Why I Greenlit My Microbudget Before I Had a Script or Funding

I don't think we take enough risks as filmmakers. Women especially.*

Maybe we fall into underestimating our abilities. Or we're waiting for permission from a "legit" (mythical) person/production company/studio. Maybe we just want to feel like we're fully confident we will succeed.

Let’s shrink the confidence gap for emerging filmmakers.

I'm really into taking big swings and betting on myself, perhaps due to:

• My corporate background

• Some great mentors

• Thinking "what would a confident dude do in this situation" then doing that

• Failing very publicly in my early 20s via UCB 101-104 class shows

Embracing bold risks has consistently yielded positive outcomes, whether through valuable lessons learned or unexpected success.

I left my career working in ad sales six years ago to pursue writing and directing. Up until greenlighting my first feature, I had made shorts, sketches, web series, and podcasts — the majority of those self-funded.

But nearing my mid-30s, I knew I wanted to do something bigger and more ambitious than previous projects. I needed to level up my filmmaking game.

The only person going to give me that opportunity?

ME.

And also a nudge from my buddy.

See, even with representation, a few well-known labs under my belt, and regularly speaking with well-known filmmakers for the No Film School podcast, I could not figure out a clear path towards making something through the traditional indie channels — and studios felt way out of reach.

It wasn't until I met two-time microbudget feature director Henry Lovener casually suggested that I "should just do it," that I actually thought, yeah, maybe I should.

I set my sights on directing a feature (thanks for the nudge, Henry!).

But there was no way I could know it was going to work out.

Still, I went for it.

Looking at what I had access to, I reverse-engineered a story (more on that writing process here) and brought together a team of people who said yes to the project before there was even a script (will explore more on this later).

This all led to us creating I Really Love My Husband, which is now DONE.

It was so hard but also the most rewarding, exciting, fulfilling experience of my life.

There are a ton of resources out there for filmmakers — free ones — all the information is at your fingertips.

I just finished a beta version of a mini-course to focus on a tactical approach but also the "soft skills" and intangibles around making something, especially when you are the originator and driving force of a project, which, if you're making a microbudget, you most likely are.

Let’s nurture this emerging community of support and accountability within the microbudget space. I genuinely believe we are entering a golden age of indie, and I feel like we can come together and create our own opportunities in this consolidating industry.

We need to find a way to create our movies. So if you're on the edge of greenlighting yourself, here's a little nudge.

Nudgingly,

GG

PS: If you wanna get on the waitlist for Microbudget Mindset, you can do that here!

*We don't invest as much as men, we apply to jobs only when we're 90% confident we can do them (as opposed to men's 60%).