As filmmakers from across the globe gather together in Austin, Texas to celebrate film, interactive media, and music—plus tacos, beer, and an endless number of brand activations—at this year’s SXSW Conference & Festivals, it’s obvious to see the passion, dedication, and often sheer determination, that was needed to bring many of these projects to life.
From the biggest feature film premieres to the micro-budget shorts, the filmmakers, in particular at this year’s SXSW Film and TV Festival, often put everything on the line to write, shoot, and edit their projects. And to see them play on the big screens at the festival for the first time will undoubtedly make all of their efforts worth it.
We chatted with the filmmakers of this year’s SXSW Film and TV Festival about the challenges they faced to bring their projects to life. And, with the goal of providing both inspiration and advice to all of us aspiring filmmakers looking to premiere our own projects at festivals like SXSW in the future, let’s explore how this advice can inspire our own passion and projects.
Ash (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Every aspect of the film was a challenge, from casting to getting the music all nice and tidy. But the hardest part was making the film in New Zealand, while it was really beautiful, being so far away made everything feel even more difficult because I was WAY out of my element.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Get your hands dirty, try a little bit of everything in every department, play around with some sound, draw some storyboards, learn camera lenses, mess around with After Effects, and do an acting class. I think in this day and age, filmmakers have to be clever, capable, and self-sufficient, as much as possible.
— Flying Lotus, director of Ash
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Making Nirvanna the Band is very much about trial and error. Trying something and recognizing what’s working and what’s not. Sometimes this means killing your darlings and starting from scratch. We built our production team to stay quick on our feet and allow for some shoot days to not work out as planned.
Sometimes we come away from a shoot day really excited about what we got but we discover it doesn’t work in the edit.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Be bold. Take chances. Don’t get in your own way and impede your own creativity. Make something you and your friends want to watch and trust that there is an audience for it.
— Matt Miller and Matt Greyson, producers on Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
I Really Love My Husband (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
The biggest challenge was absolutely the logistical problems of shooting on this small island where the only mode of transportation was by boat. We flew most of our gear from Los Angeles, then some grip equipment came a 10-hour drive away from Panama City. This really limited the type of equipment we could use and bring along as weight and space were something we were always considering.
We shot a large amount of the film in a huge house with both day and night work, with lots of rigging needed to be done. Between my gaffer, Aaron Ware, and my Key Grip Faisal Tisnés, they came up with an ingenious solution of rigging using rope instead of speedrail. Was a cheap and small solution that could easily be tossed into a boat rather than many lengths of 20’ speed rail.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Focus on making things that people haven’t seen before. It’s too easy to get caught up trying to emulate your favorite filmmakers, but often times you’ll just end up with a poor substitute for what they’ve created. Your goal should be to make something wildly different than what’s out there now. It may mean taking some big risks, but it’s the only thing that will get you past the noise.
— Ryan Thomas, DP on I Really Love My Husband
Video Barn (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Oof, we had a couple! Licensing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre footage was a challenge. It’s, of course, a cult classic and a very well-known film, but we knew we needed it, and I really didn’t want any other film to play at that moment. My amazing producer, Stine Moisen, and her incredible team, Beverly Midon, and Shane Palmer, worked day and night to find the right person to speak to and secure approval for the few seconds of footage we used.
After a lot of waiting and back-and-forth the day before the shoot, we finally got the final approval to use the footage. That was a very stressful moment, but I’m so thankful that Stine’s team made it all happen. Another little hiccup was that a couple of days before the shoot (and there was no way to push the shoot because of everyone’s schedule), I had two impacted wisdom teeth.
If I were to have them removed, I would have to rest and wouldn’t be able to shoot. So, I showed up on set both days with an ice pack on my face, took a lot of ibuprofen, and pushed through it.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Always be creating, and fine-tuning your voice and finding your film family. Work with people you not only respect creatively but like as humans and start to make your own crew of selected people that you trust and love and keep creating together. Only magic can stem from this.
— Bianca Poletti, director of Video Barn
The Long Valley (Documentary Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
We shot our film in the Salinas Valley, one of the main agricultural hubs in California. The film is about humans’ difficulty accepting reality while still finding room to dream. When we started shooting we had no idea what the film would be about– we try to approach our documentaries without preconceived notions of what we are going to create. We filmed things that caught our eye and conducted interviews with those we met along the way. In post-production, we seek out the connections between our observations and what our participants said. Our hope is that the film feels like a poem or a song. The biggest challenge then becomes making the film feel open, while not random, which can be a very difficult tension.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Define success on your own terms and make a lot of short films. Make sure you make the films you want to make. Not every filmmaker wants to direct Hollywood films and win an Oscar (some do, don’t feel bad if that’s you!). And no one is offering you money to sell out early on. Start thinking about your career in terms of decades–longevity and sustainability are key. Look for models of filmmaking that don’t cost a lot of money and follow in their footsteps. Don’t quit your day job, don’t pay for films on credit cards. Keep making your work; don’t worry about them being good or bad, but rather just another step in your career. Make a lot of short films!
— Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, co-director of The Long Valley
Synthesize Me (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
From my perspective, the biggest challenge was really getting the tone of the script and performances right. As I’m not a Mexican native, it was a real team effort to be respectful and avoid making it too dramatic or too focused on their societal context. And instead, focus on the characters and their arc set in motion by this (very) magnified visual incident that served as a metaphor for their stalled relationship amidst grief.
From a camera perspective, it was a big challenge to ‘explain’ the technical situation and geographical arena in-camera. My initial version of the script was more handheld and natural. But through discussions, and largely thanks to Alfonso, we concluded that the film needed a bit more focus and headspace. Using sticks and holding shots allowed the audience to better understand things that were already quite a stretch. From the electricity to how a sequencer works while composing for synthesizers, looping them in the 80s.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
No matter how complicated or convoluted, make sure your ending works and conveys the truth of what you want to tell. Then reverse engineer from there if necessary. No one will remember your amazing opening scene on 200T, but they will remember an ending that works—even if it was shot on a potato.
— Bear Damen, director of Synthesize Me
Are We Good? (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
The biggest challenges making the film mostly came in post-production. Keeping our story focused and engaging, while finding the comedic balance was a highwire act on a film that goes so deeply into the topic of grief.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
If you have an idea for a documentary, get a camera and go shoot it. Simple as that. You are your own boss. But most importantly, be open to new directions. You may have an idea where you want the story to go, but don’t be surprised if everything shifts after months (or years) of filming.
— Steven Feinartz, director of Are We Good?
The Beguiling (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
One of the biggest challenges for me was figuring out how to make a film that’s mostly set around a couch in a living room feel visually dynamic. As a director, one of my favorite parts of the process is to step back from the script and dive into deep script analysis, searching for moments within each scene that reveal character. This process not only helps me understand how to work with the actors but also guides my decisions on camera placement.
Once I’ve done this groundwork, I meet with my DP, Shaandiin Tome, and we discuss the story and its key moments, without thinking about the camera just yet. After that, we each create our own shot lists separately, then come back together to compare and refine them. This is the second time Shaandiin and I have worked together, and both times, our shot lists ended up being surprisingly similar. When we did have differences, we’d talk them through and always land on what best serves the story.
Another challenge was shooting in a small room with no central air during a brutal NYC summer heat wave. It got so hot that we bought three air conditioners, running them between takes and turning them off whenever the cameras were rolling. Then after the shoot, return them 😉
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
The biggest piece of advice I’d give to up-and-coming filmmakers is to be patient. Filmmaking is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to keep pushing, even when it feels like all you’re getting is rejection after rejection, that’s just part of the process. Every “no” and every setback is a chance to learn something and grow, so use it to fuel your next project and keep moving forward.
It’s a lot like the characters we write, they face obstacles and adversity because that’s how they grow, and the same goes for us as filmmakers. The truth is, this craft is a constant learning experience. Everyone’s path looks different, some people might find success quickly, while others take a bit longer, and that’s okay. The key is to stay patient, put in the work, build discipline, and most importantly, remember to have fun.
Also, always opt for healthy snacks and food on set.
— Shaandiin Tome, DP on The Beguiling
Corina (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
I believe that everyone in the industry knows that shooting is complicated; there are too many logistical elements happening in a space and time, and countless things need to be synchronized to be able to say “action”. I think for independent cinema, shooting is obviously even more challenging: we initially had a work plan of six and a half weeks, but due to budget issues, which were cut during the pandemic, we had to reduce our work plan to four weeks. The crew and I, along with the cast, found ourselves in a situation where we had to make creative decisions under a lot of time pressure. I feel that was the most complicated part of shooting “Corina”. Fortunately, we achieved wonderful creative efficiency that can be appreciated in the film.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Take mistakes as part of the journey to reach what you desire. Stay comfortable in solitude, in making a fool of yourself, and in the moments when everyone around you laughs because you’re different. Life is short; have the discipline to believe manically in yourself. The risk of not doing so is much more regrettable than temporary failures, as they are necessary to truly know yourself as an artist.
— Urzula Barba Hopfner, director on Corina
Fucktoys (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
The biggest challenge I faced making this film was being a woman. It is very hard for an unproven entity to get financing, production support, executive producers, or a studio attached and it’s even harder if it’s a first-time female filmmaker. I can’t stress this enough. The saying I heard often was that men are perceived as investments, but women are risks. I was told that I was not experienced enough to direct a movie, that I shouldn’t shoot on film because I didn’t know what I was doing, that I couldn’t have a script with so much sexual intimacy, that I had to change the title and that I was not the right “pedigree” for certain investors. I was rarely taken seriously by men in the industry, sometimes being invited to meetings that were actually dates in a bar or receiving unwelcome physical advances from financiers promising me money. On set, the issue persisted in both subtle and overt ways. I found that it is incredibly important to find your “spiritual warriors” and hold them close.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Make your script your religion and your film your god and proselytize to the world your vision. By turning my work into my faith practice, I was able to have the stamina to last the 8 years of creation.
— Annapurna Sriram, director of Fucktoys
I’m The Most Racist Person I Know (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Leela Varghese: “We were working on a shoestring budget while trying to achieve a more ambitious look than in our previous shorts. We leaned into our limitations as much as possible, which is key for any budget level in filmmaking. What Michael achieved with a $10K (AUD) film is incredible—I’m always blown away by how he does so much with so little. The edit for this short was also challenging creatively because it was a shift from my usual full comedic tone to balancing drama with comedy. Pip Hart, our editor, and I spent a lot of time refining the tone and figuring out the best way to put the film together.”
Michael Tessari: “For me, the biggest challenge was making sure we found the right locations to create the look and visual language we were after. Once we found the nightclub and restaurant the rest of the process was an absolute dream.”
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Leela Varghese: “Be true to yourself as an artist, but also be strategic. Have a clear goal for your career—it might start with getting into a film festival you admire, one that aligns with your style as a filmmaker. It’s important to always know who you are and where your content will be best received. For me, I always like to write scripts that are achievable within the budget I have. That way, I can focus on the craft of the project rather than trying to do too much with too little. Lastly, find people you mesh with creatively and never let them go. Grow and learn with them, evolving with every project you make. Each one should build on the lessons of the last.”
Michael Tessari: “I would say if the script is good, work on any short film projects you can. You never know if the film will get into a cool festival on the other side of the world.”
— Leela Varghese and Michael Tessari from I’m The Most Racist Person I Know
42nd Street (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
The most challenging thing was trying to find the perfect tone between the hybrid of documentary and fiction, blending both genres in a way that felt natural and organic to the setting, as if the film itself demanded that kind of format.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
I think everyone needs to follow their own path, there is no one way route to success, but definitely failing is not trying.
— José Maria Cabral, director of 42nd Street
Sweetness (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
The schedule was fast. Every day we finished was a miracle as everything had to go right to make our days, but of course, nothing always goes 100% as planned. Being the writer as well as director allowed me to make changes quickly on the fly, and a very well planned out previs gave me a solid roadmap as delirium from exhaustion set in.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Trust your instincts. Don’t drink or do drugs. Make cool stuff, then do it again and again and again. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. Stretch. Drink water.
— Emma Higgins, director of Sweetness
Unholy (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
One of the biggest challenges was to be able to shoot the chaotic dinner scene. We wanted it to feel overwhelming, yet thoughtful. Kevin and I were able to work together to create a “dialogue map” that outlined how the camera was going to move in order to capture as many people talking as possible, while still maintaining the fluidity of movement.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Tell a bold story that you’re scared to tell and put your fear into the work. You won’t regret sharing the story that’s on your heart, even it feels daunting to tell.
— Daisy Friedman, director of Unholy
Dear Tomorrow (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
I’m always alone on the shoot. So I film, record sound, and direct on the set. That’s a conscious choice to be able to get as close and intimate with my characters as possible, but that also presents challenges with making sure the technical side works while I’m directing and capturing real-life scenes. And doing it all in a language, that I don’t speak. I do have a translator who is aware that the job with me also involves carrying bags of gear, but in the end it somehow all works out in the favour of what is recorded in the camera.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
It’s a cliché with today’s technology being so cheap, easy to access and play with, so it’s about figuring out what kind of stories and visual languages you want to explore and then just go for it. Trial and error has to be part of everyones “education”. I like to make films about subjects that interest me on a personal level, where I can engage personally in the conversations that arise during the shoot. So when I’m filming scenes and having conversations through my camera, I express my own personal reflections on what might
be happening to the protagonist. Engage yourself personally in the story and while doing that, explore your visual language to convey what you experience.
— Kaspar Astrup Schröder, director of Dear Tomorrow
The Singers (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Curating a cast of viral video sensations and other one-of-a-kind personalities from the unlikeliest corners of the internet and getting them all in one room seemed like an almost impossible feat. We traveled with first-time actors from Arkansas, New York, Boston, New Orleans, Texas, and Australia. Once we crossed that hurdle, the next biggest challenge was working together to improvise 100% of the film’s dialogue, essentially writing the script live during production so that the dialogue felt true to each character. This gave the film a sort of documentary spontaneity.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
There’s so much incredible stuff out there and so many strong voices. Draw inspiration from wherever you want, but then try to make something unlike anything you’ve seen before. That requires taking big creative risks, some of which will blow up in your face. But the ones that pay off will be the choices that define your voice as a filmmaker.
— Sam Davis, director of The Singers
Whitch (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
The film is centered around an elderly woman, stripping naked, murdering an animal, and rubbing its blood all over her body. So the question immediately becomes, ‘Who is going to DO that?’ There were a lot of early conversations about using prosthetics, so the actor didn’t need to actually get naked. But that ultimately proved more expensive, and I felt that it would be distracting. So we held (clothed) auditions.
There are more people in Southern California willing to do this type of role than you’d think. And several people were really amazing. But the very last person we auditioned, Rosemary Hochschild, was the perfect fit. She could play older than she was, so she could fill this character with a startling energy. She was a damn good actor. And she could be really, really scary.
I remember as the audition wound down thinking she was too good to be true. So I double-checked – “Are you okay with the nudity? And the blood?” Her response was something to the effect of “Of course! I’ve done a lot of wild art projects in New York in the 70s and 80s.” And off we went from there.
Working with Rosemary was truly wonderful. I had so much fun. My only real sadness about this project is that she died in August 2024. She never got to see the movie. And I think this was her final film. WHITCH would not be what it is without her.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
If possible, keep your short films short – like under 15, 10, or even 5 minutes. It helps you get programmed at festivals.
The ability to experiment, fail, and experiment again is key. So, if you tend to write micro-budget stuff, then make a lot of micro-budget shorts. If you tend to write higher-budget stuff, then write a lot of short ideas to get a feel for which one is strongest before trying to raise money and go into production. Give yourself room to fail.
— Hoku Uchiyama, director of Whitch
The Home (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Our primary challenge was balancing ambitious creative vision with budgetary constraints. What it often boils down to is time. Time to work with the actors and get the shots you want. Filming on Gotland Island proved to be a good decision in this regard. Both the cast and team took residence in an unused wing of the former dementia home where much of the story unfolds, with other key locations nearby. This eliminated transportation logistics and allowed us to really live and breathe the movie together. Another significant challenge was directing a cast that included several actors over 90 years of age, some of whom participated in physically demanding scenes. Their commitment was extraordinary – they approached the work with enthusiasm, professionalism, and willingness to push their boundaries. I’m proud of how our entire team and cast fostered a warm, respectful atmosphere that honored both the story and the vulnerability required to tell it.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Never give up, never surrender. Seriously, I think it’s very easy to get caught up in details and focus on the wrong things in all the stages of making a movie. Personally, I try to constantly keep track of my emotional connection. What are the feelings I am trying to convey to the audience? Am I still feeling them myself?
— Mattias J. Skoglund, director of The Home
Yú Cì (Fish Bones) (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Many of the biggest challenges in making this film were also the greatest gifts. I cast my parents in the film, and my dad has never acted before. My mom has only acted in my previous work. This film is informed by my own exploration of gender identity. While working together, the film’s subject matter opened up difficult but vital conversations. The challenges of personal filmmaking involving my family created opportunities for us to understand each other better.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
My advice to up-and-coming filmmakers is to make films with your community. Filmmaking is such a collaborative art form and working with the right collaborators will lead to so much growth, both personal and professional. Your filmmaking process is just as important as the films you make. It’s important to be thoughtful and generous with your collaborators and to approach your filmmaking with care.
— Kevin Xian Ming Yu, director of Yú Cì (Fish Bones)
O’Dessa (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Our biggest challenge was creating a whole new world with pretty limited resources. And finding an actor who could sing like an angel and carry this film on her back. Sadie Sink is that miracle.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Be creative every day. Make shit no matter how small. It’s a very long road to get a film made (this took 6 years!) so the more you write, draw, shoot, and record daily the more you connect yourself to the lifeblood of your project. It all adds up.
— Geremy Jasper, director of O’Dessa
Forge (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
1. We had a lot of night scenes and sequences that required a lot of overnight schedules for work days. These can really add up in crew productivity and creativity. They are often inevitable, but they wound up being one of the hardest hurdles for us to scale.
2. Driving sequences. We minimized them greatly, but even still we spent a lot of time finding creative solutions for driving sequences.
3. Weather. We were blessed in this regard in many ways, but we were challenged often by shifting clouds and occasional rain. For Miami, all in all, I think we were pretty lucky, but we did have to shift schedule and make compromises for weather a few times.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
1. Time is more valuable than any piece of cinematography equipment
2. The right location is more valuable than any piece of cinematography equipment
3. Production Design is more valuable than any piece of cinematography equipment
4. Costumes are more valuable than any piece of cinematography equipment
5. The visuals of a story typically have more to do with the full collaboration of departments, than the specific pieces of cinematography equipment being used.
6. On smaller sets, lighting can be pricy and often require more crew than affordable. If possible, find the look you are going for in the locations you choose, then in the blocking you agree upon, once more the camera placement to that blocking, and finally by added lighting instruments or shaping tools.
7. Compromise is so helpful in narrative film. So much of our success on Forge came from our team’s ability to pivot or re-evaluate when real-time challenges occurred. Being open to shifting beats or moments while preserving emotional and narrative arcs can not only be necessary for production but also creatively freeing and inviting of unforeseen opportunities.
— Leo Purman, DP of Forge.
The Baltimorons (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Personal limitations with my own creativity, patience, magical thinking, and ingenuity.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Stop talking and start making. If you make movies you’re a filmmaker. If you don’t make movies, you’re not a filmmaker.
— Jay Duplass, director of The Baltimorons.
CREEDE U.S.A (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
The location of Creede, CO is extremely remote, at 9,000 feet elevation. For most shoots, we worked with a very small 2-person crew that would be shooting, running sound, flying drones, managing media, lighting, etc. There is no place anywhere nearby to get last-minute gear needs, so we had to make sure we brought everything we could possibly need with us. Especially at that elevation, we had to make sure everyone was hydrated, adjusting well to the altitude, eating, and resting — so important for producers to look out for the well-being of their crew!
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Nailing down all logistics in pre-production is the key to reducing stress so that you can focus on creative decisions on the ground. This is especially true when traveling to remote shooting locations where you don’t have a lot of options when you realize you don’t have the right equipment or hit snags with your scheduling. Plan for every scenario, every type of shooting location, keep your crew fed and hydrated!
— CREEDE U.S.A
Satisfaction (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Making sure that the light continuity was on point. Hawaii in December has a lower angle sun but is very critical with Magic Hour. There’s a lot of wind and sudden climate changes. One minute is cloudy and the other second is straight sun…you want to dance with nature but really have a grasp on your contrast ratio. Therefore, my approach for reeling was taking advantage of the blessing of a replica of the location. One facing east and the other facing west. So we shot everything from 7 am to 11 am facing east. 12 pm – 3 pm our day interiors and 3 pm – 7 pm facing west.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Make sure you surround yourself with people that believe in you. Learn how to use a light meter and how to shoot on film. The discipline of shooting on film. Find a Director to grow with, shoot for the edit, marry yourself to the blocking, budget for what’s on the script, and above all, safety first.
— Rafael Leyva, producer on Satisfaction.
Summer of 69 (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Our biggest challenge during shooting was our big opening credits sequence. Blocking and choreographing a whole band, cheer squad, and soccer team was a big undertaking that we luckily had the talented Travis Wall to choreograph, but we only had 1 extremely hot summer day to shoot it. I did a lot of pre-vis work using my viewfinder app so that we could make sure it cut together, was the right choreography for our wide aspect ratio, and could then communicate the plan with the rest of the crew.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
The advice I’d give to up-and-coming filmmakers is to develop your taste. Rather than catering to what you think other people want to see or what feels trendy or successful, hone in on what you specifically think is funny or heartbreaking or boring and cultivate your ability to make decisions based on your own taste.
— Maria Rusche, DP on Summer of 69.
The Tallest Dwarf (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Our biggest challenges were much less technical and much more social and ethical. Bringing a camera into a little people community is a fraught enterprise. Little people have historically been put on display and seen from an outside, average height and ableist perspective. And so it was crucial to invite those in the film to not only consent but to collaborate in the act of putting ourselves on screen together. This required first a legitimate and vulnerable purpose to be there at all – on the part of director Julie Wyman: the film is about her own search for belonging in the little people community as someone who is a taller dwarf. Without this sense of vulnerability and connection on Julie’s part – the camera and images it made would have just repeated overdone cliches and tropes that continue to this day in reality TV and entertainment and even many documentaries about little people.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Dive into what you are uncertain about – what frightens you and also what draws you. I am not sure I could have made this film any earlier than I did (I started in my mid-40s) but the kernel or spark for it was always there. It feels rewarding to dig in and pursue a personal mystery – and to find the ways it ties to a world beyond yourself.
— Julie Forrest Wyman, director of The Tallest Dwarf
Take No Prisoners (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
We were embedded for a year with the US government’s chief hostage negotiator, and our biggest challenge was always figuring out how to blend into the background so we would disturb the delicate proceedings as little as possible. The climax of our filmmaking journey took us on a private plane into Venezuela for a high-stakes meeting with President Nicolas Maduro. Knowing that there were humans wrongly imprisoned and that their freedom depended largely on how our visit went, and not wanting to be the one to somehow mess it up for everyone – that was stress on a different kind of level that I haven’t felt before when filming.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
My advice for new filmmakers (and old filmmakers alike) is to just get out there and make films for yourself. Find a story that you want to tell and try and tell it for yourself, without worrying about what the marketplace wants. Make things for yourself, make lots of mistakes, and experiment. Use that beginner’s mind and embrace it – it’s your superpower!
— Víctor Tadashi Suárez, DP on Take No Prisoners
Sally (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Our biggest creative obstacle in making this film was that Sally and Tam didn’t document much of their own love story, so very little archival exists of their time together. Our main character also didn’t like sharing the depths of her emotions or divulging her feelings to the world around her, which made her an amazing astronaut, but hard to capture as a filmmaker. This challenge pushed us to find other innovative solutions in crafting her story. We decided to shoot visual sequences on 16mm film to capture the feeling of falling in love, the feeling of having a secret, and the feeling of growing old with a loved one. We are so grateful to Sally’s life-partner Tam who brought these moments to life in her narration.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Don’t be afraid to take risks, to ask lots of questions, and to fail often. I recommend young people make as much as they can with whatever they have around them. Make short films with friends, shoot them on your phone, edit on iMovie, or whatever you have available. Just start. Make lots of things. It’s only through practice that you can hone your skills, and find your style. You just have to start somewhere and do it as much as you possibly can.
— Cristina Costantini, director of Sally.
Baby Doe (Documentary Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
One of the most challenging aspects of making the film was the edit. The story is quite complex, and Gail was disconnected from her memories around her experience during filming. It was difficult to piece together a story that was true to what happened, reflected Gail’s point of view, and served the purpose of educating the viewer on this misunderstood psychological condition. Fortunately, when we showed Gail the film she told us that it truly represented what happened to her. Although emotional, it was a very positive experience for her to see her story told in this way after there’d been so much misinformation in the media.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
When it comes to verite documentary, I think it’s important for new filmmakers to find stories they are willing to stick with over time. It’s a lot of patience and trusting your gut.
— Baby Doe.
Magic Hour (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Magic Hour was a true melting pot of challenges. We did all we could to address things ahead of time, but some challenges didn’t offer many solutions beyond just going with the flow. I think a lot about the extreme wind events that would come in most afternoons. At times this meant all we could do was hold a bounce card or flag – and other times, the wind was far too strong for even that. Ultimately this extremely minimal approach became part of the look, and some of my favorite shots from the film were born out of these limitations.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Let your perfectionism push you to grow, but don’t let it cripple you into inaction. When I look at my past work, I try to put myself back on set to the moment I was creating it. In hindsight, everything can feel like a mistake. However, when you consider all of the obstacles and challenges you faced, it can help you better cope with your decisions, and give you a framework from which to adjust your decision-making processes moving forward.
— Sarah Wheldon, DP on Magic Hour.
Max Distance (Narrative Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
It was the hottest few days of the year and I am very sensitive to that, so I was trying really hard not to puke the whole time. In case you are wondering, yes, it is a huge challenge to be in charge when trying not to puke, but it is a big character builder. And then, also, the nausea made me anxious, and then I got worried that I couldn’t take beta blockers on a really hot day. There is a scene where the lead character Googles stuff so of course we were using my computer and my Google history was “Can you take beta blockers in extreme heat.” I learned you cannot. I have to say I am very proud of myself for making the film I wanted to make when I was going through all that on set.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Do not shoot on the hottest days of the year. But really, even though I would say I am still definitely up and coming, my advice is to trust yourself and have patience. I must say, there is certainly an abundance of over-confidence in the industry, so I’m really aiming this at young female directors and perhaps young men who have anxiety disorders; that’s okay too.
Women are socialized to have a lot of self-doubt. And if you think that you have the most doubt in yourself, there are plenty of men in the industry that can top it, and by far. So you have to say fuck it to sooo many people, you have to be really bold to ask a lot of people to work for you and ask people for money and to watch your film and say “I’m worth it, this film is worth it.” On the patience aspect, there are always going to be ups and downs. Don’t let 10 rejections get to you, or 50, or 500.
Every success is surrounded by a ton of failures. Straight out of college, I submitted my absolute batshit film to Sundance and SXSW and not even one small festival. I can see now I definitely wasn’t ready. But I am so grateful I had these past 10 years to hone in on the craft and learn a lot. If I got an A24 feature deal at 22, I would have absolutely botched it; like forgetting to press record-level botching and for sure puking in front of someone important and then ruining my career. Not that every 22-year-old is as nutso-ecuckoo as I was, but we all make mistakes, and a large portion of them happen in your early 20s.
Take time to read everything about writing and directing, watch everything, and learn about every aspect of filmmaking. Be persistent. And now, I must let it be known, that I can confidently say that if I got that big feature deal, I would absolutely make sure we pressed record. And probably wouldn’t puke even once!
— Marissa Goldman, director of Max Distance.
Bunny (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
Time and money of course. Casting it to how we all saw fit was really fun but really specific and at times very difficult. But I would say the biggest challenge honestly is MAINTAINING the good, and positive, we’re doing something important vibe on a daily basis so the crew, cast, and producers can all really WORK in harmony. That was clearly what was necessary and not often very easy. But the real answer is always gonna be TIME and MONEY.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
I’m still such a newbie at this so it’s gonna come across as almost insincere but I mean it. Be nice to everyone. Even if everything is going wrong, BE COOL. People, crew, cast, everyone will be way happier to work if the director doesn’t suck. It feels good, like really good to work together and achieve something and come out still loving one another. That shit is a big deal. ALSO, make shit with your friends BUT get people to collaborate with who you can build that creativity bond with. You’ll still be friends after it’s cool. Make things, art, music, whatever- but make ’em with your friends. It’s rad.
— Ben Jacobson, director of Bunny.
Camp Widow (Documentary Short)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
We spent 5 years working on this 15-minute film, which is longer than our feature-length documentaries! We were initially scheduled to shoot this film in March of 2020. The shoot was canceled at the last moment, as COVID became a global pandemic and things shut down. It was more than two years before we were finally able to film again – Camp Widow is an indoor event, with 300+ people from all across the country, so it was particularly difficult to restart filming. We ended up doing pre-production for this film three times – speaking to potential participants, planning access, and scheduling crew, only to have the shoot canceled each time because of COVID-related issues. While we wouldn’t wish this experience on our worst enemies, getting stuck in pre-production did really help us hone our vision. We were very intentional with our filming choices: what we wanted was to completely immerse our viewers in the ephemeral experience of this gathering, so we filmed handheld verité with two crews, entirely within one weekend.
When we were finally able to do the long-awaited shoot, we faced a very challenging shooting environment both visually and for recording sound. The film was shot entirely inside a rather uncinematic conference center, with hundreds of people talking with each other all at the same time. We primarily used the Angenieux EZ-1 & EZ-2 cinema lenses which are lightweight enough for verite, but have a beautiful shallow depth of field. This allowed us to focus on people’s faces as the central visuals of the story, rather than the environment they were in, and capture the range of emotions our participants were experiencing. For sound, we used a combination of wireless microphones and highly directional boom mics to pick out individual voices amidst the cacophony of a large group of people speaking.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Making documentary films is really f*&%ing hard, and one thing that has been incredibly important for us is being part of a directing partnership. This is the fifth documentary we have made together, and we have built a highly collaborative working relationship that we wouldn’t trade for the world! Such a partnership is a vital and sustainable way of making films, and can help manage the mountain of work and years of stress that making documentary films entails. We think it is so important to find others who you can work closely together with who will both challenge and support you to become a better filmmaker.
— Laura Green and Anna Moot-Levin from Camp Widow.
The Infinite Husk (Narrative Feature)
What were the biggest challenges you faced making your film?
One of the biggest challenges we faced while making this film was “not enough time” which is common on most indie projects. While this isn’t true for every night of production, most nights we were racing the clock because we only had a certain talent for that night, or a location for just that night, or rented equipment had to be returned. On one hand, this forced us to be incredibly prepared going into each production day but it was also stressful knowing we had a limited number of takes before we needed to move on to the next thing to ensure we got everything we needed to tell a complete story.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming filmmakers?
Stack skills. Everyone is going to tell you to find your “tribe” and build a great team around you. That is absolutely great advice, but what folks don’t advise nearly as often is to go out and learn a lot of skills that you can then leverage through all phases of filmmaking. Learn how to use spreadsheets so you can keep track of expenses, schedules, and equipment. Learn how to use a camera, lights, or a boom. Learn how to edit, do some basic color grading, or sound mixing. I’m not saying you’ll be able to compete with masters of the craft who have spent thousands of hours perfecting their art, but for up-and-coming filmmakers, the most important thing is getting your film made and early on that means wearing a lot of hats. Go learn some skills and be an invaluable member of your own production… and also find some really talented folks to work with!
— Aaron Silverstein, director of The Infinite Husk.
Author: Jourdan Aldredge
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
