Producing Personal Projects with Emmy Winner Steve Mazan

The world’s a little crazy at the moment – so we thought this would be a good time to bring you a truly inspirational tale. Emmy winner Steve Mazan, subject of our theatrically released feature documentary Dying to do Letterman, is here today to make you laugh, appreciate life, and believe in the impossible. See, doctors told Steve he might only have five years to live. A stand-up comedian, Steve decided to dedicate whatever was left of his life to living his dream: performing on David Letterman’s show. (Spoiler alert: it’s now fifteen years since his diagnosis, he’s surviving the heck out of cancer, and doctors feel he’s beat it completely.) We documented Steve’s incredible journey over many years. What was it like for Steve to open up to cameras at his most vulnerable? Why did he want to? And how did we, as friends, handle the pressure of making the film? What are the real costs and rewards of producing personal projects in Hollywood? After a theatrical release and being named New and Noteworthy on iTunes, how much money did we all make? What should you think about if you’re going to make your own personal project? Today we discuss all that and more. Buckle in and get ready to laugh a lot, cry a little, and celebrate the human spirit. If You Haven’t Seen Dying to do Letterman… We give away a lot in today’s episode, but not so much that all the surprises of Dying to do Letterman are revealed. That said, if you’d like to see the film first (or after listening) it’s available on Amazon as well as iTunes. Here’s the trailer: Steve Mazan: Incredible Person, Unbelievable Journey As we discuss today, we first met Steve Mazan when we were just starting out – still working out of a one-bedroom apartment in Hollywood, and cutting actors’ demo reels for a living. Steve was a stand-up comic who needed a new reel, and he hired us to do it. After that, we became friends. A few years later, he received the astounding news: doctors told Steve he had twelve inoperable tumors around his liver, and that he might only have five years to live, or best case scenario, ten years. That was fifteen years ago. A Ticking Clock? At the time, Steve had no idea he would be a “miracle” case. He felt precious moments were ticking away. There was one dream he’d chased his whole life: performing stand-up comedy on The Late Show with David Letterman. So the amazing Steve dedicated whatever was left of his life to chasing his dream. And he asked us to make a documentary about it. Producing Personal Projects: Costs and Rewards We’re not gonna lie: taking on this project scared the heck out of us. How could we make a documentary about our sick friend and still keep it real and honest, without our feelings affecting the film? Was it even possible? And was it necessary? Plus, we were good friends with Steve. If there’s one thing many of us have learned the hard way, it can be a very bad idea to team up with friends on any kind of business endeavor. Especially one as intense and taxing as making a documentary. Defining Success When Producing Personal Projects When you take on personal project, you simply can’t do it for the money. As you’ll hear in today’s episode, Dying to Do Letterman did well: * Had a very successful Kickstarter campaign cover...