HELP SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE FILMMAKING – 3 DVD Set of DIY DAYS LA & SF available NOW
We’re happy to announce that we now have a 3 DVD set, over 10 hours of keynotes, panels and case studies that were shot this summer in LA and SF. Since DIY DAYS is part of a larger open source project focused on creating quality resources for the filmmaking community, the DVDs are available …

This edition of TCIBR is brought to you by IndieFlix – Hunter Weeks left a cubical job to embark on a filmmaking career and within a three years has completed two documentaries and is in post on a third. One of the core elements of his strategy is to mix a DIY production and distribution approach with a variety of promotional partners. Hunter and Josh Caldwell his producing partner, have …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Over the next few days we’ll be posting various videos from the DIY DAYS LA event. The day consisted of a number of keynotes (Robert Greenwald, Marshall Herskovitz), panels (Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting, Alex Johnson, Micki Krimmel, Mark Stolaroff, Ondi Timoner, Hunter Weeks, Saskia Wilson-Brown), case studies (M dot Strange, Arin Crumley, Lance Weiler), a series of special video presentations (Matt Hanson, Brett Gaylor, Brian Chirls, Christy Dena, Timo Vuorensola) …

This edition of TCIBR is brought to you by IndieFlix and Breakthrough Distribution – Our guest today is Ondi Timoner writer / director of the critically acclaimed doc DiG. Ondi’s most recent film, Join US is an intimate look at cults and mind control. Over the course of the discussion Ondi was very candid about the distribution of both her films and how the landscape for Docs has changed in …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This edition of TCIBR is brought to you by IndieFlix and Breakthrough Distribution – Karin Chien is an independent film producer based in New York City. She’s produced a number of independent films such as Robot Stories, The Motel, and Undoing. For films such as Robot Stories and Undoing, Karin and her team applied a hybrid DIY approach to the theatrical release of each that created additional value in other …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The following was originally published in Filmmaker Magazine. I thought it was appropriate to re-post since the FHTA submission period is coming to a close not to mention numerous filmmakers have been asking for info on ways to spread the word about their work. This article was one of a four part series entitled “Lessons in DIY.” Make sure to read the article it covers three other interesting projects that …

For anyone who isn’t reading Brian Chirls’ blog you are missing out on a valuable resource. He’s a self professed Indie Nerd Filmmaker (Director, Distributor, Technologist) with a unique perspective on the emerging digital DIY movement. In addition to contributing to the Workbook Project he is also the Head of Theatrical for From Here to Awesome.
by Brian Chirls – Here at SXSW, I’ve met a number of cool, smart, ambitious …

Power to the Pixel is a conference that focuses on funding, producing and distributing films in the digital age. The next edition of PTTP will be held in Paris this coming June. Liz Rosenthal the founder of PTTP was kind of enough to share the following video. Please feel free to embed and spread.

The final Power to the Pixel session brings together five pioneering filmmakers who are reinventing the …

We’re happy to introduce another contributor to the Workbook Project. Steve Balderson is a DIY filmmaking machine. He self funds, produces, and releases his own films. Some of the films have been shot on 35mm and others on miniDV. He’s taken his work on tour and staged his own “freakshows” in cities across the country. We’re excited to have him join the project and if you happen to live in …

by Alex Afterman – Since 2003 I have run a video label called Heretic Films. I used to refer to our company as a DVD label, and sure enough DVD is what we specialized in (with occasional forays in to theatrical and television, but I always was clear with potential acquisitions that first and foremost we were a DVD company).
Back in the old days it was easy to see …

M dot Strange reports – This was part of a presentation called “Adventures in self distribution” I describe the journey I took with my animated feature film “We are the Strange” From my bedroom to Sundance and beyond and back to my little studio again after turning down Hollywood deals and deciding to self distribute and make my films my way.
M dot Strange: Berlin Talent Campus 08 from M dot …

For those of you who don’t know FROM HERE TO AWESOME is an extension of the workbook project. In the spirit of bringing an open source philosophy to various parts of the filmmaking process, FHTA is focused on education, discovery and distribution. Over the next few months leading up to the festival’s kick off in Paris on June 3rd, FHTA is constructing a series of vids that detail the current …

Scott Kirsner of CinemaTech talks with Brian Chirls (filmmaker, technologist, self-distribution pioneer and workbook project contributor) about building audiences and harnessing the power of the internet.
Scott writes “Last Wednesday, I had a chance to sit down for a few minutes with Brian Chirls, the tech guru who helped Arin Crumley and Susan Buice build an audience for ‘Four Eyed Monsters.’ More recently, he has been working with John Sayles on …

The news of deals being struck is beginning to filter out of Park City. But behind the deal making that has become legendary is the reality of having to deliver the film. Long after the buzz has dwindled producers will start the long haul of delivery. For some outlets it can be minor but for others it can be a labyrinth that will take money from you at every turn.
It …

At the beginning of 10 MPH you’ll see Josh and I trying to get sponsors to help out with the whole Segway thing. It was really tough as many of the companies we talked to felt there was no opportunity for ROI. Independent art was not worth their investment. But over time with some work on our strategies, we’ve learned how to intrigue sponsors more and were actually able to …

M dot Strange reports – So I was lucky enough to be summoned to make an animated music video for one of my favorite bands “Mindless Self Indulgence” I used Cinema 4d 9.1 w/Cactus Dans tools, and After Effects 6.5.
I thought I would out together a little thang documenting my work on the Mindless Self Indulgence music video “Animal” There’s a ton of music video making-of’s out there but since …

This edition of TCIBR is brought to you by IndieFlix and Breakthrough Distribution – Our guest today is Aaron Lubin, an accomplished producer and partner in Wild Ocean Films. Lubin works closely with Edward Burns having produced 5 films with Burns since 2001’s “Sidewalks of New York.” In our conversation Lubin shares the results of their recent exclusive rollout via iTunes and why they decided to bypass a theatrical …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This edition of TCIBR is brought to you by IndieFlix – Our guest this week is producer and co-founder of Ghost Robot, Zachary Mortensen. Ghost Robot has been producing independent features, shorts, and music videos for the last five years. In our discussion Zach shares his experience with producing, getting the most out of test screenings and the importance of building a solid web presence for your work.

Special Note: Today …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This edition of “TCIBR” is brought to you by IndieFlix – Tiffany Shlain is a writer, director, and producer of innovative short form work. Her most recent project THE TRIBE, is an unorthodox, unauthorized short film about Jewish people and the Barbie doll. Tiffany and her team have been able to reach their audience in an interesting and unique way that is returning a profit and engaging audiences around the …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

by Alex Afterman – Current conventional wisdom is that independent distribution is a broken system. Well guess what? Coming from someone inside the business that’s absolutely right.
There are so many more challenges and problems these days in indie distribution than when I started Heretic Films, my company, 4 years ago. First of all, the digital cinema revolution – which is, don’t get me wrong, a great thing, …

This edition of TCIBR is brought to you by IndieFlix. – Today our guest is documentary producer and director Hunter Weeks. His most recent film, 10MPH is a documentary about his and filmmaking partner Josh Cladwell’s cross country trip. Shot over the course of a 100 days, the filmmakers travel the country via a slow moving segway scooter in search of the American Dream. In our discussion …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

* PROJECT
We Are the Strange, M dot Strange’s 2006 soon to be cult classic is a stop motion odyssey. A collision of gaming, anime, and stop motion animation, WATS is a breath taking cinematic head trip. At times the film looks like it was made for 70 million dollars but in reality it was crafted by Mike Belmont over a 3 year period in his studio loft.
WHY: WATS is a …

We can’t get enough of Allpeers, a simple to use add-on to Firefox that allows for secure file sharing with individuals or a group. It enables the sharing of; web pages, audio, video, stills, documents and even whole folders. There is also a chat feature for real time communication. The installation is a breeze and works on mac, pc and linux systems – just requires the firefox browser. …

Scott Kirsner from CinemaTech was kind of enough to share the following interview. The interview is broken into 3 sections. Make sure to stop by Scott’s blog and to check out his newest book “The Future of Web Video.”

From Scott
“I sat down with

Today’s guest is filmmaker Joe Swanberg. Over the last three years Joe has made four features Kissing on the Mouth, LOL, Hannah takes the Stairs, Nights and Weekends and a web series for Nerve called Young American Bodies. He makes personal lo-fi films with a core of collaborators (Mark Duplass, Andrew Bujalski, Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, Ry Russo-Young, Kevin Bewersdorf and Todd Rohal) similar in approach to the way John …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Today I’m joined by Steve Balderson (Pep Squad, Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere, Firecracker, Phone Sex) and Christopher Garetano (Horror Business), two independent filmmakers who are creating their own work on their own terms. In our discussion we cover a variety of issues facing filmmakers today – funding, production, post and distribution.

To listen NOW click the play button below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Our guest today is Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix. In our conversation Ted discusses how filmmakers can build audiences for their work, Netflix’s new production / distribution arm Red Envelope Entertainment and offers a glimpse into the company’s future plans.

To listen NOW click the play button below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In the process of compiling info for the 1st edition of the Workbook, I’ve been conducting a series of interviews and DIY roundtables. I’ve recorded the sessions and will make them available as a podcast. They will also appear as interviews within the Workbook itself. Below is the first installment of our podcast “this conference is being recorded”.
Our guest today is Alex Afterman of Heretic Films. In our conversation Alex …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.