Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

Joining me this week on the show is director Josh David Jordan, here to talk all about his debut feature film This World Won’t Break. This unique DIY feature was shot on and off over the course of a year, before securing 14 festival screenings and 13 awards, including best narrative feature at the Dallas International Film Festival. Over the course of our chat, Josh walks us through the specific p...

I’m very excited to be joined once again on the show by writer/director Marcus Mizelle, whose upcoming feature film Chameleon is about to be released everywhere on VOD, Cable and DVD (May 19, 2020). With a production budget of just $6800, Marcus was able to create an incredibly dynamic feature that breaks many of the rules of micro-budget filmmaking, while finding success at festivals and landing...

To celebrate the 100th episode of Show, Don’t Tell I held my first ever live Q & A session last week on YouTube. Today, I’m republishing it here for those who didn’t catch it live. Throughout this discussion I took questions on the business aspects of filmmaking - addressing many of the most pressing issues for filmmakers looking to build long term career sustainability. Topics covered include: Ge...

My guests this week - David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg - have an amazing track record of success with their feature length documentaries. From their debut feature The Immortalists which premiered at SXSW to their follow up feature Bill Nye: Science Guy to their latest project We Are As Gods, their films have been making a massive impact for years. Throughout our discussion, David and Jason speak...

MUBI has quickly become one of the most popular streaming services for filmmakers and cinephiles alike, thanks to its incredibly unique collection of independent and arthouse films. Joining me this week to discuss the platform at length is Daniel Kasman, MUBI's Vice President of Content. Based out of MUBI’s New York office and one of the first to join the company over 12 years ago, Daniel spearhea...

This week, I am joined by the filmmakers behind the 2020 SXSW Grand Jury winning documentary An Elephant In The Room. This incredible feature length doc was directed by Katrine Philp and DP'd by her husband Adam Philp, both of whom were able to take part in the discussion. Throughout our chat, Katrine and Adam share invaluable insight into the making of their award winning film - from fundraising...

This week I’m continuing my SXSW coverage with Lynn Chen, whose debut feature film I Will Make You Mine was set to premiere at the festival this year.  Over the course of the interview, we take a deep dive into the process of making this film from front to back - outlining each step Lynn took to bring her vision to life and ultimately land a coveted premiere at South By South West. We talk all abo...

I’m kicking off my SXSW interview series with Kevin Ford - a prolific documentary and narrative filmmaker whose latest feature film The Pushback was programmed at SXSW 2020. Kevin’s list of credits is incredibly impressive. His films have screened at major film festivals like Tribeca, Slamdance, Berlin, SXSW and even at the Nobel Peace Awards Ceremony in 2017. What’s even more impressive, is that...

In practically no time, the coronavirus has forced the world to nearly grind to a halt, and filmmakers of all types are being affected in countless ways. Whether you work as a freelancer, an employee or you own a production company, this crisis is surely already taking a toll. But despite productions shutting down left and right among other turmoil, many new opportunities are arising that we could...

This week, DP Evin Grant joins me on the show to discuss his cinema camera shootout - a comparison of 9 of the most prominent full frame digital cinema cameras on the market: Arri Alexa Mini LF Canon Eos C500mII Red Monstro Sigma FP Sony FX9 (S-Cinetone) Sony FX9 (S-Log3) Sony Venice Red Gemini Red Helium Over the course of our discussion, Evin details his findings at length, touching on everythin...

Joining me this week is fellow LA based filmmaker Marcus Mizelle, a true DIY auteur in his own right and the brains behind The Micro Film Tournament: "A 16 film, 4 round tournament dedicated to micro-budget filmmakers who’ve made the most with the least." Throughout the course of the episode, we discuss Marcus' unique career path, the benefits of working within the constraints of a micro-budget, f...

Many commercial directors want to make the leap to directing features films, but don’t know where to start. Our guest this week - Cody Stokes - successfully made that transition after raising just under $500K for his debut feature The Ghost Who Walks. Using the film as a case study, Cody walks us through every step in his process from building out the concept to fundraising to post-production and...

Every filmmaker dreams of submitting their indie film to Sundance, winning the festival and landing a major directing gig. Our guest this week - Carter Smith - didn’t just dream of doing it, he pulled it off. After his short film Bugcrush (2006) won the Sundance film festival, he was given the opportunity to pitch on a major Hollywood feature called The Ruins. After getting the seal of approval fr...

Smartphones have truly become a viable camera option for filmmakers on a budget. They provide more freedom, flexibility and anonymity than any traditional cinema camera, which gives them some major advantages… But in order to reap the rewards, you need to be able to work around some substantial technological limitations.  Joining me this week to discuss all of this and more is filmmaker, colorist,...

This week on the show, filmmaker Shaun Colón takes us on a deep dive into the world of documentary filmmaking.  We chat at length about his debut documentary feature: A Fat Wreck - a 3 year long DIY project that found incredible success with film festivals and fans alike, even generating interest from the Sundance Institute. Building off of this success, Shaun moved into production on his second d...

Returning to the show this week is Alex Ferrari of the Indie Film Hustle podcast. Alex has been educating filmmakers for years through a multitude of platforms, and has just written a new book that truly takes things to the next level: Rise of the Filmtrepreneur. The film industry has gone through a massive change over the past few years and most filmmakers are not prepared to make a living with t...

This week, my guest is Brad Raider - a fellow LA based filmmaker who made his debut feature Kensho at the Bedfellow on a budget of $250,000. Over the course of our chat, Brad speaks at length about his fundraising process which uniquely leveraged his meditation community to bring his vision to life. We also talk about his challenging production process that spanned 30 locations and 29 shooting day...

This week, I’m joined by Alrik Bursell - co-host of the very popular Making Movies Is Hard Podcast. Alrik is currently in the midst of fundraising for his upcoming feature film - The Alternate - an ambitious sci-fi film he’s been developing for 5 years. Over the course of our interview, Alrik and I talk about the fundraising process at length. Topics covered include: Securing initial seed money, a...

Most indie filmmakers are guilty of overlooking the importance of sound, but my guest this week - Woody Woodhall - is here to change that. Woody is an acclaimed post-audio engineer, owner of LAPPG and Allied Post, and has played an instrumental role in hundreds of television and film projects. Over the course of our discussion, Woody outlines the most pressing sound-related issues known to plague...

This week my guest is Zach Lipovsky, the co-director of the theatrically released feature film Freaks, which stars Emile Hirsch and Bruce Dern. Zach and his partner Adam were able to successfully raise financing for their script, attach A-list actors, land a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and sell their movie for $2,000,000. Over the course of this episode, we walk through th...

One of the most prolific indie filmmakers in recent years is undoubtedly Joe Swanberg. He’s best known for his feature film Drinking Buddies, but has made dozens of other features - including a string of 7 that he produced and directed in just one year. Back in 2016 Joe delivered an amazing Keynote at SXSW that focuses on the business of making and selling truly independent feature films. In this...

More feature films are being made than ever before, and as a result the market is completely saturated with content. This has made it harder than ever for indie filmmakers to make a living with their work, or to turn any sort of profit... But with the right approach to the process - specifically during pre-production - you can lay the groundwork for a more sellable and marketable film, which will...

This week, writer/director Joshua Caldwell returns with a follow up to his interview back on Episode 71. In 2014 Josh achieved breakout success with his $6000 micro-budget film Layover, which paved the way for a directing gig for Hulu, and several feature films - including his most recent film (Southland) with Bella Thorne. Over the course of our discussion, Josh picks up where we left off on part...

Today I address one of the most common questions asked by filmmakers - How do you make a living in the film business in 2019? While it may not be easy, building a long-term sustainable career as a filmmaker is absolutely possible. Over the course of this episode, I outline some of the most crucial variables that play into the success of any filmmaker, and can serve as a foundation for any aspiring...

There’s no denying that building an audience is an essential part of success for working filmmakers today. Gaining a following through a blog, YouTube channel or social platform is arguably the most effective step filmmakers can take to make a living through their artwork. Speaking on the subject of audience building this week is none other than David Cogen. While he isn't a filmmaker in the tradi...