IFH 635: From DIY Filmmaking to Directing Studio Films with Matt Stawski

Blair Witch Project: Directing an Indie Film Phenomenon w/ Eduardo SanchezWho hasn't heard of the now legendary indie film rags to riches tale of  The Blair Witch Project? Every film student from Los Angeles to Mumbai heard the story of how two young film students spent $27,000 (mostly from friends, family and credit cards) to make a little indie horror film that ended up grossing $250 million worldwide.Directors Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick shot The Blair Witch Project in a new way which would later be called "found footage." Without The Blair Witch Project, there is no [easyazon_link identifier="B00304LF0W" locale="US" tag="whatisbroke-20"]Paranormal Activity[/easyazon_link], No [easyazon_link identifier="B00AEFXNGE" locale="US" tag="whatisbroke-20"]Cloverfield[/easyazon_link], No [easyazon_link identifier="B003L20IEW" locale="US" tag="whatisbroke-20"]The Last Exorcism[/easyazon_link].Today's guest Eduardo Sanchez goes back to the late 90's and shares his experience on what it was like to be in the center of The Blair Witch Project hurricane. What it was like being on the cover of Time Magazine and how did it feel to be the toast of Hollywood...for a period of time.We also discuss the aftermath, how his career grew post Blair Witch and crazy stories of Hollyweird.Enjoy my conversation with Eduardo Sanchez.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

23 Okt 20171h 36min

Understanding The Hero's Journey with Chris VoglerWe have all heard about Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey by this point but what is it really. Chris Vogler, the author of The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers and the man who brought the Hero's Journey into the film industry, breaks down the ordinary and special worlds of the hero's journey. Enjoy.These 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; 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.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

18 Okt 201719min

How NOT to Direct a Television Pilot with Dave BullisBefore I get any hate mail I wanted to let you know that our guest today reached out to me and offered to do this episode. So I didn't ask a fellow filmmaker to come on the show and tell us all how not to direct a television pilot. Dave Bullis is a director, writer, and director. He approached me with this idea and I said let's do it. The more truth bombs I can lay on the IFH Tribe the better.Game Over (GO) was a TV pilot I filmed a few years ago about five employees at a video game store struggling to get to the next level in their lives. Dave went through hell making it and his stories even surprised me. Dave also decided to write a length guide to help filmmakers shoot their own projects.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

17 Okt 20171h 7min

Today on the show we have writer/cinematographer/director Julian Galea. He directed a micro-budget film called Love to Paradise.Set in the magical Mediterranean islands of Malta, this indie travel romance proves it’s not love until it’s paradise.When American tourist Giovanni falls for local artist Carmen, they embark on a passionate and unforgettable journey across the Maltese islands only to be broken by the truth. Now at a crossroads, Giovanni choose between his livelihood or a fight to win the love of a woman that forever changed him.Check out the trailer below. I wanted Julian on the show, not only because he made a steller micro-budget film but I wanted him to give us the secrets on how he cracked the top 3 of iTunes Pre-orders with his little indie film. Check out the picture below and see which Big budget Hollywood tentpole films he was beating.Julian Galea is a Maltese-Australian filmmaker. He studied at New York Film Academy as a writer-director. His work includes a series of awarded short films and his latest feature film debut, LOVE TO PARADISE. Enjoy my conversation with Julian Galea.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

11 Okt 20171h

How to Create an Amazon Exclusive Streaming Series with Chris SobchakThis week on the show we have filmmaker Chris Sobchak. Chris co-created an Amazon Streaming Series with star Nicole Sobchack, “Please Tell Me I’m Adopted!” follows free-spirited, wide-eyed, disaster magnet Tiffany who is forced to move in with her newly married sister, roping them into crazy, often culturally-current escapades with outrageous and hilarious consequences. What began as a project for a sketch comedy class is now an original short-form comedy series, which premiered exclusively on Amazon on March 6, 2017.The entire production was crowdfunded by friends, family and even strangers, so it was important for Executive Producer Chris Sobchak to keep costs down as much as possible. This led to him and Nicole doing the entire post process, including CGI, sound design, VFX, color and editing, themselves. The project took about two years to complete, with Chris needing to do some of the work on the road while working as the Drum and Percussion Technician for Elton John. Enjoy my conversation with Chris Sobchak.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

8 Okt 20171h 4min

How to Make a Killer Horror Film in One Location with Michael WilliamsIf you have a micro or no budget feature film shooting in one location will make life a lot easier. Now, how do you make that one location look great and not boring through your film? Indie Filmmaker Michael Williams did just that with his new horror film The Atoning. Check out the trailer below. Michael Williams began creating short films in 2004 and since has consistently produced short films and screened them for audiences at annual film festivals and screenings across the U.S.Williams earned his bachelor of arts in film in 2009 from the University of Southern Mississippi and was awarded the Top Film Student of 2009 Award. In 2007 Williams began his professional film career, accumulating a multitude of credits ranging from assistant camera to director of photography for many independent short and feature-length films.After writing, directing and producing more than 20 short films, Williams broke into the feature-length film territory with the award-winning film OzLand". While his desire to tell complex stories visually drew him to a career in cinematography, as an artist and storyteller, Williams writes and directs films like "OzLand" in order to share his stories with those interested in experiencing them while eagerly pursuing the opportunity to bring other people's stories to life as a director of photography.For his 2nd feature film, Williams turned to the horror/supernatural thriller genre for "The Atoning", an award-winning family drama explored through a fresh take on the thriller/horror genre.Today, the filmmaker owns and operates Shendopen films in West Point, Mississippi and continues to write and direct his own independent films, produce films by other regional filmmakers and works regionally in the industry as a director of photography. Enjoy my conversation with Michael Williams.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

2 Okt 201753min

How Screenwriters Can Navigate the Hollywood System with Scott MeyersFor screenwriters, navigating the shark-infested waters of the Hollywood system can be a daunting task. You never know what the producer or studio is looking for. How do you pitch your story properly? So many questions. I hope today's guest can help guide you a bit through those waters.Scott Meyers has been a professional Hollywood screenwriter for over 30 years. Since selling his spec script K-9 in 1987, Scott has written 30 projects for every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network. His film writing credits include K-9 starring Jim Belushi, Alaska starring Vincent Kartheiser, and Trojan War starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.From 2002–2010, Scott was an executive producer at Trailblazer Studios, a television production company. In 2002, he began teaching screenwriting in his spare time. He won the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Outstanding Instructor Award in 2005 and for eight years taught in the Writing for Screen and Stage program at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.He has hosted Go Into The Story, an amazing screenwriting website, since its launch May 16, 2008, and is partnered with the Black List as its official screenwriting blog.Scott breaks down the Hollywood system, talks about story and structure and just tells it how it really is in the business. Enjoy my conversation with Scott Meyers. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEGo Into the StoryScott Meyer- FacebookScott Meyer - TwitterBuy This is Meg on iTunesDOWNLOAD - The Coen Brothers ScreenplaysDOWNLOAD - Chris Nolan ScreenplaysDOWNLOAD - Quentin Tarantino ScreenplaysDOWNLOAD - TV Script for 2016-2017 SeasonSPONSORSVideoBlocks.com - (IFH Discount SAVE $50)Martin Scorsese Teaches Film Directing MasterclassFREE Movie Trailer Editing CourseHollywood Film & Television Directing Masterclass (EXCLUSIVE 50% OFF)Directing Actors Master Course – (30% OFF – CODE: HUSTLE)Get Your Film on Netflix, Hulu & Amazon & Keep 100% of the Revenue - DistribberHollywood Camera Work: Mastering High-End Blocking and Staging (30% OFF – CODE: HUSTLE)KILLER RESOURCES!!!IFH Masters Circle Filmmaking CommunityIFH's Online Film SchoolSix Secrets to get into Film Festivals for FREE!To share your thoughts:Leave a note in the comment section below.Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.To help the show:Leave an honest review onBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

25 Sep 20171h 27min

Anytime I location scout a property we are going to shoot at I always look out for the boobie traps that might hurt the shoot. Finding an dealing with locations can be a nightmare, especially when you have little or no budget.Today on the show I have locations guru Brian L. Tan. Brian is the founder of Wrapal.com, a site built to help filmmakers and property owner find location love. We discuss a bunch of tips and tricks to get locations on the cheap, if not for free and we go over the pitfalls that many filmmakers fall into when shooting on location.Below you'll find a great guide on how to location scout on a budget, written by Brian, as well as some genius videos they created. Enjoy and happy hunting!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

21 Sep 20171h 4min