How the Duplass Brothers Redefined Independent filmmaking with $3 Tapes and True Grit

Independent filmmaking and the Search for Inspiration from the Coen Brothers.....

My brother Mark and I went to film school at the University of Texas in Austin, dreaming of becoming the next Coen Brothers. At the time, everyone did. Richard Linklater and Robert Rodriguez—who had just made Slacker and El Mariachi—were hanging around campus, looking like regular people, just like us. These were filmmakers who had pulled off impressive independent filmmaking feats with budgets under $20,000. That kind of number made sense to us—it was attainable.

At UT, we made and edited 16mm films, trying to mimic the Coens. But we quickly discovered: you can't beat the Coen Brothers at their own game. Heck, you can’t even get close. Looking back, we realized that what makes someone unique in independent filmmaking isn’t mimicry, but finding your own voice—through trial, error, and, in our case, many failures. After graduation, I edited a lot of indie films in Austin, made some lackluster ones myself, and eventually felt like quitting independent filmmaking altogether.

The First Short Film and the Independent filmmaking Spark

Then one day, Mark said, “We’re making a movie today. Just come up with something. We’re shooting.” I resisted—we had no script, no gear, just our parents' home video camera. But he pushed, so I wrote something based on my own life. That week, I’d had a breakdown over trying to perfect my voicemail greeting. That personal, lo-fi idea became our film. Mark acted, I shot it on a $3 tape from 7-Eleven, no lights. It was one 20-minute take. We cut it down to 7 minutes.

That short—This is John—got into the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. It was a major moment in our independent filmmaking journey. That film helped us get an agent, a lawyer, and completely reshaped our lives. This is John also impacted Sundance’s short film program. Our $3 film screened next to a $750,000 short—and audiences liked ours more.

Making a Feature Film Within the Independent filmmaking Ethos

That was a turning point. While we had made many shorts over the years, This is John taught us the core of independent filmmaking: story and performance come first. We returned to Sundance with more shorts, and eventually, it was time to make our first feature. We still had no money, but we had our ethos—and a deeper understanding of what we could offer: humor, vulnerability, and self-deprecation in the face of daily struggles.

So we made The Puffy Chair, a road trip film about a man trying to deliver a recliner to his dad, using that as a metaphor for purpose. We shot it with a Panasonic DVX 100—a digital video camera capable of 24 fps to mimic film. It cost $15,000 and captured the spirit of independent filmmaking. It premiered at Sundance and became a festival favorite.

Online Distribution and Independent filmmaking’s New Frontier

A feature film is a real product, unlike shorts. The Puffy Chair was our first experiment in not just creating, but distributing, a film within the independent filmmaking model. We didn’t get a major theatrical offer, so we explored alternatives. Netflix was just emerging as a distribution platform, and our deal with them turned out to be a game-changer.

The Puffy Chair expanded to 120 theaters and stayed in rotation in Austin and Portland for months. Netflix brought in over 200,000 ratings, placing our low-budget indie in front of a huge audience. Our independent filmmaking strategy evolved into understanding where our film could live and grow. We unknowingly extended our DIY spirit all the way through distribution.

Why Independent filmmaking Still Matters

Our goal then—and now—is the same: get as many people as possible to see our films. We’re not elitist about theaters. Sure, watching in a cinema brings contagious laughter and shared emotion, especially with our mix of comedy and drama. But independent filmmaking isn’t about gatekeeping—it's about connection.

Advice for Aspiring Independent filmmakers

Our advice? Shoot, don’t meet. Take small steps. The bigger the leap, the harder it is to make a good film. If you’re used to making $40,000 films and get offered a $10 million one, chances are you won’t have real control. Sometimes, big budgets come with even bigger strings. Instead, grow gradually. Independent filmmaking thrives on evolution. Make smaller films. Learn. Scale. Eventually, you’ll be ready to own your voice—and your budget.