PH: Our production “crew” only consisted of me and Christopher, the DP (of course our post crew was much larger and more like a standard post crew). In some cases, we had Nathan Rogers (who played a small role of the musician/party- goer who was high and drunk on the couch), PA for us, and hold the boom and do other stuff, but for the most part it was just us. I boomed a lot of scenes myself. I didn’t want Naama too involved in pre-production besides approving our cast and crew because I didn’t want her to worry too much about that part of it so she could concentrate on the character. She did bring the most important element of pre-production with her on the plane from LA though. She somehow brought the small amount of money we needed to get started! 
Let me first say that my debut feature Cookies & Cream took a whopping 24 days to shoot (off and on), and after that nightmare, my partner Brian and I devised a much better plan on knocking out these small stories faster and cheaper - shoot less days by using available lighting. With Brian's debut film Uptown, we had reached our zenith in perfecting this method - we shot in 5 days (+ 3 pick up days due only to a malfunction of the 2nd camera of our 2 camera shoot). Also, the actors improvised - Brian only wrote about 5 scenes out. The rest of the shoot, he used notecards which he gave to the actors, who effortlessly delivered in scene after scene.
I had time to write one. Plenty of time. And I had the confidence to do so. Still I just HAD to try it out for myself as a director. Even when there is no script, there is an outline, and the outline should contain the setting and mood the scene takes place in. A good outline also contains the subject, mood, and intention of the conversation about to take place. So if you hire great actors, which we did, they soon know who their characters are better than you do, and are empowered by this freedom. There were many instances where I would walk back on set and overhear Naama and Jason Burkey further developing and writing our story even beyond what the outline contained. That's talent! They both were subsequently awarded Best Actor and Supporting Actor honors from various places. We also can't fail to mention the crucial benefit of a great editor (Ben Baudhuin), who was literally the writer of our 3rd and final draft of the story.
When we showed up in Nashville, there was no cast at all. We held a rather "large" audition (large for Nashville), and that's where we would meet Wendy Keeling (who played Jesse), and a couple more actors. But we had to cast Chloe's love interest Brandon, who was very important. The chemistry was crucial, and the character would occupy a good amount of screen-time - second only to Chloe herself. This is where your reel comes in very handy, actors. Not only did Jason Burkey have his own website, but he had his reel right there, so we could assess a lot about what he would be like in our film. Not only that, but Wendy knew him very well, and she was able to "vouch" for us. 2 nights prior to shooting, Jason hung out with Naama and the rest of us for about an hour. They spoke at length about their characters and exchanged tangible ideas, and after she felt comfortable working with him, we cast him right away.
This is another famous "no-no." Drives DPs, UPMs, and producers all nuts. In our case, I shared with our DP Chris images of each location, and we chose prime lenses that worked well in available light. My argument (as I have said on Twitter before), is that every shot list basically looks the same. Each scene should have some version of Wide, Medium, Close-Up, Close-Up. Right? Isn't this Basic Scene Coverage 101? In some rare occasions (like in Chloe's dance sequence), your coverage is all in one shot, and when that happens, pat yourself on the back for your efficiency. I think I can say that over the years I have grown to be much more efficient as a director, and that obviously comes from producing a lot of films. 
We begin learning her commandments early in the film, starting with "assimilation" and including such concepts as "Focus" and "Persist" among others. Of course, she's not communicating these things to Brandon or to anyone else because she's incapable of doing so. These "commandments" are for you and I, the audience, and they help to establish a foundation of deep thought and purpose underneath what could otherwise easily be dismissed for its almost improvisational spirit. 
For this is a film, first and foremost, of the landscape. Indeed, it opens with an homage to Woody Allen's Manhattan, giving us monolithic, mostly black and white shots of Nashville. Chloe is nowhere to be found. When these give way, we are greeted with the first commandment: Assimilate. And that is what this film gives us: Chloe's overcoming of herself to assimilate into the landscape of Nashville, an assimilation that does not mean her oblivion but, on the contrary, her becoming herself. 
At first, perhaps, we are tempted to side with him. What's wrong with her? we wonder. She is so guarded and indifferent, as if hiding from love and life. But, in an incredible scene about two-thirds into the film, he confronts her and their dynamic shifts: I've told you things about myself, like about my family, my mom...I want you to know who I am...apparently you don't want me to know who you are because you hide every single thing. I mean, who is Chloe? I don't even know.
A Matter of Time - Trailer from ALL Films on Vimeo.
