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

Special Edition: Thought I’d bring this episode back since the new season of The Walking Dead premiered yesterday and it was a brutal one.  The Walking Dead – Working on the Dead SetIf you are a Walking Dead fan you are going to LOVE this episode. If you ever wanted to know what an assistant director does on set you are going to LOVE this episode.On today’s episode, we have a long time friend Vince Gonzales. Vince has been working in the film industry for over top decades. His IMDB page is pretty crazy. He’s worked on 90 classics like The Sandlot, Speed, and What Dreams May Come. Now after 2000 his credits start to heat up: Pearl Harbor, Six Feet Under, Charmed, Boston Legal, Grey’s Anatomy, Transformers: Age of Extinction and of course The Walking Dead.I wanted to bring Vince on the show to discuss his time on The Walking Dead but also what it takes to be an assistant director on both small and “monstrous” sets. Don’t listen to this episode in the dark.

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 Wag

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 Stephe

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 need

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

'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 dissatis

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 Magazin

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 FRE

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 th

Well, the first IFH Podcast episode went live September 2015. That’s a short time to be able to produce 100 podcast episodes, but what can I say I'm a hustler = )I’m so glad I finally got around to launch Indie Film Hustle, because the podcast has done wonders for my brand, my career and my life. The results were far beyond what I had ever imagined.It allows me to reach more people than I could ever do with just my blog alone, and at the same time create a much deeper connection with them too. Beyond that, it has opened up doors to my filmmaking career, keynote speaking opportunities, potential book deals and more.THANK YOU TRIBE!Without you, the Indie Film Hustle Tribe, the IFH Podcast would had never reached episode 100 or become the #1 filmmaking podcast on iTunes! I owe you guys so much, and that's why I'm extremely excited for the next 100 episodes of this podcast. Your support means the world to me, and I appreciate each and every one of you!If you enjoyed this episode, or any of the other of the 99 epi

How to Write a Screenplay with FAST with Jeff BollowHave you ever wanted to learn how to write a screenplay fast? I know I do. This is why I invited on the show award-winning producer/director, best-selling author, film festival organizer and public speaker, Jeff Bollow.He is the author of Writing FAST: How to Write Anything with Lightning Speed. Jeff Bollow began as an actor at age 12 in his native Los Angeles (credits include Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and TV's Columbo) before working nearly every job in production, from camera to sound to lighting — and including jobs in development, post-production and distribution.Jeff has worked on feature films, TV series, commercials, music videos, radio, and corporate productions for companies such as Universal, Castle Rock, Propaganda Films, DNA and the Oxygen Network.After migrating to New Zealand, where he directed television for TV3 and co-founded the Big Mountain Short Film Festival, he moved to Australia, where he launched Embryo Films. Through his co

When I began my filmmaking journey with my first feature film, This is Meg, I had no idea what camera I'd be shooting with. I had access to both RED Cinema and Arri Alexa Cameras for free if I wanted them but I choose against using them on this film for the following reasons:The infrastructure need to make those camera work was complicated and expensive (even if you are getting the camera bodies for free)I wouldn't have the freedom to shoot whenever I had the cast available. (we shot over 6 weeks)The "footprint" of those cameras do not lend themselves to run and gun guerrilla filmmaking.The Post Production workflow would be costly and drives are expensive.Production Insurance would be needed and that's pricey.So I looked around and settled on the BlackMagic Cinema Camera."But Alex you are nutz! You could've shot on a RED or ALEXA and you choose a BlackMagic Cinema Camera?"Yes I did. For a few reasons:I could own the camera, play with it, test and experiment.No production insurance.Small footprint for those "g

Can you imagine having a front row seat to the start of the filmmaking careers of Will Smith, Bruce Willis and Michael Bay? Well this week's guest Screenwriter Doug Richardson did just that. In 1989 20th Century Fox hired Doug to adapt Walter Wager’s novel 58 Minutes into the first sequel to the hit franchise Die Hard. In 1990, it was released as Die Hard 2, Die Harder.Around the same period, Doug and his one-time writing partner, Rick Jaffa, garnered national attention when their spec screenplay, Hellbent…and Back was the first in Hollywood to sell for a million dollars. Doug has since written and produced feature films including the box office smash Bad Boys (1995), Money Train (1995), and Hostage (2005).In addition to writing for the screen and print, Doug posts a weekly blog on his website, dougrichardson.com, where he shares personal anecdotes and insight from his thirty-year showbiz career. The first collection of his blogs, The Smoking Gun: True Tales from Hollywood’s Screenwriting Trenches was publish

Gravitas Ventures: Confessions of an Indie Film DistributorIf you have ever given any thought to the process of distributing your feature film, you know it can be nutz! The film distribution landscape has changed, and changed again as I'm writing this article.Finding a good and reputable film distributor in today's world is hard to say the least. So I wanted to bring onto the show a film distributor that has a very good reputation for working with filmmakers, being transparent and honest. Enter Michael Murphy, President of Gravitas Ventures.Indie Film Distribution from the Ground UpGravitas Ventures is a global entertainment distribution operation with the ability to connect filmmakers and producers with consumers through hundreds of media platforms throughout the world.Gravitas was one of the first companies to develop a global network of digital media platforms as partners and now has relationships with many of the key providers of cable video on demand (“VOD”), subscription video on demand, electronic sell

How to Break-Through Your Fear & Shoot Your First Feature FilmFear, the one thing that stops most indie filmmakers from moving forward and following their dreams. Fear of shooting their fist feature film, writing that screenplay, making that short film or just taking the first few steps towards their goals.Fear has been a strange bedfellow of mine throughout my career. It has slowed and out right stopped my progress. It has taken many years of failures to final realize I have nothing to fear. As they say:"We stopped checking for monsters under the bed when we realized they were inside of us."Breaking through the FearI finally decided to "feel the fear and do it anyways". Directing a full blown feature film always seemed like this huge, monstrous mountain I had to climb. It was like going to hike Mt. Everest when I never even climb a mountain before.Then I figured out that that a feature film didn't have to be a "huge, monstrous mountain" and that many filmmakers started off shooting smaller films before c

From Dusk Till Dawn to Nickelodeon with Director Joe MenendezThis week on the show we have the very talented director Joe Menendez. Joe is an award-winning filmmaker of both a successful feature film director and a prolific television director/producer as well -- having moved seamlessly between both mediums his entire career. Joe Menendez has directed over 95 hours of television (both single and multi-camera), written a handful of teleplays, produced several TV series and films, and has directed eight feature films and TV movies so far. He is a multi-genre veteran of drama, action, comedy, family entertainment, horror and rom-com. His numerous and varied credits show that he is a skilled craftsman and an accomplished, versatile storyteller.For this reason I had to have him on the show. Joe Menendez is currently in post-production on Nickelodeon's  LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE, an action-adventure TV movie he directed for Nickelodeon, based on the popular game show of the same name, from the 1990s.His last fea

How to Brand, Market and Build an Audience Using Social Media & Marketing HustleSo I had the plesure of speaking at the HollyShorts! Film Festival at a "fireside chat" with my brotha from another mutha RB Blotto from Stage32.com. We sat down and discussed How to Brand, Market and Build an Audience Using Social Media & Marketing Hustle. I had a ball and as promised I recorded the evening for those of you who couldn't make it. Check it out below:You’ve got an amazing script, now what? The first step is to identify your audience and create a brand for yourself that you can leverage when crowdfunding or selling your film. Once your film is done, the next step is marketing and promotion. Join us for a fireside chat with Writer/Director and Indie Film Hustle founder, Alex Ferrari, and RB Blotto, Stage32.com founder, as they offer best practices on building an audience, creating a brand, marketing yourself and your film, and finally, getting the word out via social media, which is crucial to your success.Sit

What is this guy talking about? No money = better filmmaker? He must be nuts. We'll I'll have to disagree with you. As I  am going through my adventure on the making of my first feature film THIS IS MEG, I have discovered that is the truth.  Having less resources has made me a better filmmaker. When you have no money and limited resources you discover new and creative ways to solve problems. The creative ways end up on the screen and that is where innovation comes from. Doing something people say is nuts. Credit: QuoteAddicts"No one can stop you from doing exactly what you want to do. If you can accept that the cavalry won't come, and if you can be the cavalry, it gives you a chance to be happy." - Mark DuplassWhen I announced I was going to direct This is Meg with a micro budget I can't tell you how many people said I was nuts. BTW, I love it when people do that, it lights my fire. I still think most of the cast and crew still don't know how we're going to pull this off. In this podcast I go over the techinq

This podcast episode comes straight from the heart. Diversity in the film industry is a problem. The numbers do not lie.Original Source: Fusion.netOriginal Source: GirlTalkHQ.comThe film business needs to have many points of views and not just a select few. The more points of views you have, the better the industry as a how will be. Filmmakers can not use their gender or race as an excuse for "not making it". The diversity problem in Hollywood is SLOWLY getting better. Ava DuVernay, the director of Selma, has become the first African-American Female director to helm a major studio film with a $100 million dollar budget. (Source: Business Insider)Original Source: The Hollywood Reporter and The Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American StudiesTheir are many examples of the industry changing. Robert Rodriguez, Guillermo del Toro, Tyler Perry, Spike Lee, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Ava DuVernay, Gale Anne Hurd, Kathryn Bigelow, Sofia Coppola, and many more have cracked the diversity wall. Original Source: Fusi

Life After Winning Sundance with Diane BellI always talk about not counting on the "lottery ticket" mentality that so many filmmakers today count on. Winning Sundance is not a distribution plan. Well I was involved in a project, written and directed by Diane Bell, that did just that. It won not one but two awards at Sundance. She didn't count on winning, hell she didn't think in her wildest dreams that she would even be accepted. Here's the story.In 2010, 16 feature films were selected out of 1,058 submissions to be screened in the US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.  Diane Bell's OBSELIDIA was one of them.  It was made for less than $140,000, it had no movie stars in it, and none of the cast or crew had connections to Sundance.  And yet it was picked out of the slush pile, and selected to premier on this world stage, alongside movies that had cost 100 times as much with big name movie stars and recognized directors.OBSELIDIA, premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Fe