This week, on The VFX Artists Podcast, my curiosity with how movies are made and brought to life, brought me to a discussion with London based film director, writer and producer Marcus Flemmings.On this episode, I find out about Marcus’ background and journey to becoming a film director, talk about his new film Blonde Purple, out on November 30th, and discuss realities of inspiration, competition, originality, ego, mistakes and more, in the life of an indie film maker.Marcus’s latest film Blonde purple can be watched on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Voodoo and on the Xbox.You can also find Marcus on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and IMDBApologies for the occasional echoes in this episode.#indiefilmmaking #marcusflemmings #blondepurpleChapters:00:00:00:00 - What to expect in this episode 00:02:46:23 - Host intro 00:03:23:21 - Marcus introduction & Filmography00:12:01:14 - Filming during covid00:13:11:15 - Process of bringing a film idea to life00:16:14:19 - How to manage responsibilities leading a crew, as a director, during production 00:18:39:10 - How important is it for film makers to have connections to attain budget for a project, or during distribution00:21:42:14 - Competing with other film makers for exposure on streaming channels like Netflix & Amazon00:24:31:09 - What’s the end goal/desire as a film maker/creative00:27:01:02 - Story vs visuals - which takes priority?00:28:48:19 - Competition with other creatives00:31:18:08 - How to produce original content00:34:22:20 - How to catch a break/be recognised for what you do00:37:00:22 - Dealing with the ego from constructive criticism and feedback00:39:30:05 - Challenges of being a black creative00:43:26:05 - Vision for the future00:44:37:05 - Words of advice00:46:17:14 - How to reach out to Marcus00:47:12:23 - Question for the host - My role in the VFX industry00:49:29:15 - Conclusion