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The barrier to making your first film has never been lower, and this episode breaks down exactly how to start.

In Part 2 of his conversation with host Gregg Goldfarb, filmmaker Steve Dabal pulls back the curtain on how his documentary Italian Wannabe came together: shot largely on a phone, edited by hand from terabytes of footage, and finished through community crowdfunding.

Steve makes the case that you don’t need a perfect subject or a big budget to begin. You need a story you care about and the willingness to start filming. From the free tools that turn a phone into a cinema camera, to why short films are the best reps a beginner can get, to how AI is quietly reshaping what independent filmmakers can afford, Steve offers a grounded look at the craft and the business of documentary work today, and why “make the thing” matters far more than worrying about how it will be received.

 

Join Gregg and Steve on Cut to the Chase as they explore:

  • How to shoot a documentary for $0 using just an iPhone and free apps 
  • Why the story “reveals itself” and how to start before you know the ending 
  • Why short films are the best training ground for first-time filmmakers 
  • The realistic path to a finished film: rough cuts, community, and crowdfunding 
  • How AI is changing the cost of color, graphics, and finishing work 
  • Why the festival system favors certain films, and how feel-good stories find their audience
  • What comes after festivals: roadshows, screenings-with-dinners, and t-urning a film into an event 

 

KEY MOMENTS

00:00 — Cold open: which films “climb the ladder”  00:01 — You’ve got a story and an iPhone — what do you actually need? 00:02 — The Blackmagic app: turning a phone into a cinema camera 00:03 — “Just start filming” — 14 terabytes and finding the story 00:04 — Do you really need a great subject to begin? 00:06 — Making the thing vs. releasing the thing 00:07 — Why short films are the best reps for beginners 00:09 — The money question: what $0 can (and can’t) get you 00:10 — Rough cuts, honest feedback & the freelance colorist 00:12 — Spend $0 first, then crowdfund the finish 00:13 — AI and YouTube: best or worst time to start? 00:14 — Handmade stop-motion vs. AI temp graphics 00:15 — Inside the festival world: programmers & blind submissions 00:17 — Pairing screenings with dinners to build community 00:18 — What’s next: roadshows, AI outreach & the film-as-event 00:21 — Closing: stop chasing the checklist — just make the thing 

 

Steve Dabal is an Italian-American director, cinematographer, and editor with a deep VFX background and a focus on non-fiction storytelling. As co-founder and Creative Director of The Family, a New York-based production house, he has interviewed subjects ranging from Scarlett Johansson and Fortune 500 CEOs to war veterans and 9/11 survivors.

His work has screened at SXSW, the New York Film Festival, and internationally. Italian Wannabe is his debut feature documentary. The film sold out five screenings at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival and was also an official selection at the Berkshire International Film Festival. The film was directed, shot, and edited by Dabal, and produced with The Family in association with Current Mindset. 

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

  • Learn more about Italian Wannabe and follow the film’s festival and pop-up screening tour
  • Learn more about Fiore Market Cafe, chef Bill Disselhorst’s legendary South Pasadena restaurant, one of America’s Top 100 restaurants
  • Learn more about the village of Casperia, Italy — one hour north of Rome — featured throughout the documentary
  • Learn more about The Family, Steve Dabal’s New York-based production company
  • Follow the Italian Wannabe pop-up screening tour to find a screening near you

 

Want to hear more conversations about life, law, and the stories that matter? Subscribe to Cut to the Chase: with Gregg Goldfarb.

 

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