In today's world, women are expected to juggle multiple roles in both their personal and professional lives. From being a mother to a CEO, the pressure to excel in every sphere is immense.  Writer/Actor/Producer Cora Vander Broek's and director Stephanie Owens' latest film, THE MODEL, delves into the complexities of a figure model's identity crisis. This female driven project (over half the cast and crew identify as female) is about an aging figure model, pushed to a crisis of identity by her relentless art instructor and ambitious lover. In the course of a sitting, she must decide if she will remain a still life to please others or risk evolving to please herself. As she wrestles against her constraints, what ripple effects could her evolution cause within her and the women around her?

We chatted with Cora and Stephanie recently to learn more about how they approached making this short film which will be making the festival rounds this year. 

What compelled...

One of our longtime LA filmmakers and actors, Bill Ferris recently premiered his short film HERE & THERE after a year long festival run. If there was a project that was a better example of how to utilize all the resource We Make Movie's has to offer members, we've yet to find it! From workshopping in WMM writers groups, to being read during a WMM short film challenge (where he attached producer Steve LaMorte,  director Krista Amigone, and co-star Jennie Fahn - all WMM members), to accessing affordable production insurance through us, and even finding his editor amongst our WMM family, we feel honored to be along for the ride every step of the way.

HERE & THERE explores the universal balancing act of duty to one’s family and duty to oneself. Where does one draw the boundary between sacrifice and self-preservation? No matter one’s age, race, religion, or gender, these questions will come up in everyone’s life – whether inspired by death...

Cindy and her husband/writing partner, Flip Kobler, have penned in every medium. They were on staff at Disney for several years where they wrote the best selling video premiere of all time, LION KING 2, "Simba's Pride," as well as several other animated films for the Mouse House. They wrote for STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE, have over four dozen published shows that are done world wide and three non fiction books, plus two dogs, no cats (Cindy's allergic) and a passion for empowering other writers to help tell their stories.

Their comic book noir feature BURY ME TWICE streams this year. Their holiday horror film, (which had a hugely successful 5 week theatrical run over Christmas 2022) THE MEAN ONE will finally be available to stream this holiday season and their upcoming short film, THE CLOSET will be making it rounds through the WMM Rough Cut Labs shortly...

We're pretty damn lucky to call these two talented and prolific artists, WMM family. That's how we snagged them to...

Longtime WMM member Curtis Bechdholt is a Vancouver character actor who has transitioned into one of the industry's top acting coaches and talent managers. Countless of our actor- members have coached with Curtis when those important self-tape auditions come in (including yours truly!) Curtis has a knack for not only quickly breaking down the scene but finding something organic in each actor that puts a unique spin on the tape. If you're one of the few LA WMM members who hasn't worked with Curtis, here's a bit more about our in-house audition coach. 

Where are you from? What do you do?

I’m originally from Vancouver Canada and I’m currently an Acting Coach and a Talent Manager.

What is your education/background? How did you start working in the film industry?
I had a few scholarships to study Shakespeare for college. However During that summer I walked into a talent agency and immediately started working as an actor in film and T.V.

What other professions...

As with many professions, filmmakers thrive when surrounded by a healthy community of fellow artists. We Make Movies has established a chapter in NYC and even in its early years, this community has already seen a few filmmakers get projects off the ground. One of those members being Carly Wilkins. 

Carly is an actor and filmmaker based in NYC. She started writing her short series, Yellow Lines, during the pandemic lockdowns. After having all her scripts drafted the inevitable question of “What’s next?” came up. Many projects can die in this stage. Unsure where to go next or feeling overwhelmed by the uphill battle ahead to get your project made. However, Carly found the We Make Movies community which gave her a perfect next step. She submitted her scripts to the monthly NYC Writer’s Lab. The WMM Writers Labs host free, staged readings of new work that are fully cast with professional and feedback is then curated from the...

If you make a film and no one sees it, did you really make it? Ouch. This one hurts, we know. By this logic, most indie filmmakers have been made to feel morally defeated (not to mention financially compromised), however technological advances have ushered the era of VOD platforms for the indie filmmaker to be seen. Select festivals have invited access for films and series to be picked up by industry big-wigs (like HBO picking up Issa Rae's Awkward Black Girl and turning it into the sensation that is Insecure), and there are several modes of self-distribution for indie artists to gain visibility for themselves and their projects. There is, no doubt, a lot of sweat equity goes into gaining any recognition and landing on a respectable platform, but a filmmaker has to first know what the options out there actually are. In this piece, we cover the basics by outlining the three main types of streaming platforms indie filmmakers should understand to know which platform will be best for...

We Make Movies has streamlined the process of filmmaking, starting with simplifying the bureaucratic paperwork behind pre-production and production. There are many legal and practical variables in figuring out how to handle all aspects of production, and knowing how to pay your cast and crew is one of the most important ones. We thought we'd break it down for you through our infographics below. We're here to help you manage the tedious elements of handling payroll. We're always just a click away!

Want access to the most professional and experienced actors for your next project? Then you'll want to make sure you're producing under a SAG-AFTRA contract so you can hire union performers.  However, we know navigating the signatory process and on-set paperwork can feel....daunting. But, we're here to break down the four most popular, low- budget, SAG-AFTRA contracts for you, so you can level up the talent on your indie project.  WMM President (and our in-house SAG-AFTRA consultant, as she has been involved with the organization for almost a decade) Aubrey Mozino, discusses the factors you'll need to consider such as how much the overall budget of the project is, where the project is slated to land (distribution? festivals?), specific elements of the project (nudity? stunts?), and the various paperwork that accompanies each contract (Exhibit G? Pension & Health Remittance Form?). It's a handful, which is why we provide services that can handle...

Filmmaking is not for the weary and line producing is not for the amateur. A Line Producer is one of the most critical members of the filmmaking team, as they are responsible for planning and overseeing all operations and logistics from pre-production through delivery on a project. In short, they are the project manager and accountant for the project - the ones adulting so everyone else can focus on the making of a film. The primary order of pre-production business for a Line Producer is to break down the script to determine every specific need in order to create an initial budget for the project. Funds are allocated towards every key department (camera, set design, hair and makeup...), hiring decisions are made based upon rates available to offer, locations are decided upon depending on the particulars of each day, and a schedule is created considering all of these factors fiscally and for optimal efficiency. A good Line Producer will also take into account all the moving parts...

One of the countless benefits of being a We Make Movies member is the opportunity to enter into the Rolling Production Fund Challenge in hopes of securing funding for a community-backed project. Our unique system of vetting and testing projects for an audience is made complete by actually allowing our members to vote on their favorite pieces based on staged readings done by professional actors who bring the scripts to life in the semi-final stage of the challenge. Numerous short films have been chosen by a live studio audience of WMM members, and consequently been greenlit through this process. Prolific writer Flip Kobler penned the comedic gem No Reservations, which became one of the four winning RPF Challenge films in 2019. The film went on to be directed by award-winning filmmaker Steven LaMorte, who then additionally documented the magic behind the scenes of making the film, including the resourceful techniques and swoon worthy gear and software...