What’s new?

I’ve made a podcast. Why now, when there’s already a sea of them? Because for a long time, I’ve been wanting to have conversations with people my age (56) about being this age.

It seems like there are certain predictable stages: 

  1. Middle-aged crazy. (We’ve all heard stories.)
  2. Middle-aged lazy. (Debating whether or not to give up.)
  3. And the stage I’m in right now. Which is, What’s next? What is worth doing?

In the first episode of the podcast, I talk to popular Substack writer Cintra Wilson. Cintra’s short audio recordings of pieces she’s written recently—or in the past, for the NY Times, Salon.com, etc.—are fantastic social commentary and a dissection of popular culture. But most importantly, the recordings are fun. The way she delivers these ‘performances’ is priceless.

She and I have a frank discussion about some of the tougher aspects of being middle-aged. It might cause you to be embarrassed for us. That’s okay. We can handle it if you can.

I hope you find our discussion interesting and relatable. 

You can find Gen X at Midlife on Apple, here, or on Spotify, here.

If you want to make a movie

See the book at the top of this page? In it I share everything I’ve learned about making movies for almost no money. First, I briefly cover how to make a film with a crew for around $35K. The rest of it is devoted to the “almost no budget” approach. In which I tell you how to learn to do everything yourself–operate a camera, light actors, record sound, and edit footage.

If that sounds impossible, consider the fact that I couldn’t even set the time on a watch, yet I got a camera, some lights, and a subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro editing software, and within a few months, I was shooting and editing scenes for my latest feature, It’s Not You, It’s LA (aka This Fucking Town).

Working solo with actors is low-pressure, low-stakes, and FUN. When I started doing it, I was so excited I wanted to encourage others to try it. Which is why I wrote my book.

Stop waiting till you get money. Stop waiting to be picked. Stop waiting, period.

Get my book and make a movie.

BUY DIRECT here (for a beautiful, offset-printed paperback from my publisher).

BUY ON AMAZON here (for a print-on-demand paperback–not quite as beautiful, but the text is exactly the same, and shipping is free).

On YouTube, I have short videos with ideas about how to get started. Here’s one:

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT MY BOOK

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