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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

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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

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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

Send us Fan Mail
Can you really make a feature film for £9,000?
Filmmaker Cathal Fitzpatrick joins Jim to talk about the extraordinary journey behind Hollow Trees.
The project began as a £500 proof-of-concept short film made while Cathal was at university. The short went on to attract around 4 million views online, giving Cathal the motivation to turn the idea into a feature.
But the millions of views didn't suddenly bring a huge production budget.
Instead, Cathal spent years saving, rewriting and developing the project before eventually making Hollow Trees for around £9,000, with a crew of just 11 people and a two-week shoot.
Cathal talks about the realities of making an ambitious feature on a micro-budget, finding locations that add production value, working with a tiny crew, the importance of lighting, film festival strategy, spending money on submissions, sales and distribution and the biggest things he'd do differently if he made the film again.
It's an honest look at what it actually takes to go from short film → proof of concept → feature film without waiting for someone else to give you permission.
The Honest Filmmaker Podcast explores the realities of independent filmmaking, from making your first short and feature to funding, festivals, distribution and building a sustainable filmmaking career.
Watch the Hollow Trees proof-of-concept and see where the journey started.
   • A Hollow Tree - Skinwalker movie (Proof-of... 

Watch the trailer for the feature Hollow Trees
   • Hollow Trees [Official Trailer] 2026  
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

Send us Fan Mail
What does it really take to move from making short films to making a feature?
This week, Jim talks to filmmaker Aaron Truss about his unconventional route into filmmaking, from being obsessed with films as a kid and discovering Batman '89, to making a £20 zombie short film at university and eventually turning that short into the feature film Employee of the Dead.
Aaron talks honestly about why filmmakers often struggle to make the jump from shorts to features, the huge commitment involved in making a feature and the reality of trying to raise £50,000 through crowdfunding.
We discuss the relentless work involved in promoting a crowdfunding campaign, why Aaron's team spent around £500 creating a proof-of-concept rather than simply asking people for money and how they've attracted actors including Dani Harmer, Nick Helm and Paul Casar to an independently produced project.
Paul joins the conversation to explain why an established working actor is choosing to be part of a micro-budget film, what attracted him to Employee of the Dead and why he believes independent filmmakers are creating a new kind of filmmaking rebellion.
We also get into casting, networking, building genuine relationships, supporting other filmmakers and why sometimes the best way to get people to help you is to help them first.
An honest conversation about ambition, crowdfunding, short films, feature films, independent filmmaking and actually getting the film made.
Check out the crowd funding for Employee of the Dead and be part of getting the film made: https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/q-cumber-films/employee-of-the-dead

Watch the original short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6I7PBDXPSc

#Filmmaking #IndependentFilm #IndieFilmmaking #FilmFunding #Crowdfunding #FeatureFilm #ShortFilms #Filmmaker #FilmIndustry #TheHonestFilmmaker #EmployeeOfTheDead #AaronTruss

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

Send us Fan Mail
What does it take to make 20 feature films and turn micro-budget filmmaking into a full-time career?
In this episode of The Honest Filmmaker Podcast, Jim talks to filmmaker Charlie Steeds about his extraordinary journey from making short films as a teenager to building a career making horror features.
Charlie shares how he financed his first film for around $2,000, how he moved from self-financing into working with sales companies and producers and how his budgets have evolved over the course of 20 feature films.
We also talk about the reality of making filmmaking your day job, including the pressure to keep producing, the compromises that come with lower budgets and how Charlie adapted when the film industry changed.
Charlie explains why he has learned to do almost every job on his productions, from writing, directing and editing to sound and cinematography and why he believes sound is one of the most important areas for independent filmmakers to get right.
We also get into one of the biggest problems he sees in indie filmmaking: rushing productions. Charlie argues that filmmakers often try to shoot too much, too quickly, rather than giving their films the care they need.
And after making three films in just 33 days, Charlie has plenty of experience of what happens when speed becomes part of the filmmaking process.
Finally, we discuss cinematography, inspiration and why filmmakers should go back to the movies that made them fall in love with filmmaking,  studying how they were shot, lit and constructed, then using those lessons in their own work.
A candid conversation about micro-budget filmmaking, making a living from movies, learning your craft and finding the balance between making films for the art and making films to pay the bills.
🎙️ The Honest Filmmaker Podcast — honest conversations about independent filmmaking, careers, budgets, distribution and the realities of making movies.
#TheHonestFilmmaker #CharlieSteeds #IndieFilmmaking #MicroBudgetFilmmaking #Filmmaking #IndependentFilm #Filmmaker #HorrorFilmmaking #FilmProduction #Directing #Cinematography #FilmCareer
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