# 430 - Jefferson White, (Yellowstone, Chicago PD) on How to Make a Professional-Looking Feature Film for $60K, Scratching Lottery Tickets in Film, and How Constraints Drive Creative Innovation

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-make-it-podcast-942195/430-jefferson-white-yellowstone-chicago-pd-on-how-to-make-a-professional-looking-feature-film-for-60k-scratching-lottery-tickets-in-film-and-how-constraints-drive-creative-innovation
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-make-it-podcast-942195/430-jefferson-white-yellowstone-chicago-pd-on-how-to-make-a-professional-looking-feature-film-for-60k-scratching-lottery-tickets-in-film-and-how-constraints-drive-creative-innovation.md
Podcast: [The MAKE IT Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-make-it-podcast-942195)
Published: 2026-02-20T10:30:20+00:00
Episode link: https://www.themakeitpodcast.com
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/audio4.redcircle.com/episodes/e3a9f9d9-d7e5-46b3-9a86-634d36466912/stream.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-make-it-podcast-942195/episodes/430-jefferson-white-yellowstone-chicago-pd-on-how-to-make-a-professional-looking-feature-film-for-60k-scratching-lottery-tickets-in-film-and-how-constraints-drive-creative-innovation
Duration seconds: 6875

## Resource

This episode is brought to you by Anthropic. Claude is the AI for minds that don’t stop at good enough—it's the collaborator that actually understands your entire workflow and thinks WITH you, not for you. Sign up for Claude today and get 50% off your first three months of Claude Pro when you use our link – www.claude.ai/makeit This episode is brought to you by Shopify . Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at www.shopify.com/makeit Hello, Hello! In this episode, we sit down with actor Jefferson White (Yellowstone, Chicago PD) to discuss his latest indie film " Drink and Be Merry ," which he made for just $60,000. White shares insights about balancing big-budget TV work with passion projects, the importance of long-term creative collaborations, and how he uses photography as a creative outlet between acting jobs. The conversation explores the challenges and rewards of independent filmmaking, the art of auditioning, and White's journey from small-town Iowa to Hollywood success. We also talk about: • White's collaboration with director Adam Volderic and their production company, Means of Productions • The creative constraints and advantages of micro-budget filmmaking versus big-budget productions • White's upcoming projects include a Lee Harvey Oswald role and a Rambo prequel • The psychology of playing villains and the importance of empathy in character development • White's background in Iowa theater and his formative acting teacher, Matt Foss People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned: Drink and Be Merry Yellowstone Chicago PD The Matrix Reloaded In the Mood for Love It Was Just an Accident The Secret Agent No Other Choice The Last Picture Show True Grit From Here to Eternity The Holdovers Taxi Driver East of Eden One Battle After Another The Brutal…

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