Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

In this episode, I'm joined by filmmaker and re-recording mixer Mark Hensley to talk about his micro-budget feature Clown and Out in Valley Village, which he shot guerrilla style over the course of a year with no crew, a cast of two, and a total budget of around $4,000 (half of which went to a single permit).

Mark shares how he found the script through a Facebook writing group, cut a 200-page draft down to something shootable, and built a workflow around editing each scene the night it was shot so he and his actors could review the footage and reshoot anything that wasn't working.

We also dive deep into his remarkable background in sound, from recording music at the Record Plant in Sausalito to mixing major network TV shows in LA, and the practical audio techniques every indie filmmaker should steal from his playbook.

Topics covered include:
Why shooting slowly over a year with no crew is a creative advantage
Operating as a one man band with the S1H, an RS3 Pro gimbal, and lavs into camera
Why no single plugin fixes bad dialogue, and rescuing scenes with tools like DX Revive
Having actors re-run scenes as audio-only safety takes to patch dropouts in post
When emotional production sound beats technically perfect ADR
Shooting guerrilla style in LA, and why a boom mic is the one giveaway to avoid
Knowing your coverage in advance instead of shooting every scene wide-medium-close
Renting vs. buying gear, and why becoming a filmmaker means owning a camera
Why anybody can become a filmmaker, even starting at 55 with zero experience
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In this episode, I'm joined by Aidan Leary and C.R. Thompson, the writing team behind Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round. A micro-budget horror feature pitched as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood meets Evil Dead 2, produced by mumblecore legend Joe Swanberg.

Throught the episode Aidan and C.R. share the wild origin story of the film, from a screenplay written in just two weeks, to them living in the back of Joe Swanberg's video store just two months later after he bought it.

We also get into the nuts and bolts of the 11-day shoot: directing without a first AD, running a crew of about a dozen people inside the Chicago Children's Theater, hiring set builders straight off PBS, and their lightning fast post-production process.

Topics covered include:
Turning a childhood nightmare about an evil monkey puppet into a feature
Four-act structure vs. three-act structure, and the South Park method
Using Joe Swanberg's own pitching technique to sell him the script
Joe's best advice: the only wrong decision is no decision
Intentional continuity breaks as a creative safety net
Editing lessons: temp sound effects, test screenings, and killing your darlings
Why editors often make the best directors
Much more!
Links from this episode:

Film on Instagram

Aidan Leary on Instagram

C.R. Thompson on Instagram

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In this episode, I'm joined by actor and filmmaker Hannah Barefoot to talk about building a career as a working actor, her recurring role on NCIS: Origins, our new short film Crow, and the leap into producing and crowdfunding her own first feature, Wyoming Christmas Carol.

Throughout the interview Hannah breaks down how she went from a string of day jobs to 80 film and TV credits, and how that's now led her into feature filmmaking.

We also get deep into the producer side of indie filmmaking. Hannah shares exactly how she's financing Wyoming Christmas Carol through a WeFunder equity crowdfunding campaign, why fiscal sponsorship matters for filmmakers, and the practical steps for building pitch materials that actually convert.

Topics covered include:
Hannah's path from small-town Wyoming to 80+ film and TV credits
Burning out, quitting acting, and finding her way back in her late twenties
Landing a recurring role on NCIS: Origins
Why the "small" no-budget projects are so often the ones that change everything
Financing a feature through WeFunder equity crowdfunding
Fiscal sponsorship, 501(c)(3)s, and why they matter for indie filmmakers
Shooting in-character photo shoots to sell a project more effectively
Much more!
Links from the show:

Wyoming Christmas Carol - WeFunder

Wyoming Christmas Carol - Instagram

Hannah Barefoot - Instagram

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In this episode, I'm joined by writer-director-actor Cory Thibert to talk about his debut feature Mild Life, a coming-of-age film that premiered at Woodstock Film Festival and went on to win Best Canadian Feature at the Victoria Film Festival.

Mild Life follows Lawrence, a drummer whose world gets thrown off beat when his girlfriend wants to leave their hometown just as he's stepping into a caregiver role for his parents, who both live with cerebral palsy. The story is drawn directly from Cory's own life - both of his parents have cerebral palsy, and he cast actors with cerebral palsy to play the parents for authentic representation.

Throughout the inteview we discuss the challenges of going this personal with your work, why "the more specific you are, the more universal you are" advice is true, and how to mine your own experience to create more meaningful stories.

We also break down his 14 day shoot, 98 page script, 5 person skeleton crew, and the 2 camera / always-rolling coverage strategy that helped him reach the finish line.

Topics covered include:
Finding a personal way into your stories - and how to avoid self-indulgence
Authentic disability representation on screen and casting actors with cerebral palsy
Coming up as a filmmaker without family money or a financial safety net
Making a feature between two kids' births while holding down a day job
Running a five-person skeleton crew and shooting two cameras at all times
Directing and starring at once - how to balance wearing multiple hats
The Canada Council grant that funded post after the shoot wrapped
Approaching distribution with a tiered strategy (Crave, Hoopla, Kanopy)
Much more
Links from the show:

Mild Life - Website

Mild Life - Instagram

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In this episode, I'm joined by filmmaker and graphic artist Jason Laurits to talk about his debut feature Love's Company (starring Rachel Dratch), and the unique two-decade creative journey that led him to directing his first feature in his 40s.

Jason breaks down how the film started with a single absurd thought ("what would happen if you actually kidnapped a celebrity?") and grew out of his love for Misery, Sunset Boulevard, and Ruthless People.

He shares how he taught himself to edit in order to cut a proof-of-concept teaser that he used to raise money, attract a team, and ultimately land his cast.We also get into the realities of shooting a 95-page feature in just 15 days on a micro-budget in Louisiana, how his line producer helped him build a crew from scratch in New Orleans, landing Rachel Dratch through a single well-placed connection, and the constant on-set math of combining and cutting shots to never once go over schedule.

Topics covered include:
Using a teaser, poster & pitch deck to raise money for a feature film
How to shoot a 95-page feature in just 15 days
Combining and cutting shots on the fly to never go over schedule
What 20+ years running his brand Paste taught him about filmmaking
Why getting into directing in your 40s can be an advantage
The "step-by-step vs. chasing the clouds" philosophy
Trusting your voice and letting go of fleeting external goals
Much More!
Links from the show:

Love's Company - Trailer

Love's Company - Instagram

Jason's Brand - Paste

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