Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

My guests this week are co-directors Rebecca Kahn and Abishek Prasad, whose short film Who Among Us was programmed at SXSW 2020 and gained distribution through DUST.Over the course of our chat, we cover a lot of ground - talking all about what it takes to get a short programmed at SXSW, tips for financing and producing your next short, how to navigate feedback and post-production, and so much more. We also talk about distribution options for short films, tactics for filmmakers looking to increase their creative output while balancing other work, and other critical advice for filmmakers looking to grow their careers.Who Among Us - InstagramWho Among Us - TwitterWho Among Us - FacebookWho Among Us - YouTubePudu ProductionsFor more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Today I am very excited to share my interview with Stephanie Pearson, who is not only the star of my feature film Psychosynthesis, but an incredibly talented producer in her own right. Stephanie has spent years on both sides of the camera, and joins us today to share her words of wisdom on all things filmmaking. Using our recent feature film collaboration as a launching off point, we discuss the unique dynamics of an indie film set, what the challenges are from an actor's perspective, the importance of clear directorial communication, and so much more. We also talk about the state of the industry right now, why it's crucial to produce your own material, and best practices for taking control over your destiny as an artist. Links from the show: Psychosynthesis on Amazon PrimeRecovery on Amazon PrimeDownrange on Amazon PrimeStephanie on InstagramStephanie on Twitter For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com  

On this episode I am joined by writer/director Rick Caplan who recently completed and released his feature film Mr. Misfortune. This micro-budget production was shot for under $10,000 in just 10 shooting days, and was brought to life in a truly unique way. As Rick outlines over the course of our chat, he had to wear a lot of hats on this production to make it a reality. Not only did he write and direct the project, but also shot the film and handled all the post-production himself - including music composition and color correction. Throughout the discussion, we get into the nitty gritty on each of these steps, critical lessons learned along the way and much more! Links from the show: Mr. Misfortune on AmazonRick Caplan on Twitter For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Joining me this week on the show is filmmaker turned author Josh Folan. Over the course of his career, Josh has not only produced 3 micro-budget features (each of which have a budget under $250K), but most recently wrote a book about his endeavors called: Still Filmmaking The Hard Way. Over the course of our discussion, Josh outlines how any filmmaker can make their passion project a reality, without any upfront financial backing from traditional production companies or studios. He also shares a ton of practical advice about sales and distribution, providing invaluable lessons for filmmakers seeking to go down a similar path. Links from the show: www.nyehentertainment.com For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

To celebrate the release of my feature film PSYCHOSYNTHESIS on Amazon Prime, today I am sharing a behind the scenes look at our entire process on this micro-budget indie. The film itself was made for only $25,000 in just 9 shooting days, which resulted in a highly unconventional workflow both on set and in the editing room.Throughout the episode I outline every practical step that we took to bring this film to life - starting in the very early days of concept development, all the way through to casting, prep, production, and of course post-production, distribution and beyond. While I have shared some anecdotes about the film on my blog at noamkroll.com - I get into much more depth on each phase of the process here on today's episode, providing a blueprint for other filmmakers looking to bootstrap a feature film of their own.Watch PSYCHOSYNTHESIS On Amazon Prime In The USOr search "Psychosynthesis" on Amazon Prime Video in your countryPlease don't forget to rate and review the film on Amazon and IMDB to help us reach an even bigger audience!Related links:Psychosynthesis Seed & Spark Campaign – See what we did to raise our budget via crowdfunding and secure a grant from the Duplass Bros.ARRI’s CPO Program put to the test on “Psychosynthesis” – An article published by Arri about our use of a used Alexa on this feature.Playing Against Trends By Shooting Alexa Classic in 4:3  – My first written breakdown on the blog about why we chose a less conventional camera setup.Choosing 2K in a 4K World – An article on Cinema 5D about our technical choice to shoot in 2K/ProRes HQ.How I Cut My 90 Minute Feature Film In 3 Weeks – My article outlining how the first edit of Psychosynthesis came together.An Interview With Cinematographer Matteo Bertoli – From my podcast (Episode 63), detailing our approach to camera & lighting.My Simple Workflow For Writing Feature Length Screenplays – This isn’t directly about the movie, but is the process I used to write the film.Interview On No Film School – My interview with NFS all about what went into the making-of this feature.How I Made A Feature Film For $25,000 In 9 Days – A very detailed (4000 word) breakdown of the entire production process on this film.Behind The Scenes Featurette – A short BTS video with footage from rehearsals, production and beyond.My Workflow Using FCP X To Cut, Mix & Finish Psychosynthesis – Another very detailed article on process, this one focused on post-production.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

This week, I'm honored to be joined by my guests Richard and Colleen Halsey - a prolific husband and wife editing duo who are collectively responsible for editing countless iconic feature films over the years. Their credits include movies like Edward Scissorhands, Beaches, So I Married An Axe Murderer, Sister Act and Rocky - the latter of which Richard won an Oscar for.Throughout our discussion we chat about each of these films in some detail, outlining the unique creative process behind them. Richard and Colleen also generously share their perspective on how the industry has changed from both a business and creative standpoint, how aspiring editors can break into Hollywood, and loads more.Links from the show -Richard Halsey On IMDB            Colleen Halsey On IMDB                            For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

This week on the show, I'm excited to be joined by Tessa Markle and Carolina Alvarez - known for their awesome podcast: Femme Regard. I was fortunate enough to be a guest on their show last year and had a blast, and this time around they're joining me on Show, Don't Tell to discuss all things indie film.I really wanted to hear about Tessa and Carolina's experience building an online brand. This is a path that is becoming increasingly critical for filmmakers to explore in order to have autonomy over their work and careers. Over the course of our discussion we talk about this topic at length, outlining how every filmmaker can leverage original content as a means to grow their brand.Links from the show:Femme Regard ProductionsFemme Regard On InstagramFemme Regard On TwitterFor more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Returning to the show this week is Joshua Caldwell, here to talk all about his latest feature film INFAMOUS, which stars Bella Thorne and Jake Manley. The story follows a reckless woman and her new boyfriend as they become social media sensations when she streams their cross-country robberies online.Throughout our interview, Joshua outlines the A to Z of his journey with this feature, contrasting it to some of his earlier micro-budget productions. We talk all about the casting process, production, post, and distribution at length, gaining insight on how Joshua made the transition from his smaller scale DIY projects to this much larger, more traditionally produced narrative feature.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Joining me this week on the show is director Josh David Jordan, here to talk all about his debut feature film This World Won’t Break. This unique DIY feature was shot on and off over the course of a year, before securing 14 festival screenings and 13 awards, including best narrative feature at the Dallas International Film Festival.Over the course of our chat, Josh walks us through the specific process that went into making this film a reality, and the unconventional production strategies that were utilized throughout. We talk at length about his development process, his ability to wear multiple hats on set, what it was like to work with his son as a co-editor, how he navigated the festival circuit, and tons more!Links from the show:This World Won't Break - WebsiteThis World Won't Break - InstagramWhiskey Beard Films - InstagramJosh David Jordan On VimeoFor more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

I’m very excited to be joined once again on the show by writer/director Marcus Mizelle, whose upcoming feature film Chameleon is about to be released everywhere on VOD, Cable and DVD (May 19, 2020).With a production budget of just $6800, Marcus was able to create an incredibly dynamic feature that breaks many of the rules of micro-budget filmmaking, while finding success at festivals and landing nationwide distribution. Throughout this episode, we walk through each step of the process and explore critical lessons learned along the way.Links from the show:Chameleon - Film WebsiteChameleon Trailer