Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

Micro-budget filmmakers often put a tremendous amount of effort into production and post, but tend to lose steam when it comes time to distribute their work. Unfortunately, this means that many great films never find an audience, and end up collecting dust on a shelf rather than generating income for the filmmakers behind the project.On today’s episode, Noam interviews Liz Manashil, the talented filmmaker behind the micro-budget feature film Bread and Butter. Liz is also the manager of the Creative Distribution Initiative at Sundance Institute, which has given her a tremendous amount of insight on the distribution process, especially with regards to micro-budget productions. Over the course of the interview, Liz shares her wealth of knowledge on all things distribution, sheds light on her strategy with her own feature film, and outlines Sundance’s Creative Distribution Initiative - explaining how she plans to use it to champion micro budget productions.You can learn more about Liz on her website at www.lizmanashil.comAnd for more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

For the first time on the podcast, Noam takes listener questions that were sent in via e-mail and Twitter from micro-budget filmmakers looking for advice. Topics covered includes: the creative process, career advice, working with unprepared actors, abandoning projects and much more.If you would like to have your question answered on a future episode, be sure to ask Noam via twitter at www.twitter.com/noamkrollAnd for more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

For the past two years Timothy Plain and Alrik Bursell have interviewed countless filmmakers on their popular podcast - Making Movies Is Hard. Over the course of these interviews the filmmaking duo have benefitted from a tremendous amount of professional insight covering every stage of the process from conception to distribution.In today's episode, Timothy and Alrik generously share some of the most valuable lessons they have learned along the way, both as hosts of the MMIH podcast and as filmmakers in their own right. Topics covered include the state of independent/micro-budget film today, breaking in to the business, the writing process, fundraising/budget considerations and much more.You can check out more of Timothy and Alrik's material using the links below:http://www.makingmoviesishard.comhttps://twitter.com/TimothyPlainhttps://twitter.com/AlrikBAnd for more content like this be sure to visit www.noamkroll.com

While most studio level feature films take many years to produce, micro-budget films often come together far more quickly as there is less red tape involved at every stage. In fact, some filmmakers have realized their visions in as little as 6 months, which is virtually unheard of in filmmaking at other budget levels.In this episode, Noam outlines his optimal 6 month feature film schedule - from concept to finished product - and explains how this type of time constraint can benefit the creative process. He walks listeners through every stage, detailing how much time should be allocated to writing, pre-production, production, and post, in order to execute the strongest possible final product in as little time as possible.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Micro-budget films have increased in technical quality by leaps and bounds over the past decade, but many still fail to reach an audience as a result of underdeveloped stories and screenplays. This has ultimately become the achilles heel for so many micro-budget filmmakers, which is why it’s so imperative that every filmmaker, regardless of budget, places an equal weight on the writing process.In today’s episode, Noam interviews Whitney Davis - a literary manager who started in this business as a TV writer (represented by William Morris Agency), and later moved into script consulting and management. Over the course of this interview, Whitney pulls from her diverse background as a writer, consultant, and manager to share invaluable advice on screenwriting that is universally applicable to any filmmaker looking to strengthen their work.To learn more about Whitney, visit her website here: www.whitneydavisliterary.comFor more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Story structure is the backbone of just about every film, and a true mastery of stucture is critical to the success of any filmmaker. Many narrative features falter as a result of poor structure, and unfortunately this is true even of films that are built on very strong premises, characters, and themes. Ultimately, structure provides the connective tissue that brings all of the key ingredients of a great screenplay together, and without the right structural mechanisms it's difficult to create work that is greater than the sum of it's parts.In this episode, Noam discusses the concept of strucutre from a top level, outlining why it is especially critical for micro-budget filmmakers that need to make the most out of their limited resources. He also provides 3 individivual examplles of unique story structures that can help filmmakers without much (or any) budget to ensure that their work is as original and engaging as possible.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

One of the most universal struggles for filmmakers is knowing how and when to quit working at a day job. Making indepdnent films requires a ton of time and flexibility when it comes to scheduling, and many filmmakers believe that their current work-life setup is preventing them from having the time they need to reach their goals.Over the course of this episode, Noam dives deep into the idea of leaving a stable career to pursue filmmaking full time, and explores a number of key questions that all filmmakers should ask themselves when making the leap. These questions are intended to guide filmmakers to wholly understand what the next logical step in their career should be, and from a top level standpoint, whether or not leaving their day jobs is in fact even the right choice.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Cinema lenses are one of the most crucial tools in any filmmaker's toolkit, yet many filmmakers have a limited knowledge of how glass will affect their image from both a creative and technical standpoint.In this episode, Noam interviews Ryan Avery - the founder of Veydra lenses - who designed one of the most sought after lens kits for independent filmmakers: The Veydra Mini Primes.Over the course of this interview, Ryan details exactly what goes into designing and developing high quality cinema glass, what optical qualities to look for when purchasing lenses, the future of lens technology, and much much more.Learn more about Ryan's businesses here:https://www.veydra.comhttps://lensfinder.comAnd for more content like this visit http://www.noamkroll.com

Color grading tools have become more accessible than ever, and as a result filmmakers are becoming hyper aware of the role that color plays in their work. Countless filmmakers are now training themselves in the art and science of color grading as a means to elevate the quality of their work without needing to rely on post-houses.That said, the color process as a whole still poses a steep learning curve, and many filmmakers jump into their color processes before being fully aware of the technical and creative challenges that they will be faced with.In this episode, Noam addresses 5 of the most common and most critical color grading mistakes made by filmmakers. Topics covered include: the importance of a correct order of operations, how to approach shot matching, why to never overprotect dynamic range, and much more.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

As one of the founders of The Lift Off Global Network of Film Festivals, Ben Pohlman has made it his mission to not only program groundbreaking films at his festivals, but also to help filmmakers thrive in the commercial marketplace and flourish in their careers. Over the course of this hour long interview, Ben draws from his unique background as a festival founder to de-mystify the jury selection process and give filmmakers a realistic view of what it takes to get accepted. He also sheds light on many other critical topics including: The odds of getting into a festival, optimal runtimes for shorts & feature films, the main reasons why films get rejected, what happens after you're accepted, and much much more. Originally launched in England in 2011, Lift-Off is now in ten cities across the globe including: Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, Manchester, Tokyo, New York, Vancouver, Amsterdam, & Sydney. The festival network has grown rapidly as it's support of true independent film and emphasis on finding representation and global audiences for it's alumni. To learn more about The Lift-Off Global Network of Film Festivals please visit: http://lift-off-festivals.com For more content like this visit http://www.noamkroll.com