Stranded in the Atlantic Ocean for 76 days with nothing but a life raft, a spear, and sheer will, Steven Callahan’s true survival story became the obsession of filmmaker Joe Wein. 

In this episode, host John Cooke sits down with Joe to explore how he transformed this impossible story into an award-winning documentary. Joe shares the behind-the-scenes challenges of bringing 76 Days Adrift to life and how he managed to find funding for the film.

Key insights from this episode:

• Creative ways to finance an indie documentary
• Building momentum through proof-of-concept and persistence
• Why indie filmmaking is a team sport, not a solo act

Chapters:

(00:00) Meet Joe Wein

(01:13) Why Joe chose to make a documentary out of Steven Callahan’s story

(03:14) How to film what no one recorded

(04:24) Recreating the scenes

(07:23) Scoring the documentary with Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump

(08:59) Getting Ang Lee on board

(10:03) What it really takes to commit to a documentary

(13:39) Raising money the indie way

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Insurance may not be glamorous, but it’s one of the most important safeguards in film production.

In this episode of Inside Indies, host John Cooke explains the must-know terms of production insurance, from general liability and workers’ comp to Certificates of Insurance, to protect your crew, gear, and peace of mind.

Key insights from this episode:

• What a COI is and when you need it
• The core policies that protect your shoot
• Understanding coverage limits and gaps

Follow us on our socials:

Learn more on https://castandcrew.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/CastCrew

Instagram: https://instagram.com/castandcrewllc/

LinkedIn: https:/linkedin.com/company/castcrew/

X: https://x.com/CastAndCrewNews

This is Inside Indies, powered by Cast & Crew. In each episode, we take a look at what it takes to make an indie film and share advice on things like funding, planning, and getting a project across the finish line, without a studio-sized budget.