A Filmmaker’s Reset for Uncertain Times film advice film culture film economics film industry lessons independent film independent film journey movie making masterclass

I had planned on posting a Sht I Should’ve Done* blog this week. But with so much happening in the world, it didn’t feel right to stick to business as usual.

There’s been a lot to process:
the deaths of Rob & Michele Reiner,
the mass shooting in Australia,
the school shooting at Brown University,
a...

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🎬 Why Movies Still Matter: The Art Form That Refuses to Die creative process film culture film industry lessons filmmaking independent film moviemaking producing storytelling

 Movies have been declared dead more times than I can count, and well before I became a filmmaker. Every decade, someone swears it’s over.

Television was supposed to kill movies.
Home video was supposed to kill movies.
Netflix! (To be fair, streaming) was definitely supposed to kill movies.

And ye...

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🎬 What I Wish I Knew Before Directing My First Feature Film behind the scenes directing film industry lessons film set independent film microbudget producer life

Hey Filmmakers,

When I directed Maya & Her Lover, I wasn’t new to the industry. I had over two decades of experience working on everything from gritty indie projects to big-name studio productions with HBO, Lionsgate, and Amazon. As I mentioned in my previous post, The Myth of the First Film, Maya ...

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The Myth of the “First Film” creative process debut feature film directing filmmaking independent film makeyourmovie.today microbudget movie making masterclass nicole sylvester

Hey Filmmakers,

I’ll let you in on a little secret: the industry loves to play the “first” card.
“First-time filmmaker.” “Debut feature.” “First nomination.” You name it. It’s a marketing hook—one that helps build hype and make headlines. Because let’s face it, people love a good origin story.

If y...

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