How a Wine-Infused Cold Email & Pool Parties Got 'Pools' Noticed
“You need something fun, especially for an indie movie, to, like, build community around the film and with each other and make it about more than just the movie itself.”
In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, Writer-director Sam Hayes and actor-filmmaker Michael Vlamis break down the making and unconventional release of Pools, a coming-of-age film built around an overnight pool-hopping adventure.
They discuss the logistical challenges of shooting underwater on an indie schedule, building an ensemble cast around specific actors, and why traditional distribution offers pushed the team toward a hands-on grassroots strategy. Sam explains how pool-party premieres, years of networking, and a wine-fueled cold email helped Pools find a new audience through the Letterboxd Video Store, while Michael compares the scrappy production of Pools with working on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
They also share lessons on preserving release momentum, budgeting for marketing, navigating film festivals, and finding an audience when streamers are not an option.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How the image of a glowing pool at night became the foundation for Pools
- Writing characters with specific actors like Michael Vlamis, Odessa A'zion, and Tyler Alvarez in mind
- Building chemistry within an ensemble cast on a limited indie prep schedule
- The complications of filming overnight pool scenes and shooting underwater
- How a breath coach helped Odessa A'zion increase her underwater breath hold from roughly 15 seconds to a minute and a half
- Why Sam turned down disappointing traditional distribution offers and pursued a more hands-on service deal
- Creating pool-party premieres that made screenings feel like events rather than another movie release
- How Sam became a top 0.01% Partiful user while organizing approximately 25 promotional events
- Why filmmakers need to actively build relationships with festival programmers, distributors, critics, and other members of the indie film community
- The mistake of delaying Pools' TVOD release in hopes of benefiting from the attention around Odessa A'zion's other projects
- Why maintaining momentum and giving audiences an immediate way to watch a film matters after theatrical release
- How the crowded TVOD marketplace makes discoverability especially difficult for independent movies
- The wine-fueled cold email Sam wrote to Letterboxd after feeling like the film was running out of distribution options
- Why Letterboxd's curated Video Store offered Pools a way to stand apart from algorithm-driven platforms
- How the film's Letterboxd rating improved as more viewers discovered it
- Michael's experience moving between Pools, his indie feature Crossword, and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey
- Why a giant production can still feel surprisingly scrappy and responsive on set
- The difference between a film's production budget and the marketing budget needed to actually break through
- Why indie filmmakers cannot build their entire distribution strategy around getting acquired by a major streamer
- How real-world relationships can turn previous distribution passes into new opportunities
- Why Sam recommends budgeting for marketing before production begins
- The danger of submitting a rough cut to major film festivals before the movie is truly ready
- Michael's approach to finding grounded comedy without forcing jokes or overthinking a performance
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