Episodes

  • IFH Film Directing Archive: Sean Baker: ‘Tangerine' How to Shoot a Sundance Hit on Your iPhone

    IFH Film Directing Archive: Sean Baker: ‘Tangerine' How to Shoot a Sundance Hit on Your iPhone
    Jan 2 2023
    Sean Baker: 'Tangerine' How to Shoot a Sundance Hit on Your iPhone
    I've recently been looking and studying alternative shoot methods to shoot a feature film. One name that keeps coming up is Sean Baker. His ground-breaking film Tangerine made more noise at the Sundance Film Festival than the winner that year. The film was also produced by the indie film legends, Jay and Mark Duplass.
    Tangerine was shot completely on an iPhone. Yes, an iPhone. The great thing was that after his Sundance screening no one in the audience or at the film festival knew that the film was shot on an iPhone.
    What I respect about Sean Baker as a filmmaker is that he didn't focus on the technology when promoting his film, he let the story, actors and film speak for itself. If you haven't seen Tangerine you are missing out. Take a look at the RED BAND trailer below.

    I wanted to put together a post that highlighted what can be done with minimal filmmaking tech and a great story. Sean Baker has definitely what can be done in today's filmmaking world.
    Below are a ton of videos explaining the process Sean Baker and his director of photography Radium Cheung, HKSC went through making Tangerine, as well as a bunch of video explaining tips and tricks on how to turn your something you shot on an iPhone into cinematic gold. Enjoy my conversation with Sean Baker.
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • IFH Film Directing Archive: Directing Actors & How to Become an Actor’s Director with Per Holmes

    IFH Film Directing Archive: Directing Actors & How to Become an Actor’s Director with Per Holmes
    Dec 30 2022
    Directing Actors & How to Become an Actor’s Director with Per Holmes
    Directing actors can be one of the most difficult parts of wearing the director's hat. Actors speak a language that a director must understand if they are to pull and nurture an amazing performance. Unfortunately film schools do not teach this must need "foreign language" course.
    I've worked with every kind of actor there is. From Oscar® Nominated to fresh out of acting class. Pulling a good performance can be tough and I would get very frustrated sometimes because I couldn't speak there language.
    Then I met Per Holmes. Per created a gaming change course years ago called "Hollywood Camera Work: Mastering High-End Blocking and Staging." I loved this course and it's a must for any filmmaker.
    When I heard he was creating a "Directing Actors" course I was in. I was able to take the course right before I shot my first feature film "This is Meg" and it helped me immensely. I was able to speak the actor's language and nurture the performance I needed for the story.

    I asked Per Holmes to be a guest on the show because I've never taken a course where the instructor was so detailed, thought out and passionate about the subject. Directing Actors is INSANE. Here's a bit on the course.

    Years in the making, Directing Actors is the most comprehensive acting and directing training in the world. Created by Per Holmes, the course teaches a better way to be a Director, by having extremely strong technique, and the right philosophy and personality on the set.
    Through almost a thousand examples, we cover literally every acting and directing technique, every interaction between Actor and Director, and we cast, rehearse and shoot 9 scenes.


    Directing Actors is the result of Per Holmes' personal obsession with resolving once and for all the best way to work with Actors. Every known technique has been tested, and the results are surprising, sometimes shocking. Directing Actors has involved almost 150 people through 7 years of development and 3 years of shooting and editing, including almost a hundred talented Actors who have gracefully allowed us to show the process without any filters.
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    1 hr and 37 mins
  • IFH Film Directing Archive: From Dusk Till Dawn to Nickelodeon with Director Joe Menendez

    IFH Film Directing Archive: From Dusk Till Dawn to Nickelodeon with Director Joe Menendez
    Dec 28 2022
    From Dusk Till Dawn to Nickelodeon with Director Joe Menendez
    This week on the show we have the very talented director Joe Menendez. Joe is an award-winning filmmaker of both a successful feature film director and a prolific television director/producer as well -- having moved seamlessly between both mediums his entire career. Joe Menendez has directed over 95 hours of television (both single and multi-camera), written a handful of teleplays, produced several TV series and films, and has directed eight feature films and TV movies so far. He is a multi-genre veteran of drama, action, comedy, family entertainment, horror and rom-com. His numerous and varied credits show that he is a skilled craftsman and an accomplished, versatile storyteller.
    For this reason I had to have him on the show. Joe Menendez is currently in post-production on Nickelodeon's LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE, an action-adventure TV movie he directed for Nickelodeon, based on the popular game show of the same name, from the 1990s.
    His last feature, the action/comedy, LADRONES (THIEVES), was released by Pantelion Films October 9th, 2015, and received a CinemaScore of "A". LADRONES is the sequel to his 2007 feature film LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON (TO ROB A THIEF), which opened at the time to a record-grossing opening weekend at the box-office for a Spanish-language film in the U.S.
    Joe Menendez has directed multiple episodes of the one-hour drama FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: The Series for Robert Rodriguez and his El Rey Network, multiples of the new Amazon Series JUST ADD MAGIC and the Prequel Series plus the "uncensored" episodes for the 2nd season of HULU's hit drama series EAST LOS HIGH.
    I also wanted to have him on the show to discuss what's it like working with a filmmaking legend like Robert Rodriguez. He did not disappoint. His stories are AMAZING! Get ready and enjoy my conversation with Joe Menendez.
    LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

    Joe Menendez - Official Site
    Joe Menendez - IMDB
    From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
    Legends of the Hidden Temple
    Ladrones

    SPONCERS

    VideoBlocks.com - (IFH Discount SAVE $50)
    Werner Herzog Master Class
    Aaron Sorkin Master Class
    FreeFilmBook.com (Download Your FREE Filmmaking Audio Book)

    KILLER RESOURCES!!!

    INDIE FILM SYNDICATE Filmmaking Community
    IFH's Online Film School
    Six Secrets to get into Film Festivals for FREE!
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • IFH Film Directing Archive: Life After Winning Sundance with Diane Bell

    IFH Film Directing Archive: Life After Winning Sundance with Diane Bell
    Dec 26 2022
    Life After Winning Sundance with Diane Bell
    I always talk about not counting on the "lottery ticket" mentality that so many filmmakers today count on. Winning Sundance is not a distribution plan. Well I was involved in a project, written and directed by Diane Bell, that did just that. It won not one but two awards at Sundance. She didn't count on winning, hell she didn't think in her wildest dreams that she would even be accepted. Here's the story.
    In 2010, 16 feature films were selected out of 1,058 submissions to be screened in the US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Diane Bell's OBSELIDIA was one of them. It was made for less than $140,000, it had no movie stars in it, and none of the cast or crew had connections to Sundance. And yet it was picked out of the slush pile, and selected to premier on this world stage, alongside movies that had cost 100 times as much with big name movie stars and recognized directors.
    OBSELIDIA, premiered in the US Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2010, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Award and the award for Excellence in Cinematography. It was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards 2011, including one for Best First Screenplay. It won acclaim at festivals around the world, including being named as Best of Fest at the Edinburgh Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature at Ashland Independent Film Festival, and winning the Youth Jury Prize for Best Film at the Valladolid Festival, Spain.
    If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be accepted and win awards at the Sundance Film Festival sit back and enjoy on conversation with Diane Bell.
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • IFH Film Directing Archive: Why Filmmakers are Always So F*ckin' Broke & What They Can Do to Change It

    IFH Film Directing Archive: Why Filmmakers are Always So F*ckin' Broke & What They Can Do to Change It
    Dec 23 2022
    I'm truly PISSED OFF guys and am tired of seeing my fellow indie filmmakers and artist struggle to make a living doing what they love. I decided to put together a lists of steps that every indie filmmaker needs to do in order to thrive in the film business.
    Since this website is call INDIE FILM HUSTLE the terminology I'll be using will be aimed at filmmaking or screenwriting but all of these concepts can be applied to any art form.

    PLEASE NOTE: If you were to ever listen to a podcast of mine, this is the one. I'll be laying out the steps in the article but I go MUCH DEEPER into each one on the podcast.
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    56 mins
  • IFH Film Directing Archive: Why Having No Money Makes You a Better Filmmaker

    IFH Film Directing Archive: Why Having No Money Makes You a Better Filmmaker
    Dec 21 2022
    What is this guy talking about? No money = better filmmaker? He must be nuts. We'll I'll have to disagree with you. As I am going through my adventure on the making of my first feature film THIS IS MEG, I have discovered that is the truth. Having less resources has made me a better filmmaker.
    When you have no money and limited resources you discover new and creative ways to solve problems. The creative ways end up on the screen and that is where innovation comes from. Doing something people say is nuts.


    Credit: QuoteAddicts



    "No one can stop you from doing exactly what you want to do. If you can accept that the cavalry won't come, and if you can be the cavalry, it gives you a chance to be happy." - Mark Duplass

    When I announced I was going to direct This is Meg with a micro budget I can't tell you how many people said I was nuts. BTW, I love it when people do that, it lights my fire. I still think most of the cast and crew still don't know how we're going to pull this off.
    In this podcast I go over the techinques I used to not only get the ball rolling but also get the film shot and edited. Enjoy!
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    31 mins
  • IFH Film Directing Archive: Why You Don't Need a Screenplay to Make an Amazing Film

    IFH Film Directing Archive: Why You Don't Need a Screenplay to Make an Amazing Film
    Dec 19 2022
    Why You Don't Need a Screenplay to Make an Amazing Film


    As indie filmmakers we throw a lot of obstacles on our own path to creating a feature or short film. No obstacle is larger then the almighty screenplay. How many screenwriters and filmmakers do you know that have been working on the movie script for 3, 5, or 7 years? They keep chipping at it in hopes of cracking that nut or it gives them an excuse for not actually making a feature film.
    I was no different. One of the biggest things that slowed, if not stopped my filmmaking journey was "the screenplay." I decided to see if there was a different way to approach making a movie with my first feature film This is Meg.
    In doing my research I came to realize that in the last few years, some of my favorite films happen to be (almost) entirely improvised. No structured screenplay. Some were huge tent pole studio movies, Oscar winners (Ironically for best screenplay) and small indie films. It certainly seemed to be a more prolific style among independent filmmakers and I find that it can mean success when they cast the right actors. Especially in the "Mumblecore" and "Dogma 95" indie film movements.
    Iron Man had no screenplay?
    My favorite "lack of screenplay" story was the Marvel Studios tent-pole Iron Man. You heard me correctly. The film that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that show the word what a great leading Robert Downey Jr could be. It remains one of the most enjoyable adaptations of a Marvel comic book to date.


    via Marvel Studios

    Take a listen to what Jeff Bridges revealed in a recent interview.

    "They had no script, man! They had an outline. We would show up for big scenes every day and we wouldn't know what we were going to say. We would have to go into our trailer and work on this scene and call up writers on the phone, 'You got any ideas?' Meanwhile the crew is tapping their foot on the stage waiting for us to come on."

    Although a story and structure was firmly in place, the dialogue wasn't - leading to much improvisation on set, which accounts for the film's energetic, sparky atmosphere.

    "I said, ‘Oh, what we're doing here, we're making a $200 million student film. We're all just fuckin' around! We're playin'. Oh, great!. That took all the pressure off. Oh, just jam, man, just play. And it turned out great!" Bridges recalled.

    Here is a list of film I mention and discuss in detail in the podcast:

    John Cassavetes - Shadows
    Mike Leigh - Vera Drake
    David O. Russell - American Hustle
    Lynn Shelton - Your Sister's Sister
    Jon Favreau - Iron Man
    Derek Cianfrance -
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    22 mins
  • IFH Film Directing Archive: How Filmmakers & Artists Should Deal with Haters!

    IFH Film Directing Archive: How Filmmakers & Artists Should Deal with Haters!
    Dec 16 2022
    How Filmmakers & Artists Should Deal with Haters!
    Haters, a problem that artists, filmmakers or anybody who puts themselves out there have to deal with. I know of many filmmakers who are crippled by what other people think or say about them. The fact is that you are going to create anything; a poem, writer a novel, make a movie, write a song, cook a meal or build a house, there will be people who have opinions. 
    Now opinions are fine. As they say ever has an opinion and the internet has given everyone with an opinion a voice. Now there is constructive, mature opinions and there are straight up haters. People who want to bring you down for a myriad of reasons. 
    I decide to shine a bit of light on this topic because it is so important on your filmmaking journey to be free of the good opinions of others, as the late Wayne Dyer used to say. You can not allow other peoples opinions or thoughts bring you down or stop your forward momentum when making art of any kind. 
    Take a listen to my experience with haters I've dealt with over the years. I hope it inspires you to continue creating regardless of the good opinion of others. 



    "Don't let compliments get to your head and don't let their criticism get to your heart." - Anoyomous
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    14 mins