I’ve made dozens of short films and two features. They have won awards and played at festivals. But I still wake up wondering if I should keep going.

That’s the honest truth.

The advice you hear most when you're starting out is, "Just go make something." It sounds empowering. But now — after two decades — I’m not so sure it was ever good advice.

The Myth

It stems from the idea that anyone can pick up a camera and try to tell a story. That still works.

See the success of creators on Tik-Tok or YouTube and you will be blown away by their creativity.

But actual films as art of entertainment? Not TV, not content, but films?

It’s not something I actually recommend unless you have endless perseverance, very thick skin, and more financial recklessness than sense. The global box office is in decline and –

My Favorite Films Were Not Good Business

The movies that made me want to do this — Stalker, Persona, Breathless, Blue Velvet — were either state-funded, privately bankrolled, or made under other unique unsustainable conditions.

We talk about them like blueprints. They’re really exceptions.

By my estimation filmmaking has always been ludicrous: Borderline impossible and financially a Really Bad Idea.

It’s expensive, emotionally brutal, and commercially irrelevant. It was never meant to survive capitalism.

And yet here we are, still trying.

What Actually Kills Indie Films

I made Bad Animal for $50K. It won awards, got press, found some fans. But it failed to find an audience when it came time to release.

We had no money left for marketing. The distributors who showed interest weren’t offering anything – not even hollow promises!

So we went the self-distribution route and learned everything the hard way.

Here’s the biggest lesson: distribution isn’t the problem. Marketing is.

In 2025, it’s not about getting your film “picked up.” It’s about building a reason for people to care before you even roll the camera.

No one’s acquiring your indie. Not Netflix, not Amazon, not the festival scouts. The system is shrinking. The audience is gone and even the studios are scrambling to figure out a path forward.

The only thing that cuts through is a niche audience that’s already paying attention.

The Playbook

This is what disappointment and failure has taught me.

Build something that has to exist — for a specific audience, with a specific worldview. Build your own supporters, believers, and fans.

Build something your audience wants to own, support, and return to. Think about the film as a product and how we can deliver it in amazing ways to our fans.

Most of all: think about how to tell the story before and after the film exists.

So Why Keep Going?

Despite everything, I have no regrets making Bad Animal.

It opened doors. Besides the practical experience it led to me being hired as a director on more than one feature film project.

And most importantly, it forced me to learn what this industry actually requires — stupid relentless dedication and above all craftiness about the business of filmmaking.

That’s the purpose of this newsletter. I want to write for the filmmakers, artists, and rebels who are still trying to build something that doesn’t ask permission.

If that’s you — welcome.

A Small Thank You: Blu-ray Giveaway

To kick things off, I’m giving away 3 signed Blu-Rays of BAD ANIMAL— kicking of a re-release of my debut indie feature!

To enter, just subscribe to this newsletter. That’s it.

I write bi-weekly about filmmaking & art – how to get inspired, follow through, and practical tips for independent artists who want to create amazing work.

Thanks for joining. Let’s build something impossible together.

Should You Still Go Make Films?