The Break Breakdown: A Podcast from Queens Bird Films

The big goal for many indie filmmakers is a theatrical release. But when you are self-distributing your own feature film, is a theatrical release possible? For director, actor, and executive producer Scott Monahan, it was. With an acting resume and a background in devised theatrical work, Scott's debut feature film Anchorage came together one intuitive step at a time.

Benjy and Courtney speak with Scott about the big obstacles he faced in getting the feature film produced and distributed, how he approached the project as a first time feature director, and the intuitive, creative methods he used to theatrically release this epic debut film.

MORE ABOUT ANCHORAGE:

Buy or Rent Anchorage

Can you really launch a film career with a microbudget feature? The short answer is yes, and Joshua Caldwell has done it. Joshua shares his insights on winning the MTV Movie Award, the jobs he took in LA to make connections in the industry, his writing process, how he approached his self-produced $6k microbudget feature The Layover by flipping the traditional approach, and how it all led to his latest film: Mending the Line, starring Brian Cox. And now, as he continues to build his own career, Joshua has taken his experience with The Layover and put it into his 6K Filmmaker Course, teaching aspiring filmmakers how to make microbudget feature films and launch their own careers.

Web series production is not one size fits all. Some indie filmmakers may start with web series distribution. Others could start with a web series script they are itching to write. And then some might start on a whim while traveling, and spin one simple idea into an epic documentary series made up of 70 short films, shot across 3 continents, over the course of one decade. That's what filmmaker Kevin Longa did.

In today's episode, producer Benjamin Shaw talks with Kevin about TASTE, his indie web series cataloguing the stories of food entrepreneurs — from pastry chefs to foragers — from around the world. Starting on this journey with a DSLR camera he got off Craig's List, Kevin has made a prolific body of work by bringing a sense of experimentation, grit, and resilience to this massive 10 year project.

Over the course of two years, we made a web series. And in that time, writer/director Courtney Romano recorded moments of the process — from self-reflection to directing actors to producer's meetings.

As you're beginning the process of indie filmmaking, you can answer "what makes a good web series?" a hundred different ways. But one way to ensure success is the relationship between director and cinematographer. It's this dynamic that creates the footage that eventually becomes your indie film or web series. And the dynamic you create in the behind the scenes of the filmmaking process — from your shot list, to the narrative vibe, to decisions like whether the camera is handheld or static — will determine what kind of footage you can get. Executive Producer Benjy Shaw fills in as host today for a conversation between director Courtney Romano and cinematographer Ian McCay. They discuss what they look for in a director/cinematographer collaboration, how they approached on-set challenges, tips for leading both the camera department and the actors, and how they filmed the final episode of the series as a one take.

What happens on a film set? The answer is: anything and everything. From managing full company moves between locations, to making sure everyone is fed, to running behind on time, to straying from the script, the energy of a film set can be (at times) overwhelming. Each time you "make your day" can feel like a miracle.

Executive Producer Benjy Shaw joins Courtney today to talk through the big lessons they learned from being on a film set as a small film production company and what makes a good web series. Courtney shares how she made on-the-fly directorial choices when they were running out of daylight. Benjy discusses how to make a film set operational. And they both share their takeaways on what worked, what didn't, and what they'll do differently in their next film production process.  

Low budget indie films usually require lots of cutting corners. So why is costume design important? How can you get visual bang for your microbudget filmmaking buck? And what is the one department you really can't live without?

Costume designer and producer Allison Koehler joins Courtney today to answer those questions and more. From costume design as character analysis to pulling off slick, aesthetic indie film costume ideas within her budget constraints, Allison describes how costume design in film can make or break a project.

You've got the script. You've got the team. But how do you get the money? Before you can raise a dime, you have to understand the importance of budgeting in film production and the basic strategies behind raising money for your indie film project.

In this week's episode, Courtney is joined by Kinsley Vs. actor and producer Sara States to talk about budgeting in pre-production, and how to raise money for an indie film project. Sara and Courtney discuss specifics like film budget percentages, how much of a movie budget goes to actors, and the lessons they learned in fundraising for a low budget series — including specific line items they would change if they could do it over again and who to ask for independent film funding.

Today's Guest was actor & producer Sara States. You can find out more about her work on http://sarastates.me and follow her on social @sarastates 

Today's Final Word is from Charles O. Anderson, choreographer and Chair of the Dance Department at The Ohio State University 

The beginning stages of self-producing indie art can be messy. But we have to start the process to actually produce. Whether you want to figure out how to break into tv and film, make your own web series, or give yourself an acting job, self-producing — and the process it requires — can feel impossible.

In today's episode, host Courtney Romano (writer/director of Kinsley Vs.) and guest Benjamin Shaw (executive producer of Kinsley Vs.) discuss how to start making a web series. From casual conversations to table reads to script edits to rounding up producers, Courtney and Benjy break down the exact steps they took at the beginning of their team's process to produce a full web series for YouTube.

Today's Final Word is from Jen Spyra, author of BIG TIME. 

How do you make something out of nothing? As independent artists, we face the same questions with each new project: how do I do this? What comes next? What if it's not good? Join the team behind Kinsley Vs., a 7-episode digital series, as we break down the indie filmmaking process that took us from script to screen. Beginning February 1st.  

Host: Courtney Romano 

Executive Producer: Benjamin Shaw 

Supervising Producer: Match Zimmerman 

Producer: Sara States 

Musical Theme: Match Zimmerman and Beth Rausch 

Created by Courtney Romano 

Rashad Chambers has made quantum leaps and giant strides by leveraging every move — one step at a time. After earning his law degree in Ohio, Rashad found himself in New York City, getting into producing, becoming a talent manager, then co-producing American Son starring Kerry Washington and earning a Tony award nomination for producing Ain't Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations. He discusses the steps it took, over the course of eleven years, to reach his dream to produce on Broadway, and how a simple, clear mindset has given him the confidence to take each and every step.

Lauren Karaman is an absolute joy. She's also an actor, a plus size model, a Project Runway alum, and the founder and creative director of the 36-24-36 Project. In this episode, Lauren tells the story of why she decided to pursue a career in the arts, the toxic diet culture implicit in so many theatre programs, and how leaning into who she is (instead of disowning it) paved the way for her big break as one of the first curve models on Project Runway. Lauren talks about that big break leading directly to path she's always wanted to take and her advice for anyone who feels they have to change themselves to get ahead.

We set out looking for our big break. We hope for it, we strategize for it, and we obsess over it. But there’s something that’s more in our control, and perhaps more impactful to our overall trajectory: the decisive moment. In this week’s episode, we unpack what the decisive moment is, how it propels you forward, and how you’ll know what to do once you’re in one. 

One of the most elusive and nebulous parts of the filmmaking process is THE PITCH. What needs to be in it? How do you get people in the room? What do you do once you get people in the room? The truth is, there are lots of ways to answer those questions, and the answer will change from project to project. But the one thing you can have control over in every single pitch is you. So how do you become more magnetic? More appealing? More self-assured in your pitch? Today's podcast episode is about using the concept of the Fleur du Mal as a guide for bringing your most engaging self to the forefront of your pitch. It's something I've personally been working on for months, and today I'm distilling it down to the 3 questions that have helped me the most in preparing to pitch with magnetism and self assurance. This episode is for anyone who's ready to go big, go deep, and get the deal.

Because he's an actor, voice actor, comedian, puppeteer, writer, facilitator and more, Joseph Lymous can simply be called a world builder. What started out as building a world for himself under the marriage of self-liberation and comedy, has now turned into a legitimate breakthrough moment. Joseph's online content, from comedy sketches to music and movement, have become his calling card — even Beyonce herself reposted his work! — as he enters the rooms where deals are made. He generously discusses what it feels like when you finally catch your big break, how he is balancing this breakthrough with his creative process, the value of telling simple stories, and he defines success in the most beautiful way you've ever heard it described. 

I was standing behind the bar at the restaurant where I worked, waiting to hear if I booked a show after a callback, missing my husband who was away performing at a Shakespeare festival for a year, not wanting to go back to my apartment which had no heat in the dead of winter, when a seemingly happy family sauntered in and sat down in the dining room, and I thought: 

How am I ever going to be both an artist and a mother?

The artist part of the equation never yielded very reassuring results. Even when I did get paid an equitable amount, it never lasted too long, and was 50/50 if I'd get enough health insurance weeks from it or not. And more than that—I was just so unhappy. I knew I was supposed to be an artist, but I didn't feel like I could find the right space in which to do it. I knew I wanted to be a mom, but I didn't see anyone else doing it. At least, not anyone like me. 

So when I did become a mother, I was thrust into the mommy world, and again, felt like I didn't quite fit. Like I was supposed to have opinions on all sorts of things that I hadn't even known were things: co-sleeping or cry it out, puree or no puree, Pitocin or water birth. 

But now here I am, both an artist and a mother. And folks will ask me, "How?" And not, "How do you balance this or that?" People more say, "Like how tf does this even work–in GENERAL?" So I'm going to try to answer that question in today's episode. I'm going to tell you exactly how I do it. And sure, not everyone listening to this episode wants to be a mother (respect), but use "mom" as a placeholder for anything you know in your bones you want, even though it makes no sense on paper. 

This is the behind-the-scenes, pull back the curtain, deep dive into my mom-artist brain. It's a little messy, a little teary, and it meanders into places like politics and poetry. If we're going to talk about how to be an independent artist, our daily lived experience is certainly a part of that quest. I hope you're fortified and encouraged to do what you want to do, the way YOU want to do it, no matter what that is after giving this one a listen.

**At one point I talk about the movie "Stepmom" and reference Sigourney Weaver. Mom brain. Susan Sarandon. It's Susan Sarandon. Susan Sarandon is in Stepmom. I meant Susan Sarandon. (face palm)**

Years ago I read an essay in the New York Times on the premise that humans never know how write the end of a story, a book, a movie, etc. because we haven't experienced "The End" ourselves. That might be true. But in studying dramatic structure, as taught by playwright and filmmaker David Mamet, there does seem to be one way to get to a good ending. And that is: the three uses of the knife. In this episode, I'll break down what that concept is (as explained by Mamet), how it makes our writing better, and a case study of how it was used in Screen Test. There will be spoilers.

Indie music artist Jared Mancuso is not having it with capitalism. In this episode, we went deep into politics and indie art, and how the two intersect. Jared talks about the insufficiency of celebrity cancel culture, the mindset you have to start with to begin an independent career, and where the seat of power actually resides in a capitalist culture. As a musician, Jared has come head to head with the tough economic realities of producing independent work and talks about his vision for a communal, people-powered economy for art.

Jacqui Otaño and I met at a political march, and she is an absolute beam of light. As a creative director, a musician, and a creative coach, Jacqui has traveled the world and forged her own path the whole way around it. In this episode, Jacqui talks about grief leading into a deeper sense of knowing herself, the tension of selfishness in telling your own story, and defying the scripted path at every cost. We also wax poetic about Queens, the subway, yelling at strangers, and baseball. 

If you've ever told someone you're an artist and they follow up with something akin to "What have I seen you in?", this episode is for you. So many times we internalize the archetype of the struggling artist to mean there's some sort of internal self-defeat causing us to struggle, often ignoring the reality of the System of which we are a part. In this episode, we chat about the minimum wage, mental health, and how to reframe the conversation away from the trappings of Capitalist thinking so that we can do the thing we came here to do: make art.

Here are the citations for referenced statistics within the podcast:

"This is What Minimum Wage Would Be If It Kept Pace with Productivity" -- https://www.cepr.net/this-is-what-minimum-wage-would-be-if-it-kept-pace-with-productivity/

"63% of Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck since Covid hit" -- https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/11/majority-of-americans-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-since-covid-hit

"Artists Are More Anxious Than People in Other Professions—But They Are Also Better at Coping With Challenges, a New Study Finds" -- https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artists-psychology-yale-study-1848138

We're back with Season 2 of The Break Breakdown! In this season's first episode, writer/director Courtney Romano breaks down her three rules of The Second Step. Courtney talks about how to keep up your stamina in the down, dark moments of the creative process when you're past the enthusiasm of the beginning but far away from the resolution of the end; and how to think about the invisible, non-Instagrammable, boring parts so you can actually get to the finish line.

No film school? No problem. Today's episode covers five principles of directing for film that can help you create your first film when you haven't gone to film school. Courtney breaks down what she needed to know and what she didn't need to know, how she created the particular language of her short film "Screen Test", and why everything in your shot is "Chekov's gun".

Today's episode is about reframing the capitalist talking points that make us feel like our art is only as good as its paycheck. Courtney breaks down the difference between capitalism v. democratic socialism, how capitalist thinking clouds our artistic vision, why having a day job is an indicator of success, and how to reframe our approach to our work with a value system that centers people and art, instead of capital. 

QUICK & DIRTY: Q&D episodes are short conversations investigating one singular idea or concept about creativity and breaking through. This week's Q&D is about ideation, the creative process, and figuring out where to start.

QUICK & DIRTY: Q&D episodes are short conversations investigating one singular idea or concept about creativity and breaking through. This week's Q&D is about The Pancake Theory vs. The Hero's Journey and the fear that your great idea might be a flop. 

Today's episode is about the myth of writer's block. Courtney breaks down how she approaches the writing process, the resources she's used to self-educate herself on writing, and what makes writing good. She also gets very quote happy. :) This episode is for everyone interested in the writing process: whether you're brand new and looking for a way to start, or a veteran who wants to reinvigorate your process.

Today's episode is about getting attention. But not in the SEO-driven, click-baity kind of way. This episode seeks to answer the big picture question, "How can I market my film (or any creative work) in a way that's sustainable, authentic, and impactful?" It's the 30,000 foot view and a good place to start if you're new to marketing or looking to get re-inspired as you implement your own strategies. In this episode, Courtney breaks down the overall marketing plan for Screen Test. She shares the fundamentals she's implemented over years of working on a variety of professional marketing campaigns, the lessons she's learned from marketing her own work, and how to determine what kind of strategy will work for you.

What exactly is producing? What is the path into costume design? How do you find an amazing team and wardrobe when you have a $0 budget? Is New York City dead? Our guests today are answering all of those questions and more. Mckinzy Powers and Allison Koehler produced Screen Test (Allison also did the costume design) and in today's episode, they discuss taking non-traditional career paths, the perils of comparison, and how to get the most out of a micro-budget.

David Gow is an actor's actor. He played the cringey, smiley, try-hard Jason in Screen Test, and he's on the podcast today talking with Courtney about the leaps and risks he took to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. He talks about "getting discovered" at six and then putting away his passion, the artistic discipline he fell in love with, and where he finds his edge. 

Today, actor and dancer LaWanda Hopkins who plays the unshakably confident fitfluencer Devvy in Screen Test, joins Courtney for a chat about finding your authentic path. She talks about the moment that made her realize she had something more to give and working with greats like Chadwick Boseman and Spike Lee. In this episode, LaWanda speaks about success's bigger purpose, bypassing the systems and structures that have set up obstacles in her way, and how she has forged her own authentic path with joy and focus.

On today's episode, actor and renaissance man Kennedy Kanagawa who plays the belt-your-face-off fitness instructor Kenny in Screen Test, joins Courtney. He talks about about the truth behind success and failure and why they're not exactly what they seem. Kennedy also opens up about the racism he faced when starting out in the industry, how to network without feeling grossed out by it, and his take on getting your big break. Tune in for an episode with a lot of laughter.

Today on the podcast, Jillian Paige who plays "fitfluencer" Caroline in our upcoming short film Screen Test joins us to talk about breaking through the blocks that keep us from honest expression. Jillian uses and teaches the Meisner acting technique and in this episode, she discusses everything from how she used the technique to prepare for Screen Test to toxic positivity to letting your instincts guide you.

Courtney's joined today by actor and writer Sara States, who stars as Olivia in our upcoming short film: Screen Test. In this episode, Courtney and Sara discuss how she prepared for the role of Olivia, why she left the theatre industry and how she came back to it, and her advice for anyone wondering when they'll get their big break. 

Without experience or film school behind her, Courtney talks about why she decided to direct her film and the principles she used in helping her guide the ship for the first time. 

This is a podcast from Queens Bird Films.

Today we're talking money. On this episode, Courtney breaks down the four ways people fund independent films, the biggest costs during the filming of Screen Test, how to write a script to keep your costs low, and the guiding principles she used in getting the most out of their small budget. 

This is a podcast from Queens Bird Films.

No script. No directing experience. No funding. That's how the process of making the short film Screen Test began. In this episode, writer and director Courtney Romano breaks down the very first steps of the process, from having the idea to working with producers. Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to podcasts. 

This is a podcast from Queens Bird Films.