Making Movies is HARD!!!: The Struggles of Indie Filmmaking

This week we welcome writer director Felipe Vargas on the show to talk about making his first feature film Rosario, how he got attached to the project and the short films he made that led him to get his first feature made at this level. Friend of the show and previous guest Clinton Cornwall came on to do the interview with Alrik due to a scheduling thing on Eric's end, so if you don’t recognize the voice, that’s who it is, and check out Clinton’s interview on episode 480, with Liz and Alrik. It’s a raucous good time! Af...

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 412 from February 2023 featuring director Carter Smith! Alrik thought this was a good match for our episode with Timothy Scott Bogart from Monday because Carter also is making his films at different budget levels, going well over 10 million and way under, depending on the project, just like Tim. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome writer director Timothy Scott Bogart on the show to talk about making his latest feature film Juliet & Romeo, a pop-musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, shot on location in Italy, starring Rebel Wilson, Jason Issacs, Rupert Everett and Derek Jacobi among others, with all the songs being recorded in camera. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 449 from November 2023 with director Mick Davis who talks about directing his latest feature Walden, starring Emile Hirsch. I thought this was a great match for Dito’s episode on Monday because they are both full time directors how have directed eight features. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome writer/director Dito Montiel on the show to talk about directing his latest feature Riff Raff, starring Jennifer Coolidge, Pete Davidson and Bill Murray, among others and Dito tells us about how he got such an incredible cast in this film. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 149 from March 2018 with filmmaker Marco Aguilar who talks about taking his short film concept and building it out to raise money for his Zombie Parkour feature. Alrik thought this was a great match for Grant Rosado’s episode from Monday because they both talk about running crowdfunding campaigns for martial arts based features. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy. Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple...

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 385 from August 2022 featuring director Meera Menon! Alrik thought this was a good match for our episode with Ami Canaan Mann from Monday because Meera also started making indie features before going into TV directing. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome writer/director Grant Rosado on the show to talk about directing his 2nd feature Puffing Iron, how he made the film happen and the prep he is doing for his third feature 8Rx. After that we play another round of THE GAME and talk about what we are both up to, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome writer director Ami Canaan Mann on the show to talk about making her latest feature film Audrey’s Children, how she got attached to the project and her philosophy behind her filmmaking! Friend of the show and previous guest Clinton Cornwell came on to do the interview with Alrik due to a scheduling thing on my end, so if you don’t recognize the voice, that’s who it is, and check out Clinton’s interview on episode 480, with Liz and Alrik. It’s a raucous good time! After that we play another round of THE GAME and t...

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 495 from September 2024 featuring writer and director Brian Silverman who talks about putting down his own money to make his first feature film! Alrik thought this was a good match for our episode with Joseph T Walker from Monday because they both put down their own money to make their features. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podc...

This week we welcome writer director Joseph T. Walker on the show to talk about making his first feature La Gloria which played at the Austin Film Festival earlier this year! Eric conducted this interview from the Omni Hotel in Austin. After that we play another round of THE GAME and talk about what we are both up to, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 228 from September 2019 featuring director and friend of the show Amy Taylor! Alrik thought this was a good match for our episode with Luis from Monday because Amy also made a mockumentary feature, although in a very different way. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome filmmaker and producer Luis Caffesse on the show to talk about directing his mockumentary feature, Subtopia: The Story of Hueco Canyon which played at the Austin Film Festival earlier this year! I had the pleasure of conducting this interview from the Omni Hotel in Austin so it’s sure to be a good one. After that we play another round of THE GAME and Eric and Liz talk about what they are both up to, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podc...

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 418 from April 2023 with actor, writer and director Tate Hanyok who talks about going from writing to directing her first feature. Alrik thought Tate was a good match for Lauren because they both started as actors and then moved on to producing as well. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome actress and producer Lauren Selman on the show to talk about acting in and producing the Farewelling, how she got into producing and what it’s like being part of a film cohort. After that we play another round of THE GAME and talk about what we both have been up to, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 319 from May 2021 with filmmaker Chelsea Christer who talks about making her first feature documentary which is also a music doc. We felt that Chelsea was a good match for Marc because they both met bands and ended up making a feature documentary about the band. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

Apologies for the late post, this is last weeks Thursday bonus episode, I missed the deadline so now you get three this week! On our first bonus episode this week we are going to play the interview from episode 280 from August 2020 with filmmaker and restaurant owner Christian Sesma about working on his film Pay Dirt starring Val Kilmer. Alrik thought Christian was a good match for Bryant because they left their careers to make their first features, although Christian is a few films ahead of Bryant. After that we talk about the Oscars, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on...

This week we welcome filmmaker Marc Pilvinsky on the show to talk about directing his latest documentary feature, Weirdo: The story of five eight. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome filmmaker and VFX artist Bryant Griffin on the show to talk about directing his first feature, Young King and how he left his job, moved to LA and made his first feature length film. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 367 from September 2022 with Riliey Stearns, who has made multiple studio features, including Dual which is also an action film so I thought this was a good match for Martin Campbell. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome director of such features as Vertical Limit, The Foreigner, Golden Eye and Casino Royale, Martin Campbell. Martin talks about his filmmaking career, how he pick his projects and how he approached directing his latest feature, Cleaner. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 302 from January 2021 featuring the short film Why Haven’t They Fixed The Cameras Yet by filmmakers Travis White and Madison Phillips who came on the show to talk about the film. I thought this was a great match since we had Travis and Madison on the show talking about their first feature. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us...

This week we welcome the team from The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia, including Writer/director Chris Beier, writer/co-producer Daniel Wolfman and producers (and old friends of the show) Travis White and Madison Phillips to talk about the making of the film which premiered at the Austin Film Festival. Our producer extraordinaire Eric Toms conducted this interview from the Omni Hotel in Austin so it’s sure to be a good one. After that we play another round of THE GAME and talk about the current statuses of our projects, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www...

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 451 from November 2023 with actor turned writer director Lena Heady who was on the show to talk about writing and directing her first feature. I thought Lena was a good match for Julia because they are both established recognizable actors who we had on to talk about jumping into directing after starring in some of the biggest movies/shows. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on A...

This week we welcome writer, director and actor Julia Stiles on the show to talk about directing her first feature Wish You Were Here and how she managed to get the film made without taking a starring role. After that we chat about our own projects and play another round of the Game, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 342 from November 2021 with actor, writer and director, Christine Weatherup who came on the show to talk about making her first feature See You Next Christmas. I thought Christine was a good match for Jules because they are both actors who pulled off making their first features as writers and producers. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podc...

This week we welcome producer, writer and actor Jules Bruff on the show to talk about writing, producing and starring in her first feature, Good Side of Bad and how she got the film made. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 381 from July 2022 with writer and director Anna Gutto who talks about the ten year journey to make her first feature film, Paradise Highway. I thought that was a good match for Deborah because they both took around ten years to finish their first features.. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome writer, actor, co-director Deborah Puette on the show to talk about how she got her first feature Cash for Gold made, which she also stars in. Deborah talks about making the short film version in 2013 and how that started her journey to making the feature length version over 10 years later.. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 119 from September 2017 where Alrik and old co-host Timothy Plain talk about PR and how they went about getting their films seen. This is a fun match for Justin just to see how far Alrik has come in his PR experience as a nice juxtaposition to Justin’s interview.. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006

This week we welcome Public Relations Representative Justin Cook on the show to talk about how he got into PR, how he likes to partner with filmmakers and what makes for a successful PR campaign! After that we play another round of the Game, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 249 from February 2020 featuring indie producer Bianca Beyrouti. She was on the show live from the Napa valley Film festival to talk about Bring Me an Avocado with writer Director Maria Maella. I thought this was a good episode to play to just honor Bianca with her sudden passing a few weeks ago and to just showcase what a big part of the indie filmmaking community she was. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patr...

This week we welcome accomplished TV director Antonio Negret, his brother writer Daniel Negret and his wife, the producer Luiza Ricupero to talk about their feature Shaman which played at the Austin Film Festival earlier this year! Our producer extraordinaire Eric Toms conducted this interview from the Omni Hotel in Austin so it’s sure to be a good one. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 248 from January 2020 with actors turned writers, producers and directors Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe who talk about making their indie hit Greener Grass and what it took for them to pull that movie together. I thought this was a good match for Susie since she also wrote, produced, directed and starred in her first feature as well. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podc...

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 375 from June 2022 with faith based filmmaker Alexandra Boylan. Alrik thought this was a good match for Dallas because they are both faith based filmmakers with very different backgrounds and careers within the same genre. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome writer and director Susie Yankou on the show to talk about their latest feature Sisters which played at the Austin Film Festival earlier this year! Our producer extraordinaire Eric Toms conducted this interview from the Omni Hotel in Austin so it’s sure to be a good one. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

This week we welcome writer, director and producer Dallas Jenkins on the show to talk about making his latest feature THe Best Christmas Pageant Ever and we talk about the most successful crowd funded project ever The Chosen which he is the creator of. After that Eric and I talk about new years filmmaking plans, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 278 from August 2020 with script supervisor turned writer director Reed Shusterman where he talks about willing his movie into existence. I thought this was a good match for Eric because it sounds like Eric really willed his movie into existence and I think they ended up with similar sized budgets when all was said and done. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! http...

On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 235 from November 2019 with actor turned writer and director Alex Wolff who talks about going from starring in big budget movies to writing and directing his first feature. I thought this was a good match for Angela and Mark because Angela and Alex are both actors first who moved onto writing and directing. After that we play another round of You’re the expert, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com...

This week we welcome writer and director Eric Gregson on the show to talk about making his first feature Dark Arrows which he shot, then secured additional investment to completely reshoot the film at a higher budget. After that we play another round of THE GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952