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Micro Budget Film School Podcast
Ever wondered how other filmmakers managed to run the gauntlet, getting their micro budget films made from nothing?
Well, I’ve asked all the questions (and more) from the filmmakers responsible for 6 different micro budget films ranging in budget from $8k to $100k, and will release their answers in a 3-part documentary PodCast series, called The Micro Budget Filmmaker Podcast.
How 6 filmmakers built their feature films out of nothing
Unlike ‘fly-on-the-wall’ podcasts that just slap a microphone between two people having a chat, this first 3-part series is a documentarian approach to the Micro Budget Filmmaker Podcast, slicing together the 6 different interviews and cross-examining their solutions to the same problems. Each episode will focus on a new problem, and will see how the different solutions vary- or perhaps what they’ve all got in common.
Why? Because Micro Budget Filmmaking is never the same each time around.
In the words of Michael Rabiger & Mick Hurbis-Cherrier: “In the absence of the money, the stars and the industry machine, a filmmaker must get lean, smart, resourceful, innovative, and creative… and thats when things get really interesting.”
I’m looking at how things got really interesting for these 6 filmmakers. This PodCast is going to be an incredible resource to give you a widespread understanding of the different ways that you can tackle the problems that you’ll face making your micro budget film too.
Who are the featured filmmakers?
Joseph Sims-Dennett: director, co-writer and co-producer of Observance
‘Observance‘ was shot in 11 days on a budget of $8k, and yet it secured a North American distribution deal with a limited theatrical run.
Joseph Sims-Dennett is brutally honest about how painful the shoot was, and how they managed this extraordinary film right after he got fired from his job.
Nicholas Andrew Halls: producer of 54 Days
‘54 Days‘ is a survival thriller set in a an underground bunker, made on- coincidentally- a $54,000 budget, and shot in a few weeks.
Nicholas Andrew Halls doesn’t just give an elaborate insight into how his production came together, but also throws around some absolute nuggets of wisdom, inspiration, and passion for the micro-budget filmmaking community.
Megan Riakos: writer/ director of Crushed
Megan Riakos joined us to share how she was determined to make feature film ‘Crushed‘ on limited cash, to prove that she was a high quality and reliable filmmaker even when resources are limited.
Especially passionate about improving the lack of female-led, and female-directed film in Australia, Megan took to being the change that she wanted to see in the world. This is the charm of Micro Budget Filmmaking- it’s about shifting the power from those who have it to those who need it.
Daniel Monks: writer/ producer/ lead-actor of Pulse
‘Pulse‘ is a story about a gay, disabled teenager who magically transforms into a beautiful woman.
Writer and lead actor, Daniel Monks, who himself is both gay and disabled, reveals the inspiration for this story, and why he knew he had to make it- even if it meant doing so on a very limited budget, which included $23k through a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Jeffory Asselin: writer/ director of Pinch
Jeff Asselin has won virtually every film award that his state has to offer- many which he won before making his feature film, ‘Pinch‘. Made for $40,000 and shot in 4 weeks, his feature film beat other local featured films- some made on a multi-million dollar and celebrity-led- for the coveted ‘Best Film’ prize at CineFest Oz.
Mekelle Mills- writer/ director/ producer Zoe Misplaced
A true example of guerilla filmmaking, Mekelle Mills shot feature film ‘Zoe Misplaced‘ for $8k on the streets in Sydney around the part-time work schedules of her generous cast and crew.
In her interview for the Micro Budget Filmmaking Podcast, Mekelle shares the particulars on how she managed to put together her film, and also why she is starting ‘Below Five Zero Film Festival‘- a film festival specifically for filmmakers producing feature films on a budget of less than $50k.
Cool! But what are the episodes about?
Here is the Episode List:
- 1Part 1: Development - In this episode, we look at where their passion for film came from, and why these 6 filmmakers decided to fight their way uphill to get a feature film made on nearly no cash. We look at the creation of an idea and which corners they cut to keep their costs low.
- 2Part 2: Film Financing - For the average person, getting $100k or even less than $10k to make a film is still no easy feat. In this episode, we find out what was the budget for these 6 films, how they got the money to make them, and how they spent it.
- 3Part 3: Distribution - How do you distribute a Micro Budget film? In this episode, we learn how these 6 filmmaker journeyed through post-production, through film festivals and how they managed with distributing their ultra-low budget films.
The Podcast will be released in early 2019.