by Jeff Fisher I arrived in Los Angeles the way most people do: broke, optimistic, and dangerously underinformed. I had two phone numbers in my wallet. One belonged to a game show publicist whose Dad played poker once a week with my Dad back in South Florida. The other was a young associate producer I'd met on a show I'd PA'd on— a warm, funny young woman that might best be described as a Long Island Princess with absolutely zero interest in sugarcoating anything. She picked

On the set of KILLER MOVIE by Jeff Fisher You can read Part 1 of this story here: https://www.reeltalkwithjeff.com/post/how-i-got-my-first-feature-film-made-part-1-dead-bodies-paris-hilton-and-a-thousand-no-s After a thousand "No's," a last-minute financing swing, and some epic casting luck, I arrived in Minneapolis ready to shoot my first feature film. There was just one problem: the snow was gone. "Dead of Winter" would need a new name. But that was the least of my worries

by Jeff Fisher With Paul Wesley and Kaley Cuoco on the set of KILLER MOVIE Sometimes your first feature film gets born out of the most challenging circumstances. For me, it was February in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 17 degrees below zero. No cell service. No internet. Just me, my dog, howling wind, and an endless parade of locals telling me horrific accidental death stories. This is how my first feature "Killer Movie" came to be. THE SCRIPTED DREAM Even though my short films

THERE IS NO SHORT FILM JAIL. BUT THERE IS A DRY CLEANER IN WEST HOLLYWOOD WHO ALMOST ENDED MY EARLY CAREER. by Jeff Fisher There are moments in life when you look around at the favors you’ve called in, the credit cards you’ve maxed out, the Steadicam operator who showed up on a handshake — and think: How exactly are we going to pull this thing off? This is the story of one of those moments. ANSWERING OTHER PEOPLE’S PHONES I had already made one short film — a 30-minute romant

It was 1994, and I was making $325 a week as an assistant at one of Hollywood's major talent agencies. Lots of making my boss lunch reservations at Chasen’s or The Grill, rolling call lists two hundred names deep... and sometimes watching the random stapler being hurled to get an assistant’s attention. I still get PTSD when I pass that old building on Wilshire Boulevard. If you've never worked at a talent agency, think The Devil Wears Prada meets Succession vibes. The agenc

By Jeff Fisher Starting as a production assistant and later the Video Assist on Martin Scorsese's "Cape Fear" and working my way up to directing studio films wasn't just about learning technical skills—it was about understanding people, energy, and the art of trusting your instincts. After decades in this business, from reality TV shenanigans to Blue-Sky Hallmark films, I've learned that your gut might be the most important tool in your director's toolkit. Grace Under Pressur

How to get inspiration from the things that scare you the most.