Film Bug

In this minisode, I discuss Justin McAleece whom I interviewed for episode 110. In episode 110, Justin recounts making Brick Madness, a film that took 12 years to shoot. 

In this minisode, I discuss how I met writer/director Rebecca Eskreis from episode 109 and our mutual friend Liz Manashil's podcast 'Making Movies is Hard.'

In this minisode, I give some background on how I know Sarah Snow and some of the projects she's worked on such as "Sharktopus" with director Roger Corman. 

In this minisode, I chat about Josh Guffey whom I interviewed in episode 107 of the podcast, how we met, and his connection to the "Film Bug" podcast. Check out episode 107!

In this minisode, I chat about how met Seckeita Taylor Lewis, writer/director of the film Jerico. She is interviewed in episode 106 of the podcast. 

In this minisode, I describe how I met Jonathan Perkins who is interviewed in Episode 105 of Film Bug. Surprise! I was the Line Producer on that project and if I were to do an episode on it, it would be a few hours long!

In this minisode, I give some insight on how I met Rachel Benjamin years ago in Miami, Florida. Rachel is the interviewee in episode 104 of "Film Bug," where she discussed the making of her thesis film, "The Missing Peace."

I met Lily on Facebook through a mutual friend who also has a film podcast. Check out minisode 3 to learn more, then listen to episode 103 in which Lily takes us through the making of "Acute Failure."

In this minisode, I talk about how I met Daniel Pico, director of "Farewell Darkness." Episode 102 of the podcast is an epic journey through the making of the film. It's a solid example of how to make movies outside predominant systems, and without wealth financiers or grants. 

In this short minisode, I explain how I met Joe Doughrity and convinced him to be interviewed for the Film Bug Podcast. Joe is a veteran filmmaker who worked for director John Singleton for years, and "Corner Store" was his directorial debut.

It was a personal journey filled with the magical sights and sounds of the big markets in Haiti, but also the unpredictability and stress that come with making a documentary over the course of five years. In Film Bug's season finale, Etant Dupain takes us through the making of "Madan Sara."

What started as a dare to make a movie that would take very little time to finish, became an 11 year journey from script to screen. Making the mockumentary took a group of dedicated friends pitching in, and unwittingly allowing filming in their homes, using personal credit cards to cover expenses, and hiring a number of background actors. Director Justin McAleece takes us through the making of "Brick Madness." 

It took a while for Rebecca to bring "What Breaks the Ice" to life, but once she started, she and her team were unstoppable. Not rain not even a truck breaking down could stop this production. Rebecca Eskreis takes us through the making of "What Breaks the Ice," a coming of age movie about two teens set against the backdrop of the Lewinsky scandal.

Sarah Snow hit it big when she produced "Slenderman," but it's while helping a friend on a short film that she encountered the most obstacles. In this episode, Sarah recounts the night a crew member was assaulted on set, logistical nightmares, nearly losing her friendship with the film's director, and the top notch crew that saved the day. 

Buckle up for quite the ride with writer/director Josh Guffey as he takes us behind the scenes of his first feature film, "All Gone Wrong." A journey 12 years in the making, "All Gone Wrong" stars Jake Kaufman as well as iconic Candyman actor Tony Todd. Find out how Josh’s car was nearly totaled, investors pulling out at the last minute and the ensuing uphill battle for financing, a drunk actor on set, brilliant performances from his leads, and how the team came together to see the film through. 

Seckeita had made only one short film when she and her husband, Brandon embarked on the epic journey to make "Jerico." From "haunted" jail cells to unrelenting downpours, and a lynching scene causing panic, Seckeita had to pull all the stops to finish her film and get distribution. In episode 106, she takes us through the making of "Jerico" and her special connection to Walmart.

Filming in Croatia was a dream come true for Jonathan Perkins. "Drone wars" was an independent television competition series where teams compete to build and fly drones. From the outset, Perkins was in damage control mode, and had to put out fires figuratively and literally. 

After a chance meeting with best selling author Edwidge Danticat, filmmaker Rachel Benjamin based her thesis film, "The Missing Peace,"  on Danticat's short story. The film was set in Haiti and with a micro budget, Rachel could not afford flying to Haiti to shoot. In this episode, Rachel takes us through the making of the film, including finding the perfect "Haiti" setting near Chicago, and being derided on her own set. "The Missing Peace" is available on Vimeo. 

Lily Gareth Cunningham’s first feature film was a labor of love that started with some shocking news. In episode 103, she takes us through the making of "Acute Failure." It's the story of a young woman who returns home to get evaluated for a medical emergency. Real life shocking news set her on the path to making the film, and she details the many pitfalls of crafting a micro budget film. "Acute Failure" premieres on October 2nd at Cinequest's virtual film festival.

Years ago, Daniel Pico was a young filmmaker in Chicago when he decided to direct his first film. The film is "Farewell Darkness," and is available on Reveel streaming platform. It's a feature film about an Iraq war veteran who struggles with PTSD. Making the film is a tale filled with twists and turns, including an angry hotel manager, a film commission with a vendetta, and being mistaken for a porn shoot. Get the full story on this episode! 

Daniel is now a working producer in Los Angeles and owns Pico Boulevard Entertainment. 

After years working for John Singleton and on may movie sets in Hollywood, Joe Doughrity embarked on a journey to direct his first feature film, "Corner Store." Writer/Director Joe Doughrity takes us through the making of "Corner Store." 

In Episode 0, I give a few tidbits about who I am, why I created the Film Bug Podcast, and what to expect in future episodes.