Just Screen It

Putting Out Your First Feature with James Insalaco

Colin Stryker — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -0700

On the show today I’m talking with James Insalaco, who made his first feature, a comedy entitled Will Reading, on a shoestring budget over eighteen months. This is one of those DIY stories of a filmmaker putting together a self-funded project with available resources and friends as cast and crew. I think this is a great way to approach a first feature, recognizing that filmmaking is hard and it takes time to develop your voice and your skills. James discusses his festival experiences, his release on Amazon Prime, and his ultimate landing on YouTube. Most importantly, James took the experience gleaned from the release of his first movie to heart, and is carrying it into the making of his next feature. Which is what it’s all about, really.

Saylaco Films

Will Reading

Distributing a Horror Anthology and More with Jason Ragosta

Colin Stryker — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m talking with Jason Ragosta, who’s been working on a variety of projects at both an independent and industry level for over two decades. Most recently Jason contributed a short to Sinphony: A Clubhouse Horror Anthology. We touch on a lot of stuff here covering Jason’s rich and accomplished history, focused on his team’s experience promoting and distributing the horror anthology through film festivals and streaming platforms.

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Carrying Distribution Lessons from Feature to Feature, with Chris de Pretis

Colin Stryker — Tue, 28 May 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m talking to Chris de Pretis, an East Bay filmmaker who made his first feature, Death Blood 4, on a shoestring budget, and is on the cusp of releasing his second. Chris’ approach was to use production of his first feature as a learning experience, as opposed to a bigger budget production with equity financing or crowdfunding tying him down to larger concerns. I love this approach to filmmaking as a way to build towards a sustainable career, keeping the stakes low while pushing forward with the long game. Chris brings great enthusiasm and transparency to his story here, we talk some real numbers, and get into some nice details about his promotional efforts, including an honest assessment of mistakes made and lessons learned. This is just one of those great, wide-ranging filmmaker conversations that I love on this show.

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Releasing “Wrath of Gods” with Jon Gustafsson

Colin Stryker — Tue, 21 May 2024 09:00:00 -0700

In this interview, Jon Gustafsson tells the story of filming and releasing his documentary, Wrath of Gods. The film follows Icelandic/Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson through the production of his ambitious historical adventure story, Beowulf & Grendel. Plagued by tempestuous Icelandic weather and unpredictable financing, the production survives by the skin of its teeth. Hired as an extra on the film, Jon was in prime position to document the struggles of the cast and crew, and especially a stoic and stalwart Gunnarsson, in the face of challenge after challenge. Then, what began as a BTS supplement to Beowulf & Grendel, gained a life of its own as a documentary in its own right in the spirit of Burden of Dreams or Lost in La Mancha. Jon takes us through the journey of making and distributing the film, with insight into the filmmaking process on many levels.

Self-Releasing Micro-Budget Horror with Richard Mansfield

Colin Stryker — Mon, 13 May 2024 09:00:00 -0700

UK-based filmmaker Richard Mansfield has been making micro-budget horror features for some two decades. After a few early experiences with more or less traditional distribution, Richard turned to self-distribution for the rest of his movies. He’s now up to 14 of them, and still going strong. Richard’s experience is a case study in ultra low budget filmmaking, with self-financed budgets at a level that present very little personal risk, and yet allow him to continue making these films indefinitely. Although this isn’t the way I’ve chosen to go about it with my narrative feature, I absolutely love and admire this way of making movies. Richard’s passion for what he does with these films shines through in this interview.

YouTube - Mansfield Dark Horror

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Tubi

The Lifelong Dream with Peter Hitchcock

Colin Stryker — Mon, 06 May 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m talking with Peter Hitchcock about making and distributing his feature film, A Song For Us. Peter, a UK native now living in Toronto, boasts a full and successful career working a variety of jobs in film and TV, but A Song For Us represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to make a feature film. The pleasantly understated and heartwarming narrative follows a 60s hippie as she reconnects with a former lover from the era. Peter’s experience self-releasing the film through FilmHub touches upon the realities of distribution today in the face of over-saturated streaming platforms and social media promotion; but also upon the joy of filmmaking for its own sake, telling the story you want to tell, and the satisfaction of touching audiences however and wherever they find your film.

A Song For Us

Trailer

Peter On Facebook

Keeping’ On Makin’ Movies with Filmmaker Allen C. Gardner

Colin Stryker — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Allen C. Gardner has been making feature films since high school. Now in his early 40s, married with three kids to support, Allen is facing some decisions about how to make his lifelong obsession a bit more sustainable, but that’s not stopping him from charging forward. He has so many feature films to his name I couldn’t keep track of them all in the interview. What strikes me about talking with Allen is how he keeps forging ahead, undeterred by market realities or really much of anything else. His even temperament, unfettered enthusiasm, and dogged determination to keep making movies in the face of changing circumstances seems to me like not only a model for success but a well-earned reward in its own right.

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Linktree

Distributing the “Life After” Series with Lisa Downs

Colin Stryker — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0700

On today's episode I’m talking with Lisa Downs about her experiences distributing several documentary features which she collectively calls the “Life After” series. Each documentary catches up with the actor who played the lead character of an iconic movie, giving us a look at the paths their lives followed after such a unique and transformative experience. Lisa has put out two of these movies so far, is about to release a third, and is currently crowdfunding for a fourth and fifth. With the first film in the series Lisa had some disappointing distribution experiences, which led to a decision to take the reins and self-distribute the subsequent films. There’s a lot to take away here from Lisa’s journey, especially applicable to filmmakers looking to play the long game and build a fan base for their work.

Life After Movies

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A Path to Sustainable Self-Distribution with Filmmaker Steve Rudzinski

Colin Stryker — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Steve Rudzinski has carved out an impressive career for himself making and distributing a wide variety of indie films. Along the way Steve leaned heavily on horror conventions to sell his movies and build a strong and loyal fan base. Through his scrappy efforts, Steve managed to get to a place where he rejects traditional distribution options in favor of releasing his films himself, and, even more impressively, actually manages to make a living from it. This is a great lesson in career-building for the truly independent filmmaker.

Silver Spotlight Flims

Indie Films are Prescription Medicine with Filmmaker Mark Stolaroff

Colin Stryker — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 09:00:00 -0700

I’m so excited to bring you this one today … it’s a long one, but I promise it’s worth it. Mark Stolaroff has been making films for over three decades, and in that time he’s seen the state of the industry and independent film distribution go through so many changes. I think that history is very important for filmmakers today to understand, because it kind of sets the stage for where distribution stands today, and indeed where it might lead in the future. While Mark admits openly that he hasn’t yet cracked the nut of making money off his films in a sustainable way, it’s clear from this interview that he has the drive and passion to keep at it regardless. In our chat, Mark compares indie films to prescription medicine, but I’m not gonna spoil that one for you, you’ll have to give the episode a listen. So settle in for a great discussion here, my conversation with Mark Stolaroff.

markstolaroff.com

Tackling Film Festivals with Strategist Rebekah Louisa Smith

Colin Stryker — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’ve got an interesting one for you, kind of breaking the formula of the show a little bit, which is normally talking to filmmakers about their distribution experiences. But in this case we’re going to spread our wings a bit and talk about film festivals … which for many filmmakers is indeed a very important part of the early distribution experience. Rebekah Louisa Smith is a film festival strategist, someone filmmakers might hire to help them navigate the very complicated and very competitive film festival circuit with their film. Rebekah has so much great advice to offer here for filmmakers looking to get a leg up on their festival strategy, if this is on your radar you’ll want to give this one a close listen.

thefilmfestivaldoctor.com

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Lessons Learned from a Difficult Distribution Experience with Samuel Calvin Morrison

Colin Stryker — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0700

My guest today is Samuel Calvin Morrison, an independent filmmaker based in Philly, talking about his distribution experiences with his first self-driven feature film, By Deception, and how that informed his later experiences. Sam takes us through the story of making and releasing the film, including some less-than-optimal experience with a -- dare I say it -- predatory distributor. But ultimately Sam was able to turn all that into a valuable learning experience, which he took into making his next projects after that. Sam talks with lots of honesty and transparency here, delivering a story that serves as both a cautionary tale and a demonstration of carrying difficult experiences forward with positivity and a spirit of learning, so important for independent filmmakers working toward the long term today. There’s a lot to glean here for filmmakers facing their own distribution decision, you’ll want to give this one a good, close listen.

Deck of Cards Media

Clinton Cornwell on Releasing “12 Months” and Living the Filmmaker Life

Colin Stryker — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m talking with filmmaker Clinton Cornwell about many, many things. Clinton has been making films for many years now, starting out with several shorts and then working toward his first feature, 12 Months, a completely improvised narrative following the ups and downs of a couple over twelve months of their relationship. 12 Months is now on the cusp of its release. In our conversation Clinton and I cover a wide range of topics, centered on his experience making and releasing 12 Months but more broadly focusing on the life of the independent filmmaker in today’s world. Clinton offers a wealth of honest thought, opinion, and experience and isn’t afraid to open up and share the ups and downs of his journey.

12 Months

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Distributing Stand-up Comedy with Zack Lyman

Colin Stryker — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0700

My guest today is stand-up comedian and filmmaker Zack Lyman, talking about filming and releasing his two stand-up comedy shows, The Big Laugh and Zen Comedy, through FilmHub. And while we mostly focus on feature filmmakers on this podcast, the efforts and strategies Zack put in to release and promote these shows is remarkably similar. Zack and I talk about the pros and cons of FilmHub as a platform, the notion of building a career through multiple projects, and some noteworthy technical considerations filmmakers need to take into account upon delivery. In the middle of the interview, our talk takes a little twist in that Zack asks me what I’ve learned in doing this podcast - now that I’m into thirty plus episodes - I give it a shot, but there’s a lot to learn and it’s not always decisive and clear-cut, but you get my take on it all in a little spiel that I hope makes some sense. Anyway, this is a great conversation mostly focused on Zack experiences, which is what it should be, there’s a lot to take away here especially for those filmmakers looking to FilmHub for their release.

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Chris Maes on Releasing His Sci-Fi Movie “Hemisphere”

Colin Stryker — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0700

On this episode I’m talking with Chris Maes about releasing his sci-fi movie, Hemisphere, which was shot mostly in his basement during the COVID-19 lockdown, and is now available on Amazon, Google Play and Tubi. What Chris accomplished here is a great lesson in DIY filmmaking, where Chris conceived the movie totally based on the resources available at the time: a basement he could build a set in, a relatively simple character-based premise, and a small cast and crew. I guess the only exception to that rule was that his movie is actually set in space … on a space station. But Chris made it work with some clever production design. Chris eventually signed with Indie Rights to distribute his film, but along the way he did some good hard research into his options. In our chat, Chris talks very openly about his decision-making process and the various pros and cons he considered. Although the jury is still out on the ultimate financial success of the film, there’s still a lot to glean here for filmmakers pondering similar decisions.

Cort Howell on Self-Distributing Mayberry Man

Colin Stryker — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0700

On this episode I’m talking with Cort Howell, who, along with his brother Stark, decided to self-distribute their film Mayberry Man after a less-than-optimal experience with a distributor on his previous film. Cort Howell has sage advice for any independent filmmaker seeking to navigate that line between finding a traditional distributor - whatever that means in this day and age - and self distribution. Cort takes us through the entire process of making and distributing Mayberry Man, including a highly successful crowdfunding campaign to finance the film, the community-supported production, and his experiences with DVD sales, theatrical showings, and streaming, ultimately capped off by a more traditional deal from a faith-based distributor.

Mayberry Man

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Cort Howell

A Sustainable Filmmaking Career with Omegia Keeys

Colin Stryker — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0700

On this episode I’m talking with the highly prolific Omegia Keeys. Omegia has built an amazing career for herself, self-financing and distributing nine features over the past decade, and still going strong. In our conversation, Omegia leads us through her distribution experiences, most of which have actually resulted in recouping her production costs, allowing for a sustainable pattern for film after film after film. Omegia takes us through her strategic approach to promotion, her reactions to a rapidly changing industry, and some well-researched and informed decisions made along the way. This is another one of those conversations that I just love, where filmmakers are totally open and honest about their process and results.

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Fractured

About Face Media

Distribution Strategies for SkyFly with Gary Smith

Colin Stryker — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0700

On this episode I’m talking with Gary Smith about his first feature SkyFly, a sports comedy about a group of skydivers who face off with another group of skydivers in a battle for supremacy in the sport of roller hockey. Yep, lots of adventures and hijinks in this one. This episode is a little different from most of my past episodes in that Gary hasn’t yet put his movie out there, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a ton of sage advice to offer. It’s evident in our conversation that Gary has done a great deal of research into his distribution strategy, and has put a lot of careful thought into his marketing and promotional plans for the film. I love the idea of doing interviews like this because I can look forward to having Gary back on the show in a year, or eighteen months down the road, and see how these plans all worked out for him. Don’t let this forward-looking interview keep you from listening to this one, Gary is very well-informed and has lots of good insights into the world of the indie distribution today.

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SkyFly

So Many Great Distribution Stories with Paul Osborne

Colin Stryker — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m talking with Paul Osborne, who’s been making and distributing his films since the late 2000s and still going strong today. Paul has so many great stories to tell here, with a really wide variety of distribution experiences that span so many of the changes the industry has gone through over the past two decades. One of those films includes his documentary about the realities of the film festival circuit called Official Rejection, and we get some great stories about playing that movie about the festival circuit on the festival circuit. Paul brings such a wealth of experience to bear in this conversation, from self-distributing theatrical to experiences on the festival circuit to DVD releases and streaming platforms … it’s a long one but I promise you it’s worth.

Distributing Six Horror Features with Calvin McArthy

Colin Stryker — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0700

On this episode I’m talking with Calvin McArthy of Seventh Street Productions. Over the past decade, Calvin and his team have made six low-budget horror features, and still going strong. Calvin takes us through his filmmaking journey, starting out with his roots as an actor, then shifting to behind the camera with shorts and a horror anthology feature. A few films later Calvin formed a relationship with Breaking Glass Pictures, a Philadelphia-based distributor, who continues to put out Calvin’s films to this day with mockbuster titles such as Conjuring: The Beyond, and his latest, Insidious Inferno. Calvin and I discuss a number of topics relevant to filmmakers wrestling with distribution strategies today, including common pitfalls and what to look for when signing a favorable distribution deal.

Seventh Street Productions

Breaking Glass Pictures

Insidious Inferno

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Michael Epstein on Distributing His "Weird" Features

Colin Stryker — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m speaking with Michael Epstein, a Los Angeles filmmaker with several low-budget and self-described “weird” features to his and his partner’s name. Our conversation covers the beginning of his career, his varied stories and experiences distributing each of his feature films, and his current plans for his latest feature, The Once and Future Smash, and its companion throwback horror film, End Zone 2. Michael’s experience with these films amounts to an overview of the state of low-budget indie film distribution over the past decade, with some hard lessons learned along the way. Michael is wonderfully transparent in this interview, giving us insight into budget and revenue numbers.

A Passion for Filmmaking with Angelo Thomas

Colin Stryker — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m speaking with Angelo Thomas, a filmmaker from Columbus with two features under his belt as well a number of shorts. Angelo made his first feature while in film school, The Incredible Jake Parker, about a male pop star struggling with anorexia, and followed that up with DeRosa: Love, Life, & Art in Transition, a documentary chronicling the life and struggles of a transgender artist and her wife. Angelo talks openly and insightfully about his experiences distributing both of these films, sharing lessons learned along the way. In our conversation we touch on a number of themes, not least of which is a frank discussion of filmmakers walking that delicate line between finding their creative voice and deriving income from their films. Angelo’s openness, passion, and humility really shine through in this interview.

The Online Success of “Lexi”, with Victoria Vertuga

Colin Stryker — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m chatting with Victoria Vertuga, talking about her mockumentary found footage horror film, Lexi, about a social media influencer who seems to get stalked by some possibly supernatural forces, and the fallout that results. It’s a really cool, creepy, sometimes cringe-inducing movie made on a very very low budget during the pandemic lockdown. Victoria talks openly about her experiences getting Lexi out there to streaming platforms, divulges some real numbers, and has some great words of wisdom for filmmakers out there -- a great episode to close out the year!

Honest Talk About "Getting Over" with Jason Charnick

Colin Stryker — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I chat with Jason Charnick, the filmmaker behind “Getting Over”, a very personal documentary about Jason’s troubled relationship with his father, who led a life of crime fueled by drug addiction. This is a heartbreaking but ultimately heartwarming story about drug addiction and its impact on family, told with amazing openness and honesty. Jason brings the same kind of openness to our talk here, giving us some real numbers, some honest opinions about distributors and the state of the industry, and some valuable advice for filmmakers along the way. I love conversations like this, it’s really what this podcast is all about.

The Absence Is Always Present

Indie Scene, a Platform for Theatrical Aggregation and Data, with Shawn Dawes

Colin Stryker — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -0700

In this episode, I talk with Shawn Dawes, one of the founders of Indie Scene, a platform for independent filmmakers aiming for theatrical distribution. Indie Scene provides valuable, accurate box office data, and looks to connect independent filmmakers with theaters worldwide. In our conversation, Shawn and I talk about his early efforts getting films made both independently and within the industry, and then moving on to found Indie Scene to empower filmmakers to overcome some of the kinds of challenges he experienced in his career.

IndieScene

on Facebook

on Instagram

on X

The Value of Theatrical with Marcus Markou

Colin Stryker — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m talking with Marcus Markou about his experiences distributing his two feature films, Papadopoulos and Sons, put out in 2012, and his latest feature, The Wife and her House Husband, which is just starting its theatrical release. Marcus, Greek by descent and hailing from Great Britain, has a fantastic story to tell, starting in theatre and then shifting to film as a better way to slice up the sausage — give this interview a listen to see what I mean by that. We touch on a ton of good stuff in this conversation, but the main theme seemed to be centered upon the importance of theatrical distribution for independent filmmakers, as a way to get reviews and generate interest in your film — a notion that I think sometimes gets lost in this day and age of streaming platforms.

Papadopoulos and Sons

Marcus on Twitter

Indie Nation Network with Antoine Dillard

Colin Stryker — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -0700

In this episode I talk with Antoine Dillard, filmmaker and founder of Indie Nation Network, a streaming site dedicated to independent film. Antoine founded INN after some frustration with an earlier distributor of one of his films. Antoine clearly has that independent spirit, and truly recognizes the difficult position that indie filmmakers find themselves in as they pour their heart and soul into their films, only to see a paltry share of the revenue their films gain in the marketplace. Antoine has set himself the task of trying to right that wrong by treating filmmakers who post their films on his site with fairness, transparency, and an equitable revenue sharing arrangement. We really touch on some important topics here that should be considered by filmmakers, distributors, and filmmaker/distributors as we try to envision a better future for independent filmmaking.

Indie Nation Network

Quantum Visual FX

Talkin' Shop with Comedian and Filmmaker Baraka Noel

Colin Stryker — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today on the program I bring you my one-of-a-kind conversation with Baraka Noel, an L.A. based filmmaker and standup comedian. Baraka and I really had a fun conversation here, certainly not one of my more structured interviews but that's just fine. We simply had a fun, stream of consciousness back and forth about a whole of things film related, distribution related sometimes, maybe sometimes not so much … but again, it’s all related, and it’s all about what it’s like to be an independent filmmaker today, just trying to get your movies out there, seen by people, and connecting with others. The conversation kind of speaks for itself here, but if you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you’ll definitely want to tune into this one because we cover some really cool stuff here.

Baraka Noel

The Thieves Code

Baraka's Instagram

Stories of Genre Film Distribution with Chance Shirley

Colin Stryker — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Chance Shirley and his team at Crewless Productions have put out three genre features, but we spent most of this conversation talking about Chance's first feature, called Hide and Creep. The synopsis, straight from Tubi, is: “When an army of the undead attacks a small town, the residents must contend with bloodthirsty zombies, flying saucers, and bad television reception”. It’s a cool movie, one of those low-budget comedy horror flicks that exemplifies what can be done on a shoestring, with a small crew, small cast, and a lot of perseverance. This is a really insightful conversation sort of covering the history of indie movie distribution from the golden era of the nineties, through early brick and mortar DVD distribution, the rise of streaming, and looking a little bit at where we are today, for better or for worse.

Crewless Productions

Hide and Creep

Chance on Twitter

Ghost of Wuhan with Ankit Mishra

Colin Stryker — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0700

I'm back after an unplanned hiatus, bringing you a very interesting interview with Ankit Mishra, all the way from India. Ankit talks about the experience of making and distributing his feature, Ghost of Wuhan, a very personal story about a virologist who, after returning from the lab in Wuhan where Covid was (depending on who you talk to) discovered or created, contracts the virus and embarks on his own journey to figure the disease out - all while suffering its symptoms and maintaining his own sanity, locked up in his home, away from loved ones and friends. As Ankit says in the interview, this is a one-actor film, and in my view a prime example of DIY filmmaking: what filmmakers can do with limited resources and a drive to simply tell a compelling story. Coming to you in October, this interview was recorded in early July.

Films Are Birthday Cakes with Ryan Graves

Colin Stryker — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I talk to Ryan Graves, a fellow Portlander who also happens to be filling the role of colorist for the three short films I’m making this summer. Ryan has started to establish himself in the Portland as a professional colorist, but on the show Ryan and I talk primarily about his film, Emily, about a young married couple struggling to stay together after the husband suffers a crisis of faith. Ryan made the film on a twenty thousand dollar budget from a true angel investor, but struggled to find an audience for it due to it being partly received as a faith-based movie even though it really wasn’t intended for that audience. Along the way Ryan and I touch upon a lot of topics relevant to indie film distribution, including some honest words about predatory distributors, and the concept that films are like birthday cakes.

Instagram

Website

Emily

Indie Distribution Stories with Josh Folan

Colin Stryker — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 15:00:00 -0700

Josh has been the producer and/or director for several films, including All God’s Creatures, What Would Bear Do, Catch 22, and several more that I saw on his web site that I didn’t even know about. Josh has also written a self-distributed book series about his experiences, collectively entitled Filmmaking, The Hard Way. This a great casual conversation about Josh’s origin story, the making of those movies, and his experiences getting them out to audiences in various ways. Along the way Josh talks very openly about his distribution stories, and at a few points actually gives us some live revenue numbers straight off his dashboard. Aspiring filmmakers will glean a lot from this interview about the state of independent film distribution today.

NYEH Entertainment

Josh's Twitter

Josh's Instagram

Making and Distributing "Only In Theaters" with Raphael Sbarge

Colin Stryker — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0700

My guest today is Raphael Sbarge, an established industry actor and now director of the documentary, Only In Theaters. If you’re an independent filmmaker who appreciates the value of watching independent films in movie theaters as I do, then this is a film you must find a way to see. Only In Theaters follows Greg Laemmle, CEO of the iconic Laemmle theater chain, as he navigates the difficulties of keeping his family business afloat in the modern movie era—in the face of dwindling ticket sales, competition from streaming platforms, not to mention the devastating Covid epidemic. In the interview, we talk about the movie itself and its relevance to the moviegoing experience today. Then we shift to Raphael’s own experience of making the movie with virtually unfettered access to Greg Laemmle and his personal struggle. And then perhaps most importantly to the theme of this podcast, we talk in detail about Raphael’s own challenges in getting Only In Theaters out to the world, not to mention out to theaters.

Only In Theaters

Raphael's Twitter

Raphael's Instagram

Filmmaker Liz Manashil Talking All Things Distribution And More

Colin Stryker — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Liz Manashil is, as she reminds me very quickly in this interview, first and foremost a filmmaker. She’s made two feature films, one with more or less traditional distribution, the second with a hybrid distribution strategy, and is on to make her third feature, Best Friends Forever, which she intends to entirely self-distribute. Liz came to my attention through the Making Movies Is Hard podcast, for which she is a co-host, but what really interested me about Liz was the Patreon campaign she is running in support of her third feature. One of Liz's stated goals with this campaign is to document and memorialize the making of her feature, in order to help educate other filmmakers on what it’s like to develop, fundraise for, make, and release an independent feature film. It’s kind of similar to what I’m doing with my web site and my own feature film. Liz is also a sales and distribution consultant for independent filmmakers, she managed Sundance’s Creative Distribution Initiative, and so much more. Liz speaks with remarkable transparency about her experiences, sharing not only her filmmaking journey but how it intersects with her personal and family life, and even her childbearing experiences.

Liz's Twitter

Liz's Patreon

Producer Data: The Numbers Don't Lie (The Truth About Independent Film Revenue)

An Impact Campaign for “Pioneers In Skirts” with Ashley Maria and Lea-Ann Berst

Colin Stryker — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Ashley Maria and Lea-Ann Berst are the director/producer team behind Pioneers In Skirts, a documentary following Ashley’s own story as a director in Hollywood, the sexism and stereotypes she faced, and a candid exploration of how we can all work to “shift the tide” towards equality and fairness within the Hollywood system. it’s a dextrously light-hearted and at the same time serious film that certainly opened my eyes to how much of this stuff we are still dealing with after all these years. Ashley and Lea-Ann happen to be daughter and mother, but the takeaway here is how hard they’ve worked, as a team, to self-distribute this important film through a targeted, well-researched impact campaign. Even though Ashley’s story arises from the disappointing state of gender equality in the film industry, the story of making and distributing Pioneers in Skirts is an uplifting one, and a valuable lesson in how to get out, get a film made, and get it in front of eyeballs with passion, creativity, and hard work.

The Streaming Success of Satan's Servant, with Jack McDermott and Ethan Gomez Zahnley

Colin Stryker — Tue, 30 May 2023 09:00:00 -0700

During the early days of COVID, Jack McDermott and Ethan Gomez Zahnley made Satan’s Servant, a horror feature, while they were still in high school. From a small, informal crowdfunding campaign, Jack and Ethan raised enough money to shoot the film making full use of their available resources. Informed partly by some experience they had already gained with several shorts, they distributed to online streaming platforms, found some unexpected viral interest, and did particularly well on Tubi — eventually recouping the film’s modest budget. Jack and Ethan’s story is a solid study in how small films can achieve success on streaming platforms, and set the stage for bigger films in the future.

Twitter

Instagram

Screenager Films

Three Micro-Budget Features and Going Strong with Stefanie Davis

Colin Stryker — Tue, 23 May 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I’m interviewing Stefanie Davis, a Florida-based micro-budget filmmaker with three feature films and many more shorts under her belt. Stefanie embodies the spirit of micro-budget filmmaking, not just in production but in distribution as well. She’s put her movies out there on streaming platforms with a lot of thought given to not just the quality of the content but to the prospect of seeing a real return on her investment, both financially and in terms of her ongoing independent career. Stefanie is amazingly open and transparent in this interview. She shares real numbers on both budget and revenue, gives some great information on the streaming market, and brings to bear a wealth of practical experience. This is one you won’t want to miss.

Stefanie's Twitter

Stefanie's Instagram

Hot Mess in a Wedding Dress

The Christmas Ride

Home for Thanksgiving

Andrew Bellware on Two Decades of Making and Distributing Low-Budget Sci-Fi

Colin Stryker — Tue, 09 May 2023 09:00:00 -0700

On this episode I’m really excited to bring you my interview with Andrew Bellware. Andrew has been making low-budget sci-fi movies for two decades, starting in the early aughts with a movie called Pandora Machine. As you might imagine, Andrew has seen a lot of changes in the world of indie distribution over that time, and it certainly shows in this conversation. We cover a lot of topics here, ranging from how to pick a title for your movie, to how important it is, as an indie filmmaker, to surround yourself with people you really get along with. Andrew is a veritable fountain of knowledge and experience here, and I really think you all are going to get a lot out of this conversation, as I surely did.

Links:

Pandora Machine

Mastadon

Stories of Distribution with Stacey Maltin of Besties Make Movies

Colin Stryker — Wed, 03 May 2023 09:00:00 -0700

On this episode I interview Stacey Maltin, one of the partners of the production company, Besties Make Movies. Stacey falls into that category of filmmakers who actually has gotten distribution for their movies, but in this day and age, I think there’s still plenty for filmmakers who are leaning towards self-distribution to take away here. In fact, I’m learning more and more that this distinction between distribution and self-distribution isn’t always so clear cut, and that even filmmakers who get some form of distribution still end up working quite hard to promote and market their films alongside whatever distribution deal they do get. In this interview, Stacey talks about she and her partners’ experience in making and distributing their first feature, called Landing Up; and then some good, honest discussion about the release of their latest feature, Triple Threat, put out by Gravitas Ventures. Along the way Stacey exudes her love of filmmaking, and offers a wealth of wisdom and invaluable advice for independent filmmakers.

Links:

The Magic of Manbaby with Tim Lightell

Colin Stryker — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0700

My guest on this episode is Tim Lightell, who self-distributed his comedy, Manbaby -- about a stand-up comedian who tries to convince his wife to have a baby by actually becoming a baby himself. Tim made the film in the mid-2010s on a 5-figure budget, and spent eight - as he describes it - agonizing years trying to get his film made and out to audiences. But despite that characterization, it’s clear that Tim also really enjoyed the process of both making and releasing the film. Tim did a bit of four-walling and then released on Tubi and other platforms. In the interview Tim is very transparent about the ups and downs of his journey; he talks some actual numbers, and we also touch on some good, hard information about how streaming platforms work … plus you get a little ranting from me about the state of the indie film distribution today. Tim’s story is a good one, there’s some positive, some negative, but mostly it just comes down to that magic of moviemaking.

Links:

Manbaby on Tubi

Manbaby Website

Making Movies at Home: Barbatachtian with Ian Austin

Colin Stryker — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0700

In this episode I talk with Ian Austin, the director of the Barbatachtian series. Ian hails from England, and maybe better embodies the spirit of just-go-out-and-make-a-movie more than anyone else I’ve interviewed so far. During those early days of COVID, Ian decided that if he was going to be holed up in his apartment, he might as well make use of the limited resources available - his camera and his apartment - to make his first feature film. I've only watched the first in the series so far, but I assume the others in the series follow more or less the same story: a man, holed up in his apartment, resists the influence of demons, including the eponymous Barbatachtian. I think Ian would be the first to admit that the movie is pretty rough around the edges, but that's part of its charm, and it's a great example of what you can do with more imagination than money. These films don't have a mass audience appeal, but Ian seems quite happy just making them and collecting whatever revenue he can from online streaming platforms. It's a fun, low-key interview and a good listen for those looking for inspiration in a true DIY filmmaking effort.

Barbatachtian

Ian's Twitter

Ian's YouTube

Burning Annie: A Cautionary Tale with Randy Mack and Joanna Rudolph

Colin Stryker — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0700

My interview today is with Randy Mack and Joanna Rudolph. Randy produced the coming-of-age comedy Burning Annie back in the early aughts, and Joanna came on as an executive producer early on in the distribution phase. Burning Annie tells the story of a college student, obsessed with the Woody Allen movie, “Annie Hall”, trying to navigate the waters of romance and friendship. As we discuss in the interview, the journey of releasing Burning Annie in the aughts was a long and difficult one, but in 2017 Randy and Joanna connected again to re-release the film in connection with Sundance’s Creative Distribution Initiative. Meanwhile, Randy went on to make Laundry Day, a dark comedy crime thriller set in New Orleans, and Joanna is in production on a documentary about the first non-segregated housing co-op in New York City. In the interview, Randy and Joanna reflect on their experiences with Burning Annie and their other projects, with lots of great insights about the changes the industry has seen over the past two decades.

Links:

Burning Annie

Laundry Day

The Importance of Audience Building with Andy Palmer

Colin Stryker — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I bring you my conversation with Andy Palmer, a fellow Portlander who makes a living as a reality TV editor, but who has several independent horror films under his belt, including a fun, campy — but not quite over the top campy — slasher film called The Funhouse Massacre. To be clear, Andy has gone with a distributor for all of this films, but he has so much great experience getting his movies out to online platforms that I think is very much applicable to the self-distribution experience. It's a common theme to this show that the line between traditional distribution and self distribution isn’t always so clear cut, and Andy definitely embodies that DIY ethic that is so important to independent filmmakers today, whether self-distributing or otherwise.

Links:

Andy's Instagram

The Funhouse Massacre

Community Building through NFTs with Zach Lona and Anthony Gibson

Colin Stryker — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Zach Lona and Anthony Gibson are two independent filmmakers who hooked up to make the movie He Who Lives in Hidden Lakes, a sort of mockumentary folk-cult horror/comedy about a mysterious man who lives in the woods and in fact may or may not exist, and wreaks weird chaos on a quiet town, and in so doing becomes a Bigfoot-like of local legend. Zach and Anthony, after not really seeing success at securing traditional distribution for their film, turned full bore to the world of NFTs , and in so doing found their way into a fascinating community of forward-thinking fans. In the interview we discuss NFTs, what they are, and most importantly their use not just as a revenue stream, but as a means of community and fan base building for filmmakers in this era of technology.

Web site: https://hiddenones.xyz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hiddenmythos

Sujewa Ekanayake on Screening Indie Films Theatrically

Colin Stryker — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I bring you my conversation with Sujewa Ekanayake. Sujewa is a New York based, very independent filmmaker. As we discuss in the interview, he makes his own micro-budget movies, completely on his own terms, and brings them directly to audiences through mostly self-arranged theatrical screenings. We also talk about his perspective that filmmaking should not be looked at primarily as a business, but as an art form. We also discuss an exciting program that he is spearheading to screen independent films theatrically in partnership with arthouse theaters in L.A. and beyond. Above all, Sujewa’s love of filmmaking and the joy he finds in simply being an independent filmmaker in New York rings loud and clear.

Links:

Sujewa on Twitter

NYC Fantastic - Films by Sujewa Ekanayake

Indie Discovery LA Film Series

Sujewa's GoFundMe

From Slamdance to Watergate with Dan Mirvish

Colin Stryker — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0700

Today I bring you my conversation with Dan Mirvish. Many of you may know Dan as one of the co-founders of the Slamdance Film Festival, founded in 1995, as an alternative to Sundance for first-time filmmakers. Dan’s first feature was entirely self-distributed, but since then Dan has made several more films, including his most recent 18 1/2, a thriller/comedy about a White House transcriber who stumbles upon the missing 18 1/2 minutes of tape from the Nixon/Watergate affair, which she tries to leak to a reporter. While Dan has found distribution for most of his films, as he points out in the interview, the line between self-distribution and traditional distribution isn’t always so clear cut. Dan brings a wealth of experience to the table, and has some great things to say about how things work in and out of the industry, and also about his own personal experiences promoting his films in both theatrical and ancillary markets.

Links:

Dan's Twitter

Dan's Website

18 1/2 Movie

The Cheerful Subversive's Guide to Independent Filmmaking

Talking Marketing, Distribution, and the Film Biz with J Horton

Colin Stryker — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 19:30:00 -0700

On this episode I interview J Horton, known among other things for his very informative YouTube channel. On his channel J speaks prolifically about film distribution and marketing. He is very open and transparent and he really tells it like it is from his point-of-view.

J has built for himself a remarkable career, starting out with the high hopes of his first feature, then the reality of struggling to make a living in the filmmaking biz in Hollywood, and finally emerging with a successful business model built mostly around self-distributed and marketed documentaries. I’m sure it’s going to come up again and again on this podcast how hard it is to make a living making movies but J has somehow managed to do it. He has a pretty cool story and a lot of wise, honest words to say about his experiences and the state of the independent film distribution landscape today.

Links:

J's YouTube Channel

J's Instagram

J's Facebook Group