
Making Movies is HARD!!!: The Struggles of Indie Filmmaking
Liz Manashil and Alrik Bursell discuss independent filmmaking, everything from writing, producing and directing to working as crew. But this is not just a podcast about "making it," it's also about struggling with rejection, self-doubt and everything else that comes with pursuing a career in film. Follow along as we forge our own way through the industry and talk to guests who are also making it happen.
Episodes 238-299 are available at our patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast
Latest episodes

Jun 27, 2022 • 1h 24min
From Stand-Up to Grand Crew: Writing for a Living with Charla Lauriston!
This week Alrik and Liz chat with writer Charla Lauriston about making it as a writer in the entertainment industry as well as paying it forward with her new course to help writers navigate everything other than the work. We also talk about Bradley Cooper being made fun of by the Hollywood elite. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
Check out this weeks article: https://nofilmschool.com/who-made-fun-of-bradley-cooper

Jun 20, 2022 • 1h 8min
Composing Beats for Films with Paul Tonks!
This week Alrik and Liz chat with composer, beat maker and musician Paul Tonks about composing full time for royalty free music company Jambox and what his process is as a musician. After that we talk about an article from the Guardian written by actor Sarah Polly about her experience playing the lead role in Terry Gilliem’s Baron Munchausen at age nine, and we read a listener email. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
Check out this weeks article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/12/sarah-polley-terry-gilliam-run-towards-danger-baron-munchausen-interview

Jun 13, 2022 • 1h 14min
Faith Based Filmmaking with Alexandra Boylan!
This week Alrik and Liz chat with filmmaker, writer, and actress Alexandra Boylan about her work in the faith based filmmaking community. We also discuss hit show Yellowjackets, the treatment of complex female characters on TV and answer a listener question. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
Check out this weeks article: https://www.indiewire.com/video/consider-this-fyc-brunch-yellowjackets-panel-1234725351/

Jun 6, 2022 • 1h 21min
Pandemic Filmmaking and NFT Releases with Rick Dugdale!
This week Alrik and Liz welcome first time feature film director, veteran producer and entrepreneur Rick Dugdale. Rick talks with the team about Zero Contact, starring Anthony Hopkins, as well as NFTs and his NFT platform, Veuele. We also chat about Top Gun 2's stunts and answer a listener question. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
Check out this weeks article: https://screenrant.com/top-gun-2-tom-cruise-stunts-insane-beat/

May 30, 2022 • 1h 11min
Christopher Coppola on Making Movies, Being a Coppola and Empowering Filmmakers!
This week, Alrik and Liz welcome filmmaker Christopher Coppola on the show to talk about what it’s like to be a southern california Coppola, make genre movies for twenty years and the many different ways his movies have been funded. After that, we discuss James Gray’s take on big budget movies and why studios should be willing to lose money on their art house divisions. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
Check out this weeks article: https://deadline.com/video/armageddon-time-james-gray-cannes-film-festival-box-office-streaming/

May 23, 2022 • 1h 25min
The Importance of Life Experience for a Writer with Leyla Kader Dahm!
This week, Alrik and Liz chat with writer and manager Leyla Kader Dahm about how she found her way into management and what she does in her day-to-day. After that, we discuss an article about making festival films more immediately available to the public, read an iTunes review and discuss how we build our daily schedules. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
Check out this weeks article: https://www.indiewire.com/2022/05/netflix-is-a-joke-film-distribution-1234724753/

May 16, 2022 • 1h 16min
Therapeutic Films with Richard Ledes!
This week, Alrik and Liz chat with seven-time feature filmmaker Richard Ledes about his latest feature, Adieu Lacan. Richard talks about how he was able to shoot the film in ten days and his minimalist approach to indie filmmaking which makes it possible. After that we discuss an article about the Rotterdam film festival firing its programming team and then we read a listener email. Enjoy!

May 9, 2022 • 1h 13min
The Film That is Worth the Wait with Naveen Chathapuram!
This week Alrik and Liz welcome filmmaker Naveen Chathapuram on the show to talk about making his directorial debut The Last Victim, which hits theaters on May 13th. We talk about the long journey to make the movie as well as a separate conversation on piracy. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org

May 2, 2022 • 1h 12min
Being Great in the Room with Writer AJ Bermudez!
This week Alrik and Liz welcome filmmaker AJ Bermudez on the show to talk about her writing process and how she has built her career as a writer and will grow it as a director. We also have an article from Indiewire out of Cinemacon 2022 about how theaters can stop piracy and aid the mental health crisis and then have a chat about how to prioritize projects with limited bandwidth. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
This week's articles: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/20/netflix-loses-subscribers-russia/
and https://www.indiewire.com/2022/04/cinemacon-piracy-theaters-1234719274/

Apr 25, 2022 • 1h 12min
Leading Film Festivals and Supporting Filmmakers with Melanie Addington!
This week, Alrik and Liz welcome filmmaker and film festival director Melanie Addington to talk about getting into the film festival game, making the switch from the Oxford Film Festival to Tallgrass and to hear all about what an Executive Director of a film festival does! We also discuss an article about California, taxes and the streamers and read a listener question. Enjoy!
For 20% off your Jambox subscription use code MMIH @ jambox.io
Check out the ISA at: www.networkisa.org
This week's article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-hulu-beat-california-city-that-aimed-to-tax-streaming-platforms-1235130559/