Producing : Producing: favorite part vs. most challenging? by Inessa Kraft

Great question, Inessa Kraft. For me, my favorite part is putting the project together brick by brick and having that "Five moves ahead" mentality that allows you to prepare for flexibility, but also for the inevitable setbacks and roadblocks. Snapping the puzzle pieces in place is incredibly rewarding.

Least favorite or most challenging? Dealing with managers and agents and waiting for talent to read.

My biggest challenge here in Hungary, Inessa, is the complete lack of independent film financing. Andy Vajna basically crushed it on behalf of the state. Because of that, there’s no real producer role anymore. And if you want to make a competitive film, you have to pull out all the stops — everything, absolutely everything. For me, it’s especially tough because I’m thinking in terms of films that can compete with big studio productions. Of course, I could have made a film with just two characters in a single room, but for me cinema is cinema. It’s not a soap opera or a shortcut.

Back in May 2016, the state — through Andy Vajna — announced a call for screenplays about the 1956 revolution. This was the uprising where Soviet tanks killed civilians here, yet victory was only achieved through betrayal. I submitted three screenplays in July: "Altar Boys," "The Wild Boars," and "The Last Broadcast." All were rejected (and to this day, none of those scripts have been made into films — and Vajna has since passed away).

The biggest challenge then became: I took "The Last Broadcast" and made it from scratch, filmed it myself. Why? Because it was rejected due to touching on propaganda issues, but really, it’s a love story. It was finished by December just in time for a major national festival submission. Today, I would make it a million times better, but we had to rush, and there was no budget — not even $500.

That film became the first — and still the only — independent film from here to be nominated for awards. Then came the big challenge of shooting "Dear Mr. Spielberg," a feature film set in the 1980s that shows Hollywood and communist Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain in a way never seen before. Over 100 child actors, retro atmosphere, vintage cars, etc. It’s in post-production now, with a few scenes still to be shot. Similar challenges followed.

I can pull it off — I’m a screenwriter and director, not a producer — but thanks to this, I’m capable of handling the production side of a big-budget film now. I feel I’ve been through the biggest challenges because it doesn’t really get bigger than making something from nothing. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but it certainly shapes you. I never feared anything in filmmaking before because I realized early on that you’re not making a two-hour film — you’re making many shots and many scenes. And if you have the money, why wouldn’t you be able to do those professionally one by one?

Patrick Kovács , your drive is inspiring, and with those limitations and what you still achieved, I feel like a lot of people could learn from that. Would love to know more about how you made both films happen. Independent producing could be a whole conversation on its own.

Richard "RB" Botto Thank you! "Five moves ahead" actually sounds fun when you say it. I’m taking that attitude into my next work. And ohhh… I’m definitely dreaming of finding “soul-mate” managers and agents

Thank you, Inessa! I’ll definitely share more about how my independent films came to life. Honestly, making a film from zero budget is only possible if you're willing to learn and handle most of the creative roles yourself.

I rewrote the script in a way that we could actually shoot it—within our limits.

I had already practiced directing a lot beforehand. I made a promise to myself years ago that I would only direct a feature film once I had a solid understanding of things like cinematography, editing, color grading, and sound design.

Music is one of the hardest parts—especially if you’re dreaming in orchestral terms. And if you want to use existing songs, you have to reach out to the rights holders.

You need to find passionate and talented people, and convince them to join. Never assume they’ll work for free—people join for experience, references, or revenue share.

You can even convince well-known actors to join, but then you need to provide proper care and accommodations.

The truth is, you’ll have to do a lot yourself. That’s both a blessing and a huge commitment of energy and time.

For our feature film Dear Mr. Spielberg, we actually organized summer camps where kids who wanted to learn filmmaking could participate. We ran these for years, and the project is still ongoing.

Scenes for a zero-budget indie film only happen when all the pieces come together. That means the shoot doesn't necessarily happen over 50 consecutive days—it can take years.

We bought tons of retro clothes second-hand, hunted for authentic 1980s-style locations, and the hardest thing was definitely recreating era-accurate interiors. Sure, you could fake a lot with green screen, but I avoid that if possible. If you finally manage to lock down a real location, you have to build a lot around it.

You need a crew that actually loves doing this—not one that's just waiting to leave because there’s no money.

Extras are your best friends. Never underestimate them—some of them are incredibly talented too.

I'll second what Richard says, putting it together, and being "five moves ahead." I'll also add keeping the vision as sometimes a director or talent will start wanting to make changes to suit what they want. If it doesn't support the vision, toss it. If it supports the vision, consider using it.

Gotta see the whole board, Inessa Kraft. At all times.

Agree fully, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth. Open collaboration on all fronts. A rewarding part of the process.