Making A No Crew Feature Supported By David Lowery With Filmmaker Julian Sol Jordan

In this episode, I’m joined by filmmaker Julian Sol Jordan to talk about his self-made debut feature Real Life — an 82-minute hybrid narrative-documentary that was shot, directed, edited, colored, and mixed entirely by himself. The film, which screened recently at the Texas Theatre in Dallas thanks to a generous grant from David Lowery, is a raw, poetic exploration of early adulthood, nostalgia, and the struggle to find meaning in your 20s. Throughout our conversation, Julian and I unpack the entire creative process, from rediscovering dusty VHS tapes in his attic to crafting a structure out of chaos with no script in hand. Topics covered include: How Julian shot 80% of the film alone using everything from a Blackmagic to an iPhone 4 The value of embracing lo-fi footage and imperfections to elevate emotional truth Why David Lowery funded the premiere and how their mentorship began The unexpected benefit of not writing a script — and when to start one next time How old home movies became the emotional anchor of the film Why guerrilla filmmaking might be Julian’s path forward Much more! Links from the show: Julian Sol Jordan – Instagram Julian Sol Jordan – YouTube Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive filmmaking insight each Sunday.