I started my first feature-length documentary Abandoned Allies, years ago. At the time, I felt like something was missing from the filmmaking process. I needed a chance to hang out with fellow filmmakers and commiserate, celebrate, and talk shop. I needed to plug into a strong community in real life and thought others might like that, too.
So I started organizing socials for filmmakers (aka: TriFilm). The idea came to me in 2009 while talking with some friends. By early 2010, we had our first social in downtown Raleigh.
It’s the stuff that would make Seth Godin and Kevin Smith proud. It was organized through social media, a process Seth Godin delves into in Tribes. And it was definitely “indie as f#ck” as Kevin Smith would say.
The evening was exactly what I needed.
Josh Mills and Zach Abrams chat at the very first TriFilm social in downtown Raleigh in 2010.
Todd Tinkham and Nene Kalu
Ajit Anthony Prim and Jim McQuaid
That night was incredible. I talked with fellow filmmakers. Met new folks. Heard about what everyone was working on. Thought about the infinite possibilities of organizing ways to bring us all together again. The great things we could make together. It was glorious.
I wanted more nights like that. (And still do.)
I thought it’d be easy to organize socials at local businesses. We’d be bringing in money, you know. But surprisingly, a lot of places snubbed me. And quickly.
We couldn’t guarantee a minimum amount spent because we were indie filmmakers working on expensive passion projects. It was tough to find a place willing to host our socials. It nearly killed my enthusiasm for planning another social.
Then I remembered the breweries were super supportive of tweet-ups. There was great beer, an incredible vibe, and lots of cool stuff happening at each event. Maybe the breweries would host our next TriFilm socials.
And they did! The breweries welcomed us with open arms! They put us on their events calendar so that the place wouldn’t be too crowded when we showed up. It was glorious!
TriFilm Social, September 2011, at Lonerider
By the time I heard Shane Johnston give this talk about craft beer at Ignite Durham in 2011, I was very familiar with our local breweries. The after party was held at Fullsteam, a brewery in Durham, where I shook Shane’s hand and told him I enjoyed the presentation. I told him about Abandoned Allies and suggested we make a documentary together.
Here we are years later. Production on Brewconomy started in April 2013 at the World Beer Festival in Raleigh, N.C., we ran a successful Kickstarter campaign in February 2014, and we should have the film finished later this year to premiere it in 2015.
Not too shabby, eh?
What I love most about that is the organic, slow growth that took place over many years. That’s the best kind. Something that grows naturally is much more likely to be healthy, happy, and prosperous. (Kind of like our food. But that’s just my humble opinion.)
I also love the way so many different threads get woven together. It’s like that moment in Love Actually when you realize the characters are connected. That kind of thing makes me really happy.
So there you have it. That’s how TriFilm eventually led to Brewconomy. It’s been about five years in the making. Pretty cool, huh?
Now, it’s your turn. How did your next project find you? What made you tackle it? How long has it be in the works? Do tell!
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