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

IFH 027: Kico Velarde - From Being Broke to Emmy WinnerThe Cinderella story that is Kico Velarde's life is remarkable. From being a struggling out of work editor to becoming the toast of the Cannes International Film Festival to winning an Emmy for producing Jay Leno's Garage. Crazy!!!His film PVC-1 - was accepted into the Director's Fortnight at the Cannes International Film Festival and was nominated for the Camera D' Or Award in 2007. He became the toast of the festival but barely had two cents to rub together as he spent his last cash on tickets to the festival.After the festival it took sometime to get back on his feet but then got an opportunity of a lifetime, to work as an editor on a small YouTube show about Jay Leno's Garage. Fast forward a year and he wins an Emmy for the show and the rest is history.Kico's story is truly an inspirational one. Take a listen and get ready to be inspired.

Is Film School Really Worth the Cost?Let me start by saying that I’m a big believer in education and constant learning throughout life. I believe that the only way to truly experience the amazing things the world has to offer is by educating yourself as much as humanly possible.With that said, people who go to film schools to educate themselves about the basics of filmmaking are fools. Now full disclosure, I was one of those fools.A little about me, I’ve been in the film industry for almost twenty years. I started my filmmaking journey by attending a technical college in Orlando, FL in 1995. My first job in the industry was in the post-production world.As years went by I learned different crafts and wore different hats; I became a director, writer, producer, editor, colorist, post-production supervisor and visual effect supervisor.I’ve done pretty much almost every job imaginable in the film business. In my multicolor travels I’ve had the opportunity to work with numerous indie filmmakers, with Oscar® and Sun

So I directed a small action short film a few years back called "BROKEN." I shot the film on MiniDV Tape (yes I'm old) on the Panasonic DVX 100a, the indie film workhorse of its day. My team and I filmed it in West Palm Beach Florida (not exactly the Mecca of the film industry) and it starred only local, non named actors. Now once the filming was over I marketed the living hell out of that little short. It went on to screen at over 250 international film festivals, win countless awards and be covered by over 300 news outlets. That little film had a life of it's own. I even got a review of legendary film critic Roger Ebert:"BROKEN is essentially a demonstration of the mastery of horror imagery and techniques. Effective and professional." - Roger EbertNow you must be asking, "But Alex how the hell did you make money with it?" Well, I knew that no one would pay real money for a 20 minute short film, shot on MiniDV, with no name actors and from a first time director to boot. So I planned to create a guerrilla ind

Crowdfunding has always been a mystery to me. I never really understood how indie filmmakers can raise $50,000, $100,000 or $1,000,000 to make their films. I tried once with the "if I built they will come" idea but they never came. When I discovered this weeks guest, Emily Best CEO and founder of the indie film crowdfunding website Seed & Spark, I had to get her on the show. I attempted to squeeze out of her every bit of crowdfunding knowledge I could. We discuss:How to create a successful crowdfunding campaign?What are the biggest mistake indie filmmakers make when crowdfunding their film?How should indie filmmakers crowdsource (building an audience for you, your film or your company)?How do indie filmmaker determine how much to ask for when crowdfunding?How do you build a killer crowdfunding page and video?What incentives should you give when crowdfunding?How do you build momentum so your audience will follow your film's creation from beginning to end?How do you determine if your film has an audience?Al

I'm never surprised anymore when I speak to filmmakers and ask them one simple but powerful question, does your film have an audience?I usually just get a blank stare. This is probably the most important question you can ask yourself as a indie filmmaker. Now if you are making film as art and have no intention or care at all about making money with your film then should stop reading this email. Now, there's nothing wrong with that but that is not what I'm discussing here today. For the rest of us that want and need to make money with our films these few little words should be your mantra in the development process. Does Your Indie Film Have a Audience?Most filmmakers get so excited by the concept of a story, the emotion or just with the idea of making a feature film that they never ask the question. They are scared to because it might stop the fun they are having. Trust me I know the feeling.Listen to this episode and find out some tips and tricks to see if your film has an audience. 

Imagine you were back in the early 1900’s, when the film industry was a newborn. People were learning and experimenting with the new technology of moving pictures.Craftsmen were excited about discovering new ways of creating art with this powerful and amazing new technology. You would think that could never be recreated in todays high tech world but you would be mistaken.May I introduce you to Wakaliwood. A remarkable filmmaker by the name of Isaac Nabwana from Ramon Film Productions has created the Ugandan film industry, almost single handily without having any of the filmmaking knowledge or updated filmmaking technology.As we get to study the giants that came before us like Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, and Akira Kurosawa, Isaac only had his imagination and his undeniable passion for telling stories.Isaac is easily one of the most passionate filmmakers I’ve ever met. With all the opportunities and technology we in the United States take for granted, he created an entire film

An issue I see come up again and again is indie filmmakers shooting a format that they can't handle in post production. Currently the big buzz word is "Ultra High Definition."Technically, "Ultra High Definition" is actually a derivation of the 4K digital cinema standard. However while your local multiplex shows images in native 4096 x 2160 4K resolution, the new Ultra HD consumer format has a slightly lower resolution of 3840 X 2160. Now while having a larger image to play with is better it does bring a ton of baggage along with it. RED Cameras started popularizing 4k with it's first camera the RED ONE. It was so far beyond anything else on the market at the time that it ignited the imagination of indie filmmakers everywhere. Now shooting 4k in todays world is a bit different. It cost much more than you'd expect once you factor in all the things you'll be dealing with down the pipeline.In this episode I go over a ton of info on why you shouldn't shoot 4k if you're an indie filmmaker.

Making scary independent horror films in the current marketplace is difficult to say the least. Today’s sophisticated audiences are getting harder and harder to scare every dayWhen many filmmakers start out they make a film in the horror genre. It worked for famed filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, Sam Raimi, George Romero, James Wan, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Roman Polanski, David Cronenberg and Alfred Hitchcock just to name a few.In this week’s episode, I’m joined by the aficionado of horror films Edwin Pagan from LatinHorror.com. We discuss what it takes to make terrifying horror films, the difference between Latino horror films versus Korean or American horror films and what is truly terrifying.We also packed this scary episode with indie filmmaking tips on the do’s and don’ts of indie horror filmmaking, adventures of a working cinematographer in New York City and what it really takes to scare the hell out of your audience.Don’t listen to the episode alone. Happy Halloween and be safe everyone!

Now before I get a bunch of hate mail please let me explain. I love cinematographers. You can;t make a movie without on. It's by far one of the toughest positions on set. The pressure is immense.With that said the explosion of low cost cameras and lighting gear has thrown a huge amount of "cinematographers" into the market place.This podcast is a warning to young and inexperienced filmmakers not to hire not just a director of photography but any top level crew member  solely because they on some of the latest gear.This advice also goes for sound department, editorial, lighting, visual effects and definitely color grading. When hiring any top level positions in a film production it should be based on resume, demo reel, or reputation.All I'm saying is don't hire a crew member just because of the gear he or she owns. You'll thank me. Take a listen to this episode to hear my horror story that cost me over $50,000. OUCH!Get Social with Indie Film Hustle:Facebook: Indie Film HustleTwitter: @indiefilmhustle Instagra

The world of film distribution is filled with unknown land mines. Even more mysterious is how an indie filmmaker can get their film placed on these elusive VOD or Video on Demand platforms?That's where this episode comes in, we have video on demand expert Linda Nelson from Indie Film Rights, the film distribution arm of Nelson Madison Films. Linda walks us through the maze of VOD and film distribution options and explains what it takes to get your film placed in the potentially very lucrative platforms.Get Social with Indie Film Hustle:Facebook: Indie Film HustleTwitter: @indiefilmhustle Instagram: @ifilmhustleYouTube: Indie Film Hustle TVPodcast: IFH Podcas

I always get asked by indie filmmakers:“How do I get attention for my indie film?”This is one of the major challenges facing indie filmmakers/entrepreneurs in today’s noisy independent film landscape. One fast way is to get an “influencer” to focus a little light onto you or your project.Now this is much easier said than done. When I promote my projects I approach every online indie film influencer I can.This includes indie film sites, niche sites (around your subject matter), industry news outlets, film magazines, movie fan websites, film festivals, podcasters, conventions, and movie reviewers.In this podcast I tell the story of how the legendary film critic Roger Ebert was so amazingly kind to a young filmmaker.Get Social with Indie Film Hustle:Facebook: Indie Film HustleTwitter: @indiefilmhustle Instagram: @ifilmhustleYouTube: Indie Film Hustle TVPodcast: IFH Podcast

If you have ever looked into selling your film at a film market then you more than likely have heard of the North America's largest film market, AFM or the American Film Market.The American Film Market is a labyrinth of crazy characters, thieves, wannabes, filmmakers hustling their latest film, distributors, industry professionals and of course buyers and sellers from around the globe.My guest this week is Ben Yennie who has written the only real guide to this carnival called "The Guerilla Rep: American Film Market Distribution Success on No Budget." You should not go to the American Film Market or any film market for that matter without reading this book.Get Social with Indie Film Hustle:Facebook: Indie Film HustleTwitter: @indiefilmhustle Instagram: @ifilmhustleYouTube: Indie Film Hustle TVPodcast: IFH Podcast

I know I'm being a bit dramatic when I say "Understand Post Production Workflow or DIE!" but I've seen and been involved with sooooooo many independent films that just die in post production because of one simple thing, they didn't understand post production workflow.Post Production Workflow is not a black art that only a few understand, granted it is getting more and more complicated these days but you as a indie filmmaker can still understand the basics.Get Social with Indie Film Hustle:Facebook: Indie Film HustleTwitter: @indiefilmhustle Instagram: @ifilmhustleYouTube: Indie Film Hustle TVPodcast: IFH Podcast

I've been an editor now for over twenty years. When I was starting out I looked everywhere for some course, book, video, or anything that could teach me the black art of creative editing. There are many courses design to teach you AVID, Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro software but nothing on the creative process.One day I was surfing the net and found this site called "Inside the Edit." The site was boasting the it was the world's first "creative editing course," which I found very hard to believe. I took the course for a test ride and OH MY GOD, they did it, they cracked the code.LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEInside the Edit - 10% OFF email: IFHDISCOUNT@insidetheedit.comInside the EditBlackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Software for Mac/Win/LinuxAdobe Premiere Pro CCFinal Cut Pro XFreeFilmBook.com (Your FREE Audio Book)Six Secrets to get into Film Festivals for FREE!Get Social with Indie Film Hustle:Facebook: Indie Film HustleTwitter: @indiefilmhustle Instagram: @ifilmhustleYouTube: Indie Film H

How to Turn Your Independent Film into a Money Making BusinessSo many independent film creators just want to think of themselves as artists. That's fine but it's called show business for a reason. If you don't understand the business you won't be able to create the show.In this episode I share with you what it takes to change your mindset and start thinking of your independent film not just as a precious piece of art but to also think of it as a product that needs to do well in the marketplace in order for you as the filmmaker to continue putting on that show!LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEFreeFilmBook.com (Your FREE Audio Book)Six Secrets to get into Film Festivals for FREE!Action Items:Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes,  Stitcher or via RSS.If you like this show take a listen to Dov Simens Interview:America's Greatest and Quentin's Tarantino's Film TeacherEnjoyed this blog post? Please share it in your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, email etc) by using social media buttons at the side or

Here's Part Two of my interview with Suzanne Lyons. This week on the show I'm excited to have uber independent film producer Suzanne Lyons. She has been living in the indie film space for over twenty years. Working on SAG Ultra Low Budgets to over $15,000,000 budgets she has seen it all.Suzanne Lyons takes you by the hand and walks you through what it takes to produce your first feature film. She goes over the pitfalls, legal concerns, deliverables, selling to foreign countries and most importantly of all how she gets her financing for her feature films.She laid out such amazing information that I had to break the episode up into two parts. I spoke at one of her famous indie film producing workshop and learned a ton while I was there. Suzanne Lyons also wrote an amazing book called Indie Film Producing: The Craft of Low Budget Filmmaking. I suggest you all pick it up. It's better than film school!LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Suzanne Lyons IMDBSuzanne Lyons Production CompanyIndie Film Produci

This week on the show I'm excited to have uber independent film producer Suzanne Lyons. She has been living in the indie film space for over twenty years. Working on SAG Ultra Low Budgets to over $15,000,000 budgets she has seen it all.Suzanne Lyons takes you by the hand and walks you through what it takes to produce your first feature film. She goes over the pitfalls, legal concerns, deliverables, selling to foreign countries and most importantly of all how she gets her financing for her feature films.She laid out such amazing information that I had to break the episode up into two parts. I spoke at one of her famous indie film producing workshop and learned a ton while I was there. Suzanne Lyons also wrote an amazing book called Indie Film Producing: The Craft of Low Budget Filmmaking. I suggest you all pick it up. It's better than film school!LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Suzanne Lyons IMDBSuzanne Lyons Production CompanyIndie Film Producing: The Craft of Low Budget FilmmakingFreeFilmBook.c

Suki Medencevic ASC and the Art of CinematographyI have found over the years that is one of the biggest technical issues in independent film. Someone borrows a friends RED Camera or Arri Alexa and thinks that's all you need. Cinematography is not only a mystical art but imperitive in today's gluttony of indie films in the market place.Good cinematography can really make your independent film project rise out of the gutter of poorly produced indie films. Today on the show I interview Suki Medencevic ASC (American Society of Cinematographers).For all the show notes goto: http://www.indiefilmhustle.com/009

This week we were lucky enough to have as out guest screenwriting guru Karl Iglesias. He has written award winning books including: The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters, Writing for Emotional Impact, and Cut to the Chase.I discovered Karl Iglesias' work reading Writing for Emotional Impact. It really transformed the way I wrote screenplays and created a bunch of new habits that I still use today.It was a major treat to interview Karl on the show. His work is so specific but yet broad. His one rule that can never be broken,"Always be interesting."I think most films coming out of Hollywood today should take that advice. Keep your audience engaged and emotionally invested. So many filmmakers and screenwriters today don't understand that basic concept.I really asked Karl the tough questions so we could fill this episode with amazing content for you. This is one podcast your won't want to miss. Enjoy!Right click here to download the MP3LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Pixar's Emotional Co

I'm so excited to have on the show this week Dov Simens, founder of Hollywood Film Institute. He created the remarkable 2 Day Film School and has launched the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Chris Nolan, Spike Lee, Kevin Smith, Queen Latifah, Guy Ritchie & more.Dov's teaching style is entertaining, in your face and straight from the street. Real world, practical film education. Sit back and prepared to be schooled in the ways of Jedi Film Teacher Dov Simens.