Perception shot its first frame at first light (before work) on February 15th, 2006--on the 21st floor of an apartment overlooking Central Park. When viewing the few shots captured that day, one would never know that only 3 people were present... It was a humble beginning that was representative of the entire shoot.

The film's first full day began on a desolate street in Soho a week later. It was twelve degrees and windy. When the cast and crew packed into a tiny Honda Civic to drive to the next location, shudders and calls for hot coffee were heard by all. Such sentiments would be common throughout the entire shoot--which some days shot for 14 solid hours in the freezing cold with no trailers to warm up in, and no bathrooms within 15 minutes of walking.

The entire cast and crew worked for free, with the exception of production sound recordists. Ironically, the paid crew created more problems during production than any of the other collaborators. The production went through three recordists in the course of the shoot before finally finding Dan Izen - whose passion for sound and eagerness to laugh became an asset to the film.

The final day of shooting was also eventful. Clarissa and Ralph's fight in the streets of Manhattan was written to take place in the pouring rain. It floated on the schedule from February to May - to be scheduled on short notice during a storm, when cast & crew could be assembled. Through the fifteen weeks of scattered shoot dates, the opportunity never presented itself. In late May, a torrential storm hit, and the scene was finally shot, with a crew of three (sound, director/camera, umbrella-holder). Cheers to Lauren Gleason for surviving hours in the soaking wet cold with no place to warm up!