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Written and directed by GG Hawkins and edited by Christina O’Sullivan, the film blends comedy and drama against an envious tropical backdrop to explore what happens when you’re unwilling to confront your true feelings for someone. After a 12-day shoot in Panama, O’Sullivan and Hawkins used Premiere Pro Productions and Frame.io to bring the story together. The tools helped them experiment creatively with sequences and collaborate efficiently — especially since they were operating on a tight post-production timeline. Speech to Text was also essential for streamlining everything, particularly when sorting through the funniest takes during scenes with a lot of improvisation.
Read on for our full conversation with Hawkins and O’Sullivan on the making of I Really Love My Husband.
GG, how and where did you get into directing and writing?
Hawkins: I spent my twenties working in ad sales (think Pete Campell from Mad Men), getting my creative yayas out in the occasional improv classes. When I turned 27 and got promoted to being an Account Director — a job people have until they retire — I looked at my life and asked, everything is great on paper, why am I so sad? It was only then that I actually gave myself permission to explore my creative side. I started taking screenwriting classes, making sketches, and then directed my first short film, a dark comedy called An Aspirational Space. I realized, yep, this is the feeling that’s missing, and knew I wanted to direct.
Christina, how and where did you first learn to edit?
O’Sullivan: I studied TV/Film at Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, and took a basic editing course there. While I was editing my thesis short film with my co-director, I realized that I could spend hours working in the editing bay without getting bored or daydreaming about food, so that’s when it started to click for me that this was something I really enjoyed doing.
Where were you when you found out you got into SXSW? How did you feel?
Hawkins: I knew that invites and rejections were going out that week, and I was really trying to keep it together, but it was Thursday and we still hadn’t heard, so I was a nervous wreck. I had gotten an email for a No Film School interview that set me in a spiral, and I called my coworker Jason Hellerman in tears. He was like, don’t let this upset you! And I was like, I’m not even upset about this work thing, and realized I was just reacting to carrying all the stress of knowing we would hear from SXSW soon. Then Jason was like, go unwind, treat yourself! So, I went to Swan Day Spa 2 in Atwater to get a last-minute massage to get out of my head, and right when I turned my phone off, the acceptance email came through. Of course, that night I had so much adrenaline pumping that I couldn’t sleep, so I called Christina who is based in Europe.
O’Sullivan: I was cat-sitting in a small village near Granada, Spain. I woke up to find a missed video call from GG, so I called her back and it was very late in LA, but she was still awake. She told me the news and I did a little dance and said “Wooo!” but quietly because my partner was on a work call. I was thrilled! SXSW is the best home for this film.
How do you begin a project/set up your workspace?
O’Sullivan: I think beginning a project with the director’s vision of the big picture in mind is very important and will save you a lot of time in the long run. I will read the script several times, listen to the director’s music selects, and watch any film references they suggest. And throughout the whole editing process, stepping back to consider the big picture is crucial in making the right editing decisions on a granular level.
Hawkins: For part of the edit, I would work with Christina on scenes, editing in the same project. It helped me to sit with scenes, try things out, play with what she had already crafted. She organized the sessions so well that it was very easy for me to find what I needed to mess around with scenes.
Tell us about a favorite scene or moment from this project and why it stands out to you.
O’Sullivan: The lead actress in the film, Madison Lanesey, is a super talented and hilarious improviser, so my favorite scenes to edit were when GG gave her full reign to do her thing — like when she’s having a mental breakdown at brunch. I was laughing out loud while watching the dailies. It was a lot of fun but also difficult to figure out how to make the best version of those scenes since there were so many excellent moments to choose from.
Hawkins: I also love the brunch breakdown, which Madison always referred to as her “Chevy Chase” moment. We had workshopped the scene in rehearsals and leveraged a ton of her improv in those sessions (Madison also has “Story By” Credit and is an EP). But even more so, we got to play in the moment and ended up using an improv bit where she rambles about her husband to an unsuspecting waiter: “Even my mom has a crush on him — and she doesn’t even like me that much! Ha!” I loved being able to work with Christina and build around those moments. That being said, my favorite scene hands down is Secret Island. But we can’t tell you about that — you just have to see the movie.
What were some specific post-production challenges you faced that were unique to your project? How did you go about solving them?
O’Sullivan: The team shot for 12 days in Panama, and the Assistant Editor Michael Polk and I didn’t see any footage until after they had already returned to the US. That was a bit scary because we didn’t have a possibility of reshoots in case there were any technical or continuity problems. Thankfully, GG, the actors, and department heads had prepared really well and there were only a few minor issues that we had to figure out with creative experimentation, like reordering scenes, or using day-for-night color correction.
Hawkins: Christina was based in Amsterdam at the time, so we only had a limited number of weeks where we could work together on the edit. That timeline forced us to move quickly, iterate, test screen a ton, and if anything, I think it kept us moving the edit forward pretty aggressively. It was intense but really empowering to see people reacting to cuts early on.
What Adobe tools did you use on this project and why did you originally choose them?
O’Sullivan: We used Premiere Pro because it’s an NLE that both me and GG use. Especially since we were on such a tight post schedule, it was important to GG that she have the ability to jump in and experiment with the edit to communicate an idea to me. It ended up being useful to be able to collaborate with a director in that way. We broke the film down into 4 reels with their own separate project within Productions. That way, GG and I could work on different parts of the film at the same time.
If we’re physically far from each other, we’ll use Frame.io to share rough cuts. It’s super helpful getting notes that are marked by timecode.
Hawkins: Thank God Christina was down to edit in Premiere Pro. I learned to edit in the software and it let me feel super at home in the sessions. We also used Frame.io to share cuts, and I continued to use Frame.io to develop the score with composer Hollie Buhagiar. I live for the timecode notes. When working on the score with Hollie, we would break out the scene and cues, and she would upload them in different folders to Frame.io so it was easy to track.
If you could share one tip about Premiere Pro, what would it be?
O’Sullivan:Speech to Text is really handy, especially while working on unscripted or improvised content. It allows you to just type in a word of dialogue and find exactly where in the footage you want to go.
Hawkins: Hotkeys are hot.
Who is your creative inspiration and why?
O’Sullivan: Two filmmakers I’m inspired by right now are Nicole Holofcener and Coralie Fargeat. Their styles are super different — Holofcener’s films are grounded and understated, whereas Fargeat’s films are big, bloody spectacles. But I think both of them create stories from the place of truth, and that’s why they’re so effective.
Hawkins: I keep coming back to A Bigger Splash directed by Luca Guadagnino. I love how Guadagnino embraces these larger-than-life characters and pairs them with betas. It’s delightful. I also love Mike White, as a writer-director. The White Lotus does such a great job peeling back to reveal the ugliest parts of characters, set against these beautiful backdrops. But I also love Mike White as a “Survivor” player, someone who can be driven and influential but is still human.
What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to face in your career and how did you overcome it? What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers or content creators?
O’Sullivan: The first few years are hard. You’re at the bottom of the totem pole, and you’ll get blamed for things whether they were your fault or not, and you have to display a calm and grace that, paradoxically, your supervisors aren’t expected to have. My biggest advice is to be patient, work slowly and steadily, and have faith that, despite setbacks, you’ll keep gaining progress.
Hawkins: I think I spent my early years making shorts still in “party host” mode, letting my people-pleasing tendency overshadow the work, and sometimes allowing people to be involved in my work that I am not aligned with in terms of how they treat others. I’ve learned how important it is to listen to my gut — whether it’s working with people, directing actors, or following a feeling about when to cut out of a scene. That gut feeling is the most important tool we have.
What’s your favorite thing about your workspace and why?
CREDIT: Christina O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan: My favorite thing about my workspace is my ergonomic mouse. Last year I actually injured my wrist from editing too much with a bad mouse and improper wrist alignment, and (I practice yoga) was unable to get in plank pose for about 8 months. It’s so important for everyone who works at a desk to have an ergonomic setup, or you’ll pay for it like I did!
CREDIT: GG Hawkins
Hawkins: Christina showed me how to be more ergonomic, but I still fall back on bad habits. I’ll fix those on the next one!
