Filming Through the Covid Shutdown: The "Proof" May 2020 Project

In May 2020, at the absolute height of the COVID-19 shutdown, the world was a strange place. We were all stuck at home, washing our groceries and watching the film industry grind to a halt. For me, "home" was our fifth wheel at the Hollywood RV Park in Van Nuys, California. We had originally moved to LA in a 1974 Airstream, but by the time the pandemic hit, we had upgraded to the fifth wheel for more space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwPc4zg721c

The Commercial. Six years later, this video is still doing its job. A testament to what you can pull off with a camera, a drone, and some good friends.

With work completely dried up, I reached out to my friend Mark Kreloff. He needed a video for his company, Proof, but I’ve always felt he moved forward with the project specifically to help me out during those really bad circumstances. It served both of us—he got a promotional video, and I got a contract when no one knew what was going on.

The challenge was clear: I had to deliver a high-end commercial while strictly adhering to COVID safety protocols. This meant no crew, no physical interaction, and no traditional sets—just me as a one-man band.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/30b482_a2adfad44c6a4f91bf6d2d2c037d62be/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

We didn't have a Russian Arm or a pursuit vehicle. We had a hood mount and my electric skateboard.

Casting the Neighborhood

Since I couldn’t hire professional talent, I had to recruit from my immediate "bubble" at the RV park to cast the roles of the Proof workflow:

* The Office Assistant: My girlfriend stepped in to play the "Office Assistant"—the client who needs to get papers served. We filmed her scenes in the makeshift office Raven built at our RV Park.

Production Design wizardry by Raven Krogstad—transforming a cramped bathroom hallway into a convincing corporate office. We waited for the perfect time of day when the sun was low enough to cast those beautiful rays of light through the window.

* The Process Server: A friend of my neighbor at the RV park agreed to play the "Server." She was the one driving the car and handling the documents, allowing us to film the "active" parts of the job while keeping our distance.

Antonella Carla behind the wheel as our 'Process Server.' We rigged the car with a suction mount to get those driving shots safely while keeping our distance.

* The Drone Work: To get the driving scenes, I used my drone to capture the car moving through the loops of the Hollywood RV park, giving the project movement and scope without leaving the premises.

Aerial cinematography captured by Los Angeles FAA Drone Pilot Dennis Flippin.

The FedEx Cheat & The Test of Time

One of the boldest moves of the entire shoot was faking the document handover right in my front yard with a neighbor, then driving to a real FedEx to "steal" a shot of a truck passing by to sell the location. It was total guerrilla filmmaking, but it worked.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/30b482_fe8fce86d20544dcaf7f55fa6def97cb/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Behind the scenes with Raven Krogstad standing back there. She jumped in as our Production Designer—trading favors just to help a friend get this done during the shutdown. We lost her last year, and I’m so grateful we have this footage of her working her magic.

The ROI: From Start-Up to Powerhouse

When we shot this in May 2020, Proof was a scrappy startup. I handled the editing, and my old partner Adam Espinoza at Friend Of Mine delivered the motion graphics.

Fast forward to 2026, and the results speak for themselves. The company has exploded in growth, yet they still use our "covid shutdown solution" video to tell their story.

PROOF WEBSITE