Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

In this episode I'm joined by filmmaker Nick Toti - one half of the DIY filmmaking duo behind the viral 80-second short Dead Grandma, the TIFF Midnight Madness sensation It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, and the upcoming feature Homebody.

Throughout the episode Nick breaks down the decade-long origin story of Dead Grandma, from an improvised game he invented while working as a nursery school teacher in Austin to a 35mm short film that blew up in Variety and landed him on this podcast.

We also discuss how his $5,000 found footage feature It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This unexpectedly landed in TIFF's Midnight Madness, the unconventional theatrical-only release strategy he's used to screen it across multiple continents without a distributor, and why Nick is now trying to convince A24 or Blumhouse to fund a studio remake of Homebody.

Topics covered include:
The real-life origin of Dead Grandma and how it developed over a deade
Co-directing with his wife and creative partner Rachel Kempf
Shooting on 35mm film - and everything that went wrong before they even rolled
How It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This got into TIFF Midnight Madness
The aesthetic of Homebody: making a movie that feels like a lo-fi demo tape
Actively pursuing failure as a creative strategy - and why it eventually worked
Nick's 25-hour real-time experimental documentary project
Die Die Books - the horror film criticism press Nick and Rachel run
Much more!
Links from the show:

Dead Grandma Short Film

Homebody Trailer

Die Die Books

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In this episode, I'm joined by actor, filmmaker, and musician Nathan Xia to talk about his unconventional path into the industry - from making YouTube sketches with a flip camera to acting in studio projects, getting repped as both an actor and writer-director, and developing his deeply personal feature Adam's Song.

Throughout the conversation Nathan shares how he fell into acting out of necessity while co-directing a scrappy COVID road trip feature with his roommates, and how that unexpected pivot eventually led to representation, festival success, and a role in Danny Madden's Downbeat.

He also breaks down the relentless hustle behind landing his producer at Vanishing Angle, getting into the Blacklist Project Lab after 14 rejections, and signing with management company M88 - all before turning 26.

Topics covered include:
How Nathan discovered filmmaking through a flip camera and YouTube sketches
Making a $2,000 road trip feature across six states during COVID
Falling into acting out of necessity - and finding it on the festival circuit
Cold-emailing his way to representation at Momentum Talent Agency
How attending festivals (not just submitting) changed his career
Landing veteran indie producer Benjamin Wiesner through responsiveness and rewrites
Going 0-for-14 on labs and fellowships before getting into the Blacklist Project Lab
Developing the feature version of Adam's Song and scouting in West Texas
Why being a writer-director-actor gives him a unique advantage in attaching talent
Much more!
Follow Nathan on Instagram

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In this episode, I’m joined by filmmaker and YouTuber Blake Calhoun to talk about his new feature film Casey Makes A Mixtape, his long-running channel iPhoneographers, and his highly entrepreneurial approach to building a sustainable filmmaking career.

Throughout the interview Blake shares how he got his start selling work to Warner Bros. after finding an audience on YouTube, and why he believes every filmmaker should consider having a YouTube channel - even if they don’t want to become a “YouTuber.”We also dig into the making of Casey Makes A Mixtape, a 1981-set coming-of-age feature that Blake made on a micro-budget.

He breaks down how he wrote the script around resources he already had access to, directed and DP’d the film himself, used a small crew, incorporated iPhone footage alongside RED Komodo, and even licensed well-known songs on a tight indie budget.

Topics covered include:
Why indie filmmakers are inherently entrepreneurs
Blake’s early success in web series and selling a show to Warner Bros.
How YouTube has changed since the early days of online video
How Casey Makes A Mixtape evolved from an iPhone-shot short film
Making a period piece on a low budget
Directing and DP’ing your own feature
Working with a small crew of roughly 10 people
Licensing famous songs for an indie film
Much More!
Links from the show:

Casey Makes A Mixtape - Film

Casey Makes A Mixtape - Trailer

iPhoneographers - YouTube

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In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker Wade Patterson to discuss his micro-budget feature Death Cipher - a contained thriller shot in just 12 days for only $4,000.

Throughout the interview, Wade shares how multiple failed feature attempts led him to radically simplify his process, why he embraced a single-location concept shot in his own apartment, and how limitations ultimately became the film’s greatest creative advantage.

We also dive into the realities of making a feature with almost no money, wearing multiple hats as writer/director/cinematographer/editor, navigating festival rejection, finding distribution through Filmhub and Tubi, and much more:Why several failed feature attempts led to Death Cipher 
The mindset shift that led Wade to design a film around his resources
Shooting the film over weekends and treating each room like a company move
Creating props, puzzle elements, websites, and pre-shot video material
How prioritizing actor comfort and a relaxed set environment improved the work
What changed in post, including reshoots after early test screenings
How Death Cipher landed on Tubi through Filmhub
Links from the show:

Death Cipher - Tubi

Death Cipher - Instagram

Wade Patterson - Instagram 

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In this episode I'm joined by filmmaker and entrepreneur Stefan van de Graaff, whose $75,000 micro-budget feature Simmer landed on HBO after going viral on Facebook. Stefan also co-founded a video agency that grew from a two-person team into a 100-employee business before selling for $17 million, which we discuss at length.

Throughout the episode we talk about Stefan’s unconventional path - from Midwest filmmaker to running a digial advertising business. We also cover how his commercial production work became the foundation for financing and producing indie features, and what it took to scale from a scrappy first feature to a $1M international production.

Topics covered include:
How uploading Simmer to Facebook led to 1M views and sales agent interest
How indie films without stars can land on major platforms like HBO
Financing a micro-budget feature with personal funds, partners, and partial fundraising
The jump from a $75K film to a $1M feature using tax incentives, grants, and talent deals
Why having the right producer dramatically increases credibility with agents and financiers
Lessons from building and selling an ad agency - and why strategy beats fulfillment
How reducing friction (locations, permits, crew, logistics) makes indie filmmaking possible
Why building an audience can be a more reliable path than the traditional Hollywood ladder
Links from the show:

Stefan - Instagram

One of Us - Instagram

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