IFH 226: The NO Bullsh*t Guide to Making Your Indie Film with Jeff Leisawitz

In this episode I  speak to prolific film producer/writer/director Mike Feifer. Mike has directed over 70 films and produced over 100 feature films.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

13 Aug 20192h 10min

In today's world, personal branding is more important than ever. I wanted to discuss what personal branding is, how to go about it and examples of how other world-famous filmmakers branded themselves. What is the definition of personal branding?Personal branding is the practice of marketing people and their careers as brands. It is an ongoing process of developing and maintaining a reputation and impression of an individual, group, or organization. Whereas some self-help practices focus on self-improvement, personal branding defines success as a form of self-packaging. The term is thought to have originated from an article written by Tom Peters in 1997. In Be, Your Own Brand, first published in 1999, marketers David McNally and Karl Speak wrote: "Your brand is a perception or emotion, maintained by somebody other than you, that describes the total experience of having a relationship with you."Individuals sometimes associate personal names or pseudonyms with their businesses. Celebrities may also leverage their social status to support organizations for financial or social gain. For example, Kim Kardashian endorses brands and products through her media influence. - WikipediaI also discuss why I legally changed my name to Alex Ferrari when I was 18 years old. I hope you start thinking of not only what your personal brand is but also how to build it. Enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

8 Aug 201920min

Today on the show we have writer, producer, and actor Nick Sinakis. Nick and his writing partner created the film My Best Friend's Famous, an indie film produced for under $10,000 and made it entirely out of his apartment. He acted, co-wrote, produced and edited the film while his writing partner directed, produced and scored the film.Through a little HUSTLE (haha couldn't help myself) he managed to attract to the film MINDY STERLING (most known as Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers, Goldbergs) as well as OSCAR® NOMINEE RYAN O''NEAL (Love Story, Barry Lyndon).  The rest of the cast is rounded out with DAVID ROSS PATERSON (Saving Mr. Banks, Benjamin Button, Frost Nixon) as well as some young up and coming comedians.I wanted him on the show to, first of all, find out how he attracted his cast for such an indie film, to discuss how he was able to make his film look much bigger than a $10k indie and what he learned from Indie Film Hustle that helped him along his journey making his film.Enjoy my conversation with Nick Psinakis.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

6 Aug 201940min

We have a special episode today. I wanted to discuss a topic that NEVER gets discussed until minutes before the cameras begin to roll, shooting sex scenes. Loving making or sex scenes are like walking through a field of landmines. I've shot these kinds of scenes in my life and it's​ just uncomfortable for everyone on set. Today we have a guest who literally wrote a book on the subject, John Bucher.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

30 Juli 201920min

Today on the show we have the chairman of the legendary Cooke Optics empire. For over 100 years, Cooke has been at the center​ of the filmmaking business. We've been listening to the community of which we are apart​. We lead by introducing new products such as /i Technology, and we remember our success is built on a simple idea - do what the filmmaker needs.Enjoy my conversation with Les Zellan.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

23 Juli 201959min

Today on the show we have filmmaker Andrew Kortschak. In today’s digital age, where ‘releasing’ a film involves putting it on Vimeo, new filmmakers often struggle to rise above the noise and break into the exclusive industry.Andrew has a unique approach to this problem and in fact joined forces with a Silicon Valley venture capitalist to build End Cue like a tech startup: via a bi-coastal incubator model where directors cut their teeth and build their portfolios doing commercial work. On such alum of this approach is Jon Watts - Andrew co-produced his NBR award-winning film Cop Car before he’d go on to direct Spiderman: Homecoming.To further address the pain-points of young producers, End Cue even sprouted groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to save time during the scriptwriting process. This was a fascinating conversation. Enjoy my talk with Andrew Kortschak.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

17 Juli 201953min

Today's guest is Filmtrepreneur Luke Neumann. Luke has taken a very interesting filmmaking path. He runs a very popular YouTube channel with over 140,000 subscribers. On his channel, you'll see DIY film tutorials, filmmaking tips and tricks, aerial drone videos, short films and vlogs presented in 4K/UHD, 4K/60fps and 8K. What makes him a Filmtrepreneur is that he leveraged his audience and created multiple revenue streams.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

16 Juli 201958min

After months of preparation, it's finally here, The Filmtrepreneur Podcast! After the success of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast and the Bulletproof Screenwriting Podcast, I felt there was another area of the filmmaking process that I could help filmmakers with, how to actually make money with their films. Filmtrepreneur was born.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

16 Juli 201922min