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Hey Storytellers! We have director-writer Morgan Krantz on the show today. His directorial feature film debut BABYSITTER world premiered at SXSW. Morgan shares his experiences making his first feature film and dives deep into the financials of it, including how he secured his film’s investors. Morgan also takes us behind-the-scenes in creating his wildly successful web series NEUROTICA, his passion project that landed him representation with WME as a writer and director, and shares how the web series landed financiers for the new season. This is a super special episode for filmmakers and especially for first-time directors-writers!
What You’ll Learn From This Episode:
- Morgan’s creative designs for his “feel reel” that he found to be the most powerful when grabbing the attention of investors
- Why a video pitch is the way to go when attempting to gain investors
- Why searching for diverse investors helped Morgan fund his film BABYSITTER and how it can help aspiring directors find the resources they need to produce their projects
- The pros and cons of guerrilla shooting and the risks involved
- The importance of clearly communicating the direction of where you want your film to go with future investors and how it helped Morgan succeed
- The positive impact frankness can have when you have the desire to re-shoot scenes
- The creation process of his successful web series NEUROTICA
- How NEUROTICA landed him representation as a director-writer with WME
“Fuck it, I’m making a movie, this is a service to the world.”
“The movie takes its own life.”
ABOUT ‘BABYSITTER’
Ray Longway, a moody teenager, is a pawn in his parents’ bitter divorce. His mother, a struggling actress who married rich, has grown accustomed to their cushy L.A. lifestyle but now, this lifestyle is threatened and depends solely on Ray’s custody decision. The family hires a Wiccan-practicing babysitter, Anjelika, who quickly fills the voids in everyones lives. After sharing a joint one night, Ray and Anjelika form a deep bond that unfolds into something strange and profound — but their entanglement is poised to jeopardize Ray’s mother’s master plan. Babysitter features breakout performances by Max Burkholder (Ray), Daniele Watts (Anjelika) and is Morgan Krantz’ feature directorial debut.
“Gentle, unassuming style that taps into its troubled protagonist’s point of view… Proof of Krantz’ promise behind the camera.”-INDIEWIRE
Learn More About Morgan Krantz
Morgan Krantz is an actor, writer and director born and raised in LA. His feature directorial debut, BABYSITTER, premiered at SXSW 2015 where Morgan was named one of 12 breakout talents at by IndieWIRE magazine citing his “gentle, unassuming style that taps into its troubled protagonist’s point of view… proof of Krantz’s promise behind the camera.”
Morgan’s comedic web-series, Neurotica, which he co-created and stars in, was a viral sensation online and boasts several million views. The show was sold to Endemol Beyond and they are currently financing a 2nd season in association with acclaimed TV producers Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky (The Office, Hello Ladies).
As an actor, Morgan has appeared in countless TV shows including Girls, Doll & Em, House of Lies, The League and countless more. Most recently, he booked a series regular role on the CBS sitcom pilot The Half of It and co-starred in the independent feature film Shut Up and Drive, which had it’s world premiere at TriBeCa 2015.
Morgan’s Recommended Books and Resources:
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
Poetics by Aristotle
Bergman on Bergman: Interviews with Ingmar Bergman by Stig Bjorkman, Torsten Manns, Jones Sima, and Paul Britten Austin
John Cassavetes: The Adventure of Insecurity by Ray Carney
Say “Hi” to Morgan on twitter, facebook, or instagram!
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