Home Podcasts Making Movies is HARD!!!: The Struggles of Indie Filmmaking
Making Movies is HARD!!!: The Struggles of Indie Filmmaking

Making Movies is HARD!!!: The Struggles of Indie Filmmaking

Liz Manashil & Alrik Bursell 600 Episodes Sep 19, 2026

Making Movies is HARD!!! is a podcast about independent filmmaking hosted by Liz Manashil and Alrik Bursell. They discuss writing, producing, directing, and working as crew, drawing on their own experiences in the industry. The show also focuses on the emotional side of pursuing film, including rejection, self-doubt, and the struggles that come with building a creative career. Episodes feature conversations with guests who are also navigating independent film. It is not just about breaking in, but about finding a way forward and making work on your own terms.

Episodes

Zoë Alyce Salnave - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Zoë Alyce Salnave - BONUS Throwback Interview! Sep 19, 2026 00:41:25 On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 390 from September 2022 featuring writer/director Zoe Alyce Salnave! I thought this was a really good match with our episode with the AMDA/Hussian filmmakers from Monday because while Zoe wasn’t freshly out of college but we talked a lot about her experience at USC directing Voodoo Macbeth with 9 other directors. After
Ashely Villa - Aaron Alvarado - Cydney Jenks - Graduating from Film School in 2026!
Ashely Villa - Aaron Alvarado - Cydney Jenks - Graduating from Film School in 2026! Sep 14, 2026 01:01:29 This week we welcome recently graduated AMDA/Hushein filmmakers Ashely Villa, Aaron Alvarado and Cydney Jenks who talk about their thesis films, how they got them made, what they think about AI and how they are attacking their careers and films after graduation. After that we play another round of the GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a R
Josh Stifter - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Josh Stifter - BONUS Throwback Interview! Sep 11, 2026 00:59:21 On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 461 from January 2024 featuring writer/directorJosh Stifter who came on the show to talk about directing his latest short film, how he managed to make three features (at the time) and I thought Josh was a good match for our episode with Mehran Torgoley because they are both prolific filmmakers who have made multiple fea
Mehran Torgoley - Making Indie Feature Number Four in Italy!
Mehran Torgoley - Making Indie Feature Number Four in Italy! Sep 7, 2026 00:49:16 This week we welcome writer/director Mehran Torgoley on the show to talk about his fourth feature Golden, which he shot in Italy, how he funded the film, why he shot a film in Italy and how he has written and directed four feature films. After that I’m going to pontificate on the state of AI and filmmaking and hopefully encourage some of you to call in and share your thoughts! Don’t forget to su
April Mullen - BONUS Throwback Interview!
April Mullen - BONUS Throwback Interview! Sep 4, 2026 00:57:41 On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 296 from December 2020 featuring writer/director April Mullen where she talks about making her feature Wander and her incredible career in television directing. I thought this was a good match for our episode with Tessa Blake from Monday because they both are prolific TV directors who also direct features but just with
Tessa Blake - Taking a Career in Television Directing into 3rd Feature!
Tessa Blake - Taking a Career in Television Directing into 3rd Feature! Aug 31, 2026 00:52:11 This week we welcome writer director Tessa Blake on the show to talk about her latest feature If I Tell You, why she took such a long break from features and what she's took from directing hundreds of hours of Television at a very high level.! After that we play another round of the GAME, enjoy! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id100641
Justin Plummer III and Martin Strauss - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Justin Plummer III and Martin Strauss - BONUS Throwback Interview! Aug 28, 2026 01:25:23 On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 89 from Feburary 2017 featuring Justin Plummer III and Martin Strauss who are two San Francisco Bay Area directors who get paid to direct full time. They talk with us about how they got started and what it's like to sign with a big time LA commercial production company, and why they weren't living in LA at the time. I t
Michael Naizu and John Wilcox - Co-Directing/Writing Feature #1 Based on a Successful Short!
Michael Naizu and John Wilcox - Co-Directing/Writing Feature #1 Based on a Successful Short! Aug 24, 2026 01:10:59 This week we welcome writer and directors Michael Naizu and John Wilcox on the show to talk about their first feature Bound for Glory, which Michael also stars in alongside Jamie King, Christ Kattan and Blake Jenner. They also talk about how they work as collaborators, how they raised funds for the movie and how their dynamic as brothers plays into their work. After that we play another round of t
Audrey Cummings - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Audrey Cummings - BONUS Throwback Interview! Aug 20, 2026 00:42:44 On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 490 from August 2024 featuring director Audrey Cummings who talks about establishing herself as a genre director. I thought Audrey was a good match for Sophia Banks from Monday because while they have very different careers they are both successfully working in the genre space as feature film directors. After that we pl
Sophia Banks - Bringing a Love of 70s Genre Films to Tilt!
Sophia Banks - Bringing a Love of 70s Genre Films to Tilt! Aug 17, 2026 01:10:19 This week we welcome director Sophia Banks on the show to talk about her latest feature Tilt, her inspiration for the film and what it was like to shadow Christopher McQuarrie, among other things. You may remember our episode with Arwen Elys Dayton who wrote Tilt and is one of the other 3rds of Sophia’s production company, so this one is really fun! After that we play another round of the GAME, en
Omar Lopex - BONUS Throwback Interview!
Omar Lopex - BONUS Throwback Interview! Aug 13, 2026 00:54:38 On this Thursday bonus episode we are going to play the interview from episode 351 from December 2021 featuring writer/director/producer Omar Lopex who came on the show to talk about directing, Ana who they pulled from the river, and his process as an indie filmmaker. Alrik thought that Omar was a good match for our episode with Glenn Garrabrant on Monday because they both have interesting process
Glenn Garrabrant - Making Indie Features and Honing Your Process!
Glenn Garrabrant - Making Indie Features and Honing Your Process! Aug 10, 2026 01:02:15 This week we welcome writer/director/producer Glenn Garrabrant on the show to talk about his 2nd feature Local Area Network, how he got the film made and his philosophy as a indie filmmaker, which is great! After that we play another round of the GAME, enjoy! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/po

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