Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

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

Over the past few years, color correction tools have become extremely accessible, and more filmmakers than ever are now color grading their own footage - often using LUTs, or Look Up Tables. While LUTs can offer filmmakers an incredible way to improve their creative results while also dramatically reducing post-production time, they need to be used carefully and purposefully in order to achieve the best possible effect.In this episode, Noam discusses best practices for using LUTs at every stage of the filmmaking process. Topics include: integrating LUTs into your pre-prouduction workflow, monitoring with LUTs on set, audition looks for clients in post, and the best order of operations for applying LUTs during the grading process.To learn more about Noam's Cinematic LUTs, be sure to visit: www.noamkroll.com/luts

Robert Rodriguez, the single biggest pioneer of micro-budget filmmaking, recently launched a new filmmaking initiative called Rebel Without a Crew. His goal was to give 5 filmmakers each a budget of $7000 and some guidance so they could each write and direct their own feature film. The whole process was documented as a series and will air in the near future on Robert’s own El Rey Network.On today’s show, Noam interviews Jamie Jung - one of the talented actors that was fortunate to take part in the Rebel Without a Crew series. Over the course of the episode, Jamie goes into detail on some of the biggest lessons learned while making this film, some incredible tips from behind the scenes, what it was like to work on a project spearheaded by Rodriguez himself, and much more.You can visit Jamie’s site here: www.jamiehjung.comAnd for more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Every filmmaker dreams of screening their work at Sundance or Cannes, but only a select few will ever have the fortune of receiving a coveted acceptance letter from a notable festival. And while there is no denying that it is only getting harder and harder to get into any film festival with each passing year, there are countless ways in which any filmmaker can increase their chances of beating the odds.In this episode, Noam shares his opinions on film festivals from a top-level, explaining how filmmakers can leverage festivals to help them create the best and most marketable work possible, whether they are accepted or not. He also shares 5 crucial tips that any filmmaker at virtually any career stage can benefit from as they attempt to navigate the daunting world of film festivals.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Productivity expert Tim Ferris often talks about the 80/20 principle, which states that 80% of our results can be attributed to just 20% of our efforts. While this principle can be applied to virtually anything - from business decisions to our personal lives - it has some uniquely poweful benefits for filmmakers that are looking to optimize their creative output and increase their income.Many filmmakers feel that they don't have enough time to get their projects off the ground, or that they aren't seeing the career results they would expect given the amount of effort they put into their work... That's where the 80/20 principle comes in. It's all about identifying the ways in which we can trim the fat to ensure we aren't wasting our time on the wrong things, and that we are doubling down on our efforts that objectively give us the best return on our investment of time.In this episode Noam pulls from his own personal experience, discussing how the 80/20 principle can apply to so many facets of filmmaking - from running your own production business, to optimizing results while writing, producing, or editing, and much more.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

It’s always so inspiring to hear about filmmakers that are truly able to make something from nothing, and that’s very much the case with our guest today - Rebecca Weaver. With a production budget of only $11,000 and a crew of only 2 (Rebecca and her boyfriend, Chris), the filmmaking duo was able to pull off a successful feature film that spanned several months of production and later went on to tour the festival circuit.In the true spirit of micro-budget filmmaking, Rebecca not only wrote and directed the feature, but also starred in it. Throughout the interview, she discusses how she was able to juggle so many different roles without sacrificing her vision, and what she ultimately learned from the process as a whole. She also shares her experience with film festivals, outlining how she was able to successfully get her feature - June Falling Down - accepted into 15 different festivals, picking up several awards along the way.Links from the episode can be found below:junefallingdown.comtwitter.com/junefallingdowntwitter.com/beccarooweaverinstagram.com/junefallingdowninstagram.com/beccarooweaverAnd be sure to visit noamkroll.com for more content like this!

How do you make a feature film for just $8000 in 13 days? For writer/director Joe Baddon and actress Linnea Gregg, it was all about leveraging resources, maximizing creativity, and avoiding perfectionism.With no experience directing narrative content in the past, Joe Badon was able to pull the trigger on his first feature - The God Inside My Ear - by thinking outside of the box and surrounding himself with a team of talented filmmakers and artists. One of these artists was Linnea Gregg, who brought her expertise as a theater actor to the table, ultimately helping production reach the finish line in record time.Over the course of this interview, Joe and Linnea outline what it takes to pull off film without sacrificing quality, why shooting in a studio environment is a great option no matter what your budget may be, and the crucial importance of surrounding yourself with the right team.Links from the show:www.thegodinsidemyear.comwww.joebaddon.blogspot.comwww.instagram.com/linneagreggAnd for more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com