My First Feature

Writer/Director/Producer Duane Andersen calls in from Utah to talk about his directorial debut,  “Superpowerless” a coming of middle-age story about a superhero who, in  his early 40s, must now grapple with the loss of his powers and the  question of what’s next. Duane has produced a lot of films but  Superpowerless is his first feature at the director’s helm. We talk  about how every actor has different needs, about life imitating art  imitating life, and San Francisco’s inherent production value.

Check out the film’s journey on twitter @splmovie or facebook.com/superpowerlessmovie.

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director David Steinberg has Ethan over for a chat about his  experience writing and directing “Miss Dial”, a romantic comedy about a  bored customer service rep looking to make a connection. David discusses  writing such scripts as “Slackers” and “American Pie 2”, the  frustration of letting others make your script with your input, and  shares some interesting insights about international distribution.

Check out Miss Dial on Amazon Prime and follow David on twitter – @davidhsteinberg

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Director Alex Lehman sits down to discuss his first feature, the documentary called “Asperger’s Are Us“,  a coming of age story about the first comedy troupe comprised of all  openly autistic people. Alex chats about taking the leap of faith to fly  to Boston and film the group, knowing when to use your connections (and  when not to), and playing to your strengths as a filmmaker.

Asperger’s Are Us debuted on Netflix in October alongside Alex’s first  narrative feature “Blue Jay” starring Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson.

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director Trevor Stevens stops by to talk about his first feature “Rock Steady Row“, a  spaghetti western set in a modern day college campus. This is a special  episode as at the time of recording, Trevor was 48 hours out from  beginning principal photography.

Trevor discusses how his thesis film “Run” was chosen as a Vimeo  Staff Pick which led to getting representation which lead to pitching  his idea for Rock Steady Row. We also talk about pitching projects from  the heart, what it’s like to go into production with very little  rehearsal time, and how to prepare for the unexpected on set. This is a  fun one!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my chat with Trevor once he wraps principal photography on his first feature.

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director Doug Archibald stops  by to talk about his first feature “I Love You Both”, a coming of age  dramedy about twin siblings who must confront their codependency when  they start dating the same guy. Doug and Ethan discuss what it’s like  not only directing but being one of the leads of the film, working with  family, and rolling with the punches on a film set.

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director Jeff Janke calls in from the road to talk about his first feature “Highway to Havasu“,  a teen road trip comedy about some teenagers who steal an RV and do  spring break at Lake Havasu. Jeff and Ethan discuss writing a feature  screenplay in THREE DAYS, working with your producer who also happens to  be your wife, and playing to your strengths when planning a production.  

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director Barbara Stepansky stops by to chat about her first feature “Hurt”, a thriller about a  family who takes in an orphan girl who’s not what she seems. Barbara and  Ethan discuss the film school that is working on Christopher Nolan’s  first feature, trusting your prep material when you’re on set, and  working through the first cut blues. Check out the trailer for Hurt  below or head over to Amazon to watch the full filmwatch the full film!

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director Will Prescott calls in from Minnesota to talk about his first feature “Feeding Mr. Baldwin“.  Will and Ethan discuss the “just do it” mindset required to make a  movie, working with supportive friends, and the importance of having  your next thing ready to pitch.

Will’s sketch group is at greatergoodcomedy.com – the film is at feedingmrbaldwin.com and find Will on twitter, @williamprescott

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director Michael Mohan  stops by to chat about his first feature, “One Too Many Mornings”, an  indie coming of age dramedy about two guys who are way too old to be  coming of age. Michael’s film was shot over the course of many, many  weekends and ended up as a Sundance Official Selection!

Ethan and Michael discuss his success with cold calls/emails, what  it’s like to go to Sundance (twice!), and the importance of specificity  in one’s work.

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening to the podcast!

Writer/Director Nathan Scoggins stops by to talk about his first feature film “The Least of These”, a  mystery about the murder of a catholic priest. Ethan and Nathan discuss  the experience of winning the Doritos Superbowl contest TWICE, believing in your project, and working with the right people. Follow Nathan on Twitter here.

Every other week host Ethan Cushing interviews a new filmmaker about the process of directing their first feature film. Follow us on Twitter and subscribe/rate us on iTunes! Thanks for listening!