Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

Many filmmakers end up editing their own feature films, as low budget projects typically call for everyone on board (including the director) to wear many hats. These same filmmakers are also usually left with the responsibility of cutting their own trailers too, which can be far more challenging than feature edit itself.Trailer editing really is its own art form. Large scale feature films are almost always sent to dedicated trailer houses/trailer editors who specialize in this area, as cutting an effective promo piece takes an entirely different set of skills. Independent and micro-budget films don't have this luxury, so lower budget directors/editors must develop a new skill set if they want to deliver an effective trailer that truly does their film justice.In this episode, we explore several key considerations on this topic - from the importance of priotizing the audio bed, to avoiding the temptation of telling the whole story in just 2 minutes, and much more.For more content like this, or to check out the trailer for SHADOWS ON THE ROAD visit www.noamkroll.com

As expected, NAB 2018 brought us some of the most exciting camera and gear announcements of the year so far, and there is a whole lot to unpack. While Blackmagic once again stole the show with their Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, many other cameras - such as the Sony FS5 II, Canon C700 FF, Fuji X-H1, and Kinefinity MAVO have been making waves too. Over the course of the episode, we delve into these cameras at length, exploring their core features, strengths, and shortcomings.We also discuss the merits of NAB, who the conference is really for, how to get the most out of it, and whether it’s worth attending for filmmakers that have never been. All this and much more on today’s show!For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

On today's show we are joined by none other than Alex Ferrari, a micro-budget filmmaker and true hustler - known widely for his popular filmmaking podcast Indie Film Hustle. After 20 years in the film business, Alex turned to micro-budget filmmaking as a means to take control over his own destiny and bring his feature narrative projects to life once and for all. This has culminated in the creation of two feature films over the past two years: This Is Meg, and On The Corner Of Ego And Desire.Over the course of the interview, Alex uses his film Meg as a case study, outlining the exact steps he took to get the film made, premiere at Cinequest, and eventually license the film to Hulu. Topics covered include: Working from a scriptment, casting known actors, handling post-production on your own, navigating the festival circuit, finding distribution on major VOD platforms, and much more.Links from the show:Bulletproof Screenplay Podcast: https://indiefilmhustle.com/bulletproof-screenplay-podcast/ Bulletproof Script Coverage: http://www.covermyscreenplay.com  Indie Film Huslte: https://indiefilmhustle.com IFH Podcast: IFH Podcast On the Corner of Ego and Desire: http://www.egoanddesirefilm.com And for more content like this, visit http://www.noamkroll.com

Most filmmakers have a laundry list of excuses for why they're not making their film - They don’t have enough money, can’t find good actors, or don’t have access to the right camera package. But more often than not, these excuses are self-imposed, and it's the filmmaker themself that is holding the project back, often unwittingly creating hurdles that will prevent them from ever making thier movie.Why is this the case, though? Why do so many filmmakers create obstacles for themselves, or believe that making a feature film is an impossible feat, when it is easier now than ever before? The reason is simple: They are afraid to fail. Whether they realize it or not, the excuses they are making for themselves are all rooted in a fear of failure, and that's what today's episode is all about. We look at some of the ways fear of failure can manifest during the creative process, the detriment it can have on any film project, and how to avoid it entirely so that we can all focus on the one thing that really matters - making the best work possible.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Back in episode 35, Jamie Jung was on the show to discuss his experience acting in a $7000 feature film, funded by Robert Rodriguez for his “Rebel Without A Crew” series. Today, Jamie is back on this show with his director Alejandro Montoya Marin who, as a one-man-band, directed and produced his feature film in just 14 days.Over the course of the interview, Jamie and Alejandro not only speak to what they learned from Robert Rodriguez as acted as a mentor for this film, but also share their words of wisdom on micro-budget filmmaking from a high-level. Topics covered include: Navigating a career as an indie filmmaker, the importance of self-generated content, working in a market outside of NY or LA, tips and techniques for working as a one person crew, and much more.Links from the show:http://www.go90.comhttp://www.elreynetwork.comhttp://www.alejandromontoyamarin.comhttp://www.jamiehjung.comFor more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Arguably the most important element to get right when producing any micro-budget film is crew size. When crew size gets out of hand, production is bound to lose efficiency and momentum, which equates to the film's limited budget getting burned through in record time.While many filmmakers and first time directors aim to work with larger crews that offer a more “traditional” setup for a feature film, there’s an argument to be made that less is more - especially on no-budget or ultra-low budget productions. In today’s episode, we explore this at length by outlining the benefits and realities of working with a 2 person crew, and comparing it to a more standardized 15 - 25 person crew commonly found on other indie productions. We look at how a smaller crew allows for more effective guerilla shooting, a more rapid pace on set, and potentially greater creative results. All this and much more on today’s episode.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

It’s been said that locations can play as great a role in a film as any character, and no one understands that more than today’s guest. Brian L. Tan is an action filmmaker and entrepreneur who worked at Dreamworks, Paramount, and Digital Domain, before eventually launching the prominent location booking service Wrapal. He’s also known for appearing on the most recent season of HBO’s Project Greenlight.In this episode, Brian shares his words of wisdom on the location process, explaining how to save money when working with location owners, how to effectively scout locations for a guerrilla style shoot, and the most critical elements to consider when booking any location. Pulling from his experiences as a self made filmmaker, Brian also shares loads of invaluable tactical advice for up and coming directors, speaking to the importance of building a solid team of collaborators, getting your work noticed online, and much more.Links from the episode:www.wrapal.comwww.blttavo.comwww.instagram.com/blttavowww.twitter.com/blttavowww.facebook.com/bltanwww.youtube.com/user/blttavo/videoswww.vimeo.com/iconicfilmFor more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

It goes without saying that a great screenplay is the backbone of any successful film, but this sentiment is doubly true of micro-budget productions. Without spectacles, name actors, expensive visual effects, or other bells and whistles, micro-budget films are often made or broken by the quality of their underlying screenplays. With that in mind, today’s guest - Craig Walendziak - is here to share his wealth of knowledge on all things screenwriting. Craig is a punk rocker turned screenwriter by way of Harvard University, and not only has a fascinating story himself, but also possesses a unique understanding of both the art and business of writing movies. Over the course of this hour long interview, Craig goes into detail on the writing process - outlining he generates ideas, works out treatments, and works on 3 month schedules to get his screenplays to the finish line. He also speaks to some of the major issues that many screenplays (including micro-budget scripts) suffer from, and offers solutions for remedying them. And finally, Craig also touches on the realities of working in the business, getting an agent, and succeeding as a full time writer. This epsiode is required listening for all filmmakers! Links from the episode:https://twitter.com/Craig_Mackhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm6091305/?ref_=tt_ov_wr For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

One of the most frequent questions I am asked by up and coming filmmakers is - “How can I make the transition to being a full time filmmaker?” Really what they are asking is how to make a living off of filmmaking, so they can focus on their artistic efforts every single day and not have to worry about paying the bills by doing work they aren’t passionate about.Over the course of this episode, we explore some actionable ways in which filmmakers can solve this issue and ultimately make the transition to doing what they love full time. There is no magic formula that anyone can follow that will guarantee success, so the purpose of this episode isn’t to leave listeners with a one size fits all solution. Rather, this episode aims to teach filmmakers how to effectively goal set, prioritize creative time, and commit to mastering the craft of filmmaking that will pay dividends for years to come.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

In recent years production value in micro-budget films has skyrocketed thanks to more affordable cinema cameras and post-production tools. Even still, one of the remaining issues that still plagues indie filmmakers with regards to production value is the musical score. For many micro-budget filmmakers getting a custom score done is prohibitively expensive, and the vast majority of affordable library music is simply not feature film caliber...That's where Matthew Lyall and his music platform Ritual Music come in. As both a musician himself and the co-founder of an innovative and high quality music platform for indie filmmakers, Matt has a truly unique perspective on the scoring process. During the course of his interview, he unpacks some of the challenges the micro-budget filmmakers face while building out a score for their work, and outlines his recommended path for achieving the best possible final product, regardless of budget. Topics discussed include: Common mistakes directors make during the scoring process, avoiding low production value music, what to look for technically and artistically when working with a composer or a sound library, the importance of music as it relates to theme, and lots more.Learn more about Ritual Music using these links:www.ritualmusic.comtwitter.com/thisisritualfacebook.com/thisisritualAnd for more content like this be sure to visit www.noamkroll.com