This week on Truly Independent, Garrett Batty and Daren Smith get real about one of the most important (and messy) parts of an independent film career: knowing when to say yes—and when to say no.

Garrett shares how a surprise opportunity pulled him out of the country to Antigua for a location + logistics scout, and what it revealed about infrastructure, budget reality, and whether a “beautiful location” is actually worth the production pain.

Then the conversation shifts to Daren’s current decisions on Brotherhood—how to structure production to stay high-level, protect investor priorities, and evaluate partnerships (including distribution relationships) without losing momentum.

If you’re juggling multiple projects, dealing with sudden opportunities, or trying to build a sustainable career (not just gig-to-gig work), this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• How the Antigua scout came together (and what was learned on the ground)
• Momentum vs. distraction: how to tell the difference
• Director vs. producer “bandwidth” (and why it changes everything)
• Budget “sweet spots” and why some movies stall
• Brotherhood producing strategy + distribution conversations
• The reality of making movies truly independent

Supported by the Help Them See Foundation

Help Them See is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting feature films that inspire faith, hope, and connection—partnering with filmmakers to bring meaningful stories to life and share them worldwide.

Learn more and get involved: HelpThemSeeFoundation.org

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Edited by Michael Bradford

Produced by Three Coin Productions

#IndependentFilm #Filmmaking #Producing #Screenwriting #FilmFinance #LocationScouting #IndieFilmmaker