Indie Beach-Town Drama 'I Thought He Was with You' Seeks Cast and Crew for Los Angeles Shoot This August

Writer-director Mike Cuenca is gearing up to shoot his intimate indie feature "I Thought He Was with You" in Los Angeles this summer, with principal photography scheduled from August 22 through September 27, 2026. The project is currently in casting and pre-production, meaning the window to get on this one is open right now. For actors, filmmakers, and crew drawn to character-driven, naturalistic work with real creative latitude, this is exactly the kind of low-infrastructure, high-intention production worth paying attention to early.

The film follows a young drifter who collides with two stalled artists over one sleepless, lost weekend in a fading beach town. The logline is deceptively simple, but the stated influences tell you everything you need to know about the ambition here. Cuenca cites New Hollywood character studies, Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita," Barbara Loden's "Wanda," Francis Ford Coppola's early road picture "The Rain People," Monte Hellman's existential westerns, and Steven Spielberg's little-seen documentary portrait "American Boy" as touchstones. That is a remarkably specific and cinephile-literate set of references, pointing toward a film that wants to be felt as much as watched. Tone is described as loose, intimate, funny, melancholic, strange, and lived-in, with a strong emphasis on improvisation and naturalistic dialogue. Actors who thrive in that kind of open, collaborative environment should take note. Cuenca is handling directing, writing, and casting himself, which is a clear signal that this is a personal project and that the working relationship between filmmaker and performer will be unusually close.

Producer Joaquin Dominguez is attached alongside Cuenca, making this a lean two-person producing team on what is described explicitly as a small collaborative production. There is no major studio or streamer listed here. This is independent filmmaking in the truest sense, self-generated and author-driven, in the tradition of the very films it cites as influences. Budget details have not been disclosed, but the scale, the crew structure, and the DIY ethos all point to a micro-to-low budget independent feature. For crew accustomed to larger productions, that context matters. For those who love working close to the material and having real creative input on a project, this is the appeal.

Filming will take place entirely in Los Angeles, California, with specific locations described as beach-town exteriors and LA-area settings including apartments and bars. Los Angeles is one of the deepest crew markets in the world, and a production like this will almost certainly draw from the city's vast pool of independent film talent. The beach-town aesthetic points toward shooting in communities like Venice, Santa Monica, El Porto, or possibly further out toward Malibu or San Pedro depending on the look Cuenca is after. LA County Film permits are handled through FilmLA, and the city's familiarity with low-budget indie shoots means logistical support is accessible even for small productions. California does offer a film tax credit program administered by the California Film Commission, and while smaller productions have a steeper path to qualification, the production's all-California footprint keeps it eligible to pursue those incentives.

The production description flags several working conditions that crew and cast should be aware of going in. Night shoots, beach exteriors, handheld camera work, and improvisational performance are all expected elements of the shoot. That handheld, naturalistic approach implies a small, mobile camera department comfortable working in tight and unpredictable spaces. A documentary-influenced cinematographer with experience in low-light and practical-lit environments would be a natural fit. The five-week schedule running from late August through late September is a tight but manageable window for a project of this scope. Late summer in Los Angeles means warm nights and long golden-hour windows, which is a genuine production asset for a beach-set film chasing a particular mood. The art and costume departments will likely operate lean, with a premium placed on sourcing that feels organic and period-adjacent rather than designed. Given the improvisational style and intimate scale, a sound department that can work quietly and responsively in practical locations will be essential.

For the right people, projects like this are career-defining in ways that bigger productions rarely are. The full listing for "I Thought He Was with You" on ProductionList.com includes production contacts, crew needs, and scheduling details as they are updated through pre-production. If you are a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, actor, or crew member with a love for character-driven independent cinema and the references above mean something to you, bookmark this one and reach out early. Cuenca is casting now, and pre-production is underway with cameras scheduled to roll in just over four months.

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