A successful industry pro walks you through your biggest project ever—step-by-step
a Feature Film?
Making a full-length movie feels impossible—like MOUNT EVEREST.
👈🏻 Meet your Sherpa
AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER
and founder of The AVClub
Scott Dikkers
Lights, Camera, No More Excuses
Here’s the uncomfortable TRUTH:
Your movie won’t magically appear because you had a great idea in the shower or sketched out a brilliant scene while procrastinating at your day job.
You have to make it. 🎬
Every GREAT FILMMAKER started exactly where you are right now: staring at the impossible, wondering if they’re crazy enough to actually pull it off.
Spoiler alert: YOU ARE. You just don’t know it yet.
Been making videos on social media, telling jokes on stage, or writing stories, all the while dreaming about taking your work to the NEXT LEVEL?
Got a SCRIPT COLLECTING DUST that everyone tells you is “really good, but...”
Sick of watching other people turn their dreams into reality while yours turn into DISAPPOINTMENTS?
THIS IS YOUR MOMENT. Not someday. Not “when you’re ready.”
Right now.
With Coaching That Inspires Filmmakers to Succeed...
‘90% of What I Know’
“For eight years, Scott Dikkers was MY MENTOR … 90 percent of what I know today came under his guidance and tutelage.”
Robert Siegel
BAFTA and WGA-nominated screenwriter and director
‘One of the Best’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Has an ability to STEER YOU towards... funny and silly, and really have you focus on that. Scott is one of the best at teaching that skill.”
Seth Reiss
Emmy-winner and screenwriter, The Menu
‘I Don't Regret...’
“Scott was SUCH A GOOD MENTOR,
I don’t even regret the blinding sincerity of these very words.”
Ben Karlin
Multiple Emmy-winning producer and screenwriter
‘Really Loved...’
“Scott ... told you EXACTLY what he thought of your work and how to improve it. I really loved having him as an instructor.”
‘Incredible’
“Incredible learning experience. Scott could not possibly be more qualified. EXCELLENT feedback. Scott is a master.”
‘Learned So Much’
“I learned so much more about being intentional with my structures. Scott ... encourages REFLECTION and GROWTH.”
‘Fantastic’
“Scott is fantastic!
Brilliant,
SUPPORTIVE,
and super helpful!”
Scott’s award-winning movies, best-selling books, and top-level mentoring have been featured on...
Project Everest: Your Filmmaking Roadmap
In Project Everest: the Movie Route, you’ll make a feature film before the end of 2026, and it will tranform your creative life.
Most people think making a feature film is reserved for HOLLYWOOD INSIDERS with massive budgets and industry connections.
Those people are WRONG.
Filmmaking is a system. A set of repeatable techniques that anyone—and I mean ANYONE—can learn.
In the next 12 months, you’ll transform from “aspiring filmmaker” to “actual filmmaker” with a completed FEATURE FILM to your credit.
No film school. No massive equipment investments. Just a proven path and someone (that’s me) who’s been EXACTLY where you are.
How to get movie stars in your low-budget film, it’s easier than you think...
Why most indie films look cheap, and the free fix nobody talks about...
The secret technique for shooting a feature in 12 days, while looking beautiful and professional...
The “garage sale” method for finding amazing locations, without spending a dime...
How to assemble a reliable crew, even if you don’t know anybody with experience...
The truth about film equipment, and which camera will make your movie look best...
Why your sound matters more than your camera, and how to get it perfect for pennies...
How to make your amateur actors look like seasoned pros, without paying for acting classes...
From Pipe Dream to Silver Screen
Project Everest: The Movie Route is designed to systematically dismantle every excuse,
fear, and roadblock standing between you and a feature film.
By the end of 2026, you’ll have something most people can only dream about: a FEATURE FILM you produced, wrote, directed, and brought to life.
And you’ll walk away with a set of skills that will make future film projects feel like a WALK IN THE PARK.
Most people have a movie idea. You’re going to make an actual movie. Project Everest: The Movie Route isn’t just another filmmaking tutorial—it’s your backstage pass to turning creative vision into reality.
The zero-budget trick for creating cinematic magic, you can exploit this before anyone else figures it out...
How to turn your day job into a movie-making machine, instead of a soul suck...
Why most indie filmmakers fail, and the counterintuitive fix...
How to recruit an all-star cast and crew, even when you know absolutely nobody
How to know when your script is ready to shoot, and when it needs a page-one rewrite...
How to make every scene feel like a million-dollar production, even on a shoestring budget...
The surprising truth about film distribution, and how you can take advantage of new outlets...
Why most indie films die in post-production, and how you can save yours...
PLUS…
📌 DETAILED COVERAGE on your logline, outline, script, and first cut
📌 Monthly meetings to WORKSHOP YOUR MOVIE with Scott and peers
📌 FREE access to courses, books, and discounts on movie-making essentials
📌 and MORE.
Your Moviemaking Expedition: Month by Month
Once you join Project Everest, you’ll enter a new phase of your life as a creator.
You’ll start every month of 2026 with a new ebook in your inbox containing the steps for the next 30 days, complete with checklists, best practices, assignments, and easy-to-follow trail maps.
🗓️ JANUARY-FEBRUARY: Introduction
Story Excavation
In the first two months of Project Everest, you’ll transform from someone with vague film ideas to a concept-generating machine. This month is about giving yourself permission to explore every wild, weird, and wonderful story idea bouncing around in your brain. You’ll start writing ideas or collecting lists of past concepts you’ve considered for a movie. You’ll...
💡 Generate 20 movie ideas—including future movies—in under an hour…
You’ll unleash your inner genius.
💡 Avoid the single biggest mistake most first-time filmmakers make…
To give you the best chance of success with your movie before you even start.
💡 Discover why your first 10 ideas are probably worthless...
And how you can breathe life into them.
Concept Development
Now you’re refining those raw ideas into a polished concept that will make producers sit up and take notice. The month will launch with a kick-off meeting on Zoom where you’ll get an introduction to the movie track. You'll create a movie logline, working title, and rough outline, vetting your concepts with a large feedback group. You’ll...
✨ Pick the absolute best concept for your movie…
Most moviemakers pick the wrong one, and wonder why no one wants to watch it.
✨ Create a logline so good, audiences will be dying to see your movie...
By appealing to their subconscious desire for tension and resolution.
✨ Try the “Facebook focus group” method for testing your concept…
Use the #1 way professional filmmakers make sure they write GREAT stories.
STAGE 1: ‘Base Camp’ Milestone Bonus
🏆 All 4 “How to Write Funny” books ($50 value)
🏆 Professional storyboard template and best-results guide ($50 value)
🏆 The “How to Write Funny” course ($300 value)
🗓️ MARCH-APRIL: Crafting Your Story
Story Structure
This month is about deciding on your primary characters and story structure. You’ll beat out your story, creating a rough, bullet-point plot that you’ll workshop with the group. You’ll create a solid foundation that will support your entire film. You’ll...
🕵🏻♂️ Answer to the age-old storytelling question…
Do characters drive plot, or does plot drive character?
🕵🏻♂️ Roll out the “backwards blueprint” technique…
For creating a compelling story structure that will captivate audience.
🕵🏻♂️ Learn the secret method for solving second-act problems...
Problems that always doom screenwriters to abandon their script halfway in.
Script Development
You’ll employ the “Route 66” technique to write a rough draft of your script in just 30 days, producing about 3-4 pages per day. This month is about getting your initial ideas down quickly and creating a workable first draft that you can refine. You’ll...
📕 Be amazed how easy it is to write a screenplay in 30 days…
Without losing your mind.
📕 Employ the same methods top Hollywood producers use...
To organize your screenplay and keep your continuity straight.
📕 See why your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect...
And how that makes it better.
STAGE 2: ‘Icefall’ Milestone Bonus
🏆 Comprehensive video course on proper script formatting ($100 value)
🏆 Get comprehensive coverage on your script ($300 value)
🗓️ MAY-JUNE: Plotting and Planning
Pre-Production Phase 2
This month, you’ll begin engaging in pre-production activities beyond the scripting phase, securing key cast, locations, equipment, and permissions. You’ll also roughly schedule your shoot and get started filling in any of your moviemaking-skillset gaps. You’ll...
📋 Explore the “subway” method for casting amazing actors...
And catching their red flags before they tank your entire production.
📋 Know if your script is actually ready for production...
While you still have time to fix it.
📋 Start working on your “visual script”...
Getting this right is best way to have a smooth-running set.
Production Prep
You’ll refine your script, complete pre-production planning, and prepare for your actual shoot. This includes rehearsing with cast, collecting props, securing crew, and taking care of all the other details. You’ll...
🎬 Avoid rookie production-design mistakes...
That make most indie films look like indie films.
🎬 You’ll secure amazing locations for your movie scenes...
Without paying the high prices Hollywood productions do.
🎬 Try out the little psychological trick for maintaining creative momentum and passion...
During this hectic stage when most filmmakers feel overwhelmed.
STAGE 3 ‘Camp 2’ Milestone Bonus
🏆 The Comedy Business School course ($400 Value)
🏆 A seasoned assessment of your production readiness ($400 value)
🗓️ JULY-AUGUST: Production
Shooting Begins
This month, you’ll start principal photography. Your carefully planned script, cast, and crew will come together for your first days of shooting. You’ll learn on-set techniques for directing, managing time, and solving unexpected production challenges. You’ll...
🧑🏻⚕️ Wow your crew with your self-assuredness as a director...
Using a single piece of paper in your pocket.
🧑🏻⚕️ Use the “ONN” technique to get Meryl Streep-level performances from your cast...
Even if you’ve never directed before.
🧑🏻⚕️ Crack the secrets of shooting quickly and efficiently...
Without compromising quality.
Still Rolling
You’ll continue your film shoot, applying lessons learned in July. This month focuses on maintaining creative momentum, solving production challenges, and ensuring you capture the scenes that will dazzle audiences. You’ll...
🎥 Make every scene look like a million-dollar production...
Even if you only have hundreds to spend.
🎥 Roll out the “Elmer’s” technique for maintaining a powerful team spirit on set...
You just have to notice one key quality.
🎥 Nail one small element in production that will ensure your movie looks professional...
It’s even more important than the shots you get.
STAGE 4 ‘Camp 3’ Milestone Bonus
🏆 A comprehensive production assessment and post-mortem ($1,500 value)
🏆 Additional tools and resources for post-production ($300 value)
🗓️ SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER: Post-Production
Editing
This month marks the transition from production to post-production. You’ll begin organizing footage, start initial editing, and develop your film’s visual and audio identity. You’ll learn professional editing techniques and how to transform raw footage into a cohesive story. You’ll...
🔬 What nobody tells you about reshoots...
And how to use them to take your movie to the next level
🔬 Discover why professional editors keep M&Ms next to their workspace...
And why you shouldn’t eat them
🔬 Learn the brutal art of cutting scenes that don’t serve your story...
By asking the most surprising person in your orbit
Sound Design
You’ll dive deep into the technical aspects of post-production. This includes refining your edit, working on sound design, color grading, and music, preparing your film for its first screenings. You’ll learn how to ace this critical stage without breaking the bank. You’ll...
🌊 Get away with making as many changes as you want...
Even after picture lock.
🌊 Learn a trick to create a seamless narrative flow without reshooting...
It’s painful to use but always works.
🌊 Use a 1910s silent-film stuntman’s routinely overlooked innovation...
Audiences won’t know why, but they’ll say your film looks “like a real movie.”
STAGE 5 ‘Camp 4’ Milestone Bonus
🏆 Advanced color grading and sound design resources ($300 value)
🏆 A comprehensive post-production review ($400 value)
🗓️ NOVEMBER-DECEMBER: Release
Film Festival Preparation
You’re in the home stretch now. This month is about prepping your movie for its debut, whether a film festival, private screening, or paid screening. The goal is to position your film for maximum visibility and potential distribution. You’ll...
👨💼 Get expert help crafting a press kit that will get you noticed...
And get yourself on TV talking about your movie.
👨💼 Try these unexpected tricks for standing out in film festival submissions...
You won’t believe such madness actually works.
👨💼 Know when to shell out money to travel to a film festival...
And when to stay home.
Distribution
In the final month of Project Everest, you'll explore distribution options, create a marketing strategy, and reflect on your filmmaking journey. You'll learn about digital platforms, new and untested channels, and how to leverage your first film for future projects or future work—whatever you want. You’ll...
🍾 Learn how to get your film reviewed in newspapers and magazines...
Without spending a dime on a publicist.
🍾 Get rare insight into what executives and sales agents really think of your movie...
And leverage their opinion for more opportunities even if they’re not interested.
🍾 Find out the most important thing you need to bring to a pitch meeting...
No, it’s not your movie.
STAGE 6 ‘Summit’ Milestone Bonus
🏆 A final celebration and reflection Zoom session
🏆 Lifetime access to our filmmaking community ($1,200 value)
🏆 Comprehensive career development consultation ($500 value)
🏆 A special commemorative gift marking your movie's completion ($ ??? value)
Personal Guarantee
Try Project Everest for a full 60-day money-back guarantee
“If you’re not completely satisfied after completing two months of Project Everest, just contact my team at [email protected] and I will happily issue a refund with no questions asked.
No other coaching program offers such a strong guarantee.”
“Project Everest is truly a risk-free opportunity that will take your career to the next level. If you don't think it will, I’ll give you your money back.”
—Scott Dikkers
The Real Cost of Making a Movie (Spoiler: It Ain’t Cheap)
Enough with the Everest analogies. We need to talk about SOMETHING SERIOUS.
Also, I need an excuse to show you this awesome picture of me writing one of my novels (which I later turned into a screenplay) in the REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK last year.
The serious thing: Let’s do some PAINFUL MATH. Here’s what trying to make a movie on your own will actually cost you:
Let’s Break it Down
Professional Costs:
• Screenplay Development: $2,000 - $5,000
• Equipment Rental: $1,500 - $20,000
• Location Fees: $1,000 - $5,000
• Sound Equipment: $1,000 - $2,500
• Editing Software and Services: $1,500 - $3,000
• Crew: $20,000 - $100,000
• Post-Production: $6,000 - $50,000
• Cast Expenses: $10,000 - $75,000
Marketing and Launch Expenses:
• Festival submissions: $500 - $5,000
• DIY marketing budget: $1,000 - $3,000
Wasted Time Calculation:
The average independent film can anywhere from 3 months to 3 years to complete. For ease of calculations, we’ll call it one year.
• Your time is worth, conservatively, $25/hour
• 15 hours/week × 52 weeks × 1 years = 780 hours
• Total Time Cost: $19,500 in lost productivity
The “Spinning Your Wheels” Tax:
• Endless rewrites: More time lost
• Self-doubt: Priceless (and SOUL-CRUSHING)
• Potential income from not having a published book: Astronomical
Failure Costs:
• Abandoned project: Priceless (and PAINFUL)
• Emotional toll of failure: Immeasurable
• Opportunity cost of not completing your movie: DEVASTATING
Here’s How Much It Costs
To Make a Movie on Your Own
If you’re skipping around and didn’t see the breakdown above, here’s the TOTAL:
Total Potential Investment (Doing It Alone):
$44,500 - $278,500
Yeeks.
And at these prices, there’s still no guarantee your movie would gain traction among audiences, agents, or executives. Most indie films DISAPPEAR INTO THE ETHER because most indie filmmakers make the same mistakes every indie filmmaker makes.
MISTAKES that could be avoided with the proper guidance and mentorship.
Okay, so what would you pay to avoid all this AGONY?
What would it be worth to you to have a BATTLE-TESTED GUIDE walk you down the easiest route, saving you time, money, and endless frustration?
Would you pay $8,070?
That’s what all the bonuses in Project Everest are worth.
What if it was half that—$4,000? That would be TOTALLY worth it, right?
What if we halved it again and made it $2,000? That would be a steal to get help shooting a movie by the end of 2026.
What if I told you you could get it all, and make 2026 the year you make your movie,
GUARANTEED...
And get this...
Here’s How Much
PROJECT EVEREST Costs:
$47
Look at All These BONUSES Again...
🏆 All 4 “How to Write Funny“ books ($50 value)
🏆 Professional STORYBOARD TEMPLATE and best-results guide ($50 value)
🏆 The “How to Write Funny” course ($300 value)
🏆 Comprehensive VIDEO COURSE on proper script formatting ($100 value)
🏆 Get comprehensive COVERAGE on your script ($300 value)
🏆 The Comedy Business School course ($400 Value)
🏆 A seasoned assessment of your production readiness ($400 value)
🏆 A comprehensive PRODUCTION ASSESSMENT and post-mortem ($1,500 value)
🏆 Additional tools and resources for post-production ($300 value)
🏆 Advanced color-grading and SOUND DESIGN resources ($300 value)
🏆 A comprehensive post-production review ($400 value)
🏆 Join a final CELEBRATION and reflection Zoom session
🏆 Lifetime access to our FILMMAKING COMMUNITY ($1,200 value)
🏆 Comprehensive career development consultation ($500 value)
🏆 A special commemorative GIFT marking your movie’s completion ($ ??? value)
Total Value of the Project Everest Bonuses: $8,070
Look at These Testimonials Again...
You met these good folks earlier, but now listen to them—REALLY listen to them.
The top row are a few of the people I’ve worked with.
The bottom row is just a handful of the hundreds of anonymous GLOWING REVIEWS I got from students who took my courses at the Second City Traiing Center in Chicago, including my VIRAL VIDEO course.
‘90% of What I Know’
“For eight years, Scott Dikkers was MY MENTOR … 90 percent of what I know today came under his guidance and tutelage.”
Robert Siegel
BAFTA and WGA-nominated screenwriter and director
‘One of the Best’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Has an ability to STEER YOU towards... funny and silly, and really have you focus on that. Scott is one of the best at teaching that skill.”
Seth Reiss
Emmy-winning screenwriter,The Menu
‘I Don't Regret...’
“Scott was SUCH A GOOD MENTOR,
I don’t even regret the blinding sincerity of these very words.”
Ben Karlin
Multiple Emmy-winning producer and screenwriter
‘Really Loved...’
“Scott ... told you EXACTLY what he thought of your work and how to improve it. I really loved having him as an instructor.”
‘Incredible’
“Incredible learning experience. Scott could not possibly be more qualified. EXCELLENT feedback. Scott is a master.”
‘Learned So Much’
“I learned so much more about being intentional with my structures. Scott ... encourages REFLECTION and GROWTH.”
‘Fantastic’
“Scott is fantastic!
Brilliant,
SUPPORTIVE,
and super helpful!”
Zero-Risk Commitment
If Project Everest doesn’t transform your filmmaking journey within 60 days,
100% of your investment will be returned. No questions asked.
FAQs
About Your Sherpa
A lifelong entrepreneur and creator in the entertainment business, Scott Dikkers is the founder of TheOnion.com, The AVClub, and How to Write Funny. He’s a #1 New York Times bestselling author, award-making filmmaker, and performer, widely regarded as one of the most influential pioneers in comedy history. Rolling Stone named him one of its top 10 favorite writers (for his comic strip, Jim’s Journal). Entertainment Weekly designated him “the funniest person in America” and placed him on the “It List” of the hottest celebrities in show business.
His visionary leadership at The Onion led to two TV shows (The Onion News Network on IFC and Onion Sportsdome on Comedy Central) and movie deals (with Miramax and Fox Searchlight). Scott’s two independent features, the audience-award-winning Spaceman and Bad Meat, starring Chevy Chase, were sold for worldwide distribution. He recently sold an animated pilot to Comedy Central, and is currently working within the Hollywood system on a movie adaptation of his latest book.
Scott has mentored hundreds of successful writers, directors, and actors who have won multiple Emmys, Grammys, and an Oscar.
$47
Click the “Sign Up Now” button above to go to the order page and fill out your info.
Who Says You Can’t Make a Feature Film?
People who don’t know what’s up, that’s who.
It’s time to show them WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF.