All posts by hecklerkane

This week’s guest on the Imperfect Podcast is Jenny Frankfurt who is the founder of the Finish Line Script Competition currently in its third year. The Finish Line Script Competition is based on the premise that rewrites are essential to be a successful writer. The panel of judges provides development notes when requested in order for writers to rewrite and resubmit new drafts for free throughout the entire script competition.

Rather than submitting your script and hoping for the best, the Finish Line Script Competition acts as a partner to up and coming writers with feedback from their mentors that have worked in every aspect of the film and television industry. The competition essentially echoes the reality of the business. Writers that work for a studio or even sell a feature film based on their script will go through a number of rewrites based on criticism and feedback.

The Finish Line Script Competition is essential for any writer that wants honest feedback and takes their craft seriously enough to bring it to the next level.

Follow Finish Line Script Competition

• Website: http://finishlinescriptcomp.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinishLineScriptCompetition/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FinishLineScrip

Who is Jenny Frankfurt

• A literary agent and manager with her own company, Highstreet Management based in Los Angeles for many years
• Jenny went to NYU Film School but mainly about writing on the job
• Reading countless scripts and books she would break down scripts for talent agents
• All that experience led her to know what worked and what didn’t work

The Finish Line Script Competition Is Born

• After burning out on management Jenny wanted to continue working with writers
• There are many script competitions out there but they don’t provide notes until the very end
• Jenny wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before which included the rewrites and feedback from mentors
• Through her contacts she knew she access to a lot of talent to create the panel of mentors which proved to be valuable
• As a reader for other competitions she would often say “If only this person had gotten really good notes before entering the competition.”
• As writers submit new drafts they continue to work with the same script consultant on their rewrites

How Did You Get The Word Out About The Finish Line Script Competition

• Budgets were small and they used Twitter and Facebook to start spreading the word its first year
• Because of its unique twist and 25 mentors on board they received 300 submissions in year one
• In its second year the competition grew by 500%

What Type Of Scripts Are Accepted

• TV Pilots and Screenplays are both accepted
• Writers can submit and not ask for notes for a smaller fee
• Scripts that are over 135 pages there is an additional fee for notes
• Each script is read by 3 people so there’s a balance of taste

Have You Had Any Success Stories From Past Winners

• Last years winner was a TV Pilot called Sugarland by R.B. Ripley
• He’s taken over 30 meetings and now has a producer attached to the script

Who Are The Mentors?

• There are over 30 mentors this year from all over the world that mentor and take meetings with the winning writers.
• Steven Rogers – Writer/Producer of the award-winning film “I, Tonya” starring Margot Robbie and Allison Janney.
• Colin Vaines – Co-producer of “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool” starring Annette Bening. Previously produced “The Gangs of New York” directed by Martin Scorsese.
• Michael Andreen – Producer, “Master & Commander“, “The Day After Tomorrow“.
• Karen Lunder – Senior Film Exec at Imagine Entertainment, Lunder recently oversaw production on the upcoming “The Spy Who Dumped Me” starring Kate McKinnon.
• Joey Chavez – Sr. VP, Original Programming at TNT (“Animal Kingdom”, “The Alienist”, “Claws”).
• Christine Conley – Director of Development, Working Title Television. Produced “Gypsy”at Netflix & “About a Boy”at NBC.
• Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas – President, Nuyorican Productions & Goldsmith-Thomas Productions who used to be Julia Roberts agent and now producers for Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry.

Advice to Screenwriters

• This is your calling card and a way for people to know you
• Do you research and put the time in
• Your effort matters including the formatting on the page
• It lets people know you’re taking it seriously and that you put the work in

This week’s guest on the Imperfect Podcast is Kevin Gootee, creator and producer of the streaming series Comics Watching Comics available on Amazon Video. We talk to Kevin about everything from how he came up with the idea for Comics Watching Comics to what it takes to make the show available on Amazon Video. You may be familiar with shows such as Last Comic Standing but Comics Watching Comics takes things in a different direction featuring amateur comedians that Kevin and his panel critique and decide whether or not they have what it takes to make a living as a stand-up comedian.

We dive into what it takes to produce a streaming series for 5 seasons and the process of making it available on Amazon.  Kevin Gootee also has a number of ideas for more series based content that he’ll be unleashing in the near future.

Keep up with Comics Watching Comics

• Website: https://comicswatchingcomics.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comicswatchingcomics/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/comicswatching
• Follow Kevin Gootee: https://twitter.com/KevinGootee

Watch Season 5 of Comics Watching Comics on Amazon Video

What Is Comics Watching Comics

• Kevin Gootee started out as a stand-up comedian himself
• At an open mic, Kevin couldn’t believe how horrible it was and started texting a buddy about the performance
• In those texts of busting chops the idea for the show was born
• Kevin thinks Last Comic Standing is too nice to the performers and many aren’t newbies as the show might suggest
• Aside from being critical of the comedians, it’s really a show meant to promote comedy

Why Distribute Comics Watching Comics on Amazon?

• It was on YouTube first and then went to Amazon
• The numbers on YouTube were awful and the show has been on multiple streaming platforms
• Once in discussions with Amazon it was a no-brainer to move the show
• His goal is to bring the show to a wider audience
• Production requirements are insane but the most intensive process is close captioning that has to be 100% on point

What Does it Take to Produce Comics Watching Comics

• Kevin maximizes time by shooting 2 seasons in one taping of just the comedians for up to 5 hours
• The panelists shoot on two different days
• The first two seasons were comedians he knew well
• Seasons 2 and 3 he placed ads on Facebook
• For Seasons 5 the show was picking up steam, people were emailing him from across the country to be on the show
• Kevin watches submissions videos and chooses 25 comedians for each season of the show

Who are the Panelists

• The panelists are veteran comedians Kevin chooses each season
• Each new season the fans can choose which panelist they would like to see return
• Panelist Sean Lynch, creator of Celebrity Death Match on MTV, shares his story about Jay Mohr stealing his Super Friends joke in Season 4

The Future of Comics Watching Comics

• The move to Amazon added legitimacy to for the series
• Kevin would love to bring the show to cable or network telivision
• Kevin also has 3 other shows lined up for the future including Comics Watching Football, Licensed to Kill No Odd Job featuring comedians talking about different topics while playing Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64

Have more questions for Kevin Gootee and Comics Watching Comics? Leave them in the comments and we’ll get back to you!

Today’s guest is Robert Sciglimpaglia, an actor and accomplished voice over artist who is also a practicing attorney has been producing his own feature films as an Executive Producer. the past few years. We had the pleasure of meeting Robert at the American Film Market in 2017 where we spoke about film funding and film distribution. What we learn in today’s interview is that there is a delicate balance between financing, casting and distribution that may lead to the success of your next independent film.

In the early days, Robert hosted a local radio program back in the mid 1990’s called “The Law Show”, and more recently, hosted a radio show called “Ask the Lawyer.” Robert’s first venture into the acting field was a show called “American Experience: Hijacked!” which aired nationally on PBS-TV and was narrated by Campbell Scott. Since that time, he has appeared in numerous national projects with many big name stars, both in acting and voice overs. His latest project in post-production is an independent feature film, called One, featuring Lance Henriksen.

Follow Robert Sciglimpaglia’s Independent Film Projects

• IMDB – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2215197/
• Website – http://www.robpaglia.com
• Twitter – https://twitter.com/robscig
• YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/robscig

Breaking into The Film Industry

• After working hard as a lawyer Robert, started doing voice over work about 12 years ago
• He took an adult education class for voice over acting to see if he even liked it
• From commercial work to animation, Robert has tons of street cred as a voice over actor
• Within 6 months of doing voice over work, he was doing on camera work as an actor
• Robert started taking acting classes and still takes classes to this day to perfect his craft
• From there Robert started producing his own films

Landing a Super Bowl Commercial

• Getting a phone call on the golf course led to his role in the Chevy Superbowl ad
• It was originally meant to be a spec ad for the London Film Festival but Chevy liked the ad so much they pulled it for the superbowl
• The commercial was voted as the #21 Superbowl ad in history!
• Robert’s big takeaway from the ad was “Whenever I do a job, I do it 100%. It doesn’t matter what kind of job it is…I want to work those people again.”
• Robert’s 2nd takeaway was “You never know where your project is going to go.”

Selling a Film at AFM (The American Film Market)

• One, a film recently produced by Robert for $50k was brought to AFM to find distribution and he succeeded
• The film features actor Lance Henriksen (Alien, The Terminator)
• Evan Evans also agreed to do compose the film score
• As an attorney, Robert advises filmmakers regularly
• “Figure out where you want the film to go and work backwards”
• Whether its to get financing, distribution or even go to festival know what your goals for the film are
• Anything you can do to generate buzz from getting a named actor for cameos or a composer to score the film
• Genre is something you should research to see what types of films are selling

Getting Film Distribution Contacts

• The most important thing a filmmaker can do is put their project up on IMDB even before you make
• Adler and Associates Entertainment, distributors for Robert’s movie One, found his project because actor Lance Henriksen was attached
• Lance is popular in foreign sales and sci-fi and Robert had worked with Lance before
• Making contacts is more about what you can do for them
• While at AFM Robert also found funding for a second film through Bitcoin Film Funding

Have more questions for Robert Sciglimpaglia? Leave em in the comments and we’ll make sure he gets back to you!

This week’s guest on the Imperfect Podcast is Director, Fran Strine who created the music documentary Hired Gun now available on Netflix. Fran captures the stories of the music industries elite musicians who are only “20 feet from stardom” yet rarely receive credit for their work. Featured in the documentary are Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel), Ray Parker Jr. (Ghostbusters), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Jason Newsted (Metallica) and dozens more.

Fran Strine talks with us about his passion for music and why telling this story was important. As a touring music photographer for bands like Staind, Nickelback, Shinedown & Seether he lived alongside some of the greatest musicians in the world. From finding investors to shooting 2 years of footage to having the music produced at Skywalker Ranch this interview is both inspiring and educational for filmmakers looking to break into the documentary world.

Hired Gun worked so well as a documentary because someone like Fran was so passionate and dedicated to the story and seeing the vision through to completion. There is no substitute for hard work when it comes to making a documentary of this magnitude and with the caliber of talent that was involved on and off screen.

Watch Hired Gun

Fran Strine Interview Highlights

The Motivation for Filming Hired Gun

• Fran Strine was a touring music photographer for years
• After being on the road for 20 years and ready to take a break, Five Finger Death Punch made him an offer he couldn’t refuse
• When the tour wrapped, Fran was about to turn 50 years old and he decided to take his chances and make a film
• He had no formal training as a photographer or videographer, just a lot of hard work and dedication

Getting started in Film

• Fran was the photographer for the Tattoo the Earth tour in 2000 with a bunch of metal bands
• He happened to bring a video camera with him and started shooting the bands live
• While in Atlanta with Sevendust the head of A&R approached him about doing a Bonus DVD for the making of the album
• Fran took the upfront money they gave him, bought a camera, a Mac and Final Cut for Dummies which is how he launched his film career
• That led to more music videos

Battlefield of the Mind

• In 2012 Fran filmed Battlefield of the Mind
• A documentary focusing on homeless Veterans that suffer from PTSD.
• How can this happen in the wealthiest country in the world?
• What can we do as citizens?
• That’s what this film explores.

Hired Gun: Concept to Production

• Fran had seen 20 feet from stardom and it really touched him
• He knew there was another story there and was aware of the “hired gun” from touring with musicians for 2 decades
• After making a sizzle reel, he found an investor who was a good friend he met through Battlefield of the Mind
• The budget was less than $1 Million
• Production on Hired Gun lasted 2 years while waiting for musicians to come off the road

How Do You Tell A Cohesive Story With So Much Footage

• Fran’s goal was to get the best stories from everyone involved
• The first musician he reached out to was Liberty Devitto because he couldn’t believe his story as Billy Joel’s drummer was real
• After interviewing Rudy Sarzo Fran knew he’d be a big part of the documentary
• In total, 65 musicians were interviewed to make Hired Gun
• Gavin Fisher was the editor on almost 90% of the film

Music Licensing for Hired Gun

• Julie Glaze Houlihan was the music supervisor responsible for clearing the music
• There are two sides to licensing a song
  • Publishing rights that belong to the song writer
  • Master recording that belongs to the record label
• Donald Fagan and Walter Becker gave us permission to use a Steely Dan song however the record label denied us
• Jay Gradon was brought in to re-record the guitar solo from Peg just for the documentary on the same guitar and amps used on the original recording

Assembling the Ultimate Jam Band

• Everyone in the band was interviewed for Hired Gun
• All of the musicians happened to be in town for NAMM that weekend
• One day of rehearsals and 3 days at the studio
• It was a nightmare to assemble but there were no egos and watching it live gave Fran chills

Distributing a Music Documentary

• We didn’t have a distributor going into the world premiere at SXSW
• Vision Films setup Hired Gun a screening at over 300 theaters nationwide
• In August of 2017 we launched on VOD and then received worldwide distribution working with Sony
• The Netflix deal came early on after a screening at the SOHO House

Mixing Audio at Skywalker Ranch

• Spending two weeks in Los Angeles to mix the film was not appealing
• On a whim, Fran sent an unsolicited email to Skywalker Ranch with the sizzle reel and synopsis
• The response from Skywalker Ranch was “Can we submit a bid?” which shows how much they believed in the project

For Fran Strine, he accomplished everything he had hoped for Hired Gun elevating his career to the next level. We wish Fran much success in his future endeavors. Have more questions for Fran? Leave them in the comments and we’ll make sure answers them.

A critically acclaimed actor, Tom Malloy wowed Hollywood with his stunning turn in the indie-cult favorite Gravesend in 1998, which was produced by Oliver Stone. Tom became a trend setter as one of the first successful triple-hyphenate Actor/Writer/Producers and made it his business to learn as much about the filmmaking industry as possible. Over the years, Tom has raised more than $25 million in private equity from independent financiers and has written, produced and starred or co-starred in nearly all the films that his company Trick Candle Productions has made.

Tom Malloy is the author of the book Bankroll that is a must read for filmmakers, actors and producers that want to finance their independent feature films. Tom has now turned Bankroll into a video course for filmmakers as a new approach financing feature films. Get the Course. In our interview you can hear Tom talk about his experiences financing films and the great stories he has to share from behind and in front of the camera.

Keep up with Tom Malloy Online

Website: http://tommalloy.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TommyMalloy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Malloy/69665101522
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommalloy/

Tom Malloy Interview Highlights

Background

• We discuss the Long Island connection
• Tom wanted to be an actor and thought that’s what he wanted to pursue
• He was cast for the movie Gravesend in 1998 that was filmed in Brooklyn
• Gravesend was picked up by Oliver Stone he thought he’d made it
• When he didn’t become an overnight success he started learning every other aspect of the business
• Tom Malloy has now produced 15 movies and written over 20 screenplays
• The book Bankroll is considered the gold standard for film financing that he wrote in 2009

Being a Dancer

• If you can do martial arts you can be a dancer
• It’s similar to martial arts in learning patters, forms and moves
• Tom took a job as a ballroom dancer when he was preparing for the movie Love N Dancing with co-star Amy Smart
• Dancing is something he thinks anyone can do

Becoming a Producer

• Producing became a means to an end
• Tom discovered he was good at raising money by persistence and motivation
• It took 6 movies before he was confident enough to produce
• “If you do it long enough people start to trust you.”

How Do You Raise Money For Film

• Network with people that are outside of the movie business
• Act as a conduit for them to get into the movie business
• Everyone wants to be part of the movie business.
• They want to have celebrity friends. If you can be the person to bring that to the investor you’re in great shape.

The book Bankroll had two editions and Tom didn’t want to write a third.  Working with Jason Brubaker, their video course contains 85 videos on funding a feature film.  Get the Course. In this course Tom is giving away all of his secrets about how he personally raised $25 million to finance feature films.

Read the book Bankroll

This week’s guest is Jon Foley from the Las Cruces Film Office in New Mexico. We met Jon at the American Film Market in 2017 and decided to pick his brain on why filmmakers should contact a film office for their next movie. Many filmmakers don’t realize the benefits working with a local film office can have including incentives, locations and a local crew.  Filming in a location like Las Cruces may surprise with its vast landscapes, mountains, deserts and miles of pecan trees.

Jon Foley began his journey into film & video production at the age of 11 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His path has had many detours; Digital Video Content Manager for an online ethical hacking university, video production company owner, 1 feature and countless smaller projects as a Director of Photography, Producer of short films premiering at festivals like Festival de Cannes, Brussels Short Film Festival, and Hollyshorts, viral content creation (5+ million views across the web), landscape photographer, and the list goes on. Currently, he is the Film Liaison for Las Cruces and has his full attention on bringing more film and television productions to his area.

Have an interesting story about working with your local film office or film commission? Share it with us in the comments

Film Las Cruces Links:

http://www.filmlascruces.com
https://www.facebook.com/filmlc

Keep in Touch with Jon Foley

https://www.instagram.com/jonathon_foley/
https://www.facebook.com/offroadnewmexico/videos/1782038265362262/

What is the Las Cruces Film Office?

• The Las Cruces Film Office is about to be certified to become a film commission
• Jon’s job is to market the city of Las Cruces New Mexico film producers, location scouts and anyone looking to shoot television, film, commercial work or anything video related that will get local crew members work and the area seen.
• The film office also helps with permits, facilitating locations or working with local departments such fire and police.

 What are the benefits of filming in Las Cruces?

• One major benefit is not having to pay for permits and Jon usually turns them around in 1 to 2 days.
• If you’re doing a non-union shoot, Jon has access to over 60 local crew members ready to work including camera operators, grips and production assistants.
• Las Cruces has an abandoned court house / prison you can shoot at for free for the next year! Dona Ana Detention Center
• Visit Film Las Cruces to see their database of locations available.

What are the qualifications for shooting in Las Cruces?

• Jon helps everyone from the micro budget indie film to Hollywood sized budgets.
• There is no minimum spend as long as you are willing to fill out the paperwork.
• There is a 25% film rebate as long as you keep track of the money spent.

How does the film rebate work?

• The rebate is processed through the New Mexico Tax & Revenue department.
• As a filmmaker you’ll be buying the lumber, paying for locations, food, gas and transportation.
• In 2016 there was $505 million spent on TV & Film in the state of New Mexico.

How do you acquire locations?

• Jon drives around taking pictures of city property to add to the database regularly.
• Who you know and how you get to know helps in acquiring private property.
• Find locations across the United States using LocationsHub powered by Reel-Scout.

Fun Fact: The car crash in “Due Date” was filmed in Las Cruces

What has been filmed in New Mexico recently?

• Look for Godless on Netflix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMUiRYoc76A

How did you get the job as a film liaison?

• I went to a Film Las Cruces board meeting and they announced they were hiring.
• I threw my ring in the hat and I became the assistant to the person who was hired.
• When he left I became the film liaison.

 Jon’s Film Career

• Hear Jon’s journey from corporate training videos to real estate photography
• Jon helped finance a short film that went to Cannes and also worked on a short that premiered at Brussells Short Film Festival & Hollyshorts
• https://www.facebook.com/wolffslawshortfilm/videos/1564437833810947/

Facebook Groups for Marketing

• Download or Stream the episode to hear how Jon continues to organically grow Facebook pages like NewMexi.co

This week’s guest is actress and comedian, Jill-Michelle Melean was introduced to us by our good friend Alex Ferrari of Indie Film Hustle. Jill is known for her work on the sketch comedy show MadTV where she had memorable moments impersonating Hollywood stars such as Drew Barrymore and Britney Spears. You may have also seen Jill in Comedy Central’s Reno 911 and most recently in This is Meg which she co-produced and wrote with Alex Ferrari.

We talk about Jill’s family life growing up in Miami, her transition to Hollywood and her worst moments as a female comedian. She’s held her own on the road with the big boys of comedy such as Carlos Mencia and has a unique perspective as a white latina. Look out for her 1 hour comedy special, called White Latina coming soon.

Follow Jill-Michelle Melean Online

Website: http://jillyonline.com
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0577549/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillyonline/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jillyonline

Jill-Michele Melean’s Background

• Jill grew up in Miami with a strict Latin upbringing.
• Fun fact: Jill and her family were season pass holders for the Miami Hurricanes football team.
• She fell in love with TV & film at an early age but she had no idea how to get there.
• Jill realized she could make her Grandma laugh by humping her leg at an early age
• Not attending college wasn’t an option for her.
• During college she thought she wanted to be in theater but soon realized film was where she flourished by creating a family for a few months and nothing is ever the same.
• Jill believed in the power of laughter and moved to LA without knowing anyone.

Making the Cast of MadTV

• Jill’s advice to those that want to do comedy is go to Second City in Chicago because now it is like going to University.
• While doing stand-up comedy for a year and a half the folks at MadTV would follow her shows. At that time, female comics weren’t a big thing.
• She wanted to audition for a sketch group when she got to LA but she had to pay her dues first.
• Every time she would go back and audition for MadTV it would be like doing a one person show for an hour including impersonations.
• When she landed the part on MadTV it took 6 auditions that resulted in an on-air test where she did Drew Barrymore and Britney Spears and they made her a cast member immediately after.
• “Welcome to Hollywod!” Jill recounts having to get down to a skimpy outfit in her first role on TV.

Life after MadTV

• After MadTV Jill landed the Latino Locos comedy tour with Carlos Oscar, Ralphie May and other big name comedians.
• She hosted the tour and learned from them really developed her time.
• From there Jill landed Reno 911 where she met Carlos Alazraqui who she became brothers with on and off screen. You can catch Carlos in This is Meg as well.
• Jill was lucky to go from one tour to the next during that time for 7 years doing hardcore theaters.
• Jill also talks about her time working with George Lopez on Reno 911.

Surving in Hollywood is hard work

• Going over notes for a pitch recently Jill had to remind herself how grateful she should be for the position she’s in.
• She’s never satisfied and still hungers to get to the next level. You’re never going to be done.
• The game has changed and it’s going to change again. Either you change and keep playing or you get out.
• When she booked MadTV, she thought she’d be done. The reality is you book a TV show, then you don’t work for 5 years.
• Jill has done multiple pilots that haven’t been picked up, even with the producers from Curb Your Enthusiasm behind it.

The future of Hollywood

• “It’s the craziest industry to get into, but it’s also the most rewarding.”
• Even though there’s more outlets, it’s actually made it harder. You can’t centralize the marketing.
• Jill believes a shift is coming and after a attending an industry meeting recently they had the following to say: “Comedy is the only thing that has longevity. Comics have a strong clear voice…That’s where TV shows are created.”

Advice for females in comedy

• Link up with a bigger male comedian so it doesn’t become an all female show.
• Bookers like to promote the “sexy female” comedy show but that’s not where you want to be.
• Open up for a bigger male comedian and then it’s easier to transition later because all the bookers know you. Hold on to their business cards because you will have to network yourself.

This is Meg

• This is Meg is streaming on Hulu and is also available on Amazon, iTunes & YouTube.
• It was a passion piece based on true events.
• Jill wanted to portray what it’s like to live as an actor in Hollywood and the relationships you experience, not just the business.
• Involving her friends was important and there was no drama on set.
• Normally directors will not let a producer be that involved, but Alex Ferrari was able to put his ego aside and get the best shots possible.

Watch This Is Meg on  

Her First 1 Hour Comedy Special

• Jill has done specials for Showtime and other networks but White Latina will be her first 1 hour comedy special.
• Piggybacking off This is Meg, she wanted Alex to shoot the special at The Improv to keep it personal.
• Hearing her discuss how it’s shot and her decision to not show the audience is especially an interesting point. In comedy, it’s all about material.

Comedian’s that inspire

• Going back to her love for TV, Jill loves the work of Carol Burnett, Tracy Ullman and shows like the Golden Girls.
• Jill also loves the stand-up of Ellen Degeners, Richard Pryor and George Carlin.
• We also discuss her love for Louis CK and says he’s the kindest man and was completely shocked by the news circulating today.

In this episode, Wayne asks the all important question: Do you think people like the X-men could exist in real life? Wayne thinks he can set things on fire with his mind if he concentrates hard enough and Dan dares him to prove it.

Pyrotechnics and fire are always a serious matter on set. Joe explains how to start a fire with a battery and matches which is a useful technique for indie filmmakers to be able to start a fire off camera, from a distance. With some household supplies, this DIY practical movie effect can be effective and looks better than any CGI fire effects you would otherwise have to use as a frugal filmmaker.

Keep in mind, anytime you’re working with fire, safety is important and we recommend supervision while attempting this practical fire effect at home.

Materials To Start a Fire For Your Movie

1. Matches
2. Plywood
3. Copper Wire
4. Speaker Wire
5. Lighter Fluid
6. Battery Powered Drill
7. Duct tape

How To Start a Fire with a Battery

1. Start by drilling a hole in the plywood and laying it over a hole in the table you’re using.
2. Strip the copper wire and leave the metal exposed.
3. Strip the ends of the speaker wire leaving the ends exposed.
4. Tape several matches together.
5. Wind the copper wire like a spring.  You can use a match stick as a guide.
6. Wrap the wire around the heads of the matches leaving room on each end.
7. Wrap one end of the speaker wire to the copper and secure with tape. Repeat on the other end.
8. Using your drill battery touch the end of the speaker wires to the leads on the battery.
9. This will light the matches from a distance.
10. Snake the wire through the hole and place the matches heads up in the hole.
11. Center your prop over the hole that you’re going to light on fire.
12. Douse in lighter fluid!

What is Hollywood Know How

Hollywood Know How is a resource for the frugal filmmaker to make cheap and easy to use practical effects for their indie films. If you’ve used one of our effects in your indie film, leave us a link to your work and we’ll share it!

Want us to figure out how to make an effect you’re struggling with? Tell us in the comments and we’ll get it done!

Gavin Michael Booth is a producer, editor and director who’s known for his indie horror film The Scarehouse. “The Scarehouse” was distributed by NBC/Universal (USA) and D Films (Canada) in early 2015 with international releasing starting August 2015. The Scarehouse was funded in part by Telefilm Canada and the film won Best Feature at the New York City Horror Film Festival in 2014.

Booth has worked with some of the top entertainers in the music industry including Music Videos and documentary projects for Eminem’s D-12, Third Eye Blind, The Tea Party, Our Lady Peace, Vanessa Carlton and The Afters.

In our interview Gavin talks about his extensive career and how he used to sneak into concerts that led to a career in music videos, feature films and more. He’s insightful, creative and has a ton of experience. Future filmmakers won’t want to miss this interview.

Keep up with Gavin Michael Booth online:

Director Reel: http://gavinmichaelbooth.com/
IMDB: http://www.imdb.me/gavinmichaelbooth

Gavin’s Childhood & Background

• Born and raised in Ontario near the border of Detroit Michigan
• Joe throws Gavin a curve ball when he asks about a childhood film “Indiana Jones & The Lost Remote Control”
• Gavin talks about delivering newspapers to save up for his first camera so he can shoot movies with his friends
• All of us reminisce over old school gear like Gavin’s first Fisher Price camera
• Although he wanted to attend film school he couldn’t afford to come to the United States and ended up at WalMart to save up
• After getting a hernia on the job, he started doing wedding videos and commercial work which took off and never looked back

Learning from Your First Film

• “Leaving Town” was co-written and co-directed by Gavin with another amateur filmmaker
• “Your first film might not be the best thing, it might not even be a watchable thing but it’s a thing you finished.”
• He learned how to work with the different personalities and crew on set, what it means to be a director and be a producer.
• After that first film you realize if you want to be a filmmaker or if you want to just dream about being a filmmaker.

“There are people that want to make films and there are people that want to be filmmakers.”

Check out Gavin’s recommended video called “I made a movie. It stunk.” by filmmaker Austin Mcconnell.

Making Music Videos Was His Big Break

• Gavin has an intimate history with bands like Third Eye Blind
• Living on the border of Detroit, they had all the good rock concerts
• He’d make a fake media card and say he was part of the local media
• Sometimes he’d be allowed to film the first three songs and sometimes he’d work up the courage to ask for an interview
• That started the trend of breaking into more performances
• Third Eye Blind never found out until years later but they loved his work nonetheless which led to more opportunities in the music business
• Gavin produced the documentary for Vanessa Carlton on the making of her latest album

[bctt tweet=”If you’re not really breaking the law, if you’re not really causing anybody trouble the worst they can do is say no.” username=”hecklerkaneinc”]

Gavin’s latest music video, Where’s My Love for Syml has almost 8 million views!!

Shooting the World’s First Live Movie

• Anyone with a cell phone can be their own broadcast network
• Gavin had an idea for a found footage live event using Periscope and never tell the audience its fake
• Fifteen is about a serial killer who is using Periscope video streaming app to film his grizzly murders live
• The idea was to do something fun that was never done before
• It was produced in cooperation with Jason Blum at Blumhouse Productions

The Scarehouse

• When the sisters of a sorority arrive at a Halloween fun house on Devil’s Night they are confronted by their past as the night spins out of control
• After another script of his was stopped his distribution company asked for a different script
• Pitched as a cross between Saw and Mean Girls, “The Scarehouse” was born
• The original shoot did not contain any found footage but the studio suggested adding a prologue
• Gavin coordinated a re-shoot and it was the only time all of the girls were together
• It was the first feature film he worked with his wife Sarah Booth

Film Making Words of Advice

• Keep creating content.  Learn from your mistakes and evolve
• Whatever camera  you have, whatever script you have don’t fall into the excuse of waiting til you have some piece of film gear
• If you sit and wait, life passes you by and you will never reach your goals
• You don’t even know how many opportunities you’re missing by not putting yourself into that creative realm and network of people
• If create content you will instantly become a leader
• Nothing tops experience

We are back from the American Film Market in sunny Santa Monica, California where we spent three days learning, pitching and meeting the film industries biggest players from around the world. The American Film Market hosts one of the industries biggest events for film makers, screenwriters and distributors.  We also interviewed 8 film industry heavy hitters.

Our #1 tip for success at the American Film Market is preparation. Setup your meetings in advance, don’t wait for the last minute to schedule them because the likelihood of getting into a meeting without an appointment is very low. Even if you have an appointment the odds of it being on time may dwindle the later you wait to make that meeting. Not only do you have to prepared to schedule meetings with buyers and distributors, you have to be prepared with your pitch. You need to be professional and have a plan and understand why your film may be saleable and even more importantly what aspects of your film may not be saleable.

Tip #2 for success at the American Film Market is having a completed project. Nobody wants to hear about your concept or idea. Everyone has ideas. Distributors won’t even touch you if you don’t have a completed production. Screenwriters need completed scripts. Networking and building relationships take time. If you’re a first time filmmaker, nobody is going to hand you a check after a 15 minute pitch meeting. If they do, we’d love to hear about it on our podcast!

Interviews at the American Film Market

Pilar Alessandra

Creator of On The Page Script Consultation Company. Pilar  is the director of the screenwriting and TV writing program On the Page®, host of the popular On the Page Podcast and author of the top-selling book “The Coffee Break Screenwriter. She was at AFM as the moderator of the Pitch Conference for the 2nd year in a row. The Pitch Conference at AFM was eye opening to us. If you’re a screenwriter her podcast is invaluable.

We submitted our pitch for Seymour the Unfortunate Vampire and while we weren’t selected to pitch live, we learned how to craft and deliver a pitch for the meetings we were about to take.

Alex Ferrari

Filmmaker and Creator of Indie Film Hustle. Alex shares what he’s learned over the years as a writer, director, producer and post production/VFX supervisor. We were excited to finally meet Alex in person after having him as a guest on our podcast. Alex was more than generous with his time and shared a ton of insights with us. Look for his interview with AFM Director Jonathan Wolf on Indie Film Hustle.

Check out our interview with Alex: Making Money From Your Micro Budget Film with Alex Ferrari 

Jason Brubaker

Jason is a Los Angeles based movie distribution executive specializing in direct to consumer distribution strategies. He is the Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Distribber. Jason is also the founder of Filmmaking Stuff, a professional resource for independent filmmakers and provides tips on screenwriting, producing, crowdfunding, directing, movie marketing and film distribution.

Branscombe Richmond

A Native American actor, stuntman and singer most known for his role in Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas. Branscombe stands at 6′ 3″ and has been on the receiving end of the fists of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando (1985), gotten pummeled by Carl Weathers in Action Jackson (1988) and tangled with Steven Seagal in Hard to Kill (1990). At the American Film Market we saw a different while he was there to represent the Southern Kentucky Film Commission.

The most fun about meeting Branscombe is that he is long time friends with Marshall Teague who was on our show as well. Check out our Interview with Marshall Teague.

Susan Yang

General Manager of Shanghai Pusheng Translation Co. Susan was there as a translator helping a producer navigate the film market.

Paul Ayre

Paul has been writing and creating comedy for 15 years now and has worked with some of the biggest names in comedy – including Jeff Goldblum, SketchShe and toured with The Umbilical Brothers through Germany, Denmark, Austria, Slovenia and Sweden. He won the biggest prize in webseries history: $70,000 for The Justice Lease in which he acted, wrote and produced. We caught up with Paul at the pitch conference where he delivered one of the most animated pitches at the AFM. Check out his work at http://severecomedy.com

Sean Crayne

Sean was another dynamic presenter at the AFM Pitch Conference where he asked the audience “Would you kill for fame?” For more on Sean and his film Twisted check out https://www.twistedthefilm.com/home. Sean also organized an indie horror filmmaker meetup on Saturday night which was a great place to meet other like minded filmmakers.

Mike Lippert

Michael Lippert is an Ontario-based Writer/Director/Producer.  He was at the AFM shopping his debut feature film called Expecting. Mike had a great story to share about how managed to get Lloyd Kaufman to do a cameo in his film.

Mark Belasco

Mark is the Vice President of Sales & Acquisition at Adler & Associates Entertainment. They pride themselves on being a true indie company, one with a risk-taking spirit and an unbiased eye for new talent from around the globe. If you’re an indie filmmaker looking for distribution and a true partner we recommend a conversation with Adler & Associates Entertainment.

Share Your American Film Market Experiences

If you’ve attended the American Film Market and want to share your story, tell us in the comments. If you have questions about AFM and whether or not its right for you give us a shout on Twitter or Facebook and we will answer anything you want to know!

Have a question for our guests on this episode of the Imperfect Podcast? Leave it in the comments and we’ll make sure they answer it for you.