Episode 8: Indie Filmmaking and Crazy 8s Deep Dive (With Grace Chin)

In this episode we chat with the Queen of the Crazy 8s, the incredible Grace Chin! The Crazy 8s is an 8 day filmmaking challenge that is absolutely iconic in the Vancouver indie film world. This episode is PACKED with tips and tricks on how to put your best foot forward, not only for the Crazy 8s but for ALL indie filmmaking!! 

Grace and I have an amazing chat in this episode we start off learning about her incredible creative life outside of the Crazy 8s as a bad ass multi-hyphenate creative. From being a published author, to a produced playwright, to being general manager of the independent theatre company Ruby Slippers , AND an actress in huge shows like like Riverdale, Firefly Lane, Lost in Space and of course being a prolific indie film exec producer! The woman does it all.

Then we get into the Crazy 8s BIG TIME!! We break down exactly how it all works and grace gives incredible insight and tips and tricks for each portion of the Crazy 8s process. From video pitch, to in person live pitch, to script edit, to shoot, to post!!! We dive deep into the entire wild ride that is the Crazy 8s. If you’ve ever thought of submitting your film's script to the Crazy 8s or if you’ve tried in the past and wanna give it another go, you’re not gonna wanna miss this episode!! 

And if even if you’re not submitting to this festival this year, there’re still sooo many inspiring takeaways for filmmakers and multi-hyphenates!! So stick around! K let’s get into it :) 

Chapters

00:00
The Origin Story of Grace Chin

11:48
The Journey of Writing, Directing and Producing

14:01
Casting Choices and Character Depth

14:47
Lessons from First-Time Directing

18:35
Evaluating Short Films as a Jury Member

20:44
The Crazy Eights Film Society Overview

23:12
Application Process and Tips for Filmmakers

28:45
The Importance of Info Sessions

29:28
Crafting the Perfect Script Submission

30:52
Feedback and Continuous Improvement

32:16
Video Pitch Essentials

32:59
Understanding the Jury's Perspective

35:15
Addressing Challenges in Your Pitch

36:12
Preparing for the Live Pitch

38:26
The Jury's Intentions

40:17
Navigating the Top 12 Stage

41:30
Utilizing Story Editors Effectively

46:35
Transitioning to the Top 6

50:47
Navigating the Paperwork of Filmmaking

54:49
The Importance of Producers in Indie Film

55:27
The Crazy 8s Filmmaking Process

59:01
This One Time: Lessons from Industry Mentors

01:01:46
Finding Your Place in the Creative Community