Layman Filmmakers

My guest on this episode is the one and only Sulekha Ebelle!  With a plethora of experience under her belt ranging from no-budget projects to major TV shows, I truly am truly graced by the presence of Sulekha and this makes for a great episode for both actors and filmmakers that want to listen in on the relationship they have.  Like anything we discuss on the layman filmmakers, there's no actual rule of thumb though there are the basic elements like respecting one another on set no matter how big or small the project is. Sulekha and I discuss her experience between acting on mainstream productions and no-budget projects and it is surprising what the outcomes is between the two (Apart from getting paid). I hope you enjoy the episode and for both filmmaker and actors out there starting out or are already dabbling into the filmmaking or acting world, hopefully this episode will be of interest to you. You can find out more about Sulekha on www.sulekhaebelle.com Enjoy!

This where it all starts. It starts with an idea, a character and the story.  From there we expand and create the background to a world where this story lives and where the characters travel through. On this episode I talk to the very creative, Ronika Merl, a professional writer, producer and lecture who has written a number of scripts for no-budget films and understands the thought process of putting together a compelling story that doesn't require a million dollar budget. Ronika shares with me her experience of transiting from the corporate world to going full-time screenplay writing. This episode with Ronika will hopefully give some interesting viewpoints for how to write your next project or get into writing professionally. Hope it makes for a good listen. You can check out Ronika at: www.ronikamerl.com Enjoy the episode

A producer holds all the keys to a film yet bares most of the responsibilities.  On this episode I indulge in a producers conversation with the wonderful Morgan Raymond, a producer and filmmaker who has worked on many no-budget films and is a fountain of information when it comes to working with limited resources on no-budget films. For those starting out and are looking to check out the experience of a fellow producer for some useful insights on how to approach your next project, then this episode is for you. You can find out more about Morgan on her website: www.morganraymond.com Enjoy

We all know by now that good quality sound and audio is one of the most if not the important element of filmmaking.  I chat to Matt Price, a professional sound recordist and sound designer about the importance of good sound and audio for no-budget projects and how it can elevante the project even if the visual quality isn't the greatest. Matt outlines some of the things that beginner filmmakers overlook and how to collaborate with a sound professional. For more info about Matt, check him out at: www.soundrolling.com I hope you enjoy the episode  

For those of you itching to make your first action-packed no-budget film, well, this may be the episode to help galvanise your enthusiasm as I talk to John Soars, the creator of 'The Danger element' the once Youtube sci-fi/martial-arts web-series. (I say once as the show is now available on amazon) John and I go through his process of making a full-on action project with limited resources and a load of favours as well and directing and featuring in the project himself.  Check out the trailer for the 'Danger Element' where you'll see glimpses of the fast paced action that John put together! https://bit.ly/the_danger_element_trailer I hope you enjoy the episode!

Storyboarding and the artists behind the illustrations that create the directors initial vision. On this episode I had the pleasure of talking with the talented storyboard artist, Gable Marynell. Gable has several years experience on projects from big budget to no-budget projects and he enlightens me on the collaboration between filmmaker and storyboard artist and the fine line of working on no-budget projects. Although there are some filmmakers that don't like working with storyboards, there are some like myself that love the experience of collaborating with storyboard artists and discussing the initial vision of the story you'd potentially embark on. If you are a beginner filmmaker looking on sights of working with a storyboard artist then this episode is for you. You can find Gable and his work at: www.michaelgablemarynell.com Hope you enjoy the episode

On this episode I speak to the wonder Abigail Phiri, a filmmaker who had her first no-budget film officially selected for the British Urban Film Festival back in 2020. For some of us, our first film experience can be a horrid experience but Abigail had a different approach when she went into making her first no-budget film. We discuss how Abi went from finishing her studies to jumping straight in on big productions on the BBC and Amazon by simply approaching the director and asking him if she could shadow him to taking that experience onto her own project. Abigail has some interesting takes on how she approached her first film and there might be some info nuggets in there for those of you starting out. Check out Abigails film here: www.facebook.com/Stilled.2020 I hope you enjoy the episode!

On this episode I chat to talented and creative Music Composer, Andrew Carr. Andrew and I discuss his experiences working on no-to-ultra-low-budget film projects and the collaboration and workflow between composer and filmmaker. It's a great talk and we really dive into how music can really make a film no matter how big or small it is. The combination of visuals and music set a tone for the emotions a film can give. For those of you that are looking to implement a score for your film or are looking to work with a composer, I feel that you will really like this episode. Check out Andrew on: www.radiologicrecords.com Hope you enjoy the episode!

The horror genre. One that I am not a fan of yet the cinematic world just seems to relish. Saying that, I came across a really interesting short film project on YouTube and rather than being captivated by its genre, I was reeled in by the filmmaking technique used. And with that I invited the talented creator of that very project, Matt Markayze, a student filmmaker that really oozes creativity and is totally focused on how he wants his films to look. On this episode I chat to Matt about his interesting journey into his style of horror filmmaking and how he literally started off with filming on his iPhone 7 and two other friends. That in itself really caught my attention. Check out Matt's YouTube channel where you can watch his projects: https://bit.ly/matt_markayze Hope you enjoy the episode!