Filmmaker Freedom

Today on Filmmaker Freedom, we’re going to kill one of the sacred cows of indie filmmaking culture. Film festivals.

We’re going to dissect, point by point, why festivals aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, especially if your goal is to make money with your work.

In fact, by the time we get to the end of this episode, you might just be convinced, as I am, that the vast majority of festivals are a waste of time and money.

So let’s get to it.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

Today on Filmmaker Freedom, an in-depth interview with Clara Lehmann and Jonathan Lacocque.

Clara and Jonathan are the co-founders of Coat of Arms, a full service production and post studio that's created work for some of the biggest companies on earth. Think Google, Microsoft, Land Rover, Marriott, WebMD, and way more.

They also take their passion projects very seriously. They've made short animated films and documentaries. They made a web series that was nominated for a Webby award. They've done music videos. And currently, they're in the process of releasing their first feature length doc.

Oh, and they're married to one another.

Anyhow, over the course of this wide-ranging interview, we talk about the mechanics of building a successful production company, working directly with large corporate clients without having to go through an ad agency, pursuing passion projects in the midst of a running a business, creating work that you can be proud of, and quite a bit more.

It's a damn good conversation, and I hope you dig it.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

Today on Filmmaker Freedom, the three types of audiences you’ll need to understand if you want to make a living selling directly to your fans.

We’ll also dig into one of the biggest mistakes I see again and again from indie filmmakers who want to create content, reach people online, and sell their films. Problem is, they do it in the most ineffective way possible. We're gonna fix that.

So by the end of this episode, you’ll have newfound clarity on how to use your energy for maximum impact when reaching online. audiences and selling your films.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

Liz Manashil is pretty prolific when it comes to writing and directing micro-budget features.

I actually found out about Liz a few years ago after her first feature, Bread and Butter, recouped its budget, and she wrote a great article for MovieMaker transparently sharing those numbers and revenue streams.

These days, Liz just finished her second feature, Speed of Life, and is taking it around the festival circuit, hammering out a unique distribution deal for it, and planning a DIY theatrical run that includes a David Bowie cover band, all of which we talk about in our conversation.

And finally, she's in the early stages on a new feature called Lady Parts, that's honestly got one of the funnier crowdfunding pitch videos I've ever seen.

Anyhow, here's a rundown of what we talk about in this interview.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

Today on Filmmaker Freedom, a crash course in what it really means to build an audience, and how to approach this process in a way that will lead you to a profitable, fulfilling business selling your films directly to fans.

Trust me, there are a lot of misconceptions out there about audience building, and it's easy to spend months or years going down a rabbit hole that leads nowhere. So buckle up, because today we're going to set the record straight, and build a strong foundation for all future episodes of this podcast.

Also, you can find the written version of this episode here:

www.filmpreneurshow.com/fundamentals

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

Alex Ferrari is the founder of Indie Film Hustle, one of the most popular indie film podcasts and blogs around.

He's also got a streaming platform called Indie Film Hustle TV and a book called Shooting for the Mob about his insane early experiences in film.

Not to mention he's made two micro-budget films in the last 3 years, and both have been profitable.

So here's a rundown of the fun stuff we cover in this wide-ranging conversation.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

Chris Sakr and Mike Hall are the founders of Shohawk Media, and the creators of Generation Freedom, a documentary about online business that's being distributed using online business principles. Pretty meta, right?

But it's working, as the film has already broken even, and these two are just getting started with the process of monetizing it.

Here's just a sampling of the fun stuff we covered in this conversation.

So I hope you're excited, because this is a damn good conversation with lots of useful takeaways. Enjoy.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

The last episode of Filmmaker Freedom was a bit of a downer. We talked about why indie filmmaking is rarely a good business, and why most filmmakers can never make a living from it.

But today, I'm sharing a new paradigm, one that goes against everything you've ever learned about making and selling films. And when you adopt this paradigm, you'll quickly see that it actually is possible for indie film to be a viable business.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

Today on Filmmaker Freedom, perhaps the most depressing episode of this show I'll ever make. We’re going to dig into the horrifying economic realities of making and distributing indie films. We’ll get into why most DIY distribution is bound to fail, and why you should be wary of distribution deal.

I guarantee by the end you’ll be disheartened. Don’t worry though. This is just part 1 of 2, and in the next episode, I’m going to show you a number of counterintuitive ways to shift this bad economic situation in your favor. So hang in there, and let’s unwind this economic mess together, shall we.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community Just for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy

The filmpreneur code is a set of ideas that will help you make the films you care about, build an audience, and earn a great living from it. The journey won't be easy, and it won't be quick, but it will be worth it.

Learn the code. Live it. And let it guide you to an amazing life.

Full Transcripts & Archive

Each solo episode of Filmmaker Freedom (not the interviews) has a complete written transcript so that you can revisit the ideas quickly and easily.

You can find those transcripts, as well as the full archive of shows, right here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com

A Weekly Newsletter for Ambitious Filmmakers

Every Sunday morning, I send out a handful of stories, carefully picked to help you make films you care about, build a business, and master your psychology. Plus I share a short film I love, and various other bits of inspiration. Get it here:

www.filmfreedomshow.com/newsletter

A Community for Entrepreneurial Filmmakers

Want to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurial filmmakers who will push you to grow and succeed? Then Freedom Fighters is the place for you.

Here's where you can learn more about this one-of-a-kind community and apply to join our ranks. (Don't worry, it's totally free, but there's an application process to make sure this community is full of the right people.)

www.filmfreedomshow.com/community

Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time!

-Rob Hardy