indie spunk: UNFILTERED

Izzy Stevens and Beck Bennion
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Hosted by award-winning filmmakers & creative partners Beck Bennion & Izzy Stevens. Tune in for unfiltered, sometimes unhinged, always entertaining advice on navigating your film career, communicating with your creative collaborators, stepping into leadership roles, getting your films funded, and building success—all while not letting your personal life totally fall apart.

  1. On Signatures & Rituals for Creatives + Predicting the Future of Indie Film with Kate Van Horn

    1 DAY AGO

    On Signatures & Rituals for Creatives + Predicting the Future of Indie Film with Kate Van Horn

    Welcome back to Indie Spunk: Unfiltered! This week Beck sits down with author, intuitive reader, spiritual mentor, and all-around multi-hyphenate Kate Van Horn—a longtime friend of the pod who has been quietly helping creatives get out of their own heads for years. This one's equal parts grounding and practical: how to build rituals that actually support your creative process, what tarot can do for a filmmaker in a rut, and why the film industry right now feels a lot like a very specific tarot card. In this episode: [00:04:00] Kate's New Book[00:08:00] Ritual Stacking vs. Habit Stacking [00:15:00] 3 Things to Energetically Align Your Space[00:18:00] Signatures[00:30:00] Tarot for Filmmakers [00:37:00] The State of the Film Industry & Where It's Going📖 Find Kate at katevanhorn.com, on Instagram @katevhorn, and on Substack at Intuitive Living. Her first book The Inner Tarot is out now. 🎙️ Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7 🎬 Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: https://indiespunk.thrivecart.com/filmmaker-breakthrough-2026/ 🎥 Join our Filmmaker Database: https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-database 📩 DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiespunk & https://www.instagram.com/beckbennion

    43 min

  2. 8 APR

    On Film Naysayers, Endless Follow-Ups, & Useless Superpowers

    Welcome back to Indie Spunk: Unfiltered.  This week Izzy and Beck put the film updates on pause — because sometimes you're so deep in the messy middle of production that the most honest thing you can do is admit you can't talk about it yet.  So instead, Beck straps on her game show host hat and puts Izzy in the hot seat for a chaotic, whimsical, deeply unhinged round of rapid fire questions.  Plus: a real and important update about James on Rage that nobody asked for but everybody needed to hear. 🎙️ Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7  🎬 Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: https://indiespunk.thrivecart.com/filmmaker-breakthrough-2026/  🎥 Join our Filmmaker Database: https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-database  📩 DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiespunk & https://www.instagram.com/beckbennion

    35 min
  3. SXSW Premiere & Making a Debut Indie Feature Film: Dalia Rooni on SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT

    1 APR

    SXSW Premiere & Making a Debut Indie Feature Film: Dalia Rooni on SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT

    Hot off the heels of a major SXSW premiere, writer and star Dalia Rooni takes us behind the scenes of making her debut indie feature, Same Same But Different. From early development hurdles to casting challenges and the chaos (and unexpected magic) of production, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to bring a first feature to life. Izzy & Dalia get real about creating your own work as an actor, why waiting to get booked actually isn’t a strategy, and how leaning into your naiveté can be the very thing that gets your first film made. It's a JUICY one, let's dive in! Follow Dalia on IG: https://www.instagram.com/daliarooni/ And check out the film SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT: https://www.instagram.com/samesamebutdifferentfilm/ 🎙️ Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7⁠⁠⁠⁠  🎬 Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://indiespunk.com/filmmaker-breakthrough⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎥 Join our Filmmaker Database: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-database⁠⁠⁠⁠  📩 DM us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/indiespunkunfiltered⁠

    47 min

  4. 24 MAR

    On Festival Strategy, Meetings with Financiers, and SXSW Tips and Tricks

    🎙️ Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7⁠⁠⁠  🎬 Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: ⁠⁠⁠https://indiespunk.com/filmmaker-breakthrough⁠⁠⁠ 🎥 Join our Filmmaker Database: ⁠⁠⁠https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-database⁠⁠⁠  📩 DM us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/indiespunkunfiltered⁠

    55 min

  5. 17 MAR

    On SXSW, Meetings, Films, & Pitching JAMES ON RAGE

    Quick update coming atcha from SXSW! Yes we recorded this in a hotel vestibule on the way to the airport back to LAX, and YES we had an amazing, whirlwind experience over the last 4 days. Here's what happened... 🎙️ Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: ⁠⁠https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7⁠⁠  🎬 Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: ⁠⁠https://indiespunk.com/filmmaker-breakthrough⁠⁠ 🎥 Join our Filmmaker Database: ⁠⁠https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-database⁠⁠  📩 DM us on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/indiespunkunfiltered⁠

    10 min

  6. 10 MAR

    On Backing Out Of A Major Festival, “Wuthering Heights”, & When NOT To Fire Your Publicist

    🎙️ Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: ⁠https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7⁠  🎬 Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: ⁠https://indiespunk.com/filmmaker-breakthrough⁠ 🎥 Join our Filmmaker Database: ⁠https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-database⁠  📩 DM us on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/indiespunkunfiltered⁠ No Spoilers: We stop talking about "Wuthering Heights" at 31:30

    54 min
  7. on Firing Your Best Friend, Investor Opinions, & is Your Film Marketable?

    3 MAR

    on Firing Your Best Friend, Investor Opinions, & is Your Film Marketable?

    Welcome back to Indie Spunk: Unfiltered. This week, Izzy and Beck playing a full round of "Am I the A*****e?" — filmmaker edition. From recasting your best friend three weeks before rehearsal to an investor who wants to make your protagonist "more likable", this episode is the honest conversation the industry pretends it doesn't need to have. In this episode: [00:08:30] You cast your best friend. She bombed the table read. Now what? The hard truth about theatre vs. on-screen performance, why table reads can still be part of the audition, and how to have the conversation that might save your film...and maybe your friendship.[00:14:30] Your editor wants to cut 80% of a supporting character who relocated for your film. Do you protect the actor or the movie? Plus the one thing you can do that will soften the blow.[00:18:30] Your financier covers 40% of your budget and wants to rewrite your ending. How to get on the same page without losing your soul, what Promising Young Woman taught us about studio compromise, and why "no" might be the most powerful word in your arsenal.[00:25:30] You've been telling investors a big name is "interested." Their agent read the logline. Is that a lie? The exact language to use when you're building buzz before you have the receipts.[00:28:30] Your film is bold, messy, and "not commercial." Is it irresponsible to make it just for festival cred? Yikes...limiting belief alert!![00:31:30] Recs of the week! 🎙️ Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7  🎬 Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: https://indiespunk.com/filmmaker-breakthrough 🎥 Join our Filmmaker Database: https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-database  📩 DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiespunkunfiltered

    35 min
  8. on Dictator Directors, Paid vs. Unpaid Jobs, and Do We Watch Enough Films?? ⏐ S5E7

    24 FEB

    on Dictator Directors, Paid vs. Unpaid Jobs, and Do We Watch Enough Films?? ⏐ S5E7

    "Is it unethical to ask people to work for free on your film if you have $0 budget? What's the line between collaboration and exploitation??"This week, we’re answering your questions about unpaid labor in indie filmmaking, when saying "no budget" is honest or it's actually just lazy, how to avoid being a dictator director while still prioritizing efficiency, and whether or not you're less of a filmmaker if you don't watch as many films as your peers.Our motto: If you want to build a career in this industry, how you treat people on your first $0 project will follow you into your first $1M one.In this episode we get into:– Camera tests for our feature film.– Taking financing meetings at SXSW– Our thoughts on the Independent Spirit AwardsWe also talk about why we desperately need technology that lets us erase our memory so that we can watch "The Matrix" again for the first time.... :DIf you’re trying to make something with nothing — listen before you hit “send” on that crew text.Get Anonymous Advice On The Podcast: ⁠https://forms.gle/sMWovGuD8JC9Crxu7⁠Apply for Filmmaker Breakthrough Mentorship: https://indiespunk.thrivecart.com/filmmaker-breakthrough-2026/Join our Filmmaker Database to be considered for our films: https://indiespunk.myflodesk.com/filmmaker-databaseSend us a DM on instagram:https://www.instagram.com/indiespunk ⁠& ⁠https://www.instagram.com/beckbennion

    42 min
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About

Hosted by award-winning filmmakers & creative partners Beck Bennion & Izzy Stevens. Tune in for unfiltered, sometimes unhinged, always entertaining advice on navigating your film career, communicating with your creative collaborators, stepping into leadership roles, getting your films funded, and building success—all while not letting your personal life totally fall apart.

Information

  • Creator
    Izzy Stevens and Beck Bennion
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    124
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Izzy Stevens and Beck Bennion
  • Show Website
    indie spunk: UNFILTERED