About The Production
Alone went into production on a warm Saturday night in early June 2008. In the spirit of the film’s subtly creepy tones (as well as the film’s micro budget), the cast and crew opted to shoot the film over the course of a night, the time frame in which the story is set.
Shooting the film overnight proved to be more than a cost-cutting measure, having saved the production the time and money necessary to apply ND filters to all the windows in the apartment where it was shot. Alone is an understated horror film that relies more on mood and ambience than monsters and gore, and shooting the film’s more climatic scenes came more naturally in the quiet dead of night.
Local actress Laura Mayo stars as Alex in the film’s only on-screen role. One of Denver’s fresh new faces in independent film, Mayo impressed the film’s producers at her audition with her warm, laid back manner and cheerful sense of humor. Her friendly “girl next door” look made her a 
perfect fit for the role as the everyday college student facing the kind of situation no one ever wants to be in; the feeling that you may not be safe in the one place you always should be.
The film’s most difficult element turned out to be Mayo’s furry costar, a young gray cat named Tomo who made his first (and most likely last) film appearance in Alone. Normally a nocturnal creature who enjoys playing and meowing at all hours of the night, Tomo was not impressed with all the lights and crew members milling about his home. While the majority of his role only required him to lie still wherever the director placed him, he spent most of the night hiding in Director of Photography Damon Marten’s dolly stands and playing with the various wires lining the floor.
Of course, shooting an independent film in any circumstances can be mildly difficult at best; while the overnight shoot did save money and set the tone for the more creepy elements of the story, it also took it’s toll on the physical and mental states of the cast and crew. As anyone who has ever pulled an all-night will know, adrenaline, caffeine and lots of snacks were essential tools in propelling the production team through the shoot, but as the hours
passed and dawn began to creep into the sky, exhaustion started to set in. The film wrapped at 6:00am Sunday morning, and not a moment too soon; with the satisfaction of a shoot well done, the cast and crew went home to sleep most of the day away.
