Screw Perfect. Just Make the Damn Movie. (And Then Make Another One.)
8 days ago • 16 min readWhy Volume Beats Perfection—And How Indie Filmmakers Can Build a Sustainable Career One Movie at a Time I've been on a bit of a soap box the past couple of weeks, admittedly. It's because I’ve got a confession: for years I chased the “perfect” film. You know, the One: waiting for the right pieces, circumstances, people, etc. for the perfect movie that would launch my career like a rocket. I polished scripts until they fell apart, waited for ideal conditions (spoiler: they never came), and...
READ POSTBeyond the Frame – April 2025: Happy National Canadian Film Day!
10 days ago • 5 min readApril, 16 2025 From the Producers’ Chair Hello Reader, Today is National Canadian Film Day—a moment to pause and recognize the incredible stories born here, told here, and shared with the world. And it’s a perfect day to send this update because The Quiet Canadians—our next film—is more than just a movie. It’s a declaration of how we believe films should be made: • With clarity of purpose. • With a committed audience from day one. • And with a whole lot of Canadian grit and ambition and some...
READ POSTPeople First: The Secret to Independent Film Development No One Talks About
21 days ago • 10 min readHey Filmmakers, Before we dive into this week’s article, I’ve got two quick updates for you: 🎙️ 1. Got a burning question about indie filmmaking? We’re hosting a Q&A episode of Off the Lot and we want to hear from you! Whether you’re stuck in development, confused about financing, or wondering how to build your team—hit reply to this email and send us your question. We’re recording next weekend and the episode drops early May. 🎬 2. Need help with your film project or career game plan? All...
READ POSTHow To Build A Filmmaking Career (Without Waiting For Permission)
about 1 month ago • 8 min readHey Reader, I don’t know if you need to hear this, but if you’re staring at your project folder, wondering if this next film idea is worth it—if anyone will care, if anyone will give you money, if anyone will say yes—I need you to read this slowly. You don’t need permission. You just need to start. And not in some vague motivational poster way. I mean practically, tactically, step-by-step. Because the new game isn’t about being discovered. It’s about designing your own path. When I made 13...
READ POSTThe Filmmaker's Notebook: How I Learned After Effects in a Panic (and Why It Made Me a Better Filmmaker)
about 1 month ago • 4 min readHey Reader, You don’t need to know everything before you start. You just need a project that forces you to learn. For me, that project was 13 Miles. And the lesson? You learn fastest when you have no other choice. The Panic-Induced VFX Bootcamp We had wrapped shooting 13 Miles, our indie triathlon movie. Everything was coming together. Then, we hit a problem. There were shots that needed visual effects. Small things—removing unwanted elements, compositing, subtle fixes. But we didn’t have the...
READ POSTThe FIlmmaker's Notebook: The Indie Film Marketing Mistake (That Costs Filmmakers Everything)
about 2 months ago • 7 min readHey Reader, Most independent filmmakers market their movies the way Hollywood does. Big trailers. Splashy posters. A desperate hunt for press coverage. But here’s the truth: that strategy won’t work for you. It didn’t work for us when we made 13 Miles, our indie triathlon film. It’s not working for most indie filmmakers I know. And if we had followed that path for The Quiet Canadians, we’d be stuck in a cycle of frustration, wondering why nobody cares about a project we are pouring so much...
READ POSTBeyond the Frame – March 2025 Edition: A Monthly Newsletter from Habethy Films
about 2 months ago • 5 min readMarch 2025 Newsletter Independent Film is Not Just Alive—It’s Thriving Sean Baker just made history. His independent film Anora swept the Academy Awards, proving beyond a doubt that independent cinema is where the real artistry lives. Five Oscars for a film made on “blood, sweat, and tears” – not studio franchise money. Proof that audiences and movie lovers want fresh, original stories, not the same recycled Hollywood IP. This is a defining moment for indie filmmakers. It’s also why we’re...
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