Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

Latest Episodes:

How to Make a Sub-$500K Feature In 14 Days With A Crew of 5 - An Interview With Filmmaker Cory Thibert Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I'm joined by writer-director-actor Cory Thibert to talk about his debut feature Mild Life, a coming-of-age film that premiered at Woodstock Film Festival and went on to win Best Canadian Feature at the Victoria Film Festival.
Mild Life follows Lawrence, a drummer whose world gets thrown off beat when his girlfriend wants to leave their hometown just as he's stepping into a caregiver role for his parents, who both live with cerebral palsy. The story is drawn directly from Cory's own life - both of his parents have cerebral palsy, and he cast actors with cerebral palsy to play the parents for authentic representation.
Throughout the inteview we discuss the challenges of going this personal with your work, why "the more specific you are, the more universal you are" advice is true, and how to mine your own experience to create more meaningful stories.
We also break down his 14 day shoot, 98 page script, 5 person skeleton crew, and the 2 camera / always-rolling coverage strategy that helped him reach the finish line.
Topics covered include:

Finding a personal way into your stories - and how to avoid self-indulgence
Authentic disability representation on screen and casting actors with cerebral palsy
Coming up as a filmmaker without family money or a financial safety net
Making a feature between two kids' births while holding down a day job
Running a five-person skeleton crew and shooting two cameras at all times
Directing and starring at once - how to balance wearing multiple hats
The Canada Council grant that funded post after the shoot wrapped
Approaching distribution with a tiered strategy (Crave, Hoopla, Kanopy)
Much more

Links from the show:
Mild Life - Website
Mild Life - Instagram
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Making A Micro-Budget Feature In 15 Days, Directing Rachel Dratch & Building A 20-Year Creative Brand With Jason Laurits Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I'm joined by filmmaker and graphic artist Jason Laurits to talk about his debut feature Love's Company (starring Rachel Dratch), and the unique two-decade creative journey that led him to directing his first feature in his 40s.
Jason breaks down how the film started with a single absurd thought ("what would happen if you actually kidnapped a celebrity?") and grew out of his love for Misery, Sunset Boulevard, and Ruthless People.
He shares how he taught himself to edit in order to cut a proof-of-concept teaser that he used to raise money, attract a team, and ultimately land his cast.We also get into the realities of shooting a 95-page feature in just 15 days on a micro-budget in Louisiana, how his line producer helped him build a crew from scratch in New Orleans, landing Rachel Dratch through a single well-placed connection, and the constant on-set math of combining and cutting shots to never once go over schedule.
Topics covered include:

Using a teaser, poster & pitch deck to raise money for a feature film
How to shoot a 95-page feature in just 15 days
Combining and cutting shots on the fly to never go over schedule
What 20+ years running his brand Paste taught him about filmmaking
Why getting into directing in your 40s can be an advantage
The "step-by-step vs. chasing the clouds" philosophy
Trusting your voice and letting go of fleeting external goals
Much More!

Links from the show:
Love's Company - Trailer
Love's Company - Instagram
Jason's Brand - Paste
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Getting a $5K Feature into TIFF & Going Viral With An 80 Second Short Film With Nick Toti May 14, 2026

Show notes

In this episode I'm joined by filmmaker Nick Toti - one half of the DIY filmmaking duo behind the viral 80-second short Dead Grandma, the TIFF Midnight Madness sensation It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, and the upcoming feature Homebody.
Throughout the episode Nick breaks down the decade-long origin story of Dead Grandma, from an improvised game he invented while working as a nursery school teacher in Austin to a 35mm short film that blew up in Variety and landed him on this podcast.
We also discuss how his $5,000 found footage feature It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This unexpectedly landed in TIFF's Midnight Madness, the unconventional theatrical-only release strategy he's used to screen it across multiple continents without a distributor, and why Nick is now trying to convince A24 or Blumhouse to fund a studio remake of Homebody.
Topics covered include:

The real-life origin of Dead Grandma and how it developed over a deade
Co-directing with his wife and creative partner Rachel Kempf
Shooting on 35mm film - and everything that went wrong before they even rolled
How It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This got into TIFF Midnight Madness
The aesthetic of Homebody: making a movie that feels like a lo-fi demo tape
Actively pursuing failure as a creative strategy - and why it eventually worked
Nick's 25-hour real-time experimental documentary project
Die Die Books - the horror film criticism press Nick and Rachel run
Much more!

Links from the show:
Dead Grandma Short Film
Homebody Trailer
Die Die Books
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Making A $2000 Feature, Landing Vanishing Angle & Getting Into the Blacklist Project Lab - With Nathan Xia May 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I'm joined by actor, filmmaker, and musician Nathan Xia to talk about his unconventional path into the industry - from making YouTube sketches with a flip camera to acting in studio projects, getting repped as both an actor and writer-director, and developing his deeply personal feature Adam's Song.
Throughout the conversation Nathan shares how he fell into acting out of necessity while co-directing a scrappy COVID road trip feature with his roommates, and how that unexpected pivot eventually led to representation, festival success, and a role in Danny Madden's Downbeat.
He also breaks down the relentless hustle behind landing his producer at Vanishing Angle, getting into the Blacklist Project Lab after 14 rejections, and signing with management company M88 - all before turning 26.
Topics covered include:

How Nathan discovered filmmaking through a flip camera and YouTube sketches
Making a $2,000 road trip feature across six states during COVID
Falling into acting out of necessity - and finding it on the festival circuit
Cold-emailing his way to representation at Momentum Talent Agency
How attending festivals (not just submitting) changed his career
Landing veteran indie producer Benjamin Wiesner through responsiveness and rewrites
Going 0-for-14 on labs and fellowships before getting into the Blacklist Project Lab
Developing the feature version of Adam's Song and scouting in West Texas
Why being a writer-director-actor gives him a unique advantage in attaching talent
Much more!

Follow Nathan on Instagram
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Building A 160K+ YouTube Channel & Making A 1980s Period Feature On A Micro-Budget Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I’m joined by filmmaker and YouTuber Blake Calhoun to talk about his new feature film Casey Makes A Mixtape, his long-running channel iPhoneographers, and his highly entrepreneurial approach to building a sustainable filmmaking career.
Throughout the interview Blake shares how he got his start selling work to Warner Bros. after finding an audience on YouTube, and why he believes every filmmaker should consider having a YouTube channel - even if they don’t want to become a “YouTuber.”We also dig into the making of Casey Makes A Mixtape, a 1981-set coming-of-age feature that Blake made on a micro-budget.
He breaks down how he wrote the script around resources he already had access to, directed and DP’d the film himself, used a small crew, incorporated iPhone footage alongside RED Komodo, and even licensed well-known songs on a tight indie budget.
Topics covered include:

Why indie filmmakers are inherently entrepreneurs
Blake’s early success in web series and selling a show to Warner Bros.
How YouTube has changed since the early days of online video
How Casey Makes A Mixtape evolved from an iPhone-shot short film
Making a period piece on a low budget
Directing and DP’ing your own feature
Working with a small crew of roughly 10 people
Licensing famous songs for an indie film
Much More!

Links from the show:
Casey Makes A Mixtape - Film
Casey Makes A Mixtape - Trailer
iPhoneographers - YouTube
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Making A $4000 Feature In 12 Days And Releasing Through Tubi Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker Wade Patterson to discuss his micro-budget feature Death Cipher - a contained thriller shot in just 12 days for only $4,000.
Throughout the interview, Wade shares how multiple failed feature attempts led him to radically simplify his process, why he embraced a single-location concept shot in his own apartment, and how limitations ultimately became the film’s greatest creative advantage.
We also dive into the realities of making a feature with almost no money, wearing multiple hats as writer/director/cinematographer/editor, navigating festival rejection, finding distribution through Filmhub and Tubi, and much more:

Why several failed feature attempts led to Death Cipher
The mindset shift that led Wade to design a film around his resources
Shooting the film over weekends and treating each room like a company move
Creating props, puzzle elements, websites, and pre-shot video material
How prioritizing actor comfort and a relaxed set environment improved the work
What changed in post, including reshoots after early test screenings
How Death Cipher landed on Tubi through Filmhub

Links from the show:
Death Cipher - Tubi
Death Cipher - Instagram
Wade Patterson - Instagram
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Getting a $75K Feature On HBO & Selling a Video Agency For $17MM With Stefan van de Graaff Feb 28, 2026

Show notes

In this episode I'm joined by filmmaker and entrepreneur Stefan van de Graaff, whose $75,000 micro-budget feature Simmer landed on HBO after going viral on Facebook. Stefan also co-founded a video agency that grew from a two-person team into a 100-employee business before selling for $17 million, which we discuss at length.
Throughout the episode we talk about Stefan’s unconventional path - from Midwest filmmaker to running a digial advertising business. We also cover how his commercial production work became the foundation for financing and producing indie features, and what it took to scale from a scrappy first feature to a $1M international production.
Topics covered include:

How uploading Simmer to Facebook led to 1M views and sales agent interest
How indie films without stars can land on major platforms like HBO
Financing a micro-budget feature with personal funds, partners, and partial fundraising
The jump from a $75K film to a $1M feature using tax incentives, grants, and talent deals
Why having the right producer dramatically increases credibility with agents and financiers
Lessons from building and selling an ad agency - and why strategy beats fulfillment
How reducing friction (locations, permits, crew, logistics) makes indie filmmaking possible
Why building an audience can be a more reliable path than the traditional Hollywood ladder

Links from the show:
Stefan - Instagram
One of Us - Instagram
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How an Oscar-Nominated Filmmaker Shot a $60K Boxing Feature With Production Value Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with Academy Award nominee and ASC Award-winner Curren Sheldon to discuss his gritty new narrative feature Beatdown - a boxing drama made for just $60,000.
Throughout the interview, Curren shares how his background in vérité documentary shaped the film’s style, why he cast real fighters and non-actors, and how they filmed key fight scenes inside a live event with 4,000 spectators.
We also dive into the practical realities of transitioning from documentary to narrative, self-financing a feature for under $60K, navigating today’s distribution landscape, and tons more:

Why The Wrestler was a key stylistic reference for Beatdown
The doc-to-narrative transition: what gets easier, what gets harder
Using non-actors (real boxing personalities) without losing story control
Shooting inside a real “Toughman” event with 4,000 extras and a tiny window to film
How he sold two prior films to Netflix, and what it took to break through
A practical cinematography mindset shift that instantly elevates visuals

Links from the show:
Beatdown - Full Film on YouTube
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TEACHER’S PET Feature Release - Q & A With Noam Kroll & Luke Barnett Feb 07, 2026

Show notes

In this special episode, we celebrate today’s release of our new feature film Teacher’s Pet - Now available where you rent or buy movies!
Two days ago, we hosted a special advanced screening for members of my filmmaking community, and they took part in a virtual Q & A afterward. This episode includes the full live session with myself and lead actor / producer Luke Barnett.
Topics covered include:

Achieving high production value on a budget
Luke’s approach to bringing levity to a dark character
The casting process & landing great actors
Moving from a $0 production into a larger project
Our hardest days on set and how we problem solved
Directing & DP’ing the film simultaneously
Much more

Watch the film on Apple now: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/teachers-pet/id1868537677
Full list of platforms where you can watch:

Amazon Prime Video (US, CA)
Apple TV (US, CA)
Google Play / YouTube (US, CA)
Fandango at Home (US)
Comcast / Xfinity (US)
Cox (US)
Spectrum (US)
DirecTV (US)
Dish (US)
Altice (US)
Verizon / Fios (US)
Telus (CA)

Getting Into Sundance With A $30K TV Pilot Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode filmmaker Alec Goldberg joins the show to break down how his micro-budget comedy pilot Soft Boil went from a bootstrapped production to a blind submission acceptance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
We talk about Alec’s path from documentary and commercial work into scripted narrative, how a key creative partnership with lead actor / co-writer Camille Wormser shaped the project, and what it took to pull off a festival-ready pilot on $30,000 across a handful of shoot days.
Topics covered include:

Why Alec believes casting + voice was the “X factor” (and how to recognize it)
The tactical micro-budget choices that mattered most (locations, rehearsals, scheduling)
How to direct comedy with improv-friendly actors without losing the spine of the scene
The producer “role-splitting” approach that let Alec focus on directing
How Alec thinks about finding your “voice” as a filmmaker, and why it's so critical
The films and filmmakers shaping his taste (Kaufman, PTA, Von Trier, Aronofsky, Kubrick)

Links from the show:
Alec D. Goldberg - Instagram
Camille Wormser - Instagram
Madison Shamoun - Instagram
Vivian Kerr - Instagram
Patrick Tabari - Instagram
John Gemberling - Instagram
Alec Goldberg - Website
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