Indie Film Craft 4 | How to Make Your Script Undeniable to an Indie Producer (ft. Julie Waters)

The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna

Tv & Film

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Join TSL Workshops: tslworkshops.circle.so Every writer dreams of getting their script into the right hands — but what actually makes a producer want to fight for your project? This week, Jeff sits down with powerhouse indie producer Julie Waters (Watermark Media), fresh off producing OH, HI! — one of the few films sold at Sundance this year and now playing in theaters. Julie not only shares what makes a script feel undeniable, but also demystifies the real roles of networks, studios, production companies, and producers. She breaks down who’s really buying, who’s paying, and who you’re actually pitching when you walk into the room. If you’re trying to figure out how to move from “great script” to “must-make project” — and want a clear map of how the business truly works — this episode is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to Indie Filmcraft.
0:01.9	I'm your host, Jeffrey Crane Graham,
0:03.2	and if you're new here, maybe finding today's show
0:05.3	through the TSL feed.
0:06.5	This is where we dig into the art and realities
0:08.5	of making indie films from outside the studio system.
0:10.8	Today's the first time I've had a producer on the show,
0:12.7	but Julie Waters isn't just any producer.
0:14.8	She's had a very big year.
0:16.7	As the co-founder and CEO of Watermark Media,
0:19.0	Julie produced two films that premiered at the
0:20.9	2025 Sundance Film Festival, Joe Alfonso Vargas' debut Mad Bills DePay, and Sophie Brooks's
0:27.0	Oh High, which went on to sell to Sony Pictures classics.
0:30.3	This is a big deal because anyone who follows the trades knows that 2025 was a very dry sales year
0:35.0	at Sundance. Ohi, which is still playing in some select theaters and is available on VOD, is a fresh, hilarious
0:41.4	twist on the modern rom-com.
0:43.2	It stars Molly Gordon, who co-wrote the film with Brooks and follows a protagonist who
0:46.6	thinks she's finally landed in a stable relationship, only to find out that her boyfriend
0:50.7	isn't exactly exclusive.
0:52.6	Her solution?
0:53.8	Tie him up to win him back.
0:55.5	It's funny and warm and surprisingly nuanced for a film that involves kidnapping and witchcraft.
	...

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