JH: You have no idea how grateful I am that there are people like you preaching this message. Too many people have bought into the Kevin Smith recipe for disaster of going into massive debt on a film. Somehow, they magically believe that they're going to sell the film at the zero hour and avoid all the heartache of losing everything. Even if they get a guaranteed Hollywood-style distribution deal, the pay off may be far too late or too little for them not to have lots and lots of legal and financial problems. Tragically, your story is the rule, whereas Smith's is the winning-the-lottery exception! Hopefully folks who hear your tale will decide to make films with money they can secure themselves, not with money they owe.
So after you got back on your feet and became part of an elite cadre of low-budget filmmakers, you've continued to make other films?
KB: Yeah, 2 other features. The Gas Cafe and Kicking Bird.
JH: And you made them for no money (other than what you could afford to put in yourself)?
KB: No money and I self-distribute. That's the reason for the tours. I took a page from the whole Punk Band, DIY scene. I make movies cheaply and I take them out on the road. I sell my DVDs on the road and off my site. I also teach people how to make the films they want to make for a reasonable price so they don't lose everything like I did.
JH: And that's why you're angry?
KB: I'm angry for a lot of reasons. I'm pissed that good films can't get distributors because they don't have stars. I am angry that all sorts of Hollywood 4 and 5 million dollar pictures are called "independent" when they're not. I'm angry because a lot of doors have been closed to Real Independent Filmmakers and very few of them seem to care. I see filmmakers give their movies to both shady and legitimate distributors for nothing, no advance. If you don't get an advance, you'll probably never see any money!
Dougald Park as Harv Beckman & Tom Lasswell as Earl in Birddog
JH: What's your advice to filmmakers then?
KB: Self distribute. We always hear those BS lines: 'I make my films by any means necessary!' Well why aren't you getting your films out by any means necessary? Why are you sitting on your ass waiting to see if you got in to some film festival? Why aren't you burning DVDs and selling them at screenings? Why aren't you promoting your movie on the internet? You gotta get the word out, and you have to do it yourself.
JH: And that's why you tour?
KB: It has to do with getting your films seen. If no one sees your movies, how are you going to build an audience? I tour, I teach and I have developed a fan base. One person at a time! Has it been easy? No. It's not supposed to be. At then end of the day all you have is your work and if no one knows about it or you, whose fault is that?
Danny Bruno as Grandpa in Kicking Bird .
JH: So what's next?
KB: I am already booking my Spring Tour in the US. I am hoping to do a few Canadian dates as well. This summer with any luck I’ll do another tour of the UK. That depends on the economy. Mine and theirs.
JH: I also understand you have DVDs and work books that you sell on Low Budget filmmaking?
KB: Oh good, the merchandise pitch. Yeah, I have a couple DVDs I've made, Making The Extreme No-Budget Feature, and Sound Design for Independent Films. I also have 6 work books that cover everything from pre-production thru post, and sound design. You can buy those as well as my movies on my web site, www.angryfilmmaker.com.
