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IFH 178

IFH 178: How a 19 Yr Old Directed & Sold 6 Feature Films with Dylan Mars

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I always talk about the grind, doing the work and just going out and shoot your film. Today’s guest does just that, Dylan Mars Greenberg. Dylan has directed 6 feature films at the ripe old age of 19 years old. I can’t tell you what a treat it was to speak to this young filmmaker. I hope Dylan’s drive, excitement to tell stories and good old fashion hustle rubs off on you all. Enjoy my conversation with Dylan Mars Greenberg.

Keep Hustlin!

Alex Ferrari 2:16
So today we have a very special guest. You know, I always talk about hustle and the grind and doing the work and you just got to keep pounding and pounding and pounding it. And today's guest is definitely an amazing example of that filmmaker Dylan Mars Greenberg has directed not one, not two, but six feature films. And I guess that's not too bad for a 19 year old. You know, I know a lot of 40 and 50 year olds Would you like to have six feature films under your belt, myself included. But I wanted to bring Dylan on the show to kind of show the energy of a young filmmaker who has just this amazing passion to create work and art and does not care about what other people think and just focuses on the work and keeps hustling keeps pushing to make more and more art. And honestly just an inspiration, I think to all of us filmmakers out there. So without any further ado, here is my conversation with Dylan Mars Greenberg. I'd like to welcome to the show Dylan Mars Greenberg, man, thanks for being on the show.

Dylan Greenberg 3:29
How are you doing? What's up?

Alex Ferrari 3:30
Man I'm excited to have you man. It's been a you reached out to me and told me you're in kind of incredible story of a 19 year old who has done six feature films. So I want I'm working on my seventh right now. Of course you are why wouldn't you be? So can you tell me a little bit about what made you want to be a filmmaker in the first place?

Dylan Greenberg 3:52
What made me want to be a filmmaker was I would look at I would watch TV and I would see just like things that I couldn't really explain. And no one could really explain them to me. Like, I think actually, one of the things was I was watching ever see free to be you and me. Have not. It's this TV movie. It's a children's TV movie with Marlo Thomas. I think for people, there's just a part where people start disappearing. And it's like a stop cut. But I didn't. I didn't know what that was. Sure. And so I was like, Oh my god, how are they doing? Like, how are they? Because before that I was able to actually I knew a computer animation was but I didn't know what a stop cut was.

Alex Ferrari 4:37
Yeah. Right. It was magic. It was magic at that point to you.

Dylan Greenberg 4:40
Yeah, it was magic. So I want to figure out how to do it and my parents had an old VHS camera. I picked it up and I just basically just wouldn't put it down. I just kept filming stuff on it. So did you think I filled up all their VHS tapes?

Alex Ferrari 4:54
What is this VHS tape you speak of? I don't tender stamp joking.

Dylan Greenberg 5:00
Yeah, I collect I have like a mountain of VHS tapes.

Alex Ferrari 5:04
I collect them. Oh, very cool. Very cool. So and did you just do a lot of did you shoot a tremendous amount of short films before you ever jumped into your first feature? Um,

Dylan Greenberg 5:14
I wouldn't. Yeah, I guess. Tremendous. Yes. Bigley. Yeah. I so I've been shooting. I've been making little short films since I was like, I don't know, like eight or nine. Really like six. But when I started making them consistently, I would have been like not, I mean, they were terrible. Um, I started a YouTube channel when I was about nine called deli d y Li. And I think on that channel, I made like 300 or so videos. Oh, wow. And the time I was nine to the time I was maybe like 15. And that kind of became my project for like, six years was making like videos. I mean, I thought they were fucking The best thing to ever happen since sliced bread. Of course, looking back at it now. It's a little kid making videos and Windows Movie Maker. Oh, my God, I

Alex Ferrari 6:03
I was gonna ask you what you were editing God. Oh, my God, Windows Movie. Yeah,

Dylan Greenberg 6:07
I started well, you know what I actually Windows Movie Maker, I think is a great tool for people to start out with. And I think it's a lot better than iMovie. I think every young filmmakers first computer should be a Windows. And they should start with Windows, because it's a great program. And it actually has some similarities to Final Cut. Then I would say then you start making the transition to Final Cut. I made the mistake of I went from Windows Movie Maker, then I go to max and I used iMovie. Then I went to Final Cut iMovie couldn't do as much to me, in my opinion. Because Windows Movie Maker i would i would deck out with all these plugins I could get for free chattin xp computer as an older model. And so I was I figured out how to do chroma key, I figured out how to do how to do split screen like matte split screen effects. So I was doing stuff where I would stop motion animate a model on one side of the screen and use force perspective to make it look bigger. And then the other side of the screen, I would have the live actors cowering at it looking up like a you know, it's forced perspective. Sure. And so then you split screen the stop motion model into you know, it would make him look like they were there at the same time. That's awesome, man. I

Alex Ferrari 7:17
I mean, that's just pure movie magic. At that point. You

Dylan Greenberg 7:20
You just haven't. Yeah, I mean, it was so thrilling as a little kid figuring out new special effects. I can't think of anything more thrilling than that.

Alex Ferrari 7:28
Now, how old were you when you first shot your first feature?

Dylan Greenberg 7:32
My first feature I was 17 years old. Okay.

Alex Ferrari 7:35
And how old are you now?

Dylan Greenberg 7:38
20 I just turned 20 actually, after I sent you the email so it's saying I was 19 I turned two so you

Alex Ferrari 7:45
You've shot six features in three years? Yes. Very richest man I mean what can't what camera are you shooting with by the way?

Dylan Greenberg 7:56
I shoot with a Canon Rebel T two I've shot all of my movies save for one on a Canon Rebel to two.

Alex Ferrari 8:04
Okay, and and you and your editing on Final Cut.

Dylan Greenberg 8:08
Yeah, every movie I've ever made a vetted and Final Cut Pro seven.

Alex Ferrari 8:11
Oh, you're still on seven. Oh man so

Dylan Greenberg 8:13
On seven but you know what a trauma we're still on so I work for trauma. trauma. We're still on seven two. It's very good. We edited the new movie return to return to return to nukem high on Final Cut set.

Alex Ferrari 8:25
Oh no, don't don't get me wrong. I was I was a Final Cut seven guy till probably a year and a half ago, two years ago. So I jumped over to the Vinci but he I've actually never heard of that DaVinci Resolve were they? Oh, I've never heard of that. You should look into to really look it up. It's it's free. It's a free software you could get free. It's free and it's the most powerful color grading system and editing system you could probably get wow right now I mean a color grading for sure. But I've added I just added in my feature framing.

Dylan Greenberg 8:57
I do a lot Yes framing Yeah. They come in a commercial for for editing systems. But no, I'm really excited for that. Just

Alex Ferrari 9:04
Just type in type in Blackmagic resolve in Google and you can download their free version which is pretty powerful. Wow. Thank you. Now I'm assuming you edit everything yourself?

Dylan Greenberg 9:18
Yes. Yeah, that is all my movies myself. All my feature films.

Alex Ferrari 9:21
How many hats Do you wear on your films?

Dylan Greenberg 9:25
Um, I'd say about three. I have a snapback I have a beanie.

Alex Ferrari 9:29
I actually don't mean

Dylan Greenberg 9:33
I i am so I direct which I think is the easy part. Actually. I think you know, that's just what you get to sit in the chair and go and go action. But then I shoot everything. Um, I, I I like I usually like everything. Um, what do

Alex Ferrari 9:57
You what do you what do you like with just basically a lot of practice? Or do you have a lighting kit?

Dylan Greenberg 10:01
I have? I have not. I don't have a lighting kit. My first few films. Well, my actually my first three movies, I only had, um, I only had this the light that was so that doesn't count. But actually midway through my third movie, I met the man who would eventually become my producer, who at that time was just an actor, Jurgen monster and he brought some lights with him. So the last maybe like third of my movie dark prism, which is my most well known one. I was able to light but they were like stage lights. And so then my next time I lit the whole thing with those same light stage lights and then my my sixth feature film because actually one of them came out of order one of them came out it was actually one of it's a long story I'll get into it after but that's okay. My Anyway, my most recent feature film was the first one I've entirely but it was a combination of stage lights. And also I have a small it's the one that was useful as this is something if filmmakers listening this is one of the most useful tools I got. It was 30 bucks. It's a portable LED light for filming. You can get Amazon mounted to my camera. It's so bright. take six double A batteries. It's one of the most useful things I've ever gotten.

Alex Ferrari 11:26
I have one of those. They're great. Yeah, then yeah. Oh

Dylan Greenberg 11:28
My god. Fantastic, right.

Alex Ferrari 11:30
They're awesome. They're awesome. Yeah. Now with all these features, I'm assuming you did some sort of distribution post I'm sorry, I compose music. And I can put a composer as well solve it, but but you can post it. But when you

Dylan Greenberg 11:42
Crowdsource a lot of music from a lot of great musicians. So a lot of the music is songs from all different bands all over the place, but some love the instrumental music. I compose myself.

Alex Ferrari 11:54
Now. How do you find how do you finance your films?

Dylan Greenberg 11:57
I'm mostly out of pocket. my newest film, I got some financial help from a wonderful company called windigo Productions also financed one of my favorite indie films, candy apple, which recently I think is coming out soon to video indie picks. And they gave me a little bit of money to help me finish and my new one also Brooklyn fireproof, they didn't give me money, but they gave me a lot of resources. So yeah, but most of it is out of pocket. People helped me out I get a lot of favors. My producer also it's not like we he gives me actual like he does that doesn't just put cash in my hand. But he really helps me out with other stuff. Resources saves me money. Yes. So resources are really more important ultimately than money. Honestly,

Alex Ferrari 12:44
Just because money buys resources. So if exactly feel the middleman. Exactly, yeah. So I mean, let me ask you just a simple question. What made you think as a 17 year old, you know, kid, I'm gonna go make my first feature. Like, what gave you the kind of courage?

Dylan Greenberg 13:03
I didn't? Okay, so here's what happened. I had written a totally different feature. And I kept telling everyone Oh, I'm gonna make my first feature. This is gonna be like, Oh, yeah, right, you'll never get this one made. And they were right, because they never got it made. That summer I was playing making that one as a feature film, it was a rock musical. I had recorded all the music for it already called shock and roll terror. And I'm honestly God, I didn't make it because it would have been awful because the music was bad. I'm a better musician. Now. Time The music was very, very bad. But I was gonna shoot the whole thing in three or four days in one house. The problem was that it's supposed to be rock and rollers stuck in a in a, like a house in the middle of the woods. But I live in New York City. So that would have been very impossible.

Alex Ferrari 13:49
Not a lot of other than Central Park woods. Now let's just shooting etc.

Dylan Greenberg 13:54
I actually did live in sort of the woods in New York City for two years in Staten Island. And actually, I saw Amityville vanishing point there. But anyway, what ended up happening was, I started making this very experimental short film, which did not have a title. And I was basically just filming stuff of my friend Briar, who's a very beautiful skinny boy. And, and some stuff with him on a rooftop and with a doll. And it was all very, very experimental. And then I looked at I had about 3040 minutes of that. I had about 30 minutes of footage, I think from that. And I was like, Well, why don't I make it 40 minutes. I want there to be other stuff besides just him. I said stuff with these girls. And they cover themselves in blood, and they're eating, and they're eating. And they're eating chicken wings, and they're making out sugar and vomiting, yogurt, and I. And then I thought, Okay, well now that's like 45 minutes. So if I just keep going. If I just kept going, I could make a 17 minute feature film. So then I was like, Well, listen, if I'm going to make my first feature, why don't I Get some people some stars involved. So I reached out to Jacob Reynolds. Who is the star of gumbo. gumbo. Yeah. Hey, would you be able to help me out I'm making my first feature film, I had revised a fantasy novel for him. He wrote a fantasy novel. And I, when I was 15, out of because I was such a fan of his, I revise the entire 248 page fantasy novel for free. So I said, Hey, would you be able to help me out and cute a little cameo for my movie he lives in I think North Carolina, we couldn't come to me. So he shot stuff of himself, reading lines I'd written for him. And then I and then I made it a plot point where I film it through a television. So it's like he's talking to the viewer through the television. Um, and then I also got Matthew silver, who is a, one of the most I think, at this point, one of the most well known performance artists, I would say, in the city, and probably even in America and in the world, because he's getting really popular. And he was just in caught with Karl Pilkington and and was just an Adult Swim he really so he gets around. So he agreed to also help me out. And this was all favors. I didn't have a done to my name at the time. And so before I knew it, I had made my first 70 minute feature film, it was very abstract. It was, you know, pretty much something that you projected a wall. It's not really, it's, I would not totally consider something you could sit down and watch. I've only actually ever screamed at once. But that gave me the guidance. Was it okay, now I know how to make a feature film now I've gotten started

Alex Ferrari 16:43
That so you basically just fell into your first feature film?

Dylan Greenberg 16:46
I fell into my Exactly. And then from there, I'm like, Well, now I don't want to stop making feature films.

Alex Ferrari 16:51
Because now you're like, well, this is easy. Let me just keep making

Dylan Greenberg 16:53
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Well, yeah, actually, the first one was easy. That's what I thought it was easy because I because I didn't have to have a plot or anything.

Alex Ferrari 17:02
Right? It was just more of an experimental situation.

Dylan Greenberg 17:05
To make another 101 took me like a year to make because it was I tried to actually I got a little more ambitious.

Alex Ferrari 17:12
Right, exactly. Now, how do you how do you like make money with your films? Do you use self distribute? What do you do?

Dylan Greenberg 17:19
I self distribute. Yeah, that's right. I am. I use Amazon Video direct. And I get my movies on Amazon. I use VH x, I have my own channel on VHS called disk pictures.vhs.tv. Di SC k pictures. And then I am give some of my and then I have given quite a few of my films to a great indie film service called I bleed indie.com. And they're a video on demand site. I think they're hosted initially by Vimeo on demand. And then they can and then they distribute films and they give and they are very fair, they only take 10% and then they give filmmakers 90% of the royalties. So between those three avenues, I've been able to make a little bit of money. How is my money?

Alex Ferrari 18:05
Yeah, you know, how is Amazon? How do you What's your feeling on Amazon? Is it worth it?

Dylan Greenberg 18:10
I think it's definitely worth it. Because that's what you're going to make you need to sometimes you're going to need to go with mainstream options to make money and Amazon it's a hassle and you're gonna have to pay to get your movies closed captions.

Alex Ferrari 18:27
By the way, by the way, if you if you want to get them closed caption for $1 a minute use Rev. com

Dylan Greenberg 18:31
Rev got that's what I use. Yeah. rev.com um, absolutely. I use that all the time. At least one of my movies I co directed with my godmother. We my godmother was really broke. And she you might know better ever seen if you've seen the drama movie Tara firmer. She's in that reference den. And she's she's done a few other things. But yeah, at the screening of the movie, we took around a bucket to raise money for revs. So it was a closed captioning fun so that again, we made 75 bucks and we could get it closed caption.

Alex Ferrari 19:07
Now what's what's what, what is the where do you see most of your revenue come from?

Dylan Greenberg 19:12
Amazon? Absolutely. I mean, in terms of my feature films, Amazon

Alex Ferrari 19:15
Really am it just and that's just your Amazon Prime? Are you are you renting and selling? You're

Dylan Greenberg 19:20
Gonna make most of your money from renting and selling. Okay? I have my movies in Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime are not going to make a lot of money for it's good for exposure, but you're not gonna make a ton of money. If you're gonna make the most money. If you charge 299 per download. People are a lot more willing to pay that if it's on a site that they recognize

Alex Ferrari 19:41
Of course, of course, and that's why and then that's where you drive most of your traffic of people that you tell people about

Dylan Greenberg 19:47
Yeah, I would say yeah, most of the traffic of people seeing my movies has come from Amazon.

Alex Ferrari 19:53
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor. And now Back to the show. Got it now I heard your you got hooked up with trauma a little bit. How did you get? How did you get hooked up with trauma?

Dylan Greenberg 20:11
Well, I started interning for them out of high school. While I was still in high school, I at this point, I had made two feature films. And so they really liked having me there. And they saw I can really, I really know what to edit because like I said before, I've been editing since I was about nine. So I do kind of I edit in kind of a crazy way that maybe a more mainstream editor might not do where I do kind of animations. I'm very inspired by things like Tim and Eric, the Eric Andre show. So they saw what I can do with animating with animating things and you know, kind of editing and kind of an alternative way that maybe someone else wouldn't. And they said, Well, why would you have? Would you like to be a full time editor here? So I've been an editor there now for about two and a half, three years. Oh, very cool.

Alex Ferrari 20:59
And then that's how and now is trauma distribute any of your films?

Dylan Greenberg 21:03
No, I think that we're gonna we're gonna talk about one of them, which I actually want to give them my most vulnerable one so that they can make some money from I don't want to give them a lemon. Uh, and yeah, we're gonna be discussing it soon. But right now, I'm currently self distributing, because I'm certainly open to talking to them about it.

Alex Ferrari 21:22
And you know, one of our former guests of the show Kansas bowling, correct. Yeah,

Dylan Greenberg 21:26
Kansas, of course. Yeah, her and I are good friends. He's in my new movie

Alex Ferrari 21:29
Issue and your new What's your name? Your new movie?

Dylan Greenberg 21:31
It's called re agitator. Revenge of the parody. It's a two hour epic.

Alex Ferrari 21:35
A two hour epic. Yeah, that's awesome. Kansas is great. She's very inspiring as well. Lovely. Yeah. wonderful person shot her first film on 16 millimeter for

Dylan Greenberg 21:47
Yes, I know. Bc butcher Yes. Fantastic.

Alex Ferrari 21:50
Has it done? Well, how do you know is it done? Well,

Dylan Greenberg 21:52
It's trauma. It's I think it's actually traumas one of their most successful movies movie that Lloyd did not direct since Father's Day. Wow, that's awesome. People are really into it. I'm very happy for Kansas and he's really making waves in the film industry. And also, I'm very proud that my starring actress from the movie dark prism, actually I got them hooked up and now actually that Sophie Cote de who I consider the original you know that actress Kara del Levine I do. I do not Sophie code today is that he's in that movie valaria in this coming out. Oh, very nice. The Girl with it. That's not her. it's um it's Sophie Kota is the original Cara delavan. however you pronounce her name, and I hooked them up. And when Sophie, I think just started in a movie that Kansas wrote in Costa Rica, called I think it's called Primavera or something along those lines. I'm very excited to see that movie I didn't direct.

Alex Ferrari 22:54
Now, what's your next movie?

Dylan Greenberg 22:55
My next movie is called spirit riser. I'm sorry. I think I answered your question. Um, yeah, my next movie is called spirit riser. It's going to be my biggest film yet. We already have shot scenes with Lynn Lowery from David Cronenberg shivers we shot and we shot scenes with a lot of up and coming stars and internet stars Patty Harrison who's one of the who is she's really gonna become a big comedian and she was on seriously TV and a lot of other great sites and she's very funny we had scenes with her we shot scenes with Dorian electro who who's made several incredible very beautiful viral videos they're not just you know, kid gets hit in the nuts she she has sets and makes music and does some really cool stuff. And I'm sorry, and Matthew silver, who was actually my first feature. Oh boy, sorry, I have a bit of a cough

Alex Ferrari 23:52
No worries

Dylan Greenberg 23:53
Um Yeah, so we're working on that it's about a little girl who can resurrect spirits in the dead the little girl is played by my my own sister summer. And, and and when her family is killed by an evil cult, she has to kind of rediscover her powers and use them to savor your foster family. So it's both a film about ghosts in a horror film, but it's also kind of a film about about love. Nice film about and it's a film about sort of, about overcoming grief and about forgiveness, and sort of how people can appear kind of cold on the outside on the inside, they might be kind of in pain. So it's actually my gonna be my most emotional film I think I've ever made.

Alex Ferrari 24:39
Now you obviously you're building an audience for your work correct?

Dylan Greenberg 24:44
I would say so. Sorry. Oh, my God. Um, yeah, I'd say I'm building a bit of an audience. I'm actually today because I am also a bit well known as a musician, and today I'm someone I haven't musically I've actually I made in code to coincide with My movie regurgitator. And just like today, so someone messaged one of my friends or something and was like, Oh my god, you were in a Dylan Mars video. And I was like, I didn't know that a Dylan Mars video was the thing like,

Alex Ferrari 25:16
I understand I get you, I get you. You're like, What the? Hell no, like people like people like, like, I'm a noun. That's awesome. That's awesome. Now, let me ask you. So I asked you three, I'm gonna ask you three questions. I always ask all of my my guests. What advice would you give a filmmaker wanting to make their first feature film? Okay, I would say this is what I see a lot of, of young filmmakers going through. And when you and when you say, and when you say young, you're 20. So let's just keep it in perspective.

Dylan Greenberg 25:47
They'll be like, 10 No, no, actually, sometimes they'll be older than me. But that doesn't mean that they're no

Alex Ferrari 25:53
Young filmmakers, but not young an age young in the business. Got it?

Dylan Greenberg 25:57
No, no, I'm saying I mean, I mean, young in age, you can be 21. And still young. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying younger than me. Yeah. We're both young. But yeah, also young in the business. And they'll and they'll be like, Oh, I want to make my first feature. This is the script, and they'll show it to me. And I mean, it's ridiculous. It's got it's got it's a it's a, it's a $3 million movie, they want stars, they don't, or even if they want, like $50,000 you're not gonna unless you're, you're rich, you're not going to have money. Right? And so I think your first feature, try to make something very low budget, but still trying to make a compelling wish. I mean, I didn't even I mean, my first feature film I would not call a compelling but but you don't even have to Don't worry about the quality just make it so that you know how to do it. That it now it's like a template for you to keep doing it. And it's a process and you keep learning every time you make something up. Exactly. You keep learning and my movies get every movie I make they become better and better. So yeah, I would just say don't don't wait up. It's really it's all about just don't wait up for money. And you know, maybe you can even do the same ideas but do them on a lower budget even if they look silly. It's better to look silly, then to never make anything at all. Oh, amen to sound consequences sound kind of tore into one of my movies, and they called it low budget and stupid and and like and just like like and just like no one wants to see it and but the really the main reason was because it was silly. And there's nothing wrong with with making a movie. That's silly people like seeing things that are still people need something that's silly. I mean, traumas

Alex Ferrari 27:31
Traumas built an entire Empire around.

Dylan Greenberg 27:34
Exactly. Exactly. Well, traumas movies. They have a very serious dangers.

Alex Ferrari 27:39
Absolutely Toxic Avenger alone ism. Yeah, I mean, amazing. Absolute toxin measure alone is amazing. And his political statement at that point. But yeah, but but they hide it, but they hide it within sometimes very silly concepts.

Dylan Greenberg 27:52
Yeah. So yeah. But see, I don't expect that you're gonna make the big Tarantino movie. That is, you know, you're gonna have your you know, it's not like the early 90s, where you could actually get someone to give you even $30,000 you're not gonna get any money, you're gonna have to figure out ways to fund it. I mean, you're not really just don't even worry about funding. Just if you have a camera and an editing system, then you can make a feature film, you can do it, and just don't let anything hold you back. And you know, don't wait up for something that isn't gonna happen.

Alex Ferrari 28:24
That's awesome. Man. That's a really great advice, honestly, for someone so young to understand that is awesome. Because it took me years to learn that

Dylan Greenberg 28:31
Yeah, sorry. I said I was a little incoherent. I did an interview with WeMo where it's it's sort of the same thing. But it was a tax that they were able to cut it down. It's all good.

Alex Ferrari 28:40
Good. Now, what is the lesson that took you the longest to learn whether in the film business or in your life?

Dylan Greenberg 28:47
Lesson that took me the longest to learn? Hmm. I would say no, because I'm kind of I'm maybe just don't be stubborn. I don't know. I'm very I'm a Taurus. I'm very stubborn. So sometimes I don't, I don't like to change. And sometimes I should, but I'm just trying to think of something a little grander than that something that would really you'd be able to carry with you besides as a general thing that a grandma would say to you.

Got it a lesson that it took me that that's a really deep question.

Alex Ferrari 29:21
We try we try here at the show.

Dylan Greenberg 29:24
Um, you know what, I'll say this much. Um, it wasn't so much when I was making feature films, as it was when I wasn't because I, the lesson that took me the longest to learn was that a movie should be made in a certain way. And I thought that, really because I went to, I never went to film school, college, but I went to film school classes as a kid, and they really drilled into your skull, that a movie should be made a certain way. You have to do it this way. You know, you know, you have to know all the terms. You have to have all the equipment you have to do it just right. You have to have a best boy grip and and you had seven cinematographer that isn't you and such and such. And then for a while I actually got discouraged and didn't make short films for a while when I was a kid. And then with scenes that was actually my godmother sort of opening my eyes that have movies that she's made. She's she makes very alternative movies. And that sort of taught me Well, you can make a movie and it really does not have to follow any rules, you can really just break the rules and make something totally alternative and strange. You don't have to, you know, make the next you don't have to make Reservoir Dogs part two, you know,

Alex Ferrari 30:38
Right, exactly. There's enough people trying to do that in the world.

Dylan Greenberg 30:44
I mean, Reservoir Dogs is a great movie, but no, everything has to be a carbon copy of your favorite of Quentin Tarantino or, or, or you know Warner Herzog or Warner Hertzog is a very well, they're both alternative directors, but you know what I'm saying?

Alex Ferrari 30:58
I gotcha, gotcha. Now, what are three of your favorite films of all time?

Dylan Greenberg 31:01
Three of my favorite films number one off right off the bat Forbidden Zone you ever seen Forbidden Zone? I've

Alex Ferrari 31:06
Heard of Forbidden Zone. I never saw Oh

Dylan Greenberg 31:08
Oh my god. I they're not many movies. I would get a tattoo of this is a movie. I have a tattoo. It's uh, yeah, it's it's stylized. It's one of the most stylized films I've ever seen directed by Richard Elfman. It's a it's it makes the Rocky Horror Picture Show look like Bambi like it's, it's so it's I think it's one of the best cult films it's a all the sets are built to look like a 1930s movie set. Or like I think 30 is like only they will guide you through this cartoon. All the music is by Wingo Boingo before they were famous. It's a musical with music by Boingo Boingo Herve Velasquez is the star which is incredible. And yeah, I just honestly I can't think of I that's the that's one movie I've seen more times than I've seen any other movie. Got it? Um, so that's, that's definitely my number one favorite. You said three, right.

Alex Ferrari 32:03
Just a couple more is fine. Whatever comes to

Dylan Greenberg 32:05
Your head three. Okay. Great. I would say one of my favorite movies is damn now I'm having no I'm having a it's all good.

Alex Ferrari 32:17
It's all good. And what one really good one is all we need. You don't need to get all three if you don't want.

Dylan Greenberg 32:21
Well, no, I'm just trying to see what I will. I'd say gummo that really influenced me as a kid normally currents gumbo. That's definitely one of my favorites. Um, and I was trying to think of one more. Yeah, good. Yeah, I mean, you know, just it it has a feeling in it that you can't get with a lot of other movies there's something in gummo that you makes you feel that it's this kind of terrifying but familiar feeling and you don't really get that very often.

Alex Ferrari 32:52
No, it's alright so those two there's fine where now where can people find you?

Dylan Greenberg 32:58
Online me me online facebook.com slash disk media that's D is ck media. Um, we're also we also just started a clothing line called disc threads. So that's di f ck threads dot Tumblr comm we also have our VHS channel which is just pictures di f ck pictures dot v hx.tv. And and you can also search for my movies on amazon prime my movies dark prism and movie I co directed with my godmother wearable faces matter of space are both on amazon prime, wearable fitness, teachers Janine grace flow and dark prism features Mack DeMarco

Alex Ferrari 33:43
Awesome. Yeah, that's awesome. Well, yeah, I'll put all I'll put all the links to all the stuff in the show notes for him. Okay.

Dylan Greenberg 33:49
Also, wait also one other thing. We're also just want to plug we are so we just have a completed feature film called re agitator, Revenge of the parody. It's the two hour it's a two hour epic and it stars a relatively oval tear and Schooley D as the President of the United States, and a cast of other incredible characters, including Amanda flowers. Who was a fantastic actress in the show, Matt and and you're going as a monster who is also my producer, and a lot of other great great actors. Oh, in Kansas Pauling, of course, of course, and, and so we have that out. So message me at this is Dylan [email protected] if you want to show the movie in your bar, in your house, in your backyard, in your toilet, in your any possibly in your theater.

Alex Ferrari 34:40
You are sir You are the the definition of hustle. So I'm I'm a hustler. You are so thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you.

Dylan Greenberg 34:51
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I'm this is one of the best interviews I think I've ever done in my life.

Alex Ferrari 34:57
Dylan is an inspiration and I will wish I would have had Dylan's access and experience at 19. I don't even know what I wanted to do at 19. But to be able to produce six feature films working on the seventh is pretty remarkable. And I hope that Dylan's experience and what Dylan's doing really pushes you guys to go out there and make your own projects, that doesn't have to be perfect. Movies don't have to be perfect. You just got to go out there and create and do and finish a project. Because if you're able to do that, you're you're the 1% of the 1% of the 1% of filmmakers out there, because you're not just talking about making a movie, you're actually going out there and making a movie, a series, a short, any kind of work, but just go out there and do it. And I want to thank Dylan for the inspiration that hopefully all of you guys out there listening we'll get from our conversation. To get the show notes, head over to indie film, hustle, comm forward slash 178. And as always, keep that hustle going keep that dream alive and I'll talk to you soon.

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