Indie Film Hustle® Podcast: Filmmaking | Screenwriting | Cinematography | Film School | Film Production | Independent Film

What "Hamilton the Musical" Can Teach Indie FilmmakersIf you have been living underneath a rock you probably haven't heard of the Broadway smash hit Hamilton. For the rest of you, this remarkable musical by Lin-Manual Miranda has changed not only Broadway but storytelling as well.I know that is a bold statement but let me ask you, how many other new Broadway musicals have you heard about in the past 5-10 years? How many have crept into pop culture? How many have changed the game like Hamilton? Not many.So what can indie filmmakers learn from a musical on Broadway? Here are a few lessons I learned from Lin-Manual Miranda's masterpiece. 

The Art of the $6000 Feature Film with Joshua CaldwellI had the pleasure of meeting Joshua Caldwell, a brother in "indie filmmaking" arms. He directed a $6000 feature film called LAYOVER, which World Premiered at the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival where it was nominated for the New American Cinema Award.The story of how he made the film was education, rebellious and funny. Many things he said mirrored my experience making This is Meg. Josh really has a great philosophy about making films and content. Check out the trailer below to see what a $6000 feature film in today's world looks like.If you are going to make a feature film in the near future you need to listen to this podcast. It will change how you think about making indie films. Below, I also included a talk the Josh Caldwell did at the Seattle International Film Festival that is AWESOME! After you listen to the podcast watch the video below.Right click here to download the MP3Download on iTunes DirectJoshua Caldwell - The $6000 LAYOVER: Rethi

What the HECK is a Scriptment?So what is a Scriptment? I found it to be a liberating form of prepping a story to be filmed? When I was in pre-production on my first feature film This is Meg, I wanted to get into production as fast as I could without waiting to develop a full screenplay.I've written a few screenplays in the past and as any screenwriter will tell you, it ain't easy. So I found inspiration from filmmakers like Mark Duplass, Joe Swanberg, Lynn Shelton, and the Godfather of independent film John Cassavetes. According to Justin Ladar (writer of Mark Duplass' The One I Love), he defines a scriptment as follows:“Basically a full script minus a lot of the dialogue…If you take away exterior or interior sluglines, it reads like a short story.”He explains what it was like working with Mark on The One I Love:“What would happen is that I would script [the dialogue in] a scene the night before or while the crew was prepping. [The cast] would get the pages and they would see just from a pacing standpoint [wh

E&O Insurance, Music Rights, and Copyright Oh My!So after last week's huge success of the "Ask Alex" segment, I decided to bring it back this week. The IFH Tribe filled my inbox with tons of amazing questions, which I'll try to cover in future episodes.If  you have a question that you would like for me to answer on a future episode of the podcast just email them to ifhsubmissions@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer them. This week we have a bunch of question from tribe member Jake from Australia.Here are the questions I answered in this week's podcast:What happens if I'm shooting guerrilla style and accidentally catch a sign in the background or someone is wearing a brand logo in a shot? What is E&O Insurance (Errors and Ommissions) exactly? How does E&O Insurance work? Where are the best deals for E&O Insurance? What do you do if you want to use Licensed Music? What things might arise if using a track (or tracks)? What can copyrighting your film cost you? 

This week we have Zak Knutson on the show. Zak is a producer/writer/director/editor based out of Los Angeles. In 2005 he co-founded Chop Shop Entertainment, a filmed entertainment company that supplies added value materials to all of the major studios, and a large number of independents. Chop Shop Entertainment has supplied more movie based content for the internet than any other company in the industry.The last Chop Shop project was Milius, a documentary on Hollywood rebel John Milius. The film opened at the SXSW Film Festival in 2013. The film also played at the Telluride Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. In 2014 Knutson directed Marvel 75: From Pulp to Pop for Marvel and ABC Television.Zak Knutson directed "Shock the World" a documentary about Jesse Ventura's path from professional wrestler to governor of Minnesota. Shock the World premiered April 2015 at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.His latest film Supercon starring Maggie Grace, Clancy Brown, Ryan Kwanten, Mike Epps and John Malkov

So this episode is going to be fun. I'm starting a new segment I call "Ask Alex." Yes, I know it's very creative = ) I asked the IFH Tribe to submit questions to ifhsubmissions@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer them. This week we have a bunch of question from tribe member Kenny from Sweden. Here are the question I answer in the podcast.Which is the best type of camera to buy for your first feature that is cheap? (DSLR or anyone else. Also including lenses or where you can use one lens?)Which is the most important person to hire, a DP or a sound guy for a film? I´ve heard both. Some say good footage and others good sound.If you don´t have English as your first language should you make your films in your own language  since it is your mother tongue or in English(If you know how to speak of course) to reach a bigger market since more people understands and speak English? Which format is best to use for the finished film? (I know you had a podcast about this but I want to hear your personal opinion)Which pa

On this week's episode, I go way to a simpler time, the 90s, and discuss the lessons we can learn from some filmmaking legends. I'll discuss films by Robert Rodriguez, Christopher Nolan, and Richard Linklater to break down and learn the techniques they used to make awesome, No-Budget Feature films with limited resources."In no-budget filmmaking, your limitations are your guide."If you take note of what filmmakers did before you, you can jump start your filmmaking career. Enjoy!

How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck with Steve StockmanIn this week’s episode, we have Steve Stockman. Steve is an author/writer/director/producer at Custom Productions, Inc. in Los Angeles.  He’s created and Executive Produced tv series Brew Dogs for the new Esquire Network, Dogs of War for A&E, Devils Ride for Discovery Channel and $24 in 24 for Food Network;  plus worked on over 200 commercials, music videos, and web series.He also wrote and directed a film called Two Weeks starring legendary Oscar® Winning Actress Sally Field.His book, How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck, is now in its 6th printing from Workman Publishing.  It’s based on a course he’s been teaching to kids for the last 14 years, but adults understand it as well.“Like two years of film school in 248 pages.” – Steven Pressfield, Author of The War of Art and The Legend of Bagger VanceIt’s not technical—it doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting RED or iPhone. It’s about how to shoot video that’s entertaining, effective—and that actually

The Six Stages of Character Development with Michael HaugeThis week we have a returning guest, screenwriting guru Michael Hauge. On this episode, he discussed The Six Stages Character Development. A very eye opening episode. Check it out. Right click here to download the MP3These videos on screenplay structure are from his best selling online course: Story and Screenwriting Blueprint - The Hero's Two Journeys.In more than 4½ hours of lecture, discussion and Q&A, Michael Hauge, author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read; and Christopher Vogler, story analyst and author of The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers, unite to reveal the essential principles of plot structure, character arc, myth and transformation.Click below to download more videos.

Post Production Process: Understand It or Suffer the ConsequencesFilmmaking is a long process and is divided into three stages. The first stage is pre-production stage, the second one is production, and the last one is post-production stage. In this podcast episode, I go into each of the following steps and add a few bonus ones as well. 

This is a special edition of the IFH Podcast. We have for you a rare interview by Stanley Kubrick. A 37-year-old Kubrick sits down and speaks with Jeremy Bernstein. It's a remarkable look into the beginnings of the filmmaking master. Enjoy!

Film Festivals: Are They Relevant Anymore?Film Festival Hacks is the podcast that explores the festival circuit “from both sides of the badge.” Alex Ferrari is an award-winning filmmaker with nearly 600 international film festivals under his belt. He’s joined by Chris Holland, author of Film Festival Secrets: A Handbook for Independent Filmmakers who has worked closely with more than 200 film festivals including Sundance, AFI Fest, and SXSW. Together we explore the hidden world of film festival programming and pass along tips that give you that critical edge in the festival submissions game.In episode seven discuss the relevance of film festivals in today's digital world. Enjoy!

Sean Baker: 'Tangerine' How to Shoot a Sundance Hit on Your iPhoneI've recently been looking and studying alternative shoot methods to shoot a feature film. One name that keeps coming up is Sean Baker. His ground-breaking film Tangerine made more noise at the Sundance Film Festival  than the winner that year. The film was also produced by the indie film legends, Jay and Mark Duplass.Tangerine was shot completely on an iPhone. Yes, an iPhone. The great thing was that after his Sundance screening no one in the audience or at the film festival knew that the film was shot on an iPhone.What I respect about Sean Baker as a filmmaker is that he didn't focus on the technology when promoting his film, he let the story, actors and film speak for itself. If you haven't seen Tangerine you are missing out. Take a look at the RED BAND trailer below.I wanted to put together a post that highlighted what can be done with minimal filmmaking tech and a great story. Sean Baker has definitely what can be done in today's filmmakin

Today we have on the show the very talented writer/director Benjamin Cox. He is the founder of Red Square Pictures, a New York-based film production company. As creative head, Mr. Cox oversees all aspects of the company's development, production, and content-related activities. A producer, writer, and director, his Red Square Pictures projects include work for a wide range of commercial/fashion clients as well as narrative work in both television and feature films.A feature film that Mr. Cox produced, wrote and directed, NYC dating comedy Better Off Single starring Aaron Tveit, Abby Elliott, Lauren Miller Rogen, Kal Penn, Chris Elliott, Lewis Black, Shane McRae, Kelen Coleman and Annaleigh Ashford, is set for its theatrical release in the fall of 2016. Another of Mr. Cox’s feature projects, an untitled ethereal dramedy starring Mary Beth Hurt, Aidan Quinn, Olympia Dukakis, Macy Gray, Peter Gerety, Emmet Walsh and Rachel Brosnahan, has recently completedAnother of Mr. Cox’s feature projects, an untitled ethere

Film Distribution: Top 10 Rules for SuccessWhen filmmakers go out into the world to try to sell their indie film it can be a bit dangerous. The shark infested waters that make up film distribution can be brutal. Since I'm now going down the same dangerous road with my film This is Meg, I decided to write up a few rules I found useful over the years when it comes to film distribution.Split Up Your RightsThe Bigger the Deal the Less Control You HaveCap Your Film Distribution ExpensesThe Middle Men - Beware of the DealNothing is GuaranteedCost vs Sale or R.O.I.Film Festivals Help...SometimesBeware of Exclusive 5 Year Distribution ContractDon't get caught with your pants down in Post ProductionE/O Insurance...gotta have itI go into great detail about the list below in the podcast episode so take a listen. I hope to have the transcript for this episode up by next week. Happy selling.

Special Edition: Thought I’d bring this episode back since the new season of The Walking Dead premiered yesterday and it was a brutal one.  The Walking Dead – Working on the Dead SetIf you are a Walking Dead fan you are going to LOVE this episode. If you ever wanted to know what an assistant director does on set you are going to LOVE this episode.On today’s episode, we have a long time friend Vince Gonzales. Vince has been working in the film industry for over top decades. His IMDB page is pretty crazy. He’s worked on 90 classics like The Sandlot, Speed, and What Dreams May Come. Now after 2000 his credits start to heat up: Pearl Harbor, Six Feet Under, Charmed, Boston Legal, Grey’s Anatomy, Transformers: Age of Extinction and of course The Walking Dead.I wanted to bring Vince on the show to discuss his time on The Walking Dead but also what it takes to be an assistant director on both small and “monstrous” sets. Don’t listen to this episode in the dark.

This week we have Rafael Diaz Wagner, co-writer, and producer of the new Cult Classic "Attack of the Killer Donuts." Yes, that is really the name of the film and it's glorious. He started making films with a Beta Camera when he was 10 years old. Since then Rafael has written or co-written over 15 screenplaysI wanted to find out how this film was made, marketed and sold. It's a wonderful case study. Check out the trailer below and get ready to laugh.Here a quote from the Hollywood Report review of the :"If John Waters and George Romero dropped acid together and then spent the night at their local Krispy Kreme, they might have concocted something like Attack of the Killer Donuts. But the fact that such a film actually exists, and is exactly what it claims to be about, is something that even the best drugs can’t help explain."And here is the poster that got me interested in  speaking to Rafael. They knew who their market was and marketed directly to them.Enjoy my conversation with writer/producer Rafael Diaz Wag

How to Shoot Super 16mm Film with Egon Stephen Jr.So you want to be a filmmaker. You want to put the FILM back into FILMmaking. Well this episode is for you. Film is not dead. It has been quietly working in the background of the industry.Some of the productions that shooting film these days are:Mad Max: Fury RoadNoahThe AvengersThe Bourne LegacyCaptain America: The First AvengerIron Man 2The Magnificent SevenWestworldThe Girl on the TrainThe Walking DeadJack ReacherBatman vs SupermanStar Wars: The Force AwakensStar Wars: Rogue OneSpectreThe Hateful EightJurassic WorldWonder WomanAmerican Horror StoryStar TrekThe knowledge to shoot film is dying. There's nowhere online where you can take a course on how to shoot Super 16mm film. The "workshops" available are extremely expensive and don't really give you practical knowledge from someone who has actually shot in the field.I wanted to put together an online course to preserve that knowledge for future filmmakers. Today's guest, Director of Photography Egon Stephe

Directing Actors & How to Become an Actor’s Director with Per HolmesDirecting actors can be one of the most difficult parts of wearing the director's hat. Actors speak a language that a director must understand if they are to pull and nurture an amazing performance. Unfortunately film schools do not teach this must need "foreign language" course.I've worked with every kind of actor there is. From Oscar® Nominated to fresh out of acting class. Pulling a good performance can be tough and I would get very frustrated sometimes because I couldn't speak there language.Then I met Per Holmes. Per created a gaming change course years ago called "Hollywood Camera Work: Mastering High-End Blocking and Staging." I loved this course and it's a must for any filmmaker.When I heard he was creating a "Directing Actors" course I was in. I was able to take the course right before I shot my first feature film "This is Meg" and it helped me immensely. I was able to speak the actor's language and nurture the performance I need

Secrets of Indie Film Producing with Suzanne LyonsThis week on the show we have a returning guest, Indie Film Producing guru Suzaane Lyons.Suzanne Lyons is president/producer of Snowfall Films, Inc. and to date has produced or exec produced twelve feature films with budgets that range from $200,000 to $10 million.  Suzanne has worked with talent that including Brenda Blethyn, Christopher Walken, Naomi Watts, Alfred Molina, James Caan, Dean Cain, Ariel Winter, Susan Sarandon, Donald Sutherland, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Lovitz, Asia Argento, Winona Ryder, Peter Fonda, Ed Begley, Jr. and more. Suzanne’s films have won a gamut of awards and festivals from the prestigious BAFTA award, a premier at the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, best picture at Shockerfest, the UK Horror Fest and acceptance into the Toronto, Berlin. LA and Montreal Film Festivals.  In addition to her work as a film producer, Suzanne designed and ran the film school, Flash Forward Institute, with a focus on marketing