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Demystifying The Indie Film Journey
This is Truly Independent, a show that demystifies the indie film journey by documenting the process of releasing independent films in theaters. Each week, Garrett Batty and I, Daren Smith, will update you on our journey, bringing guests to share their insights into the process and answer your questions. In today's episode, we have got a surprise for you. So stick around and don't leave too early because you'll wanna hear this 1. Also, we answer the question, how do we choose what movies we work on?
Daren:All of this and more in today's episode, episode 6 of Truly Independent. Oh my gosh, that's Garrett Batty on the other side of this camera.
Garrett:Daren, my friend Daren, my friend and business partner. How are you?
Daren:Oh, my gosh. So much better now that we're get to chat. This is episode 6, man. I'm excited. We're we're making a run at this thing.
Garrett:I'll tell you what, that's, we've had as many episodes almost as I have movies. So
Daren:There you go.
Garrett:Great. We're doubling our doubling my output.
Daren:If only movies could be produced in a week, then you'd probably have that much more the higher much higher number there. My goodness, man. It's just good to keep doing this. It's good to be with you. I'm really excited.
Daren:I I think we should talk about indie film a little bit. Don't you think?
Garrett:Let's do. We're gonna jump into it. And, also, yeah, it is good to be with you. Thank you to our listeners that enable us to do this. We love seeing, the questions come in.
Garrett:You can ask questions about, your process, of releasing films or just anything about independent film in in general by going to 3 coinpro.com/podcast. Fill out the there. But, yes, it's it's awesome. We're we're so grateful, that people are listening and sharing and and commenting. I'll tell you, it's a cool week for independent film.
Garrett:Once again, the weekend box office, I mean, we're recording this right now when Inside Out had just had its 2nd weekend and grossed over a $100, 000, 000 on its 2nd weekend. So it's so funny because, you know, a week before 2 weeks before, the, you know, the Variety and Hollywood Insider and everything, deadline was the the the doom and gloom at the box office and our movie's dead, and now Inside Out comes and, you know, the conversation is always fun to follow, but and it's always the same every summer. Some new we succeed, some don't, and then there's a couple of home runs. Last year, it was Barb and Hymer. This year isn't, you know, as so far to this point, it's inside out.
Garrett:Go down to the number 10 movie is an independent film no. Was it the number 10? Yeah. Number 10 movie. Ghost, Right Here, Right Now.
Garrett:It's a concert film, released on 750 screens and grossed 1, 500, 000, and made the made the top 10.
Daren:Yeah. This is where we need the crowd applause little button that I can go, we did it. You know, celebrate any film for sure. I also loved that makes me think of the conversation we had with the Monterrit Brothers about distribution, and I loved their insight into Fall Guys specifically. We were talking about that and, like, just because it didn't do a $100, 000, 000 this 1st weekend doesn't mean it didn't make money.
Daren:It blew up in streaming. It's gonna make its money. It's doing just fine, and I loved that extra perspective around the theatrical that's happening this year in 2024 because, yeah, there's too much doom and gloom, and we wanna counterbalance that with, like, we love movies, and let's keep making more. And so I'm I'm always happy to see an indie break that top 10. It's such a huge accomplishment for anyone that can pull it off.
Garrett:Congrats to anybody. Yeah. It's it's a fun process. Fun. So go see movies.
Daren:Hey, indie filmmakers and movie lovers. This show is sponsored by Purdy Distribution. Since 2011, they've been bringing incredible independent films to theaters, like Garrett Batty's The Saratov Approach, T. C. Christensen's Love Kennedy, and McClain Nelson's Once I Was A Beehive.
Daren:They've worked with top notch directors like Mitch Davis and Mark Goodman specializing in family, faith based, and funny films. This year alone, they've released hits with JK Studios like Go West and Villains Inc, and have even branched out internationally with films shot in South Africa and Japan. Purdy Distribution works closely with indie filmmakers designing personalized distribution plans whether it's a theatrical release or straight to streaming on platforms like Amazon, Itunes, Google, and more. If you have a PG or PG 13 film ready for the world, think about reaching out to Purdy distribution. They're approachable and knowledgeable, ready to help you visualize your film's distribution.
Daren:Even if your film isn't fully polished, they can offer valuable guidance. Plus, if you need that crucial distribution piece for investor packages, Purdy Distribution can provide a letter of intent to distribute, helping you secure funding without locking you into a contract. Mark your calendars for Purdy Distribution's upcoming releases. Tokyo Cowboy on August 30th, the digital release of Thabo and the Rhino Case on September 1st, Faith of Angels in theaters on September 12th, Villains Inc on Amazon and Itunes on October 1st, and The Carpenter on November 1st. To stay updated on these releases and more, sign up for their newsletter at purdiedistribution.com.
Daren:That's purdiedistribution.com. Now, back to the show.
Garrett:Darren, our podcast, we've been talking a lot about the Carpenter and the release of Carpenter. November 1st, 600 screens, that's the goal. We're on track to do that. We've just started, booking some some screens, and, and we're gonna talk about that a little bit throughout this podcast, but here's the but. Have a little bit of a curveball.
Garrett:Darren and I shot a movie, last year, last September, in Utah, an independent film that we finished in, January, showed it at some festivals, and the response has been phenomenal. We've been very excited, and so are we crazy? Are we we, we're gonna announce and we've heard rumors, we're gonna announce that we're gonna release another movie in September. Yeah. Before.
Garrett:So, what are we doing?
Daren:Yeah. You guys should really watch the video version of this so you can see our faces right now. But, you know, if it wasn't enough to call our shot and say we're gonna release the movie in November and document the entire process, no, we're actually gonna do 2 and 1 of them is gonna happen in September, which, honestly, Garrett, I am so excited for and so grateful for, especially because, you know, this movie is called the, Faith of Angels. I almost said the. Remove the the.
Daren:It's clean.
Garrett:It's this movie has had a number of, I understand. It's had an iteration of names throughout. At at through most of its making, it was called Untitled Angel Project.
Daren:That's true. We filmed it as UAP, Untitled Angel Project. Before that, the script was called Angels in the Mine, and it's since gone to the Faith of Angels and now Faith of Angels. And so we're really excited for this movie, but especially that it's coming out in September. So let's talk about the dates and why those dates are significant to this movie.
Garrett:Sure. Yeah. We've talked a lot on this podcast about dates and the importance of selecting a date. And so with Faith of Angels, we've gone through that process and said, look, what is the date? We we know we have a movie coming out November 1st, so we wanna give that plenty of space.
Garrett:And so we we looked at different dates, 6 weeks prior or 6 weeks after, and selected and and realized that faith of angels in particular is based on a story that is a it's a true story that took place 35 years ago in, in an abandoned mine in the mountains of, Utah, and it was a significant, like, a nationwide story, that caught interest, caught interest of president Bush at the time, and, you know, national media, and September is the 35 year anniversary of that. So we knew that there would be a lot of local, awareness and interest that could perhaps easily be stirred and accessed, were we to release this in September. So it made sense, and it's a fall feeling movie. I mean, it takes place in the fall. It it definitely feels like that type of, it would support being released in the fall.
Daren:Yeah. And, you know, if 5 months isn't enough time, we can definitely do a movie in, 2 and a half or 3 months. Right? Like, let's just go for it. But I think today, we're gonna really focus on what's the strategy for this 1 because it's different.
Daren:It's still an independently distributed movie. You're running point on it. Some of the team is similar. Some of the team is different than The Carpenter, and there's a different budget for this 1. And so we wanna talk about all those things.
Daren:But first, Garrett, let's talk let's tell people the dates. When is Faith of Angels coming to theaters?
Garrett:We're gonna be we're gonna be doing that a lot. Right? We're gonna have to differentiate which movie we're talking about. So in theaters, September 12th, in in its primary region, which is Utah, I I which is focused on Utah, September 12th. And then 2 weeks later, we will be releasing it into wherever people want it.
Garrett:And so it's essentially, we're our distributors turning it over to the audience to make their voices heard, so that we can bring this movie to them. Our goal, and they've committed to 200 screens. We'll we'll do what we can to get the funding for that so that we can market it to 200 screens. We don't wanna play in empty screens, but you asked a simple question. September 12th in Utah, September 26th across the country.
Daren:Yeah. It's a simple question, but there's a lot of nuance here. Right? Because we're not just talking about marketing, we're talking about budget, we're talking about advertising, we're talking about number of screens, we're talking about the audience to fill those screens, and it's a different approach than the Carpenter. The Carpenter, we have a budget that we've been given to put the movie in 600 screens because the desire is to have a nationwide release.
Garrett:Yeah.
Daren:This 1, we are we have some budget. It's not 600 screens worth of budget. And so as we're going through and we're getting ready and gearing up for the release of Faith of Angels, we're also raising money. We're also building awareness. It's a little bit more grass roots than being able to say we have a budget and here's how we're gonna deploy it.
Daren:Right?
Garrett:Exactly right. And, certainly, we're leaving that window open, whereas if, by some, you know, miracle, the the money came in and somebody said, yes. Here's here's money to take it to more screens. That option is available to us on that September 26th. And so, yeah, the initial goal is 200 screens, and we'll use the voice of the audience and the support of distributors and investors to be able to take it to the to those 200 screens.
Daren:Yeah. Well, now this audience is so educated that they know that we need a $2, 000 per screen average for those 2 weeks. And so they're gonna rally behind us and help bring all their friends and family to go see the movie those first 2 weekends. Garrett, quick question then. You know, I was obviously involved in this movie.
Daren:I helped you produce Faith of Angels. We screened it at this year's Zion's Film Fest, and it won some awards and won the audience choice award. And you had a number of conversations with distributors about this movie. So why are we doing it this way?
Garrett:Well, yeah. And and I love those conversations. And that was that's a dream it's a dream to go to a festival and play a movie and then have, you know, 3 different distributors talking to you about the film and their their plans for it. And, this movie every movie is unique, and so, we felt like the the experience and the practice that I've had with releasing previous films to this audience was was of value and could be implemented for releasing Faith of Angels to this audience. We ended up going with Purdy Distribution.
Garrett:They will, help us roll this out into Utah and then across the country, and so it's a matter of sitting with them and designing a unique strategy that fits the what we wanna do with this movie and, who this movie is for. And and so that's that's who we went with. I don't know if that answered your question.
Daren:Oh, definitely. So 1 of the themes that I hope people are kinda picking up on is if they're listening to every 1 of these episodes is, like, as producers, 1 of your top jobs is to be in service of the movie and what the movie wants, what the movie needs. That's true through preproduction. It's true through production, especially. It's true through the strategy of how you're gonna get the movie out into the world, whether it's through festivals or through screenings or through distribution or going direct to scream to streaming.
Daren:So let's talk about this marketing strategy and the release strategy of this movie. If if I remember right, you've kind of got a 3 pronged approach. I don't know if you're gonna patent that or trademark it, but let's talk about the approach here because I do think this is a model that people could actually go, wow, that worked for Garrett. It's he's done it before. He's doing it again on this movie.
Daren:So let's talk about what that strategy is, and maybe it's something that others can go, yeah. I could I could do that. Sure.
Garrett:I can do that. Yeah. There there are there are 3 kind of foundational targets that we're that we're trying to hit. And, again, it can be adjusted, and this may or may not work for every independent film, but we felt like with this film, the budget and the audience is of a particular nature that we can hit this, you know, use this approach. So I'd number 1, this is a regional story where there's a lot of regional awareness.
Garrett:So our first target is this regional release on September 12th, where we will open on 25 screens in a specific region. And our hope is to have a high per screen average, though, that first weekend for that regional release. The second, that we'll be starting on immediately as soon as ASAP is is group sales. And that's how we'll take it to broader regions where there's group awareness. We'll we'll reach out to different, you know, it's a faith based film, so there's different churches and and missions and congregations and groups across the country who are aware of our other films or who are aware of the stars in this movie, and that's something we do need to talk about, that want their congregation or their group, to see the film.
Garrett:And so our distributor will make it available that if you do have a group or if somebody has a group, they reach out. They go to the website, say, we're in, you know, Nashville, and we'd love to see it at this AMC Theater. Our distributor can make that happen. So that's the second 1. And then the third 1 is influencers.
Garrett:We're working with several, well, we're working with essentially an influencer manager who will reach out to those who are helping or who have faith based followings, and they can help get the word out for both for those other 2 tiers.
Daren:Yeah. It's so cool and it's so structured and it makes a lot of sense. Like, you use we talked about this with Susan, right? Like, if you can do a big opening weekend, that allows you and affords you the ability to go wider. And so rather than releasing on 500 screens opening weekend and having empty theaters, which we wouldn't want, Not that we would have those, but at the risk of it, right, and spending the money to open on that many screens, we kinda hold back some of the marketing budget.
Daren:We hold back some of the per theater cost and go, let's really show the industry, the theatrical distribution part of our industry. This is a movie they wanna pay attention to and make some room for at their theaters. And then if we can support that with the audience who has explicitly said, gone to a website, clicked on a button, filled in a form and said, I want to watch this movie at this theater, we can take that data to theaters and say, we've got x number of people who will come and pay money and buy popcorn and buy soda and buy a ticket to see the movie in your theater. Like, that is such a valuable asset to be able to bring to the table when we're having those conversations with theaters. So it's a really cool strategy that I'm excited to, you know, be a part of and help lay out.
Daren:But let's with the time we have remaining for this episode, then let's talk about the movie a little more because we are kind of gonna need to get the audience of this podcast excited about coming and seeing and supporting and helping us get this movie into theaters. So like you'd mentioned, this is a true story. This happened to a young boy named Josh Dennis in 1989, and so it's a period piece that we filmed. And, Garrett, tell us a little bit about how did you get this story, and then how did you end up with the team and the location and the all of the pieces that you needed to make this movie last year?
Garrett:Yeah. So it is yeah. Faith of Angels, it is a a true story about a boy that's that's lost in an abandoned mine, but also the community that comes together to help, and hopefully, search for him. And this story came to my awareness, when somebody associated with the story reached out to me and and they have an intimate knowledge of of the details of this experience. Said, hey.
Garrett:This is the these are the type of movies that you make. There's, like, a tension element. There's a nervous element, and then there's this faith based, you know, theme throughout, and would you like to hear this story? And I I do get a lot of calls about that type of thing. 1 of the things that drew me to this story is that there was this angelic, element that really, that I don't know.
Garrett:I felt a a pull a pull to or drawn to. And so I took the meeting and we chatted, and I was just fascinated by the experience of of these individuals. And, the more I dug deeper into this film or into the story, the the more it started to kind of visualize. I I started to visualize and said, okay. Well, if there are I feel like there is an audience for this.
Garrett:I feel like we could make the film, for a responsible amount that the audience could support, and, and then I so from there, I started to pitch it and found supporters, investors who who agreed with me. Is that that kind of that very early stage of it?
Daren:Yeah. It's the very early stages, and then you've got this opportunity. Right? You've got a movie. You've got a budget.
Daren:You've got a green light if you can pull together the rest of the team. Right? And so 1 of the things I think you did extremely well on this movie is your casting. And so if you could talk to us about who's in this movie, why you chose them, how you found them, how you actually got them because, you know, it's not a secret. We were filming this and doing this during a dual strike in Hollywood last year, and so these types of conversations were a little bit hard to manage and hard to handle because there was this kind of weight of, you know, do we wanna work?
Daren:Is it good to work? Are we gonna get shut down? Are we gonna be okay? Are people gonna be mad? But, you know, I'll just say my piece.
Daren:Like, I felt like it was important for us as independent filmmakers outside of the Hollywood ecosystem to keep people working so the industry stayed afloat. But tell us about how you went about casting the movie, and maybe some of the strategy or the thought that went into those decisions.
Garrett:It was it was an interesting time because of those strikes in Hollywood, and I agree. We wanted to support the industry and certainly support the actors and what they were striking for and and, pay attention there. And we were thrilled when SAG expressed support for independent filmmakers and said, hey. If you can get on independent film, do it. And so that was that was our motivation to continue working on this film.
Garrett:We had some offers prior to the strike. We had some offers out, and the strike kinda disrupted everything. We thought, okay. We we may or may not get to make this movie. We have a it needs to be shot in the fall, so we have a limited amount of time, and we researched different films and, well, I guess, so yeah.
Garrett:There's no secret. We cast John Michael Findlay from If I Can Only Imagine, and we cast Cameron Arnett from the overcomer. He's in a new movie coming out. It's in, August called the forge. And, those those 2 individuals have an incredible, success rate with Christian film and faith based film and, do do amazing work, and we're I was so grateful to be able to reach out to them and and, offer them, and and they accepted.
Garrett:Our casting director was Jeff Johnson, who does amazing things here, in Utah. He's done Yellowstone and Horizons and, some of the Mark Wahlberg film that came through earlier, and, he's just an incredible person and individual. He understood the the needs of the project and help us help us put together an incredible cast.
Daren:Yeah. The the comment I've heard over and over again as we've shown this to potential partners, as we've shown it at festivals, is that this movie really punches above its weight. And I'm sure you've heard that about your other movies, Garrett. So, like, can you touch on that a little bit? Is that something that you're conscious of when you're making movies, or is it just something that happens because of the way that you make movies?
Garrett:Well, that's a good question and kind of you to ask, Darren. And I do I would flip that back into your side. I mean, you came on I reached out to you early on and, talked to you about this film. I think I had a draft of the script done. I think we were shooting The Carpenter in South Africa when I think I initially started talking to you about this.
Garrett:And, yeah, I think you were instrumental in making this film punch above its weight. We put everything we can on screen, but this was a big film. What are their 41 speaking parts and a a big crew? So you you have to answer that question yourself. How how did you do it?
Garrett:How did you get this everybody lined up so that so that the film looks bigger than it is?
Daren:Yeah. I didn't tee up that question so that I could answer it just so the audience knows. But, yeah, I do think that for the audience listening, like, part of what you're doing as a filmmaker is you're finding the partners that have the understanding of what things cost. And so that you can go in and say, look, this this really is a movie that wants to cost a certain budget. And I remember we even tried.
Daren:We we were thinking about doing this movie at a much lower budget a year before.
Garrett:Yeah.
Daren:And that wasn't right for this movie, and it didn't come together. And I'm personally grateful for it because it needed the budget we had, and it needed the cast and crew that we had. And when we finally started moving forward on it that way, so many things came together. And so what was amazing on this movie specifically was how much we got because of the family and because of the individuals that were involved in the actual events that participated in the making of the movie. We had the rescue team.
Daren:We had John Skinner. We had who John Michael Finley plays. We had, Josh Dennis and his entire family participating in the filmmaking. And so they were handing us actual, like, garments and wardrobe from the event. You know, the jackets they wore, the helmets they wore, the, the stuff from their office that was still in their office 35 years later, They just gave our art department, you know, entire boxes of stuff.
Daren:The locations we were able to get because there was a connection between the family that owned the mine and John Skinner, who lived across the street from the mine that we filmed at. Like, just so many crazy things, but part of independent filmmaking is realizing that I have a limited amount of resources. And so how am I gonna get resourceful in making this movie happen and in being in service to the movie? And so there's a lot of favors. There's a lot of conversations around who are the right people for this movie and making sure we've got the right team and people with the right demeanor and the right approach and mindset to independent filmmaking where we don't have time for divas, whether it's actors or crew.
Daren:We don't have time for people who are sluggish and don't have a little bit of hustle in their step. And so part of it, I think, we wanna attribute as much as we can to the amazing crew that we had who were a grateful that there was a project going on in Utah, but who really came in, and I think the combination of every individual punching above their weight is really what led to the film being able to punch above its weight and why we've heard that comment so many times from the people who have watched it and are interested in helping put it in theaters.
Garrett:I think that there's a lot of value in saying, look. At that point, at that, like, early stage of film, whether you're writing the script or somebody's coming to me with an idea, in the in the in the spirit of build your audience, that's the audience. Like, that's who you're working with. Right? So at that point, there's 5 people that are the audience for this film, and it's a matter of servicing them, listening what they want.
Garrett:You know, we we interviewed, the the the mother, Janine Dennis, who who's son was lost. And I sat with her and listened to, you know, hours of of stories and her experiences and emotions and feelings, Then we went and wrote the script. We invited her on set. She came to set nearly every day to listen and participate and watch, and she'd have the headset on even and would say, wait a second. I set these like, this is exactly my experience.
Garrett:I think, Darren, you were the 1 that reminded her. It's like, all those interviews and stuff, we were we were paying attention to that. Like, we are here to serve this story and serve the audience, and hopefully, they will continue to share this story then and that audience will grow. But, yeah, if you were a rescuer or was a part of this story, you're the audience.
Daren:Yeah. It was just such an amazing experience. I'm sure we'll talk about it more as we continue with the coming weeks months of this podcast because, you know, this 1 almost needs to come before the Carpenter. We have a lot of work to do. We're currently working on the trailer and the art and getting those things and those elements and assets to the theaters, these first initial 25 theaters.
Daren:And so there's a lot of work to do as if there wasn't already to release this movie first. It's coming out nearly 2 months before The Carpenter, and, man, I'm just so excited. Like, it's I want I hope if people are watching this or listening to this, they they realize that, like, the emotion that you and I have, there's a little sense of, oh my gosh. This is happening. But there's I think overall, what I feel when we talk about it off the podcast is, like, we're doing this, and there's a confidence and there's a faith involved in it, and we're doing the work.
Daren:We're taking action every day to make these things happen. It's not just something that is happening to us. We are causing these things to come to pass. You know? They were putting these movies in theaters.
Daren:They're it's not something that's just been handed over. So, man, I'm excited. We got 2 movies coming out this fall, Garrett.
Garrett:We've had I I had a good meeting yesterday with distributor with Purdy who's distributing both. And it should be mentioned, you know, they brought this up that the work that is being done for Faith of Angels will benefit, you know, the carpenter and and vice versa to some extent. You know, as Purdy is having conversations with theater owners or as they're planning early screenings for Faith of Angels, they'll that topic will come up. Carpenter will come up. And so there is this momentum that, you know, it's not like a distraction.
Garrett:We're not saying, okay. Put Carpenter on hold. We're gonna release this. It's like, no. We're releasing Carpenter, and almost as part of the release strategy for Carpenter to build awareness and create plan, I mean, we'll we'll trailer Carpenter on Faith of Angels, and so or we will ship posters for Faith of Angels to the 200 screens, and they'll have a trailer for Carpenter in it.
Garrett:So there it is a little bit of a they help each other. They're stepping stones and building blocks and whatever the term is, but it's not 1 gets our attention than the other. It's this is the effort to release both of these films.
Daren:Yeah. Well, there you go, audience. Be prepared to hear about both of our releases over the coming months. But I do think it's important for us to mention, because this is a different strategy, we need more of your help on Faith of Angels. And so if you go to 3coinpro.com right now, you can see that that's the main thing on the site.
Daren:If you can see faith of angels, there's a form you can fill out. You can tell us where you want the movie to go. If you join us and you go to 3 coinpro.com/podcast, you can put in your email address. We'll send you some free gifts, but we'll also have a way for you to participate in the release of this movie. So I'm so excited that we have this opportunity to work directly with our audience to get the movie to them in their local theaters.
Daren:It's such a cool experience to be able to have that direct interaction with everybody. So make sure you follow along. Make sure you tell all your friends about our movies that are coming out, about this podcast so they can follow along as well. Garrett, got 1 or 2 questions for you today. You ready?
Garrett:I'm ready.
Daren:I know I've been pestering you with questions all episode about this movie because I'm just so excited that we get to release both. We've been holding this secret in for, like, a number of episodes now. So it's like, here it is, everybody. The first question is, how do you choose the movies you work on?
Garrett:It it yeah. It's a number of different, indicators. I need to be drawn to it. It has to kinda resonate with me. There are certainly stories that are fascinating and I think, would would make great movies, but I feel like other filmmakers are more qualified and and better prepared and have the resources to tell those stories.
Garrett:And so that that's the reason that I'll pass on certain movies. And then, yeah, it's trying to make sure that it fits within the audience that I've built and what they are anticipating and what they'll support. And then, yeah, if there's a personal connection to it. Because that's kinda vague, but or or who I get to work with. You know?
Garrett:I've I've I've I've had people come out and say, hey. We don't have any money, but will you be associated with this project? We we participate in that. And because they're great individuals or or I'm a fan of their work or whatever it is, I'll I'll climb on board.
Daren:Yeah. It's really similar for me. I've said this a number of times. There's 2 criteria that I look at. 1 of them is more of a logistical 1, which is, is there leverage somewhere?
Daren:Is there an actor attached? Is there some sort of angle? Is there something about the story where that buys me some of that potential upside. Right? If I can spend a dollar but get $5 of value out of it, you know, The Carpenter was 1 of those experiences of like, oh, we're gonna shoot in Cape Town, and it's gonna look like a bigger budget movie than we would be able to do in Texas or anywhere else.
Daren:So that's leverage. It's like, oh, great. That's that's a good thing for me as a producer to associate with. But the other is, is it a movie that I feel like I have to make? And it's very similar to what you said about being pulled into a project.
Daren:And so it is vague. It is nebulous. It's hard to pin down. And when filmmakers send me a script and and ask me to read it, and I go, well, tell me what it's about. And if it's a story that I know is gonna end up as, you know, some slasher movie, I'm just gonna say, look.
Daren:I'm sorry. I don't feel like I have to make any more horror thriller movies. I've done 2 of those. I don't wanna do more because I want my kids to be able to watch the movies that I produce, and that's 1 of my driving things as a producer. And so it's like, is it a movie I feel like I have to make?
Daren:And I would urge people on the other side of this going, okay. Well, who are the people who are gonna align with the movie in the same way? Because you feel compelled to write the script or to attach yourself as a director or an actor. So don't just worry about finding any producer who will say yes. Find the people that will align and fill that same pull, that same desire to, like, I have to make this movie, and that makes the movie better because you had got a whole lot of people who are now really committed to being resourceful and giving everything they have to getting that movie made.
Garrett:I think there's value in that, Darren. There's a lot of wisdom there. I I sometimes ask myself, is this a story that I want to immerse myself in for the next 2 to 5 years. Right? And, and if the answer is no or I don't know, then it's it's an easy pass.
Garrett:And I and I won't also I I don't wanna ignore the business side of that. Is are there are there resources attached? Is there is there money that's already raised? And and the path to making the film is quicker because of that? I'm gonna pay attention to that a little bit.
Daren:Yeah. Yeah. Especially in our situation as independent filmmakers, like, if there's someone who wants to hire you right now, that gets a lot of consideration, and it maybe replaces the 1 or 2 top priority things that you have in mind. I don't think you should, throw your values to the wind or anything, but it definitely is a consideration because you gotta be able to provide for your family and keep doing the work that you love. So that's probably number 3, leverage and pull and money.
Garrett:As far as demystifying goes, there is no there is no scenario in which an independent filmmaker is sitting around going, I have so much, you know, x amount of money. Which 1 of these stories should I make? Like, that that doesn't exist and and won't ever exist. People people will come to me and say, here's a here's a here's a script or here's an idea, and it's not like we just have a an account full of money that we're going, is this script better than this script? Should we put you know, that just doesn't work.
Garrett:We're not a studio model, and maybe that's not even how studios work. So let's demystify that. When you knock on somebody's door and say, hey, here's a script or a story idea, that to them, as an independent filmmaker, what I hear is, would you essentially donate 2 years of your life to make this story for no money.
Daren:Yeah. It's not a great pitch to go to someone, hand them a script, and say, well, you do all the work and give me some of the the upside. No. It's a bad pitch. Like, come to the table with some attachments, with some leverage, with some packaging, with money, with whatever it is that's gonna get you a lot further, farther as you are trying to get that movie made.
Daren:Yeah. Well, very cool, Garrett. I think we'll call it there today. We have 2 movies coming out, everybody. Please go over to 3 coinpro.comand3coinpro.com/podcast.
Daren:Follow along because you get to participate in the work that we are doing. We're gonna bring you along on every step of it, not just through this podcast, but now with the release of Faith of Angels and The Carpenter, you get to participate, which is so so fun and so so cool. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Later, Garrett.
Garrett:Thanks, Darren.
Daren:Thank this episode of Truly Independent to join us on the journey. Be notified a review on your favorite address. If you're a fan this a review on your favorite podcast app and be sure to share this episode with a friend. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week. Our intro and outro music is Election Time by Kjartan Abele.