Even Top Indie Directors Make Little Money

[GreatGazoo]

1. They say "director" but they are talking as if they mean producer

or maybe producer director.

I worked on a feature two years ago made by a husband and wife team that were grinding them out. So I have to think it was paying the bills. They had hired Mike Faist fresh from Spielberg's WSS for the lead. Crew of 20+ union pros who could bang it out. We shot in a vacant bank much like the one in 'Everything Everywhere All the Time'. And it was period -- 1974 and 1976 -- so that's extra expense on everything that goes in front of the camera. I grew what my friends referred to as a "porn mustache" and the production put period hair and clothes on me.

In my experience, making money depends on the production more than on whether or not it is indy. All the same budgets are extra tight right now.