IFH 553: How to Build a Production Company with Michael D. Ratner

Today's guest is screenwriter Allen Johnson. Allen has taken a unique path to become a working screenwriter. He has been able not only to sell ten screenplays but has been able to do it without an agent and living outside of Hollywood. Allen lives in South Carolina, not exactly a mecca for screenwriting. In this episode, we dive into how he was able to make a living writing screenplays and discuss his tips and tricks to get screenwriting gigs.[Some info on today's guest: Allen Johnson is a Screenwriter, Historic European Martial Artist, and a fight choreographer/stunt fighter. Allen has had several screenplays and stage plays produced with several more in development. He has trained in historic swordplay for over 15 years and has been involved with the Society of American Fight Directors for about 6 years.He also teaches numerous screenwriting classes, workshops, and panels, and has appeared as a guest speaker on writing as well as providing script coverage services to others. He continues to train in historic martial arts with the Palmetto Knights: Historic Steel Combat Team, based out of Columbia, South Carolina.Enjoy my inspirational conversation with Allen Johnson.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

25 Heinä 20231h 2min

Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan are Canadian film directors and producers known for their work in the horror genre. They have collaborated on several projects together, often through their production company, Black Fawn Films.Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan co-founded Black Fawn Films in 2007 with a focus on creating independent horror films. They have since produced and directed numerous feature films, gaining recognition in the Canadian horror scene.Some of their notable collaborations include: "Antisocial" (2013), "The Drownsman" (2014, "Bite" (2015), "Let Her Out" (2016), and "The Heretics" (2017).Chad Archibald and Cody Calahan have established themselves as prominent figures in the Canadian horror film industry, known for their unique storytelling and visually striking movies.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

20 Heinä 20231h 21min

Today on the show we have writer and showrunner Michael Jamin. Michael has been writing for television since 1996. His many credits include Just Shoot Me, King of the Hill, Beavis & Butthead, Wilfred, Out of Practice, Rules of Engagement, Lopez and Tacoma FD.He’s also served as Executive Producer/Showrunner on Glenn Martin DDS, Maron, and Rhett & Link’s Buddy System. Michael currently lives in Los Angeles where he's working on a collection of personal essays to be released in 2020. Michael also launched a new course to help writers interested in working in streaming/television. It's called The Showrunner's Guide to TV Writing. Here's the pitch by Michael.I've watched a bunch of Masterclass videos. They feature amazingly talented writers talking about their craft. At $200, it's a great way to get exposed to their genius. My course is not about getting you exposed. And I want to do more than just inspire you. I do a lot of hand-holding in these lessons. I show you how to take a kernel of an idea, break it into a story with act breaks, then develop that story from outline to script.I lay out the exact process that I use every day to write stories that make people laugh and cry. It's about creating an easily managed structure so that the creative process isn't so daunting. You should continue to draw inspiration from the masters. I certainly do. But if you need more than just inspiration, I can be your guide.Enjoy my conversation with Michael Jamin.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

18 Heinä 202349min

Our guest today is producer, director and screenwriter Marshall Herskovitz. Many of his production projects have been in partnership with his long-time filmmaking collaborator, Edward Zwick whose films, he’s produced and written half of. Their decades-long filmmaking partnership was launched as co-creators of the 1987 TV show, ThirtySomething. Now, Marshall had already written for the TV show, Family, in 1976. So his understanding of TV was pivotal in the success of ThirtySomething.Other projects he’s credited for executive producing or creating include Traffic (2000), The Last Samurai (2003), Nashville (TV show 2016), Blood Diamond, and Women Walks Ahead(2017), starring the incomparable, Jessica Chastain.Marshall show, ThirtySomething, which only ran for four-season was quite successful. Co-created with Zwick, the follows the stories and journeys of seven thirtysomethings living in Philadelphia who struggle with everyday adult angst.[presto_player id=41018]The show's success earned over a dozen Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awards, and personal honors for Marshall from the Writers Guild and a Directors Guild.Herskovitz's filmography is pretty adventurous. We discussed as many as we could in this interview and he was totally down for the ride. But if we are to highlight some must-mentions, Traffic will get the spot. Herskovitz co-produced Traffic in 2000 alongside esteem producer, Laura Bickford and directed by Zwick.The film holds a constant 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and won numerous Oscars BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, and Golden Globes awards in 2001.It followed through grossing a total of $207.5 million on its $46 million budgetThe President appoints a conservative judge to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is a crack addict. Two DEA agents protect an informant. A jailed drug baron's wife attempts to carry on the family business.Another classic of his is the 1999 TV show, Once and Again. A divorced father and a soon-to-be-divorced mother meet and begin a romantic courtship which is always complicated by their respective children and their own life problems.Marshall dropped all sorts of knowledge bombs on the tribe this week. You have to listen to the episode to hear all those extra deets he shared with us about the attempts at rebooting ThirtySomething and many more.Enjoy this conversation with Marshall Herskovitz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

13 Heinä 20231h 44min

S.S. Wilson, the screenwriter of such films as Tremors and Short Circuit, has just finished his second novel Fraidy Cats. Wilson also wrote a book on special effects, stop-motion animation, PUPPETS, AND PEOPLE. In 1983 Wilson and Maddock sold their spec script SHORT CIRCUIT. Directed by John Badham, it was their first produced feature. In quick succession, they wrote SHORT CIRCUIT 2, BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED, GHOST DAD; and served as consultants on Steven Spielberg’s animated THE LAND BEFORE TIME.In 1990 they sold another spec, TREMORS, on which they also served as producers. Directed by fellow USC alum Ron Underwood and starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Reba McEntire, the film became a revered cult classic, spawning three sequels and a TV series. Wilson and Maddock joined with Nancy Roberts (producer of all the Tremors sequels) and Ron Underwood to form Stampede Entertainment in 1992. The first Stampede project was HEART AND SOULS at Universal, starring Robert Downey, Jr.The TREMORS franchise grew with Wilson debuting as a director on TREMORS 2: AFTERSHOCKS for Universal Family Home Entertainment. During the same time period, he and Maddock wrote the green-light draft of Warner Bros. 1999 tent pole release WILD WILD WEST, starring Will Smith.In 2001 it was TREMORS 3: BACK TO PERFECTION, with Stampede partner Brent Maddock directing and Wilson handling the second unit. 2004 saw both the debut of TREMORS: THE SERIES for the Sci-Fi Network (Wilson co-created and co-executive produced with Maddock and Roberts) and TREMORS 4: THE LEGEND BEGINS, with Wilson again at the helm.In addition to screenwriting, Wilson is branching out into fiction. His first book is an action-adventure tale Tucker’s Monster.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

11 Heinä 202337min

Today on the show we have screenwriter and best-selling author Alan Watt. Alan Watt is the author of The 90-Day Novel, Amazon’s #1 book on writing, as well as The 90-Day Rewrite: The Process of Revision and The 90-Day Screenplay: From Concept to Polish. He runs the publishing company, The 90-Day Novel Press which has also published The 90-Day Play. Watt has written screenplays for numerous production companies and is the author of the L.A. Times bestselling novel Diamond Dogs.He has taught everyone from award-winning authors to A-list screenwriters, USC business school students, journalists, poets, actors, professional athletes, war veterans, housewives, doctors, lawyers, maximum security prisoners, television showrunners, Emmy-winning directors, and first-time writers.Many of his students have gone on to successful careers, writing New York Times and International bestsellers, appearing on Oprah, winning major literary awards, becoming top screenwriters and television show-runners, and most importantly, developing a craft and methodology that delivers consistent results.We get into the weeds on how to write a screenplay in 90 days. Enjoy my talk with Alan Watt.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

6 Heinä 20231h

Darious Britt is a filmmaker, YouTuber, and educator known for his work in the film and online video industry. He is popular for his YouTube channel "D4Darious," where he shares filmmaking tips, tutorials, and insights to help aspiring filmmakers improve their craft. On his channel, he covers various aspects of filmmaking, including screenwriting, cinematography, directing, and post-production.Darious Britt's approachable teaching style and informative content have earned him a significant following on YouTube, and he has become a source of inspiration and knowledge for many aspiring filmmakers and content creators. He has also collaborated with other creators and professionals in the industry to share their experiences and expertise with his audience.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

4 Heinä 20232h 33min

Alexander Dinelaris is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winning screenwriter for "Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)", a co-producer on the three time Academy Award® winning film "The Revenant", and the book writer for the Broadway musical "On Your Feet! The story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan", as well as "The Bodyguard Musical" which began on the West End and now performs worldwide.He is the screenwriter and producer of the upcoming feature film, “Jekyll & Hyde” which he is readapting for the London stage. Alexander also wrote the screenplay for "Carmen" which was directed by Benjamin Millepied and premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.film company, Lexicon, is currently developing "State of Motion", a story by Marco Perego Saldana, written by Alexander. Lexicon is also producing "In The Summers" written by Alessandra Lacorazza and "Consurgo", which was written by Alexander.He recently teamed with Grammy winner, Residente, to write a historical film about Puerto Rico. Alexander will be making his directorial debut with a film adaptation of his play, "Still Life" in January of 2024.Please enjoy my conversation with Alexander Dinelaris.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

29 Kesä 20231h 15min