The Indie Film Place Podcast

Let's get back into The Screening Room with a great short film titled "The Neighbor's Window".

Starting the Writing Process is not as complicated as you are probably making it out to be. Especially your first time out. Let's talk about where the process starts, how to get it going and more.

In The Screening Room again with a cool time travel kinda short film called ReWrite by Crash Buist. Check it out!

Producing your ShowReel is a part of the business of being a filmmaker, actor, cinematographer, etc. Let's talk about actually "Producing" your showreel, and not just putting some clips together.

Hey Crew, we are all in this quarantine thing together. We are all affected. What do we do as filmmakers while being grounded. There are many things that we can do with our time to be productive. I want to focus on one.

Green Screening your Locations may or may not be something that you have considered. However, this is done more than you may think, and it's a great option for indie filmmakers. Let's get into it.

Let's talk about the things the indie filmmaker needs to get the job done. These are things that are very affordable and some are even just plain cheap, and you probably have some of them in your home.

Getting great sound for little to no budget has always been a challenge. It really doesn't have to be. You can get pro sound with very little investment. Especially compared to just a few years ago. Let's get into it.

"PICTURES" directed by S.L. Allred is another of those films that I like to spotlight because of it's minimalistic approach. This is a premise that could have ended up cliche' but because of the thought and creativity behind it, is a good short film. Check it out in The Screening Room.

We are back in The Screening Room with a very cool short film titled "THE SNAPSHOT". Check it out!!!

Director Hicham Hajji Just finished his feature film directorial debut "REDEMPTION DAY". This film Stars Gary Dourdan, Andy Garcia, Robert Knepper, and Ernie Hudson. Hicham chats with us about the film, and tackling a film like this, and directing the cast.

Your role as director has many aspects, but it all boils down to one thing. You are the creative guide for all involved. Let's chat about it.

One of the first things that we learn, or at least should learn as an indie filmmaker is to know your audience. Who are you making your film for? Let's get into that.

Lighting the interior of a car at night can be tricky. We like to see our subjects, but we want it to look natural. There is nothing like unnatural light to take us out of the moment. Let's chat about this.

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday season, and wishing you a very happy new year!

The power of light is so much more than just setting up proper lighting, or using natural light to shoot a scene. We light with a purpose. Let's get into it.

Having the right lens for the right job is always a point of conversation, or at least thought. Budget and affordability are also a factor. Usually. Let's talk a bit about some lenses that get the job done.

Getting the proper coverage for your film can often be overlooked, especially early on in one's filmmaking career. Let's talk about how to get great coverage.

"An Interview with God" is a great indie film Written and Produced by Ken Aguado, and Directed by Perry Lang. The film is on Netflix, and definitely one to watch. Let's chat with Ken and Perry.

If you are thinking about either buying or renting a high dollar camera, this episode is a must listen. Let's get into the logic of both options.

Can you make a film with zero budget? This is a very common question. Some may say that even if you already have a camera, even a cell phone you already have spent a budget on your film. Let get in to this. Also, this episode is the first video episode on YouTube.

Camera movement is just as a crucial piece of the puzzle as any other part of filmmaking. It is part of the character, and helps convey energy and emotion. Let's get into it here.

Sometimes you need to record ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording) and sometimes you don't. Either way, recording ADR will be something that sets your film apart from other films that don't. If you are about to shoot your first film, the definitely plan for it. It's not hard to do at all. Let's get into it.

Having continuity in sound throughout your film is an absolute must! There really is no excuse to have sound that is inconsistant through your film. Let's chat about getting that sound continuity in your finished project.

We've talked about continuity, and we've talked about lighting. Now let's talk about continuity in lighting. This seems to be a very basic thing, but it is surprising how often mistakes are made here. Let's take a look at how it applies to beginners as well as those at the top.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Where do you find it? Is it the same thing that always inspires you? Could it be different things or activities? Let's talk about keeping what inspires us close to us. Also, officially announcing the title and publication date of my new book.

We would never think about starting a film project if we didn't think that we weren't going to finish it. Well things do happen. There are many reasons why this happens. let's discuss how to keep it from happening.

Paying attention to key lighting is so crucial. Even if you don't have lighting gear and no budget, your key lighting needs your attention. You may need to use all natural lighting, in which case you need to choose your location accordingly. The character in the frame may be dark and sinister or disconnected, but this needs to be a conscious choice. Let's chat about key lighting.

Being innovative and fresh means you gotta break some rules. There is only one rules that can't be broken in filmmaking. Let's chat about that, and breaking all the other rules.

The casting process is certainly one of the most important pieces of filmmaking. It is also one of the most stressful. We have so much at our disposal today to eliminate a huge amount of that stress. Let's chat about casting.

I have had this idea of writing a book kicking around in my head for some time now. As with directing, I thought that it would be later on. Well this is one of those things that just wants out now. It has to be shared, so here we go.

"THE INTERVIEWER" is a short film that focuses on our preconceived ideas of what is normal. It deals with our tendencies to judge others by how we see them on the outside.This is a must see film.

Director Ben Rock is a great guy, and a talented Director/Filmmaker. His short film "Future Boyfriend" is in The screening Room. Check out this interview with Ben. I had a great time, and you will enjoy it as well.

There is a time to buy, and there is a time to DIY. A few years ago it really made more sense to make as much as you can yourself. Now there are companies that offer decent products at a more affordable rate. Sometimes it may make sense just to buy something and other times you just gotta DIY.

"FUTURE BOYFRIEND" directed by Ben Rock is a really cool Sci-Fi short film with a great story. Shot in one location, this film tells a very good story in a cool and interesting way.

Music is a part of our film that we just simply cannot forget about. Many first time indie filmmakers sometimes tend to either forget about, or just not give much attention to. This is as crucial as any other part of filmmaking.

"THE ISLE" film's Matthew and Tori Butler - Hart talk about their film, filmmaking, and their production company "FIZZ & GINGER FILMS". Fizz & Ginger films has an exciting slate of films. We also talk about what is was like to film on this historic island.

Jenifer Westphal and Joe Plummer created Wavelength productions, a company that 90% helmed by women. Wavelength Productions fosters the female talent in all aspects of filmmaking. They focus on films with really great stories. Some of their films include "Where's my Roy Cohn?", "Selah and The Spades", and "Knock down the House" which can be seen on Netflix.

Director Dave Bundtzen and Actress Colleen Kelly of "Devil's Passenger" and "Window Dressing" chat with me about both films. Listen to the conversation here.

"WINDOW DRESSING" by Dave Bundtzen is another short film that utilizes minimalism very efficiently. Let's take a look at how Dave does this in his latest short film.

"THE LAST WHISTLE" is a film about football, and the human spirit. Director Rob Smat talks about the film, as well as the making of it http://www.lastwhistlemovie.com

Writing and shooting for what you have allows us the freedom of creativity. Being creative with minimal resources stirs up the raw creativity to make something work. It forces us to creatively make the best from what little we have. This creativity is what makes magic. #IndieFilmPlace

Veteran feature film editor Lawrence Jordan has been in the BIZ for several years, and has worked on many studio films. He has gained a great working knowledge, and loves to share and encourage filmmakers and editors to do what they love. Larry talks with me about filmmaking, editing, and his "Master the Workflow" course on editing, and more. This is really good stuff. mastertheworkflow.com

The "HIT RECORD" platform, headed up by Joseph Gordon Levitt is really the ultimate colaborative platform for all artists. This is a community where anyone can take part in, and lend their talents to other artists projects. It doesn't matter if you are a musician, actor, voice actor, painter, or whatever. This platform bring artists from all over the world to colaborate, and do what artists love to do. Create. hitrecord.org

Indie film director George Dibble talks about his new film titled "VOLKOV". Join us as we chat about the film, and some behind the scenes stuff. Also, find out more at volkovfilm.com

Let's chat about community. The indie film community is a unique community. There are many facets and layers within our community. Our community is always changing and growing, and that's what I want to address in this episode.

Filmmaker Eric Toms chats with me about his new film that he just finished shooting in Belgium. We talk about the film as well as his experience with production. We also talk about his monthly short film showcase called "Night of Shorts Night".

Alex Ferrari, filmmaker and host of Indie Film Hustle chats with me about his new film "On the Corner of Ego and Desire". We also discuss the business of filmmaking, being an indie filmmaker, and more. Here are some links for Alex: Indie Film Hustle - www.indiefilmhustle.com Indie Film Hustle TV: Netflix for Filmmakers - www.ifhtv.com Shooting for the Mob - www.shootingforthemob.com Bulletproof Screenplay - www.bulletproofscreenplay.com

Special effects can be subject to budget, although small to no budgets also have access to really cool FX techniques. The key is to be true and as real as possible without looking like you're trying to hard to do what you don't have the resources for. Be true, real, and committed to a truthful effect.

The most memorable characters are the ones that are relatable. They may be relatable to us personally, or they may be relatable as someone we know in our lives in some way. Making characters relatable and showing them as human make them memorable.

Filmmaker Usher Morgan (Prego, Pickings) talks about films, filmmaking, and his new book "Lessons from The Set". This book chronicles a filmmaker's journey from idea to distribution, and everything in between.