Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

By Noam Kroll

TV & Film

What's Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking about?

Every Thursday, Noam shares valuable insight into the world of micro-budget filmmaking, geared towards true DIY filmmakers looking to get out there and create their own films.

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Selling A Bootstrapped Docu...

09.16.2021

Today I’m joined by documentary filmmaker Nick Scown, whose feature documentary Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 was just released through Vice and is now available nationwide. As Nick shares in the interview, what started as a bootstrapped DIY passion project ...

Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking episodes:

09.16.2021 Selling A Bootstrapped Documentary To Vice With Filmmaker Nick Scown Today I’m joined by documentary filmmaker Nick Scown, whose feature documentary Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 was just released through Vice and is now available nationwide. As Nick shares in the interview, what started as a bootstrapped DIY passion project ...
09.10.2021 Shooting a $30,000 Feature Film In 12 Days With Director Marc A Hutchins This week I am joined by filmmaker and film professor Marc A Hutchins, known for his directorial feature films Crossing Streets and Where Are You, Bobby Browning? After producing and directing numerous independent film titles - including a $300,000 feature ...
08.28.2021 Crafting The Perfect Musical Score With Composer & Filmmaker Martin Blasick In this episode I am joined by the amazingly talented Martin Blasick, who has worked in the film industry for years as a composer, music writer and music supervisor, and is now embracing the world of micro-budget feature filmmaking. Martin ...
08.28.2021 Emmy Award Winner Chris Gierowski On Micro-Budget Feature Film Producing, Broadcast News & More In the episode I am joined by filmmaker and KTLA journalist Chris Gierowski, here to share his unique approach to independent feature film producing. Over the last decade Chris has produced countless narrative films - from micro-budget shorts to underground ...
07.30.2021 Genre Filmmaking: Why Horror, Sci-Fi, and Thriller Films Create The Perfect Launch Pad For Micro-Budget Feature Filmmakers In this solo episode, I share my in-depth thoughts on the merits of working in genre as a micro-budget filmmaker, and why horror, sci-fi, and thriller films often thrive on a smaller scale. Genre films offer some unique advantages to ...
07.30.2021 From Crowdfunding a Teaser To Selling Out Theatrical Screenings With Co-Directors John C. Lyons and Dorota Swies Joining me for this episode are co-directors John C. Lyons and Dorota Swies, here to talk all about their brand new feature film Unearth. Unearth is a "fracking horror film" that was produced over the course of 8 years. What ...
07.23.2021 Filmmaker & Slamdance Co-Founder Dan Mirvish On Landing Fundraising, Securing Actors, Navigating Festivals, And Making An Impact With Your Indie Film In this episode, I share a recent conversation with filmmaker and Slamdance co-founder Dan Mirvish, which originally took place during a private live session in The Backlot (my private filmmaking community). Throughout our discussion, Dan offers a masterclass in the ...
07.23.2021 How To Reverse Engineer Your Indie Feature With “Around The Sun” Writer/Producer Jonathan Kiefer In this episode I’m joined by writer and producer Jonathan Kiefer, whose feature film Around The Sun premiered last month on Kanopy, and is now widely available on digital platforms everywhere. Around The Sun is an amazing example of what’s ...
07.02.2021 How To Get $25,000 + Professional Post-Production Services For Your Feature Film With Sam Mestman My guest today is Sam Mestman, CEO of We Make Movies - an incredible resource for indie filmmakers looking to take their work to the next level. Among many of the other initiatives currently in motion at WMM, Sam is ...
06.24.2021 Director & DP Emily Skye AKA "She Wolf Films" On Blazing Your Own Path In The Film Industry Joining me today is Director & DP Emily Skye, who you might also know as "She Wolf Films" on her incredibly popular Instagram account. Emily has been working in the film industry for 14 years, but recently her industry success ...
06.18.2021 Shooting A $30,000 Feature Film In 10 Days With Screenwriter & Producer Hudson Phillips This week on the show, I’m joined by screenwriter and producer Hudson Phillips to chat all about his new feature film This World Alone. This World Alone is a post-apocalyptic arthouse thriller about three women attempting to survive after a ...
06.11.2021 Producing For The Rock, Running Charlie Sheen’s Production Company & Making Features With EP / Director / Author Shane Stanley Today I’m joined by the multi-talented Shane Stanley, whose career has led him to executive produce for Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, run Charlie Sheen’s production company, and direct his own feature films - just to scratch the surface. In addition ...
05.28.2021 3 Unconventional Ways To Allocate Funds On Your Next Micro-Budget Feature Film I am currently in pre-production for my next feature film, and will be approaching the budgeting process very differently this time around. Rather than allocating the majority of funds to production, they will be re-distributed to three key areas with ...
05.28.2021 Cannes Actor & Award Winning Filmmaker Leandro Taub On His Debut Feature Film EXTERNO Joining me today is actor, author and filmmaker Leandro Taub. Leandro has found incredible success in many creative disciplines - first as an author (he’s been published 5 times and counting), then as an actor - debuting in Endless Poetry, ...
05.07.2021 How To Succeed In Filmmaking By Leveraging Commercial Productions - An Interview On Filmmakers In Advertising Podcast Today on the show I am sharing a recent episode of the Filmmakers In Advertising podcast, which I was just interviewed on by host Codey Wilson. As the title would suggest, this podcast is all about what it’s like to ...
04.30.2021 Using NFTs To Monetize & Distribute Feature Films With SXSW Filmmaker Jason Charnick In this episode, I am joined by filmmaker Jason Charnick, known for his incredible documentary feature film Getting Over, which premiered at SXSW in 2018. Today, Jason is here to talk all about NFTs - a new technology that’s been ...
04.15.2021 How To Leverage Social Media, Podcasting, and Content Creation As a Filmmaker, With Tessa Markle & Carolina Alvarez Returning to this show this week are Tessa Markle and Carolina Alvarez, co-hosts of the the Femme Regard podcast. Tessa and Carolina have been able to leverage their amazing podcast to not only grow an audience for their work, but ...
04.12.2021 Why Every Filmmaker Needs To Build An Audience & How You Can Start Today Filmmakers who have audiences of their own are at a tremendous advantage at every stage. From fundraising to distribution to monetization - each facet is enhanced dramatically by the size and value of any given audience. While the prospect of ...
03.11.2021 From PA’ing For Martin Scorsese To Directing Million Dollar Feature Films With Director & Producer Joseph Mensch Today on the show, I’m joined by director/producer Joseph Mensch, here to talk about his new feature film Payback, which was just released last month. Throughout the interview, Joseph shares his journey from PA’ing on Martin Scorsese’s Aviator to directing ...
02.05.2021 Luke Barnett, Writer/Producer of FAITH BASED on Creating Original Content, Landing Star Talent, and Raising Money For Your Movie Joining me on today’s episode is writer/producer/actor Luke Barnett, known for his incredible Funny or Die shorts and his latest feature film project - Faith Based, which features Jason Alexander, Lance Reddick, Tanner Thomason, Margaret Cho, and Luke Barnett himself. ...
01.29.2021 David F. Sandberg, Director of SHAZAM, ANNABELLE: CREATION, & LIGHTS OUT, On His Path From No Budget Horror Shorts To Studio Blockbusters Today I am honored to be joined by director David F. Sandberg, known for major studio films like Shazam, Annabelle: Creation, and Lights out, as well as his no budget horror short films which he’s been releasing for years under ...
01.21.2021 How To Turn a Profit With Your Indie Film Today: An Interview Film Marketing Guru Kyle Prohaska Today, I’m joined by the expert on all things relating to indie-film marketing and advertising - Kyle Prohaska. Kyle was on the show a couple years ago, and his first episode was incredibly eye-opening and packed with great strategies for ...
01.21.2021 Directing a $3500 Feature Film With Network Television Producer Turned Filmmaker Andrew Simonian In this episode, I’m joined by Andrew Simonian to talk all about his feature film The Take Out Move, which was made for just $3500. Andrew spent decades producing and developing television for NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, MTV, BET, and ...
01.15.2021 Introducing THE BACKLOT, An Exclusive Members Community For Feature Filmmakers To celebrate the launch of my new members community for filmmakers The Backlot, I am publishing this special solo episode to help spread the good news. For some context, The Backlot is a community designed to give filmmakers the tools, ...
01.15.2021 Making A $1,000,000 Feature Film Debut With Co-Directors Sandy Sternshein & Brad Riddell Today I am joined by filmmaking duo Sandy Sternshein & Brad Riddell, here to talk about their feature directorial debut Later Days which was shot for just over $1MM and is currently gearing up for distribution. For some quick background ...
01.09.2021 Cutting Theatrical Documentary Features With Mike J. Nichols, Editor of Zappa, Echo In The Canyon & Last Play At Shea On this episode, I’m joined by acclaimed filmmaker and editor Mike J. Nichols, known for his amazing work on countless documentary features like Last Play At Shea, Echo In The Canyon, and (most recently) Zappa. Mike generously shares his wealth ...
01.09.2021 From Law And Politics To Indie Filmmaking With Michael Rekola, Founder Of The Capitol Hill Film Festival Many would-be filmmakers dream of leaving their day jobs to make films, but few ever take the leap. Today’s guest is certainly an exception to the rule. Michael Rekola spent years working as a lawyer in the political world, and ...
12.16.2020 How To Create Profitable Virtual Events For Your Films With Mihai Crasneanu & Tess Fenn Of Beem On this episode, I’m joined by Mihai Crasneanu (CEO) and Tess Fenn (Director of Communities & Impact) to hear all about their incredibly innovative streaming platform - Beem. Unlike SVOD or TVOD platforms like Amazon and Apple that offer viewers ...
12.15.2020 Writing, Directing, DP’ing, and Editing a $1300 Micro-Budget Feature Film With Filmmaker Chris Riggi Joining me today is actor turned auteur, Chris Riggi - here to talk all about his debut micro-budget feature film Good Luck With Everything. This film was shot in just 5 days on a shoestring budget of $1300, with Chris ...
12.03.2020 Editing for SNL, Directing For Major Brands, and Developing Original Content With Emmy Award Winner Steven Pierce On this episode, I am joined by Steven Pierce - a multi-hyphenate filmmaker with a wealth of experience in both tv & film well as advertising/commercial production. Steven's career has led him to edit four seasons worth of material for ...
12.03.2020 Crossover Episode Featuring Michael Bachochin and Brooke Lorraine Of Filmmaker’s Corner Podcast In this special crossover episode with the Filmmaker's Corner podcast, I chat with writer/director Michael Bachochin and producer Brooke Lorraine about their micro-budget sci-fi feature film Parallax. Over the course of our discussion we touch on the entire creative process ...
11.24.2020 How To Craft a Riveting SXSW Documentary Feature With Director Josh Tsui of INSERT COIN Joining me on this episode is documentary feature filmmaker Josh Tsui, whose new film Insert Coin premiered earlier this year at SXSW and is out everywhere this week! The film tells the amazing behind-the-scenes story of one of the greatest ...
11.24.2020 Landing Financing, Booking Name Talent, And Directing a Debut Feature Film With Director Noam Tomaschoff On this episode, I am joined by Noam Tomaschoff (yes, another Noam!), to talk about his upcoming debut feature film Tankhouse. While many filmmaker's first features are bootstrapped on a micro-budget using DIY tactics, Noam was able to defy the ...
11.24.2020 Screenwriting on a Micro-Budget: How to Make an Impact With Your Story While Embracing Limitations This is episode features my recent live interview with Bryan Hill from AFM 2020. Bryan is an acclaimed screenwriter known for writing shows like Titans, Ash vs. The Evil Dead, and the upcoming Power Rangers movie. He was on the ...
11.13.2020 Self Funding Your Films, Transitioning From Acting To Directing, Working Outside Of Hollywood & More With Filmmaker & Podcaster Damien Swaby This week I'm joined by UK based filmmaker Damien Swaby, who hosts the popular Filmmaking Conversations podcast. I was fortunate enough to be interviewed on Damien's show a couple years back, and thought it was about time to have Damien ...
10.23.2020 Crowdfunding Done Right With Emily Best, Founder and CEO Of Seed & Spark This week I'm thrilled to be joined by Emily Best, the Founder and CEO of the wildly popular crowdfunding platform Seed & Spark. As many of you know, Seed & Spark takes a very different approach to crowdfunding, one that ...
10.16.2020 Shooting High Concept Films On iPhones With Filmmaker John Woosley This week I'm joined by filmmaker John Woosley, who is here to talk all about his latest short film Mason & Jay Save The World, which was shot almost entirely on an iPhone. Over the course of our chat we ...
10.09.2020 How To Thrive As An Indie Filmmaker On Your Own Terms With Acclaimed Director and Podcaster Mike Pecci My guest this week is acclaimed filmmaker Mike Pecci, who you may already know from his incredible filmmaking podcast In Love With The Process. After getting his start with silent films two decades ago, Mike went on to launch his ...
09.25.2020 Producing THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON With Emmy Award Winner David Thies Joining me this week is David Thies - Emmy award winning producer, prolific television director, local 600 DP and one of the driving forces behind the smash indie hit The Peanut Butter Falcon. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen ...
09.17.2020 How To Make Your Indie Feature With Slamdance Co-Founder & Filmmaker Dan Mirvish Joining me this week is none other than Dan Mirvish, co-founder of the iconic Slamdance Film Festival and the director behind indie features like Open House, Between Us (Julia Stiles, Taye Diggs, Melissa George), Bernard and Huey, and 18 1/2. ...
09.04.2020 Breaking Through With A 3 Minute Short Film, Featuring SXSW Filmmaker Chelsea Devantez Today I am thrilled to be joined by writer/director/actor Chelsea Devantez, whose 3 minute film Basic was programmed this year at SXSW, Santa Barbara International Film Festival and many others. Chelsea is a case-in-point for what's possible when you embrace ...
08.20.2020 Navigating Post-Production, Festivals & Distribution With Hannah Black & Megan Petersen of “Drought” Last year I had the fortune of interviewing Hannah Black & Megan Petersen all about their feature film Drought for Episode 64 of the podcast. As a refresher, this is the creative duo whose debut feature was crowdfunded on Seed ...
08.14.2020 Getting Your Short Film Programmed At SXSW & Landing Distribution With Rebecca Kahn & Abishek Prasad My guests this week are co-directors Rebecca Kahn and Abishek Prasad, whose short film Who Among Us was programmed at SXSW 2020 and gained distribution through DUST. Over the course of our chat, we cover a lot of ground - ...
07.31.2020 How To Work With Talent On An Indie Set: An Interview With "Psychosynthesis" Lead Actress Stephanie Pearson Today I am very excited to share my interview with Stephanie Pearson, who is not only the star of my feature film Psychosynthesis, but an incredibly talented producer in her own right. Stephanie has spent years on both sides of ...
07.30.2020 Writing & Directing The $10,000 Feature Film “Mr. Misfortune” With Filmmaker Rick Caplan On this episode I am joined by writer/director Rick Caplan who recently completed and released his feature film Mr. Misfortune. This micro-budget production was shot for under $10,000 in just 10 shooting days, and was brought to life in a ...
07.21.2020 Producing 3 Feature Films For Under $250K With Filmmaker Josh Folan Joining me this week on the show is filmmaker turned author Josh Folan. Over the course of his career, Josh has not only produced 3 micro-budget features (each of which have a budget under $250K), but most recently wrote a ...
07.17.2020 From Concept To Production To Distribution: How I Pulled Off My Micro-Budget Feature Film PSYCHOSYNTHESIS To celebrate the release of my feature film PSYCHOSYNTHESIS on Amazon Prime, today I am sharing a behind the scenes look at our entire process on this micro-budget indie. The film itself was made for only $25,000 in just 9 ...
07.09.2020 Editing Rocky, Edward Scissorhands, Beaches & Other Iconic Films With Richard & Colleen Halsey This week, I'm honored to be joined by my guests Richard and Colleen Halsey - a prolific husband and wife editing duo who are collectively responsible for editing countless iconic feature films over the years. Their credits include movies like ...
06.25.2020 Using Content To Grow A Filmmaking Brand With Tessa Markle & Carolina Alvarez of Femme Regard This week on the show, I'm excited to be joined by Tessa Markle and Carolina Alvarez - known for their awesome podcast: Femme Regard. I was fortunate enough to be a guest on their show last year and had a ...
06.12.2020 Joshua Caldwell On Directing INFAMOUS, Starring Bella Thorne & Jake Manley Returning to the show this week is Joshua Caldwell, here to talk all about his latest feature film INFAMOUS, which stars Bella Thorne and Jake Manley. The story follows a reckless woman and her new boyfriend as they become social ...

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