Indie Film Hustle® - A Filmmaking Podcast

Independent Film Self Distribution & Marketing Blueprint with This is MegOver the past 6 months or so I've been getting an enormous amount of emails and messages asking me the same question:What is your distribution and marketing plan for This is Meg?I hear you IFH Tribe, so I decide to put this podcast together and lay out the marketing and distribution blueprint I created to get This is Megout into the world.In this episode, I break down:Why I didn't go through a traditional distributorWhy I didn't do a theatrical run through TUGGHow I will be self-distributing This is MegWhat platforms I'll be selling on and whyWhat my marketing strategy isThis is Meg has been a giant experiment to see what happens and I wanted to share the ride with you, the IFH Tribe. Thank you for all the support. Take a listen and keep on hustlin'.Right click here to download the MP3Download on iTunes DirectWatch on IFH YouTube ChannelBelow you can check out some of the marketing I'm doing to promote This is Meg and content I'm giving my cast so they can push the film on their platforms.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

Why Creating Systems is Better Than Setting GoalsWe've all been taught that creating goals is important and they are but creating systems is even more powerful. How many times have you lost weight just to gain it back? How many half-written screenplays do you have sitting on your computer? When your focus is only the goal then what happens after you achieve that goal? In this episode, I discuss how to create systems that will get you to your goals faster and keep you motivated along the way. Shameless plug: This is Meg is now available for pre-order on iTunes at an early bird discount $9.99. Just go to www.thisismeg.com/itunes. I have a ton of content coming on how we are releasing the film so stay tuned.LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEBuy This is Meg on iTunesIFH TV - YouTube ChannelSPONSORSFilmConvert - (10% OFF - CODE: HUSTLE)Hollywood Film & Television Directing Masterclass (EXCLUSIVE 50% OFF)Directing Actors Master Course – (30% OFF – CODE: HUSTLE)Get Your Film on Netflix, Hulu & Amazon & Keep 100% off the Revenue - DistribberHollywood Camera Work: Mastering High-End Blocking and Staging (30% OFF – CODE: HUSTLE)Werner Herzog's Filmmaking MasterClassAaron Sorkin Screenwriting 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!To share your thoughts:Leave a note in the comment section below.Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.To help the show:Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes,  Stitcher, Soundcloud or via RSSBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

Vintage Lenses for Indie Filmmakers MasterClass w/ Alan BesedinOne of the main goals of Indie Film Hustle is to give real world knowledge and resources to indie filmmakers so they can make a living doing what they love. Film gear is a big part of that equation. I always am on the lookout for the best bang for the buck when it comes to film gear.I recently began to dip my toes into the world of vintage lenses. Vintages lenses are exactly that, vintage. You may be asking"Alex, why would I but a 50-year-old lens that has color redition issues or is soft on the corners when the lenses of today are perfect, clean and more advanced?"The main reason I've fallen in love with vintage lenses is exactly for that reason, they are not perfect. Years ago lenses were made by hand. Each lens had its own personality. Many of them have beautiful mistakes that made them stand out.Case in point Stanley Kubrick. If you watch A Clockwork Orange you'll notice a wide shot as the doorbell rings about 20min into the film. The crazy wide shot was filmed with a Kinoptik 9.8 F2.3. The lens is far from perfect but it has character. Kubrick was more focused in achieving an interesting shot rather than a perfect one. This coming from a legendary perfectionist.Kubrick lenses collection was made up of most vintage lenses. He would buy 10 copies of the same lenses, test them all and pick the best of the bunch and return the rest.Using vintages lenses can also take the "digital bite" off of modern day camera sensors. The best thing about getting into vintage glass is the cost. You can get a beautiful "nifty 50mm" for between $20-$80. They're literally thousands of lens you can choose from, each one special in its own way.  Vintage lenses can truly give your film a unique look and make you stand out from the crowd.Today's guest Alan Besedin has been running in the filmmaking trenches for years and runs my go-to resource for vintages lenses VintageLensesforVideo.com. I've watched every video and read every article on the site. It's a wealth of info.So enjoy my conversation with Alan Besedin from VintageLensesforVideo.com.Right click here to download the MP3Download on iTunes DirectWatch on IFH YouTube ChannelBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

Why Indie Filmmakers Need to Break the RulesIn this episode, I discuss breaking the rules. why it is important to your career as an indie filmmaker and how it can make you stand out from the crowd. I share examples on rule breakers in throughout Hollywood history and the impact it had on their careers. So get ready to break some mutha f'**kin rules!Also, I have some HUGE news. This is Meg is now available for pre-order on iTunes at an early bird discount $9.99. Just go to www.thisismeg.com/itunes. I have a ton of content coming on how we are releasing the film so stay tuned. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

7 Tips To Nail Your First Week On a Film SetYour first week on a film set will be an intimidating experience. It takes time to find your feet and feel comfortable in such a unique working environment. You may have experience from college working on short film sets, but it is usually completely different working on blockbusters with hundreds of crew, cast, and extras. There can be large machinery moving around, lots of noise, multiple cameras, and camera cranes, equipment everywhere and on the stages, it is generally quite dark. You need to be aware, confident and know what happens on a film set to complete your tasks to the best of your ability. Here are some tips to help you get through your first week:Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

Veydra Mini Cinema Primes: Real Cinema Lenses You Can AffordIf you're an indie filmmaker and shoot your own stuff, the price of really good glass is generally too damn expensive and cinema-style primes lenses are totally out of reach...until now.Until recently, the most cost effective cinema-style primes lenses have been pre-existing stills lenses, which can create problems with matching and physical layout. You have the "pulling focus issue" that still lenses have (top marks vs side marks for the 1st AC to pull focus).Enter Veydra's Mini Cinema Primes. This amazing company has put the power back in the hands of the indie filmmaker at an affordable cost. These extremely compact lenses have an amazing build and image quality. They are light, compact and just gorgeous.Today's guest is the co-founder of Veydra lenses Ryan Avery. We discuss all things lenses, what cinematographers are looking for and the core mission of Veydra, to help filmmakers. If you want to learn a bit more about how cinema lenses work or how a couple of filmmaking entrepreneurs built a killer company then take a listen.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

How to Make a $9000 Feature Film with Ed BurnsMany of you might have heard of the Sundance Film Festival winning film called The Brothers McMullen written and directed by Edward Burns. Burns went off to star in huge films like Saving Private Ryan and direct studio films like She's the One but what you might not know is he has been quietly making completely independent films on really low budgets. How low, how about $9000. As with any smart filmmaker, Ed Burns has continued to not only produce films but to consider new methods of getting his projects to the world. In 2007, he teamed up with Apple iTunes to release an exclusive film “Purple Violets”. It was a sign of the times that the director was branching out to new methods of release for his projects. In addition, he also continued to release works with his signature tried-and-true method of filmmaking. Using a very small $25,000 budget and a lot of resourcefulness, Burns created “Nice Guy Johnny” in 2010. Again- he was the writer and director. This is a formula that may intimidate a lesser performer, but he has proven that it works perfectly for his abilities.The film “Nice Guy Johnny” was released at the Tribeca Film Festival. While he was releasing that film, Burns wrote “Newlyweds”, another film he directed and starred in. He filmed this on a small Canon 5D camera in only 12 days and on a budget of only $9,000.In his book Independent Ed (which I recommend ALL filmmakers read), Ed Burns mentions some rules he dubbed “McMullen 2.0” which were basically a set of rules for independent filmmakers to shoot by.Actors would have to work for virtually nothing.The film should take no longer than 12 days to filmDon’t shoot with any more than a three man crewActor's use their own clothesActor's do their own hair and make-upAsk and beg for any locationsUse the resources you have at your disposalI used similar rules when I shot my feature film "This is Meg". I shot that in 8 days. Take a listen to this episode and prepare to get inspired. After you listen take a read of the making of The Brothers McMullen and read Independent Ed. You won't regret it.Also, Ed Burns' DVD director's commentaries are indie filmmaking gold. He really shares his methods and all of his secret sauce. The DVD are direct cheap and well work getting. I'll put a list of them below. You won't regret it. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

How to Build a Film Brand w/ Zombie with a Shotgun's Hilton RuizI always talk about building a fan base and making art or products that can be sold to that audience. Well, today's guest is doing just that with his viral sensation Zombie with a Shotgun. Creator Hilton Ariel Ruiz created this film property and is really knocking it out of the park.He has comic books, posters, a web series and soon to be produced feature film. I ask Hilton on the show because I kept seeing him pop up on my social media feeds. They man knows what he's doing. With close to a quarterr million Twitter followers the man knows how to build an audience.ZOMBIE WITH A SHOTGUN is the feature adaptation of the popular web series of the same name. Aaron and Rachel are on the run due to the fact that Aaron is infected by what seems to be a zombie virus. As the story unfolds, they find that there is more to this infection than it seems. For some reason, he has not developed the full zombie virus. He seems to be trapped in a transitional phase which grants him certain abilities. One of them is the ability to communicate with other zombies. This makes Aaron a valuable pawn as he's being pursued by shadowy figures with ulterior motives. Now he must stay alive (or undead) long enough to figure out the source of his infection!Enjoy my conversation with Hilton Ariel Ruiz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

If paperwork, contacts and E&O Insurance was as sexy as a new 8K camera then filmmaker would never get into legal trouble when making their film. Alas it is not sexy and filmmakers, myself included, hate even thinking about that side of the business. One thing I've learned over the years is if you don't understand the business side of "show business" you will get burned.Filmmakers ask me legal advice all the time, why I have no idea, and I always say you should speak to an attorney and cover your butt. I've been wanting to have an attorney on the show for a while now to answer not only your legal questions but mine as well. Today's guest is entertainment attorney Walter B. Batt Attorney at Law.Here's a bit about today's guest: Walter Batt is an Entertainment Attorney located in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Batt is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in International Business and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami-Coral Gables. Licensed in Florida and California, his boutique practice focuses, negotiation and contract development in addition to production support for films. With experience in myriad areas of entertainment and general business, Mr. Batt’s client base is diverse consisting of actors, production companies, public relations and marketing agencies, entrepreneurs, and distilled spirits manufacturing and distribution. As a former prosecutor, Mr. Batt occasionally represents selective clients in litigation matters, when required. As an avid exercise guy, Mr. Batt enjoys the gym in addition to films, friends and most of all his best clients--his dogs.Here are some of the filmmaking legal pitfalls we discuss:Can you shoot without a permit on the street?Can you use a corporate logo in your film without permission?What is the truth behind using logos in an indie film?Can you shoot in front of a business with a logo and use it without permission?Do you need to form a company to make a film?Is it necessary to obtain a release from everyone whose face appears on camera?How do I check whether my movie name is available?How do I prepare a prospectus and/or investor memorandum for my film?What type of insurance should a filmmaker consider?What's the deal with referring to copyright/trademarked material in a script?How do I copyright my script?What are some good filmmaking legal resources are out there?When should you begin to work with an entertainment attorney?If you are making a feature, short, web series, streaming show or any content you plan to sell then this podcast is mandatory.Enjoy my conversation with entertainment attorney Walter B. Batt.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.

How to Shoot 360 Video & Actually Make Money with Josh GibsonThis week on the show we have Josh Gibson from 360 Video Academy. I know just enough about 360 video to be dangerous, and not in a good way. I wanted to bring Josh on the show to really break down the myths and techniques on how to shoot 360 video. I also wanted to dive into how filmmakers could ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY shooting 360 video.Josh goes over not only the technical aspects of shooting 360 video but he also discusses how filmmakers can make money and a living shooting this exciting format. How to Shoot 360 Video & Actually Make Money with Josh GibsonThis week on the show we have Josh Gibson from 360 Video Academy. I know just enough about 360 video to be dangerous, and not in a good way. I wanted to bring Josh on the show to really break down the myths and techniques on how to shoot 360 video. I also wanted to dive into how filmmakers could ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY shooting 360 video.Josh goes over not only the technical aspects of shooting 360 video but he also discusses how filmmakers can make money and a living shooting this exciting format. Check out Josh talking shop on 360 video.The 360 Video Academy is your one place to learn how to create professional-grade 360º video content. So get your GoPro 360 Video rig out and take some notes. Enjoy my conversation with Josh Gibson from 360 Video Academy.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/indie-film-hustle-a-filmmaking-podcast--2664729/support.