<description>&lt;p&gt;Hello, Hello!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;In this segment, enjoy a double dose of wisdom from previous guest Michael Mendelsohn on what it means to &amp;#34;MAKE IT&amp;#34; as a creator, followed by filmmaker &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1325335/?ref_=fn_t_1" rel="nofollow"&gt;Zair Montes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; sharing hard-learned lessons from producing her film &amp;#34;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8000592/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_9" rel="nofollow"&gt;Rumba Love&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&amp;#34; Michael emphasizes that making it means enjoying what you do across multiple jobs, while Zair details the costly mistakes and resilience required during her multi-year production journey. The episode offers valuable insights for indie filmmakers about both the mindset needed for success and the practical pitfalls to avoid.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We also talk about: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• The importance of securing full funding before beginning production &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• Why contracts with cast and crew are essential before shooting &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• How to handle scheduling conflicts and venue cancellations during production &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• Managing international shoots and the complexities of filming in Cuba &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• Strategies for dealing with missing footage and actor departures mid-production&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mentioned:&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8000592/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_t_9" rel="nofollow"&gt;Rumba Love&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; (film)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.goldenceibaproductions.com/?fbclid=PAdGRleAO35aNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacKqmwu5r2CeoowsM41gWjhYlj7ao-KiBhGQr0e5yDoBK1LkxbQaitiN6jrDQ_aem_oerdW1NygPJo6hHu-dtMhA&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=ig" rel="nofollow"&gt;Golden Ceiba Productions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;• &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana" rel="nofollow"&gt;Cuba/Havana &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So, if you like what we&amp;#39;re doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All Links: &lt;a href="https://themakeitpodcast.store/" rel="nofollow"&gt;https://themakeitpodcast.store&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Support this podcast at — &lt;a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/the-make-it-podcast/exclusive-content'&gt;https://redcircle.com/the-make-it-podcast/exclusive-content&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Advertising Inquiries: &lt;a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'&gt;https://redcircle.com/brands&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Privacy &amp; Opt-Out: &lt;a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'&gt;https://redcircle.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt;</description>

The MAKE IT Podcast

Chris Barkley & Nicholas Buggs

What Does It Mean to Make It? Lessons from Indie Film Veterans Michael Mendelsohn and Zair Montes

DEC 23, 202515 MIN
The MAKE IT Podcast

What Does It Mean to Make It? Lessons from Indie Film Veterans Michael Mendelsohn and Zair Montes

DEC 23, 202515 MIN

Description

Hello, Hello!In this segment, enjoy a double dose of wisdom from previous guest Michael Mendelsohn on what it means to "MAKE IT" as a creator, followed by filmmaker Zair Montes sharing hard-learned lessons from producing her film "Rumba Love." Michael emphasizes that making it means enjoying what you do across multiple jobs, while Zair details the costly mistakes and resilience required during her multi-year production journey. The episode offers valuable insights for indie filmmakers about both the mindset needed for success and the practical pitfalls to avoid.We also talk about: • The importance of securing full funding before beginning production • Why contracts with cast and crew are essential before shooting • How to handle scheduling conflicts and venue cancellations during production • Managing international shoots and the complexities of filming in Cuba • Strategies for dealing with missing footage and actor departures mid-productionMentioned: • Rumba Love (film)• Golden Ceiba Productions • Cuba/Havana We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEITAll Links: https://themakeitpodcast.storeSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-make-it-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy