IFH 456: From Indie Docs to the Last King of Scotland with Oscar® Winner Kevin Macdonald

This week we have Rafael Diaz Wagner, co-writer, and producer of the new Cult Classic "Attack of the Killer Donuts." Yes, that is really the name of the film and it's glorious. He started making films with a Beta Camera when he was 10 years old. Since then Rafael has written or co-written over 15 screenplaysI wanted to find out how this film was made, marketed and sold. It's a wonderful case study. Check out the trailer below and get ready to laugh.Here a quote from the Hollywood Report review of the :"If John Waters and George Romero dropped acid together and then spent the night at their local Krispy Kreme, they might have concocted something like Attack of the Killer Donuts. But the fact that such a film actually exists, and is exactly what it claims to be about, is something that even the best drugs can’t help explain."And here is the poster that got me interested in  speaking to Rafael. They knew who their market was and marketed directly to them.Enjoy my conversation with writer/producer Rafael Diaz Wagner.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

20 Okt 20161h 11min

How to Shoot Super 16mm Film with Egon Stephen Jr.So you want to be a filmmaker. You want to put the FILM back into FILMmaking. Well this episode is for you. Film is not dead. It has been quietly working in the background of the industry.Some of the productions that shooting film these days are:Mad Max: Fury RoadNoahThe AvengersThe Bourne LegacyCaptain America: The First AvengerIron Man 2The Magnificent SevenWestworldThe Girl on the TrainThe Walking DeadJack ReacherBatman vs SupermanStar Wars: The Force AwakensStar Wars: Rogue OneSpectreThe Hateful EightJurassic WorldWonder WomanAmerican Horror StoryStar TrekThe knowledge to shoot film is dying. There's nowhere online where you can take a course on how to shoot Super 16mm film. The "workshops" available are extremely expensive and don't really give you practical knowledge from someone who has actually shot in the field.I wanted to put together an online course to preserve that knowledge for future filmmakers. Today's guest, Director of Photography Egon Stephen Jr, and I got together and shot The Definitive Super 16 mm Film Masterclass.So in today's show Egon and I drop some knowledge bombs on shooting film. So if you ever wanted to know if shoot "real" was an option for your indie feature or short film then perk up those ears. Enjoy my conversation with Egon Stephen Jr.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

17 Okt 20161h 24min

Directing Actors & How to Become an Actor’s Director with Per HolmesDirecting actors can be one of the most difficult parts of wearing the director's hat. Actors speak a language that a director must understand if they are to pull and nurture an amazing performance. Unfortunately film schools do not teach this must need "foreign language" course.I've worked with every kind of actor there is. From Oscar® Nominated to fresh out of acting class. Pulling a good performance can be tough and I would get very frustrated sometimes because I couldn't speak there language.Then I met Per Holmes. Per created a gaming change course years ago called "Hollywood Camera Work: Mastering High-End Blocking and Staging." I loved this course and it's a must for any filmmaker.When I heard he was creating a "Directing Actors" course I was in. I was able to take the course right before I shot my first feature film "This is Meg" and it helped me immensely. I was able to speak the actor's language and nurture the performance I needed for the story.I asked Per Holmes to be a guest on the show because I've never taken a course where the instructor was so detailed, thought out and passionate about the subject. Directing Actors is INSANE.  Here's a bit on the course.Years in the making, Directing Actors is the most comprehensive acting and directing training in the world. Created by Per Holmes, the course teaches a better way to be a Director, by having extremely strong technique, and the right philosophy and personality on the set.Through almost a thousand examples, we cover literally every acting and directing technique, every interaction between Actor and Director, and we cast, rehearse and shoot 9 scenes.Directing Actors is the result of Per Holmes' personal obsession with resolving once and for all the best way to work with Actors. Every known technique has been tested, and the results are surprising, sometimes shocking. Directing Actors has involved almost 150 people through 7 years of development and 3 years of shooting and editing, including almost a hundred talented Actors who have gracefully allowed us to show the process without any filters.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

13 Okt 20161h 40min

Secrets of Indie Film Producing with Suzanne LyonsThis week on the show we have a returning guest, Indie Film Producing guru Suzaane Lyons.Suzanne Lyons is president/producer of Snowfall Films, Inc. and to date has produced or exec produced twelve feature films with budgets that range from $200,000 to $10 million.  Suzanne has worked with talent that including Brenda Blethyn, Christopher Walken, Naomi Watts, Alfred Molina, James Caan, Dean Cain, Ariel Winter, Susan Sarandon, Donald Sutherland, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Lovitz, Asia Argento, Winona Ryder, Peter Fonda, Ed Begley, Jr. and more. Suzanne’s films have won a gamut of awards and festivals from the prestigious BAFTA award, a premier at the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, best picture at Shockerfest, the UK Horror Fest and acceptance into the Toronto, Berlin. LA and Montreal Film Festivals.  In addition to her work as a film producer, Suzanne designed and ran the film school, Flash Forward Institute, with a focus on marketing oneself in the industry. She has guest lectured at over 60 industry events, guilds and organization. In 2012 she published her book through Focal Press (Taylor and Francis) called “Indie Film Producing: The Craft of Low Budget Filmmaking.” Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

10 Okt 20161h 17min

'Blue Jay' & Directing Mark Duplass with Alex LehmannOn today's episode I have the pleasure of interviewing first-time feature film director Alex Lehmann. And his first film is a hell of way to launch a directing career. His new film is called Blue Jay starring Mark Duplass (who also wrote and produced) and Sarah Paulson (recent Emmy Winner for The People vs OJ Simpson).Blue Jay just had it's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews:"If the hour and a half spent inside this story seems fleeting, it's only because sometimes that's the best you can ask of a good nostalgia trip." - IndieWire"Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson have extraordinary chemistry, painting a cumulative portrait of the fragility and rareness of being truly in sync with a partner." - Slate MagazineMeeting by chance when they return to their tiny California hometown, two former high-school sweethearts (Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson) reflect on their shared past through the lens of their differently dissatisfied presents, in this tender, wise and affecting chamber drama from first-time feature director Alex Lehmann.Check out my conversation with Alex Lehmann and if you listen to until the end he promises to give out Mark Duplass' personal cell number. Apparently this is how Mark likes to be pitched. Enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

4 Okt 20161h 8min

How a Camera and Hustle Created a $30 Million Empire with Joel HollandGet ready to be inspired. I want to bring this week's guest onto the show for a while now. Joel Holland is the founder and CEO of VideoBlocks, the first subscription-based provider of stock video and audio, with over 100,000 customers in the television and video production industry, from NBC to MTV to pro-sumers and hobbyists looking to enhance their video projects and productions. There's a lot indie filmmakers can learn from Joel. In 2013, VideoBlocks was ranked the 32nd fastest growing technology company in the US/Canada, and the 2nd fastest growing technology company in the DC region by Deloitte for the Fast500, for achieving 7,000% revenue growth over the past 5 years.Photo Credit: VideoBlocks.comIn 2012, VideoBlocks was named the #4 Fastest Growing Media Company by Inc. Magazine, and made the prestigious Inc. 500 list. For his work with VideoBlocks, Joel has been named one of the "Top 25 Entrepreneurs Under 25" by BusinessWeek Magazine, "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" by the United States Small Business Administration, and "Entrepreneur of the Year" for the Greater Washington DC Region by Ernst & Young.In 2013, Joel was recognized on the Inc. "30 Under 30" list: He is the definition of the word "Hustle." Sit back and enjoy my conversation with Joel Holland.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

28 Sep 20161h 15min

What if I told you you could production design an entire house with for a hundred bucks. Can't believe it? How about if I throw in labor, delivery, setup and guys will come and pickup all the furniture when you're done? I didn't believe either until I did it. In this episode I discuss the little loop hole/trick I used to furnish an entire house for my film BROKEN. You can get thousands of dollars worth of high end furniture, appliances, computers, televisions, lamps, tables, dining sets, bedroom sets and all sorts of accessories for pennies on the dollar. Now this solution is not for every film. If you are doing a period piece or drug den this ain't for you. This technique will work for contemporary decor and it works great. Are you drooling yet? Want to know the secret? Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most powerful ones. Take a listen to this short episode and find out. You won't regret it. LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEThis is MegAlex Ferrari's Films on Amazon Video Direct (WATCH FOR FREE on Amazon Prime)SPONSORSWerner Herzog Master ClassAaron Sorkin Master ClassFreeFilmBook.com (Download Your FREE Filmmaking Audio Book)KILLER RESOURCES!!!INDIE FILM SYNDICATE Filmmaking CommunityIFH's Online Film SchoolSix Secrets to get into Film Festivals for FREE!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

26 Sep 201615min

How to Record Audio for Your Indie Film on the CHEAP!I was lost when it came time to record audio for my film. So since my podcast on How to Build a Pimp'd Out BlackMagic Cinema Camera Rig on the CHEAP! was such a hit with the tribe I decide to put a list of the gear I used to record audio on This is Meg.I go into great detail on each piece of gear, how I used it and what worked and didn't work. The biggest tip I can give you is no matter how inexpensive the mic you have the key is to get that mic as close to the subject as humanly possible. The audio I recorded on This is Meg came out surprisingly great! Since I've never had the chance to record audio for any of my films this was a first. What saved my ass was taking an online course the explained everything I needed to know about the art of how to record audio on set and location. It's called Sound for Indie Film: Recording Audio Like a Pro. I not kidding you, this course was a life saver for me. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to anyone even thinking of recording their own audio for a film. I also recommend it to any director or producer as well so they can get a better understanding of what the sound man is doing. Below is a list of all the gear I used, tested and recorded with on my film. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

19 Sep 201632min