In the Wake TV Producers Shayna and Julia dive into a critical conversation about Your Monster—the short film that expanded into a feature at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Director Caroline Lindy's original short, based on her own experiences, told the story of an actress who befriends a monster living in her closet. The feature version stars Melissa Barrera alongside Tommy Dewey reprising his role as the monster.

Shayna's Take: Not Enough There. In this clip, Shayna breaks down why the transition from short to feature didn't work—arguing that the original concept simply didn't have enough narrative meat to sustain a full-length film. When a short film packs its punch in under 20 minutes, stretching that same story to feature length can dilute what made it special in the first place.

Why This Conversation Matters: Independent filmmakers face constant pressure to scale up, but bigger isn't always better. Shayna and Julia's honest critique highlights a crucial question for creators: Does your story need to be a feature, or is the short format where it truly shines? It's the kind of real talk that helps artists make smarter creative choices.

Watch the full breakdown as our producers explore the risks of expansion, the art of knowing when less is more, and what this means for indie filmmakers navigating festival circuits.

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