Q&A Call Tactical Recap 9/19/25 · One Grand Film Skool

Q&A Call Tactical Recap 9/19/25

Last week’s call was all about staying scrappy, protecting your voice, and building a body of work that attracts champions — not waiting for permission. Here are the highlights 👇 Watch the Whole Thing Here.

🎥 Proof Projects Aren’t Just for One Genre

Jennifer asked if her “medicinal writing” process could be a Proof Project. Absolutely. Proof Projects don’t have to be crime dramas or docs — they’re any 75-90 min story that proves you can finish and showcase your unique voice .

💡 Turn Real-Life Expertise into Narrative Fuel

Your day job or lived experience is gold. Change names, tweak details, and build a fictional spine around it. Like Fargo (“all true… except the names”), you can protect privacy and still lean on real insight — especially if your topic is timely or social-impact-driven .

📏 Feature Length = Legitimacy

Festivals technically count 40 min as a “feature,” but the real target is 75-90 min. That’s the length reps, buyers, and programmers take seriously .

🎯 Budget Where It Matters

Augustin’s second feature sparked a big convo: don’t over-fundraise early. Keep hard costs to gear, insurance, food, and short shoot days. Use gear that records clean audio (like affordable 32-bit float lavs) instead of paying full crews you can’t afford yet .

🤝 Find Hungry Collaborators

For first or second films, partner with people at the same career stage. Build a “tribe” that grows across multiple projects. Later, as budgets rise, everyone levels up together .

🚦 Festival Wins Aren’t Overnight

Tarantino scrapped a whole first film before Reservoir Dogs. Spielberg shot Amblin after smaller shorts. Baker went from a $50K flop to a $3K microfeature (Take Out), which opened the door to Tangerine and beyond. Proof builds trust — then budgets climb .

📢 Marketing = Part of the Job

Even indies need saturation. Keep budgets ultra-low so one champion — a Sid Sheinberg for you — can turn a small success into a career move. Read Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans if you haven’t .

✍️ Competitions: Use Them, Don’t Wait on Them

Rick’s “short-film contest” strategy? Take the $7.5K prize and shoot a full feature if you can. Festivals love rule-breakers who deliver more than expected .

🔑 Storytelling > Tech Specs

Mark reminded us Spielberg only looked for one thing in student reels: “Can they tell a story through pictures?” Gear, lighting, and music can be hired later — narrative instinct is the irreplaceable skill .

🙌 Be the Director People Want to Work With

Hollywood might once have tolerated “screamers,” but indie crews won’t. Cameron admits he regrets undervaluing crews. Connery and Robert Patrick famously stood up for PAs. Respect makes sets collaborative — and keeps doors open .

🚀 Bottom Line

Keep budgets lean, stories personal, and attitudes generous. Proof + patience + people skills = a career that lasts.

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