He Got 4 MILLION Views on a £500 Short… Then Made the Feature with Cathal Fitzpatrick

Send us Fan Mail **Can you really make a feature film for £9,000?** Filmmaker Cathal Fitzpatrick joins Jim to talk about the extraordinary journey behind *Hollow Trees*. The project began as a **£500 proof-of-concept short film made while Cathal was at university**. The short went on to attract around **4 million views online**, giving Cathal the motivation to turn the idea into a feature. But the millions of views didn't suddenly bring a huge production budget. Instead, Cathal spent years saving, rewriting and developing the project before eventually making *Hollow Trees* for around **£9,000**, with a crew of just 11 people and a two-week shoot. Cathal talks about the realities of making an ambitious feature on a micro-budget, finding locations that add production value, working with a tiny crew, the importance of lighting, film festival strategy, spending money on submissions, sales and distribution and the biggest things he'd do differently if he made the film again. It's an honest look at what it actually takes to go from **short film → proof of concept → feature film** without waiting for someone else to give you permission. **The Honest Filmmaker Podcast** explores the realities of independent filmmaking, from making your first short and feature to funding, festivals, distribution and building a sustainable filmmaking career. Watch the Hollow Trees proof-of-concept and see where the journey started.    • A Hollow Tree - Skinwalker movie (Proof-of...  Watch the trailer for the feature Hollow Trees    [• Hollow Trees \[Official Trailer\] 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs5fzezdhvM)   Check out the re-release of Jim's first solo directing feature The Witches Hammer - out now on amazon  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0F235F4T8/ref=atv\_dp\_share\_cu\_r Support the show For regular updates and exclusive content - sign up for The Honest Filmmaker newsletter https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/e-newsletter/ Join The Honest Filmmaker community on our Facebook Group or Discord https://thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk/index.php/join-the-community/ HONEST, OPEN ADVICE ABOUT YOUR FILMMAKING CAREER Are you about to leave Uni with a filmmaking degree? Or want to change careers and work in a creative industry? We want to give you the tools you need to enter the real world of production or freelancing. Honest and open career advice from people in the business. We also talk to those in other creative industries to discuss their careers, the potential cross over with film production and practical tips for a successful and fulfilling career. Join the community: http://www.thehonestfilmmaker.co.uk