Our new movie, “Casey Makes A Mixtape”, is now streaming! 🎬
Rent or buy today on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and more. Direct links at our website linked below.
Thanks for supporting #indiefilm!
https://t.co/VJR1fL8tY0
Way back in 1997, when I was just starting my filmmaking career, Cliff Richhart and I borrowed a Sony VX1000 Mini DV camera (brand-new and cutting-edge at the time) to interview my grandfather, Z.A. Calhoun, in Mineral Wells, Texas.
He had spent most of his life there, running various businesses and working all kinds of interesting jobs - including serving as a bellhop at the famous Baker Hotel.
The plan was to talk about his time at the hotel and then interview other longtime residents for a documentary about the rise and fall of the Baker.
Well, the second part never happened.
I never interviewed anyone else, although over the years I shot plenty of footage of the hotel during trips back to Mineral Wells, always thinking I’d eventually make that documentary.
Meanwhile, the interview tapes sat on a shelf - and later in storage - for decades.
Then, in 2020, I began archiving my old tape library and finally revisited the interview with my grandfather.
He was nervous at first, but before long he forgot the camera was there and started sharing story after story about his days at the Baker Hotel. The more I watched, the more I realized what a treasure the footage was.
By then, other documentaries had already told the story of the Baker’s decline and restoration. But telling the story of my grandfather’s experience as a bellhop in the early 1930s - and weaving in the history of the hotel along the way - felt different.
So that’s what I decided to do.
As far as I know, there’s never been a firsthand on-camera account from someone who actually worked at the Baker during its heyday.
It’s been 29 years since that interview was recorded, but I’m excited to finally share the result.
“Bellhop at the Baker Hotel”
Below is a teaser. The film premieres on my YouTube channel on July 8, 2026.
I didn’t watch Wishbone when it aired on PBS back in mid 90s, so I honestly wasn’t sure how big the audience would be for this movie today, but now we’re finding out...
Just hit #1 on the Apple Documentary chart. Pretty wild.
Thanks to everyone who’s watching!
I know not that many people actually take a physical paper these days, but still pretty darn cool seeing the new movie on the cover of the LA Times Entertainment section. 👀
A lot of cool stuff going on right now for the upcoming Wishbone documentary release.
Reminder: Pre-orders start this Wednesday 5/20 on Apple TV. Wide digital rollout on June 10. And preview screenings on PBS 5/27-6/9 (check local listings).
More info: https://t.co/V2H3AynjjG
For anyone wanting the Apple Log Everyday LUTs and also the Film Look LUTs this combo pack has them both and saves 15% versus getting them individually. 🎥🎬👇🏻
https://t.co/k3hMTso3Ls
Check out a new podcast episode with Noam Kroll and filmmaker Blake Calhoun talking about his feature film Casey Makes A Mixtape, his YouTube channel and his highly entrepreneurial approach to building a sustainable filmmaking career:
https://t.co/9dtvSaN4F2
The Wishbone documentary my company co-produced (I shot & edited it) will premiere on PBS soon, and roll out on digital platforms this summer. People Magazine covers everything here including the exclusive trailer release. 🙌🏻🎬
https://t.co/qrPt6LsBG7
Filmic Pro was the go-to video camera app for a decade – until a sale to Bending Spoons and a shift to subscriptions changed everything.
This is the story of how it went from industry leader to afterthought almost overnight.👇🏻
https://t.co/Z2B4YtzC4y
Check out another commentary video from yours truly. This time talking about Spotify, CDs and movie streaming…
“Spotify's Big Problem (and Will It Survive)”
Watch ➡️ https://t.co/BW8vnyFFtc
Have also been updating my mobile filmmaking guides on Skillshare and Udemy.
If you didn’t know, yep… My guides are available there too. So if you prefer those platforms or have a membership there definitely check them out.
I’ll drop a few Skillshare links in this thread.
https://t.co/PHvJzJDZ4G
“Casey Makes a Mixtape” is now available on Blu-ray at the famous Vidiots video store in LA.
Not sure if it's on the shelves just yet, but should be soon. If you're local there go check it out and let me know if you see it. And hey, while you're there maybe rent it, too. 😎
If you're not in LA you can get your own copy right now at our website (link in bio).
Vidiots has been around since the 1980s and our film is set in the ‘80s, so it's an honor to have it available to rent there in 2026. Long live physical media!
If you’re figuring out your distribution path for an indie film watch this:
Bitmax vs Filmhub - Which is BEST for your film?
Watch ➡️ https://t.co/NHvEgLNh7o
Years ago I interviewed legendary character actor Burton Gilliam about his movie career, which includes performances in Blazing Saddles, Paper Moon, Fletch, Back to the Future III and more. He’s got some amazing stories! 🎬
Watch ➡️ https://t.co/AlcEKAjgUD
Hi @udemy. Your “Trust & Safety“ department is straight out of Orwell. You do realize that, right? You guys really need to do some work there. Poorly run. Needs major improvement.
Our film “Casey Makes a mMixtape” is now available on Blu-ray, too! 🎬
So you can still rent or buy on digital or now own copy to add to your physical media collection.
https://t.co/Mf0WKG7Wxv