First-time directors face all kinds of unexpected challenges. For Alex Ferrari, host of the Indie Film Hustle podcast, that meant trying to shoot a $20 million feature film in Louisiana and across the country for a bipolar, egomaniacal gangster. The dream of becoming a feature-film director turned into a nightmare for Alex, and it led to a textbook example of how not to make a film.

That traumatic experience went on to forge Alex’s interest in helping other filmmakers avoid similar heartaches. He provides a detailed account of what happened and the lessons he learned along the way in his new book, Shooting for the Mob.

Alex came on the show to discuss some of the life lessons he learned from that experience and his years in the industry. Some of the things we discuss include

• How his schedule helps him stay prolific
• What to avoid when making a feature film
• The important role that meditation plays in his life
• How to follow our dreams while being true to ourselves
• How to build meaningful relationships in an industry filled with shallow ones

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Related Episode

If you want to hear more about Alex, check out the first interview I did with him where we discuss his work as a post-production supervisor and his insights about building an engaged community.

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