Show Don't Tell: Micro-Budget Filmmaking

Noam Kroll

Each week, filmmaker Noam Kroll shares valuable insight into the world of micro-budget filmmaking, geared towards true DIY filmmakers looking to get out there and create their own films.

  1. 3d ago

    Behind The Scenes: Writing My First Musical Score

    In this solo episode I break down the process of writing a musical score for the first time on my upcoming short film Crow. Topics covered include: Why the advice to "specialize in one area" was never right for meEditing the entire rough cut with zero music in 10 to 20 second chunksLocking in sound design before any temp score so music never becomes a crutchScoring all five cues out of order, starting with the final cue and working backwardsWhere the process stands now: rough guitar demos down, next up is re-recordingMuch more!Big thanks to Soundstripe for executive producing the film and sponsoring this episode. Check out their new Soundstripe LIVE tool at soundstripe.com/noam Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

  2. Jul 17

    Shooting A $4,000 Feature With No Crew At 61, Mixing Emmy-Winning TV Sound & Why "Write The Film You Can Shoot" - With Mark Hensley

    In this episode, I'm joined by filmmaker and re-recording mixer Mark Hensley to talk about his micro-budget feature Clown and Out in Valley Village, which he shot guerrilla style over the course of a year with no crew, a cast of two, and a total budget of around $4,000 (half of which went to a single permit). Mark shares how he found the script through a Facebook writing group, cut a 200-page draft down to something shootable, and built a workflow around editing each scene the night it was shot so he and his actors could review the footage and reshoot anything that wasn't working. We also dive deep into his remarkable background in sound, from recording music at the Record Plant in Sausalito to mixing major network TV shows in LA, and the practical audio techniques every indie filmmaker should steal from his playbook. Topics covered include: Why shooting slowly over a year with no crew is a creative advantageOperating as a one man band with the S1H, an RS3 Pro gimbal, and lavs into cameraWhy no single plugin fixes bad dialogue, and rescuing scenes with tools like DX ReviveHaving actors re-run scenes as audio-only safety takes to patch dropouts in postWhen emotional production sound beats technically perfect ADRShooting guerrilla style in LA, and why a boom mic is the one giveaway to avoidKnowing your coverage in advance instead of shooting every scene wide-medium-closeRenting vs. buying gear, and why becoming a filmmaker means owning a cameraWhy anybody can become a filmmaker, even starting at 55 with zero experienceSign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

  3. Jul 5

    Partnering With Joe Swanberg & Shooting A Puppet Horror Feature In 11 Days - With Aidan Leary & C.R. Thompson

    In this episode, I'm joined by Aidan Leary and C.R. Thompson, the writing team behind Monkey's Magic Merry Go Round. A micro-budget horror feature pitched as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood meets Evil Dead 2, produced by mumblecore legend Joe Swanberg. Throught the episode Aidan and C.R. share the wild origin story of the film, from a screenplay written in just two weeks, to them living in the back of Joe Swanberg's video store just two months later after he bought it. We also get into the nuts and bolts of the 11-day shoot: directing without a first AD, running a crew of about a dozen people inside the Chicago Children's Theater, hiring set builders straight off PBS, and their lightning fast post-production process. Topics covered include: Turning a childhood nightmare about an evil monkey puppet into a featureFour-act structure vs. three-act structure, and the South Park methodUsing Joe Swanberg's own pitching technique to sell him the scriptJoe's best advice: the only wrong decision is no decisionIntentional continuity breaks as a creative safety netEditing lessons: temp sound effects, test screenings, and killing your darlingsWhy editors often make the best directorsMuch more!Links from this episode: Film on Instagram Aidan Leary on Instagram C.R. Thompson on Instagram Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

  4. Jun 26

    From 80 Acting Credits To Producing Her First Feature, Plus How To Actually Crowdfund A Film On WeFunder - With Hannah Barefoot

    In this episode, I'm joined by actor and filmmaker Hannah Barefoot to talk about building a career as a working actor, her recurring role on NCIS: Origins, our new short film Crow, and the leap into producing and crowdfunding her own first feature, Wyoming Christmas Carol. Throughout the interview Hannah breaks down how she went from a string of day jobs to 80 film and TV credits, and how that's now led her into feature filmmaking. We also get deep into the producer side of indie filmmaking. Hannah shares exactly how she's financing Wyoming Christmas Carol through a WeFunder equity crowdfunding campaign, why fiscal sponsorship matters for filmmakers, and the practical steps for building pitch materials that actually convert. Topics covered include: Hannah's path from small-town Wyoming to 80+ film and TV creditsBurning out, quitting acting, and finding her way back in her late twentiesLanding a recurring role on NCIS: OriginsWhy the "small" no-budget projects are so often the ones that change everythingFinancing a feature through WeFunder equity crowdfundingFiscal sponsorship, 501(c)(3)s, and why they matter for indie filmmakersShooting in-character photo shoots to sell a project more effectivelyMuch more!Links from the show: Wyoming Christmas Carol - WeFunder Wyoming Christmas Carol - Instagram Hannah Barefoot - Instagram Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

  5. Jun 19

    How to Make a Sub-$500K Feature In 14 Days With A Crew of 5 - An Interview With Filmmaker Cory Thibert

    In this episode, I'm joined by writer-director-actor Cory Thibert to talk about his debut feature Mild Life, a coming-of-age film that premiered at Woodstock Film Festival and went on to win Best Canadian Feature at the Victoria Film Festival. Mild Life follows Lawrence, a drummer whose world gets thrown off beat when his girlfriend wants to leave their hometown just as he's stepping into a caregiver role for his parents, who both live with cerebral palsy. The story is drawn directly from Cory's own life - both of his parents have cerebral palsy, and he cast actors with cerebral palsy to play the parents for authentic representation. Throughout the inteview we discuss the challenges of going this personal with your work, why "the more specific you are, the more universal you are" advice is true, and how to mine your own experience to create more meaningful stories. We also break down his 14 day shoot, 98 page script, 5 person skeleton crew, and the 2 camera / always-rolling coverage strategy that helped him reach the finish line. Topics covered include: Finding a personal way into your stories - and how to avoid self-indulgenceAuthentic disability representation on screen and casting actors with cerebral palsyComing up as a filmmaker without family money or a financial safety netMaking a feature between two kids' births while holding down a day jobRunning a five-person skeleton crew and shooting two cameras at all timesDirecting and starring at once - how to balance wearing multiple hatsThe Canada Council grant that funded post after the shoot wrappedApproaching distribution with a tiered strategy (Crave, Hoopla, Kanopy)Much moreLinks from the show: Mild Life - Website Mild Life - Instagram Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

  6. Jun 12

    Making A Micro-Budget Feature In 15 Days, Directing Rachel Dratch & Building A 20-Year Creative Brand With Jason Laurits

    In this episode, I'm joined by filmmaker and graphic artist Jason Laurits to talk about his debut feature Love's Company (starring Rachel Dratch), and the unique two-decade creative journey that led him to directing his first feature in his 40s. Jason breaks down how the film started with a single absurd thought ("what would happen if you actually kidnapped a celebrity?") and grew out of his love for Misery, Sunset Boulevard, and Ruthless People. He shares how he taught himself to edit in order to cut a proof-of-concept teaser that he used to raise money, attract a team, and ultimately land his cast.We also get into the realities of shooting a 95-page feature in just 15 days on a micro-budget in Louisiana, how his line producer helped him build a crew from scratch in New Orleans, landing Rachel Dratch through a single well-placed connection, and the constant on-set math of combining and cutting shots to never once go over schedule. Topics covered include: Using a teaser, poster & pitch deck to raise money for a feature filmHow to shoot a 95-page feature in just 15 daysCombining and cutting shots on the fly to never go over scheduleWhat 20+ years running his brand Paste taught him about filmmakingWhy getting into directing in your 40s can be an advantageThe "step-by-step vs. chasing the clouds" philosophyTrusting your voice and letting go of fleeting external goalsMuch More!Links from the show: Love's Company - Trailer Love's Company - Instagram Jason's Brand - Paste Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

  7. May 14

    Getting a $5K Feature into TIFF & Going Viral With An 80 Second Short Film With Nick Toti

    In this episode I'm joined by filmmaker Nick Toti - one half of the DIY filmmaking duo behind the viral 80-second short Dead Grandma, the TIFF Midnight Madness sensation It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, and the upcoming feature Homebody. Throughout the episode Nick breaks down the decade-long origin story of Dead Grandma, from an improvised game he invented while working as a nursery school teacher in Austin to a 35mm short film that blew up in Variety and landed him on this podcast. We also discuss how his $5,000 found footage feature It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This unexpectedly landed in TIFF's Midnight Madness, the unconventional theatrical-only release strategy he's used to screen it across multiple continents without a distributor, and why Nick is now trying to convince A24 or Blumhouse to fund a studio remake of Homebody. Topics covered include: The real-life origin of Dead Grandma and how it developed over a deadeCo-directing with his wife and creative partner Rachel KempfShooting on 35mm film - and everything that went wrong before they even rolledHow It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This got into TIFF Midnight MadnessThe aesthetic of Homebody: making a movie that feels like a lo-fi demo tapeActively pursuing failure as a creative strategy - and why it eventually workedNick's 25-hour real-time experimental documentary projectDie Die Books - the horror film criticism press Nick and Rachel runMuch more!Links from the show: Dead Grandma Short Film Homebody Trailer Die Die Books Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

  8. May 8

    Making A $2000 Feature, Landing Vanishing Angle & Getting Into the Blacklist Project Lab - With Nathan Xia

    In this episode, I'm joined by actor, filmmaker, and musician Nathan Xia to talk about his unconventional path into the industry - from making YouTube sketches with a flip camera to acting in studio projects, getting repped as both an actor and writer-director, and developing his deeply personal feature Adam's Song. Throughout the conversation Nathan shares how he fell into acting out of necessity while co-directing a scrappy COVID road trip feature with his roommates, and how that unexpected pivot eventually led to representation, festival success, and a role in Danny Madden's Downbeat. He also breaks down the relentless hustle behind landing his producer at Vanishing Angle, getting into the Blacklist Project Lab after 14 rejections, and signing with management company M88 - all before turning 26. Topics covered include: How Nathan discovered filmmaking through a flip camera and YouTube sketchesMaking a $2,000 road trip feature across six states during COVIDFalling into acting out of necessity - and finding it on the festival circuitCold-emailing his way to representation at Momentum Talent AgencyHow attending festivals (not just submitting) changed his careerLanding veteran indie producer Benjamin Wiesner through responsiveness and rewritesGoing 0-for-14 on labs and fellowships before getting into the Blacklist Project LabDeveloping the feature version of Adam's Song and scouting in West TexasWhy being a writer-director-actor gives him a unique advantage in attaching talentMuch more!Follow Nathan on Instagram Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

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Each week, filmmaker Noam Kroll shares valuable insight into the world of micro-budget filmmaking, geared towards true DIY filmmakers looking to get out there and create their own films.

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