Welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker's Guide. In today's episode we speak with Director Brock Heasley and Producer Ken Carpenter,  the filmmaking team behind "The Shift". With well over 2000 screens in their theatrical release, James Allerdyce takes us through the process of making this "faith adjacent" film from Angel Studios. IFG is created by Framework Productions, produced and hosted by Steven Pierce, James Allerdyce, and Matt Mundy. The music is by Glass Boy. Find his music on...

Welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker's Guide. In today's episode we dive right into a genre centrally important to so many independent filmmakers, documentary. Hosts James Allerdyce and Matt Mundy get to sit down with acclaimed director and producer Nicole Newnham and her latest film The Disappearance of Shere Hite. We are specifically looking into the techniques and artistry of creating a cohesive and compelling storyline exploring the life of an impactful author-celebrity who in...

Welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker's Guide. In today's episode we dive right into one of the later challenges along the filmmaking journey - getting your film in front of your potential audience. How to actually break through with ratings and reviews in key places. The landscape is always changing and tomorrow it may be different. In the meantime, these particular algorithms on streaming platforms hold a lot of sway as to what movies actually get "shelf space" in their store. With...

Finding that visual anchor, the shorthand to an audience's memory for your film. This is just part of the importance as well as the difficulty of Key Art. How does it work, what is the relationship with the artist like? Or maybe you want to become a Key Artist yourself and wonder what a functional workflow should be? These are just some of the things covered in today's episode with designer Eric Vasquez. Eric was also the Key Artist for our feature film, HERD, which we  talk about as well....

Welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker's Guide The navigation of film distribution can be one of the more difficult parts of the filmmaker's process. From understanding deal memos, aligning expectations, to simply getting something you've undoubtedly spent so much time and effort on in front of, and sometimes literally in the hands of, your intended audience. These are just some of the things covered in today's valuable and personal episode with guest Malcolm Ingram - an acclaimed and...

This week we connect with Jared Lapidus (director & co-writer) and James McCarthy (co-writer) who are the filmmakers behind "Office Race" the recently released ensemble comedy movie featuring Beck Bennett (SNL), Joe McHale (Community), J.B. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and a long list of other notable actors which is now out on Comedy Central! A quick reminder, no matter where you are listening to us, if you could rate us and drop us a review on Apple Podcasts, we’d be so grateful - it...

Welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker's Guide. Four common misconceptions with SAG-AFTRA's Interim Agreements and how union members and independent producers can work together to bring the AMPTP back to negotiations. Afterward, we look at some of the roots of A.I. as it applies to using union members' name, image, and likeness and even touch on a case-study that could give us insight as to where negotiations could and possibly should go. More information about all this, and how to...

Welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker's Guide. Today hosts Steven Pierce and Matt Mundy are joined by friend and special guest and Horror Genre aficionado, Mike Gingold. He's a journalist, screenwriter, author, director, not to mention one of the most well-respected voices in the horror community today, who just may have seen every horror movie ever made. A graduate of NYU film school, and former editor in chief of Fangoria, Gingold today writes for both Fangoria and Rue Morgue, where...

Welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker's Guide. What if we told you that Netflix, your go-to for binge-watching, has not just altered your viewing habits but also rattled the very foundations of the entertainment industry? It is true, but what is unclear is if that is a good thing or even sustainable. Netflix and other streaming enterprises' entry into the scene has caused a seismic shift that has reshaped the way we understand entertainment - from revolutionizing consumption patterns to...

Hey everyone and welcome back to the Independent Filmmaker’s Guide So a couple of weeks ago we launched our new podcast, Happy Hour Flix - where we sit down with a special guest and talk about a nostalgic film we love and love to talk about. And today we wanted to drop another one of our episodes from that podcast on this feed as another special treat. And as i said before if this feels like something you would also enjoy - we invite you to be sure and subto HAPPY HOUR FLIX as well. Links in...

The “first time in 63 years” strike, where SAG-AFTRA has joined the WGA in a labor stoppage due to stalled negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers or AMPTP.  And so today we wanted to come on and address this strike and state that we here at IFG stand firmly with our fellow actors and writers in this strike. We hope that at the end of this we will see them protected for their talents and compensated duly for their work.  While attempting to understand just...

Welcome to a very "nostalgic" episode of IFG. This week we are launching alongside IFG, our new podcast HAPPY HOUR FLIX, or HHF! Our IFG series is, as you know, a nuts and bolts, inside look at how movies get made. HHF is a podcast where we sit down with a special guest to talk about a nostalgic film we love and love to talk about. Our show, which we are launching today in it's own feed, we also wanted to bring to you today on THIS feed as a special treat for you all. Of course, if this...

In this episode, Steven Pierce and Matt Mundy talk with the project's creators, screenwriters and director Luke Meyer and Keith Newton about their very personal docu-series, The Fourth Wall. For any filmmaker, telling the story and history of a cult with an ever-evolving facade, lead by a mercurial leader can not only take years, but can be difficult to pin down. And when said leader is your own father, it can be beyond daunting...becoming more and more personal as the layers are peeled...

In this brief episode, part 2 of our announcement, Steve talks about the US premiere, upcoming news, and now where you can actually see the film BUKE & GASE! To watch the film, just click here: BUKE & GASE FILM  (or paste one of these URL's)  https://apple.co/40Uu3ww  https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/buke-and-gase In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when tours were cancelled and all live music went silent, one band refused to stay quiet. This is that concert.The...

A very special and short episode this week. Today we have an announcement and an invitation for you all. After beginning this podcast as a way to build up and talk to a community of other filmmakers about their own projects, not only do WE now have multiple films coming down the pike, we have launched our own Narrative Division devoted to the creation of films that tell compelling, original and personal stories. In light of all of this, we are excited to announce our first release of the...

Today, more than ever,  filmmakers and audiences alike are realizing the importance of having a safe and comfortable set. Not only to keep actors safe, but also ultimately to enable you to be a better filmmaker. Today we joined by Intimacy Coordinator Brooke M. Haney to discuss her job and how she approaches a set. Independent Filmmaker’s Guide | How Movies Get Made IFG is created by Framework Productions

On this episode, Steven Pierce and James Allerdyce explore Darren Le Gallo's feature film debut, SAM & KATE. From securing his stellar cast of the real-life parent-child combos of Dustin Hoffman/Jake Hoffman and Sissy Spacek/Schuyler Fisk, to scouting the perfect locations, Gallo walks through the inspirations, many years, and steps it took to bring his vision to fruition. Independent Filmmaker’s Guide | How Movies Get Made IFG is created by Framework Productions

Welcome back to the Independent Filmmakers Guide Today we'll here from Steven Pierce and Matt Mundy as they chat with writer/director Matthew Gentile about his new movie American Murderer, starring Tom Pelphrey, Ryan Phillippe, Idina Menzel, and Jacki Weaver, and a ton of other great actors.  Gentile speaks about how he was able to get an all-star cast for his first feature film, as well as how he went about getting the rights for a movie based on real people, events, and crimes.  We'll also...

In today's episode, host Steven Pierce sits with Aimee Long to discuss her personal journey of bringing A Shot Through The Wall to screen. From the 2015 concept through it's premiere at the Bentonville Film Festival and recent distribution with Vertical Entertainment, Steve and Aimee talk through the barriers faced early on, the shifting social climate, and leaning into an indie filmmaker's vulnerability in order to deliver something truly unique and personal. A Chinese-American police...

Casting talent may be one of the most visible parts of the pre-production process, but the actual workings and understanding of it can easily remain invisible and elusive for indie filmmakers. Today host Steven Pierce sits with casting director Rachel Reiss CSA to help shed much needed light on what the casting director does and why the CD-filmmaker relationship is so crucial. “Rachel Reiss CSA is a senior casting director at Liz Lewis Casting Partners where she casts Film, TV, Commercials,...

You know the slogans, get it done, just do it, shoot what you have… Emly Bennett and Justin Brooks put it all to the test when they decided to shoot their feature on their own during the pandemic. Today hosts Steven Pierce and James Allerdyce discuss with these resourceful artist about how they stopped wanting to make a film and actually made it happen. From concept, to execution, to a recent distribution deal…this episode is a great up-close guide for any filmmaker. Alone With You As a...

We’ve heard news bytes about the horrors and tragedies in Venezuela, but most of us don’t have a clear idea of what has and continues to transpire. Today hosts Steven Pierce and James Allerdyce sit down with the daring filmmakers, directors  Maxx Caicedo and Nelson G. Navarrete and producer Shawna L. Brakefield as they layout their 5+ year journey, giving both us in the film community and the world at-large a close and very real picture of what is happening not only in Venezuela, but what...

Being resilient, able to bounce back from failures. Seeing possibility in unexpected places. This may be a main thread in the storyline in the film Lorelei, but it also applies to every indie film and filmmaker. Today, hosts Steven Pierce & James Allerdyce sit down with the writer-director of Lorelei, Sabrina Doyle. While breaking down the entire process and experience of making this beautiful drama, we cover topics ranging from philosophical to practical - working with children,...

With the rise of high-quality documentary filmmaking in recent years, the importance of the documentary colorist has come to the forefront. In this episode, Steve sits down with filmmaker and colorist, Robert Arnold. Robert is the founder of Lateral Films where he works extensively on documentary features, including 2020’s Stray “following the world of Zeytin, a stray dog living life on the streets of Istanbul” (- IMBDb.com). Be sure to check it out on Hulu. Today’s discussion runs deep, from...