Bootstrapping a Feature Film: Brandon Keeton’s Indie Hustle
February 5, 2026 · 51 min
Why listen
A Marine vet with no film budget turned a table read into a distributed feature film.
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In this episode
- How to assemble locations and crew through community connections
- What self-financing a first feature actually looks like
- How to solve production problems with no experience to fall back on
- What early distribution conversations look like for an indie filmmaker
About this episode
Host Jeff Deverett sits down with independent filmmaker Brandon Keeton to unpack his journey from Marine Corps veteran and martial arts school owner to producing his first feature film, Turbo Cola. Brandon shares how a simple table read sparked the project, how he assembled locations, crew, and resources through community connections, and why he chose to self-finance the film.
They dive into the realities of indie filmmaking—budgeting with no experience, solving production problems on the fly, surviving weather delays, changing the film’s title for marketability, and navigating early distribution conversations. Brandon offers candid insight on investing in yourself, pushing past comfort zones, and turning an “impossible dream” into a completed, distributed feature.
A practical, inspirational episode for filmmakers looking to understand what it really takes to get a movie made from scratch.
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About Indie Filmmaking: Truth & Reality
Film school taught you how to make a movie—this show teaches you how to get it financed and distributed. In bite-sized 20-minute episodes, filmmaker and distribution expert Jeff Deverett gives you the real-world advice film schools leave out.
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