Indie Film Hustle's Film School Video Podcast

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Vintage Lenses for Indie Filmmakers MasterClass w/ Alan Besedin

One of the main goals of Indie Film Hustle is to give real-world knowledge and resources to indie filmmakers so they can make a living doing what they love. Film gear is a big part of that equation. I always am on the lookout for the best bang for the buck when it comes to film gear.

I recently began to dip my toes into the world of vintage lenses. Vintage lenses are exactly that, vintage. You may be asking

“Alex, why would I buy a 50-year-old lens that has color redition issues or is soft on the corners when the lenses of today are perfect, clean and more advanced?”

The main reason I’ve fallen in love with vintage lenses is exactly for that reason, they are not perfect. Years ago lenses were made by hand. Each lens had its own personality. Many of them have beautiful mistakes that made them stand out.

Case in point Stanley Kubrick. If you watch A Clockwork Orange you’ll notice a wide shot as the doorbell rings about 20min into the film. The crazy wide shot was filmed with a Kinoptik 9.8 F2.3. The lens is far from perfect but it has character. Kubrick was more focused on achieving an interesting shot rather than a perfect one. This coming from a legendary perfectionist.

Kubrick lenses collection was made up of most vintage lenses. He would buy 10 copies of the same lenses, test them all and pick the best of the bunch and return the rest.

Using vintage lenses can also take the “digital bite” off of modern-day camera sensors. The best thing about getting into vintage glass is the cost. You can get a beautiful “nifty 50mm” for between $20-$80. They’re literally thousands of lenses you can choose from, each one special in its own way.  Vintage lenses can truly give your film a unique look and make you stand out from the crowd.

Today’s guest Alan Besedin has been running in the filmmaking trenches for years and runs my go-to resource for vintages lenses VintageLensesforVideo.com. I’ve watched every video and read every article on the site. It’s a wealth of info. Check out some samples below.

Also please support Alan’s amazing work by donating, even a dollar, to his Patreon. (www.patreon.com/VintageLensesForVideo)

So enjoy my conversation with Alan Besedin from VintageLensesforVideo.com.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* VintageLensesforVideo.com

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This is Meg (2017) - The Yogi (EXCLUSIVE CLIP)

BUY THE MOVIE on iTunes: http://www.thisismeg.com/itunes & Support Indie Film!

Watch the best This is Meg scenes & clips:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHw-MoPtklee-XRQ65rAw-zrD2k9GMxt9

FILM DESCRIPTION:

30 is the new 50 here, lose 15 pounds, Meg! You need to be on new age social media, Meg!” From nagging agents to nagging parents, aspiring comedienne/actress Meg finds herself in a rut as she evaluates how far she is from making it big in Los Angeles.

Even the girl singing nude (with tasteful pasties) reached 2 million subscribers. How many chakras need to be awakened to be truly happy in this rough industry? Based on true events (of ANY woman in Hollywood), This is Meg sends us on a whirlwind of an adventure from struggle to enlightenment, the Los Angeles way.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thisismegfilm

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thisismegfilm

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thisismegfilm

CREDITS:

Director/Producer: Alex Ferrari (http://www.alexferrari.com)

Writer/Producer: Jill-Michele Meleán (http://www.jillyonline.com)

CAST:

MEG - Jill-Michele Melean

ERIC - Joseph Reitman

RUBY - Jenica Bergere

SASHA - Debra Wilson

SUZANNE WALKER - Holly Wortell

BROOKE - Krista Allen

AL THE EDITOR - Ruben Dario

CHERYL COLLINS - Shawn Pelofsky

ANGEL - Lahna Turner

MIKE THE BOOKER - Carlos Oscar

KYLE - Roarke Walker

TONY ECKHART - Carlos Alazraqui

OFFICIAL SITES:

http://www.thisismeg.com

http://www.indiefilmhustle.com

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How to Shoot 96 Script Pages in 4 Days

So after I posted the video below I was slammed by emails and messages from the IFH Tribe asking for details on how I shot 96 pages of a visual effect heavy series in just 4 days. The series is called The S.P.A.A.C.E Program and I was hired to direct and post the series by Legendary Pictures Digital and Nerdist. 

I decide to pump out a podcast detailing my techniques and tips on how to shoot large volumes of script pages fast. We average between 90-110 camera setups a day…CRAZY! I couldn’t have done it without my amazing cast and crew. At the end of this journey, we’ll have eight episodes running about 12 minutes each. I still can’t believe we did it.

One thing I forgot to mention in the podcast is to use the fast gear. We shot on the Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4.6k which lived mostly on sticks. This is my camera of choice now as it gives you the biggest bang for your buck. We also use a

We also use a Dana Dolly which made moving the camera a breeze.

Take a listen to this crazy journey and I hope you can pick up some useful knowledge that will help you on your filmmaking journey.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

He doesn’t need any help getting more viewers but check out one of Kyle’s show Because Science:

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* Nerdist

* Alpha Project

* Austin Nordell – Cinematographer

* Because Science with Kyle Hill

* Hulu Plus

SPONSORS

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: FREE AUDIOBOOK

* Indie Film Hustle TV (Streaming Real-World Film Education)

* Alex Ferrari’s Shooting for the Mob (Based on the Incredible True Filmmaking Story)

REAL-WORLD STREAMING FILM EDUCATION

* Indie Film Hustle TV (Streaming Real-World Film Education)

* Hollywood Film School: Filmmaking & TV Directing Masterclass

*

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Why I Edited My Feature Film on DaVinci Resolve

I’ve been editing features, shorts, commercials, and everything else shot on film or video for over 20 years. Editing on almost every non-linear editing system you can imagine I know what I want and like in an NLE. When it came time to edit my directorial feature film debut, This is Meg, I knew my good old Final Cut Pro 7 wouldn’t cut it.

So I decide to give Davinci Resolve 12.5 a try. I’ve been color grading on DaVinci Resolve for years and always jumped over the “edit tab” on my way to the color tab. Once version 12 came out I was blown away. So powerful, so intuitive and it just plain worked! I have to tell you,

“DaVinci Resolve is what Final Cut X should’ve been.”

The good folks over at Blackmagic Design invited me to speak at the Slamdance Film Festival 2017 to discuss my experience editing, color grading and finishing on Davinci Resolve. Enjoy!

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* Video Editing with DaVinci Resolve, FREE Pro Software!

* Blackmagic Design

* Slamdance Film Festival

SPONSORS

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: FREE AUDIOBOOK

* Indie Film Hustle TV (Streaming Real-World Film Education)

* Rev.com – Closed Caption Your Indie Film ($10 off Your First Order)

* Alex Ferrari’s Shooting for the Mob (Based on the Incredible True Filmmaking Story)

REAL-WORLD STREAMING FILM EDUCATION

* Indie Film Hustle TV (Streaming Real-World Film Education)

* Hollywood Film School: Filmmaking & TV Directing Masterclass

* Filmmaker in a Box – Learn How to Make an Indie Film – 18 Hours+ of Lessons 

* Storytelling Blueprint: Hero’s Two Journeys

*

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Jason Michael Berman – Producing 5 Sundance Films & Making it in Hollywood

SPECIAL SUNDANCE EDITION of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast

I had the honor of speaking to Jason Michael Berman at Sundance this year. He’s a Sundance vet. He has premiered 5 features at Sundance over the years and has the record for the highest-selling film at Sundance ever, The Birth of a Nation which sold for $17.5 million. Crazy! This year he premiered the remarkable film Burning Sands at the festival. The film is about the intensifying violence of underground hazing on a college campus.

Jason dropped some great knowledge bombs in our interview with my co-host Sebastian Twardosz. Here’s a bit on Jason Michael Berman:

Jason Michael Berman is the Vice President of Mandalay Pictures, where he is responsible for developing and structuring financing for Mandalay’s slate of independent films, in addition to packaging projects.

Berman has produced feature films that have debuted at premiere film festivals around the globe, including the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, SXSW, Tribeca, Berlinale, and Edinburgh. Berman was named by Variety in 2011 as one of the Top Ten Producers to Watch, and by Deadline Hollywood in 2012 as one of the Top Ten Producers to Watch at Sundance.

Berman produced Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation, starring Parker, Armie Hammer, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, and Penelope Ann Miller, about the true-life story of Nat Turner’s slave rebellion. The Birth of a Nation premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. – Wikipedia

All of these Sundance Series episodes are co-produced by Sebastian Twardosz from Circus Road Films and Media Circus.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* Mandalay Pictures

* Jason Michael Berman – IMDB

* Sebastian Twardosz

* Savant Artists – Producers Rep

SPONSORS

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: FREE AUDIOBOOK

* Indie Film Hustle TV (Streaming Real-World Film Education)

* Rev.com – Closed Caption Your Indie Film ($10 off Your First Order)

* Alex Ferrari’s Shooting for the Mob (Based on the Incredible True Filmmaking Story)

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How to Break into the Film Industry with Stage 32’s RB Botto

SPECIAL SUNDANCE EDITION of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast

One of my most downloaded episodes ever was my interview with Film Industry vet and CEO of Stage32.com, RB Botto (Click here to listen to that interview). Ever since then I’ve been wanting to bring him back on to the show. The stars aligned at Sundance and I didn’t just get him on the podcast but I also recorded the interview for the IFH YouTube Channel.

Here’s a bit on our guest:

Stage 32 is a US-based social network and educational site for creative professionals who work in film industry, television and theater. Stage 32 links professionals in the entertainment industry including directors, writers, actors and entertainment staff.

It caters to film industry professionals with featured bloggers, online education taught by industry professionals, news from Hollywood and filming locations around the world, Stage 32 meetups page, an online lounge and a film business jobs page that allows members to connect with others on film ventures, along with standard social media functions.

CEO and founder, Richard “RB” Botto, an Orson Welles fan, drew his inspiration for the name “Stage 32” from the old RKO Soundstage 17 where Citizen Kane was filmed. That sound stage is now Paramount’s Stage 32.

We had a ball talking and partying at Sundance this year. A lot has happened since our last interview. I’ve done over 100 more episodes of the podcast and Stage32 has grown into a juggernaut. Add the hangovers, snowstorms and my co-host Sebastian Twardosz to the mix and you get a hell of an interview.

Curl up to a warm fire and enjoy our conversation with RB Botto.

All of these Sundance Series episodes are co-produced by Sebastian Twardosz from Circus Road Films and Media Circus.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* Stage 32 – Official Site

* Stage 32 – Twitter

* RB Botto – Twitter

* RB Botto – Instagram

* Stage 32 – Facebook

* Sebastian Twardosz

* Savant Artists – Producers Rep

SPONSORS

*

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Disrupting Sundance & Helping Filmmakers with Slamdance Co-Founder Dan Mirvish

SPECIAL SUNDANCE EDITION of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast

In our journeys through the Sundance Film Festival, we ran into the David to the Sundance Goliath, Slamdance Co-Founder Dan Mirvish.  Dan has been a rebel, author, filmmaker, disruptor, festival creator, and true indie film hustler. 

This interview is one of the most entertaining I’ve ever done. Dan Mirvish tells stories of how he challenged the Oscars, had Robert Redford call him “a parasite” and why the best deals are done in a hot tub. Here’s a bit on Dan Mirvish:

A co-founder of the upstart Slamdance Film Festival, Dan Mirvish is also an active director, screenwriter, and producer. Labeled a “cheerful subversive” by The New York Times, and “Hollywood’s Bad Boy” by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mirvish has been named as one of Variety’s Top 50 Creatives to Watch, as well as one of Film Festival Today’s Top 25 Most Influential People in Independent Film.

Dan also has just written a new book: The Cheerful Subversive’s Guide to Independent Filmmaking: From Preproduction to Festivals and Distribution. Here’s a bit about the book.

In The Cheerful Subversive’s Guide to Independent Filmmaking, celebrated Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Dan Mirvish offers a rich exploration of the process and culture of making low-budget, independent films.

Once labeled a “cheerful subversive” by The New York Times, Mirvish shares his unfiltered pragmatic approach to scriptwriting, casting, directing, producing, managing a crew, post-production, navigating the film festival circuit, distributing your film, dealing with piracy and building a career.

Readers will learn how to game the Hollywood system to their advantage, get their films accepted by respected festivals without going broke, and utilize a broad range of media and tactics to promote and distribute their work. A companion website features behind-the-scenes interviews and footage from Dan’s films, and much more.

* Learn everything you need to know to make, promote, and distribute your independent films, with time-tested lessons and practical advice on scriptwriting, casting and directing A-list actors, financing, producing, managing a crew, editing in post, creating visual effects on a budget, and successfully navigating the film festival circuit

* Find out what it takes to become a true “cheerful subversive” and adopt new and innovative approaches to producing your films, discover hidden loopholes in the Hollywood system and festival scene, take advantage of a broad range of media formats to promote and distribute your indie films, and generally make bold moves in service of your creative work, all while staying flexible enough to pivot at a moment’s notice

* An extensive companion website features in-depth interviews with filmmakers, more than an hour of behind-the-scenes footage from Dan Mirvish’s films, festival resources, and much more

Get ready for some very entertaining knowledge bombs with Dan Mirvish.

All of these Sundance Series episodes are co-produced by Sebastian Twardosz from Circus Road Films and Media Circus.

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Chasing Sly and the Family Stone Documentary for 12 years with Michael Rubenstone

SPECIAL SUNDANCE EDITION of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast

We all hear stories of filmmakers working on films for years and years. Well, I don’t know about you but I’ve never met one until now. In my journeys at Sundance and Slamdance, I met one of these crazy and passionate filmmakers, his name is Michael Rubenstone. Michael the director of the documentary On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone, which premiered at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival. 

When I heard his crazy story I had to have him on the show. Michael has been chasing Sly from Sly and the Family Stones for over 12 years. The stories he told us in the interview were insane. Talk about passion. We can all learn something about dedication, persistence and just plain nuts.

Check out some teasers of the film below:

Here’s a bit about the film: Director and super-fan Michael Rubenstone sets out in search of long-time reclusive funk legend, Sly Stone. Along the way, he meets with some success but finds countless more failures in trying to capture a man who refuses to be contained.

Have you ever sat in your parked car for several minutes, just to hear the end of a song on the radio or savor the feeling that such a song gave you? In On the Sly, a music fan’s archival fervor and optimistic investigation take us beyond a sensationalized or simplified history of Sly and the Family Stone and bring us into a world where it is unthinkable to turn off the radio before the song is through.

The elusiveness of frontman Sly prompts both filmmaker and viewer to consider how much we project onto our heroes, and how their continued inaccessibility is, despite our frustration, often vital to continuing the work of discovering ourselves and how we use music and art to bond with one another beyond simply moving our bodies to the beat. – Beth Prouty, Slamdance Programmer

Sit back and enjoy the amazing conversation I and my co-host Teri Gamble had with director Michael Rubenstone.

All of these Sundance Series episodes are co-produced by Sebastian Twardosz from Circus Road Films and Media Circus.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone – IMDB

* Michael Rubenstone – IMDB

* Teri Gamble

* Sebastian Twardosz

* Savant Artists – Producers Rep

SPONSORS

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business

* Rise of ...

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Sydney Freeland: Working with Netflix & Maintaining Creative Freedom

SPECIAL SUNDANCE EDITION of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast

I ran into many filmmakers while fighting the blizzard at this year’s Sundance Film Festival but one of the most impressive of the bunch was director Sydney Freeland. Sydney has had a challenging journey to become a director and her story is inspiring, to say the least.

Prior to making her first feature-length film, Sundance darling Drunktown’s Finest, Sydney Freeland previously worked as a production assistant, as a writer, and as a camera intern. Freeland worked in a number of areas, including; National Geographic, Walt Disney, The Food Network and Comedy Central. Freeland garnered her first taste of success with the six-minute short film, Hoverboard, utilizing Kickstarter to help fund the short. The film was inspired by her love of Back to the Future Part II.

Drunktown’s Finest is her second venture into filmmaking. The 95-minute long film is a coming-of-age story about the complex issues surrounding identity and the struggles faced by Native American people. The film’s name is inspired by a controversial 20/20 segment on ABC News, which branded the town of Gallup, New Mexico as “Drunk Town, USA“, after the increase of instances of alcoholism on the border of the Navajo Nation.

Freeland wrote, directed Drunktown’s Finest as a means to combat the negative stereotype of her home community. Sydney Freeland, who is herself a transgender woman, is also directing a digital series about queer and trans women called Her Story.

At this year’s Sundance Film Festival Sydney Freeland is premiering her latest film Deidra & Laney Rob a Train, which was financed completely by Netflix. Two teenage sisters start robbing trains to make ends meet after their single mother’s emotional meltdown in an electronics store lands her in jail. Coming to Netflix on March 17. Here’s the trailer.

We sit down and discuss how it was like to work with Netflix, if the rumors of creative freedom are true and what Sundance has done for her career.

All of these Sundance Series episodes will be co-hosted by Sebastian Twardosz from Circus Road Films and a co-production with Media Circus.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

BTW, Here’s a trailer to Sydney Freeland’s first Sundance Film Festival film, Drunktown’s Finest. Three young Native Americans- an adopted Christian girl, a rebellious father-to-be, and a promiscuous transsexual strive to escape the hardships of life on an Indian reservation.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* Sydney Freeland – IMDB

* Deidra & Laney Rob a Train

* Drunktown’s Finest

* Hoverboard

*

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Rebel in the Rye & How to Become a Producer with Jason Shuman

SPECIAL SUNDANCE EDITION of the Indie Film Hustle Podcast

Every once in a while we get a real Hollywood producer on the show. Jason Shuman is a producer and director, known for Lone Survivor (2013), Role Models (2008) and Bangkok Dangerous (2008) and this year’s Sundance hit Rebel in the Rye (2017), written and directed by Danny Strong. Now not only is Jason a very accomplished producer but man is he a nice guy.

He was so generous with his time and knowledge. He was dropping knowledge bombs left and right. Jason Shuman started producing indie films like one of my faves, Comic Book Villains (2002) and moved quickly up to studio films with horror classic Darkness Falls (2003) (based on a short film). Check out the Darkness Falls short below:

Get ready to have an inside look at what it takes to become a Hollywood producer.  Thanks to Jason Shuman for taking the time to do the interview. All of these Sundance Series episodes will be co-hosted by Sebastian Twardosz from Circus Road Films and a co-production with Media Circus PR.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Download on iTunes Direct

Watch on IFH YouTube Channel

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

* Jason Shuman – IMDB

* Rebel in the Rye

* Sebastian Twardosz

* Savant Artists – Producers Rep

SPONSORS

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business

* Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: FREE AUDIOBOOK

* Indie Film Hustle TV (Streaming Real-World Film Education)

* Rev.com – Closed Caption Your Indie Film ($10 off Your First Order)

* Alex Ferrari’s Shooting for the Mob (Based on the Incredible True Filmmaking Story)

REAL-WORLD STREAMING FILM EDUCATION

* Indie Film Hustle TV (Streaming Real-World Film Education)