Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

In today’s solo episode I share a practical breakdown for capturing amazing raw footage on a “no-budget” production. Even if you are working as a one person crew without traditional resources, it's possible to achieve strong production value - this episode explains how to get there. Throughout the show, I unpack everything from choosing the right camera to the embracing available light. I also sha...

In this episode I am joined by acclaimed director Matthew Wade, a four time Slamdance filmmaker known for his feature films "How The Sky Will Melt" and "A Black Rift Begins To Yawn." Matthew's films are incredibly original both in how they are stylized and produced. We discuss his process at length throughout the interview, along with - shooting a feature film on Super 8mm film, creating an analog...

In this episode I am joined by acclaimed DP Liam Higgins for an in-depth discussion on cinematography, commercial filmmaking, and creativity. Liam has shot many commercial projects for Adidas, Grey Goose, SteamWhistle, and countless other brands, all while writing and producing his own narrative productions. Throughout the interview, we discuss Liam’s work at length and his career path - from free...

This week I'm honored to have filmmaker and Slamdance co-founder Dan Mirvish return to the show to talk all about his brand new feature film - 18 1/2. 18 1/2 is a Watergate thriller/comedy that stars Willa Fitzgerald, John Magaro, Vondie Curtis Hall, Catherine Curtin, Richard Kind, Sullivan Jones, Alanna Saunders, Claire Saunders and the voices of Ted Raimi, Jon Cryer, and Bruce Campbell. In just...

In this episode, I am joined by Brooklyn based micro-budget filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake, for a discussion that re-imagines the way we approach making indie films. I first connected with Sujewa over Twitter, after discovering he and I share a similar filmmaking philosophy that prioritizes creative expression above budget. Throughout the conversation, we unpack this concept at length and discuss vari...

Joining me today are the founders of Film Up - Aryeh Hoppenstein and Christina Chironna. After meeting in college, Aryeh and Christina partnered to create a business that would fuse their love of filmmaking with their passion for business. The result was FilmUp.co, a powerful resource that automates the film production process, from crewing to payroll. To generate awareness and build a community a...

In this episode I am joined by three amazing guests for a roundtable style discussion about crowd-equity fundraising for indie films. Our guests are: lawyer-turned film investor Michael Rekola, executive producer and actor Desiree Staples, and Ryan Pierce from WeFunder’s growth team. This in depth discussion covers tactics for raising funds through crowd-equity platforms (like WeFunder), painting...

In this episode I am joined by Joële Walinga, director of the SXSW 2022 documentary feature "Self Portrait". This is a brilliant experimental feature comprised entirely of footage collected from surveillance cameras, and produced with a highly unique creative process. Throughout the interview, Joële gives us a behind the scenes look into her four-year creative workflow, which involved sifting thro...

In this solo episode, I share a behind the scenes look into my latest feature film, which is being shot with no crew and a highly unconventional workflow. I decided to experiment with this new filmmaking paradigm to test my own creative limits, and show that a great film can be produced on any level, regardless of budget or resources. Throughout the episode I outline how taking a "one-man-band" ap...

Returning to the show is Emmy winning micro-budget filmmaker Marcus Mizelle. After directing a trilogy of micro-budget narrative feature films, Marcus turned his talents to the documentary filmmaking space, where he has recently found incredible success. His self-produced short documentary (Something In The Water) aired on PBS and was later awarded an Emmy. During the same period, he also directed...

In this episode I am joined by experimental filmmaker and accomplished painter, Chris Peters. Chris' films have screened at numerous Academy Award qualifying festivals, including Slamdance 2021 (where he later served as a programmer), and winning the Peter Wilde Award at the 2020 Ann Arbor Film Festival. Throughout our discussion we cover a slew of creative topics - from our shared love of Super 8...

Today I’m joined by director Daniel Lafrentz and producer Sean Flanagan to demystify the fundraising process for narrative feature films. Daniel is an award winning filmmaker known for his debut feature film The Long Shadow, which was awarded a jury prize at the amazing New Orleans Film Festival. Sean made his name in film distribution, having overseen the release of over 1000 films including titl...

I'm thrilled to be joined by editor and director Roger Nygard for an insightful discussion all about the editorial process. Roger is known as an editor for his work on television series like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Who Is America, and countless others. But he is also an established director, lending his talents to The Office and The Bernie Mac Show, all while spearheading his own feature film...

In this episode I'm joined by filmmaking duo Taylor Lewis and Burke Lewis. Taylor and Burke run a successful commercial production company (Atomic City), and produce high end content for brands like Amazon, Microsoft, and DJI. But they also have a passion for true micro-budget filmmaking, going so far as to make an entire feature film for just $1000. Throughout the interview, we discuss Taylor and...

In this episode I am joined by Bryn Woznicki (director) and Skye Emerson (screenwriter), the filmmaking duo behind Under The Influencer. After making a $450K feature titled Her Side of The Bed, Bryn chose to embrace the world of ultra micro-budget filmmaking. Through a collaboration with Skye (a recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Screenwriting Fellowship at the Sundance Film Festival), the team was...

Today I am joined by award winning film composer and billboard charting producer Roman Molino Dunn. Roman has found incredible success in the industry, working on major projects for Netflix (AI Love You), Sean Baker (Red Rocket) and Paul Schrader (The Card Counter), among countless others. Last year alone, his work screened at 3 of the top film festivals in the world: Cannes, Venice and Toronto. T...

Today I am joined by filmmaking duo Brent Lydic and Tip Scarry, who are here to give us a behind the scenes look into their new feature film Spirit Quest. This micro-budget indie was made on a shoestring budget of just $7000 over the course of 14 shooting days. By taking an unconventional approach to production, Brent and Tip pulled off an impressive debut feature film that ultimately landed distr...

Today I am joined by writer/director Pete Ohs, here to give us a behind the scenes look into his latest feature film titled Youngstown. After debuting as a feature director with Everything Is Beautiful Far Away - a traditionally financed indie starring Julia Garner and Joseph Cross, Pete wanted to try a different approach. Despite the success of his first film (including distribution with The Orch...

In this episode I am joined by director Keon Hedayati, who is here to talk all about his debut feature film Karma Bums, which is now entering distribution. Despite a limited budget (under $100K), Keon was able to successfully craft a final product with the look, feel and polish of a high end studio feature. Throughout the discussion, Keon shares insight into how he achieved these kind of results b...

Today I am joined by filmmaker and host of the popular Crimson Engine YouTube channel, Rubidium Wu - who is currently in post-production for his latest feature film titled The Devil’s Fortune. Throughout the interview Rubidium shares a behind the scenes look into how he built his incredible YouTube Channel from the ground up, and how it serves as an asset in his feature filmmaking journey. He also...

Today I am joined by actor, author, filmmaker & entrepreneur Sara Quiriconi, to talk all about the intersection of business and creativity. Sara has found success across multiple mediums - from her renowned book titled Living Cancer Free to her popular blog, social media, and podcast channels. As a huge proponent of entrepreneurship and content creation for filmmakers, I was excited to have Sara o...

Joining me today is filmmaker Matthew Temple, who recently directed the documentary Hardball: The Girls of Summer, which was released by Vertical entertainment last year. Matthew also runs a great podcast, has written books on creativity, and holds workshops all over the world to help empower creatives. Naturally, all of this made for a great conversation that covers everything from creative block...

Today I am joined by the multi-talented Daniel B. Levin whose latest documentary Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible just premiered on Showtime. You may also know Daniel from some of his other amazing documentary productions, like I Promise, which was executive produced by LeBron James and premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Throughout the interview, Daniel and I take a deep dive into the...

Joining me today is acclaimed DGA director Mike Rohl, who has had an amazing directorial career in both television and feature films. Most recently, Mike directed Vanessa Hudgens in The Princess Swap trilogy for Netflix, but is also known for directing countless episodes of Smallville, The Outer Limits, When Calls The Heart, and many other iconic television shows. Mike got his start making DIY mov...

In this episode, I share a recent guest session recorded live in my filmmaking community (The Backlot), featuring acclaimed ACE editor Vashi Nedomansky. Vashi is an expert on post production workflows, having worked as a consultant on DEADPOOL, House of Cards, The Good Doctor, Sharknado 2, and countless other projects. He’s been on the podcast before, and his first interview was a fan favorite. Th...