“Producer Pam Coughlan scored a singular coup for ‘You Pay Your Dues,’ using her status as a children’s literature reviewer to convince YA novelist Robin Brande to join our little troupe. (And somehow, we managed not to frighten Robin off, as she would return to pen multiple short-film scripts for us in subsequent years.) This particular film represented a personal triumph for me as well, as I would finally have an excuse to make a movie in the style of film noir. (Eagle-eyed viewers will note the frequent appearance of a Maltese Falcon replica in my films — my own version of Hitchcock’s cameo.) Knowing our intended 48 Hour Film Project audience, we kept things light, opting to exaggerate the tropes of the genre — from the flawed, almost-stock characters to the chiaroscuro lighting to the convoluted plots — and setting our story not in the gritty underbelly of a major metropolis, but in the innocuous expanses of suburbia. The result garnered us an appearance in the ‘Best of DC’ screening — which in turn opened up a whole new series of networking opportunities within the local independent-film community. The movie is entertaining, but even setting aside its creative merits, this was the film that allowed us to elevate our game to a whole new level.”