The Honest Filmmaker

REAL TALK FOR ASPIRING FILMMAKERS Are you wrapping up your film degree or contemplating a career shift into the creative industry? The Honest Filmmaker is your go-to resource for navigating the real-world challenges of micro-budget and indie filmmaking. Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Jim Eaves, the podcast delves into the nitty-gritty of independent film production. From securing funding and managing tight budgets to distribution strategies and building a sustainable career, this is unfiltered advice and practical tips from professionals who have been in your shoes. Whether you're a recent graduate, a career changer, or an indie filmmaker determined to make your mark, The Honest Filmmaker equips you with the tools, insights, and honest guidance to thrive in the world of independent cinema. http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk

The Honest Filmmaker is a tv podcast hosted by Jim Eaves, with 152 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Jim Eaves hosts The Honest Filmmaker, a tv show with 152 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #152

  How to Make, Distribute & Release a £33K Feature Film with Kevin Walls

  Sep 29, 202627 min

  Send us Fan Mail How do you make a feature film for around £33,000 and get it into cinemas without a traditional distributor? In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker, Jim talks to filmmaker Kevin Walls about his feature film Premature , from writing the first draft in just two weeks and bootstrapping the production, through to crowdfunding, a 23-day shoot and the challenge of distributing the finished film. Kevin explains why the film cost around £16,000 to produce, how crowdfunding helped take the overall budget to around £33,000 and how his freelance work helped him finance the project. But the conversation really gets interesting when they get onto distribution. After taking Premature to the European Film Market in Berlin, Kevin received distribution offers but decided to take a different route when the deals didn't include the theatrical release he wanted. Instead, he set up his own company and started approaching cinemas himself. Kevin talks about getting the film into cinemas, using YouTube and TikTok audience data to help sell the film to cinema bookers, negotiating ticket splits, getting PR and reviews and what he's learned from taking control of the release himself. They also discuss shooting on a tiny budget, getting filming permissions, working with a small crew, crowdfunding and what Kevin would do differently on his next feature. A practical conversation about making an independent film and what happens when you've finished it. Watch Premature / find out more: https://www.prematurethemovie.com #IndieFilmmaking #FilmDistribution #MicroBudgetFilmmaking Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0F235F4T8/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r Support the show For regular updates and exclusive content - sign up for The Honest Filmmaker newsletter https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/e-newsletter/ Join The Honest Filmmaker community on our Facebook Group or Discord https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/join-the-community/ HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business. We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career. Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #151

  How Ole Hartmann Made a $25K Feature Film After Writing It in 8 Days

  Sep 22, 202630 min

  Send us Fan Mail What happens when you decide you're going to make a feature film, despite having almost no connections in the film industry? For Ole Hartmann, it started while watching Desperado . Inspired by Robert Rodriguez's story of making El Mariachi , Ole realised that perhaps he didn't need to wait for someone else to give him permission to make a movie. He could finance one himself. Six days later, he started writing. Eight days after that, he had a feature script. The result was a $25,000 horror film , made with a team he largely assembled after moving to Texas without knowing anyone in the local film industry. In this episode, Ole talks about his unconventional route into filmmaking, writing a feature in eight days, finding cast and crew online, making a movie around the resources he actually had, the compromises that come with a tiny budget and why he decided to self-distribute the finished film. We also get into the realities of making low-budget horror; including fake dogs, fake blood, unexpected scenes, creative problem solving and the moments on set when collaboration produced something better than what was originally written. And Ole explains what he wishes he'd known before making the film; including why he believes filmmakers can never study enough movies. If you're trying to make your first feature, working with a tiny budget or wondering whether you really have everything you need to get started, there's plenty here to take away. Listen to the episode and find out how Ole went from watching Robert Rodriguez's Desperado to making his own $25,000 feature film. Watch the Trailer for CHAT: https://youtu.be/Et9EzdxGB5Y?si=W0S7Cmt026W-UwBn #TheHonestFilmmaker #IndieFilmmaking #MicroBudgetFilmmaking #IndependentFilm #Filmmaking #Screenwriting #FilmDistribution #HorrorFilmmaking Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0F235F4T8/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r Support the show For regular updates and exclusive content - sign up for The Honest Filmmaker newsletter https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/e-newsletter/ Join The Honest Filmmaker community on our Facebook Group or Discord https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/join-the-community/ HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business. We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career. Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #150

  We Thought Making Our First Feature Would Be Easier… with Devin Smock and Sam David

  Sep 15, 202630 min

  Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to make your first feature film? This week on The Honest Filmmaker Podcast, I'm joined by Devin Smock and Sam David , who are currently making Hollar , their debut feature. They're about 60% through the film, having already completed a 16-day shooting block and spent around $15,000. Now they're working towards the next stage and figuring out how to get the remaining footage in the can. Along the way, they've learned some valuable lessons about writing for a micro-budget, scheduling, casting, locations, working with a small crew and adapting when things don't go according to plan. We talk about why they chose Hollar as their first film, the challenges of making a post-apocalyptic story on a limited budget, how they attracted talented cast and crew with their script, and the things they wish they'd understood before starting production. It's an honest conversation about the realities of making a first feature, what works, what doesn't and how you adapt when the film you're making starts to evolve from the one you imagined. If you're thinking about making your first feature, there's plenty here to take away. Listen, subscribe and follow The Honest Filmmaker Podcast for more practical conversations about independent and micro-budget filmmaking. Watch Hollar's trailer / follow the film: https://youtu.be/fd25jum_VOQ?si=JANsqhKuyrYZHi2E Support the film on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hollerfilm/holler-the-final-push Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0F235F4T8/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r Support the show For regular updates and exclusive content - sign up for The Honest Filmmaker newsletter https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/e-newsletter/ Join The Honest Filmmaker community on our Facebook Group or Discord https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/join-the-community/ HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business. We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career. Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #149

  From $100 to HELLMARE: Victor Gabriel on Making Micro-Budget Feature Films

  Sep 8, 202633 min

  Send us Fan Mail What happens when you want to make a feature film but don't have much money? Filmmaker Victor Gabriel joins The Honest Filmmaker to talk about the making of HELLMARE , his horror feature that cost roughly $10,000 and was shot in just 13 days . Victor started out by making a tiny $100 found-footage film , using friends' houses, borrowed locations and the equipment he already owned. That first experiment wasn't something he was particularly proud of, but it got distributed, made its money back and, most importantly, taught him to actually make films. For HELLMARE, Victor took things considerably further. He talks about raising money through Indiegogo, putting his own money into the production, spending six months in pre-production, finding locations for free, building a crew around friends and family, renting professional camera and sound equipment and creating practical effects on a micro-budget. We also get into the complicated world of film distribution , after HELLMARE found a home with Troma . Victor explains what it meant to sign the film away in perpetuity, why he was comfortable with that decision, how the deal helped him break even and why sometimes getting your film into the world can be more important than holding onto every single right. It's a brutally honest conversation about making feature films without much money , learning by doing, building a filmmaking team and figuring things out as you go. If you're a filmmaker trying to get your first feature made, there's plenty here to steal. Watch the trailer for HELLMARE: https://youtu.be/cjlTDfbA_kI?si=jq9vWl1kOaY4JCC0 Check out Victor on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15973777/ #MicroBudgetFilmmaking #IndieFilmmaking #IndependentFilm #LowBudgetFilm #FeatureFilm #Filmmaking #FilmFunding #HorrorFilm #FilmDistribution #Troma #Hellmare #VictorGabriel Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0F235F4T8/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r Support the show For regular updates and exclusive content - sign up for The Honest Filmmaker newsletter https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/e-newsletter/ Join The Honest Filmmaker community on our Facebook Group or Discord https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/join-the-community/ HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business. We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career. Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #148

  From a £6K Feature to an £80K Film with Peter Stylianou

  Sep 1, 202626 min

  Send us Fan Mail How do you finance an independent feature film when you don't have a studio behind you? Filmmaker Peter Stylianou joins Jim to talk about his journey from making his first feature, Who Needs Enemies , for around £6,000 to his latest film, The Nice Ones , made with a budget of around £80,000. Peter explains how he self-financed his first feature with help from his family, what he learned from getting the film into distribution and why it took seven years before he made his next feature. We talk about the realities of micro-budget filmmaking, the importance of having a body of work, finding private investors, approaching production companies, building a finance plan and understanding UK film tax incentives. Peter also shares the lessons he learned from shooting The Lost in just nine days, including why time may be the most important thing you can spend money on when making a film. And we get personal about filmmaking too, including the hardest day Peter has ever experienced on set, the moment he thought about walking away and the rare moments when everything comes together and you realise this is why we make films. A candid conversation about making films, finding the money, learning from mistakes and gradually building a career as an independent filmmaker. Check out the trailer for DRAINED https://youtu.be/pMzA6y1mCfE?si=UciPXgOIGxsHCdlF Have a look at Peters IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4726444/ #IndependentFilmmaking #IndieFilm #Filmmaking #FilmFunding #FilmInvestors #MicroBudgetFilmmaking #FeatureFilm #Filmmaker #FilmProduction #FilmIndustry #FilmFinance #HorrorFilm #TheHonestFilmmaker Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0F235F4T8/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r Support the show For regular updates and exclusive content - sign up for The Honest Filmmaker newsletter https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/e-newsletter/ Join The Honest Filmmaker community on our Facebook Group or Discord https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/join-the-community/ HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business. We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career. Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk

  ListenShow Notes

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