Filmmaking Sucks

By Mass Grave Pictures

Arts TV & Film Business Careers Visual Arts

What's Filmmaking Sucks about?

Manny & Lindsay have been producing low and no-budget horror films for over 10 years in the NY/NJ Area, and discuss the many hard-earned lessons they've learned along the way.

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Filmmaking Sucks episodes:

06.23.2020
Collection Resurrection: 555
As promised, this week we watched the Koz Brothers 1988 no-budget gore fest, 555! Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app. And don't forget to rate and review us!
06.09.2020
Collection Resurrection: Our New Podcast!
Hey Filmmaking Sucks fans! This week, we are giving you the first episode of our new podcast, Collection Resurrection on the feed!Filmmaking Sucks is mostly done for now, but we are keeping the feed open for whenever we do interviews,...
07.31.2019
Horror Film Festivals w/Dr. Michelle Conty
Being horror filmmakers, we like to have guests who can specifically help other horror filmmakers. Well here she is, the Events Manager and Assistant Director of the Horrorhound Film Festival, Dr. Michelle Conty! Michelle was recently in NYC to shoot interviews...
06.06.2019
Films and Film Festivals with the Film Commissioner, Debra Markowitz
This week, we sit down with Nassau County Film Commission, director of the Long Island International Film Expo, and writer/director in her own right, Debra Markowitz and John Marean. We talk with Debra about how she helped found the Naussau...
04.26.2019
Shooting For The Mob (and Yourself) w/Alex Ferrari
Here is part 2 of our interview with Alex Ferrari where he discusses his new book, Shooting For The Mob. Beyond just discussing hr book, we get into some of the difficult personal challenges we (and you) have to face...
03.29.2019
Ego and Desire with Alex Ferrari
This week, we talk with Filmmaker and Podcaster Alex Ferrari, again! After a self-described brutal film festival run with his latest feature, On The Corner Of Ego And Desire, Alex talks with us about the hardships he endured, staying focused, overcoming...
03.13.2019
Using SAG On A No-Budget Film
This week, we are leaving all the description to the episode, as it speaks for itself: How to use SAG on a No Budget film! On Mannys newest short film, Matryoshka, we decided to go use SAG in order to work...
02.21.2019
Producing 'Dogged' with Matthew Davies
In October of 2017, we had the pleasure of screening our last feature film, Theta States, at the Shawna Shea Film Festival. While there, we met UK Writer/Producers Matthew Davies and Lee Wignall of Ash Mountain Films, who were there...
01.25.2019
2018 Recap and 2019 Goals!
Well, we have returned, and we are calling this the first episode of season 3! This week, we start off a little slow, explain our sorta-new format and our new “Seasons” experiment. So, going back to our New Years episode...
09.26.2018
Be Your Own Filmmaker
In a conversation that many of our listeners have heard bit and pieces of over the last few episodes, we discuss what it means to us to be our own style of filmmaker. As artists, we all struggle with the...
09.12.2018
Developing Promos For Your Film
This week on Filmmaking Sucks, we discuss different ways how you can prepare your film for future marketing, while you are in pre and production. In the past, we have generally kept much of our production process quiet while in production;...
09.05.2018
Producing on a Low Budget w/Alex Ferrari
This week, we talk to the host of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast, Alex Ferrari! Alex has created one of the most well known and helpful resources for indie filmmakers with his podcast and brand of Indie Film Hustle. Having over...
08.30.2018
MGP On JT & Big O
This week on Filmmaking Sucks, we bring to you an interview that Lindsay & Manny did on the JT & Big O Podcast! This interview was originally aired on Facebook Live in June of this year, and we wanted to make...
08.22.2018
Making Your Second Film
Now that we are officially wrapped and in post-production, this week we discuss the making of Lindsays new short film, Miss Understood Monster! From Pre to Post, we account the whole process of developing the visuals, writing the script, casting,...
08.15.2018
The Return! Filmmaking Still Sucks
We're back! Our first episode in a few months, and we get right down to it. We discuss what they've been up to, all the festivals, the panels, the screenings and shoots we've had. From the Severed Film Night and...
04.04.2018
Shooting A New Short With A New Crew!
This past weekend, Lindsay and Manny shot a new short film, and did so with an entirely new crew than they had worked with before. First time working with a pro DP, Philip Kral who you can hear on the...
03.14.2018
Filmmaking On A Budget Panel
This week, we bring you the Filmmaking On A Budget panel from the Macabre Faire Film Festival, featuring indie directors Patrick Devaney, Jeremiah Kipp, and Jerry Landi. Whether making films on the budget of a pizza dinner, two days of shooting for...
03.07.2018
ProductionNext w/Jim Miller & Ben Yennie
Production management software is popping up all over, from the veterans like MovieMagic to newb's like Celtx, it's hard to decide which one is best for your needs. This week, we talk to Jim Miller & Ben Yennie, creators of...
02.28.2018
Dealing With Rejection
Rejection is probably the toughest part of being an artist. Peers, audiences, film festivals, distributors, everyone has an opinion on your work, and a lot of the time, it's not very positive. But, that comes with the territory and, many...
02.21.2018
Latino Filmmaker Panel from Macabre Faire Film Festival
This week, we bring you the Latino Filmmaker panel from the Macabre Faire Film Festival. Hosted by Manny Serrano, and featuring filmmakers Edwin Pagan and Christian Moran, horror super-fan and actress Ines Peek also joined us for the talk. While much...
02.14.2018
Writing and Scheduling A Shoot (6-week goal updates!)
Happy Valentines Day everyone! We all know that just because it's a holiday (sort of) that doesn't mean the hustle ends, so here we are with some updates! At the beginning of the year, we set some 6-week goals for...
02.07.2018
Women In Horror Panel from Macabre Faire
Happy Women In Horror Month! January 12th, 2018 was the 2nd Annual Women In Horror Panel at the Macabre Faire Film Festival in Ronkonkoma, NY. Featuring Director/Producer Lindsay Serrano, Actress/Director Angie Hansen, Director/SFX Artist Shiva Rodriguez, Cinematographer/Director Jill Poisson, and Actress/Producer...
01.31.2018
Producing an $8000 Feature Film w/Joe Badon
Producing a low-budget feature can easily be one of the most daunting undertakings you will ever experience, but also the most rewarding. The crash-course in filmmaking you receive will be unlike any other. This week on the show we talk...
01.24.2018
Cinematography w/ Jill Poisson & Phil Kral
Filmmaking is a visual medium, obviously. So it goes without saying that choosing the right cinematographer is essential in telling your story properly. At the Macabre Faire Film Festival, Manny was lucky enough to have hosted multiple panels, one of which...
01.23.2018
BONUS: Ancillary Content with 4Mile Circus at Ax Wound Film Festival
At the Ax Wound film Festival, Lindsay sat in on a live Podcast recording for 4Mile Circus, who are not only an awesome podcast you should all check out, but they are also a production team based out of Brooklyn,...
01.17.2018
How To Build A Following w/4MileCircus
Social Media! That ever elusive combination lock that we all struggle to get right. How to get followers, how to get shares, how to get likes, how to get people to pay attention to you and your film! Well, this...
01.03.2018
Staying Motivated and Creating Goals
Happy New Year everyone! Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first episode of Filmmaking Sucks AND the first episode of the new year, so we decided to do a bit of a year end wrap-up. A huge part of this...
12.20.2017
Ax Wound Film Festival Filmmakers Panel
The Ax Wound Film Festival is a celebration of Women in Horror, and Filmmaking in general. Lindsay's new film Beneath was selected to be part of the fest, and as a result, she was invited to be a part of...
12.15.2017
BONUS! Masters of Horror Panel from Fear NYC!
We attended the Fear NYC Horror Film Festival in October, and filmed the "Masters of Horror" panel hosted by Jay Kay of Horror Happens Radio, featuring producer and journalist Heather Buckley, Horror Historian Tyler Hixson, director Colin Adams-Toomey, Director & Actress...
12.13.2017
Tips for a Successful Seed & Spark Campaign
Crowdfunding is becoming a huge part of independent film production. A few weeks back, we attended the Ax Wound Film Festival, and were able to attend a workshop hosted by Christina Raia discussing crowdfunding and specifically the platform Seed &...
12.01.2017
The Stuff You Need To Get Your Film Made
We're back! After a lengthy hiatus, which we totally didn't intend, we're finally back. This week, we discuss a panel we sat in on at the New York Short Film Festival, about How To Get our Feature Made, and cover some...
10.18.2017
Breaking Out Of Your Personal Bubble
Happy month of Halloween! We've spent the last couple of weeks at different film festivals, including the Shawna Shea Film Festival and Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. On top of winning two awards, we watched a lot of excellent films, and...
09.27.2017
The Seven Basic Plots in Horror Movies
To kick off the Halloween Season, we have decided to attempt to cover subjects that relate directly to horror films for this month, and we kick it off with a conversation relating to something we recently spoke about in our...
09.20.2017
Prepping Deliverables and Credit Blocks
When your movie is complete, and you've found distribution, there is a list of items that the distributor (or sales agent) will ask for so that they can properly package and sell your film. This is called your Deliverables. This list...
09.06.2017
Low Cost Production Apps and Programs
This week on Filmmaking Sucks we discuss some of the low-cost production apps and programs which will help to streamline your production, especially wen shooting with a small crew! We begin discussing CineSummit 7, which will go live next week, Sept...
08.24.2017
How To Prep With Your Director of Photography
Film is a visual medium, and your Director Of Photography is the person who will bring your visual story to life. They help you craft the story through lenses, angles, lighting, movement and color. But, they are incapable of bringing...
08.16.2017
No-Budget Filmmaking Hacks
Keeping things low-budget can be difficult, and there are many things indie filmmakers do to stretch their budgets as far as possible. This week, we discuss a few of the methods we have used in the past to achieve professional...
08.09.2017
Directors: What You Need To Know Before Shooting
On most Low and No-Budget films, the director is usually also the writer, and producer, sometimes camera operator and editor as well. With all of these hats to wear, there are a few key components to being a director that...
07.26.2017
48 Hour Film Races - Shooting Under Pressure
Film Races are something we've always enjoyed doing, ever since we began making movies. Our first film race was in 2007 for the Alamo Drafthouse Bloodshots Competition. We have competed in three others since then, we hosted a panel discussion...
07.05.2017
First Day On Your First Film With A 5 Person Crew
Your first film set can be a big undertaking, and you need to be prepared or your filmmaking journey will be over before it begins. Where do I shoot? What do I need? What should I prepare for? How many people do I need...
06.28.2017
How To Network w/Writer-Director Louie Cortes
This week Manny and Lindsay sit down with filmmaker, and long-time collaborator Louie Cortes. Together, the three of us as written, produced and directed our first feature film, Blood Slaughter Massacre, our web-series-turned-featurette, The Attack Of The Brain People, and...
06.21.2017
How To MicroBudget Your Script
Two weeks ago, Lindsay was on one of our favorite Filmmaking podcasts, Making Movies Is Hard, and she discussed their prospects of making their own first feature film and how to re-work their budget to affordable levels. So, this week,...
05.25.2017
What are Development Funds?
Manny and Lindsay take on a subject that many independent filmmakers are unaware of this week, and that is Development Funds. This area of your budget is not always necessary, and it depends on what your film budget is actually...
05.17.2017
Books Vs Scripts w/ Author Loren Molloy
This week on Filmmaking Sucks, Manny and Lindsay sit down with author Loren Molloy to discuss the differences between writing a book vs a script. Besides the obvious format differences, when writing a novel, the creator tends to be less...
05.10.2017
Working Conventions
This week on Filmmaking Sucks, Lindsay and Manny discuss what is like working the convention circuit. Many indie filmmakers, especially those in the horror genre, decide to forego the traditional distribution route, and opt instead to sell their films themselves...
04.19.2017
The Horrors of Producing a TV Series
Producing a TV or Web Series is a long process and big commitment. With many moving parts and different directors on each episode, the production can balloon very quickly and just as quickly it can go off the rails. With...
04.12.2017
The Writers Process w/Scott Perry
Every writer has a process, and it's different for each one. This week, Manny and Lindsay sit down with writer/producer/director Scott W. Perry and discuss the process of completing a script. Scott is the producer of the web series...
04.05.2017
On-Set Horror Stories!
We're back! This week, in what is possibly our lest structured episode yet, we have a conversation with teenage filmmaker, Anthony Edward Curry. Anthony, who began making his first feature film at 13 years old and completing it at 15,...
03.15.2017
Why You Need A Producer During Production
Hiring a good producer is so important to you film, we needed two weeks to explain it. The day-of filming is the most important moment for your film, and if you're directing, the only thing you should be concerned with is...
03.08.2017
Why You Need A Producer
Hiring a producer can be expensive, so many indie filmmakers write and direct their own films, which is just fin. But then, they decide "I'll do it myself" when it comes to producing, and they don't realize how much they...

What's Filmmaking Sucks about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Filmmaking Sucks episodes:

Collection Resurrection: 555

Collection Resurrection: Our New Podcast!

Horror Film Festivals w/Dr. Michelle Conty

Films and Film Festivals with the Film Commissioner, Debra Markowitz

Shooting For The Mob (and Yourself) w/Alex Ferrari

Ego and Desire with Alex Ferrari

Using SAG On A No-Budget Film

Producing 'Dogged' with Matthew Davies

2018 Recap and 2019 Goals!

Be Your Own Filmmaker

Developing Promos For Your Film

Producing on a Low Budget w/Alex Ferrari

MGP On JT & Big O

Making Your Second Film

The Return! Filmmaking Still Sucks

Shooting A New Short With A New Crew!

Filmmaking On A Budget Panel

ProductionNext w/Jim Miller & Ben Yennie

Dealing With Rejection

Latino Filmmaker Panel from Macabre Faire Film Festival

Writing and Scheduling A Shoot (6-week goal updates!)

Women In Horror Panel from Macabre Faire

Producing an $8000 Feature Film w/Joe Badon

Cinematography w/ Jill Poisson & Phil Kral

BONUS: Ancillary Content with 4Mile Circus at Ax Wound Film Festival

How To Build A Following w/4MileCircus

Staying Motivated and Creating Goals

Ax Wound Film Festival Filmmakers Panel

BONUS! Masters of Horror Panel from Fear NYC!

Tips for a Successful Seed & Spark Campaign

The Stuff You Need To Get Your Film Made

Breaking Out Of Your Personal Bubble

The Seven Basic Plots in Horror Movies

Prepping Deliverables and Credit Blocks

Low Cost Production Apps and Programs

How To Prep With Your Director of Photography

No-Budget Filmmaking Hacks

Directors: What You Need To Know Before Shooting

48 Hour Film Races - Shooting Under Pressure

First Day On Your First Film With A 5 Person Crew

How To Network w/Writer-Director Louie Cortes

How To MicroBudget Your Script

What are Development Funds?

Books Vs Scripts w/ Author Loren Molloy

Working Conventions

The Horrors of Producing a TV Series

The Writers Process w/Scott Perry

On-Set Horror Stories!

Why You Need A Producer During Production

Why You Need A Producer