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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

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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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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

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

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

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