IFH 586: Inside the Blumhouse Filmmaking Machine with Marcus Dunstan

First of all, we made it to 350 episodes. HOLY CRAP! Thank you all for all the love and support that you have given me, this show and Indie Film Hustle in general. To celebrate I'm launching the first-ever MAKE YOUR MOVIE BOOTCAMP. The Bootcamp is a LIVE two-day intensive designed to show you how to make, market and sell a feature film. I've been working on this for months and I finally get to release it to the world.I wanted to create a workshop that could jump-start people on their filmmaking career but with my flavor of course. Below is a fraction of what I'll be diving into at the Bootcamp.Ideas: Learn how to flesh out your ideas into a marketable film project.Screenwriting Process: We go over the basics of screenwriting and discuss alternative methods of writing like scriptments and improv.Finding Money: Alternate ways to raise money for your film.Crowdfunding: Discuss the dos and don'ts of what makes a successful campaign.Directing Your Film: I breakdown methods and techniques that will jump-start your directing journey.Post Production Workflows: Where many indie films die. This won't happen to you. I'll teach you the proper way to set up your workflow and get you and your film to the finish line.Marketing and Building an Audience: Once you have your film done you need to get it out into the world. I will go over proven techniques that will help you build and target an audience.Submitting to Film Festivals: Tricks and techniques on what to do and definitely what not to do when taking your film on the festival circuit. This one section that will save you thousands of dollars and years of your life.Self Distribution Models: I'll teach you how to run a successful self-distribution campaign by using multiple case studies on how it is done correctly.Avoid Predatory Film Distributors: It is shark-infested waters out there. We go over what to look out for when dealing with traditional and predatory film distributors.Revenue Streams: I do a deep dive into how to create multiple revenue streams from your indie film.Breaking Through Your Fear: I show you techniques to break through your own creative fears and finally make the feature film you have always wanted to.PLUS: Two Surprise film industry heavy hitters will come into Guest Speak and answer questions.Why Do You Need This Bootcamp?Jump Start Your Feature FilmIt takes a lot of time and energy to get a feature film off the ground, but it doesn't have too. I shot my first film in 8 days and completed the entire process, from idea to final product, within 3 months. The film went on to be sold internationally and was licensed by Hulu. I will teach you the techniques I used to make this happen.Marketing and Audience BuildingIn today's world if you do not understand how to get your indie film in front of the right customers you are dead in the water. I've built a large platform with millions of eyeballs. I will teach you my secret sauce for audience building.Avoid Distribution PitfallsThere are a lot of predatory film distributors in the industry today that are all too happy to take advantage of you. If you are not careful you could end up making a non-tax deductible donation to one of these sharks and loss your film for 15 years. I will show you how to avoid these snakes and how to find a good distributor to partner with.Actually, Make Money with Your FilmI will discuss the Filmtrepreneur® Method of filmmaking. Thinking more like an entrepreneurial filmmaker is imperative moving forward in the business. Creating multiple revenue and passive income streams from your film projects is the key to a sustainable career.The MAKE YOUR MOVIE BOOTCAMP will be taking place Oct 26 &27 in Burbank, CA at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Burbank. If you want to get 20% off the ticket price CLICK HERE.This will be EPIC. When you finish this Bootcamp you will be ready to make, market and sell your feature film. I go over the details in this episode so take a listen and I hope to meet you in person at the MAKE YOUR MOVIE BOOTCAMP.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

28 Sep 201915min

oday on the show I have Klaus Badelt. We do a deep dive into the state of independent film and self-distribution. We also discuss the Distribber debacle and how filmmakers can get access to their films back from Distribber.Klaus is not only a tech entrepreneur he also writes the occasional score for feature films including The Thin Red Line, The Prince of Egypt, Gladiator, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.He also founded Filmhub, a unique way to distribute your indie film. Filmhub allows filmmakers to upload your film for free, while streaming channels discover, order, and stream your work - worldwide. Once revenue starts flowing, 80% goes to you. No deductions or fees. That's it.Enjoy my epic conversation with Klaus Badelt.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

26 Sep 20191h 45min

Today on the show we have writer/director Rob Smat. His niche film is THE LAST WHISTLE. It is a Football Drama with a budget 125K, the crew was almost entirely film students, shot in 13 days in Texas, distributed worldwide by Vertical Ent. for 10 theater release this past June and originated as a pitch for Rebel Without a Crew TV show and was turned down so I made it myselfRob formed a cast from high-level B-list stars, fostered relationships with distributors before shooting, and focused on production value without losing sight of the story.  Trying to recoup budget rather than use the festival circuit to find an audience he did not submit the film to any major festivals, we discuss the pros and cons of that strategy.He was 22 when I started developing the project and wanted THE LAST WHISTLE to lead him to a place where he could build a filmmaking business model that could sustain his filmmaking goals.Enjoy my conversation with Rob Smat.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

25 Sep 20191h 19min

There are a few filmmaking books that have made as big of an impact on the craft of directing like today's guest's Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, written by director Steve Katz.Shot by Shot is the world’s go-to directing book, now newly updated for a special 25th Anniversary edition! The first edition sold over 250,000 copies, making it one of the bestselling books on film directing of all time. Aspiring directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers, many of whom are now working professionals, learned the craft of visual storytelling from Shot by Shot, the most complete source for preplanning the look of a movie.The book contains over 800 photos and illustrations and is by far the most comprehensive look at shot design in print, containing storyboards from movies such as Citizen Kane, Blade Runner, Dead-pool, and Moonrise Kingdom. Also introduced is the concept of A, I, and L patterns as a way to simplify the hundreds of staging choices facing a director in every scene.Shot by Shot uniquely blends story analysis with compositional strategies, citing examples then il-lustrated with the storyboards used for the actual films. Throughout the book, various visual approaches to short scenes are shown, exposing the directing processes of our most celebrated auteurs ― including a meticulous, lavishly illustrated analysis of Steven Spielberg’s scene design for Empire of the Sun.Enjoy my conversation with Steve Katz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

20 Sep 20191h 42min

In this episode, I ask the question do film aggregators make sense anymore? Does it make sense for every indie film? I also discuss the larger problem that the Distribber meltdown has shown us about the entire film agreeation business. This is an eye opening show.I also give you updates on the Distribber debacle and bring you the latest information from the frontline.Take a listen. I hope this helps!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

17 Sep 201956min

In this episode, I update filmmakers on the emergency situation going on with the film aggregator Distribber. In last weeks episode, I spoke a bit about what is going on with this company. After that show I kept getting emails, messages, and tweets of filmmakers telling me their horror stories of no one return email, no people picking up calls, nonpayments​ for months and so on. I'm in the same situation with my film This is Meg.I decided to dig deep into the problem and find out what the hell is going on. I breakdown everything I know about what is happening and give you a few ways to protect yourself and your film.Also, their website www.distribber.com is still live but DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR FILM. They would just be taking the money and not providing a service. Take a listen. I hope this helps!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

12 Sep 201925min

Today on the show is one take filmmaker Gavin Michael Booth. Gavin is obsessed with one take movies, music videos and real-time filmmaking in general. His latest film is Last Call. Shot in two true single takes, filmed simultaneously in two different parts of a city, Last Call, is a real-time​ feature presented in split-screen​ showcasing both ends of a wrong number phone call that has the potential to save a life. The film's music was also conducted and recorded live to picture.Gavin Michael Booth is an award-winning​ filmmaker hailing from Toronto, Canada. He works as a writer, director, producer​, ​ and editor. His film THE SCAREHOUSE was distributed by NBC/Universal (USA) and D Films (Canada) (currently available on Amazon Prime & Showtime) with international releasing including the Philippines, UK, Australia, Germany and more. The Scarehouse won Best Feature at the New York City Horror Film Festival. Booth was recently nominated for two videos of the Year awards for Canadian Country Music as well as Director of the Year by Now Magazine.In October 2015 Booth broke new filmmaking ground teaming up with producer Jason Blum (The Purge, Get Out) to create the world’s first movie broadcast live using Twitter’s Periscope App. BLUMHOUSE'S FIFTEEN was a success with worldwide media coverage.He is also co-writer of Sony's DEAD RUSH, another Canadian produced feature. His short film ARE YOU MY MOMMY is currently on the festival circuit, taking awards home from several fests. Booth has worked with top entertainers in the music industry with music videos and documentary projects for Eminem’s D-12, The Tea Party, SYML, Third Eye Blind, Vanessa Carlton and more. These projects have aired on global television as well as appeared on best-selling DVDs and Enhanced CDs released by major labels.Enjoy my conversation with Gavin Michael Booth.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

10 Sep 20191h 33min

I'm pissed off guys. I'm tired of getting emails, messages, and calls from filmmakers who have been or are going to get taken advantage of by a traditional film distributor. THIS NEEDS TO STOP! So many filmmakers have been taken advantage of by predatory film distributors over the years that is has become a punchline. It's not funny.These predatory film distributors are destroying the lives of filmmakers. I know filmmakers with families that extended themselves financially to make their films. Then once they sign on the dotted line with a predatory film distributor never heard from them again. This poor filmmaker has little to no recourse. They basically made a non-tax deductible donation to the distributor.It's disgusting and it needs to stop. In this episode, I expose a lot of tricks these predatory film distributors use to con and steal from filmmakers. I also talk about some other options filmmakers have and discuss what a good film distributor looks like. I even call out one of the good guys in the film distributor game.Even self distribution is not safe. I’ve been a big supporter of the film aggregator Distribber over the years because they were of great help releasing my film This is Meg. But many of the people I worked with there have left the company. The Distribber I promoted for years is not the same company that is in business today. I have been hearing way too many stories about filmmakers not getting paid, can't get anyone to return their calls, and I just need to call this out. I NO LONGER recommend the ANY filmmaker use Distribber to self distribute their film. This is just a taste of what you can expect to hear in this episode. I truly hope this helps filmmakers out there and please spread the word.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

6 Sep 201933min