Working on this film was an unforgettable experience. The camaraderie, friendships forged, and pure fun we had was unlike any project of which I’ve ever been a part. The best way to describe making the film is that it felt like summer camp.

During the days, actors would play capture the flag and practice archery. Sometimes, these activities would bleed into actual filming, which is why eagle-eyed viewers may be able to spot arrows flying through several key scenes. A similar explanation could be given for why in the third act of this period piece so many characters are suddenly wearing tie-dye shirts. A tie-dye mania set in near the middle of the shoot and many of those colorful designs were unable to be edited around in post-production.

Producers, stunt performers, and makeup artists would make friendship bracelets beneath the big birch tree while talking about which person on the film they liked. Were there crushes on set? You bet! Full on affairs? Seemingly! At times, the experience felt like a massive HR minefield. But after the initial wave of cast and crew walked off set, those who remained settled in for the shoot of their lives.

Sometimes we missed the real world, so we would line up at the payphone to call our agents, managers, and publicists with the spare change they’d given us when they dropped us off. Afterwards, we’d head to the dining hall for our nightly food fight. There were occasional gripes that the food being thrown didn’t align with various dietary restrictions.

As nighttime fell, we would settle into our bunkhouse for our 8 P.M. curfew. After the film’s assistant director, who also served as bunkleader, fell asleep, the girls would sneak out and smoke cigarettes and the boys would do panty raids. This might sound problematic now, but really it was just innocent hijinks.

At certain points, many of us forgot we were even making a film. The director of photography and the key grip became so enamored with the high ropes course that the director eventually had to pull them aside, only to ask why they weren’t including him in all the fun. Ditto for the production assistants and set dressers who battled so hard in a water balloon fight that their collective exhaustion forced them to take two weeks off.

When the studio heads came to the shoot, it was pretty obvious they were jealous of all the fun we were having. But after we invited them to roast weenies at the bonfire and take part in the talent show, they started to feel a bit better about their $90 million investment.

When the shoot wrapped, we cried because we knew it meant summer was over and that it was time to return to our palatial homes, expensive cars, and attractive spouses. But everyone took comfort in the fact that the friendships were going to last forever, or until one person from the film achieved a higher level of fame and stopped responding to others in the group chat.

So, to our audiences, this production was a labor of love. We hope you all enjoy this modern retelling of Sophie’s Choice. It was definitely a shoot—and a summer—that we’ll never forget.