Indie Film Hustle® - A Filmmaking Podcast

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support .

Michael Hauge - Writing a Screenplay That Sells You are in for a treat. This week's guest, MICHAEL HAUGE has been one of Hollywood’s top script consultants, story experts and authors for more than 30 years.  He coaches screenwriters, novelists, filmmakers, professional speakers, internet marketers and corporate leaders, helping transform their stories and their audiences using the principles and m...

Over the years I've seen many of my fellow indie filmmakers get completely ripped off when they entered the post production process. So many promises are given and the rates they charge are criminal. I wanted to put together a podcast to pull the curtain back on the "true" pricing of post production services. Now this is based on my experience working in Los Angeles so the prices might differ depe...

Film distribution in a mystery to most indie filmmakers. It is filled with deception, scams, mis-information and straight out LIES! I wanted to put together an episode spotlighting the five major lies filmmakers hear about film distribution. Like many truths in the world these might not be easy to swallow but there is hope. If you have a plan "BEFORE YOU SHOOT YOUR FILM" your odds of success go up...

So the question of the moment is "Why are the Oscars® so white again? #OscarsSoWhite The 88th Annual Academy Awards haven’t even aired yet, and there is a hurricane of drama surrounding Hollywood’s most exciting night. Celebrities like Spike Lee and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have called for a boycott due to a lack of minority nominees. If you look at the graphic below (Courtesy of  www.mirror.co...

Stephanie Palmer - How to Pitch Your Film Like a Pro Ever wanted to learn the dark craft of being able to pitch your story idea successfully? Stephanie Palmer has made it her life's mission to help people do just that. Stephanie Palmer is a former MGM Pictures executive and best-selling author of the book "Good in a Room: How To Sell Yourself (And Your Ideas) And Win Over Any Audience" She has hea...

I know that everyone reading this has had a moment in time where someone did not believe in them for one reason of another. It is a part of life and a REAL BIG PART of the film industry. So many times in my career I was told that: "You nuts! That'll never work." or "That's never been done before." Well I love hearing that. I has taken time for me to enjoy when people say "it can't be done." I trul...

Want to learn how to make it as a working actor? Well studying actor, producer and director Yancey Arias would not be a bad start. I met Yancey Arias years ago and since have worked on several projects together. I've always admired how Yancey was able to always keep working. To date Yancey Arias has over 70 acting credits in film, television and Broadway. His credit list is kind of nuts: Castle NC...

Getting into film festival is getting tougher and tougher everyday. Indie filmmakers can end up spending thousands and thousands of dollars submitting to every film festival around, and there are a ton. At last count there was over 3000 film festivals around the world. That’s a lot of submission fees. When I was doing my rounds with my films I learned a few things. A few tricks that I put into a F...

How does a film geek turn his love for movies into a media empire? Ask Todd Brown from Twitch Film. I met Todd Brown over ten years ago when I was promoting my short film "BROKEN." He did a killer review of the film and we became fast friends. His movie review site Twitch Film.com was just starting out then but it has grown into a leading voice in global cinema. Twitch Film focuses on more obscure...

The one thing more difficult than actually making an indie film is marketing and selling that film. I get asked all the time the same question: "How can I make CASH, MONEY, DINERO with my film?" So I decided to put together this very dense podcast with suggestions on multiple revenue streams for independent films. This podcast is probably one of the most info packed episodes I've ever done. So get...

Want to hear a crazy story on how one filmmaker used a hybrid distribution and marketing strategy to sell his film Bomb It. May I introduce Jon Reiss.  After hearing his story I had to have him on the show so he can tell his story to the IFH Tribe. Jon Reiss was named one of “10 Digital Directors to Watch” by Daily Variety, Jon Reiss is a critically acclaimed filmmaker whose experience releasing h...

Social media is a mystery to most filmmakers. It's really easy to get lost in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Youtube, Snap Chat, Periscope, Meerkat, or any of the hundreds of other social media platforms available online. With so many choices and platforms to learn many of us just don't even bother but for those that take the time to educate themselves on social media a...

The Indie Film Hustle Podcast has been around for five short months. I have not had the same guest on twice, until now. Paddy Bird from Inside the Edit. Last time he was on Paddy Bird dropped some major post production knowledge on the IFH Tribe. I had to have him back. Just as a refresher, Paddy Bird  is one of television’s most prolific and accomplished editors. For the past fifteen years he has...

So I know working in the film industry can be tough. Breaking in is even tougher. Many people tell you you have to work for free or intern somewhere to get a foot in the door. Now those people aren't totally wrong.  The question is when do you work for free? When is trading your time, energy and effort really worth it? In this episode I break down when you should work for free or cheap and when yo...

We've all read in Variety or The Hollywood Reporter of some no name screenwriter selling his or her screenplay for a million bucks. Ever wonder how they did it? What structure did they use? What tricks of the trade were employed? May I introduce Paul Castro, the writer of one of my favorite films August Rush. Paul Castro is a produced, award winning screenwriter and world-renowned screenwriting pr...

OK, I wanted to start off the new year on the right foot. Over the course of my career I've seen so many filmmakers obsess over film gear, to a paralyzing end. They focused so much on gear that they never make actual films. No one is saying you shouldn't keep up to date on the latest film gear. You need gear, without it you can't make films but cameras, lenses, drones, and grip equipment are just...

Happy New Year! I has been ana amazing 2015 for Indie Film Hustle. We launch five short months ago and have grown at a alarming rate. Thanks to the IFH Tribe the Indie Film Hustle Podcast has become the #1 filmmaking podcast on iTunes, just three months after launch...CRAZY! The Indie Film Hustle Youtube Channel is closing in on over 1000 subscribers and I was able to gather over 23,000 followers...

Surviving the Hollywood Implosion with Scott McMahon Is there an implosion coming to Hollywood? Film Trooper Scott McMahon thinks so and he's not alone. Think its crazy, think again. Listen to what the king of the blockbusters Steven Spielberg had to say, “There’s going to be an implosion. Mega budget movies are going to go crashing into the ground and that’s going to change the paradigm.” If the...

Have you been confused and frustrated when directing actors? I think every director and actor has been frustrated with each other at one or more points in there career but don't worry Nina Foch is here to help. I'll get to who she is in a moment. For a filmmaker, directing actors can be a daunting task. Actors seem to have a language of their own which us directors have a very hard time understand...

Have you always wonder what happens to indie filmmakers  who win HUGE film festivals like the SXSW Film Festival? Well wonder no more. I've invited one of my oldest friends onto the show, Brant Sersen, the writer and director of the SXSW Audience Award winning film "Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story" staring Rob Corddry. Some other films he's directed are Release, Splinterheads, and Sanatorium. O...

How can a VFX Supervisor make your indie film's VFX shine? I've been a VFX Supervisor on multiple feature films, shorts, commercial and music videos. My job was to get the shots the director wanted done at a high standard and on budget. I've seen many independent films come through my doors at Numb Robot with VFX dreams in their eye but also with no understanding or budget on how to achieve them,...

So how can a Post Production Supervisor save your butt? Well I've been a Post Production Supervisor for over 15 years and have seen a lot of indie filmmakers get beaten up, taken advantage of and just plain ripped off in the post production process. In short the Post Production Supervisor is there to protect the film or project from going over budget, ripped off and making sure everything is done...

Linda Seger is a legend when it comes to screenwriting coaching and script consultanting. She's been couching for over 30 years and pretty much invented the job title. After reading her best selling book, "Making A Good Script Great" I had to have her on the show. She's  best known for her method of analyzing movie scripts, which she originally developed as her graduate school dissertation on "Wha...

So you want to make music videos. Want to follow in the foot steps of David Fincher, Mark Romanek and Spike Jonez? It's not a bad plan at all. Many filmmakers start off in music videos. It's a great place to get experience, learn the tools and experiment. I've directed a few music videos in my day and have worked in some capacity on hundreds over the years. I wanted to do an episode where I breakd...