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One Grand Film Skool
769 members • $47/m
One Grand Film
44 members • $5,000/y
6 contributions to One Grand Film Skool
Sep 6 •
The Truth
1. Biggest takeaway from video 3 -- Trying to make your seminal movie on the first go - is not only unwise, it's career suicide and arrogant. You have to crawl before you walk. Don't try to be the next anybody - find and express your own creative voice. Be an opportunity creator. Work with the resources I have now - and believe me, I have everything I need, except lighting perhaps. To focus on making art that I want to make and would want to see -- let the rest go -- design the doors I want to open with these films instead of making random projects that may mean nothing to me and hoping doors will open to get me where I want to be, so I can make what I want. 2. I said this before, but the no experience bothers me -- I made a very small student short in the first filmmaking class I took this past spring. I wrote it in about an hour - and immediately had a shot list in my head -- I loved writing and directing, and the end product wasn't half bad. What I am extremely intimidated by is editing - I really don't like the process, I struggle with the tech part of it, the keys on the board, even the visual setup on the computer screen - my brain just doesn't get it -- at all. And it makes me not want to make anything because the second I try to load raw footage in to Adobe or FCP - I am lost. I also don't care a ton about lenses, and the camera stuff. My strengths are the creative writing, directioning (acting) - the emotional soul of the scene, character, story. I love character driven stories, focused on human suffering, relationships, the moral compass of a person, love, death, moral courage, bravery, overcoming trauma.
1 like • 29d
@Karl Shefelman I also can’t draw very well at all - so I think that’s part of the hesitation. I’m also one of those people who knows what I want but often can’t explain it - I know when I see it
2 likes • 25d
@Emily Slaughter Carver I am so glad. Watching your conversation with AJ encouraged me to join. You are an inspiration!
Sep 4 •
HOT TAKES - The film you HATE that everyone else LOVES
We all have that one movie we're scared to talk about, but always comes up. The one EVERYONE loves, but you secretly can't stand. What's yours and why? I'll go first -
1 like • 26d
BARBIE - I saw it last week and thought it was so dumb. I can't believe it made $2 - let alone the 1.7 billion. That scares me for what it says about the movie going public's taste. The notion that it somehow empowers women is laughable - the best monologue was from America Ferrera, and she wasn't even the lead.
1 like • 26d
@Aj Rome exactly - it shouldn't even warrant an opinion! But I was making my way through Gerwig's body of work...
Jul 30 •
Introduce yourself!
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! 🚀
2 likes • Sep 6
Hi I am Jacqueline Laurencelle from Chicago. I am a Writer/Director/Producer who tells stories of ordinary women of extraordinary faith who have and are transforming the world. I create faith based films and series that inspire people, especially women to see their role in history differently. I want to challenge the faith based world on their limited ideas of women's roles in the tradition, and invite non-faith oriented people to see themselves in the human condition of these people's lives. I look at Dallas Jenkins - (The Chosen - my inspiration) and the Erwin Brothers (House of David, and Young Washington (George)) as examples of people who are telling faith stories that appeal to all because they are well told, and artistic excellence is not sacrificed for the sake of piety or heavy handed preaching/proselytizing. I want to be the creative voice, THE studio for women's stories in this space. Women's POV and voices are sorely lacking, in filmmaking in general, and especially in this niche. I am entering this space for the first time in mid-life after having attempted a cooking show (I am French trained) in 2024. It introduced me to the film world, and I realized that nothing is more powerful that a good story well told. ( I also have a background in ministry and social work, and international NGO work.) I have experienced what you have said already with all the avenues, paths, being presented as to how to get into industry. I also find that as soon as I mentioned faith based filmmaking - it often gets awkward. So far, I have raw interview footage of a story about two women who started a revolutionary school that has changed the lives of thousands of extremely disadvantaged kids - I am traveling there the end of the month. I am writing scenes to see if I can complete a full narrative screenplay for this story - and I am also working on gathering documentary footage, archives, etc.
1 like • Sep 6
@Emmaus Nakagawa thank you! I hope so. I LOVE the fact that 30-40% of The Chosen audience are people of no faith. That is a game changer for telling faith based stories. It debunks the notion that only people of faith want to see them, and it challenge faith based storytellers to up their game as artists!! It's time for more of the women of faith's stories who have helped shape the world to be told, and told from a woman's perspective. :)
Sep 6 •
The RoadMap Assignment
1. Yes, I plan to use this roadmap and to join the community. I am in a great city for filmmaking - Chicago - and I have taken some basic courses in directing, screenwriting, producing and they were informative and fun, especially for someone who has ZERO experience in the industry. However, what I notice is the lack of follow through and follow-up once the courses end. I have spearheaded writing groups, process and accountability meet-ups with fellow students to varying degrees of success. I need a group that is serious, tenacious, hungry and persistent - and will stretch me beyond my current capabilities. I also want to surround myself with people who are more talented than me, and people who also have big goals. 2. 3 roadblocks are: 1. My lack of technical skills 2. my insecurity about whether I have any real talent 3. my age - can be an advantage and liability - both/and situation
Aug 12 •
📣 New Course Drop: The INVESTORLESS Feature Film
The Investorless Feature Film Course is Live Inside the Community Alright, filmmakers — this is the big one. The full Investorless Feature Film course (aka The Indie Film Flywheel) is now live in the Classroom tab. If you’ve been serious about making your first feature — without waiting for permission, investors, or “someday” — this is the step-by-step roadmap you’ve been looking for. Why you should take it (right now): 🎯 Clarity: Learn the only replicable career strategy that works for actors, writers, and directors — making a small, personal feature with the resources you already have. 🔥 Speed: Cut years of trial-and-error and get from idea → finished film faster than you thought possible. 📈 Momentum: Build a career flywheel where every film fuels the next — bigger audience, better collaborators, and more opportunities each time. 🚫 No Fundraising Required: Avoid the endless investor hunt. This approach is designed to keep you creating now, not waiting. 🤝 Collaboration: Learn how to attract the right collaborators without begging or chasing — and why the right people will want to work with you. 💡 Proven Examples: See how filmmakers like Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Robert Rodriguez, and Sean Baker used this exact principle to break into the industry. Plus, there’s a $500 reward if you finish in 5 days. This isn’t just a gimmick. I want to keep this community lean and full of action-takers. If you finish on time, you’ll unlock a filmmaking tool I’ve only shared with my private clients. This course is $1, but will be sold online for $47. Just to find filmmakers that are serious. 👉 Go to the Classroom tab now and click “Investorless Feature Film” to begin. Let’s get that first film in the can. – AJ Rome
2 likes • Sep 6
I am glad this course popped up on my IG at the beginning of my filmmaking journey. I found the information relatable, practical and actionable - so many of the low entry courses are a waste of time with 5% actual information sharing and 95% marketing the more expensive courses where you will get the "real insider tips". I am fortunate that I took an in-person film class this past Spring and my teacher gave some of the same advice re: locations, budget, number of actors, etc. -- however he meant it in reference to short films (the route he has taken). To realize I can do this with a feature length film is so encouraging. I have bought a few different mini courses on content creation, filming with an iPhone, etc. -- and this one has helped me to hone my focus and purpose such that I see a real path through the mysterious labyrinth of "Hollywood." Thank you.
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@jacqueline-laurencelle-3066
Filmmaker, Writer, Storyteller, Director. Ordinary People of Extraordinary Faith transforming the world. We all have a sacred story to tell.
Active 2h ago
Joined Sep 13, 2025
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