In Love with the Process Podcast

Welcome to Day 01 of They Like the Dark . Mike Pecci's first feature film is officially in pre production, and he's bringing In Love with the Process listeners along for the entire ride. Mike catches us up on where the film stands, what happens next, and some of the lessons he's already learned getting to this moment. He talks about trusting your gut, recognizing when something isn&#39...

This week on In Love with the Process , Mike Pecci sits down with one of his favorite comic book artists and writers, Sean Murphy , the punk rock creative force behind Batman: White Knight , Punk Rock Jesus , Tokyo Ghost , The Wake , Joe the Barbarian , Chrononauts , Zorro: Man of the Dead , and more. Sean's new book, The Last Driver , checks pretty much every box Mike has. Awesome cars. Anti tech...

Mike Pecci takes a quick break from prepping They Like the Dark for another real time check in from the trenches of making his first feature film. This week Mike digs into a directing skill that almost nobody teaches you: how to talk to people. Over the years, Mike has learned how to sit across from another artist, whether it's on Zoom, over coffee, or in a production office, and figure out how th...

This week on In Love with the Process , Mike Pecci dives back into the editing room with one of the most exciting editors working in horror today, Greg Ng, CCE , editor of Backrooms , Keeper , The Monkey , and Longlegs . Mike is a huge fan of Backrooms , especially its voice, pacing, atmosphere, and willingness to be scary without constantly falling back on the same tricks we've seen in countless...

The They Like the Dark journey continues, and this week Mike Pecci is deep in the realities of prepping his first feature film. Mike talks about one of the hardest parts of directing: watching the movie in your head change as it collides with the realities of production. The ideas started with unlimited imagination, then became storyboards, and now those boards have to survive the real questions....

The They Like the Dark journey continues! On today's In Love with the Process , director Mike Pecci checks in from the middle of pre production on his first feature film and catches us up on where the movie stands, what he's working on, and what he's learning as the team comes together. This week Mike goes deep into one of the most important jobs a director has: building and inspiring your crew. H...

The journey to make They Like the Dark continues, and this week Mike Pecci is searching for one of the most important creative collaborators a director can have: the editor . Joining Mike is acclaimed film editor Josh Ethier, ACE , whose credits include Companion , Don’t Move , Orphan: First Kill , Gretel & Hansel , The Standoff at Sparrow Creek , VFW , Bliss , Mayhem , and Christmas Bloody Ch...

For over nine years, In Love with the Process host and director Mike Pecci has promised listeners that when he finally got the opportunity to direct his first feature film, he would bring them along for the entire ride. Well, here we go. Welcome to the They Like the Dark journey. As Mike moves deeper into pre production on his first feature, he takes you inside the actual process of building a mov...

This week on In Love with the Process , Mike Pecci sits down with cinematographer James Kniest ( The Haunting of Bly Manor, American Horror Stories) and Annabelle) James joins Mike to celebrate the release of his latest film, The Devil's Mouth , arriving on Amazon this week. But this conversation goes far beyond the new movie. Mike and James dive deep into the preparation that happens long before...

On this special solo episode of In Love with the Process , Mike Pecci celebrates his 48th birthday with an honest reflection on getting older, friendship, creativity, and what it really means to live a meaningful life. Fresh off an incredible birthday weekend spent surrounded by close friends, Mike shares why this birthday felt different than any before. From seeing The Odyssey and Backrooms , to...

This week on In Love with the Process , we're sharing a special preview from Mike Pecci's new Director's Prep video series. Created in partnership with Tongal , this ongoing series follows Mike as he prepares his first feature film, They Like the Dark . Each episode explores a different part of the directing process, from storyboards and character design to camera language, blocking, production de...

On today's solo episode of In Love with the Process , Mike Pecci gets personal. As he approaches his 48th birthday and prepares to direct his first feature film, Mike reflects on the journey that brought him here. He talks honestly about the bad habits he's developed over the years, the unrealistic expectations creatives put on themselves, and why so many of us are trying to succeed in a world tha...

On this inspiring episode of In Love with the Process , Mike Pecci sits down with legendary concept artist, storyboard artist, and comic book powerhouse Eric Canete . Known for his incredible work on Absolute Batman , Skinbreaker , Chrononauts , and decades of influential work across comics, animation, and entertainment, Eric joins Mike for an unforgettable conversation about what it really takes...

Four hundred episodes. When Mike Pecci first launched In Love with the Process, he never imagined the journey it would take him on. What began as a simple conversation about creativity grew into one of the most beloved filmmaking podcasts in the world, introducing listeners to directors, cinematographers, musicians, actors, artists, chefs, entrepreneurs, and dreamers from every corner of the creat...

On this classic episode of Right Place Right Time , hosts Mike Pecci and Lance A. Williams recount an unforgettable Hollywood story: attending a private screening of Gladiator 2 with none other than Ridley Scott himself. Invited by Scott Free to a close-knit screening for friends and collaborators, the experience was nothing short of life-changing for two filmmakers chasing their dreams. From the...

On this brand new episode of In Love with the Process, filmmaker Mike Pecci sits down with professional storyboard artist Paul Angeli for a deep dive into the art of visual storytelling. As Mike gears up for his first feature film, listeners get a rare fly on the wall experience as he meets with potential collaborators and explores one of the most important tools in filmmaking, storyboards. Mike a...

It’s a huge moment for filmmaker and host Mike Pecci. After years of talking openly on In Love with the Process about chasing the dream of directing a feature film, the press release for Mike’s first feature has officially hit, and now the real process begins. As promised for nearly a decade on this show, Mike is taking listeners deep behind the curtain and documenting every step of bringing a mov...

On this supersized episode of In Love with the Process, Mike sits down with cinematographer Brandon Cox ( Werewolves, One Spoon of Chocolate) for a deep dive into the art, craft, and chaos of filmmaking. Brandon has built an incredible career shooting films around the world, including RZA’s new revenge thriller One Spoon of Chocolate , presented by Quentin Tarantino. The two friends talk openly ab...

It’s happening. The thing Mike has been teasing for years is finally real. On this very special episode of In Love with the Process , Mike officially announces his first feature film: THEY LIKE THE DARK Written by Will Simmons, produced by Ridley Scott and starring Liam Hemsworth. This episode is more than a film announcement. It’s the story behind the story. For over 25 years Mike has chased this...

On this episode of In Love with the Process , Mike breaks it all down. No guest. Just over 20 years of experience behind the camera, distilled into a practical guide for anyone who wants to step into the world of documentary filmmaking. From shooting scientists, CEOs, gang members, actors, and everyday people, Mike has built a career capturing real stories in real environments, and in this episode...

On this episode of In Love with the Process , Mike checks in. No guests. No fluff. Just a real conversation about what it feels like to exist right now. Times are tough. People are getting laid off. The cost of housing keeps climbing. Food prices are up. And it’s getting harder and harder not to feel like we’re all being squeezed. This week, on a random Tuesday afternoon, a simple software issue s...

On this episode of In Love with the Process , Mike dives into one of his biggest obsessions outside of filmmaking, cooking. We all hear it, “get a good chef’s knife.” But what does that actually mean? What goes into making one? And why does it completely change the way you cook? Mike sits down with Justin Miller, a self-taught bladesmith and the owner of Running Man Forge, to break down the art an...

On this special catch-up episode of In Love with the Process , Mike pulls back the curtain on something deeply personal, the making of his upcoming film. For the first time, Mike breaks down the real process he and his writing partner Will Simmons used to bring this story to life. From early conversations to building treatments, to the detailed director’s prep that turns ideas into something you c...

On today’s episode of In Love with the Process , Mike dives into the surreal, violent, and wildly imaginative world of artist and illustrator Mu Pan . Known for his massive, Boschian battle scenes filled with hybrid human and bestial figures, Mu Pan creates work that feels like a lost myth, somewhere between ancient history and a fever dream. His art pulls from Japanese manga, traditional Chinese...

On today’s episode of In Love with the Process , Mike sits down with Canadian brother duo ROMES , a band that’s been quietly building something explosive… and now it’s breaking through. Their debut album SONIC TRASH is out now, already surpassing 1.5 million streams completely independently . No label, no machine, just strategy, consistency, and a deep understanding of how to move in today’s music...