Sorry for the radio silence last week, but maybe it’s for the best. Toni and I had shot most of the film by last Friday, but we saved some special effects shots for a third night of shooting, which we knocked out Monday.
So now I can give you the full breakdown of this no-budget short film shot entirely on my iPhone, entirely in our living room, with just the two of us.
I learned a lot on this one.
Just got back from NAB with Toni last night, and we had a blast. It’s probably the biggest trade show in the world for companies in the film/video/audio space, but that’s not what makes me excited to attend. Don’t get me wrong – it’s fun walking the floor, picking things up, talking to the companies etc. I was particularly interested in some upgraded Hollyland Pyro monitors, a compact cinema camera body from a smaller brand called Kinefinity, a camera slider from…
Short issue this week so I can focus on making my post-production breakdown video for The Lost Fortune of Oliver Brody. Hopefully that video will drop Monday – the same day Toni and I will be heading to Las Vegas for the NAB conference! NAB was so much fun last year – I can’t wait to reunite with creator friends from around the globe, nerding out on the latest audio & video gear, collecting unnecessary swag, and hopefully ending the trip in much better condition than I…
Sorry it’s been a minute since the last normal issue. A lot has happened! Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new in life & work.
This is a short one. Tonight my most challenging short film yet releases online as a YouTube premiere. Click here and check the “Notify me” button to tune in live with me and watch it together live at 5:30PM PDT tonight. It’s been a very long journey, but I’m so excited (& relieved) to check off this last milestone. If you want to support me and the film, help spread the word & share it with friends. 1-on-1 Feedback Discount Ending! ⏰ I’ve had a blast giving feedback…
Over the past few years, I’ve discreetly offered 1-on-1 consultations to filmmakers seeking help or advice on their projects – at first it was by request only, and then eventually I made a page for it. Here are a few things I’ve learned from 50+ individual consultations over the years. Most People Do It Too Late Many filmmakers book a consultation after finishing a full draft they are already mentally committed to. They are not really looking for direction… They are…
After a long road, we finally hit a long awaited milestone: Wednesday night, we premiered our short film in a crowded movie theater in Los Angeles. I’m too wiped out to type a full report of the night, but expect a YouTube video covering it soon. For now I’ll just say it went off without a hitch and was an absolute blast. I’m so grateful to the 111 people who came out to the screening – from in the neighborhood, to hours away, to all the way from Texas! I wish I had more time…
As you know I’ve been prepping for a premiere screening of my new film this Wednesday at a theater I rented out in Los Angeles. (Tickets here if you haven’t gotten them!) It’s been an interesting experiment: Finding the right venue, finding other films to screen with us, promoting it… It’s taught me a lot about what it’s like to be a film festival. The financial side is still a big question mark too. I set the tickets at $10 to keep it affordable, while still allowing…
Happy new year! I hope 2026 brings you new projects and growth as a filmmaker. And hopefully even money from your skills too. As they say in China on new years: “I hope you get rich.” This time last year, I wrote an issue about a different approach I was going to try for setting goals in 2025…
Happy holidays, I’m finishing up this last newsletter of 2025 from my parent’s house in Virginia, trying to work as little as possible, but I wanted to finish up what I talked about in last week’s issue… It was about the snowball effect and how valuable generating momentum is when making a film. However, my upcoming short film, The Lost Fortune of Oliver Brody, has been… does the math …20-months in the making. 💀 For the longest time, our biggest struggle was a serious LACK of momentum. But…