‘Hal & Harper’: Why Cooper Raiff Self-Financed His 8-Episode TV Series

“ Hal and Harper ” was an enormous undertaking for the TV series’ writer/director/star Cooper Raiff, who also self-financed the eight-episode show through his Small Ideas production banner. While stopping by the IndieWire Studio, presented by Dropbox, with his “Hal and Harper” cast, Raiff talked about how much of himself he poured into “Hal and Harper” during the six years it took to make it — having dedicated his whole being to the project in a way he said he’ll never do again. “[‘Hal and Harper’] has a lot to do with the feelings and the relationships in my childhood, and in my present,” said Raiff.

“But it just was this story that wouldn’t let up, it’s the thing that is biggest inside of me, and I do feel like I’m also letting it go, and it feels really emotional.” For Raiff, self-financing the series and shooting it like an independent film was the only way he knew he could stay true to that story in his head. But he also admits it’s a scary proposition.



Ahead of the “Hal and Harper” Sundance premiere, Raiff, who had the dream Sundance experience with “ Cha Cha Real Smooth ” selling to Apple for $15 million at Sundance 2022, wondered aloud if a TV series can hit in quite the same way. “I know how movies go independently; I’ve had the experience of making a movie, and it’s just this thing that’s been around for so long; TV is so new and scary because you don’t have the system in place,” said Raiff. “You’re trying to make enough noise to get TV buyers to come to this place that they usually just send the movie buyers.

And so it’s a very scary weekend to try to manifest a similar energy and a similar sale, hopefully.” So what was it like to shoot the 300-page script in 50 days? According to Raiff’s co-star (the eponymous Harper) and executive producer Lili Reinhart it was like making an indie film on steroids. “We’ve said that we couldn’t have done this if everyone weren’t committed to [it],” said Reinhart.

“When you commit to an indie, you commit to flying by the seat of your pants, being open to change, being a team player, and you just kind of...

don’t have the money to do anything else.” After the enormous undertaking of making the eight episode series, would Raiff be open to another season? Answered Raiff, “We will do a second season if you [looking at the camera] want it.” “ Hal and Harper ” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

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