Film and Family
We're a married couple of filmmakers, supporting our family of seven through doing work we love, together. It's been a long and difficult journey, and we still have a lot to learn, but for us, it's well-worth the effort. We developed this podcast and the Feature Filmmaker Academy for anyone who wants a career making feature films, especially those balancing that pursuit with the responsibility of parenthood and providing for a family. Tune in as we study success patterns of industry professionals, interview other feature filmmakers, share takeaways from our favorite film courses or books, and give behind-the-scenes breakdowns and insights on films you love.
Episodes
We talk with filmmaker Dan Davis about the ethics of telling other people’s hardest stories and the business decisions that keep story-first work sustainable. Dan shares how Stiry grows from an entrepreneurial background into a documentary “story house” that protects trust, builds a film library, and finds distribution partners who honor the storyteller.
• Aligning on a shared agenda with storytellers
• Filming...
Blair Treu shares his four-decade journey from student films to directing Disney Channel hits to documentary filmmaking, revealing the practical realities of building a career in the entertainment industry. His experiences demonstrate how persistence, adaptability, and starting small can lead to sustainable success in filmmaking.
• Beginning as Kevin Bacon's stand-in on "Footloose," giving hi...
What happens when a decades-long dream project suddenly gains unstoppable momentum? For married filmmakers Lee and Katherine, their baseball-themed feature "Rally Caps" represents both the unpredictable magic and sobering business realities of modern independent filmmaking.
After 15 years of development, what began as a passion project during the pandemic transformed when former MLB player Curtis ...
Josh and Jessica Jordan share their unique cinematic journey where Eastern spirituality meets Texas landscapes in their black and white feature film "El Tonto Por Cristo" - the tale of an Orthodox monastery on the coast of Texas where an unlikely saint emerges.
Support El Tonto Por Cristo's theatrical run here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/748841722/el-tonto-por-cristo-a-cinematic-meditation?re...
Legal expertise isn't just a box to check—it's a vital component of successful filmmaking that can make or break your project. Entertainment attorney Pete Salsich III pulls back the curtain on the often intimidating world of film law, revealing how proper legal structuring serves as the foundation for creative freedom rather than an obstacle to it.
At the core of film production lies one fundament...
Nathan and Meghan Leon share their journey as Christian filmmakers who have found creative ways to balance their family life with independent film production while maintaining creative control and authenticity in their storytelling.
• Started from creative backgrounds with Nathan in an Act One mentorship program and Meghan with a master's in creative writing
• Prioritize family by including their c...
Celebrating the 100th episode, we take a look back at our journey from conceptualizing our first low/no-budget feature film, "The Loved & Lost" to making a living as feature filmmakers now. We share a memorable Q&A session captured during our festival run. The discussion highlights the emotional themes, affordances and limitations of indie filmmaking, and the learning experiences that shaped our st...
In this episode, we chat with Chris Peters, co-founder of Crave Content, about his journey from making backyard films with his brother-in-law David Lawrence to establishing a successful film production brand.
Chris shares the creative development process of merging two short films into a feature-length narrative. We discuss the inventive strategies employed to tackle budget constraints, DIY post-productio...
Join us as we chat with independent film producer, author, and creative entrepreneur Daren Smith to uncover the often-overlooked role producers play in bringing a story into existence. Daren discusses his collaborations with director Garrett Batty on indie films "Faith of Angels" and "The Carpenter" and how he navigates the complex world of theatrical releases.
Daren shares his journey f...
In this episode as we uncover the powerful impact of time constraints on getting things done. We illustrate how setting tight time limits can drastically reduce procrastination and boost your focus. These principles apply whether you are managing household chores or attempting to finish a film with our 1 year timeline in the Feature Filmmaker Academy. Discover how working within set time frames can lead to more effi...
Director of the post-apocalyptic film, Permafrost, Lenni Uitto takes us behind the scenes and shares his experiences making and ultimately self-distributing his first film with Film Hub.
Join us as we unravel Lenni's journey from coding to creating post-apocalyptic films. From making camping videos on YouTube to experimenting with After Effects and even taking acting classes, Lenny's story is a testament t...
In this episode we explore why thinking like a hobbyist filmmaker may be the fastest way to eventually transition into a professional career. Learn how starting with passion projects and investing in your hobby can lead to professional growth and financial sustainability. We delve into the concept of building filmmaking assets, illustrating how every project, no matter its immediate success, contributes to a lucrati...
Join the conversation as filmmaker Matthew Taggart pulls back the curtain on the life of an indie filmmaker, from his first leap into directing with "The Counterfeit Kid" to managing the delicate balance of family and film. Matthew's journey offers a relatable peek into the highs and lows of bringing a vision to the big screen, navigating through the world of independent cinema with a blend of passion...
Where do I distribute the funds that I have procured for my film?
How much will each facet of making a movie cost me so that I know how to lay out the budget?
Once you have finished your film, you can receive laurels from festivals; even the small film festivals. These laurels help promote trailers and posters that are used to market your film to the masses.
Join us today as we dive into the ...
How do you add value to your film? What does that mean? What determines value and why would people pay money to watch what you make?
It's impossible to amplify the and sell the value of your film to the world if you don't understand why it matters to your audience on a deep level early on.
Tune in to this episode to explore the most intrinsic deep value films can offer their audiences and...
Do you think that you need to give up everything in your life to get your feature film off of the ground? The opposite may actually be true.
Sacrificing your lifestyle will only deplete your store of creativity and contacts that can lead to the very connections and resources you need.
Keeping your day job can provide a safety net that allows you more creative freedom.
Tune into this epis...
How well do you know your characters? Can you anticipate how a person would act in a variety of situations?
In art, if you're drawing a person, you have to understand how bone structure works to be able to draw the figure accurately, but you're not going to actually see the bones necessarily in the finished product. The same is true for character development.
The benefits of knowing ...
Are you feeling overwhelmed with all that you need to accomplish? In this episode, we talk about the importance of self care and how to prioritize your time in order to feel better.
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