I finally made my first feature film.

After years of working in film and television, raising the money, assembling the team, shooting Remnant, going through post-production and now entering distribution, there are things I understand about filmmaking that I simply didn’t before.

In this episode of Off The Lot, Anthony walks me through the entire filmmaking process as I break down five of the biggest lessons I learned making my first feature — from getting the movie financed and casting the right actors, to protecting the magic on set, testing the film with audiences, and thinking about distribution long before the movie is finished.

We get into what actually happens when the plan falls apart on set, why casting can make or break your movie, why filmmakers need to test their cuts, how to know what success means for your film, and why nobody is ever going to care about your movie as much as you do.

If you’re trying to make your first feature film, this is the episode I wish I could have listened to before making mine.

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Harrison Houde and Dakota Daulby spent years trying to get a feature film made. Then a producer called and essentially said: write the movie — we’re shooting it this year.

The result was Tight Lettuce, a bilingual English/French dark comedy inspired by a true story about a son trying to maintain a relationship with his heroin-addicted father. The film went on to premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival and win the Golden Audience Award for Best Quebec Film.

In this episode of Off The Lot, Harrison and Dakota break down what it actually took to turn the project into their first feature — from originally developing it as a $100,000 short to suddenly having the opportunity to make the full movie.

We get into:

• How a Facebook message eventually became a feature film
• Writing a first draft in roughly a month
• Financing the film outside the traditional Telefilm model
• Making a sub-$2.5M indie feature in 20 shooting days
• Why their 20-day shoot effectively became 16–17 days
• Casting Quebec star Emmanuel Bilodeau
• Combining comedy and addiction without trivializing either
• What they learned from 12–13 cuts of the movie
• Why Harrison says he’d never start another movie with car scenes
• The mistakes they made on their first feature
• Why they now want recognizable cast attached earlier
• What filmmakers misunderstand about theatrical distribution
• The reality of trying to get an indie film onto movie screens

They also talk candidly about the biggest writing problem they discovered in the edit, what they would put in their contracts next time, and the lessons they’re already applying to their next films.

Subscribe to Off The Lot for conversations about what it actually takes to finance, make, finish, and release independent films outside the studio system.

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A great 1st AD doesn’t just keep a film on schedule — they can completely change what a director is capable of accomplishing on set.In this episode Ken and Anthony break down one of the most important relationships in filmmaking: the director and the 1st assistant director.

Ken shares what he learned directing his first feature, REMNANT, including working with veteran 1st AD Pete White, restructuring impossible shooting days, running two units simultaneously, knowing which shots could be pushed, and why the best ADs are much more than glorified schedulers.

Anthony brings the perspective of an experienced 1st AD: how to earn a director’s trust, plan an ambitious shot list around the reality of an indie schedule, manage dozens of departments without creating panic, protect safety without compromising the film, and keep an entire set moving with purpose.

We also break down chain of title — the paperwork every independent filmmaker needs to protect their movie before money, partners, investors, distributors, and competing interests enter the picture.

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Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is unlike anything ever put on a movie screen. Shot entirely on IMAX film across oceans, mountains, deserts and ancient landscapes, it is an astonishing feat of physical filmmaking—and arguably the ultimate theatrical experience.But is technical achievement enough to make a great movie?

In this full-spoiler review, we break down Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic, from the Trojan Horse and the Cyclops to Calypso, Ithaca and the slaughter of the suitors. We examine the film’s most significant changes to the original text, including the removal of most of the Greek gods, Odysseus’s altered motivation, the elimination of his defining act of hubris and Nolan’s decision to transform a story about homecoming into one about guilt, trauma and regret.

We also go inside the extraordinary production: enormous IMAX cameras, two-and-a-half-minute film magazines, custom soundproof camera housings, mirrored eyeline systems, real ships and practical environments. Nolan and his collaborators effectively had to invent new filmmaking techniques just to get the movie made.

The result is visually overwhelming and technically historic. But does The Odyssey give us a hero worth rooting for? Did Nolan’s changes weaken Odysseus’s journey? And why does the climactic return to Ithaca feel less emotionally satisfying than it should?

Spoiler warning: This episode discusses the entire film and major events from Homer’s original story.Subscribe to Off the Lot for candid conversations about filmmaking, film financing, production and what it takes to build a career outside the studio system.

Movie theaters aren’t dying. In fact, more people are buying tickets—and the films succeeding are challenging several assumptions Hollywood has made over the last decade.

In this episode of Off The Lot, we examine why theatrical admissions are rising, how longer release windows and a stronger supply of original movies are rebuilding the moviegoing habit, and why audiences no longer simply “go to the movies”—they choose one specific film worth leaving home to see.

We also break down one of the most difficult decisions facing independent producers: does casting a recognizable actor actually help sell an indie film? Ken shares what changed after Kim Coates joined Remnant, including the credibility a known actor can bring—and the hidden production costs that come with hiring one.

Then we discuss Vancouver producer Chris Ferguson and Oddfellows’ new first-look deal with Warner Bros., what their success proves about building a repeatable genre-film company, and why their rise creates opportunities for the next generation of Canadian producers.

In this episode:

•⁠ ⁠Why theatrical admissions matter more than box-office headlines

•⁠ ⁠How longer theatrical windows create urgency and audience demand

•⁠ ⁠Why original horror films are bringing younger viewers back

•⁠ ⁠Recognizable actors versus genuinely bankable actors

•⁠ ⁠The true cost of adding a name actor to an indie production

•⁠ ⁠How Oddfellows built toward its Warner Bros. partnership

•⁠ ⁠Why production companies need a repeatable pipeline

•⁠ ⁠The real value of genre festivals such as Fantasia

Mayumi Yoshida spent nine years turning a deeply personal idea into her first feature film, Akashi—writing, directing, producing, and starring in a story that crosses generations, countries, and languages.

In this episode, Mayumi reveals how a conversation with her grandmother evolved from a stage play into an award-winning short and, eventually, a critically acclaimed feature. She also breaks down the fight to finance an 80% Japanese-language Canadian film—and how she and a coalition of filmmakers helped push Telefilm Canada to remove a policy that prevented many multilingual stories from qualifying for funding.

We also discuss:

* Directing herself while leading an international cast

* Shooting in Vancouver and Japan on an extremely compressed schedule

* How losing six production days shaped the film’s visual language

* Rehearsing film scenes like theatre to survive two- and three-take days

* Cutting a completed two-hour version down to 100 minutes

* Using black and white, colour, production design, and sound to explore memory

* Why filmmakers should choose stories they can remain committed to for a lifetime

* The importance of knowing when you are—and are not—the right person to tell a story

Akashi premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award, and went on to receive major recognition at the Whistler Film Festival, Reel Asian, and the Leo Awards.

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Most filmmakers build pitch decks around the movie they want to make. But an investor is looking at your project through a completely different lens:

How do I get my money back—and what protects my downside?

In Episode 57 of Off The Lot, Ken Kabatoff and Anthony Furey break down what an effective indie film investor deck actually needs to accomplish.

We discuss:

• The difference between a creative pitch deck and an investor deck

• What private film investors actually need to understand

• How to explain your budget, finance plan, tax credits, and recoupment waterfall

• Why cinematography and concept art should not dominate the presentation

• How cast, comparable films, timing, and market positioning help reduce perceived risk

• Whether filmmakers need their own marketing plan

• Why your deck should inspire a conversation—not replace one

• The legal risks of publicly soliciting film investment

• How to make financial information clear without making the deck feel dry

A good investor deck does more than make your film look exciting. It demonstrates that you understand how the project will be financed, completed, sold, and positioned to return capital.

If you are trying to privately finance an independent feature, this episode provides a practical framework for building the document that may open the door.

Subscribe for candid conversations about financing, producing, directing, selling, and building independent films outside the studio system.

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Corey Payette did not wait for a studio to give him permission.

He built his stories on stage, proved them in front of live audiences, and then turned them into award-nominated films — including Star Walker, which earned 10 Leo Award nominations.

In this episode of Off The Lot, Corey breaks down how he went from theatre, music, and original Indigenous storytelling into feature filmmaking, how Star Walker evolved from a stage musical and TV series development process into a feature film, and what it actually takes to make a drag musical outside the traditional studio system.

We talk about:

How Corey adapted Star Walker from stage to screen

Why the film was made without traditional Telefilm or studio financing

The challenge of shooting a feature musical in drag on a tight schedule

How community, chosen family, and queer joy shaped the film

Why one story can become a stage show, feature film, album, tour, and published script

What Corey learned moving from theatre into filmmaking

This is a conversation about building durable creative work, making films outside the system, and finding a way forward when the industry says no.

Subscribe to Off The Lot for conversations with filmmakers building careers on their own terms.

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Anthony Epp sits down with Ken Kabatoff for a candid conversation about the recent changes to Telefilm Canada's development funding, the challenges facing emerging Canadian filmmakers, and the growing need to balance creative ambition with financial sustainability.

They reflect on networking, content creation, building an audience, and why long-term careers are built through persistence rather than overnight success.

Listen now for an honest discussion about filmmaking, funding, creative resilience, and what it really takes to keep making movies.

Vulture: The Unglamorous Financial Realities of 5 Indie Filmmakers

https://web.archive.org/web/20260623153204/https://www.vulture.com/article/indie-filmmakers-money.html

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Anthony Epp and Ken Kabatoff discuss two of the biggest stories in independent filmmaking right now: the debate over crew compensation on breakout indie hits and the growing influence of YouTube creators in the film industry.

Using the success of Obsession as a starting point, they explore backend points, producer risk, union protections, and what filmmakers and crew members can realistically expect from low-budget productions. They also examine how creators like Curry Barker, Kane Parsons, Markiplier, and Chris Stuckmann are using online platforms to develop their craft and build careers outside the traditional studio system.

Along the way, Anthony and Ken discuss film financing, distribution, audience building, and why the recent success of independent horror films may be opening new doors for emerging filmmakers.

Listen now for a conversation about independent film, creative opportunity, and the changing path to a career in filmmaking.

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