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

How to Make Money with YouTube with Christopher SharpeToday's guest is a bonafide Youtube Guru. Chris has not only created one but two massive Youtube Channels. His first was with his wife called Hilah's Cooking which has close to 400,000 users and launched books, speaking engagements, Food Network appearances and much more.From there he partnered with actress/yoga instructor Adriene Mishler and launched the Yoga with Adriene channel. Now that channel's user base is 3.3 Million subscribers. If you type "Yoga" into Youtube Adriene comes up for the first 7 videos. CRAZY!Together Chris and Adriene built an online empire. They have a huge membership site, licenced products, a US tour and more. Chris shares the secrets on how he was able to hack the Youtube algorithm and get his video ranked in a MASSIVELY competitive space like YOGA.  Chris literally wrote the book on the subject: [easyazon_link identifier="B00N6TZ19M" locale="US" tag="whatisbroke-20"]YouTube Black Book: How To Create a Channel, Build an Audience and Make Money on YouTube[/easyazon_link]About the Book: Are you ready to launch your own YouTube Channel, develop a devoted fan base and make money while you’re at it? Christopher Sharpe is the producer of multiple YouTube Channels that attract passionate audiences and add thousands of new subscribers per day. In YouTube Black Book, Christopher shares how he launched these channels and shows you how to turn a passion for creating YouTube videos into a profitable business. YouTube Black Book offers you a glimpse behind the scenes. Christopher shares his journey with complete transparency so you can emulate his success and avoid his failures. This book focuses on the big pictures strategy of what it really means to create a successful YouTube channel. From setting goals and developing your initial idea to strategies to get more views, YouTube Black Book covers all the bases. Christopher Sharpe is the producer and director of the popular YouTube Channels Hilah Cooking and Yoga With Adriene. Get ready to take notes on this epic interview with Christopher Sharpe.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

22 Mar 20181h 1min

The NO Bullsh*t Guide to Making Your Indie Film with Jeff LeisawitzHave you ever been in a place where nothing is going right creatively? Do you ever feel like you are standing in your own way? Me too. Today's guest is author Jeff Leisawitz who wrote Not F*ing Around— the No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground.  This little pack quite a punch. I wanted to have Jeff on the show to drop some knowledge bombs to wake up the tribe a bit. To help you get out of you own way; to get you out of any creative rut. About the book: Can't quite get your creative juices flowing? The day job sucking your soul? Fizzled out before you put the finishing touches on your amazing creation? With relentless positivity, full-on authenticity and a punk rock thunder spirit, author Jeff Leisawitz pulls back the curtain on the creative process and reminds us that we are all creative SuperStars.It's time to get off the couch and get on the path. It's time to tap into the cosmic heartbeat that thumps in your chest and shines from your soul. It's time to get NFA!About Jeff Leisawitz: Jeff is an award-winning musician/ producer, a critically acclaimed author and internationally distributed filmmaker who has devoted his life to creativity.As the guy behind Electron Love Theory, Jeff fused interviews with Seattle’s WTO demonstrators into electronic music, garnering more than a quarter million downloads worldwide. Jeff has released five studio albums and has landed thousands of music placements in film, TV and multimedia for clients like HBO, MTV, Discovery, Microsoft, NBC and many others.As the founding writer for Seattle’s taste-making alternative rock station 107.7 The End, he chronicled the alternative grunge scene in the 90s.After training as a Life Coach and practicing NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Re-Patterning) Jeff landed a gig as an adjunct faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University— teaching college students to rock. (Seriously)When creative businesses, schools and organizations like Brown Paper Tickets, Tacoma School of the Arts, Gage Academy of Art, Northwest Film Forum and others need to amp up the creativity, Jeff leads workshops and events to fire up the creative spirit and empower people to tap into their true potential.Enjoy my conversation with Jeff Leisawitz. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

19 Mar 201858min

How to Shot a Feature Film in 24 Hours with Ivan MalekinImagine shooting an entire feature film in 24 hours. How could you do something like that and not make it a bad stage play? Today's guest was not only able to do that but made a damn good film in the process. Ivan Malekin and his partner Sarah Jayne directed the feature film Friends, Foes & Fireworks in just one night (24 hours). Here's some info on the film.An intimate New Year's Eve reunion of five female friends in the independent acting scene becomes a test of relationships when old tensions spark, truths are told, and rivalries are reignited. Will the group make it through the night together or will their friendship fizzle out like an overzealous fireworks display?Filmed in a single night, the craziest and most chaotic night of the year - NYE - and relying entirely on improvisation, Friends, Foes & Fireworks is an ambitious Australian drama exploring relationships, love, friendship and the truths we try and fail to keep to ourselves.We dive into what it took to make a film in 24 hours, did they use a script or scriptment? How many cameras? How many crew and much more. Get ready to be inspired and enjoy my conversation with Ivan Malekin.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

13 Mar 201829min

TOP SECRET Indie Film Hustle Project Finally RevealedThe day is finally here. I've been teasing you guys for months now. The top secret project I've been working on is my next feature film called "On the Corner of Ego and Desire." The entire film was shot at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The film was written, produced, directed by me, produced by Adam Bowman of Media Circus, shot by Austin Nordell and starring Rob Alicea, Sonja O'Hara, and Randy Ramos Jr.Here is the synopsis:Three hapless independent filmmakers make the trek to the Sundance Film Festival and go through absolute hell in search for the elusive producer that is supposedly going to buy their independent feature film, all within 24 hours. With a producer who stole money from his mother's retirement account to fund the film, to a director who thinks she's the next Francois Truffaut, to an actor/editor who is a doormat for everyone, this motley crew of misfit filmmakers have a tough time navigating the chaotic world of the Sundance Film Festival. Ignorance, foolishness and above all ego drive the team to implosion as they struggle to realize their filmmaking dreams.I wanted to make a film that would be an allegory of what "not" to do with an indie film. The movie is funny, sad, ridiculous and heart-wrenching. I didn't want to announce the project without being able to show the IFH Tribe something so check out the teaser trailer by going to On the Corner of Ego and Desire - Official SiteLet me know what you guys think. Take a listen to the episode as I go into more detail on how we shot it, what camera and lenses we used and much more. I'll be breaking down the process of how the film came together in the coming weeks and months. For some behind the scenes photos of the production go to: On the Corner of Ego and Desire - Official Site.I hope this little film will inspire you to go out and tell your story. Keep that hustle going, keep that dream alive and I'll talk to you soon.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

12 Mar 201817min

Inside the Raindance Film Festival with Founder Elliot GroveToday’s guest is the legendary film author and founder of the Raindance Film Festival Elliot Grove. Elliot is not only the founder of Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. He has produced over hundreds of short films and also five feature films, including the multi-award-winning The Living and the Dead in 2006. He teaches screenwriting and producing in the UK, Europe, Asia and America.Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking and Beginning Filmmaking: 100 Easy Steps from Script to Screen (Professional Media Practice).He has produced over 700 shorts and 6 features including the new action film AMBER.I sat down to talk shop, what the state of indie film is today and all things Raindance. Enjoy my conversation with Elliot Grove.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

10 Mar 201855min

How to Shoot and Sell a $5000 Micro-Budget Feature Film with Claudia PickeringToday's guest is writer/director/actor/producer Claudia Pickering. She recently wrote and directed the feature film "Frisky" for just $5000. I wanted to have her on the show to discuss the tricks of the trade when making a feature for such a low budget. The film has also played at countless film festivals and won a ton of awards. Check out the trialer below.Two twenty-somethings move to San Francisco to chase their career but end up chasing tail instead.When two twenty-something women move back to San Francisco, where they had met on exchange years earlier, their high career aspirations quickly become sidelined by their sexual interests. While wildly crass and charismatic in their public personas, they are in fact fundamentally at odds on many levels. Their opposing beliefs surrounding responsibility and romance, combined with their close quarters while crashing in an acquaintance's living room, find them thrust onto a fast track to discovering what their friendship is really made of. Based on true events, Frisky is an honest, tongue-in-cheek look at what it is to be a woman in the limbo years between college and "the real world".Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

8 Mar 201851min

Finding an Audience for Indie Films in 2018 with Shaked BerensonToday's guest is a returning champion Shaked Berenson from Epic Pictures. On this special edition Sundance episode Shaked and I discuss marketing and finding an audience for your indie films in 2018. We discuss their recent acquisition of the Horror Blog/Brand Dread Central and how you can use today's tools to find your audience. Shaked has produced films like the cult hit Turbo Kid (SXSW Audience Award), Entertainment (Official Sundance Film Festival Selection) and the animated film Space Dogs: Adventure to the Moon. What is great about Shaked is that he has created his own ecosystem. From financing to production to distribution, all under one umbrella. This way he cuts out the middleman and he can keep more of the profits.Thanks again to Media Circus PR who co-produced these podcasts episodes with me. Enjoy my interview with Shaked Berenson. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

1 Mar 201835min

How to Package an Indie Film for Investors with Tiffany BoyleToday on the show is Tiffany Boyle from Ramo Law. Tiffany helps indie filmmakers package their projects in a way that helps them attract producers, investors, other top-end actors, and studios. We had a great conversation at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Here's some info on today's guest.Tiffany Boyle has been with Ramo Law since 2009, where she works with the attorneys to review, collaborate, develop, submit and supervise creative materials on behalf of clients within the Firm. Boyle actively works with clients in connection to production and distribution opportunities that bring their new material to life. From television (unscripted/scripted) to feature films to internet properties, she oversees all creative content represented by the firm. Her recent projects include REBIRTH (Netflix original film), YOUTH IN OREGON (starring Christine Applegate, Billy Crudup and Frank Langella), SPRING (premiered in TIFF), THE 12TH HOUR (documentary narrated by Jeff Bridges), STUCK IN LOVE(starring Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly), FRANKIE GO BOOM (starring Charlie Hunnam), SOME GIRL(S) (starring Adam Brody), and FREE SAMPLES (starring Jesse Eisenberg). She also executive produced I-LIVED (directed by Franck Khalfoun).Prior to joining Ramo Law, Boyle was the Director of Sales at Crystal Sky Pictures (GHOST RIDER, TEKKEN). Her responsibilities included the creation of marketing materials, coordination of marketing and delivery materials for international buyers and planning and selling at markets and festivals (including EFM, AFM, Marche Du Film, MIPCOM, Sundance and Toronto). She also acted as the financial intermediary for buyer collections and proper bank filings.Boyle was previously a development assistant at Crystal Sky, working under head of production Benedict Carver (UNDERWORLD, RESIDENT EVIL) and head of international sales Daniel Diamond (THE BELIEVER). She worked in all aspects of production on the company’s films, including DOOMSDAY, BIG STAN and BRATZ.Thanks again to Media Circus PR who co-produced these podcasts episodes with me. Enjoy my interview with Tiffany Boyle.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

21 Feb 201823min