In this episode, I’m joined by filmmaker and YouTuber Blake Calhoun to talk about his new feature film Casey Makes A Mixtape, his long-running channel iPhoneographers, and his highly entrepreneurial approach to building a sustainable filmmaking career.

Throughout the interview Blake shares how he got his start selling work to Warner Bros. after finding an audience on YouTube, and why he believes every filmmaker should consider having a YouTube channel - even if they don’t want to become a “YouTuber.”We also dig into the making of Casey Makes A Mixtape, a 1981-set coming-of-age feature that Blake made on a micro-budget.

He breaks down how he wrote the script around resources he already had access to, directed and DP’d the film himself, used a small crew, incorporated iPhone footage alongside RED Komodo, and even licensed well-known songs on a tight indie budget.

Topics covered include:

Why indie filmmakers are inherently entrepreneurs
Blake’s early success in web series and selling a show to Warner Bros.
How YouTube has changed since the early days of online video
How Casey Makes A Mixtape evolved from an iPhone-shot short film
Making a period piece on a low budget
Directing and DP’ing your own feature
Working with a small crew of roughly 10 people
Licensing famous songs for an indie film
Much More!

Links from the show:

Casey Makes A Mixtape - Film

Casey Makes A Mixtape - Trailer

iPhoneographers - YouTube

Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday

Building A 160K+ YouTube Channel & Making A 1980s Period Feature On A Micro-Budget