About
OUR STORY
Pepper, a mid-30s story-boarder by day and illustrator by night, feels trapped when she learns her "ovarian reserve" - ie the eggs left in her ovaries - is dwindling. All of a sudden she realizes she wants a baby but that her relationship is on the rocks. The man she's with has it all - a job he loves and time to wait and figure out whether or not a family is in the cards. She wants it all but doesn't know how to make that dream come true. While sorting out her feelings about life, career, and what it means to be an artist, she explores cryopreservation - egg freezing - and discovers it might be the pause button she needs while she puts the puzzle together. Throughout the series we watch how her art and life are entwined yet also somehow separate. It's a story about coming out and finding yourself at a fork in the road.
EGG FREEZING
To learn more about an affordable path to freezing your eggs, check out the company we feature in the series, Extend Fertility. They're the only practice in the country that focuses exclusively on egg freezing, and they're awesome. And unlike Pepper's unseen OBGYN, Extend Fertility doesn't require a psych evaluation first. Phew.
FUN FACTS
*Artist Hallie Bateman was on set throughout the shoot and her hands are the hands of the artist. She also appears at the end of episode 12 in the waiting room.
*Producer Dylan Moore is a Julliard trained actress and appears in Episode 9’s book club.
*Emma, the doula, mentions “massaging” her womb in Episode one. Is this a real thing? Yep. It’s called the Maya Abdominal Massage or Arvigo Techniques.
*Frankie tells Pepper she’s no Marjane Satrapi. And he’s right. (But who is?) Check out Satrapi’s seminal work “Persepolis” if you don’t already know it.
*Aside from Hallie Bateman’s work, there are many artists’ work featured throughout “It’s Freezing Out There” on the walls of the various apartments where we shot. Look for works by Jack Sjogren, Tate Ellington, David Foox, Peter Fisher. Even Nick Choksi (the guy with the baby submitting cartoons) is an illustrator IRL. As is our very own web designer Jaclyn Kessel.
*The music in “It’s Freezing Out There” was a family and friends affair. All of the musicians are people we know and love.
*In the full credits there is a list of “production babies”… six total born to members of our creative team from September 2018-September 2019.
*Most of the series was shot in Washington Heights, NYC.
*You really aren’t allowed in dog parks without a dog, just like you’re not allowed in playgrounds without a child. Don’t be the creep going solo.
*Creator, Pepper, explored egg freezing and pieces of her experience are sprinkled throughout the series. Her Doctor really did require a psych evaluation before moving forward, for example. Luckily, not all fertility clinics are so patriarchal.
*Extend Fertility hosted a real “Egg Freezing 101” session for us with their real education team. It was eye opening, in the best way.
*The voiceover for “I want to poop mama!!!” was recorded by Pepper’s real life toddler, Otis.