Indie Film Hustle® - A Filmmaking Podcast

Latest Episodes:

IFH 373: Is TUGG Going Bankrupt and Not Refunding Filmmakers & Customers? Jan 29, 2020

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I don't know if something is in the air but things are getting rougher for indie filmmakers every day. I received a call today from a few filmmakers who are having major issues with the on-demand theatrical booking company TUGG, Inc. It seems that the company has shut its doors and left filmmakers in the dark.
If you have read my new book Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business, you know that I wrote an entire chapter highlighting TUGG and the amazing case study of the film Touch the Wall. These filmmakers made over $700K using Tugg. They have been working well with the independent film community for years so this call was a bit surprising.
While speaking to a friend of the show and producer of Chris Sharpe, I started digging to see what I could find out. After doing some searches I found out that all of Tugg's social media accounts had been closed but their website is still up but so was Distribber's if you remember. I called their 866 customer support number but only got a machine. This is exactly what happened with Distribber. A company trying to close quietly.
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IFH 372: Producing Sundance Winning Indie Films with Jonathan Baker Jan 24, 2020

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Today on the show we have Sundance-winning producer Jonathan Baker. His new film Sylvie's Love is the talk of Sundance 2020. Sylvie's Love is an upcoming American drama film, written and directed by Eugene Ashe. It stars Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Regé-Jean Page, Aja Naomi King, and Eva Longoria. It will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2020.
Jonathan is a wealth of information. In the episode, I pick his brain on what it was like winning the audience award at Sundance, how the indie film market place is changing, and much more. His last Sundance-winning film was Crown Heights which was later sold to Amazon Studios.
Enjoy my conversation with Jonathan Baker.
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BONUS: What I Learned from My Independent Film Being Illegally Pirated Jan 23, 2020

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In today's new film economy it is getting tougher and tougher for independent filmmakers to make a living with their films. The entire industry is changing faster than anyone can keep track of. Even film distribution companies are struggling to make sense of the new world. The traditional golden gooses of DVD, Blu-Ray, foreign sales, and big upfront guarantees are dying a slow and miserable death.
And if that wasn't tough enough internet pirates are bootlegging indie films as fast as they are released. My latest film On the Corner of Ego and Desire was on the pirate boards within hours of its release. I didn't even think of looking for this because I never thought in a million years pirates would be interested in an indie film that cost $3000, was extremely niche and had no star power at all. I was very wrong.
Here's what I learned.
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IFH 371: Shooting for the Mob - Listen to Four Chapters for FREE! Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

After months of the IFH Tribe asking me, I finally finished the audiobook version of Shooting for the Mob. It was a tough project to finish but I knew I had to get it to you guys. As a gift for being so patient, I am releasing four chapters of the book for FREE for your listening pleasure. If you are unfamiliar with the story of Shooting for the Mob read below.
A bipolar gangster, a naive, young film director, and Batman. What could go wrong? Alex Ferrari is a first-time film director who just got hired to direct a $20 million feature film, the only problem is the film is about Jimmy, an egomaniacal gangster who wants the film to be about his life in the mob. From the backwater towns of Louisiana to the Hollywood Hills, Alex is taken on a crazy misadventure through the world of the mafia and Hollywood. Huge movie stars, billion-dollar producers, studio heads and, of course, a few gangsters, populate this unbelievable journey down the rabbit hole of chasing your dream. Would you sell your soul to the devil to make your dream come true? By the way, did we mention that this story is based on true events? no, seriously it is.
Writing this book is easily one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do. Some days I would cry as I was typing. Who wants to go back to the darkest time in their lives and relive that hell. Well, that’s exactly what I did. It took me 18 years to build up the courage to sit down and tell my story. I take you behind the scenes of the real Hollywood. and also see how gangsters and Hollywood go together like peanut butter and jelly. This book is RAW and UNFILTERED. I said to myself,
"If I'm going to write this I have to tell the entire story, warts and all."
The goal of this book is to help, not only filmmakers and people interested in having a career in Hollyweird but anyone stuck in a bad situation they feel they can’t get out of. The story illustrates how someone can lose themselves while chasing that golden carrot that is their dream, not to compromise their morals and stand up for themselves.
As cheesy as it sounds if I can help one person avoid even 1% of the pain and suffering I went through then it will be worth it. Now this story is not all doom and gloom, it’s hilarious, ridiculous and one hell of an adventure. I hope you really enjoy the story and have fun, laugh, cry and maybe even learn a little something about yourself.
Enjoy Shooting for the Mob and please leave a review for the book when you are done reading. Thanks!
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SPECIAL EVENT: The Make Your Movie Bootcamp is BACK! Jan 15, 2020

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I've been working on this for a long time guys and here it is. The Make Your Movie Bootcamp! I wanted to bring my 25+ years of experience to a live Bootcamp experience. This Two-Day Bootcamp will be held March 28-29, 2020 in Burbank, CA at the Hilton Garden Suites in Downtown Burbank.
Who is the Make Your Movie Bootcamp for?
A filmmaker wanting to make the leap to making their first feature film
An established filmmaker who wants to learn the "Dark Arts" of micro-budget filmmaking
Screenwriters who want to finally produce that screenplay that has been sitting on their desktop
Any filmmaker who wants to learn how to generate revenue with their feature film or video content
Here are some of the things you will learn at the Make Your Movie Bootcamp
>> Ideas:
Learn how to flesh out your ideas into a marketable film project.
>> Screenwriting Process:
We go over the basics of screenwriting and discuss alternative methods of writing like scriptments and improv.
>> Finding Money:
Alternate ways to raise money for your film.
>> Directing Your Film:
I breakdown methods and techniques that will jump-start your directing journey.
>> Post Production Workflows:
Where many indie films die. This won't happen to you. I'll teach you the proper way to set up your workflow and get you and your film to the finish line.
>> Filmtrepreneur® Training:
On day two I will breakdown the concepts and case studies presented in my book Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®. We will go over creating revenue streams from your indie film, thinking outside the box when it comes to how you prep for your film and much more.
>> Marketing and Building an Audience:
Once you have your film done you need to get it out into the world. I will go over proven techniques that will help you build and target an audience.
>> Submitting to Film Festivals:
Tricks and techniques on what to do and definitely what not to do when taking your film on the festival circuit. This one section that will save you thousands of dollars and years of your life.
>> Self Distribution Models:
I'll teach you how to run a successful self-distribution campaign by using multiple case studies on how it is done correctly.
>> Avoid Predatory Film Distributors:
It is shark-infested waters out there. We go over what to look out for when dealing with traditional and predatory film distributors.
>> Revenue Streams:
I do a deep dive into how to create multiple revenue streams from your indie film.
>> Breaking Through Your Fear:
I show you techniques to break through your own creative fears and finally make the feature film you have always wanted to.
>> PLUS:
Surprise film industry heavy hitters will come in to Guest Speak and answer questions. I've made it easy for you to choose your adventure.
DAY 1: I will be breaking down my micro-budget filmmaking method and help you jump start your feature film.
DAY 2: I will be training you in the Filmtrepreneur® Method. Showing you how to generate revenue with your feature film.
You can purchase a ticket to just day 1 or day 2 or purchase a weekend pass and unlock all the BONUSES like a FREE year membership to Indie Film Hustle TV and much more.
Spaces are limited so it will first come, first serve. If you are interested act now. Go to www.mymbootcamp.com to sign up!
Make 2020 the year you make it happen for yourself! I hope to see you all there!
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IFH 370: How to Direct Actors Masterclass with Judy Weston Jan 10, 2020

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Today guest is the legendary writer and educator Judith Weston. Her book Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & TelevisionandThe Film Director's Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques is a must-read for any film director.
Judith consults one-on-one with directors and writer-directors of film and television as they prepare to bring their projects to life. Some of her students include Alejandro Iñárritu, director of The Revenant, Academy Award winner for Best Director, and Birdman, Academy Award winner for Best Picture and Best Director; Ava DuVernay, nominated for 16 Emmys and six Critics Choice Awards, and Selma, nominated for Best Picture Oscar; Steve McQueen, director of Best Picture Academy Award winner12 Years a Slave; Taika Waititi, writer-director of Jojo Rabbit, Thor Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and many more.
Literally thousands of film and television directors, screenwriters, writer-directors, and actors around the world have attended Judith's workshops or consulted with her in preparation for their projects. Judith's reputation and influence are international and well-established.
After 30 years of teaching workshops and classes, Judith, in 2015, closed her studio space and shifted her focus to one-on-one consultation for directors and writer-directors.
Her ground-breaking book Directing Actors was published in 1996. Judith's second book, The Film Director's Intuition, was published in 2003. Both books are written from the point of view of film directors. And directors all over the world have come to rely on them. But so many others have told me they have found them helpful—screenwriters, actors, professionals in film, television, photography, theater—and really anyone who wants to live creatively. She recently undertook a thorough revision and updating of her signature work, Directing Actors (FREE AUDIOBOOK VERSION), in order to make it available as an Audiobook. Judith herself is the narrator.
Enjoy my insightful conversation with Judith Weston.
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IFH 369: How to Make a Successful Indie Film in 2020 - Happy New Year! Jan 01, 2020

Show notes

I can't believe another year has gone by. 2019 was one for the record books. So many things happened to me and to the IFH Tribe this year. In this episode, I breakdown this past year IFH style and also give you a large dose of TOUGH LOVE to get you revved up for 2020.
Don’t wake up Dec 31, 2020, and say
"Damn I just lost another year."
Don’t let anything stop you from making your dream come true. Don’t let people tell you you can’t do it. People told me I was crazy for jumping into this business. Be smart, educate yourself as much as humanly possible and go for it.
Don’t be that angry and bitter filmmaker. Don’t wake up when you are 70 and wished you would’ve taken a shot and your dream. Why haven’t you taken the steps needed to make your dream come true? Let 2020 be the YEAR OF THE FILMTREPRENEUR. Take the power back. Take control of your own destiny and make it happen for yourself.
I also go over what to expect from all the companies from IFH Industries. IFH, IFHTV, Bulletproof Screenwriting, and Filmtrepreneur. If you thought I did a lot in 2019 you ain't seen nothing yet. Strap in for the episode you need to listen to get your 2020 off to a great start.
Happy New Year to the entire IFH Tribe.
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IFH 368: Building a Minimalist Filmmaking Empire with Matt D'Avella Dec 17, 2019

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Today on the show we have minimalist filmmaking guru Matt D'Avella. I had the pleasure of being on Matt's podcast The GroundUp Show back in 2017 when he was still a young and up and coming podcaster.
One day I turned around and saw that Matt had built a following of over 2 million followers on Youtube. It was official, he was a Youtube star. Matt was able to build this business using his filmmaking toolbox. Before his Youtube fame, he directed an amazing documentary called Minimalism. That film went onto to run on Netflix and was sold around the world.
Matt and I discuss his filmmaking, building and marketing his Youtube channel and what it's like being a minimalist filmmaker. Enjoy my minimal but EPIC conversation with Matt D'Avella.
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IFH 367: Is Die Hard The Greatest Christmas Movie Ever - Yippee ki-yay! Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

I'm here to finally put to rest one of the greatest cinematic arguments of all time, is Die Hard a Christmas movie? I thought I'd tackle this epic question with my good friend Stephen Follows. In this Special Christmas Edition of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast Stephen and I use data to finally put this debate to rest.
I believe without a shadow of a doubt that Die Hard is the greatest Christmas movie of all time. Stephen is not so sure so we go to the data to find out. Stephen wrote an EPIC article about this a while ago where he does what only Stephen does. Below are some of the graphs he created for his dissection of this issue.
From google trends to actual frames from the film that we see actual Christmas references. We leave no stone unturned in this debate. I promise you after this episode you will be armed to debate and film nerd at the next Christmas party. I wanted to create a fun episode for all the film geeks out there.
Enjoy my ridiculous and entertaining conversation with Stephen Follows. And don't forget to have a Yippee ki-yay mutha f**king Merry Christmas!
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THROWBACK FRIDAY: So You Didn't Get Into Sundance...Neither Did I Dec 06, 2019

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Well, it's that time of year again when filmmakers around the world get that dreaded rejection letter from the Sundance Film Festival. Did you read that, 14,200 submissions? Getting into Sundance is a lottery ticket for sure but it isn't as important as it used to be. Here's what Mark Duplass wrote about it:
Annual Sundance Film Festival rejection reminder: Sundance is awesome, but Sundance is not everything. So many incredible films don't make the cut. Don't let it get you down. If you believe in your film, keep pushing forward. There are so many new ways to get it there. Good luck! - Mark Duplass
My indie films have played in over 500 international film festivals around the world and it has been a great experience and I've even been to a few big festivals like Raindance and Cinequest. I've also been rejected by EVERY major film festival in the world. SXSW, Berlin, Cannes, Toronto, AFI and the list goes on.
Film festivals are great. I loved them so much my recent film, which got that Sundance rejection email, On the Corner of Ego and Desire, was a love letter to film festivals, Sundance and Independent filmmakers everywhere.
You have to understand that film festivals are not the only way to get your films out there anymore. Sure, getting into Sundance would be AMAZING but alas it wasn't meant to be and you know what...it's OK. This should stop you from moving forward on your filmmaking journey. Festivals are run by people with tastes and opinions. Those tastes might not be in line with your tastes and that's OK.
Maybe you made an amazing film but there were three other films about the same subject so they had to flip a coin. I decided to make this episode as a therapy session for any filmmaker who has been rejected from Sundance or any film festivals.
I hope it helps. KEEP ON HUSTLIN' NO MATTER WHAT! Keep that dream ALIVE.
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