BONUS EPISODE: Blood, Bullets, Filmmaking and Octane with Joe Carnahan

Craig Brewer (Director/Producer) began his career as a filmmaker in Memphis, Tennessee. While working at Barnes & Noble, he learned camera and editing techniques from books he purchased with his employee discount. In 2000, he made his first feature film, THE POOR & HUNGRY, which won Best Digital Feature at the 2000 Hollywood Film Festival. Brewer’s second film, HUSTLE & FLOW, starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, was produced by Stephanie Allain and the late John Singleton. The film premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Audience Award for Best Feature. The film secured a record-breaking acquisition deal by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. It garnered an Academy Award nomination for lead actor Terrence Howard and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song: Three 6 Mafia’s "It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp." Brewer’s third film, BLACK SNACK MOAN, starred Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake. The film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters by Paramount Pictures.In 2011, Brewer directed the remake of FOOTLOOSE for Paramount and produced the concert documentary KATY PERRY: PART OF ME. Moving into Television, Brewer directed the pilot to TERRIERS, which ran for one season on FX. He then re-teamed with Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, directing ten episodes on their hit TV series, EMPIRE. In 2018, Brewer began his collaboration with Eddie Murphy on two films. The first, DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, based on the life of Rudy Ray Moore, won The Critic’s Choice Award for Best Comedy, an NAACP Award for Best Independent Film, and earned Eddie Murphy a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actor.Next was the highly anticipated sequel, COMING 2 AMERICA. The film was produced by Paramount and released by Amazon Studios in 2020, becoming the most streamed movie for Amazon ever.Enjoy my conversation with Craig Brewer.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

4 Apr 20231h 15min

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

3 Apr 20234min

Oren Peli, an Israeli-American film producer, director, and screenwriter, is the creative genius behind the horror sensation Paranormal Activity. The movie single-handedly revolutionized the found-footage genre and spawned a successful franchise, all while being produced on a shoestring budget. In this article, we explore Peli's background, the making of Paranormal Activity, and its immense impact on the horror film industry.Oren had always been fascinated by the world of movies.After moving to the United States in his early twenties, Peli initially worked as a software programmer. However, his passion for films remained undiminished, and he soon turned his attention to filmmaking. With no prior experience, Peli embarked on an ambitious journey and created a movie that would leave a lasting impact on the horror genre.Enjoy our conversation with Oren Peli.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

30 Mars 20231h 37min

You’ve just boarded a plane. You’ve loaded your phone with your favorite podcasts, but before you can pop in your earbuds, disaster strikes: The guy in the next seat starts telling you all about something crazy that happened to him–in great detail. This is the unwelcome storyteller, trying to convince a reluctant audience to care about his story.We all hate that guy, right? But when you tell a story (any kind of story: a novel, a memoir, a screenplay, a stage play, a comic, or even a cover letter), you become the unwelcome storyteller.So how can you write a story that audiences will embrace?The answer is simple: Remember what it feels like to be that jaded audience. Tell the story that would win you over, even if you didn’t want to hear it.Today's guest Matt Bird can help you. He is a screenwriter and the author of the best-selling book The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers.The Secrets of Story provides comprehensive, audience-focused strategies for becoming a master storyteller. Armed with the Ultimate Story Checklist, you can improve every aspect of your fiction writing with incisive questions like these:• Concept: Is the one-sentence description of your story uniquely appealing?• Character: Can your audience identify with your hero?• Structure and Plot: Is your story ruled by human nature?• Scene Work: Does each scene advance the plot and reveal character through emotional reactions?• Dialogue: Is your characters’ dialogue infused with distinct personality traits and speech patterns based on their lives and backgrounds?• Tone: Are you subtly setting, resetting, and upsetting expectations?• Theme: Are you using multiple ironies throughout the story to create meaning?To succeed in the world of fiction and film, you have to work on every aspect of your craft and satisfy your audience. Do both–and so much more–with The Secrets of Story.I dig into Matt's story system and breakdown the secrets of story.Enjoy my conversation with Matt Bird.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

28 Mars 20231h 17min

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

27 Mars 20232min

Today we have a special CROSSOVER episode of the IFH Podcast. Our guest is Derek Kolstad, the genius behind the extremely successful John Wick franchise. An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, JOHN WICK (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the "assassin genre”.He is also the screenwriter of One in the Chamber, The Package (starring Steve Austin & Dolph Lundgren). This episode is from the archives of The Make Your Movie Podcast with Dave Bullis available from the IFH Podcast Network. Dave chats with Derek about bad movies, screenwriting, the film business, and working with Keanu Reeves.I wanted to bring this amazing episode to the IFH Tribe. Get ready to dive into the ultra-violent world of Derek Kolstad.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

23 Mars 20231h 12min

Being a podcaster now for over 600 episodes I've heard all sorts of stories on how people make it in the film business. From Sundance darlings to blind luck. Now today's guest story is easily one of the most incredible and entertaining origin stories I've ever heard. We have on the show today award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter, Sacha Gervasi. Sacha won the screenwriter lottery with his first-ever screenplay, which was a un-produceable short film script, caught the eye of the legendary Steven Spielberg. That script, My Dinner with Herve would eventually be expanded and released in 2018 by HBO. The film stars the incomparable, Peter Dinklage. Unlike most writers/directors who go on to produce their debut films, Gervasi’s 1993 entry project wasn’t made until just three years ago.I promise you, Sacha spills every detail of the fascinating story of his encounter with Hervé Villechaize, the famous little person from shows like Fantasy Island and films like James Bond's The Man with the Golden Gun. Hervé was arguably one of the most famous people in the world in the late '70s and early 80's. Sacha sat with Herve in a marathon interview, and the connection they forge during their brief, yet impactful meet.[presto_player id=154803]After his life-changing encounter with the Fantasy Island star, which followed Hervé's abrupt and unfortunate suicide, Sacha was determined to get his story told in its entirety and justifiably. He ditched his mid-level journalism job in England and moved to Los Angeles to attend film school at UCLA after developing the script for My Dinner with Herve. While on the climb-up, Sacha wrote screenplays for The Big Tease (1999) and The Terminal (2004) which was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Tom Hanks. The comedy-drama film grossed $219.4 million at the Box office with a $60 million budget and has become a holiday classic in the UK.Tom Hanks played an Eastern European tourist who unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there because he is denied entry into the United States and at the same time is unable to return to his native country because of a military coup.In 2008, Sacha made his documentary directorial debut and executive produced Anvil! The Story of Anvil. The amazing documentary premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival about a heavy metal band that never gave up on their dreams of being a successful band. Anvil was established in 1978 and became one of the most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts with thirteen albums. The documentary ranks at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.He also directed the 2012 film Hitchcock, a story about the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville during the filming of Psycho (1969). It starred Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, and Scarlet Johansson. I also interviewed Sacha and an old friend of his, Iron Maiden heavy metal band singer, Bruce Dickinson on my new podcast, Next Level Soul that you have to catch up with if you are down for more knowledge bombs and cool stories from Sacha. That episode comes out on Saturday. Here's a bit on my new podcast Next Level Soul.The Next Level Soul Podcast is a self-help & spirituality podcast that asks the big questions about living and thriving in the world today by having candid and inspiring conversations with thought leaders from every walk of life. The show covers inspirational, motivational, spiritual, health-oriented, yoga, meditation, wellness, and many more topics. New episodes of Next Level Soul air every Saturday anywhere you listen to podcasts. Let's take your SOUL to the next level.Sasha is such an interesting human being, I had such a ball talking with him. We talk about the film business, his origin stories, his screenwriting craft, what he's doing now, and so much more.Enjoy my entertaining conversation with Sacha Gervasi.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

21 Mars 20231h 24min

Monday Motivation! We all need a kick in the butt sometimes on our screenwriting journey. These episodes will do just that. Never stop chasing that dream and keep on hustling.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

20 Mars 20232min