Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

Latest Episodes:

How Filmmaker Joshua Caldwell Moved From DIY Feature Films To Theatrical Releases Jun 16, 2023

Show notes

Today, I’m thrilled to have Joshua Caldwell return to the show to discuss his latest feature film Mending The Line.
Josh is a prolific filmmaker who got his start with the $6000 feature film Layover, before leveraging its success to develop numerous subsequent features that have each grown in scope and budget. His latest feature Mending The Line (now in theaters) marks his biggest production to date, and stars Brian Cox and Sinqua Walls.
Throughout the interview, we discuss Josh’s process developing, producing, directing, and selling his latest feature. Josh also shares critical lessons for filmmakers looking to build long term careers - from managing rejection to navigating the business of film, and much more.
Links from the show:
Joshua Caldwell - Instagram
Mending The Line - Instagram
6K Filmmaker - Course
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From $50K Features To Netflix Productions With Film Producer Sevier Crespo Jun 16, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, I am excited to be joined by acclaimed producer Sevier Crespo to discuss his path as a filmmaker over the past 20 years.
Sevier’s career kicked off after a mentorship with Robert Townsend inspired him to pursue film producing. Over the next two decades, Sevier produced countless film projects that have premiered at majors film festivals like Cannes, and has worked with the likes of Al Pacino, David Beckham, Kendrick Lamar, Kurt Russell, Ariana Grande, Mandy Moore and Demi Lovato, Lucy Hale, Taryn Manning, and countless others.
Throughout the interview, Sevier shares his journey and some of the key ingredients to his success at each stage. He also about his experience making a $50K movie that generated millions of dollars in revenue, tips for supplemting your income while building a body of work, and much more.
Links from the show:
Sevier Crespo - Instagram
Sevier Crespo - Website
Sevier Crespo - IMDB
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Creating A Powerful Feature Film Proof Of Concept With The Winners Of The Backlot Film Competition Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, I am joined by filmmakers Craig Melville, Ben Yannette, and Andy Hassell - who I initially connected with through my filmmaking community The Backlot.
Last summer, this filmmaking trio took part in a community-driven competition that required them to produce a trailer for a new feature film concept. Ultimately, their trailer won the top prize in the competition, and they were awarded a camera from Blackmagic Design, a partnership with We Make Movies, and other exciting perks.
Throughout the episode, we discuss the process that went into creating this powerful proof of concept, and how they pulled it off at each step, among many other things!
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Re-imagining Film Budgeting With Producer & Saturation Founder Jens Jacob Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

Today, I am excited to be joined by Jens Jacob - an acclaimed film producer, entrepreneur, and founder of the startup Saturation.io.
Throughout this episode, Jens shares his journey building his new budgeting platform for filmmakers. One that re-imagines film budgets from the ground up, making them more accessible to emerging filmmakers, and more powerful for studio level productions. Jens also shares his philosophy on the importance of collaborative producing, and the specific tools Saturation.io offers that meet those needs.
Links from the show:
Saturation.io
Saturation.io - Instagram
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How To Build Passive Income Using Stock Footage With Gray Jones May 26, 2023

Show notes

Today I am joined by editor, writer, and producer Gray Jones - who holds no less than 290 credits in film and television, and also runs a prolific stock footage business.
Throughout this episode, Gray shares lessons from his new book Make Six Figures With Your Smartphone, which serves as a practical guide for filmmakers looking to build passive income using footage they may already have sitting on their phone. We discuss the benefits and pitfalls of selling stock footage, the importance of finding a niche, the best platforms to sell on, and much more. Gray also gives us a behind the scenes look at his own stock footage catalog, and highlights his top performing clips - including one single shot that alone has generated over $16,000.
Links from the show:
SellStockEbook.com
DrivingFootage.com
Gray Jones - Twitter
Gray Jones - Instagram
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How I Wrote, Produced & Directed A Feature Film With No-Budget & No-Crew May 12, 2023

Show notes

In celebration of this milestone 200th episode, today I return to the origins of the podcast with a solo episode - all about my experience making our latest feature film (Disappearing Boy) with no crew.
Throughout the episode, I break down the highly unconventional workflow that went into this production, which spanned the course of a year, 30+ locations, and multiple shooting blocks.
I also unpack the creative benefits of taking time off in between shooting dates, my approach to writing and shooting in tandem, how to balance camera and sound while directing, and other critical lessons for likeminded filmmakers making features of their own.
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Making A Critically Acclaimed $30,000 Feature Film With Director Tom Levesque Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

In this episode I am joined by filmmaker Tom Levesque to share the story behind his debut feature film Shut Eye.
Shut Eye is the first feature film that delves into the strange world of ASMR, and is inspired by Tom’s own experiences with insomnia. Throughout the episode, we take an in depth behind the scenes look at this project, from concept to budgeting to distribution.
Tom speaks to his documentary-style approach on this feature, which helped him complete principal photography in just 15 days. He also touches on his camera setup, aspect ratio choice, post-production workflow and more.
Links from the show:
Shut Eye - Movie
Shut Eye - Instagram
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How To Get A Debut Feature Green Lit, Produced, And Distributed With Filmmaker Josh Guffey Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

In this episode I am joined by filmmaker Josh Guffey, here to share his journey and a behind the scenes look into the making his debut feature film "All Gone Wrong".
Throughout the interview, we cover the process from end to end - discussing the realities of working with limited budgets and resources, and how Josh navigated these challenges at each step. Josh also details his collaboration with actors and crew, his distribution model, maximizing efficiency when producing, maintaining persistence, and loads more.
Links from the show:
Josh Guffey - Website
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Making 19 Feature Films, Shooting A Movie In 3 Hours, Pioneering Folk Filmmaking & More With Dan Lotz Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

Today I am joined by folk filmmaking pioneer Dan Lotz, here to talk about his impressive body of work - which consists of no fewer than 19 feature films.
Throughout the episode we discuss Dan’s innovate approach to filmmaking, which has allowed him to create movies under incredible circumstances. From making a feature film on an 8 day vacation, to shooting an entire realtime movie in just 3 hours.
We also discuss the benefits of releasing films on YouTube, different production formats for low budget features, optimal runtimes, editing & shooting in tandem, and much more.
Links from the show:
Dan Lotz - YouTube
Dan Lotz - Twitter
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Carter Smith On Making His Latest Micro-Budget Genre Feature, Finding Festival Success, Landing Distribution & More Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

Today I am thrilled to have writer/director/photographer Carter Smith back on the show to talk about his latest micro-budget feature film Swallowed.
Carter’s first short film (Bugcrush) won Sundance in 2006, and led to his feature film work which includes The Ruins, Jaime Marks is Dead, and multiple recent Blumhouse movies. His latest feature though, is a departure from larger studio productions to say the least. It was produced with a skeleton crew using very DIY tactics, yet managed to find incredible success at festivals and beyond.
Throughout the interview, Carter and I discuss his experience in the micro-budget realm, his approach to creativity, and much more.
Links from the show:
Carter Smith - Instagram
All The Dead Boys - Website
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