S2 EP7 | Meeting with independent Filmmakers
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
the budget was originally 125
and we have probably put into it.
I'm going to say we're almost at
175, 180, about 175, 180, 000.
This is Truly Independent, a show that
demystifies the indie film journey by
documenting the process of releasing
independent films in theaters.
Each week, Garrett Batty and I,
Darren Smith, will update you
on our journey, bringing guests
to share their insights into the
process and answer your questions.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Welcome, welcome to Truly Independent.
I am so excited for this episode.
Darren, nice to see you.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
You as well.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Well, it was a good, good way to end
the year, and we had a hopefully had a
great New Year's, and I'm excited for
this, a whole other year of of episodes.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yes,
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
And with us one of the things
that I'm most excited about today
is for our first episode of the
year, we have with us a guest,
jewel Powell.
Thank you for being here.
We are so excited for you to be here.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Now we met just over email and you
reached out to show me a trailer.
For your latest film.
And I couldn't believe it.
It was so fun to see familiar
faces in it and to see the story.
And so we're going to talk with
you this episode about this being
your first film and how it all came
together and things you've learned
and things you can teach and just
great experiences about filmmaking.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Yes, it was such an exciting experience.
I would love to talk about it.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Tell
us a little bit about your movie first.
Like what's the movie about?
And then we, we're, we definitely have
a list of questions that we want to dive
into, to, to hear about the process.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Yes, thank you.
So the movie is unfailing love, and it's
a modern day version of the book of Hosea.
So it's a Christian film, and it is
a beautiful love story of how Jesus,
because Hosea represents Jesus, right?
He's a forerunner of Jesus.
it's about Jesus's unfailing love
towards us, that every time we run
into the world or we run away from him,
we're committing spiritual adultery.
And so, but yet he keeps running after
us, even though we come back and then
we leave him again and we come back.
And so it's this tumultuous love story.
but it just exemplifies how Jesus
doesn't care that he's going to keep
running after us no matter what.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Wow.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: it.
What a powerful subject for a film and
a powerful subject for a first film.
I understand that this is.
This is your debut film, is that correct?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yes.
So I,
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
a multi hyphenate, right?
You are writer, director, producer.
Is that right?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: As
among casting and production coordination
and all the other things, know, when
you have a limited budget you're kind of
doing four or five, six jobs at one time.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Mm hmm.
We're well aware.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
well, yeah, that is the nature of
independent film as we all, all know.
so Jule, can you tell us
about, okay, first of all,
what's the status of the film?
Where are you now?
Is it done?
Have you released it?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yeah,
so we did the premiere July of last year.
And I.
been just going to churches, showing
them churches are hosting the movie
and we just started doing streaming.
Far as there's a deep sea digital, they
have it on their streaming platform.
They're an independent
Christian, film company.
And then I put it on my platform, my
YouTube platform today at 12 o'clock.
So it just released today at 12
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Holy cow.
That's
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Thank you.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Yeah, so if you are listening right
now or watching this podcast, you
can click over there at the end
of this episode and check it out.
And we'll have, we can put your
information and links in our,
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yes.
Jewel R.
They said Jewel R.
Powell.
Yes.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
There you go.
Look at that.
Usually we save that for the end
because people want to know how to
get in touch with it, but there we go.
So, Joel, Like, where
did this story come from?
What inspired it?
And how did you get it from an idea
to, I'm, I'm turning this into a movie.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yes.
So in 2020 was retiring from the postal
service as a manager of the postal service
and I asked the Lord, what was next?
You know, at 55, what's next Lord?
I know I'm not finished.
I heard the Lord clearly say, write a
modern day script of the book of Hosea.
And I have never done film, never
wanted to do film, no training in
film, didn't know what a line producer
versus a DP had no idea what that was.
learned and did it.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
You just did it.
You just jumped in.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Well, when you hear from the Lord
and you know, it was the Lord.
Well, well, when I, when I first heard it,
I thought I was going crazy because again,
film who does like, that's a big deal.
And so I was writing the script I
remember the day I finished the script,
I'm yelling to the Lord, like, what,
what am I supposed to do with this?
And he said, make the movie.
And within 30 minutes.
My neighbor comes and well, she
calls me and she says, Hey, they're
filming a movie at Nicole's house.
Do you want to be an extra?
lives I can see from
my house to her house.
I can see them.
And so I'm walking down the
street and I hear action cut
I'm like, Oh, I can do this.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Wow.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: just
seeing it, God just showed me in within
30 minutes of me crying out what to do.
He showed me and then, the lady
said we don't need any extras.
Where do you live?
And I said, I live in
that house right there.
And she said, oh, can we
use your house for our film?
I said, sure.
And she's, and then my friend
was like, she writes movies.
And she said, oh, we always need material.
Now she's a producer of over 30 films.
That she's done so far.
And so I said, okay.
So she came to my house and I'm
going to pause here for a second.
Cause this is critical years.
The Lord told me to stop
watching TV movies, everything.
He didn't want me to watch anything.
And I said, I can't watch anything.
He gave me one show to watch.
And that was a different world.
And Jasmine guy was in a different world.
So on Wednesday, when they come
to my house, Cause the whole time
I'm crying out, Lord, is this you?
Is this you?
I need confirmation, but
I'm still walking by faith.
I'm still writing and I'm still
doing the things by faith.
I haven't gotten the confirmation
yet, but I'm still walking by faith.
And when they knock on my door,
Jasmine, God was at my door
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: I
mean, at that point, what are you feeling?
What are you just feeling at that point?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
at that point.
I'm like, Oh, let's go.
Like I'm, I'm ready to go.
I'm ready.
He told me to do it.
He confirmed for me to do it.
Oh, it's going, it's done.
It's as good as done.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Absolutely.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
that's amazing.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Okay.
And then somehow that, so that project
finishes, they film at your house.
You're still kind of getting
this feeling of like, Hey, I
need to, I need to do this.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yeah.
Well, cause at that point I'm
like, okay, what do I need?
How do I produce this?
How do I, how do I make this a reality?
And I heard the Lord say, go
to the film festival and the
Christian film festival in Orlando.
And he said, you will meet people,
you'll meet the right people.
And so I'm at that film festival.
I'm there every day.
I'm not meeting the right people y'all.
So the last the last class, it
was like nine o'clock at night.
I wasn't even going to go because
I'm like, this was a bus, right?
So I go to the class,
they're asking any questions.
And I said, excuse me.
This is my first time.
I think I need something
like a line producer or a DP.
Like, where do you find those people?
And the guy said,
sitting right behind you.
And those are the people
that were, I used in my film.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Is that right?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yep.
And we'll use them every
day, all day, forever.
Because one of the lessons that
I've learned, and this is for you.
The people who are listening that want
to do this, you find the people who are,
who have already been there and done that
do not try to do because as a newbie,
my film could have looked a hot mess.
But because I had people who
knew what they were doing
made this film so much better.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Wow.
I think we found the story for
your next movie, which is your
story of how you made this movie.
My goodness.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
It's amazing, right?
Because you know, jewel, You're
talking to two people that have
worked years and years and years
and years trying to get a film done.
And I think that that is more common
as you, as you probably have found,
that is more common with independent
film than you've gone through.
And I just think what a testimony it
is that you are, you know, in tune and
inspired and listening to the Lord and.
letting him guide you
through this process.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
You could call it Unfailing Faith,
and now you've got theories going.
Got Unfailing Love, Unfailing
Faith, Unfailing Hope.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Absolutely.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
There you go.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
and, and I watched the trailer, which
is amazing because you're right.
The film, the film looks incredible.
It does not look like a
first time filmmaker film
and you have an amazing cast.
It was fun to see Cameron Arnett, who
is in our last movie faith of angels.
= So how did that all come together
with, you then putting together
this amazing crew, amazing cast.
Yeah.
And, and getting into production.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yeah.
And I think that's the key, which
you said, finding an amazing
crew, finding an amazing cast.
And so with the two that were
sitting behind me who knew people
in the industry already, that's
how I was able to get Cameron.
Cause I didn't know Cameron.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Mm hmm.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
But when he's read the script, he loved
the story and finding just, you know,
putting out there to family and friends.
Do you know of anybody that
would be interested in filming?
What's so funny is that some people will
not believe in you in the beginning.
You know, you tell people
family and friends now.
My, my true family and friend
members knew that if Jewel says she's
gonna do it, it's gonna get done.
It's as good as done.
Other people are like,
Jewel making a movie?
Yeah, right.
You know?
trying to find even extras was so hard.
And so for, my film, I had
to be the mother of the film.
Because I couldn't find actress to be
the mother, like I'm sending out stuff.
Is there anybody interested?
And then the Lord said, you do it.
I'm like, I want to do it.
I have a million things already doing.
So to think about doing my first
film, it's, it's amazing to me when
I hear me saying these things, how
do you do your first film and you're
doing all of these different parts?
You know it was fun.
It was actually fun for me.
I did not.
It was just, it was amazing.
The experience was amazing.
It was amazing to the point where I
said, I got a little mad at the Lord.
I'm like, Lord, why did you wait to 55?
You know, I been doing this my whole life.
Why 55 me to start making films.
And I know the reason now,
but you know, here we are,
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So faith based films often have a
different journey or unique journey.
So were there, I mean, at the time,
did you know that there are strategies
that you're using to get this film
made and released, or you're just.
You're just following by faith.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
I'm just following faith.
just following, following the
Lord even to, and it's, it's hard.
It was easy, I'm going to say for
me, writing the script, although
I did several revisions of it.
You know, one of the things that I've
seen lately with independent films is
that people don't tell good stories.
They think they've told a good
story because it's on paper, but
there has to be so many revisions.
There have to be so many people looking
at it and giving you true, you know,
As to, you're missing a piece here.
I'm not feeling this.
There's a gap here or whatever.
And I have really good people
that helped me with that piece.
But so that was easy and fun producing.
It was fun, this, this post, was fun, but
now distribution, like this is my hardest.
This part was the distribution because
even for it to be a faith based film,
churches did not want to it because
one, I'm a nobody in their eyes, right?
Two, I've been getting some feedback
that it's a little too gritty for me.
Three, that is not
considered a faith based.
It is a Bible based movie.
This is strictly based on the Bible,
because of the grittiness of it, people
are not considering it faith based.
So Pureflex has denied it.
Other Christian streaming platforms have
denied it because it's not your typical,
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Hmm.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Christian faith based movie.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Gotcha.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Yeah.
Okay.
Well, that's it.
I mean, that is the nature of the industry
and they have their audiences, but it
sounds like you are still determined
and still successfully finding churches
and audiences and, and as any good story
will do, it will find its audience.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Absolutely.
I know the good part for me is because
I know once I got confirmation from
the Lord, you can't stop me now.
So know that he called it.
I know he's going to make a way for it.
And what's so interesting is that we are,
there's so many Pharisees out here because
line is, is that if you're going, that it
has to be this religious way and it has to
be this, this thing, God is trying to open
up doors because the Bible, guess what?
The Bible is gritty.
The Bible itself is gritty.
David was gritty.
Apostle Paul was gritty.
my film has no nudity, no
cursing is strictly Bible.
And yet it is gritty.
There is a guy who's
prostituting a woman, but.
That's in the book of Hosea.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Yeah.
No,
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: I
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
parable.
Yeah.
So that, that is a challenge.
That's a unique aspect of
these faith based films.
So knowing that now, are there
things in your, like, how will
that affect your next project?
Do you, do you say, okay, I want
to, I want to pursue the, the pure
flicks audience, or am I going to keep
building or whatever, whatever the Lord
tells me to do, I guess I'm going to
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
have to remain faithful to who I am
because I first question I got all
of these no's when I'm knocking on
doors, those type of doors, I had to
question, did I do the right thing?
And the Lord said that he knew who
he was picking and what I would
produce by doing this type of movie.
I made a movie and will continue
to make movies that I want to see.
Those other Christian type movies
are, this is why people don't like
Christian movies and why they don't
want to see Christian movies they
consider them, sorry to say, corny.
It's not reality.
And so I want to make movies that
people can see themselves in the
mess that they're in and how to get
out of it because Jesus is the way.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
that's amazing.
I want to actually skip back a second
because we kind of glossed over it, but
putting together a script, something
you can do on your own in your house,
on your laptop, like you can write
the script, going to these events
and networking and meeting people is
all stuff that anyone can do, right?
There isn't, maybe there's a cost of
like driving to Orlando and putting
yourself up in a hotel and buying
a registration for this event,
but like for Very little money.
You can get to the point where
you have a team put together.
You've got some cast
and you've got a script.
How there's a big gap that we kind of
jumped over between you had those things
in place, but you still need now a budget
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yes.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
in order to produce this movie.
And so I'd love to.
whatever you're willing to share
about what the budget was for the
movie and how did you raise the money?
Because that's a part where a lot of
our audience goes, I have so many ideas
and I have all these things ready to go.
I just don't have the money.
So what was your experience
with fundraising and getting the
money and to produce the movie?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
That is a very good question because
I'm really at that state now because I'm
trying to get my Christmas movie done.
And so the first movie though, When
I asked the Lord that when he said to
do it and I'm like, okay, Lord, what,
where are we going to get the money?
How's, how are we going to work?
And he said, what do you have?
Well, I don't have nothing Lord.
And he asked me a second
time, what do you have?
I don't have anything.
When the Lord asks you three times, he
already knows that there's an answer.
You just haven't gotten
the revelation of it yet.
Right?
like Peter, right?
So the third time he asked, and I said,
okay, he's asked me cause he knows.
Lord, I know you're not talking
about my retirement money because
that's my retirement money.
And he said, will you give it all?
And I gave it all
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Okay.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: So
you self funded your first movie.
Holy cow.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
dime, every dime.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Say more about this, please.
Like, do you, have you shared or are
you willing to share what the budget
was or what the range of the budget was?
Cause I'm assuming this wasn't
a big two or 3 million indie.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: It
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: So
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
the budget was originally 125
and we have probably put into it.
I'm going to say we're almost at
175, 180, about 175, 180, 000.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
yeah, that's amazing.
And to do what you've done, I
haven't seen the trailer yet,
but I saw a few images on IMDB.
Like it looks like a movie and to get
actors like Cameron Arnett, that typically
doesn't happen on 125, 000 budget.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yeah.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Yeah.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
I can say is thank you, Jesus.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Well, he's It seems very on brand.
He's done things in the past where
he's taken what people have and
multiplied it into more, right?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Absolutely.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
That's incredible.
That's so cool to hear.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Jewel,
what do you it is, it is, your story is so
familiar, you know, I'm, I'm looking know,
my, my first film was very similar not the
story wise, but one of these kind of leap
of faiths were leaps of leaps of faith.
The budget 000.
was working full time at the time and
stopped, you know, take a leave from my
job and put everything I, I had into it.
And I mean, it's a familiar story for
a first time filmmaker to, to do that.
Scary to be able to do that
or to attempt to do that.
And often questioned like, okay, well, is
that just a lack of faith to be afraid?
Or do I just need to, to have more faith?
What's, what are your thoughts on that?
I mean, when you're laying awake
at night going, what have I done?
you know, maybe you get that rejection
letter from pure flicks and going, Oh,
is not how I expected things to turn out.
Does that exist?
Or are you just completely still
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
That's great.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
to see the hand of the Lord?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Yeah, I've, I've been seeing the
hand of the Lord the whole time,
the whole time he's been showing me
and he had already warned me that
it was going to be hard in the end.
He said, it's going to seem seamless in
the beginning, but it's going to be hard
in the end because the enemy is going to
try to stop this movie from going forward.
He said, but in the end, I will
what he said he was going to do,
which was to get it out there.
When the doors are shut, I,
it doesn't bother me because.
Bible tells me that no man can
shut a door that God has opened.
if a door is shut, then I know
that that must not be God.
And I don't want to walk
through that door anyway.
That's where my faith is.
And so not afraid.
I'm excited.
I'm excited to see the world The,
the, the, the accolades that we have
received, like we've received over 15
awards and even at that Christian film
festival that we went to the first
time I went to find those two guys.
We went back two years later and we won
audience best choice award for that film
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Wow.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: it.
I love it.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
and the accolades like the, the guy
that has it on his streaming platform.
I went through 250 the other day, because
it's been on, it's been on for 2 days.
And on his website, today it
was like, over 185, 000 views.
And I saw about 250 comments and I went
through each comment and are getting it.
They're, they're understanding
the love of Jesus.
And so my work, am so happy with, the
gift that God has given me to write.
And produce movies.
And I mean, television shows are coming.
Like I'm excited about my future
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Wow.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: 58,
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
I love it.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: So rad.
That's
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Okay.
The movie, the movie is unfalling love.
It's it's available on your website
and other streaming sites and.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
the other streaming sites yet.
There is one other streaming strikes
streaming platform, deep sea digital.
And we're also getting it in other places
too, but they haven't come on those yet.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Okay.
Okay.
Well, we can keep looking for it,
but you've got your IMDb page up.
It has Cameron Arnett in it.
I mean, it just sounds like something
that we gotta, we gotta see.
So thank you very much for
coming on and talking about it.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Thank you for having me.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: amazing.
What, what is next for you, Jewel?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
I have a Christmas movie.
I have a Christmas script
that is ready to go.
we're just waiting on funding.
So the Lord told, I was going to get
a loan on my house, a HELOC loan.
And the
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Please don't, please don't do that.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: yeah.
Lord said, no, he said, no, don't do it.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
to that.
Listen to that.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
And he said, I will provide.
And so I'm waiting on the
Lord to provide the money.
I live this life by faith.
This is what he's calling me to do.
Look, I'd say if it's the Lord's will.
Then it's his bill.
So I'm waiting on him.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: I
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Amazing.
Gosh, it was such a joy to meet
you and to chat with you today.
You said people can go, is
your website, JewelRPowell.
com?
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
The YouTube channel, Joel R
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: channel,
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Joel,
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: Our Pal.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
com to watch the movie.
Yup.
And
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Brilliant.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
entertainment.
com is the website.
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534: So great.
Thank you so much.
It's wonderful chatting with you today.
Hopefully we'll hear an update in a
couple of months about the next one.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yes.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
want to have you back to talk
about the Christmas movie.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: Yes.
A
little bit, a little bit.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: Right.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
yeah, a little bit.
My stuff is, my
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: a good,
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
stuff is going to be where, where
you want to enjoy it, you know?
And for guys, I mean, you guys,
y'all have your own movies and the
types of movies that you want to see.
I'm going to tell you guys
are crying at my movie.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Oh, nice.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
When you read, they're like, guys
are like, I had sinus problems or
daren-smith_1_12-31-2024_101534:
Someone was in my eyes in the theater.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
is to get the sleeve white.
If you can get the
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Yeah, yeah,
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534: right.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534: the
guys are absolutely loving the movie too.
So that's a blessing.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
glad to hear it.
I'm glad to hear it.
Thank you so much.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Thank you.
garrett-batty_1_12-31-2024_101534:
you soon.
jewell-r-powell_1_12-31-2024_121534:
Thank you.
God bless you
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: Oh man.
Oh man.
What a powerhouse.
Jewel Powell just fit.
She said she was 55 and the Lord
told her to make a movie and she'd
never done anything in film before.
And then now she has a movie
with Cameron Arden in it.
That's on the internets.
Like that's amazing.
What a cool story.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906:
I love it.
I mean, that is like, that is the
heart of being truly independent.
And and she was dependent on
the Lord and that the Lord
was her partner in that film.
She was just following by faith
and and look at what she's done.
Everybody's journey is different.
Like, I mean, when she tells that
story, I get so excited for her
and at the same time think, well,
why didn't it go that way for me?
You know, like but that,
but I can't ask that.
I can't fall into that and say, look,
Everybody's journey is different.
And I, I just want to champion her
for, for doing, for me, you know,
following her dream like that.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: Yeah.
Yeah.
So cool.
I would not recommend people
take out loans against their
house to fund their movies.
And I would not recommend that
people use their retirement.
But Hey, if the Lord tells you to,
You know, you should listen to the
power that you trust in, not, not
necessarily some white guy on a podcast.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906:
I was glad.
I was glad to hear that she did not,
yeah, that she felt that prompting
as well to not, take a mortgage out.
I, I've heard story after story, after
story of that, not going the right way.
At the end of the day, I mean, her.
The goal is to get the movie made and
to be able to continue to, to do that.
And I think if you put yourself in
a very precarious situation to live,
then you can't focus creatively on
what you're supposed to be doing.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: Yeah.
Well said.
so I'd love to just dive into box office
for a little bit, because in my mind,
Christmas, the last two weeks of the year
is like dominated by all the big movies
that Saving all their gunpowder for
the last two weeks of the year, right?
We had Sonic the Hedgehog 3
come out two weekends ago.
Mufasa the Lion King come
out two weekends ago.
So this last weekend, they're still
in the number one and two slots.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906:
Which are you as surprised as I
am that Sonic outperform Mufasa.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: I am not.
Because I follow Jonas Barnes,
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: Okay.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906:
who was responsible for a lot of the
branded marketing with Sonic three,
and just talking about how much
more awareness there was for Sonic
three than there was for Mufasa.
and it's interesting too, because
Mufasa wasn't necessarily a mood.
The way it's kind of framed in the,
in the industry, from what I've
seen is that Mufasa wasn't a movie
people were asking for, whereas.
Sonic 3 is definitely a movie
that people were asking for.
They greenlit Sonic 4
before Sonic 3 hit theaters.
Like a few days before they announced
that they were going to make a fourth one.
And so there's demand.
From the marketplace for that franchise.
And Mufasa feels like maybe more of a
play to just try and expand a franchise
that no one's asking to have it expanded.
So it's certainly making money.
You know, it's they're,
they're kind of neck and neck.
Mufasa has done 113 million so far.
Sonic three has done 136 million so far.
So it's not like they're
crazy, but you know, 37 million
for Sonic this weekend, 36.
8.
For Mufasa, they're neck and neck.
They're right there.
I think it's kind of six is to say,
well, this one's way overselling,
or this is the number one movie.
And this one is not, it's like, they're
both the biggest movies these last two
weekends, but yeah, it's interesting
that the powerhouse that is Disney and
Pixar, and I guess Pixar is not involved
in Mufasa, but Disney didn't do it right.
That with all the marketing firepower
that they have, they couldn't get
more people to go and buy tickets.
So what do you do?
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: Yeah.
Well, I was surprised.
I was surprised that.
Opening weekend, you know,
Christmas weekend Sonic about
doubled Mufasa's opening.
As far as, and it played on
less theaters and did better.
Now there are having a drop off.
So certainly this weekend they
are neck and neck, but opening
weekend, it was not a contest.
And I was, I was amazed at that.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: Oh, yeah.
Yeah
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906:
make, doing 40 million already.
Which is astounding
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: amazing.
And
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906:
features.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: yeah, and
then we got to call out Homestead by Angel
Studios, our friends over there, we know
a lot of people who worked on the movie.
Our friend Ivy was in the movie.
She was in faith of angels
and she's in that show.
It's, we should be technical.
It's the first, I believe the first two
episodes of a series that they put in
theaters, similar to how they've released
the chosen in the past in theaters.
But it did 6 million it's opening weekend
and was like in well in the top 10.
I mean, Go back and look, it was like
the number five movie on, you know,
Christmas weekend or the week before
Christmas came out on the 20th and
beat out gladiator two, which is in its
fifth week, craving the hunter in its
second week, read one in its sixth week,
Lord of the Rings in its second week.
So it did really, really, really well.
So congrats to them to do 6
million in opening weekend against.
Sonic and Mufasa and Wicked and Moana too.
Like, good job guys.
They did it.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: I want
to shout out a big news story this week.
John Michael Finley is who was in
faith of angels is, has announced
that they are making, if I can
let's see, I can only imagine,
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: Mm hmm.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906:
we're very excited for him and
congratulations to the Irwin brothers
and, and John for, for that announcement.
we look forward to talking more
and more about that with him.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906:
Yeah, it's very cool.
He's, he's back on stage in New York
and doing a Broadway show right now, but
to hear that he's doing another movie
excites me, you know, it's very cool.
And it just shows how lucky
we are to have gotten him.
Cause he doesn't, it's not what he does.
He doesn't do movie all the time.
He's not doing three, four movies a year.
He's.
It's doing one every five or something.
So very cool.
And congrats to them.
That's going to be a hit for sure.
But yeah, interesting to see that even,
you know, smaller or indie films can
still break top 10 in Christmas weekends,
big, big, big weekends for movies.
And there's still a market there.
And I think what Angel has done really
well is they've built their own audience
that will show up and, you know, they
basically have guaranteed every movie
that they make is going to break
eight figures in theaters, I think.
I was looking at it.
Homestead is in its second
week and it's already at 12.
8 million in box office.
That's awesome.
Right.
And so they figured out how to activate an
audience that'll go and see their movies
and theaters and to the tune of, you
know, a million or more people every time.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: Yeah.
Darren, one of the things I'm looking
forward to is NRB in February.
So if you're listening to this or
watching this I'd encourage you
to check out NRB, a gathering of
Christian communicators, and we'll be
talking about, a couple of upcoming
things with that, but, at this point.
We're planning on having I'll be,
I'll be out there and I look forward
to and talking and chatting with
listeners and maybe even recording a
few interviews for upcoming episodes.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906:
Yeah, it looks like a great event.
It's, and it's like 11th year, I think.
And so I got invited by someone
to say, Hey, if you're going to be
in town, we're, we're hosting some
events and we'd love to have you.
And I was like, I haven't even
heard about this convention before.
Let me look into it.
I sent it to you.
And I think you booked
your ticket the same day.
So.
We will be there.
We're excited to check it out.
And so if you're listening and you're
involved, or if you have other events
or festivals or things that you
think we should come to, like, send
us an email, let us know, we'd love
to come and we could do a live show.
We could do interviews.
We could present like, there's a lot
of fun ways that we could be involved.
So very cool.
I'm excited for this one.
It looks like they've got some good people
that be there and some good sponsors.
So.
Fun times ahead.
It's going to be a year of doing
a lot of those type of events.
I think both of us are going to be
focusing on that to expand the awareness
of what we're working on, but also connect
with more people in the industry that
are kind of, of the same mind, trying
to put good content into the world.
So exciting times.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: It
is exciting times over the past couple
of weeks over the Christmas break.
I've been working on more and more
different pitch decks and story
ideas about four or five that are.
That I'm now sharing and pitching.
I'll be showing those to people at
NRB and anybody else who's interested
as we start to gear up for hopefully
a couple of productions in 2025.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: Amazing.
And we're going to, we're
going to document all of it.
So buckle up, it's going to
be a big year for both of us.
So,
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: Yes.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906:
all right, man,
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: Okay.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906:
another good one.
Thanks dude.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906: Yeah.
We look forward to chatting
with you next week.
Be sure and share
with others and feel free
to ask any questions.
daren-smith_2_12-31-2024_104906: Awesome.
See you next week.
garrett-batty_2_12-31-2024_104906:
Take care.
Thank you for listening to this
episode of Truly Independent.
To join us on the journey,
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