Indie Film Hustle® Podcast: Filmmaking | Screenwriting | Cinematography | Film School | Film Production | Independent Film

Today on the show we have returning champion Stephen Follows. In this Halloween themed episode, we dive into Stephen's opus, The Horror Report. The report was created by using data on every horror film ever made, a data-driven dive into everything from development, production, and distribution to recoupment and profitability.Stephen Follows is an established data researcher in the film industry whose work has been featured in the New York Times, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Evening Standard, Newsweek, The News Statesman, AV Club, and Indiewire.He acted as an industry consultant and guest on the BBC Radio 4 series The Business of Film, which was topped the iTunes podcast chart, and has consulted for a wide variety of clients, including the Smithsonian in Washington. He has been commissioned to write reports for key film industry bodies and his most recent study, looking at gender inequity in the UK film industry and was launched on the BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ program.Step

What is "Hybrid Distribution?"Hybrid distribution is the state-of-the-art model more and more filmmakers are using to succeed. It enables them to have unprecedented access to audiences, to maintain overall control of their distribution, and to receive a significantly larger share of revenues.Today on the show we have a legend in the ultra-low budget indie film world, Peter Broderick. He coined the term Hybrid Distribution in his seminal article Declaration of Independence: The Ten Principles of Hybrid Distribution. Peter also wrote a​ very informative article detailing ways filmmakers can deal with the Distribber debacle and protect themselves if a distributor goes bankrupt.Peter Broderick is President of Paradigm Consulting, which helps filmmakers and media companies develop strategies to maximize distribution, audience, and revenues.In addition to advising on sales and marketing, Paradigm Consulting specializes in state-of-the-art distribution techniques—including innovative theatrical service deals, hybrid

I wanted to release this Facebook LIVE event to the tribe to give them some MAJOR updates on the Distribber/Go Digital debacle. I was on the phone for two hours with Seth Freeman of Glass Ratner, the firm handing the liquidation. I do some mythbusting and drop some painful truth bombs in the episode.

Today on the show we have Todd Jenkins, the filmmaker behind the new horror film Cherokee Creek. Todd went through hell making his film but when he finally finished it and put it out in the world then the fit hit the shan.Todd decided to self distribute his film using, the now bankrupt, film aggregator Distribber/Go Digital. As many of you know the Distribber debacle has caused many filmmakers horrific pain and stress. After the hard journey to bring his film to life only to have his first check taken from him by a company that goes bankrupt is BRUTAL.At this point, he hasn't even gotten his film back from Distribber/Go Digital and is losing money every day. We talk about how this company is hurting so many filmmakers but I wanted to put a face to the pain. I wanted to bring Todd on the show to share his story with the tribe. Making indie films is tough enough with companies like Distribber/Go Digital hurting filmmakers.Cherokee Creek is an 80's style raunchy horror-comedy about a bachelor party in the woods

Today on the show we have filmmaker David Willis. Willis is the first producer in the United States to raise over $1 million and make a feature film by using Equity Crowdfunding. Equity Crowdfunding is a new, disruptive method of fundraising in the United States, from a law that went into effect in 2016, opening a whole new avenue for filmmakers to make their ideas reality. And it's working. Movies are getting made this way.Equity Crowdfunding (officially called Regulation Crowdfunding, or Reg CF) can be used to finance almost any new or existing business. Unlike Kickstarter or Indiegogo, Reg CF campaigns do not focus on donations from friends and family, but instead on the hundreds of thousands of interested investors already on approved platforms. Because of this, the average Reg CF campaign is almost twice as likely to be successful and raises more than eleven times the average Kickstarter campaign -- if you do it right.David is running an Equity Crowdfunding Masterclass. No one who has successfully raised

I have a treat for you today. On the show we have filmmaker and podcaster Alrik Bursell from the podcast Making Movies is HARD! I've had the pleasure on be on his show before and have another episode coming up in Nov where I talk about Rise of the Filmtrepreneur.“Who am I to even have a podcast? Why is my opinion more valid than anyone else? In some ways it’s not, but that’s also kind of the point. We’re just two examples of people making movies in our own ways. We’re not any more special than any other filmmaker. There’s nothing about us that makes us any different or unique. We’re just doing it. And I think that’s the point, just go out and do it, make your movies. And these are the struggles that we face and this is how we’re trying to overcome them.” – Alrik Bursell Episode 87In this episode, we talk indie filmmaking, crowdfunding, distribution, the Distribber Debacle and much more. We also discuss his cool new film The Alternate.Enjoy my conversation with Alrik Bursell.​

The legendary Oscar-nominated actor Robert Forster has passed away. I had the honor of working with Robert on one of my films, Red Princess Blues. He supplied some remarkable narration that set up my film perfectly. He was easily one of the most professional and talented actors I have ever worked with; a professional of the greatest caliber.He will always hold a special place in my heart because of not only working with him on my film but because his interview was to the first episode on the Indie Film Hustle Podcast. In our interview, he dishes out amazing advice to young actors, directors and human beings alike. He even tells us his favorite Quentin Tarantino on the set direction he got on the set of Jackie Brown; worth it’s waiting in gold.Robert was a working actor for decades, appearing in a classic film like Medium Cool, the iconic John Huston’s Reflections in a Golden Eye, 80’s action classic Delta Force  and Disney’s The Black Hole.He was ​nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 19

Today on the show we have film producer, distribution expert, and today's "go-to" authority of how to get a film to market, Jerome Courshon. He has broken open the "exclusive club" of successful independent producers with his innovative 3-Day Program, "THE SECRETS TO DISTRIBUTION: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!"A producer in his own right (he secured a profitable distribution deal with Warner Bros. on his very first indie movie), Courshon is called upon by many sources for his savvy. From beginning to veteran producers, as well as the press, they contact him regularly to gain access to his unparalleled expertise and invaluable knowledge.Regarded as one of the world's chief experts in distribution, he tracks the ever-changing film industry distribution markets to present relevant, trending and successful strategies in his lectures, classes and 3-Day Program. His ultimate goal for every filmmaker? Get your movie or documentary to the marketplace successfully.Citing his own personal journeys of releasing films

Ever wanted to know how to build a large following on social media? Today's guest Brendan Kane was able to get over 1 million followers in 30 days. His new book, One Million Followers: How I Built a Massive Social Following in 30 Days breaks down how he was able to achieve such a feat. Brendan Kane is a growth hacker for Fortune 500 corporations, brands and celebrities. He thrives on helping brands systematically find and engage new audiences who reward relevant content, products, ​and services with their attention and spend.Over 60 billion online messages are sent on digital platforms every day, and only a select few succeed in the mad scramble for customer attention.This means that the question for anyone who wants to gain mass exposure for their transformative content, business, or brand or connect with audiences around the globe is no longer if they should use social media but how to best take advantage of the numerous different platforms.How can you make a significant impact in the digital world and stan

Today we are going to BLOW THE LID off this entire Distribber/Film Aggregator mess. Today's guest is Joe Dain from Terror Films. Joe has been on the frontlines of this Distribber debacle and has been affected in a large way. He had many films placed through Ditribber and has been working diligently to save the films he has placed through Distribber. Joe wrote an amazing guest post speaking the real issue facing filmmakers in the shadow of what has happened with Distribber. During his journeys, he has discovered many interesting bits of information about the going on's of Distribber in the final months and lays out a few "what ifs" that are extremely interesting.Be ready for a lively conversation about Go Digital/Distibber, Film Aggregators, Predatory Film distributors, where filmmakers are making money today with their films, what platforms do avoid, and much, much more.Enjoy!

In this episode, I lay out the future of making money in independent filmmaking as I see it. The old legacy model of making and movie and handing it over to a distributor doesn't work anymore. A new model needs to be created and I hope the method I go over in this show will help you generate multiple revenue streams from your film projects. I also warn you about many concerning issues I see in today's revenue model for filmmakers and how you can insulate yourself from them moving forward.Take notes because this episode is PACKED with knowledge bombs. Enjoy!

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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

Today episode is probably one of the most important shows I have released in some time. On the show is filmmaker Naomi McDougall Jones the writer, actress and producer behind the indie film Bite Me, a subversive romantic comedy about a real-life vampire and the IRS agent who audits them. The filmmakers of Bite Me have decided to take a radical approach to distribute their film: they're doing it themselves. For 3 months, they traveled in an RV around the U.S. and screening the film wherever they can - be it a theater, a bar, or someone's living room. Not only did they tour around the country like carnies they also documented their entire process with a docu-series. EVERY FILMMAKER NEEDS TO WATCH THIS SERIES. It is mandatory for every IFH Tribe member. I've never said this before so take it seriously​. It will save you a ton of pain and suffering. Naomi is so open, raw and honest about her experience. Get ready for one heck of an interview.  Enjoy!