Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

Joining me in this episode is script supervisor turned television director Faye Brenner, who just made her directorial debut at age 69.As a script supervisor, Faye has worked on feature films like "Stand By Me," "Ghost," "Father of the Bride 2," and "Clear and Present Danger" to name a few. After decades in the business, Faye was able to break in as a director on "The Rookie" by showcasing her talents with a powerful short film. Throughout the episode we discuss Faye's unique path, along with many practical lessons for filmmakers looking to branch out into TV.For more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

In this episode I am joined by filmmaker and entrepreneur Matt Osterman, known for his feature films "Ghost From The Machine", "400 Days", "Hover", and now "Bitcon.""Bitcon" tells the story of a missing hard drive with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and the issue of trust in the modern era. Throughout the interview, Matt generously gives us a behind the scenes look into this film, his creative process, and his unique career path.Links from the show:"Bitcon" Movie - https://www.bitconmovie.comPropellant Films - https://www.propellantfilms.comMatt Osterman's Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattostermanMatt Osterman's Instagram - https://instagram.com/mattostermanFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

In this episode, I am thrilled to be joined by filmmaker Chris Sharpe - who you may know as the co-founder of the wildly popular Yoga With Adriene YouTube Channel.Over the past decade Chris has grown the YWA channel to an incredible 11 million+ subscribers, and today it dominates the Yoga category on YouTube. As a big fan of the channel and a huge proponent of audience building for filmmakers, I was very excited to have Chris on to talk shop. Throughout the episode Chris details their journey from 0 to millions of subscribers, shares practical insights for filmmakers looking to build audiences of their own, and expands on his creative work as a filmmaker.Links from this show:Yoga With Adriene - https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithadrieneChris Sharpe: Website - www.chrissharpe.comChris Sharpe: Newsletter - https://chrissharpe.ck.pageFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

Joining me today is producer, founder and CEO of JPA Productions - James P Axiotis. James started his career at NBC and quickly became one of the network’s youngest producers while still in his early 20s. Since, he has worked for Disney, as producer on Clint Eastwood's Bridges of Madison County, and countless other Hollywood shows and films.James now uses his expertise to create films for non-profits - which is a focal point of our discussion today. We also talk about what it takes to be a great producer, how to approach specializing vs. generalizing, and much more.Links from the show:JPA Productions - https://jpaproductions.comFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

In this episode I am honored to be joined by Mike Wohl - an award-winning filmmaker who has written, directed, and edited multiple independent films and shorts.Mike is also the author of many nonfiction books on the art and craft of filmmaking, and was one of the original designers of Apple’s Emmy-award winning software Final Cut Pro. Throughout our discussion, we cover Mike’s time with Apple during the early days of Final Cut Pro. We also talk extensively about his creative career as both a filmmaker and author, paying special attention to his latest project "In Herschel’s Wake".Links from the show:In Herschel's Wake - inherschelswake.com For more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

This episode was originally recorded as a private stream in my Backlot filmmaking community.Our guest speaker for this live session is Paige Feldman - a writer and filmmaker with a decade of experience working in independent film and TV sales, financing, and production. Her projects have won Emmys, been shortlisted for Oscars, and premiered at festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Berlin, TIFF, Tribeca, and SXSW.Throughout our discussion we cover a wide range of topics - from landing “work for hire” gigs to balancing multiple creative projects. We also unpack Paige’s latest film projects, take audience questions, and much more.Links from the show:Paige on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/pfeldPaige's Website - https://paigefeldman.comSeeka TV - https://www.seekatv.comFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by filmmaker and assistant film professor (at the University of Memphis), Marty Lang.Some of Marty’s project highlights as a director, producer, actor and show runner include projects like The Ride (Sundance, 2022), Being Michael Madsen, Out of My Hand (2016 Indie Spirit Nominee), and his feature films Rising Star and Stay With Me. Throughout the interview, we take an in depth look at Marty’s creative path, the benefits of teaching filmmaking, his philosophy on building a sustainable career, and much more.Links from the show:Marty Lang on Twitter - https://twitter.com/marty_langFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

In this episode, I’m joined by writer/director Spencer Whiteout, producer Andrew Baer, and editor Alex Vollman - the filmmakers behind Space Waves, a feature film.This inspiring filmmaking team produced their first feature film while still in film school, beginning with a budget of just $8K. Over three years they faced massive obstacles, but ultimately overcame every setback to create a fantastic debut film. Throughout the interview, we discuss the film at length from concept to completion, how they pulled it off, and critical lessons learned.Links from the show:Space Waves - https://spacewavesfilm.com“Beast Mode” Making Of Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ik1khvUjQSpencer Whiteout Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/0TSyyEp6IiA4PwbhtOJerC?si=e2e0082f10aa430eSimmering Studios - https://simmeringstudios.comFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

In this episode I am joined by filmmaker Zachary Gross to talk about his new sci-fi feature film "Harmony", which was produced for just $35,000.Throughout the interview, Zachary shares his 7 year journey with this project, from idea to final cut and distribution. We discuss tactics for maintaining high quality visuals on a budget, why Zachary shot additional material during post-production, navigating the distribution landscape, and much more.Links from the show:"Harmony" Feature Film - https://www.harmonyiswatching.com"Harmony" on Instagram - https://instagram.com/theharmonymovie"Harmony" on Facebook - https://facebook.com/theharmonymovieHand Me Down Films - https://www.hmdfilms.com"Hand Me Down Films" on Instagram - https://instagram.com/hmdfilms"Hand Me Down Films" on Facebook - https://facebook.com/hmdfilmsFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter

In this episode I am joined by Daniel Garber - editor of the feature film "The Drop", which premiered this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. Daniel’s creative and technical workflow on "The Drop" was really unique, as the film was shot with no formal script and was largely improvised.Throughout the discussion, we talk about this at length - as Daniel shares his method for shaping the best scenes and story using largely improvised material. He also talks about editing the film in tandem with production, how he completed his assembly cut in 30 days, and tips for other editors looking to get into the business.Links from the show:Daniel Garber’s Website - https://www.danielgarber.comFor more exclusive content like this, sign up for my newsletter at https://noamkroll.com/newsletter