The First Step in Making a Movie

Your first feature film matters more than you think. In this episode, I share why branding yourself in one genre—horror, comedy, drama, action—sets the foundation for your career. Learn how shorts prepare you for features, why consistency builds recognition, and how to avoid the ... Show More

Want to know how to make a micro-budget film look like it cost $1 million? In this episode, I reveal the simple but powerful strategies—big set pieces, smart casting, and professional sound—that can transform your indie film into something that looks like a blockbuster. 

What do film investors really want? In this episode, I share the three things every investor looks for: excitement, the filmmaking experience, and a chance at revenue. If you’re raising money for your film, this is essential listening. 

Today we speak to Matthew Gentile and Matt Allen about the process of filming and editing the film, American Murderer. Matthew met Matt in film school, and invited him to collaborate on his first feature film. American Murderer is now available on Amazon Prime. In this episode, w ... Show More

What is your dream? If you know what your dream is, have you taken the first step to get there? See, most people know what they want but they never take the first step. They scare themselves out of, or talk themselves out of, making that first step towards their goals. In this ep ... Show More

There's no better feeling than completing a project you’ve been working on for, what feels like, forever. On one hand, you’re relieved but you're also anxious to figure out what to work on next. How do you decide what your new project will be, and what is the most efficient strat ... Show More

Mar. 8, 2022 For our 100th episode we revisit our first question pondered; What makes for a good movie? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#d ... Show More

What are the secrets of successful independent budget film making, and if you're not born with a silver spoon in your mouth, how do you take your fledgling film to the next level? Simon Smith is joined by film makers Dominic Brunt, Marc Price and Chris Jones, who share their expe ... Show More

Here's Episode One of our new podcast series The First Feature. This is a step-by-step guide on how to get your first feature made, using Ryan Koo's new Netflix Original Film AMATEUR as a case study. In this episode, we get into: The three questions you can ask yourself to help d ... Show More

Learn how to talk about a movie you saw last night - what it was about, where it was filmed, some adjectives to describe the plot, the way in which it was filmed - it's all in this lesson. If you haven't seen a particular movie, study the questions you'll need to put to someone w ... Show More

Cinematographer Bianca Cline explains how she shot the feature film Marcel The Shell With His Shoes On which is now playing in theaters. In this episode, we talk about… The necessities that stop motion needs Using a rotating camera around the subject Incorporating stop motion int ... Show More