The Journey of an Independent Filmmaker

Independent filmmakers thrive on creative freedom, owning their projects while navigating the business side of film.

### The Journey of an Independent Filmmaker: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Creativity
* 🎬 J. Horton defines an independent filmmaker as someone who **operates independently of studios**, focusing on **personal and smaller-scale projects**, often referred to as "**indie films**."
* 💰 He emphasizes the importance of financial ownership, stating he owns "**pretty much everything**" he creates, allowing for a more **personal connection** to his work.
* 🌟 Horton shares his humble beginnings, coming from a **lower-middle-class background** in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and highlights how he started making films with **minimal resources**, often funding projects with **credit cards and savings**.
* 📈 Over time, he progressed from creating **$5,000 films** to directing larger projects, ultimately accumulating **15 features** and building a modest living from his work in editing and directing.
* 🤝 He values the ability to **control his creative process**, enjoying the **marketing aspect of filmmaking** and the **freedom to choose his projects** without external pressures.
* ⚖ However, he acknowledges the downside of this independence, stating that the **responsibility for failures lies solely on him**, which can be a **heavy burden**.
* 💼 Horton believes that to succeed as an independent filmmaker, one must **balance the creative and business sides** of filmmaking, understanding **distribution and marketing** to avoid being **taken advantage of**.
* 🗣 He addresses the stigma of being perceived as "**all about the money**," asserting that despite criticism, his passion for filmmaking remains strong, and he cherishes the **creative process above all**.

Film Courage: What does being an independent filmmaker mean to you? J. Horton, Filmmaker/Youtuber/Podcaster: I think an independent filmmaker is, in the broad sense, it's just being independent of the studio, which there's such a breadth of different types of movies that are made that could be considered independent. I usually, and it's semantic, but I usually use the term Indie for Indie for what I do as opposed to an independent film. I'll say I do indie films because it feels a little smaller and personal because I'm making my narratives now. I'm making them a little over 100 grand [100,000], but that's, I think, that's minuscule in the grand scheme of things. And I've made them much cheaper, and they're just, they're a different level of movie. So, for me, that means making movies faster, making movies cheaper, making movies more personal, and owning my movies. Like, I own pretty much everything.

I make now and like to me that's what it means to me like it doesn't mean that to everyone but for me that's what it is how can you dispel the myth that you have to be middle class or upper middle class or have come from that background to be able to make money with film or be in this business and have a job I dispel that by like like I am the template like not to not to it sounds egotistical but I like I am from no money I am from no connections I came from Fort Wayne Indiana single mom trailer park lower-middle lower lower middle class. We lived very very very modestly and I've never had someone no one discovered me no one said Hey kid we're make your movie I was working part-time at Starbucks I was making what whatever minimum wage was then and some and tips save some money and yeah I got a credit card and and and saved money over a

year and got together with another friend, put our money together, and made a little $5,000 movie, and then sold that. And by sell it, I mean we got it distributed, and then went from there. And I just kept repeating that, and then I would work for people and make a little money doing that as a shooter or later an editor. And I made a pretty decent living as an editor later on. But even to get to the point where I could make money as an editor, I got there making these little $5,000 to $10,000 movies. And eventually, I got to a point I had a couple under my belt, and I got to a point where I could talk another indie independent producer into putting $25,000 into a movie, and eventually 50, and then caught the eye of some producers that were making a string of $50,000 movies, and they hired me to direct and edit those. And by the time I got done with those, I have 15

features under my belt, and so at that point, I have some clout, and I'm making a living, a modest living, and I did it. And then I went from there to like, I want to just own my movies. I want to make these low-budget documentaries. And then I learned how to market better, and then I started getting to the point where I could crowdfund a movie for $100,000. And I could go out probably three months from now and launch a crowdfunder, decide to do it today, and three months from now launch one and raise $150,000 or $200,000. And I came from nowhere and no connections. I built this all up through force of will. I learned how to take what I was, what I have, and what I earned myself and roll that into a career. And I really, when I really flourished, was when I really adopted the Cavalry is not coming, nobody's coming to save me, I'm not going to be discovered, I'm not going to get picked out of a

out of a lottery to direct a Star Wars movie. Like, this is my path, and I'm happy with it. Like, there was a time I wanted to be a bigger studio director, but now I could live the whole rest of my life making these little movies, and I'm good with that, with independent film. I think you've said that the time you put in should be proportionate to the money you make back. Yes, yeah, I said that earlier today. I do so, and don't get me wrong. So, like, I think you can have your cake and eat it too, so, and I do so. For me, when I talk about the time in, money in, out, like, I'm mostly talking about, like, the documentary stuff that I do, and I look at that stuff, and if I'm going to make, like, on average, if you would add up all of my independent documentaries and divide it and figure out how much you're making a month, it's means probably around maybe

$200 a month, which sounds really bad, but there's some make 10,000 a month, some make 10 a month. But I have to look at these things, each one of them, like they're going to make that average. So like if I have a movie that's going to make $200 a month for a year, it's going to make $2,000. So is it like how much time is $2,000 worth? And that sound a little like mechanical or whatever, but that's like that's kind of how you have to like generally approach it. And then if you have a base where you get enough of that stuff done and you're making some passive income from it, then you can take a project, a year project, every other year, and spend more time on it. And that's what I do with my narratives now. So my narratives feed my like creative, like artistic passion, and the other ones, they feed my bank account and my natural curiosity towards other

subjects. That's why I like doing documentaries. And some people say, Well, that's just... I don't want to do that. Well, you're doing the same thing if you're working a day job or if you're being hired. Like, personally, I don't like working for people. If you like working for people and being a Director of Photography for people, for example, great, man. I wish I did, but I don't. But that's good for you. Works for you. For me, I would rather do these documentaries. That's my thing. And so, I have it kind of both ways. I can do my narratives once every year and a half, spend more money, spend more time, and I have the little things to, like, feed me in the meantime. What's your favorite part about being an independent filmmaker, and what's your least favorite part? So, my favorite part of being an independent filmmaker... Like, I like being

my own boss, and I love taking a thing like some people. Like, they just want to do one part of the process, like they want to make the movie, or they just want to make the movie and edit it, and that's all they want to do. I like the whole thing. Like, I have grown to really like the marketing part of it. I like all of it, and I like having ownership of all of that, both creatively and financially. Like, I own close to 100% of almost everything I do, you know, unless I'm splitting back in with shooters or whatever, but I like that. And nobody, like nobody as far as work goes, tells me what to do or when to do it or how I want to do it. I mean, if I don't want to make a movie next month, I don't. I just don't do it. But if I want to, or if I had to slow down, and I need

to make up a little bit. I'll do it, and I can work you know short burst, or I can do it long, or I can do what I want. I can if I decide to take all of next month off and go to Cancun. I could do that and then pick back up when I get back, and the part you like least. Oh, the part I like, the part I like least then is it's also that it's all on your shoulders, so you have to take responsibility for failure. You have to take responsibility if you are working with a partner or something, and the like it financially doesn't work out. You have to take responsibility for that. I've had situations with investors now where I start to pay them back out of my pocket if the movie doesn't make money. I don't like that, but I do it. I'd say overall if I'm talking about process, I probably enjoy the set itself a lot. I enjoy actually what I like it all. I can't.

actually can't think of what I like. It all film making is film business. Yeah, yeah, film making is film business. It's 100%. Well, not 100%, but it has to be. It has to be an equal component or a close to equal component. Like I said, I don't think like the business and the creative has to be mutually exclusive. I think you can do both, both, and you can get, you can have an equal amount of energy or a little more into this or that and still make it work. But if you want to make a living as an independent filmmaker, you absolutely have to put some energy into the business, and it has to be like a good amount, maybe not equal to the creative. I mean, I personally do, but maybe it doesn't have to be, but it has to be, has to be something there. You have to put some effort into learning the business side, even if you're not going to do the marketing yourself or you're

hiring somebody, you still should understand basically how it works. You should understand how distribution works. You should understand how the business stuff works so that you don't get taken advantage of, so that people don't rip you off. Understand how it works. And lastly, though, just one thing when you brought up with that and that just what if people say, Well, I want to do that, but I'm afraid because people are going to say you're all about the money. Yeah, so I deal with that on a daily basis during my channels because my channel is totally focused on distribution and marketing. And I'll get that, Well, you're not an artist. You're just a money guy. You're just throwing crap at the wall and trying to make money. And there's going to be people that say that. It's just like creative trolls. You're always going to have people that don't like what you're doing, that are triggered by what you were doing, that may be jealous of what you're doing.

or think that you were causing their problems by doing this thing or whatever it is so like I kind of and I would be lying if I said it didn't affect me because it does I mean I'm get hurt if somebody makes a trolly comment and says that because I know in my heart that like I love making movies like I just I love it and if the movie turns out great that's great I want it to turn out good I want it to be the best thing it can but if it's not I love the process so I just I let it go.

If You Don't Have Money Or Connections... Can You Be A Filmmaker? - J. Horton

Film Courage

Horton's Perspective on Independent Filmmaking

Horton defines independent filmmaking as being free from studio control, focusing on smaller, personal narratives with budgets just over $100,000.

He challenges the myth that a middle-class background is necessary for success in the film industry, sharing his own journey from a low-income upbringing to making movies.

Horton's path involved starting with $5,000 films, working part-time, and gradually building up to larger projects and directing opportunities.

The speaker has successfully built a modest living and career in independent film through determination and self-education.

They have learned to market their work and have successfully crowdfunded movies, now aiming to raise $150,000 to $200,000.

The speaker believes in balancing time and money, using passive income from documentaries to fund more ambitious narrative projects.

The Benefits and Challenges of Being an Independent Filmmaker

The filmmaker enjoys the freedom of being their own boss and having ownership of the entire process, from making the movie to marketing it.

They appreciate the flexibility to choose when and how to work, without anyone telling them what to do.

While they have a clear vision for their projects, they also value the collaborative aspect of working with others, like shooters, when necessary.

The Challenges and Rewards of Independent Filmmaking

Independent filmmaking offers flexibility in work schedule and decision-making.

However, it also comes with the burden of responsibility for failures and financial struggles.

Balancing the creative and business aspects is crucial for success, and putting effort into learning the business side is essential for making a living as a filmmaker.

Understanding the Business of Hiring and Distribution

It's important to have a basic understanding of how hiring, distribution, and business operations work to avoid being taken advantage of.

The speaker addresses the common criticism of being perceived as "just a money guy" and acknowledges the presence of creative trolls and negative comments.

Despite the hurtful comments, the speaker emphasizes their passion for making movies and loving the creative process, allowing them to let go of negativity.