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After an earlier feature project collapsed, filmmakers Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton, and Samantha Westervelt decided to stop waiting for permission and make Sour Party with the people, locations, equipment, and lived experiences already available to them. They discuss financing and shooting the microbudget comedy, surviving festival rejection, finding a distributor, budgeting for post-production, and campaigning through Decentralized Pictures until Steven Soderbergh selected the film to receive his support and the “Steven Soderbergh Presents” credit.
In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton, and Samantha Westervelt discuss...
Turning the collapse of a planned feature into the motivation to make Sour Party
Expanding earlier short-film ideas into a female-led Los Angeles buddy comedy
Writing around the actors, locations, equipment, and personal experiences they already had
Financing the production with a small-business loan, credit cards, deferred rates, and community support
Moving quickly from the first draft to production rather than waiting for outside permission
Shooting an 80-minute feature over approximately 19 days with mostly 12-hour production days
Navigating festival rejection before premiering at the Chattanooga Film Festival and winning its Audience Award
Building relationships with filmmakers and festival supporters who helped champion the movie
Choosing a smaller distributor that offered accessibility, communication, and flexibility
Why a distribution agreement does not necessarily include a minimum guarantee or a marketing budget
Applying for Steven Soderbergh’s Decentralized Pictures grant to secure prints and advertising support
Spending months campaigning through the platform’s community-based voting process
Pulling the film from its scheduled release after Soderbergh selected it and offered to present the movie
Setting up a collection account to manage investors, deferred payments, points, residuals, and revenue distribution
Planning for post-production costs, including music licensing, legal work, sound, color, deliverables, and distribution expenses
Negotiating music licenses when the production could not afford the initial quoted prices
Learning to consider production logistics while writing future projects
The importance of collaborators whose different skills combine into a shared creative vision
Why filmmakers should view their careers as a long game rather than measuring success by age
Building the soundtrack around Samantha’s former band, Egg Drop Soup, and other local female artists
How DCP Plus aims to offer independent filmmakers a more transparent distribution option
Why audience reviews, word of mouth, and communal viewing remain important for microbudget films
Memorable Quotes:
“We’re not waiting for permission. So we just did it.” — 05:37
“My big advice is just do it. You’ll figure it out. You’re going to make mistakes. Just do it. And also, do not forget about post.” — 32:39
“The best negotiation tactic is to just actually not have the money.” — 33:27
“Your community is your superpower.” — 43:41
Guests:
Amanda Drexton
Michael A. Drexton
Samantha Westervelt
Resources:
Sour Party on IMDb
Sour Party is scheduled to be available July 24 on digital rental platforms, including Amazon, Apple, Fandango at Home, DirecTV, and DCP Plus.
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