Noam Kroll

You could be a camera expert, or have never touched one. You could obsess over your dialogue, or let the actors improvise. You could storyboard everything, or work without a shot list. There truly is no formula. Believing there is a “right way” is what messes up so many filmmakers, especially when they are first starting out. I’ve had many filmmaker friends over the years who have become enamored…

If we’re lucky, 1 out of every 100 days is a home run. On that one random day – usually when we expect it least – everything seems to magically fall into alignment perfectly. I had a moment like that last month. It was the day our new feature film Teacher’s Pet was released, which alone would have been enough. But for whatever reason, the universe was feeling generous that day. Totally unrelated,…

In this episode, I sit down with filmmaker Wade Patterson to discuss his micro-budget feature Death Cipher – a contained thriller shot in just 12 days for only $4,000. Throughout the interview, Wade shares how multiple failed feature attempts led him to radically simplify his process, why he embraced a single-location concept shot in his own apartment, and how limitations ultimately became the fi…

In this episode I’m joined by filmmaker and entrepreneur Stefan van de Graaff, whose $75,000 micro-budget feature Simmer landed on HBO after going viral on Facebook. Stefan also co-founded a video agency that grew from a two-person team into a 100-employee business before selling for $17 million, which we discuss at length. Throughout the episode we talk about Stefan’s unconventional path – from …

It feels like every article in the trades lately has been about the demise of Hollywood. How fewer projects are getting green-lit, budgets are shrinking, and the impending doom of artificial intelligence. Things sound especially dark on the generative AI side, as alarmists make bold claims that human actors and filmmakers will soon be a thing of the past.  But the truth is, no one has a crystal b…

In this episode, I sit down with Academy Award nominee and ASC Award-winner Curren Sheldon to discuss his gritty new narrative feature Beatdown – a boxing drama made for just $60,000. Throughout the interview, Curren shares how his background in vérité documentary shaped the film’s style, why he cast real fighters and non-actors, and how they filmed key fight scenes inside a live event with 4,000…

In this special episode, we celebrate today’s release of our new feature film Teacher’s Pet – Now available where you rent or buy movies! Two days ago, we hosted a special advanced screening for members of my filmmaking community, and they took part in a virtual Q & A afterward. This episode includes the full live session with myself and lead actor / producer Luke Barnett. Topics covered include:…

A couple years ago I decided to start releasing my feature films on YouTube as an experiment. At the time I had completed two features, both of which had already made the rounds on Apple, Amazon, and all the other usual suspects. But as I quickly learned, the biggest benefit in making a low / no-budget feature film was never going to be the immediate revenue. Outside of unicorns like Paranormal A…

In this episode filmmaker Alec Goldberg joins the show to break down how his micro-budget comedy pilot Soft Boil went from a bootstrapped production to a blind submission acceptance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. We talk about Alec’s path from documentary and commercial work into scripted narrative, how a key creative partnership with lead actor / co-writer Camille Wormser shaped the project…

We just officially released the trailer for our new feature film Teacher’s Pet. If you’ve been following along with my blog over the last couple of years, you likely already know all about it, and some of the unconventional tactics I used to write, direct, and cut this movie. Including serving as my own cinematographer – among other things. I’ll be sharing a lot more in terms of behind the scenes…

Very few directors actually start their careers by directing. It’s much faster and easier to get a foot in the door through cinematography, editing, producing, and other aspects of the industry. There are just more opportunities in those fields and less competition. Everyone wants to be a director, at least at first. But to pay the bills, many will take freelance editing jobs, or find a niche for…

One of the biggest issues holding many of us back as artists is simple: we refuse to work unless it feels right. If it’s not the right time, we’re not inspired, or we’re not in the perfect headspace, we just don’t get started, We put aside the most critical tasks – writing, developing, and actually making our films – falsely believing our work will suffer if it’s done when conditions are suboptim…

The last couple of years have been by far the most rewarding as a filmmaker. But also the scariest at times. Since 2023 I was fortunate to land financing for a feature film, Teacher’s Pet, which has since sold. I made numerous shorts, including Ovation, which went viral and led to some incredible opportunities. And just this week I directed a short called Jack & Christine – where I got to work wi…

This month I’ll be directing what will hopefully become my best narrative film and strongest show piece to date. It’s a short film featuring three incredible actors, including one legendary performer I’ve wanted to collaborate with for over a decade. Had you asked me even a few years ago what my crew setup would look like for a project like this, I would have imagined something bigger and more co…

Imagine for a moment that you’ve made the perfect film. Against all odds, you’ve translated what was in your mind to the final cut with exact precision. You know the film is great, and that the quality of performance, visuals, and edit surpasses movies made with far more money. Yet when it’s time to put the film out there… crickets. Festivals reject it. Distributors don’t write back. No one seems…

A filmmaker asked me over a call this week: “What’s the one thing that most helped you find success as a filmmaker?” I didn’t even hesitate to answer: Patience. But later, I realized that was only half the answer. What I really meant was relentless patience – a very different thing. For better or worse, I have always been very comfortable with things taking a long time. I was never discouraged if…

This week, a no-budget short film we made for $50 in just two hours made a bigger impact than some of my feature films. If you missed my last email, the film is called OVATION. It started as a simple idea about three weeks ago, when writer and actor Luke Barnett came to me with a concept: He wanted to make a short that satirized the endless standing ovations that dominate headlines from the Canne…

Today a tiny short film I made for $50 in 2 hours with Luke Barnett just got an exclusive release by Variety – not even 2 weeks after we shot it. I think it’s a great case in point for just making your thing and not worry about the outcome, so I want to share some backstory here. Last month, Luke called me with an idea – What if we made a short film based on those never-ending standing ovations a…

I want to get highly practical today and leave you with a formula you can steal to make your next no-budget feature film. There are of course, infinite ways you can design your production, and the blueprint I’m sharing below is only one of many examples. But I know for a fact that it works, as it’s the method I used on my film Disappearing Boy, which led to my new feature film (Teacher’s Pet – no…

Shot lists are among the most essential tools for filmmakers, and I’ve certainly used them extensively over the years. On some of my earliest short films, I made the mistake of not creating a shot list and paid the price. Only once I got into the edit did I realize pieces of the puzzle were missing – whether it was an establishing shot, a reaction, or something else entirely. Before long, I did a…