Rage Whale · Movie Podcast: Interviews, Reviews and Recommendations

141: Wes Clark - Filmmaker. How to make and distribute an Indie Movie. Also Cults

·1 hr 19 min·5 clips

Clark says the film got “95% of filmmakers” deals, but he called them “crap deals” and said no.

1. Rage Whale episode 141 centers on Wes Clark and his film How to Start a Cult in Five Easy Steps. 2. Wes Clark is the writer, director, and producer from Philadelphia, and he says he is 24. 3. The episode asks how a young filmmaker makes, shoots, and self-distributes an independent movie while using cults as the subject. 4. Clark says he started with the title “How to Start a Cult in Five Easy Steps” before writing the script. 5. He says marketing was part of the filmmaking plan from the start, including the title and how the film would get attention. 6. Clark says mentors told him the best way to learn filmmaking was to go out and make a film. 7. He raised the money and handled pre-production while still in college. 8. He started production two days after graduation and says the shoot moved quickly. 9. Clark says the film was shot in 13 days, which he describes as very quick for production. 10. He says the team worked with one camera, five locations, and one house that covered 10 to 15 rooms. 11. Clark says the house was his mother’s house, which helped the production fit the budget. 12. He describes scheduling actors in mixed combinations and using a tennis ball on a stick to manage eye lines. 13. Clark says he shot lists and storyboards every shot because he has an art background. 14. He says he does not shoot coverage and prefers each shot to have a specific story function. 15. Clark says David Nubert, the cinematographer, helped create the polished visual look. 16. He says the film’s edit and structure changed from the script as casting and production choices shaped the tone. 17. The conversation is practical, technical, and detailed, with the hosts reacting strongly to the film’s visuals and editing. 18. The energy is conversational and supportive, with the hosts asking direct questions about budget, scheduling, and creative choices. 19. Listeners interested in indie filmmaking, self-distribution, and cult narratives would likely enjoy it. 20. Listeners wanting a short celebrity chat or light entertainment would probably skip it.

As heard by us

Filmmaking pressure, cult logic, and enough digression to keep it moving.

Wes Clark's visit stays focused on how the movie got made and what those choices cost in practice. The strongest stretch is the one that gets concrete: fire on set, a first-day rain delay, sound problems, and the puzzle of making night scenes work without much money.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a filmmaker's-eye conversation about craft, cultiness, and the kind of set stories that only happen when the fire, rain, and sound all go sideways.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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