Truly Independent: Demystifying the Indie Film Journey

Garrett and Daren walk through the various different avenues of film distribution and what to avoid and what to look for when considering distribution decisions. From the role of a producer to the benefits of self-distribution and all that falls in between. 00:00-02:43 Intro 02:44-06:19 Young Washington  06:20-11:20 Distribution Wants 11:21-18:49 Who’s Who and What’s What 18:50-23:49 Distribution...

Garrett and Daren discuss director scouts and how they differ from full location and tech scouts, using examples from their films Brotherhood and The Carpenter. Garrett is preparing to travel to Romania for an early-stage international scout for a film set in 1960s–70s East Germany, after doing extensive remote research, building a lookbook, and working with a potential local fixer/location partne...

What does it take to spend six years, $300K+, and countless sleepless nights making your first feature? Boston McConaughey and Renny Grains break down exactly how they pulled off Alien Country — the funding, the festivals, the ransomware scare, and why the drive to make a movie isn't something you can will into existence.

What does it actually take to make a feature film for under $25,000 — and then shoot the sequel in Ireland? This week Garrett and Daren sit down with filmmaker Rob York (Magellan, Curse of Crom) to talk about how he got his start editing for Aero Storm, why post-production is where low-budget movies go to die, and the scrappy decisions that turned a YouTube web series into an Amazon top-3 streamer...

What happens when your director shows up on set and the costumes are completely wrong? Or the set decorator built the wrong thing entirely? Garrett Batty and Daren Smith break down the tools that prevent those nightmare moments — lookbooks, vision boards, director statements, character tone guides, and the creative summit they just ran for Brotherhood. This week, Daren is 5 weeks out from producti...

This week Garrett and Daren sit down with line producer Willem Kampenhout of Mystery Box to break down one of the most misunderstood roles in independent filmmaking. Willem walks through when to bring on a line producer, what a script breakdown actually looks like, and why that "key assumptions" document can make or break your budget. In this episode: When in the filmmaking process to hire a line...

Independent filmmaking is changing — and the box office proves it. In this episode of Truly Independent , Darren and Garrett break down one of the most fascinating film industry stories of the year: Iron Lung , the self-financed movie from YouTuber Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) that turned a $3 million budget into over $43 million worldwide . No traditional studio. No distributor. Just an audience....

What really happens at film festivals and major industry conventions? In this episode of Truly Independent, Garrett Batty and Darren Smith break down their real-world experience attending the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Convention in Nashville — and how filmmakers actually build relationships with distributors, investors, and industry decision-makers. They reveal the exact strategies use...

What is film packaging—and why does it determine whether your movie gets funded, cast, and distributed? In this episode of Truly Independent, Garrett Batty and Darren Smith break down the real meaning of packaging in filmmaking. Packaging isn’t just attaching a script and hoping for the best—it’s the strategic process of assembling the right combination of script, talent, financing, and distributi...

This week on Truly Independent (Season 3: The Script), Garrett Batty and Darren Smith sit down with filmmaker Savannah Osler to break down the real path from idea → screenplay → finished feature → distribution. Savannah shares how she went from writing her first story at 14 to making her first feature Twice the Dream for about $50,000, then leveling up to bigger projects—ultimately making her thir...

🎬 Welcome back to Truly Independent — Season 3 is all about the script. In this episode, Garrett Batty and Darren Smith break down a powerful principle that can completely shift your filmmaking career: solve bigger problems. Instead of chasing opportunities, what happens when you focus on solving real needs for investors, audiences, and collaborators? They dive into: • Why many indie filmmakers f...

This episode of Truly Independent dives deep into the real, messy, rewarding journey of independent filmmaking with director and producer Ben Stier . Ben shares his path from advertising and short films to creating television for National Geographic , directing branded content like Will It Blend , and developing deeply personal documentary and narrative projects. Along the way, he opens up about i...

Season 3 of Truly Independent is all about the script—from idea to draft to breakdown, budgeting, and getting it to production. In this episode, Garrett Batty and Darren Smith get super practical about one of the hardest parts of indie filmmaking: fundraising meetings. This is not an episode about “convincing people to give you money.” It’s about finding alignment, showing up prepared, and making...

What does it take to turn a real-life story into a feature film—without a studio, without a big budget, and without any guarantees? In this episode of Truly Independent , hosts Garrett Batty and Darren Smith sit down with filmmaker Tanner Christensen to unpack the three-and-a-half-year journey behind Standout: The Ben Kjar Story . From saying no to multiple Netflix projects, to living off savings,...

As the year comes to a close, Garrett Batty and Daren Smith take a step back to reflect—and then look forward. In this episode of Truly Independent, they break down five practical, non-fluffy goals that independent filmmakers can set to stop spinning their wheels and start building momentum that compounds year after year. This isn’t about “making one movie.” It’s about building systems that consis...

In this episode of Truly Independent, Garrett Batty and Darren Smith unpack a mindset shift that separates struggling indie films from profitable ones: starting with the end in mind. They dive into why distribution conversations should happen before production, how early funding decisions shape a film’s future, and where initial investment dollars actually create leverage. From choosing between sc...

This week on Truly Independent , Garrett Batty and Daren Smith get real about one of the most important (and messy) parts of an independent film career: knowing when to say yes—and when to say no . Garrett shares how a surprise opportunity pulled him out of the country to Antigua for a location + logistics scout , and what it revealed about infrastructure, budget reality, and whether a “beautiful...

This season of Truly Independent is supported by the Help Them See Foundation. Help Them See is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting feature films that inspire faith, hope, and connection. Learn how to get involved at helpthemseefoundation.org. Welcome to Season 3 of Truly Independent — I’m Garrett Batty, alongside my co-host Daren Smith. This season, it’s all about the script: from the first spark...

This season of Truly Independent is supported by the Help Them See Foundation – a nonprofit dedicated to supporting feature films that inspire faith, hope, and connection. Learn more at helpthemseefoundation.org. In this episode, Garrett Batty and Darren Smith talk with cinematographer Jeremy Prusso (*The Saratov Approach, Aliens Abducted My Parents*, Hallmark movies, Benson Boon videos). They cov...

In this episode of Truly Independent, Garrett Batty and Darren Smith sit down with Andrew and J. Huff — the filmmaking duo behind Doc Connor. They break down how they transformed a small, bootstrapped web series into a full-length feature film, secured theatrical release, and navigated the indie distribution maze without waiting for studio approval. We cover: • How they launched their production c...

This season of Truly Independent is supported by the Help Them See Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to championing films that inspire faith, hope, and human connection. Learn more or get involved at HelpThemSeeFoundation.org. In this episode, Garrett and Darren welcome filmmaker Ross Booth to officially announce Brotherhood — a new cinematic musical now greenlit for production through Producer F...

Season 3 of Truly Independent is here—supported by the Help Them See Foundation , a nonprofit backing feature films that inspire faith, hope, and connection. Learn more or get involved: https://helpthemseefoundation.org In this episode, Garrett Batty and co-host Darren Smith catch up after a festival road trip (Newport Beach, AFI, Austin) and break down a practical strategy that’s outperforming co...

This episode of Truly Independent dives deep into the journey of screenwriter David Plyler, known for Outlaw Trail and Forever Strong. Hosts Garrett Batty and Daren Smith talk with David about his path from LA Film School to working in the indie world, his experiences writing faith-driven and character-centered stories, and what it really takes to stay creative in a business built on rejection. Yo...

Independent filmmaker Matt Whitaker joins Garrett Batty and co-host Daren Smith to unpack the two-decade journey behind TRUTH & TREASON—from a PBS documentary to a nationwide theatrical release. We dive into financing (crowdfunding + private equity), securing distribution, why strong legal counsel matters, casting in the UK, shooting in Lithuania with incentives, and how a teen-led resistance...

This season of Truly Independent is supported by the Help Them See Foundation— a nonprofit dedicated to supporting feature films that inspire faith, hope, and connection. By partnering with filmmakers, Help Them See brings meaningful stories to life and shares them with audiences worldwide. Learn more or get involved: helpthemseefoundation.org. Welcome to Season 3! I’m Garrett Batty with co-host D...