up as Napoleon murdered his wife and was later arrested after slipping into a river while drunk, trying to hide the body. It was tragic, strange, and oddly cinematic, something that could only happen in real life. Immediately, I thought of Rope by Alfred Hitchcock, one of my favorite films. It’s intense, confined, and shot in real time, all inside one location.
I thought: What if I combine that concept with this Napoleon story? A man throws a dinner party, invites a few friends, but something darker is going on behind that table. Secrets unravel. Reality collapses. That was it, the seed of the film.
I didn’t write a traditional script. All I had was a list of scenes, moments, beats, emotional shifts that I wanted to capture throughout the day. The rest was completely improvised. Every line, every reaction, every awkward silence came naturally on set. Improvisation forces you to live in the moment. You can’t fake it. You can’t hide behind words that someone else wrote. You just become the story.
Before the shoot, I met with the actors via Zoom and explained the tone, the relationships, and the emotional journey. We didn’t rehearse lines, we rehearsed intentions. What each character wanted, what they were afraid of, what they were hiding. That’s what gave the film its realism and tension.
The Shoot
We shot the entire movie in one day. Every minute mattered. I had no crew, no assistant, no sound guy. I handled camera, sound, lighting, and direction, all at once. It was a beautiful kind of chaos. Because it was all improvised, every take was different. Sometimes scenes went in completely new directions I didn’t expect, and that’s what made it so alive. We shot chronologically to keep the energy flowing naturally, the tension built in real time, and you can actually feel that in the film.
Budget
Let me be honest and say there was no budget. I made whole film under $1,000. That’s the main reason I shot it in one day. I wore every hat imaginable, from writer, director, cinematographer, sound recordist, editor to prop maker. I sourced the costumes from Halloween store, handled makeup, and did the special effects myself.
When you make a film like this, the quality inevitably takes a few hits. You can’t polish everything. But what you gain is freedom. No waiting for permission, no endless meetings, no one telling you it’s not “marketable.” Just pure creative instinct.
Massive respect to the actors who carried this project. They improvised every line, gave everything they had, and made it real. Without them, there would be no film.
Gear
The film was shot on a Canon C100 Mark I with a Helios 28mm lens, all handheld. Sound was recorded wirelessly straight into the camera, simple and practical. I bought this C100 on eBay few years ago for around $500. It’s old, but it has soul. I’ve shot five feature films on it already. It’s one of those cameras that doesn’t get in your way, instead it just works. The handheld style gave Napoleon’s Table its energy. The slight shakes, the imperfections, the feeling that the camera itself is another guest at the table, that was intentional from my side. I considered using a tripod but changed my mind last minute.
Post-Production
After wrapping the shoot, I handled everything in post myself. From editing, color grading, to sound mix. I would love to work with an editor one day, but for now, I do it all in-house. Editing, to me, is where a film is truly written. You can have the best footage in the world, but if the edit doesn’t work, the whole thing collapses.
I spent weeks refining the pacing, balancing tension and silence, trimming the chaos into something watchable. The color grade is intentionally moody and desaturated. I wanted viewers to feel trapped in that room, just like the characters.
Distribution
When it was ready, I released Napoleon’s Table through Filmhub, my trusted distribution partner. They’re the best choice for indie filmmakers right now. You can get your film onto major platforms like Tubi, Amazon, and Plex, while keeping full ownership of your work.
If you’re a filmmaker looking to get your project out there, you can sign up using my referral link:
👉 https://hankorion.com/filmhub
The truth is, the film industry today is overcrowded. Everyone’s making something. But few actually finish, and even fewer get distribution. That’s the battlefield we’re all on now, not just making films, but making them visible.
Final Thoughts
Napoleon’s Table reminded me why I fell in love with filmmaking in the first place. It’s not about waiting for money, approval, or perfect timing. It’s about doing the work. About picking up whatever camera you have, calling a few friends, and creating something from nothing.
I understand when people ask me why I make films this way… so fast, so stripped down. The reason is simple, I want to be among the best who make films this way. I want to master it. I want these films to feel big, as if I had a million dollars and six months to shoot them, even when I only have one day and a camera I bought used on eBay.
So, would I recommend shooting a feature in one day? Probably not. But would I do it again? Absolutely. Because in those 24 hours, you learn everything that truly matters, from instinct, problem-solving to raw excitement of storytelling.
If you’re an indie filmmaker reading this – stop waiting. Go make your film. Even if all you have is an idea, a list of scenes, and a camera that barely turns on. That’s how you grow. That’s how you find your voice.
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