Show Don't Tell: Micro-budget Filmmaking

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

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/junefallingd

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 t

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.lizman

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 findi

35mm film is still seen as the holy grail for many filmmakers, but from a cost perspective it is often prohibitive for micro-budget productions. The cost of purchasing new film stock combined with processing and scanning can add up very quickly, which of course is why it’s almost always reserved for higher budget productions.That said, some micro-budget filmmakers are able to execute 35mm projects by thinking outside the box and finding ways to make the cost of shooting on film more manageable. One of those filmmakers is Ben Garchar, our guest this week.Using some out of the box solutions (such as purchasing short ends on eBay), Ben was able to shoot portions of his latest short film Jake in 35mm, and blend it beautifully with digital footage shot on the Canon C300. In this episode, Ben explains how it was possible to shoot on 35mm film for less than the cost of renting a digital cinema camera, how he was able to match his digital footage to the film material, the benefits of shooting on 35mm and its affect o

Micro-budget filmmakers often utilize natural light as a means to simplify production requirements and reduce time on set, while also benfitting from the beautiful aethetic that it offers. When done right, this approach can truly offer filmmakers a best of both worlds scenatio - the ability to capture gorgeous images with minimal crew and gear.Achieving cinema-quality results with natural light can be easier said than done though, as the lack of control over lighting, color temperature, and other variables can pose some major challenges for filmmakers.In this episode, Noam discusses his 5 fundamental tips for shooting in natural light which cover everything from choosing the right camera for the job to the importance of tech scouting, and everything in between.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com 

With thousands of film festivals in existence and more popping up every year, filmmakers are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate the festival circuit. And while most filmmakers have some rough festival goals in mind as they approach the submission process, many have not taken the time to truly develop a strategy that will benefit their film.In this episode, Noam sheds light on the film festival submission process from his perspective as both a filmmaker, and someone who has judged for festivals and film competitions in the past. Topics covered include: Budgeting for festival submissions, understanding the odds of getting accepted and how to improve them, the benefit of submitting to festivals that only accept blind submissions, and much more.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com 

Production and post-production time on micro-budget films is severely limited, making it crucial for filmmakers to ensure they are being as efficient as possible with the limited time that they do have.Based on his experience with the micro-budget feature film “Shadows on the Road”, Noam outlines his top 7 rules for filmmakers looking to optimize production time and increase efficiency across the board. Topics covered include: How and why to keep your locations to a minimum, simplified coverage options that allow for better creative results in less time, a post-production workflows that involves locking picture reel by reel, and much more.For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

Making a micro-budget film is hard. Making a no-budget film is even harder - especially when you are the only crew member.In this episode, Noam shares actionable tips and advice for no-budget filmmakers who need to act as the Director, DP, and Sound Recordist all at once. From making adjustments to the screenplay, to modifying blocking, lighting, and sound recording techniques, there are countless ways in which no-budget filmmakers can ensure they are still achieving a high production value, even without a crew to fall back on...All of this and much more on this week’s episode!For more content like this visit www.noamkroll.com

On this episode, Noam interviews Will Gong - a Writer and Editor with years of experience working on large scale feature film projects. Currently working at Disney, Will has edited promos, featurettes, behind the scenes content, and much more for films like Star Wars: Rogue One, Beauty and the Beast, Straight Outta Compton, and many others.While Will has a great deal of experience working on larger productions, he has most recently decided to develop his own content on a smaller scale, and is now in pre-production for a new micro-budget web series he wrote, titled “Bunkheads”. Over the course of this interview, Will shares his invaluable insight on the development and writing process for his project, experiences with crowdfunding and pre-production, and much more.For more info on Will Gong and his project Bunkheads, please visit: www.bunkheads.netYou can also check out Bunkheads on social media using the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BunkheadsTV/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bunkheadsInstagram