How Stu Maschwitz Can Help You Make Film, TV, Or Anything Else

Sure, we’ve made a lot of television. Yes, we’ve had a few (small) films in theaters. But there’s always more to learn. And when it comes to pure, unadulterated, guerrilla filmmaking awesomeness, there’s no one better to learn from, more helpful, or just plain cool than Stu Maschwitz. Affectionately known to legions of Twitter fans as @5tu, he’s had a real impact on our careers. Today, we’ll share a few ways Mr. Maschwitz’s advice helped make us successful Hollywood producers. More importantly, we’ll show how @5tu can jumpstart your filmmaking success.   Who Is Stu? Stu describes himself as a “a filmmaker, photographer, and writer, with a passion for kinetic storytelling” and “a champion of accessible filmmaking.” That’s putting it mildly. A brief glance a Stu’s IMDB page will tell you he’s worked on some of the biggest movies of the last 20 years. It’s the kind of experience that seems far beyond anything that could be helpful to your average, indie filmmaker. And yet, somehow, Stu manages to convert that knowledge into inspirational DIY filmmaking tips and tricks. You can find this priceless info freely available on his blog and densely packed into his ultimate rebel guide on filmmaking (see below.) Additionally, Stu serves as creative director for Red Giant Software’s Magic Bullet product line, which we own and use regularly (more on that in the podcast today.) Please know this: Stu, the free advice he shares on his blog, and the apps he creates for filmmakers are priceless resources for anyone who thinks of themselves as a visual storyteller. That’s why we’ve dedicated this, our 75th podcast episode, to exploring how Stu can help you make better film and TV.   Just some of what we cover today: * How Stu’s DV Rebel’s Guide shaped our career and can still shape yours * Stu’s philosophy that took us from one-bedroom apartment to 7000 square foot facility * How we used a chapter from Stu’s book on our A&E reality TV show * Software Stu created that we own and use, plus how and why we count on it * The one color correction tool we recommend for unscripted film & TV producers * Is there a color grading magic bullet? * What the heck is a 5TU? For all this and more, hit that giant red button above to play now. Read on for more Stu Maschwitz awesomeness. Stu Maschwitz: The Man Who Wrote Our Favorite Filmmaking Book It’s hard to believe it’s almost been a decade since Stu Maschwitz released The DV Rebel’s Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap. Even more amazing is that, specific tech aside, the book still holds up. Stu’s philosophy of ignoring naysayers, embracing the impossible, and using creativity to solve any problem has always spoken to us. Before each new TV series we produce we still go back to the book for inspiration and ideas. In fact, Stu’s write up on using forced perspective photography to pull off in-camera effects inspired us on our A&E TV show Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne. Have a look at this video to see how the book helped us,...