The most common pushback I get from aspiring filmmakers is that micro-budget movies don’t get seen. So there is no point in making one. In reality, this is simply not true. Micro-budget movies today have far greater potential to reach…
Over the past 7 years, I have interviewed over 200 filmmakers for my podcast. Guests have ranged from first time DIY filmmakers to studio directors who made multi-million dollar productions. While every guest has their own philosophy and…
In this episode, we explore the age old issue of imposter syndrome and look at ways to eliminate self-doubt as a filmmaker. From comparing yourself to others to fear of failure – the episode is packed with strategies to combat negativity.…
One of the cornerstones of independent, micro-budget productions is undeniably single-location filmmaking. It’s practically a rite of passage for first time feature filmmakers. Limiting your production scope to one (or possibly two) main…
In this episode, I am joined by writer, producer and actor Jonathon M. Smith – who originally connected with me through my filmmaking community (The Backlot). Not long after joining the community, Jonathon went on to make his debut feature…
In this episode, I dive deep into the world of single location filmmaking and share my thoughts making the most of your micro-budget production. Throughout the show I unpack many of the common pitfalls associated with this approach – like…
If you’ve been following my blog for long enough, you probably know I am a little obsessed with aspect ratios. They are one of the most simple, yet powerful tools we all have at our disposal as filmmakers. In recent years, aspect-ratio…
Arguably the most misleading piece of advice given to emerging filmmakers is to be “original” with their work. To break new ground, and do something never done before… While this advice may sound good on the surface – and is usually well…
Today I am joined by Ryan McGuire, who heads up the commercial production company Cutter Studios in Tokyo, Japan. Throughout the interview, Ryan and I take a deep dive into the world of commercial filmmaking. Ryan shares his story…
In this episode I am joined by friend of the show, Marcus Mizelle. An Emmy award winning feature filmmaker who has made numerous successful DIY narrative and documentary films. Throughout the interview we talk about Marcus’ leap from…
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in the edit bay. Between getting deliverables ready for our feature Disappearing Boy, cutting an assembly of the new movie (Teacher’s Pet), and running dozens of commercial and client projects – it’s…
Recently I was interviewed for a research project about the “cinematic look” – A topic constantly debated by filmmakers. The central question was simply what makes something cinematic? And is there even such thing as a cinematic look?…
Today I am thrilled to have acclaimed DP Oren Soffer on to talk about his recent work on The Creator, and all other things cinematography. Oren is of course known for his brilliant camera work on countless narrative, commercial, and music…
In this episode I am very excited to share my interview with the amazing Barbara Crampton – Known for her iconic genre films like Re-Animator, Jakob’s Wife, Suitable Flesh, and countless others. After recently working with Barbara on our…
Recently I shared this thought on building a career as a filmmaker: It’s critical for every working filmmaker today to understand each of these realities. Everyone has a brilliant concept The only thing worse than having no idea of what…
Of any film that has attempted to shoot using day for night tactics, none pulled it off better than NOPE. But director Jordan Peele and DP Hoyte van Hoytema had to use some incredibly innovative techniques to get there. If you’re not…
In this episode, I share a breakdown of some amazing and unconventional lens choices on the feature film Poor Things. While many lenses were used throughout production, there were 4 in particular that I believe contributed most critically…
In the last year… 17,000+ films were submitted to Sundance. 100,000+ new films were produced or released. 1,000,000+ filmmakers actively worked on original material. And in the next few years these numbers will only grow exponentially.…
In this episode I am joined by DIY filmmaker Marty McGowan, who recently completed his feature film Ava on a budget of just $200! Throughout the episode, we unpack Marty’s creative process, how he pulled off a feature with a 2 person crew,…
In recent years, Hollywood has become more open minded to unconventional creative choices – whether in regards to aspect ratios, coverage style, or glass. As part of this trend, we’ve seen many older / obscure lenses (including vintage…
There are countless reasons why filmmakers quit. But perhaps the most common culprit is rejection. All filmmakers face pushback when trying to build a career. Whether it’s a well meaning parent suggesting a more “stable” job, or an envious…
Poor Things is an amazing feature film that achieves beautiful visuals through unconventional lens choices. In this article, we will explore four of the lenses used to create this signature look. Before we unpack each lens, it’s worth…
In this new solo episode, I break down these 8 common issues that can kill your indie film: Throughout the show I take a deep dive into the root cause of each of these issues, along with practical solutions for working around them. This is…
Last week I got a chance to shoot on the new Kodak Super 8 camera on a new short film. Below, I share a quick behind the scenes look into this project and my experience with the camera. In the next few weeks, I will be sharing a more…
There are a thousand reasons why a film might fail, which is why they say “any completed film is a miracle.” But some issues are more prevalent than others. And it’s always important to avoid falling into these common traps – 1. Big egos…
Over the past week we’ve seen a ton of AI-generated videos made by Sora – the new platform by Open AI. While Sora is not yet publicly available, the company has been releasing dozens of sample clips made with it. Many of which are hard to…
In this episode, I am joined by filmmaker Steven Pierce to talk all about his latest feature film Herd. The film follows a woman that ends up trapped between a zombie outbreak and warring militia groups while trying to outrun her past. An…
Using a non-standard aspect ratio is one of the most effective ways to subtly shift the tone of your film. In this post, I’ve highlighted some contemporary movies that benefitted from non-standard (often vintage) aspect ratio choices. I’ve…
In this new solo episode, I compare and contrast my experience directing and DP’ing two separate feature films, and share tips for other filmmakers looking to do the same. Throughout the episode we cover everything from camera & lens…
I just finished directing & DPing my latest feature film, and wanted to share some thoughts on the process. Hopefully this post can help some of you who are looking to juggle both roles on projects of your own. Before we get into some of…