The Origin Story At 21, Cooper Raiff wasn’t waiting for permission. During spring break at Occidental College, he grabbed a borrowed camera, two friends, and made a scrappy 50-minute film called Madeline & Cooper. He had no lighting kit, no crew, and no plan beyond making something real. Instead of hiding it, he uploaded the rough cut to YouTube and dared Jay Duplass (yes, that Jay Duplass) on Twitter: “Bet you won’t click this link.” Jay clicked. Jay watched. Jay responded. That moment wasn’t luck—it was proof of concept. Raiff had something tangible that a seasoned filmmaker could recognize. Leveling Up: Shithouse (2020) With Duplass’s mentorship, Raiff turned the short into a feature. He dropped out of college, raised about $15,000 through friends, family, and a Duplass-boosted Kickstarter, and shot guerrilla-style in LA. He did everything—writing, directing, acting, even editing. The result? Shithouse won SXSW’s Grand Jury Prize. IFC Films picked it up. A dorm-room project became an indie film that proved he could finish a feature. Going Big: Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) The festival win gave him credibility. His next film, Cha Cha Real Smooth, had Dakota Johnson attached as producer and co-star, plus backing from Picturestart and Endeavor Content. Budget: multi-million dollar indie (huge jump from $15k). Festival: Sundance Audience Award. Deal: Apple TV+ bought it for $15 million. That leap wasn’t just about talent—it was the power of proof. Because he had already made a feature, bigger players felt safe betting on him. Today: Beyond Features Raiff’s TV series Hal & Harper premiered at Sundance 2025 with Mark Ruffalo and Lili Reinhart. MUBI picked it up. He also launched his own production company, Small Ideas, to keep creative control. Even after a shelved project (The Trashers, too expensive to finance), he keeps momentum alive because he has proof of execution behind him. Tactical Strategy: How You Can Apply This 1. Start Small, But Start NowRaiff didn’t wait for money, agents, or a studio. He made something scrappy and honest. Your first project doesn’t need a budget—it needs completion.

1. As an actor in my 30s & 40s I did loads of casting director workshops. Ultimately I did get work from them, but only in the co-star & guest star realm where I still exist now, in my 50s. As a writer/director I've cold queried, submitted to one competition after another, joined networking groups, had films screen in festivals, etc. etc. 2. 4 decades and thousands of dollars spent and I'm no closer to attaining my dreams. I do actually have a career in the business and am fortunate to get to work on some really great projects with amazingly talented people, but not in the capacity I want. I often feel I'm merely a cog in a wheel helping to facilitate someone else's dreams. 3. My biggest takeaway is that I wish I would've come across your site 6 months ago before I spent another $12k on a proof of concept lol. 4. My biggest fear or concern is that the film I'm trying to get made right now (which requires real financing) is the most important story I have to tell and I may run out of time without ever seeing it come to fruition.

Welcome to One Grand Filmmakers 👋 🎉 In this community, I'll show you how I turned a $1,000 feature film into 3 more features, a full-time career in filmmaking, and relationships with the biggest names and platforms in the industry. But first... Please, introduce yourself :) (EXTRA CREDIT: Like 5 other posts, and welcome other filmmakers to the community as well!) Let's goooooo! 🚀

My biggest takeaway is that STORY is the only thing that matters. I've been spoiled by working on the crews of studio projects for years and having access to pro equipment, locations, etc. that comes from having a huge budget. Production value is great but STORY is everything.

1. One? I have literally done them all except for film school. I've been at this for 20 years, and in that time I've gotten where I hoped I'd get in 5 years. 2. Since I finally started earning money a few years ago, I may be up to breaking even after 20 years. It has cost me so much valuable time and energy. 3. Takeaway - no one is going to bet on me if I don't bet on myself first. 4. My biggest concern is that I'll spend a bunch of money making something, and it won't be good. I've had a hard time thinking of ideas that can be done on a very small budget, as my tastes tend to be big and expensive.